Ordinance 3454-15 with Exhibits A- C

EVERETT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION I. 2015 Major Update to the Comprehensive Plan Everett adopted its first Comprehensive Plan under the Growth Management Act (GMA) in 1994 and updated it with new growth targets in 2005. The Growth Management Act establishes a schedule for comprehensive review and update of the Plan. This 2015 update meets the GMA timing requirements for the comprehensive review and update. In addition to the GMA mandate to update the plan, Everett is updating its plan to respond to the Vision 2040 Regional Growth Strategy adopted in 2008. This plan update reinforces the role of Everett as a "metropolitan city" within the context of the 4 -county region. The purpose of the comprehensive plan is to guide growth for a twenty year planning period by defining the levels and spatial distribution of population, housing and job growth; the transportation, utilities and public facilities to serve the planned level of population and employment; the housing requirements for the community; methods to pay for necessary transportation, utilities and public facilities; and the desired physical character of growth in the city. The plan consists of a Land Use Map designating the desired use of lands for various activities, and policies to guide government and private decision makers in determining how Everett will grow, look and operate in the future. The City Zoning Map, Zoning Code and other development regulations will also be revised over time to implement the comprehensive plan. A. Legal Requirements and Community Guidance for the Comprehensive Plan The following summarizes the adopted legislation, regional and county -wide strategies, and community priorities providing guidance for the way Everett should grow in the future, as articulated in the comprehensive plan. 1. Growth Management Act The Growth Management Act was adopted by the State Legislature in 1990 in the wake of tremendous economic and population growth in the Puget Sound region during the latter part of the 1980's. The goals in the GMA, which do not have a specific order of priority, are: • Urban growth. Encourage development in urban areas where adequate public facilities and services exist or can be provided in an efficient manner. • Reduce sprawl. Reduce the inappropriate conversion of undeveloped lands into sprawling, low-density development. • Transportation. Encourage efficient multimodal transportation systems that are based on regional priorities and coordinated with county and city comprehensive plans. • Housing. Encourage the availability of affordable housing to all economic segments of the population of this state, promote a variety of residential densities and housing types, and encourage preservation of existing housing stock • Economic Development. Encourage economic development throughout the state that is consistent with adopted comprehensive plans, promote economic opportunity for all citizens of this state, especially for unemployed and for disadvantaged persons, promote the retention and expansion of existing businesses and recruitment of new businesses, recognize regional differences impacting economic development opportunities, and INTRODUCTION