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EVERETT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN <br />4. Zoning Compliance, Minimum Maintenance and Nuisance Abatement Enforcement <br />Enforcement of zoning regulations, minimum property maintenance regulations and nuisance <br />abatement ordinances are a necessary component of any land use policy and administration <br />program. Without the effective enforcement of property development and maintenance <br />standards, the intent of land use policies and related programs can be seriously undermined. <br />The City must commit itself to enforcement of the land use related policies and regulations it <br />adopts to protect the value, character and livability of the physical environments addressed <br />by the Land Use Element. <br />F. Capital Improvements Planning <br />Capital improvements programs are plans that identify various expenditure needs for a <br />permanent facility or physical improvement, such as a street, library or fire station, and identify <br />sources of funding needed to build these improvements. The number, type, size and timing of <br />such facilities are based upon a defined level -of -service that the City wishes to provide and <br />maintain. Land use designations are applied to an area based upon the ability of the City to pay <br />for the facilities and services needed to maintain the desired level -of -service. If the City <br />designates a particular area for a type of land use without having necessary community facilities <br />built or planned, it will create a deficit in the service level or require a premature commitment of <br />resources to make up the deficit. <br />Capital Improvements are the one area of implementation where the City, rather than the private <br />sector, constructs physical improvements. Unlike other implementation programs, which are <br />geared more toward the regulatory side of government and react to development proposals, the <br />capital improvements constructed by the City can stimulate privately initiated development by <br />providing infrastructure improvements necessary to support growth. The City's Capital Facilities <br />Plan identifies specific projects to be built, owned and operated by the public sector. <br />The timing and extent of development can be related to a specific service level that, in effect, <br />will not allow development to occur at the designated intensity until necessary physical <br />improvements are in place. The planning and scheduling of capital improvements can play a <br />decisive role in the development of a community. Growth can be directed into desired areas <br />through capital improvements programming and discouraged in less desirable areas through the <br />selection of facility priorities that delay extension of services to specific areas. In this manner, a <br />comprehensive capital improvements program is a valuable implementation tool that can be <br />actively used by the City to achieve the goals of the comprehensive plan. <br />G. Annexation <br />Annexation is the process by which unincorporated lands adjacent to the city boundary become <br />part of the city. When annexed to the city, land use designations and zoning districts are <br />assigned. The main reasons for annexation include increasing the efficiency and reducing the <br />fragmentation in the delivery of municipal services, greater control of land use and service <br />planning within a geographically related area, collection of tax revenues to support services that <br />are already being used by residents of an area (parks, library, etc.), and to create more logical <br />city boundaries. By annexing, the City has more direct control over land use and service <br />decisions and receives direct tax revenues to support the services provided. <br />LAND USE ELEMENT 66 <br />