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A MOTION relating to comprehensive planning, specifying the scope of work for the proposed amendment to the King County Comprehensive Plan in 2016 in accordance with K.C.C. 20.18.060.
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WHEREAS, King County enacted the 1994 King County Comprehensive Plan to meet the requirements of the Washington State Growth Management Act ("GMA"), and
WHEREAS, in RCW 36.70A.130, the GMA requires cities and counties to update their comprehensive plans once every eight years. The GMA authorizes, but does not require, cities and counties to amend their comprehensive plans annually. For King County, the next required GMA deadlines are in 2015 and 2023, and
WHEREAS, King County Comprehensive Plan policies and K.C.C. chapter 20.18 establish a process for amending the plan and a program for public participation. King County authorizes limited Comprehensive Plan changes annually and a more comprehensive review every four years, and
WHEREAS, in 2012, King County updated its Comprehensive Plan via Ordinance 17485 and thereby satisfied the GMA requirement to update its Comprehensive Plan by 2015, and
WHEREAS, 2016 marks the fifth four-year review of the Comprehensive Plan. Under the county's policies and regulations, the 2016 review consitutes a four-year amendment, and
WHEREAS, under GMA requirements, the county's 2016 review is subject to the rules applicable to an annual amendment. The GMA does not require the county to complete another comprehensive update until 2023. Under the county's current policies and code, the county will complete this update in 2020, and
WHEREAS, K.C.C. 20.18.060 states that the executive must transmit a motion specifying the scope of work proposed for a four-year amendment to the Comprehensive Plan and the council has until April 30 to approve the motion either as transmitted or amended. In the absence of council approval, the executive shall proceed to implement the work program as proposed, and
WHEREAS, as in 2012, the council is approving the scope of work motion after April 30; however, the executive has agreed to treat the scope as timely and proceed with the work progam as established in the council-approved version of the motion, and
WHEREAS, King County and cities within the county have successfully focused the vast majority of new residential growth into the Urban Growth Area, proceeding from eighty-eight percent in 1994 to more than ninety-eight percent urban in 2013, and
WHEREAS, King County has worked hard to protect critical areas and endangered species such as salmon, has promoted affordable housing and has committed resources to enrich its less advantaged communities, and
WHEREAS, King County must build on these successes and ensure that they continue into the future;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT MOVED by the Council of King County:
The scope of work for the 2016 King County Comprehensive Plan Update in Attachment A to this motion and the work program for public involvement in Attachment B to this motion are hereby approved as the basis for developing the amendments for the
King County Comprehensive Plan to be transmitted to the council by March 1, 2016, and for performing the associated environmental analysis.