Committee Concludes Smaller, Mandate-Focused 2025–27 Planning Commission Work Program

The Infrastructure Planning and Sustainability Committee on Oct. 22 voted to concur with the Planning Commission's 2025'27 work program, approving a narrower set of projects shaped by reduced staffing and recent state mandates.

The Planning Commission's work program emphasizes state-required items and projects already underway, including recently adopted historic preservation code updates, the Pacific Avenue subarea plan, annual amendment packages and a set of housing- and land-use items the commission and council have previously discussed. Committee members approved concurrence by voice vote; the motion was declared adopted.

Bridal Gooday, planning staff with Planning and Development Services, told the committee the list is smaller than in prior years because the city is operating with fewer planning staff. "The reality of staffing, right now, is that we're not at an expansion stage. We're in somewhat of a retraction stage," Gooday said, summarizing the trade-offs that required prioritizing mandated work over discretionary projects.

The program adopted for 2025'27 highlights several items the commission expects to work on in the near term: code updates related to historic preservation (a moratorium tied to that work ended earlier this month), the Pacific Avenue corridor subarea plan, an annual amendment package that will include state-mandated elements, and a special-needs housing item tied to new state-licensed facilities. Planning staff also noted upcoming, larger mandates for 2027'29, including a shoreline master program update, a mandated new climate element and implementation steps tied to the state's transit-oriented development (TOD) bill and other housing-related legislation.

Council members also raised broader policy questions tied to items on the list. In particular, the committee discussed a recently enacted state bill affecting parking rules and whether the city should take a larger policy stance on parking regulation. Gooday said staff and the commission will prepare options and noted the work program includes a parking-code amendment for council consideration; commissioners and some council members separately urged that the full council be involved in broader policy direction.

Committee members also asked that staff flag when capacity constraints will force removal of lower-priority items from the list. Planning commissioners present said they had unanimously approved the proposed program and emphasized that limited staff resources require strategic choices about what to pursue.

Background: many items on the 2025'27 program derive from state law or earlier council direction. Gooday told the committee the work program'which, by code, the Planning Commission prepares in collaboration with council'is intended as an annual check-in on what the commission expects to scope and move forward.

Next steps: the committee'which recommended concurrence to the full council'will transmit the work program for council consideration. Staff said they plan additional check-ins with the committee or council as projects move from scoping into public review.