2021 CPP Update

Updated Through December 15, 2021

Introduction

The Countywide Planning Policies (CPPs) provide a countywide vision and serve as the guiding principles and policies for all Comprehensive Planning in King County (County, City, and Special-Purpose District), as well as County and City Zoning Codes. Please see: https://www.kingcounty.gov/~/media/depts/executive/performance-strategy-budget/regional-planning/GrowthManagement/GMPCMeeting022620/GMPC_022620_CPPs.ashx?la=en. The CPPs establish: (1) The Urban Growth Area (UGA) boundary; (2) Criteria for revising UGA Growth Targets for each jurisdiction; and (3) Criteria for defining urban centers and manufacturing/industrial centers. The new set of Growth Targets for each jurisdiction will have impacts on transportation infrastructure throughout the County.

The King County Growth Management Planning Council (GMPC)—a formal body, consisting of elected officials from King County, Seattle, Bellevue, other cities/towns in King County, special purpose districts, and the Port of Seattle—is updating King County’s 2012 (as amended in 2016: https://www.kingcounty.gov/~/media/depts/executive/performance-strategy-budget/regional-planning/CPPs/2012-CPPsAmended062516withMaps.ashx?la=en) CPPs by the end of 2021. For more information, please see: https://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/executive/performance-strategy-budget/regional-planning/CPPs.aspx.

Key Dates

September 17, 2020–Members of Rural Area Unincorporated Area Councils (UACs) and Associations (UAAs) attended a Seminar on the CPPs given by Karen Wolf and Rebeccah Maskin and arranged by the GMVUAC. The Seminar reviewed the CPPs, the ongoing update, and included a robust question/answer period.

January 11, 2021–Members of Rural Area UACs and UAAs completed their joint review of the 2012 (as amended in 2016) CPP Policies, proposed changes and/or additions by Chapter: CPP Proposed Policy Changes, and submitted same to King County Executive Office’s (KCEO’s) Senior Policy Analyst and Staff Contact to the Growth Management Planning Council (GMPC), Karen Wolf, and King County Demographer, Rebeccah Maskin. The KCEO is reviewing these proposed changes in terms of what it plans to propose to the GMPC at its January 27 meeting.

March 10, 2021–Members of Rural Area UACs and UAAs submitted joint detailed comments on a matrix showing existing CPP policies with proposed changes and rationale for same (e.g., Policy Matrix) released by the KECO: Cover Letter and Policy Matrix Markup. Subsequently a Principle/Policy Mapping Table was submitted to provide correlation between a set of Rural Area principles and policy comments. On March 24 King County Executive Staff held a virtual meeting with the Rural Area joint team to discuss and understand all its submitted comments.

April 6, 2021–The Public Review Draft (PRD) was released with a 30-day comment period to May 5, 2021: CPP Update PRD.

May 4, 2021–The Area Council-led Joint Team of Rural Area UACs and UAAs submitted detailed comments: Cover Letter and PRD Comments following a complete review of the PRD.

May 19, 2021–The Final Draft of the 2021 CPP Update was released: GMPC webpage prior to the May 26 meeting of the GMPC, which will review same.

May 21 and 26, 2020–The Area Council-led Joint Team submitted additional comments: CPP-Update-Observations and Growth Targets for GMPC review and they were included as Agenda item 4b) Additional Public Comment Received–Rural and Unincorporated Organizations on the GMPC webpage prior to its May 26 meeting.

June 22, 2021–The Area Council-led Joint Team submitted comments on Amendments proposed by GMPC members ahead of its June 26, 2021, meeting: Cover Letter and CPP Update Amendment Comments.

June 26, 2021–The GMPC recommended to the KC Council a Final Draft of the 2021 CPP Update (see: 2021 Countywide Planning Policies).

August 25, 2021—Proposed KC Council Ordinance 2021-0254, which forwards the GMPC-recommended Final Draft of the 2021 CPP Update to the KC Council for consideration and possible approval, was assigned to the KC Council’s Mobility & Environment (M&E) Committee. It began discussion of the GMPC-approved Final Draft of the 2021 CPP Update at its August 25, 2021, meeting. The Area Council-led Joint Team submitted testimony: CPP Update Testimony to KC Council M&E Committee–1. When complete, the M&E Committee will send a recommendation to the full KC Council for a December Public Hearing. If adopted by the full KC Council, the ratification process by KC’s 39 cities will commence. The cities will have a 90-day ratification window. The 2021 CPP Update needs to be ratified and submitted to the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC)–the four-county (King, Kitsap, Pierce, & Snohomish) regional planning agency, by December 31, 2021, to meet the requirements of MPP-RC-13 (in VISION 2050).

October 27, 2021–The KC Council’s M&E Committee continued its discussion of the GMPC-recommended Final Draft of the 2021 CPP Update. The Area Council-led Joint Team submitted Written Testimony: CPP Update Testimony to KC Council M&E Committee–2.

November 30, 2021—The KC Council’s M&E Committee completed its discussion of the GMPC-recommended Final Draft of the 2021 CPP Update. The M&E Committee proposed “Striker” called for a complete Four-to-One Program Review. The Area Council-led Joint Team submitted Written Testimony: CPP Update Testimony to KC Council M&E Committee–3. The M&E Committee forwarded its proposed “Striker” with no changes to the full KC Council to discuss and vote on at its December 12, 2021, meeting.

December 1, 2021–The GMPC reviewed the KC Council’s M&E Committee’s proposed “Striker.” The Area Council-led Joint Team submitted Written Testimony: CPP Update Testimony to GMPC, which, among several other items, called for the GMPC to recommend to the KC Council to not conduct yet another Four-to-One Program Review. Oral Testimonies also ere provided.

December 14, 2021–The KC Council met to finalize the 2021 CPP Update. The Area Council-led Joint Team submitted a final comprehensive Written Testimony: CPP Update Testimony to KC Council. Oral Testimonies also were provided.

December 21, 2021–The KC Council voted to approve the 2021 CPP Update and submit to PSRC by the end of 2021. See: Approved 2021 CPP Update.

Final Disposition

The 2021 CPP Update will be used to guide all KC jurisdictions (i.e., County and 39 cities) in updating their comprehensive plans (2023/2024).