Shelton council studies comprehensive plan update; adoption aimed for Dec. 2025

Shelton City Council held a joint study session Aug. 12 to review the city’s draft comprehensive plan update, a 20‑year framework that consultants said must address state planning mandates, projected population growth, housing and transportation needs, and be sent to the Washington State Department of Commerce for a 60‑day review before adoption.

Kirsten Peterson, a consultant with SCJ Alliance, told the council the update consolidates existing material, adds a new climate‑resilience chapter and merges the city’s urban growth area chapter into the land‑use chapter. "A comprehensive plan is really a 20 year plan for growth," Peterson said, adding the update incorporates county partner work, recent state housing legislation and locally tailored economic development analysis.

The draft includes the required elements the state expects — land use, housing, capital facilities and utilities, transportation and economic development — plus parks, shoreline and historic preservation material already on file. Peterson said population forecasts prepared with FCS Group show Shelton and its urban growth area will need to accommodate new housing; the consultant team estimated a projected population increase for the city/UGA over the next 20 years and estimated housing unit needs that staff said have been coordinated with Mason County data.