Article VIII. Comprehensive Plan Docket Procedures
15.02.700 Docketing.
A. Overview.
1. Except as allowed by Chapter 36.70A RCW, the comprehensive plan may only be amended once per year. The city shall review all revisions as a comprehensive package of updates to the plan so the cumulative effect of all proposed amendments is fully understood.
2. For purposes of this section, “docketing” refers to compiling and maintaining a list of suggested changes to the comprehensive plan or development regulations in a manner that will ensure such suggested changes will be considered by the city and will be available for review by the public.
B. Project Review Docket Applications. If during project review, the city identifies deficiencies in plans or regulations, the identified deficiencies shall be docketed for possible future plan or development regulation amendments. For purposes of this subsection, a deficiency in a comprehensive plan or development regulation refers to the absence of required or potentially desirable contents of a comprehensive plan or development regulation. It does not refer to whether a development regulation addresses a project’s probable specific adverse environmental impacts which the city could mitigate in the normal project review process.
C. Annual Docket Process.
1. Any interested person, including applicants, citizens, hearing examiners, city officials, and staff of other agencies, may suggest plan or development regulation amendments in writing to the planning director, which shall be docketed and considered on at least an annual basis, consistent with the provisions of RCW 36.70A.130.
2. The planning director is authorized to set deadlines for applications to amend the comprehensive plan. The planning director is also authorized to establish the docket for consideration of amendments. If the planning director believes a request should not be considered for the annual docket, this decision shall be forwarded to the city council who will have the legislative discretion to place the amendment on the final docket for further consideration.
3. The planning director shall provide the city council and planning commission the annual docket that will be considered and make this information available to the public.
D. Application Requirements. Any person proposing amendments to the comprehensive plan must submit the information as required by the planning director, including a complete description of the proposed amendment, the location of the amendment, and explanation of why the amendment is being proposed, and an explanation of how the proposed amendment is consistent with Chapter 36.70A RCW, the Snohomish County Countywide Planning Policies, and the city’s comprehensive plan adopted pursuant to Chapter 36.70A RCW. (Ord. 3774-20 § 3 (Exh. 2), 2020.)