Comprehensive Plan Update

In February of 2022, several community groups came together to form the Local Good Governance Coalition (LGCC) with the mission to connect local organizations in the joint work of supporting of the environment,  affordable housing, as well as with a focus of engaging the community in local land use and budget policies  and the quasi-judicial processes.  

The Growth Management Act (GMA) is a series of state statutes, first adopted in 1990, that requires fast growing cities and counties to develop a comprehensive plan to manage their population growth. It is  primarily codified under Chapter 36.70A RCW, although it has been amended and added to in several other  parts of the RCW. 

Under RCW 36.70A.020, the GMA establishes a series of 13 goals that should act as the basis of all  comprehensive plans. The legislature added the goals and policies of the Shoreline Management Act as the  fourteenth GMA goal (RCW 36.70A.480). The shoreline goals may be found at RCW 90.58.020.

The goals of the GMA set the foundation for the comprehensive plans. They include: 

1. Encourage compact urban growth
2.  Reduce Sprawl
3. Encourage coordinated, multimodal transportation
4. Plan for and accommodate for affordable housing
5. Encourage economic development
6.  Protect property rights
7. Predictable permitting
8. Maintain natural resource industries.
9. Retain open space, enhance recreation
10. Protect the environment
11. Encourage participation
12. Ensure availability of public facilities and services
13. Encourage historic preservation
14. Manage shoreline development

Based on the requirements in RCW 36.70A.040, 18 counties, including Thurston County, and all the cities and  towns within them, are required to "fully plan" under the GMA.  

An additional 11 counties had originally opted to fully plan, although one county (Ferry County) later opted  out under EHB 1224 (2014), which gave counties under 20,000 population the option to opt out by December  31, 2015. The 28 "fully planning" counties make up about 95% of the state's population. The 10 counties that  opted to "fully plan" must plan for critical areas and natural resource land only under the GMA. For more  information on the requirements for each county are, please see the Department of Commerce Website.

The comprehensive plan is the centerpiece of local planning and articulates a series of goals, objectives,  policies, actions, and standards that are intended to guide day-to-day decisions by elected officials and local  government staff.  

The Plan includes elements to address all physical components of the community, including land use,  transportation, housing, parks, public facilities, and economic development. Each element includes goals,  objectives and policies aimed at making our community better and more stable. 

The GMA lays out the following mandatory and optional comprehensive elements RCW 36.70A.070: Mandatory Comp Plan Elements 

• Land Use 
• Housing 
• Capital Facilities Plan 
• Utilities 
• Rural Development (counties only) 
• Transportation 
• Ports (mandatory for cities with annual maritime port revenues exceeding $60 million, RCW 36.70A.085) 

Optional Comp Plan Elements 

• Economic Development* 
• Parks and Recreation* 
• Conservation (RCW 36.70A.080) 
• Solar Energy (RCW 36.70A.080) 
• Recreation (RCW 36.70A.080) 
• Subarea Plans (neighborhoods, rural villages, urban growth areas, tribal areas, etc.) • Ports (optional for cities with annual maritime port revenues of $20 million to $60 million, RCW 36.70A.085) 

The elements with an asterix are listed as mandatory in RCW 36.70A.070(7) and (8), but they are  actually optional because funds have not been appropriated to help pay for preparing them, per RCW  36.70A.070(9). 

While all of these elements are important, the land use element sets the direction of future growth in a  community and is usually depicted as a future land use map. The future land use map, which is policy oriented, is then implemented in large part by the official zoning map, a regulatory tool. 

Comprehensive plans must also address "essential public facilities" that are typically difficult to site, such as  airports, educational facilities, transportation facilities, and correctional facilities. 

Each Washington city and county must periodically review and, if needed, revise its comprehensive plan and  development regulations every ten years to ensure that they comply with the GMA, as per the schedule provided in RCW 36.70A.130. Comprehensive plan amendments may be adopted on a more frequent basis  (with some communities having established a formal annual amendment process), but no more than once per  year. 

The GMA places a strong emphasis on implementation, since most goals, objectives, and polices in a  comprehensive plan cannot be achieved without strong regulatory and financial support (such as zoning,  capital spending, and non-capital spending). Under the GMA, a local agency’s development regulations (such  as zoning) and capital budget decisions must be made in conformity with its comprehensive plan (RCW  36.70A.120). 

Updating the various sections of each jurisdiction’s Comprehensive Plans will take place starting in 2022 and  will go through late 2024. Jurisdictions must pass and submit their plan to the state by June 30, 2025.

The Growth Management Hearings Board resolves disputes concerning comprehensive plans and  development regulations adopted under the GMA. The board is made up of five members from three distinct  geographic areas: Eastern Washington, Central Puget Sound, and Western Washington. See RCW 36.70A.250 

Challenges to the GMA are heard by a three-member panel comprised of two members residing in the  geographic area of a challenge, with one acting as the presiding officer, and a third member drawn from one  of the other regions. Each hearing panel must include an attorney and a former city or county elected official  and must “reflect the political composition of the board” (RCW 36.70A.260). 

1) Educate the public on the process 

2) Engage the public in the process 

3) Regarding Climate Change: 

▪ Ask elected officials to update their Comprehensive Plan through a “climate and equity”  lens, meaning that climate change and subsequent factors will be mentioned  

throughout the plans versus in a separate section, and to recognize that the effects of  climate change often affect those most vulnerable the hardest.  

▪ Ask elected officials to include in their Comprehensive Plans their commitments to the  Thurston Climate Mitigation Plan (TCMP). The four principal jurisdictions of Thurston  County (the County and the Cities of Olympia, Lacey, and Tumwater) adopted the TCMP  in 2021, committing to collectively working together to reduce greenhouse gas  

emissions. 

▪ Ask officials to include actions in the Comprehensive Plan to meet the requirements of  the Climate Commitment Act (CCA) - In 2021, the Washington Legislature passed the  CCA which establishes a comprehensive program to reduce carbon pollution and 

achieve greenhouse gas limits set in state law. The program will start Jan. 1, 2023. 

▪ Include the actions of Washington State House Bill #1099 which didn’t pass through the  Legislative Branch in early 2022. The bill’s goal was to improve the state's climate  

response through updates to the state's comprehensive planning framework.  

4). Regarding Housing: 

▪ While the Washington State House Bill 1220 passed in 2021, the LGGC is hoping that our  elected officials will make sure their commitments in the Comprehensive Plans meet  and/or exceed what’s called for in the bill. The bill is specific to supporting emergency  shelters and housing through local planning and development regulations. 

▪ Create additional middle housing near transit that was in the unsuccessful 1782 bill in the Housing Chapter of the comp plan.

1) Engage with elected officials through giving public testimony and personal meetings,  2) Writing letters and making phone calls to your elected officials,  

3) Talking to your friends and family about the future of our community, 

4) Join the LGGC’s Comprehensive Planning Listserv to stay informed. You will receive an invite by  email.  

5) Engage with your favorite affordable housing or environmental organization. 

6) Stay engaged with the organizations of the Local Good Governance Coalition. 

Thurston County – 

• Current Comprehensive Plan - https://www.thurstoncountywa.gov/planning/Pages/comp-plan current.aspx
• Comprehensive Planning Home – Watch for updates here.  

https://www.thurstoncountywa.gov/planning/Pages/comp-plan.aspx 

• Other related links - 

https://www.thurstoncountywa.gov/planning/planningdocuments/2021%20Tumwater%20Join t%20Plan.pdf 

City of Olympia 

• Current Comprehensive Plan - 

https://www.codepublishing.com/WA/Olympia/?compplan/OlympiaCPNT.html 

• Comprehensive Planning Home – Watch for updates here. Other related links - 

https://www.olympiawa.gov/government/codes,_plans___standards/olympia_comprehensive_pla n.php 

City of Tumwater 

• Comprehensive Planning Home and Current Comprehensive Plan – Watch for updates here.  https://www.ci.tumwater.wa.us/departments/community-development/tumwater comprehensive-plan
• Other related links - 
  https://www.ci.tumwater.wa.us/home/showpublisheddocument/23852/637823246566300000
  

City of Lacey 

• Comprehensive Planning Home and Current Comprehensive Plan – Watch for updates here. - https://cityoflacey.org/comprehensive-planning/