Sequim planning commission hears 2025 comprehensive plan update, county growth targets and water concerns

The Sequim Planning Commission on Monday heard an overview of the city’s 2025 comprehensive plan update and new county growth targets from interim Department of Community Development Director Christina Nelson Gross and planning consultant Carla Bowden.

Carla Bowden, a planning consultant with Cross Sound Consulting, told commissioners that “we need to be planning for 1,850 new housing units in the city limits and then 298 new housing units in the Sequim Urban growth area.” The figures come from county-level allocations tied to Washington state planning requirements, she said.

The briefing explained why the comprehensive plan matters: it implements the Growth Management Act through a combination of goals and policies, a future land-use map, and a capital facilities plan that guides transportation, water, sewer and parks investments. Bowden said the city will also be required to add a climate change and resiliency element and a housing element that breaks the new housing allocation into state-defined income bands.

Interim Director…