Spokane County planning director outlines 2024–2026 comprehensive plan update and public outreach

Spokane County Planning Director Scott Chesney said the county is conducting a comprehensive, countywide update of its comprehensive plan that began in early 2024 and will continue through the end of 2026 to guide growth and investment over the next 20 years.

Chesney said the update is required by state law under the Growth Management Act and will cover statutory elements such as housing, transportation and land use while also accounting for changes since the county’s original plan in February 2001. "The comprehensive plan is, multiple things. In its basic form, it's a document that gives the county and all of our departments guidance on how to plan for and grow the county over a 20 year period," Chesney said.

Why it matters: the comprehensive plan establishes the county’s priorities and provides a framework departments use to direct resources and seek investment, a point Chesney emphasized when explaining the plan’s purpose and scope.

Chesney described the process as a top‑to‑bottom review: assessing how well the 2001 plan performed, incorporating legislative changes since then, and gathering fresh public input on the county’s vision. "Most importantly, we'll be talking to the community, once again to look at what is, in a sense your vision for the place that you and your children and your grandchildren are going to live during the life of this particular plan," Chesney said.

Officials plan multiple avenues for public involvement. Chesney directed listeners to the county’s comprehensive plan page at spokanecounty.org/bp, where documents, progress updates and a comment form will be posted. He said the planning commission will take public testimony on specific issues and that an elected official steering committee representing the county’s cities and towns will meet periodically. "We will go out into the community from time to time to have what we call charrettes or small meetings to gather and talk to folks about what they like and don't like," he said.

The county framed the update as a statutory and practical refresh: state law requires jurisdictions to update plans at least every 10 years, and local officials cited societal changes including the COVID‑19 pandemic as a factor prompting a comprehensive review. Chesney said staff are also reviewing legislative changes that the 2001 plan did not anticipate.

No formal Board or commission action was reported in this informational podcast episode. The presentation was an overview of the update process and opportunities for public comment rather than a docketed decision. Listeners were told how to submit questions and comments through the county’s webpage and by email, and the podcast host noted additional episodes and contact links on the site.

For more information or to submit comments, Spokane County residents can visit spokanecounty.org/bp or use the email link on that page. The county plans to continue outreach through 2026 as it drafts and refines the updated comprehensive plan.