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Oak Harbor council reviews comp plan housing targets, seeks interlocal agreement with Island County
Summary
City staff and councilors discussed updates to Oak Harbor’s 2025 comprehensive plan at the Sept. 23 workshop, focusing on an Urban Growth Area allocation gap of 1,333 housing units, a proposed county policy change, and next steps including an interlocal agreement and a potential environmental review that could push the process into 2026.
Oak Harbor city staff and councilors discussed proposed policy changes to the city’s 2025 comprehensive plan at a Sept. 23 City Council workshop, focusing on a 1,333-unit shortfall in the Urban Growth Area allocation, ongoing talks with Island County and the state Department of Commerce, and the prospect of an Environmental Impact Statement that could extend the timeline into 2026.
The discussion matters because the comprehensive plan and any Urban Growth Area (UGA) decisions guide where the city and county expect future housing and infrastructure to be built; council members and staff said those decisions affect infrastructure responsibility, grant eligibility and how quickly new housing can be planned and permitted. Principal Planner Rajesh Kakkamak told the council that Island County’s current accounting shows the existing UGA target at 464 units and a resulting deficit of “about 1,333 units,” and that county planners have proposed removing that deficit from countywide planning policies because of infrastructure concerns.
Kakkamak said the city is continuing negotiations with Island County and the state Department of Commerce and is seeking council…
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