Council advances draft comprehensive plan after hours of public comment; limits new density near Henderson-Burnham

Gig Harbor City Council heard a staff presentation and extensive public testimony March 24 before approving several amendments to the draft comprehensive plan that will be incorporated into a revised document for second reading and final adoption on April 14.

The council’s discussion followed a staff report from Community Development Director Eric Baker, who described the comprehensive plan as “what the city wants to be when it grows up,” a 20-year roadmap required under the state Growth Management Act and guided by regional plans and countywide policies. Baker said the draft accommodates state-mandated housing targets, infrastructure needs and a forthcoming climate element, and that subsequent actions would include updates to the zoning map, development regulations and the city’s critical areas ordinance.

Why it matters: The comprehensive plan sets land-use policy and the map that will guide future zoning and development rules. The public hearing centered on a proposed change that would allow much higher residential density on a 13-acre property near 112th Street and Burnham Avenue, a change neighbors said would worsen traffic, reduce neighborhood character and…