City planner: draft EIS due summer 2026 as Oak Harbor evaluates growth alternatives and park impacts
June 09, 2026 | Oak Harbor, Island County, Washington
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Community Development Director Stacy Pratcher briefed the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission on the city’s periodic comprehensive plan update and its Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) timeline on June 8.
Pratcher said state law (Growth Management Act) requires substantial periodic updates and that Oak Harbor is in a cohort with other mid-size, fast-growing communities. The city completed a land capacity analysis in 2024 and submitted key deliverables to the state Department of Commerce in 2025. In 2026 the city council approved annexation of approximately 80 acres, which affects the planning work the commission must consider.
Council has scoped three growth alternatives for the EIS: a no-change alternative (required by state law), a growth alternative that meets the state’s minimum requirements to accommodate 20 years of population and employment projections, and a more-dense alternative that would extend beyond the minimum. Pratcher said the draft EIS is expected in summer 2026, and following public review and selection of an alternative, code and policy changes would be finalized through winter 2026–27.
Pratcher explained the nexus between the comprehensive plan and park planning: the parks, recreation and open space (PROS) element of the comprehensive plan and the separate PROS plan must be consistent. When annexations add new areas to the city’s urban growth boundary, the city assesses levels of service (LOS) for parks, inventories existing open space, and often negotiates interlocal agreements for maintenance and operations where ownership is split (for example with school districts). The commission previously provided red-line policy recommendations in 2025 and will continue to be engaged as PROS plan updates are drafted.
Next steps: commissioners were invited to consult the comprehensive plan update website for documents, red lines, public comments and EIS materials that staff are updating regularly.
Pratcher said state law (Growth Management Act) requires substantial periodic updates and that Oak Harbor is in a cohort with other mid-size, fast-growing communities. The city completed a land capacity analysis in 2024 and submitted key deliverables to the state Department of Commerce in 2025. In 2026 the city council approved annexation of approximately 80 acres, which affects the planning work the commission must consider.
Council has scoped three growth alternatives for the EIS: a no-change alternative (required by state law), a growth alternative that meets the state’s minimum requirements to accommodate 20 years of population and employment projections, and a more-dense alternative that would extend beyond the minimum. Pratcher said the draft EIS is expected in summer 2026, and following public review and selection of an alternative, code and policy changes would be finalized through winter 2026–27.
Pratcher explained the nexus between the comprehensive plan and park planning: the parks, recreation and open space (PROS) element of the comprehensive plan and the separate PROS plan must be consistent. When annexations add new areas to the city’s urban growth boundary, the city assesses levels of service (LOS) for parks, inventories existing open space, and often negotiates interlocal agreements for maintenance and operations where ownership is split (for example with school districts). The commission previously provided red-line policy recommendations in 2025 and will continue to be engaged as PROS plan updates are drafted.
Next steps: commissioners were invited to consult the comprehensive plan update website for documents, red lines, public comments and EIS materials that staff are updating regularly.
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