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College Place approves applications to swap and expand urban growth area; staff presents land-capacity analysis
Summary
City staff told the College Place City Council on June 24 that a land-capacity analysis shows a projected need for about 1,500 housing units—mostly multifamily—and for additional commercial/industrial acreage; the council authorized UGA swap and expansion applications to the county.
College Place staff told the city council on June 24 that the city’s updated land-capacity analysis and Housing Action Program inputs show a need for additional multifamily housing and commercial/industrial land, and the council authorized applications to the county to swap and expand urban growth area (UGA) boundaries.
What staff presented
Staff said county population-allocation work and state-required housing-analysis tools (HAP) produced a target county allocation and a city target increase of about 3,439 people by 2046. Using the HAP methodology and local zoning data, staff reported the city needs roughly 1,500 additional housing units to serve the projected population increase—about 208 single-family units and about 1,300 multifamily units. That multifamily shortfall equates to roughly 28 acres under the model’s density assumptions, though staff said internal rezoning and specific site choices could reduce that acreage need.
On employment land, staff reported a deficit of roughly 247 jobs compared with current vacant/underutilized commercial and industrial land and said that translates to about 58 acres of commercial/industrial land needed. Staff pointed to specific candidate properties near Martin Airfield and along Highway 125/College Avenue for expansion, and discussed swaps that would remove underperforming UGA parcels and add more suitable land south of town near the planned school site.
Council action and next steps
Council voted to authorize staff to submit two county applications: 1) a UGA swap package exchanging certain existing UGA parcels for more developable parcels inside the current county UGA boundary, and 2) an expansion package to add selected parcels to the UGA for multifamily and industrial/commercial use. Staff noted application fees and county review costs are expected to be about $36,000 to $40,000 and that county docketing, planning-commission review and county-commission hearings will take several months; the county has granted participating jurisdictions an extension on the state deadline.
Why it matters
The applications are part of the city’s comprehensive-plan update and will determine what land is available for housing and jobs through 2046. Staff said they will continue internal rezoning work to maximize in-city capacity and will submit the applications by the county’s July 1 deadline.
Representative quote
“We need another 1,500 housing units for College Place,” a staff presenter summarized during the analysis.
Evidence: staff presentation of the land-capacity analysis, maps of pipeline projects and vacant/underutilized parcels, council vote authorizing UGA swap and expansion applications and related rezones.
