Chair Perry briefs committee on comprehensive striking amendment to King County critical‑areas regulations

Chair Sarah Perry opened the Local Services and Land Use Committee’s briefing by placing the proposed critical areas ordinance update in the context of the Growth Management Act and the county’s 10‑year comprehensive plan update. She described the striking amendment she circulated after months of stakeholder engagement and said the committee would take up line amendments on July 23 and consider the striking amendment for a committee vote on August 20.

Perry framed the amendment as an effort “to look for areas of agreement to ensure as much as possible that success with one policy objective wouldn't come at the detriment of another equally important objective.” She told colleagues the amendment incorporates feedback from tribes, agricultural groups, environmental advocates, housing stakeholders, and county staff.

Jenny Ngo of Council Central staff summarized a comparison matrix the chair provided that highlights substantive changes from the executive transmittal. Ngo told the committee the matrix focuses on “key changes that are included in the scribe with a comparison of the existing code and the executive's…