La Center planning commission reviews capital facilities and utilities element; transportation update put on hold

The La Center Planning Commission reviewed a first draft of the comprehensive plan's capital facilities and utilities element at a recent meeting, with staff outlining required Growth Management Act components, added language on green infrastructure and private utilities coordination, and saying the transportation element will be held until a consultant updates 2045 growth projections.

The discussion matters because the capital facilities element must include an inventory of existing public facilities, a six-year capital plan with identified funding sources, and a reassessment of land use if funding cannot meet projected needs. Staff said the draft also adds policies intended to improve coordination with utility providers and to promote equitable access to facilities and utilities for all city residents and property owners.

Alec, the city's contract associate presenting the draft, said the element covers public services including water, sewer, stormwater, law enforcement, fire, library service and schools, plus private utilities such as electricity and natural gas. "Green infrastructure is a wide swath of natural assets or structures within a city that are to include parks and other areas with protected tree canopy and different management styles to manage wet weather and stormwater," Alec said, explaining why the plan adds policies to encourage low-impact development and…