City planning staff gave a status update on the 2025 Comprehensive Plan at the Aug. 5 Planning Commission meeting, detailing timing shifts, coordination with consultants and next steps for housing-related regulatory changes.

Carla (city staff member) told commissioners that the climate and resiliency chapter was moved to the second meeting in August because the Sustainability Committee was still finalizing edits. Parks and Open Space was scheduled for the Aug. 5 meeting; the capital facilities element was moved up to September review; and proposed updates to Title 17 were pushed to the second meeting in September.

Carla said Leland Consulting is continuing economic analysis for housing and jobs and staff are preparing a housing-focused development regulation package to implement state legislative changes by the end of the year. “We’re beginning to work on updating Chapter 20.01, which is the procedural ordinance,” she said, and added that Travis has initiated a housing-focused development regulation package that staff hope to bring to the commission by year-end so the jurisdiction meets state implementation timelines.

Carla also said staff are scheduling meetings with 11 site-specific map amendment applicants; she noted one property owner has multiple requests (three to five parcels). Staff will begin one-on-one appointments with applicants next week to discuss whether map amendments are the appropriate vehicle or whether development-regulation changes could address property owners’ objectives.

On interjurisdictional coordination, Carla said she recently met with the county planning director to begin coordination for the Sequim Urban Growth Area (UGA). The county is reviewing zoning changes in the UGA to meet income-band housing assignments from the Washington State Department of Commerce and staff said both jurisdictions want adjacent zoning to be complementary.

The commission asked no substantive policy questions at the end of the update; staff proceeded to the Parks and Open Space item.