Drafter
Clerk 10/28/2026
Title
AN ORDINANCE adopting and ratifying amendments to the 2021 King County Countywide Planning Policies related to countywide and regional centers.
Body
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. Findings:
A. The 2021 King County Countywide Planning Policies were adopted by King County via Ordinance 19384 and establish a countywide framework for growth management planning, including procedures and criteria for amendments to the Urban Growth Area.
B. The Puget Sound Regional Council adopted the Regional Centers Framework Update in March 2018, and VISION 2050 in November 2020, and these regional policy documents establish requirements for regional growth centers and expand the growth management centers framework to include a new countywide center designation.
C. In 2021, the Growth Management Planning Council adopted the 2021 Countywide Planning Policies, including a new Appendix 6: King County Centers Designation Framework for regional and countywide centers via GMPC Motion 21-1, which was adopted by the county in Ordinance 19384 and ratified by the cities on April 6, 2022.
D. As part of the 2025 application process for countywide centers, the city of Seattle applied for designation of the Ballard Regional Center as an Urban Growth Center.
E. Following an application and review process, on September 16, 2026, the Growth Management Planning Council recommended approval of the countywide center designations in GMPC Motion 26-1 and the Ballard Regional Center in GMPC Motion 26-2.
SECTION 2. The amendments to the 2021 King County Countywide Planning Policies, as shown in Attachment A and Attachment B to this ordinance, are hereby adopted by King County and ratified on behalf of the population of unincorporated King County.
SECTION 3. Severability. If any provision of this ordinance or its application to
any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the ordinance or the application of the provision to persons or circumstances is not affected.