Ordinance 2021-94 - Laserfiche WebLink

Four "Guiding Forces" for the Comprehensive Plan: The following summarizes the body of adopted legislation or accepted strategies providing guidance for the way in which Everett should grow in the future. 1. Growth Management Act: The Growth Management Act was adopted by the State Legislature in I 1990 in the wake of tremendous economic and population growth in the Puget Sound region during the latter part of the 1980's. The key goals in the GMA include: o protect natural resources by containing the sprawl of low density urbanization into rural areas and resource lands; o concentrate future growth in areas where significant public investments in urban infrastructure have already been made or where services could efficiently be provided; o promote a higher utilization of public transportation and create land use patterns which encourage public transportation; o provide decent and affordable housing for all economic segments in the community; o provide adequate public facilities and services necessary to support the growth prescribed in comprehensive plans; o ensure public participation in the planning process; and o coordinate planning efforts between communities. 2. PSCOG VISION 2020 Growth and Transportation Strategy; Multi-County Planning Policies: The Puget Sound Council of Governments (PSCOG) VISION 2020 Growth and Transportation Strategy was endorsed in 1990 by local governments in the central Puget Sound region, including Everett and its neighboring jurisdictions within Snohomish County. The strategy in VISION 2020 calls for a concentration of a large percentage of future employment and population growth into designated urban centers and linking the centers with a regional high capacity transit system. This strategy reinforces the goal of the GMA to contain sprawl and encourage development where public facilities and services exist or can be provided in an efficient manner. Amendments to the Growth Management Act in 1991 require the adoption of Multi-County Policies for King, Pierce and Snohomish counties. The VISION 2020 policies were modified and ratified as the Multi- County Policies in March, 1993. 1 3. Snohomish County-Wide Planning Policies: In Snohomish County, the first step in coordinated planning efforts called for by the GMA actually began in 1989, before the passage of the State law. Cities, towns, tribes and the county joined together to begin development of goals and policies to address the many issues related to growth in the future. In February, 1993, the consortium of elected officials adopted policies for: o Implementing Urban Growth Areas, o Promotion of Contiguous and Orderly Development and Provision of Services, o Joint County and City Planning Within Urban Growth Areas, o Rural Land Use, o Housing, o Siting of Public Capital Facilities of a Countywide or Statewide Nature, 111o Economic Development and Employment, and o Transportation. Snohomish County Tomorrow has endorsed the VISION 2020 Growth and Transportation Strategy as the basis for the County-Wide Planning Policies. I 2