Council adopts updates to King County Comprehensive Plan

October 18, 2010

Summary

Adoption culmination of seven months of review, testimony

Story

The Metropolitan King County Council today unanimously approved updates to the King County Comprehensive Plan, the county’s guide for growth and development in the unincorporated areas of the county. The updates will assist in setting policy on such major issues as annexations, transportation, and the environment.

“These updates to the county’s Comprehensive Plan are the culmination of many months of collaboration with effected community members,” said Councilmember Larry Phillips, Chair of the Environment and Transportation Committee. “Since its adoption, our comp plan has successfully preserved rural character and protected habitat in the county’s rural areas, and these updates ensure we are continuing to adapt to unincorporated area residents’ changing needs.”

This summer, the Environment and Transportation Committee made some technical changes to the proposals sent to the Council by the County Executive in March. Additionally, Councilmember Phillips added an amendment directing the executive to study and make recommended changes to a policy and regulation relating to restrictions of aquatic habitat restoration in an Agricultural Production District (APD). The amendment also calls on the Executive to perform a form-based area zoning study aimed at parcels zoned neighborhood business in the Rural Area, and to include potential pilot program to implement that study be included in the 2012 Comprehensive Plan update.

Today’s vote is the culmination of seven months of meetings and discussions in the both the Environment and Transportation Committee and the full Council. On final passage, there were some additional technical changes offered by Councilmember Phillips appending the revised reports updated since the Environment and Transportation Committee took action in July.

The Comprehensive Plan was adopted under the State Growth Management Act in 1994. Technical changes to the County's Plan can be made once a year, with major plan reviews conducted every four years. The adopted changes are technical in nature, except for one land use map change that the 2008 Comprehensive Plan Update contemplated would occur during this 2010 review.



View the Council's King County Comprehensive Plan page

The adopted ordinances advances the Council’s priorities of Environmental Sustainability and Safe, Healthy and Vibrant Communities.