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Skagit commissioners adopt countywide planning policy updates tied to housing targets
Summary
The Board adopted ordinance updates to countywide planning policies, reflecting state law changes and a 20% rural / 80% urban growth split; commissioners discussed exchangeability of allocations between cities and concerns about meeting housing goals.
The Skagit County Board of Commissioners on April 14 voted 3-0 to adopt ordinance updates to the countywide planning policies as part of the 2025 comprehensive plan update.
The nut graf: County staff and commissioners framed the policy updates as required by state law and said the changes aim to guide local jurisdictions on zoning and growth targets while maintaining a countywide split that allocates roughly 80% of growth to urban growth areas and 20% to rural areas.
Commissioners and staff discussed how the allocations work in practice. A commissioner asked whether allocations are exchangeable between cities; staff explained that numbers can be exchanged, mainly among cities, and that exchanges can be used if a city cannot accommodate its allotted growth following a land-capacity analysis. Staff said the figures used in the update were based on historic growth and that the countywide planning policies still require maintaining the 80/20 urban/rural split.
Commissioner remarks reflected frustration with housing outcomes: one commissioner said the county has not met its housing goals, noted a low vacancy rate in Skagit County, and questioned whether the policy updates would lower housing costs. Another commissioner emphasized the need to clearly define allowable uses in farmland under the updated policies.
Action: Commissioner Browning moved to adopt the ordinance adopting the countywide planning policy updates for the 02/2025 comprehensive plan update as recommended by the Skagit Council of Governments Growth Management Act Steering Committee; Commissioner Wiesen seconded. The motion passed, 3-0.
The board acknowledged staff and municipal planners for their work on the document and noted that implementation will require local jurisdictions to assess land-capacity and zoning to accommodate designated allocations.
Ending: The ordinance was adopted by a 3-0 vote; commissioners asked staff to continue work with jurisdictions on planning implementation and the board adjourned to subsequent items.
