CDS outlines comprehensive-plan update; staff recommends medium population projection for 2046

Chad Beyla, director of Community Development Services, told commissioners the department has drafted a project charter and a public participation plan for a major comprehensive-plan update and will bring those documents back to the board for final approval.

Beyla said the documents define roles among the county, the consultant and planning staff, lay out outreach approaches including virtual planning commission updates and public workshops, and include a schedule for planning‑commission and board reviews.

Jeremy Johnson described the county’s use of the state’s Housing Accommodation Projection (HAP) tool to produce a housing forecast and allocation for the 20‑year planning horizon to 2046. Johnson said the county selected the medium population projection level and chose the HAP tool’s “method C” suballocation approach so that housing need for lower‑income categories is directed to cities and their urban growth areas.

Johnson explained the county used the tool’s standard outputs and noted that jurisdictions may propose changes only if they have concrete supporting data. He told commissioners the county will present OFM/HAP numbers to the regional council (COG) for review and negotiate with cities if they disagree with the allocations.

Commissioners asked whether the projection values are final and what the practical effects of selecting low versus high projections would be. Staff replied that no final decision had been formally adopted that day and that choosing a higher projection would increase each jurisdiction’s housing allocation requirement. Staff scheduled a fuller presentation of the OFM/HAP numbers at the February COG meeting to ensure all jurisdictions are clear on the methodology and outputs.

No formal adoption of the comprehensive‑plan numbers or county resolution was recorded during the study session.