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Skagit County opens public review of 2025 comprehensive plan update; public hearing set for March 11
Summary
Skagit County planning staff and consultants outlined the process for the county's 2025 periodic comprehensive plan update, including public-comment deadlines, SEPA review, and a March 11 public hearing before the Planning Commission. Commissioners emphasized implementation, funding limits and subsequent code amendments.
Skagit County officials on Feb. 25 told a joint meeting of the Planning Commission and the Board of County Commissioners that the county's draft 2025 periodic comprehensive plan update is now out for public review and that a Planning Commission public hearing is scheduled for 6 p.m. March 11 at 1800 Continental in Mount Vernon.
Robbie (Planning Department staff) said the county released a clean draft, a redline version and a policy matrix on the county website and is accepting written and verbal public comment. She and Clay White, a consultant with Kimley Horn, said the written and verbal public comment period will remain open through March 13 and that staff will compile responses to comments and may propose changes for subsequent deliberations.
The county has issued a 60-day notice to the Washington State Department of Commerce and staff said they are preparing a State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) review for both the comprehensive plan and associated code amendments. White and staff described the overall process as two phases: (1) adopt the policy-level comprehensive plan, then (2) bring implementing development regulation and code amendments (including critical areas ordinance updates) back to the Planning Commission for review and hearings.
Why it matters: the comprehensive plan sets the county's goals and policies for the next 10 to 20 years, and local officials said adopting implementation steps in the plan is intended to make future code changes and funding requests more successful. Commissioners repeatedly cautioned that many policies are aspirational unless matched with funding or partner actions.
Key details and next steps: staff recommended that interested citizens review the draft materials on the project website, submit written comments before March 13 and testify at the March 11 public hearing. The Planning Commission will take testimony and then continue the hearing to allow time for deliberation and staff responses; the commission is expected to forward recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners after deliberation.
The meeting also included a brief administrative action: the Board approved minutes from the Feb. 18 meeting by voice vote; the transcript records a motion, a second and chair-led voice vote but does not record roll-call tallies.
The county emphasized that code amendments must be consistent with the adopted comprehensive plan and that the regulatory (code) work will follow adoption of the plan. Staff noted that the planning process will continue into spring and early summer with a separate schedule of briefings and hearings on implementing codes.
Staff and consultants warned the public that the plan is long and detailed and urged commissioners and community members to use the online policy matrix to review proposed changes by element rather than reading the entire document in one sitting. Staff said the matrix explains the existing policy, the proposed change and the reason (whether to respond to state law, clean up policy language or reflect public comment).
Ending: the Planning Commission public hearing is March 11 at 6 p.m.; written public comment remains open through March 13. Staff said SEPA review and further code-implementation briefings will follow the commission's deliberations.
