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EVERETT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN <br />above. In reviewing the recommendation of the Planning Commission, the City Council shall <br />have the authority to approve, disapprove, or approve with modifications any such <br />recommendations, or remand to the Planning Commission any matter with instructions for <br />further review and recommendation. <br />H. Amending the Land Use Map <br />The City is asked much more frequently to amend the designations of the Land Use Map than the <br />policies embodied in the text. This is usually the result of an individual who wishes to rezone <br />land to allow uses not permitted by the existing zoning of the property. Such requests are <br />sometimes based upon a specific proposed use and development for a property, and sometimes <br />are speculative for purposes of increasing the value of the land without a use or development <br />plan proposed. In either case, the Planning Commission and City Council must carefully <br />evaluate requests to amend the Land Use Map to determine the long-term benefit to the <br />community as a whole. Whether initiated by the City or a private party, the burden of proof is <br />upon the proponent to demonstrate the long-term benefit to the community as a whole. The <br />following factors shall be considered in reviewing such amendment requests. <br />The proposed land use designation must be supported by or consistent with the existing <br />policies of the various elements of the comprehensive plan. <br />2. Have circumstances related to the subject property and the area in which it is located <br />changed sufficiently since the adoption of the Land Use Element to justify a change to <br />the land use designation? If so, the circumstances that have changed should be described <br />in detail to support findings that a different land use designation is appropriate. <br />3. Are the assumptions upon which the land use designation of the subject property is based <br />erroneous, or is new information available which was not considered at the time the Land <br />Use Element was adopted, that justify a change to the land use designation? If so, the <br />erroneous assumptions or new information should be described in detail to enable the <br />Planning Commission and City Council to find that the land use designation should be <br />changed. <br />4. Does the proposed land use designation promote a more desirable land use pattern for the <br />community as a whole? If so, a detailed description of the qualities of the proposed land <br />use designation that make the land use pattern for the community more desirable should <br />be provided to enable the Planning Commission and City Council to find that the <br />proposed land use designation is in the community's best interest. <br />5. Should the proposed land use designation be applied to other properties in the vicinity? <br />If so, the reasons supporting the change of several properties should be described in <br />detail. If not, the reasons for changing the land use designation of a single site, as <br />requested by the proponent, should be provided in sufficient detail to enable the Planning <br />Commission and City Council to find that approval as requested does not constitute a <br />grant of special privilege to the proponent or a single owner of property. <br />INTRODUCTION 23 <br />