Title
Approval of Annual Comprehensive Plan Amendment Schedule for 2021
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Not referred to a committee.
City Manager Recommendation:
Move to set November 20, 2020, as the deadline for Preliminary Comprehensive Plan Amendment applications for consideration in 2021 and direct staff to proceed with review schedule generally as outlined.
Report
Issue:
Whether to set November 20, 2020 as the deadline for Preliminary Comprehensive Plan Amendment applications for consideration in 2021.
Staff Contact:
Joyce Phillips, Senior Planner, Community Planning & Development, 360.570.3722
Presenter(s):
None - Consent Calendar Item.
Background and Analysis:
Washington's Growth Management Act provides that, with only a few specific exceptions, a city's Comprehensive Plan can be amended only once each year. Accordingly, all proposed amendments are to be collected into one review process. Olympia's code directs that the City Council shall set an annual due date for proposing such amendments. Staff proposes that for 2021 amendments that deadline be Friday, November 20, 2020.
Washington's Growth Management Act provides that a city must review and evaluate its Comprehensive Plan every eight years. In addition, the Act provides that cities may consider annual Plan amendments. Subject to specific exceptions, the Act provides that any proposed annual amendments must be collected into one annual review with a schedule 'broadly disseminated' to the public. (RCW 36.70A.130)
Chapter 18.59 of the Olympia Municipal Code outlines the Comprehensive Plan Amendment process. Proposed amendments may be submitted at any time. However, so that proposals are collected into an annual set of proposals, the code provides that the City Council shall set an annual submittal deadline. This deadline has varied, but most often it has been in mid-November.
The subsequent review process includes a preliminary review where the City Council decides which proposals should be considered - commonly known as the “screening” step. Those not eliminated at the screening step are then analyzed in detail and subject to Planning Commission public hearings, review and recommendations. The full process, leading to one collective final decision by the City Council, has varied from eight to 15 months.
To identify potential Plan amendments for 2021, staff proposes the schedule below. Note that only the submittal deadline is formally set by Council. Other dates are approximate and flow from the initial deadline. A more detailed schedule will be established by staff following Council approval of the initial deadline; including coordination with County staff regarding amendments affecting the Urban Growth Area.
Proposed Annual Comprehensive Plan Amendment Schedule for 2021
• Late September - Early October - Public announcement of schedule
• November 20, 2020 - Deadline for public to submit preliminary proposals (no charge)
• January or February 2021 - City Council “screening” review of preliminary proposals, to determine whether the City should consider further each proposal
• March or April 2021 - Final amendment applications due (with application fee, and rezone application fees if applicable)
• April to May - City staff analysis and environmental review of proposals
• May to July - Planning Commission review and public hearings
• August and later - Council review and decisions
At a minimum, public announcement of the due date and schedule in general will include posting on the City website, notice to the news media, and notice mailed directly to agency staff, recognized neighborhood associations, and parties known to City staff that are considering amendment proposals.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
To date, no specific proposals are anticipated, however a few inquiries have been made by the public and various city departments. Public interest will depend on specific proposals.
Options:
1. Set November 20, 2020, as the deadline for preliminary annual Comprehensive Plan amendment proposals to be considered in 2021.
2. Set an alternative date as the deadline for submitting such proposals.
3. Decline to consider Plan amendment proposals in 2021.
Financial Impact:
None. Review of preliminary Comprehensive Plan Amendment applications is incorporated into the Community Planning and Development Department’s annual work plan.
Attachments:
None