Pursuant to Section 9 of the Unified Development Code (UDC), Jefferson County is conducting an annual Comprehensive Plan amendment process. Consistent with the State Environmental Policy Act (“SEPA” at RCW 43.21C), the Growth Management Act (“GMA” at RCW 36.70A), the Jefferson County Comprehensive Plan, and UDC Section 9, this amendment process involves concurrent analysis of all proposals to review the potential for cumulative impacts.

In general, Comprehensive Plan amendment proposals in Jefferson County fall into one of two (2) categories:

• Formal Site-Specific Amendments are proposals submitted by property owners requesting a change in either Comprehensive plan land use designation or density.

• Suggested Amendments are generally limited to proposals that that broadly apply to the goals, policies and implementation strategies of the Comprehensive Plan. In order to ensure cumulative impact review, suggested amendments that could potentially result in re-designation of groups of parcels are analyzed using the same criteria required for formal site-specific amendments (i.e., UDC 9.8.1.b and c).

Preliminary Docket

The Preliminary Docket consisted of eleven (11) proposed amendments to the Comprehensive Plan.  The nine (9) site-specific applications are automatically included on the Final Docket (see Final Docket next).  Following are brief descriptions of the two (2) suggested amendments that were under consideration in the Preliminary Docket process.  Each has a Master Land Use Application (MLA) number for reference.

1. File Number MLA05-66 proposed by an individual County Commissioner for the purpose of developing potential Comprehensive Plan narrative and policy amendments in relation to discretionary amendments adopted in 2004 under file number MLA04-28.  The 2004 amendments substantially updated and streamlined the Comprehensive Plan.  This file number would involve elements of document housekeeping as well as policy review.  The policy topics identified by County Commissioners include Housing, Open Space, Economic Development, and Environment.  Under this file number, tables deleted in 2004 that appeared at the beginning of each Comprehensive Plan chapter relating the chapter to other elements of the Plan may be re-inserted.

2. File Number MLA05-67 proposed by an individual County Commissioner for the purpose of developing potential Comprehensive Plan amendments related to the Irondale and Port Hadlock Urban Growth Area (UGA), including the UGA future land use map.  Goals, policies, maps and development regulations were adopted in 2004.  This file number would involve the consideration of adjustments to what was adopted in 2004.  The review would include analysis of the distinction between the UGA future land use map and the UGA zoning map that is part of the Unified Development Code (UDC) and review of the designation of select areas on one or both maps.

The Planning Commission held a public hearing at the regularly scheduled meeting March 2 concerning the Preliminary Docket for the 2005 Comprehensive Plan Amendment Cycle.  The Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) held a joint workshop with the Planning Commission on March 10 to discuss the Preliminary Docket.  On March 16, the Planning Commission completed its recommendation for the Final Docket.  DCD transmitted the Planning Commission recommendation, as well as the staff recommendation, to the BoCC on April 4.  See Documents below for the memorandum dated March 30.

On April 4, the BoCC decided to approach the Planning Commission at the next Planning Commission meeting about re-visiting the issue of docketing a suggested amendment for Comprehensive Plan "housekeeping."  The Planning Commission revised its recommendation to the BoCC to include support for docketing housekeeping components only under file number MLA05-66, as described in the staff recommendation section of the March 30 memorandum (Documents).  On April 18, the BoCC established the Final Docket as the nine site-specific applications plus MLA05-66 for housekeeping only.

Final Docket

As established by the BoCC on April 18, 2005, the Final Docket consists of the following proposals, each with a Master Land Use Application (MLA) number for reference.

Suggested Amendments:

File Number MLA05-66 only for the purpose of “housekeeping,” involving map anomalies and text and table corrections only, and not for the purpose of amending policy or narrative description.  (Identified housekeeping tasks are described under the staff recommendation section of the March 30 memorandum posted under Documents below.)

Site-Specific Amendments:

1. MLA05-06; McDiehl LLC; Port Ludlow; Master Planned Resort (MPR) Residential to MPR Village Commercial Center; Agent: David Goldsmith

2. MLA05-38; Hopkins/Barber Family Associates, LP; Quilcene; Commercial Forest (CF) 1:80 to Rural Residential (RR) 1:20; Agent: Jim Lindsay

3. MLA05-39; Nelson/Monroe; Quilcene; RR 1:20 to RR 1:5

4. MLA05-51; Kirkpatrick; Quilcene; RR 1:20 to RR 1:5; Agent: Linda Skurdal

5. MLA05-53; Widell; Port Townsend (adjacent to Glen Cove); RR 1:5 to Rural Commercial

6. MLA05-59; Olympic Property Group (OPG); Shine; RR 1:10 to RR 1:5

7. MLA05-60; OPG; Port Ludlow; RR 1:20 to RR 1:5

8. MLA05-61; OPG; Shine; CF 1:80 to RR 1:10 and RR 1:5

9. MLA05-70; Pepper; Port Townsend (Four Corners); RR 1:10 to Rural Commercial (Neighborhood Crossroads); Agent: Kelly DeLaat-Maher

Following the public hearing or hearings, the Planning Commission completes a recommendation to the BoCC on the 2005 Comprehensive Plan Amendment Docket.  See Documents below for the formal memoranda.  A County staff recommendation accompanies the Planning Commission recommendation for each item.

The BoCC takes action on the 2005 Docket after reviewing the Planning Commission and staff recommendations.  The BoCC may also hold a public hearing or hearings before taking action.  See Results below for information on the BoCC decisions and Documents below for the adopted ordinances.

Review Schedule

The Planning Commission meeting on April 6 was a joint workshop with the Board of County Commissioners (BoCC).  Applicants for site-specific Comprehensive Plan amendments (i.e., re-zones) on the 2005 Docket had an opportunity to the address the decision-makers.

The BoCC established the Final Docket on April 18.

The DCD integrated staff report and SEPA addendum for the 2005 Comprehensive Plan amendment cycle Final Docket was posted under Documents below on August 3 and distributed to the Planning Commission at the August 3 regular meeting.

The Planning Commission held a public hearing on the Final Docket on Wednesday, August 17.  The deadline for written comments for the Planning Commission was August 24.  Staff forwards comments received after 4:30 PM, August 24, to the BoCC.

The Planning Commission deliberated on the 2005 Docket at regular meetings following the August 17 public hearing, beginning on September 7 and finishing on September 21.  The Planning Commission regularly meets the first and third Wednesdays of each month, beginning at 6:30 PM, at the WSU Community Learning Center in Hadlock.

• Press Release on 2005 Comprehensive Plan Amendment Cycle  August 31, 2005

The Planning Commission recommendation and findings were presented to the BoCC, along with the final DCD staff recommendation, on October 24.  The BoCC held a public hearing on November 14.  The BoCC deliberated on the proposals on November 21.  See Results below for a summary of the decisions.

Results

In its legislative capacity for Jefferson County, the Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) approves, approves with conditions or modifications, or denies each of the proposed amendments on a Comprehensive Plan Amendment Docket.  The BoCC takes action on each of the Docket items on or before the second regular BoCC meeting in December.

The BoCC held a public hearing on November 14.  The BoCC deliberated on the proposals on November 21, continuing the discussion on MLA05-60 on December 5.  Following is a summary of the results of the BoCC legislative decisions on the 2005 Docket.  The vote result of three-member BoCC is provided in parentheses.  For details on any of the proposals listed by file number, consult the Docket section above.

Suggested Amendments:

File Number MLA05-66; “housekeeping” - Approve (3-0)

Site-Specific Amendments:

1. MLA05-06; McDiehl LLC - Approve (3-0)

2. MLA05-38; Hopkins/Barber Family Associates, LP - Deny (2-1)

3. MLA05-39; Nelson/Monroe - Approve (2-1)

4. MLA05-51; Kirkpatrick - Approve: RR 1:10 designation w/ mandatory Planned Rural Residential Development (PRRD) at time of land division (3-0)

5. MLA05-53; Widell - Deny (2-1)

6. MLA05-59; Olympic Property Group (OPG) - Approve (3-0)

7. MLA05-60; OPG - Approve: Mandatory PRRD; Approx. 33 acres left as RR 1:20; OPG agreement precluding vicinity RR upzones for 20 years; No individual wells; Feasibility Study for water system to potentially serve all of Tala Point (3-0)

8. MLA05-61; OPG - Deny (2-1)

9. MLA05-70; Pepper - Deny (2-1)

The BoCC adopted Ordinance No. 10-1212-05 on December 12, thereby approving six (6) proposals, with modifications and conditions, from the 2005 Docket as part of the Consent Agenda.

A legal notice of ordinance adoption will appear in the The Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader newspaper within 10 days after BoCC legislative action.  PDF files of adopted ordinances and related documents are posted in the Documents section below.  Replacement pages for the Comprehensive Plan will be posted on the Comprehensive Plan page.

Meeting minutes of BoCC meetings can be accessed from the County's Minutes and Meetings page.

Email: planning@co.jefferson.wa.us

Phone: 360-379-4450
Fax: 360-379-4451