Chapter 19.06
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN/DEVELOPMENT REGULATION AMENDMENTS
Sections:
19.06.030 Governmental coordination.
19.06.040 Site-specific zoning map amendments.
19.06.050 Legislative review process.
19.06.010 Amendments.
A. Types of Amendments.
1. Urban Growth Area Amendments. Proposed amendments to the East Wenatchee urban growth area may be initiated only by the East Wenatchee city council or planning commission.
2. Text Amendments. Proposed amendments to the text of goals, policies, objectives, principles or standards of the comprehensive plan or text changes to the development regulations may be initiated only by the East Wenatchee city council or planning commission.
3. Area-Wide Map Amendments. A map amendment that is area-wide in significance and usually includes several separate properties under various ownerships may be initiated only by the East Wenatchee city council or planning commission.
4. Site-Specific Map Amendments. Site-specific map amendments apply to a limited geographical area controlled either by an individual property owner or all property owners within the designated area. Site-specific map amendments may be initiated by the property owner(s) through a fee paid application process. Applications must be received by the city no later than 5:00 p.m. on the first business day of April. Any applications received after the first business day of April will be processed the following year.
B. Pursuant to RCW 36.70A.130, the Greater East Wenatchee Area Comprehensive Plan shall be amended by the city no more than once a year. (Ord. 21-28 § 5 (Exh. A), 2021)
19.06.020 Review criteria.
A. General Review Criteria.
1. A detailed statement of what is proposed to be changed and why. Identify the specific comprehensive plan land use designation map and zoning map that would be amended.
2. The proposed amendment is consistent with the goals of the Washington State Growth Management Act (Chapter 36.70A RCW) and the countywide planning policies.
3. The proposed amendment is consistent with and supported by the goals and policies of the Greater East Wenatchee Area Comprehensive Plan.
4. The proposed amendment is consistent with comprehensive plan land use designation siting criteria, if any.
5. The proposed amendment is consistent with and supported by the capital facility element and transportation element or includes proposed changes so these elements will be consistent.
B. Additional Required Criteria Specific to Urban Growth Boundary Changes.
1. The following criteria shall be considered in any review of expansions of the urban growth boundaries for nonresidential purposes:
a. There is a lack of suitable lands within the boundary for the proposed land use;
b. The provision of urban services to the area is prescribed, and funding responsibilities delineated, in conformity with the capital facilities element and utilities element of the applicable comprehensive plan;
c. Designated resource lands may not be included unless it is shown that there are no practicable alternatives; and
d. The expansion of the urban growth boundary incorporates the amount of land deemed appropriate to resolve the identified deficiency.
2. In addition to criteria in subsections (B)(1)(a) through (d) of this section, the following criteria shall also be considered in any review of expansions of urban growth area boundaries for residential purposes:
a. There is insufficient land suitable for development within the urban growth boundary to accommodate the adopted population allocation that has not yet been accommodated;
b. If the urban growth boundary has accommodated the adopted population allocation prior to adoption of revised population forecasts, the urban growth boundary shall not be expanded until updated regional population forecasts and allocations have been adopted, unless the party seeking expansion of the urban growth boundary has otherwise established a need to accommodate such expansion. (Ord. 21-28 § 5 (Exh. A), 2021)
19.06.030 Governmental coordination.
A. Proposed amendments to the East Wenatchee urban growth area and accompanying amendments to the Greater East Wenatchee Area Comprehensive Plan and implementing development regulations shall be reviewed through the following process:
1. The city will initiate the 60-day review process required by RCW 36.70A.106, and combine environmental review required by Chapter 43.21C RCW. The review will be jointly sponsored by the city of East Wenatchee and Douglas County.
2. Early in the joint 60-day review process the city will schedule a joint workshop of the city’s planning commission and the Douglas County planning commission where the city will present the proposed amendments. The city may choose to have their representative present the proposed amendments to the Douglas County planning commission, in lieu of a joint planning commission workshop.
3. Upon conclusion of the joint 60-day review process, the city of East Wenatchee and Douglas County shall hold a joint planning commission hearing for the purpose of developing a recommendation for each jurisdiction’s legislative body.
4. The Douglas County board of commissioners and the city of East Wenatchee council shall hold a joint public meeting to consider the proposed amendments and planning commission recommendations. At the public meeting (or public hearing which may subsequently be set by the jurisdictions), the Douglas County board of commissioners shall take action on the proposal, followed by the city of East Wenatchee council.
5. The city shall issue a joint notice of adoption to the Washington Department of Commerce. Publication of the joint notice of adoption shall be the responsibility of Douglas County.
B. Proposed amendments to the Greater East Wenatchee Area Comprehensive Plan and development regulations that involve textual changes and/or map changes to properties located inside city limits shall be reviewed through the following process:
1. The city will initiate the 60-day review process required by RCW 36.70A.106, and combine environmental review required by Chapter 43.21C RCW. The review will be jointly sponsored by the city of East Wenatchee and Douglas County.
2. Early in the joint 60-day review process, the city will have a representative present the proposed amendment to the Douglas County planning commission.
3. Adopted changes to the city’s comprehensive plan and/or development regulations must be submitted to the Douglas County planning commission, no later than the fourth Monday of October, in order to be considered during Douglas County’s amendment process for that calendar year.
4. A representative of the city will present the city’s adopted changes during a hearing before the Douglas County planning commission.
5. Unless inconsistent with the city’s comprehensive plan or Chapter 36.70A RCW, Douglas County agrees to ratify the amendments adopted by the city.
C. Proposed amendments to the Greater East Wenatchee Area Comprehensive Plan/implementing zoning map within the unincorporated portions of the East Wenatchee urban growth area shall be reviewed through the following process:
1. Douglas County will process proposed map amendments for the Greater East Wenatchee Area Comprehensive Plan/implementing zoning map within the unincorporated portions of the East Wenatchee urban growth area in accordance with the county’s established procedures.
2. Douglas County will initiate the 60-day review process required by RCW 36.70A.106, and combine environmental review required by Chapter 43.21C RCW. The review will be jointly sponsored by the city of East Wenatchee and Douglas County.
3. Early in the joint 60-day review process, Douglas County shall have a representative present the proposed amendments to the city of East Wenatchee planning commission.
4. A Douglas County representative shall present the county’s adopted changes during a hearing before the city of East Wenatchee planning commission.
5. Unless inconsistent with the Greater East Wenatchee Area Comprehensive Plan or Chapter 36.70A RCW, the city of East Wenatchee agrees to ratify the amendments adopted by Douglas County. (Ord. 21-28 § 5 (Exh. A), 2021)
19.06.040 Site-specific zoning map amendments.
A site-specific zoning map amendment is a Type IIIB application and shall be combined with the required comprehensive plan amendment and processed as follows:
A. Determination of completeness pursuant to EWMC 19.03.030.
B. Notice of application pursuant to EWMC 19.03.040.
C. After completion of the notice of application comment period, the combined site-specific zoning map amendment and comprehensive plan amendment will follow EWMC 19.06.050, Legislative review process.
D. Site-specific zoning map amendments combined with comprehensive plan amendments will be coordinated with Douglas County pursuant to EWMC 19.06.030, Governmental coordination.
The city council shall take action on the site-specific zoning map amendment separately from, and immediately after, acting on the comprehensive plan amendment. (Ord. 21-28 § 5 (Exh. A), 2021)
19.06.050 Legislative review process.
Legislative review shall be used when the proposal involves the creation of, or amendment of, the Greater East Wenatchee Area Comprehensive Plan, subarea plans, area-wide zoning amendments and/or development codes and shall be processed as follows:
A. If the proposal involves a site-specific map amendment that was applied for by a property owner(s):
1. Determination of completeness pursuant to EWMC 19.03.030.
2. Notice of application pursuant to EWMC 19.03.040.
3. After completion of the notice of application comment period, the combined site-specific zoning map amendment and comprehensive plan amendment will be coordinated with Douglas County pursuant to EWMC 19.06.030, Governmental coordination.
B. City-initiated proposals will be coordinated with Douglas County pursuant to EWMC 19.06.030.
C. The planning commission shall hold a public hearing in accordance with Chapter 19.04 EWMC, Open Record Public Hearings.
D. Following the public hearing of the planning commission, the recommendation of the planning commission shall be forwarded to the city council. Upon receiving the recommendation from the planning commission, the city council shall set a public meeting to consider the recommendation, at which the council may either accept or reject the recommendation.
E. The city council must hold a public hearing in accordance with EWMC 19.04.020 to consider any changes to the recommendation of the planning commission. After such hearing, the city council may approve, deny or remand the proposal back to the planning commission for further review.
F. In the event the city council determines that the public hearing record is insufficient or otherwise flawed, the council may remand the matter back to the planning commission to correct the deficiencies. The council shall specify the items or issues to be considered and the time frame for completing the additional work.
G. The final decision of the council shall be by ordinance, resolution or motion as appropriate. Where the final decision of the council is made by motion, it shall be in writing and shall include those items described in Chapter 19.05 EWMC.
If the proposal involves a site-specific rezone, then the city council must first act on the comprehensive plan map amendment, then act on the rezone. (Ord. 21-28 § 5 (Exh. A), 2021)