File #: 2025-0357    Version: 1
Type: Ordinance Status: In Committee
File created: 1/6/2026 In control: Local Services and Land Use Committee
On agenda: Final action:
Enactment date: Enactment #:
Title: AN ORDINANCE related to establishing appropriate timelines necessary to complete midpoint updates to the King County Comprehensive Plan; and amending Ordinance 13147, Section 22, as amended, and K.C.C. 20.18.030.
Sponsors: Reagan Dunn
Indexes: Comprehensive Plan
Attachments: 1. 2025-0357 transmittal letter, 2. 03-Plain-Language-Summary-Midpoint Scope schedule ord 101625, 3. 04-Commerce Acknowledge-Letter-2025-S-11014-Midpoint scope schedule ord, 4. 2025-0357 Fiscal Note, 5. 2025-0357 Legislative Review Form

Drafter

Clerk 11/21/2025

Title

AN ORDINANCE related to establishing appropriate timelines necessary to complete midpoint updates to the King County Comprehensive Plan; and amending Ordinance 13147, Section 22, as amended, and K.C.C. 20.18.030.

Body

                     BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:

                     SECTION 1.  Findings:

                     A.  The Washington state Growth Management Act ("the GMA") requires local jurisdictions to periodically review and, if needed, revise their comprehensive plans and development regulations at least once every ten years to ensure the plan and regulations comply with the requirements of the GMA.  The GMA also allows for annual updates.

                     B.  K.C.C. Title 20 also prescribes a comprehensive planning update cycle specific to King County, allowing for updates to the King County Comprehensive Plan ("the Comprehensive Plan") on the ten-year, five-year ("midpoint"), or annual cycle, depending on the scope of the proposed changes.  Midpoint updates to the Comprehensive Plan are allowed under K.C.C. 20.18.030.D for limited updates to address time-sensitive issues before the next ten-year update.  K.C.C. 20.18.030.D.3 sets timelines for midpoint updates, including deadlines for establishing the scope of work and for transmitting and adopting the plan update.

                     C.  There are time-sensitive issues that will need addressing before the next ten-year update including, but not limited to: new GMA requirements for addressing climate change in comprehensive plans under Chapter 228, Laws of Washington 2023, which has a December 2029 adoption deadline; the state-mandated periodic update to the Shoreline Master Program, which has a June 2029 adoption deadline; and potential local action to address planning for housing needs in response to legal developments subsequent to enactment of the 2024 Comprehensive Plan.  Therefore, the county intends to initiate a 2029 midpoint plan update via a motion establishing a scope of work for the update consistent with K.C.C. 20.18.030.D.3.

                     F.  Process improvements for development of executive recommended Comprehensive Plan updates were made in the 2024 periodic update to allow for more public engagement, incorporate equitable engagement strategies, improve State Environmental Policy Act review processes, and increase collaboration with the council.  The county intends to continue these process improvements during plan updates moving forward.  However, doing so will require establishing the scope of work for midpoint updates sooner than currently directed in K.C.C. 20.18.030.D.3; therefore, amendments to the code to address those timelines are needed.

                     SECTION 2.  Ordinance 13147, Section 19, as amended, and K.C.C. 20.18.030 are hereby amended to read as follows:

                     A.  The King County Comprehensive Plan shall be amended in accordance with this chapter, which, in compliance with RCW 36.70A.130(2), establishes a public participation program whereby amendments are considered by the council no more frequently than once a year as part of the update schedule established in this chapter, except that the council may consider amendments more frequently to address:

                       1.  Emergencies, only after public notice and an opportunity for public testimony, commensurate with the nature of the emergency, in the same manner as an emergency ordinance under Section 230.30 of the King County Charter;

                       2.  An appeal of the plan filed with the Central Puget Sound Growth Management Hearings Board or with the court;

                       3.  The initial adoption of a subarea plan, which may amend the Urban Growth Area boundary only to redesignate land within a joint planning area;

                       4.  An amendment of the capital facilities element of the Comprehensive Plan that occurs in conjunction with the adoption of the county budget under K.C.C. 4A.100.010; or

                       5.  The adoption or amendment of a shoreline master program under chapter 90.58 RCW.

                     B.  Every year the Comprehensive Plan may be updated to address technical updates and corrections, to adopt subarea plans, and to consider amendments that do not require substantive changes to the Comprehensive Plan or subarea plans policy language or do not require changes to the Urban Growth Area boundary, except as allowed in Comprehensive Plan chapter 12.  The review may be referred to as the annual update.

                     C.  Every tenth year beginning in 2024, the county shall complete a comprehensive review of the Comprehensive Plan in order to update it as appropriate and to ensure continued compliance with the GMA.  This review may provide for a cumulative analysis of the twenty-year plan based upon official population growth forecasts, benchmarks and other relevant data in order to consider substantive changes to the Comprehensive Plan and changes to the Urban Growth Area boundary.  The comprehensive review shall follow the schedule established in K.C.C. 20.18.060 and may be referred to as the ten-year update.  The Urban Growth Area boundaries shall be reviewed in the context of the ten-year update and in accordance with countywide planning policy FW-1 and RCW 36.70A.130.

                     D.1.  At the five-year midpoint of the ten-year update process, a limited update to the Comprehensive Plan to address time-sensitive issues before ((to)) the next ten-year update((,)) may be authorized by motion.  The update may be referred to as the midpoint update.  The midpoint update may include those substantive changes to the Comprehensive Plan and amendments to the Urban Growth Area boundary that are identified in the scope of work.  The midpoint update may also include additions or amendments to the Comprehensive Plan Workplan related to a topic identified in the scope of work.

                       2.  The motion shall specify the scope of the midpoint update and identify that the resources necessary to accomplish the work are available.  A fiscal note for the scope of the midpoint update shall be provided to the council by the executive within fifteen business days of introduction of the proposed motion.  If the executive determines an additional appropriation is necessary to complete the midpoint update, the executive may transmit an ordinance requesting the additional appropriation.

                       3.  If the executive proposes a midpoint update, the executive shall transmit to the council by ((the last business day in March two years before the midpoint year)) September 15 of year two of the ten-year update schedule a proposed motion specifying the scope of work for the midpoint update.  The council shall have until ((June 30)) December 31 of that year, to ((adopt)) pass a motion specifying the scope of work initiating a midpoint update, either as transmitted or amended, or as introduced or amended.  If the motion is ((approved)) passed by ((June 30)) December 31, the scope shall proceed as established by the ((approved)) passed motion.  In the absence of council ((approval)) passage by ((June 30)) December 31, the executive shall proceed to implement the scope as transmitted.  If ((such a motion is adopted)) initiated by motion, the executive shall transmit a midpoint update by the last business day of June of ((the following year after adoption of the motion)) year four of the ten-year update schedule.  The council shall have until June 30 of ((the following year after transmittal)) of year five of the ten-year update schedule to adopt a midpoint update.

                     E.  The executive shall seek public comment on the Comprehensive Plan and any proposed Comprehensive Plan update in accordance with the procedures in K.C.C. 20.18.160 before making a recommendation, which shall include publishing a public review draft of the proposed Comprehensive Plan update, in addition to conducting the public review and comment procedures required by SEPA.  The public shall be afforded at least one official opportunity to record public comment before the transmittal of a recommendation by the executive to the council.  County-sponsored councils and commissions may submit written position statements that shall be considered by the executive before transmittal and by the council before adoption, if they are received in a timely manner.  The executive's recommendations for changes to policies shall include the elements listed in Comprehensive Plan policy I-108.

                     F.  Proposed amendments to the Comprehensive Plan shall be accompanied by any development regulations or amendments to development regulations, including area zoning, necessary to implement the proposed amendments.

                     SECTION 3.  Severability.  If any provision of this ordinance or its application to

any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the ordinance or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.