Council receives first reading of updated comprehensive plan; 60‑day state review begins

Planning staff presented the latest draft of the Sedro‑Woolley comprehensive plan (ordinance 211,526) for first reading on Jan. 29. The draft, described as the planning commission version, adds a climate element (new chapter 9) and updates the housing element to align with recent state legislation. Staff noted the plan and its appendices run several hundred pages and summarized the outreach process, which included approximately 20 planning commission meetings and three joint sessions with council and commission.

Tom (planning staff) explained the statutory review process: after the council transmits the notice to adopt, the Department of Commerce and other state agencies (such as Transportation and Ecology) have a 60‑day review period to comment. The council cannot adopt the plan formally until staff and council address substantive agency comments. Tom said staff will compile council members’ red‑line comments, summarize them and return recommended edits to the council; staff recommended council members submit comments in writing so they can be assembled into a packet for review.

Council members asked whether a council public hearing would be required, how the state review would affect local edits, and whether staff could provide a concise plain‑language summary of the main changes since the prior plan. Tom agreed to prepare a summary and to compile council comments for later review. The council did not vote to adopt the ordinance tonight; it was a first reading and the 60‑day review clock starts with the submittal to state agencies.