2024 Comprehensive Plan Update

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SCOPING COMMENTS FOR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN ENVIRONMENTAL iMPACT STATEMENT BEING ACCEPTED THROUGH september 10

The City of Edmonds is undertaking a periodic update to its Comprehensive Plan (“Plan”) to cover the 20-year period through 2044, which per RCW 36.70A.130(5)(a) must be completed by December 31, 2024. The Plan is the city’s primary policy document for guiding growth and development over the next 20 years and covers a wide range of topics such as land use, housing, transportation, parks and recreation, natural resources, shoreline management, economic development, environmental protection, climate change, utilities, and capital facilities. 

As noted in the SEPA Determination of Significance and Scoping Notice, the city has determined that the proposal is likely to have a significant adverse impact on the environment, and that an environmental impact statement (EIS) is required under RCW 43.21C.030(2)(c) of the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) and will be prepared. The public is invited to submit public comments on the scope of the EIS, including potential topics, impacts, mitigation measures, and alternatives. Scoping comments will be accepted through September 10 and can be sent via email or the project website. Or join us for an upcoming event, including the August 6 Edmonds Community Fair or an upcoming Wednesday "Popsicles in the Park" pop-up event, which start on August 16 at 4 pm at Civic Park. 

Be on the lookout for upcoming events and scoping meetings, including one focused on the Highway 99 subarea. 

August 23, 2:30-4:00 pm: Popsicles in the Park at Mathay Ballinger Park (24100 78th Place W)
August 23, 4:30-6:00 pm: Popsicles in the Park at Hickman Park (23700 104th Ave W)
August 24, 4:30-6:00 pm: BARC/Caffe Ladro (8401/8403 Main St)
August 30, 4:30-6:00 pm: Popsicles in the Park at Seaview Park (8000 184th St SW)
August 31, 4:30-6:00 pm: Bistro 76 (18401 76th Ave W)
September 6, 4:30-6:00 pm: Popsicles in the Park at Yost Park (9535 Bowdoin Way, Pool Area)
September 7, 4:30-6:00 pm: Firdale Village Shopping Plaza (9600 Firdale Ave)
September 9, 2-6 pm: Porchfest (Main Street and 5th Ave)

PUBLIC HEARING ON DRAFT COMMUNITY VISION STATEMENT HELD ON AUGUST 2, 2023

On August 2, 2023, the Edmonds City Council held a public hearing on the draft community vision statement for the Comprehensive Plan (see graphic below) and to kick off the next phase of Comprehensive Plan public outreach. The draft community vision statement was developed based on an extensive public engagement process in Summer/Fall 2022 that is detailed below. It reflects community input on topics that will be analyzed in the Comprehensive Plan policy document. Video of the hearing is available here at the 6:30 mark of the video. 

The community is invited to review the following documents used to develop the draft vision statement (hyperlinks in titles):

1. Survey Raw Data

This document includes individual survey results for all six themed weeks (see the overviews below for more information). It is saved as a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, which should also be compatible with Google Sheets and other online spreadsheet programs. There are individual tabs across the bottom of the file for each theme, starting with Week 1 (Identity). The questions are numbered and included in the top two rows, and responses are a mix of multiple choice and open-ended narrative (limited to 140 characters). Note: you may need to navigate to your browser's download files, either via your browser's menu in the upper right of by clicking "Ctrl J". 

 2. Survey Summary Report

This document provides an overview of the survey process and the raw data included above, which was reviewed and categorized into different themes. It was originally presented to City Council in October 2022

3. March/April 2023 Community Feedback

In March 2023, the city solicited community feedback on the draft vision statement via a citywide newsletter, social media posts, and emails to the project email listserv. A URL and QR code was provided that linked to a one-question yes/no survey, which asked respondents to weigh in on whether the draft vision statement "hit the mark".  The survey results were very close, with slightly more residents voting "yes". The city will continue to engage the Edmonds community throughout the Comprehensive Plan Update process to ensure that their values are reflected in the policy document. 

DRAFT VISION STATEMENT

The city revealed a draft of the Community’s vision statement for the Comprehensive Plan in November 2022. This statement is intended to provide a forward-looking vision for the upcoming comprehensive plan update.  It was developed from community feedback we received over a 6-week period in the summer of 2022.

“Edmonds is a welcoming city offering outstanding quality of life for all. We value environmental stewardship, vibrant and diverse neighborhoods, safe and healthy streets, and a thriving arts scene. We are engaged residents who take pride in shaping our resilient future.” 

Illustration representing community values

In March 2023, the city solicited community feedback on the draft vision statement via a citywide mailer and distribution to the project email listserv. Opinion on the vision statement 

COMMUNITY VIsioning process

In Summer 2022, the City of Edmonds launched a community-guided visioning process for “Everyone’s Edmonds,” the 2024 update to the Comprehensive Plan.

Over six weeks, we focused on key topics that touch upon various aspects of the Plan.  Here's the lineup. Read the attached Director's overview letter for more information on each topic.

 

COMMUNITY SURVEY

In addition to community events planned for each themed week, the City released a mini community survey to pair with the theme. We received a total of nearly 7,900 individual comments to the surveys.

Community Survey Q + A

BACKGROUND

The Comprehensive Plan (the "Plan" is a document that guides the City of Edmonds decisions on a wide range of topics an services over a 20-year time period.  As the Plan acts as the blueprints for development in the city, it will impact neighborhoods, businesses, traffic, the environment and you.  The Plan is also meant to reflect the vision and priorities of the city and residents, while meeting the requirements of state and federal law.  Click here to view the current Comprehensive Plan.

In advance of the periodic update, the city completed a Comprehensive Plan Gap Analysis to identify climate and equity relate gaps in the existing Comprehensive Plan. 

WHY IS THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN BEING UPDATED?

Washington State's Growth Management Act (GMA) requires that cities and counties update their Comprehensive Plans on a periodic schedule.  This is an opportunity to revise population and employment growth forecasts with the most up to date data, review existing policies to ensure they make sense for the community, write new policies that reflect the priorities of Edmonds, and confirm that all federal state and local requirements are met.

The purpose of the 2024 Update is to comply with the requirements of the GMA in RCW 36.70A.130 for the City of Edmonds to:

  • Plan for the next 20 years of population and employment growth
  • Review and revise the Plan and development regulations to ensure they comply with the requirements of the GMA.

The deadline for adoption of this update is December 31, 2024.

 

INITIAL STEPS

The city is just beginning the review of the Plan for the 2024 update.  To initiate the review, the city begun reviewing the Plan with two focused studies that will be used to frame the update.  These include a review of Waterfront Issues and a Gap Analysis regarding Equity and Climate.

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