Woodland planning workshop flags limited land, divergent growth projections; state law changes expected

At a September council workshop, planning staff presented an update to Woodland’s comprehensive plan that says the city has a finite amount of buildable land and that county and state population projections differ sharply, potentially forcing policy choices about annexation and density.

The planning presentation, given by Travis (planning staff), said "Within the city limits, we've estimated there's roughly 30 acres of buildable land," and showed that using current land supply Woodland cannot accommodate the largest growth forecasts offered by Cowlitz County or the State Office of Financial Management without changes to the urban growth boundary or large increases in density.

The report matters because county and state projections affect how much housing Woodland must plan for under Washington’s Growth Management Act. Travis told the council that Cowlitz County initially estimated Woodland should expect roughly 200 new housing units under an early allocation approach but later revised its allocation upward—reportedly…