Port Angeles releases second-draft comprehensive plan, opens public comment on EIS and citywide rezone

Port Angeles staff on Sept. 23 presented a second draft of the city’s periodic comprehensive plan update and launched public notice for related actions, including a draft environmental impact statement and a proposed citywide rezone. The public comment period for the draft EIS began Sept. 18 and runs through Oct. 18, with a planning commission hearing on EIS alternatives set for Oct. 1 and additional public hearings for the other planning actions scheduled for Oct. 22. City staff said the Department of Commerce requires adoption of updated documents by Dec. 31, 2025; staff are targeting a city council first reading in mid-November and possible adoption by Dec. 16.

The plan update addresses a 20-year horizon and several linked actions: updating the future land use map, completing a citywide rezone to demonstrate capacity to the Washington State Department of Commerce, preparing an updated EIS for the periodic update, and pursuing a potential urban growth area (UGA) swap with Clallam County. "We are currently in a public comment period for an update to the environmental impact statement associated with the periodic update," said a staff presenter. The draft EIS includes three alternatives: no-action, dispersed growth and centralized (focused) growth; staff will select a preferred alternative after the comment period and issue a final EIS within 60 days of the close of comments.

Staff described the needed growth target that underpins the update: using the 2020 Census, state population projections and Clallam County land-capacity work, Port Angeles must accommodate roughly 3,150 new residents by 2045 — a baseline that staff equated to about 1,970–2,000 new housing units and about 1,000 new jobs. To show capacity, staff completed a land-capacity analysis and presented a revised future land use map that retains six broad designations but redefines many areas (for example, replacing "commercial" with "mixed use" and consolidating residential categories into low–medium and medium–high bands). The analysis identified approximately 526.9 acres of unconstrained vacant land, 4,934.5 acres of partially used land, and 161.1 acres of redevelopable land.

To align zoning with the revised map and to demonstrate inventory to Commerce, staff proposed a citywide rezone affecting nearly 1,000 properties, mostly to increase residential density or add commercial/mixed-use designations in select corridors (examples named in the presentation included parts of Ray Street, Rainier Mill, and areas north of the high school). Staff said notification to all individual owners is not required for this legislative action but can be done at council request. "If city council would like to see individuals noticed, please let staff know tonight," a staff member said.

Staff emphasized schedule and next steps: updated drafts of the comprehensive plan volumes, appendices and the housing action plan will be posted on the city website and a news release published; planning commission hearings are scheduled for early October and Oct. 22; and council first readings are planned for November with Commerce-required adoption by Dec. 31, 2025. The presentation materials also note the plan now includes a new hazard mitigation and climate resiliency element and reorganized goals and policies to align across elements.

Ending: Staff encouraged continued engagement and noted the plan is intended to be a living document. The public comment window for the draft EIS remains open through Oct. 18 and the draft comprehensive plan and rezone materials will be posted online on Sept. 24 for community review.