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The Comprehensive Plan—or Comprehensive Plan for short—is the guiding policy document for all land use actions and regulations in the City. By law, all decisions and regulations must be consistent with this document. Therefore, there might be times when something you want to do with your property is not allowed by regulation, and these regulations may not be able to be changed if they would be inconsistent with the policies of the Comprehensive Plan. In such a case, you may petition the Council to change the underlying policies in the Comprehensive Plan. (Note: You may also have to amend the Land Use Code, in which case you would want to also apply for a Land Use Code Amendment concurrently.)
(For a copy of the Comprehensive Plan, click here.)
What is the Process to Amend the Comprehensive Plan?
Pursuant state law the Comprehensive Plan can only be amended once a year. Therefore the City has a process whereby all requests for amendments are bundled together. The Comprehensive Plan amendment process for each calendar year begins in January. This is your opportunity to submit your proposals to change or add land uses in the City of Arlington. Proposed amendments may suggest new or amend existing sections, elements, appendices, goals or policies of the plan; correct errors; edit language; or change map designations and boundaries.
Planning staff will review each suggested amendment and prepare a written analysis including a recommendation that the proposed amendment be approved, denied, or changed and approved. Only those amendments that meet the goals of the Growth Management Act and are within the intent of the Comprehensive Plan will be recommended for approval. The Planning Commission will review the amendments and staff analysis and make a recommendation to the City Council. The Council will make the final decision on each proposed amendment.
The City Council, Planning Commission, City staff, or any affected citizen or property owner can request amendments to the Comprehensive Plan by applying to the City through this process. Please be as specific as possible and follow the submittal process described below.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the planning staff at or 360.403.3551.
How Can the Comprehensive Plan Be Amended?
Under the Comprehensive Plan amendment review process, any individual, business, or organization may submit a proposal for an amendment to the Comprehensive Plan. The following schedule outlines the amendment process:
Pre-submittal Meeting
Prior to submitting your application, you should schedule a meeting with staff. They will give you an idea of whether your proposal is feasible, what SEPA environmental work will need to be done, and other helpful information. You can schedule a meeting by calling 360.403.3551.
Application Deadline
March 1 is the deadline for accepting Comprehensive Plan amendment applications for the current calendar year.
Review of Proposals
Department of Planning and Community Development staff will review all proposed plan amendments. Staff will make a formal recommendation on each proposed plan amendment to the Planning Commission.
Planning Commission Public Hearings
The Arlington Planning Commission will hold public hearings in May to consider all of the proposed plan amendments. Dates and times will be announced in April. The Planning Commission will make a recommendation to the City Council regarding each proposed plan amendment.
City Council Public Hearings
The Arlington City Council will consider all proposed plan amendments and the recommendations from the Planning Commission. The City Council may hold its own public hearings in June to consider all of the proposed plan amendments. Dates and times would be announced in May.
City Council Adoption
The Arlington City Council will adopt any approved plan amendments in July. This opens the “window” for plan amendment submittals from the public for the next calendar year.
What are the Evaluation Criteria for a Comprehensive Plan Amendment?
In its report to the Planning Commission, the Department of Planning and Community Development will include recommendations on each proposed amendment based on the following criteria:
- Is the proposed amendment consistent with current land uses, growth projections, and remaining provisions of the Arlington Comprehensive Plan?
- Is the proposed amendment compatible with neighboring land uses and surrounding neighborhoods?
- Does the proposed amendment comply with the requirements of the Growth Management Act?
- Will the proposed amendment address the needs of the City as a whole?
- Does the amendment address a change in circumstances that the City as a whole is facing?
What are the Submittal Requirements for a Comprehensive Plan Amendment?
To present an amendment, applicants will need to submit, in writing, the following to the City of Arlington Department of Planning and Community Development:
- A Master Land Use Permit Application
- A description of the proposed amendment referring to the specific elements of the Comprehensive Plan.
- The proposed amendment in legislative format. New language should be underlined; language proposed for deletion should be in strikeout format.
- Provide a detailed explanation for why you are proposing the amendment.
- If the proposed amendment is a change in the Comprehensive Plan Land Use Map, also provide a map illustrating your proposed change.
Please submit your proposed amendment to:
Department of Community Development, Planning Division
City of Arlington
238 N. Olympic Avenue
Arlington, WA 98223
How Much Does a Comprehensive Plan Amendment Cost?
Please refer to the current fee schedule for costs for processing a Comprehensive Plan amendment. This is in addition to any cost the applicant may incur in preparing the paperwork required for the submittal.
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