Overview

Washington State law (36.70A.040 RCW) requires that jurisdictions operating under the Growth Management Act (GMA) develop comprehensive plans and development regulations that are not only consistent with, but implement their respective comprehensive plans (36.70A RCW).

Comprehensive plans are long-range in nature and serve as policy guides for how a jurisdiction plans to manage growth and development with respect to the natural environment and available resources.

The GMA requires that comprehensive plans consist of the following elements: land use, housing, capital facilities, utilities, rural (for counties), transportation, economic development, and park and recreation (36.70A.070 RCW). A comprehensive plan may also include additional elements (these being optional) that relate to the physical development within its respective jurisdiction. Examples of optional elements include: conservation, historic preservation, and subarea plans (36.70A.080 RCW).

Island County adopted its original GMA Comprehensive Plan on September 28, 1998 (with an effective date of December 1, 1998 – see Ordinance C-123-98). Since that time, amendments to various elements within the Island County Comprehensive Plan (ICCP) have been made on an annual basis as allowed by law (36.70A.130(2)(a) RCW).

The GMA also requires that jurisdictions periodically review their comprehensive plans and implementing development regulations in their entirety and, if needed, revise them. Island County is required to have this review and revision completed by June 30, 2016 and every eight (8) years thereafter (36.70A.130(5)(b) RCW). Opportunities for public participation in this process will be provided (see 36.70A.035 RCW).

Island County Code (ICC) Chapter 16.26 describes the County’s review procedure for amendments to the ICCP and development regulations. Section 16.26.060 ICC allows for any Person to propose an amendment to the ICCP or implementing development regulations. Comprehensive Plan Amendments (CPAs) and Development Regulation Amendments (DRAs) are processed as Type IV Legislative Decisions by the Board of Island County Commissioners (BICC).

NOTE: An updated Parks and Recreation Element of the ICCP was adopted by the BICC on December 12, 2011 and has been added below.

Below are links to the ten (10) elements that make up the ICCP. They have been updated to reflect adopted amendments made to the ICCP between 1998 and December 12, 2011 (through Ordinance C-121-11).

Page Last Updated: 12/15/11

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