What is a Comprehensive Plan?

A Comprehensive Plan is…

Required by the WA Growth Management Act (GMA), the Comprehensive Plan establishes a City’s 20-year vision. It outlines how future growth will be accommodated, based on various elements of the plan. It comprises a series of goals, objectives, policies, and actions for the future of communities. These will guide the day-to-day decisions of elected officials and local government staff.

Plan Process

Plan Elements

  1. 1. Land Use

Establishes the framework for how land within a community will be used and developed over time, guiding zoning, growth patterns, and the balance between residential, commercial, industrial, and open space areas.

  1. 2. Housing

Identifies current and future housing needs and outlines strategies, policies, and actions to ensure the availability of affordable and diverse housing options for all income levels.

  1. 3. Transportation

Outlines how the community will develop and maintain a balanced, efficient, and multimodal transportation system that supports land use patterns and meets the mobility needs of all users.

  1. 4. Utilities

Ensures that essential services such as water, sewer, power, and others are planned, coordinated, and provided in a way that supports existing and future development efficiently and sustainably.

  1. 5. Capital Facilities

Identifies and guides the siting of regional and local facilities that are necessary to serve the public, such as airports, solid waste sites, and others.

  1. 6. Climate Resiliency

Outlines how the county will prepare for, adapt to, and mitigate the impacts of climate change by coordinating policies and actions to strengthen environmental, social, and economic resilience.

  1. 7. Rural Element

Guides growth and development in rural areas to maintain rural character, protect natural resources, and ensure that rural lands support agriculture, recreation, and other traditional rural uses.

  1. 8. Economic Development

Outlines strategies to strengthen the county’s economy while ensuring that growth is consistent with rural and urban land uses.

  1. 9. Essential Public Facilities

Identifies the public facilities and infrastructure needed to support growth, and outlines how these investments will be financed, maintained, and timed to ensure adequate service levels for the community.

  1. 10. Natural Settings & Water Resources

Protects and manages the county’s natural systems to preserve environmental quality, ensure clean and sufficient water supplies, and support sustainable land use and development.

Who determines how much we grow?

Under the GMA, the state Office of Financial Management (OFM) develops population projections for the state and each county. Each "fully planning" county is then mandated to determine, in consultation with cities, where that growth should be directed to occur. Once these growth projections are adopted, then the county and cities are to use them in their comprehensive planning processes and make sure that their plans can accommodate the projected level of growth.

Color-coded map of Washington state showing elevation contours over terrain with green forests and brown areas.

Growth Management Act - Chapter 36.70A RCW

  • Periodic updates are mandatory

  • Consistency and coordination is required

  • Public participation is essential

  • Community Vision is a crucial part

Under GMA, comprehensive plans are required to include goals, policies, and actions that guide local growth and development.

They carry out the elements of a comprehensive plan by turning the community’s vision and state requirements into clear guidance for local decision-making and operations.

Goals

Broad statements indicating a general aim or purpose to be achieved. A goal is a direction setter, an ideal future end, condition, or state related to the public health, safety, or general welfare toward which planning and implementation measures are directed.

Policies

An objective is a topic-specific statement providing guidelines for current and future decision-making. It indicates a clear commitment of the local legislative body. A policy is an extension of a plan’s goals, reflecting topical nuance as well as an assessment of conditions.

Actions

An objective is a topic-specific statement providing guidelines for current and future decision-making. It indicates a clear commitment of the local legislative body. A policy is an extension of a plan’s goals, reflecting topical nuance as well as an assessment of conditions.