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Comprehensive Plan
The Growth Management Act (GMA) was passed by the State legislature in 1990 in order to address the consequences of rapid, unplanned growth throughout the state, and requires that planning for growth be coordinated between counties and cities. The GMA is aimed at reducing urban sprawl and protecting rural, agricultural, and resource lands by requiring that urban development be concentrated in “Urban Growth Areas” (UGA) surrounding cities where infrastructure already exists or where it can be easily provided.
The GMA requires cities to develop Comprehensive Plans which reflect the goals and policies of the GMA, and accommodate at least 20 years of growth. The Act also requires that such Comprehensive Plans be reviewed and, if necessary, revised periodically in order to insure consistency with GMA. The Act also requires that cities adopt development regulations to implement the goals and policies of GMA and the Comprehensive Plan, and these development regulations are also subject to periodic revision and update.
Ferndale's Comprehensive Plan
The Comprehensive Plan is the official statement adopted by the City Council setting forth goals and policies to protect the health, welfare, safety and quality of life of Ferndale residents, while accommodating at least 20 years of projected growth. As such, the Comprehensive Plan Map includes not only the area within the existing incorporated city limits, but also the area outside of the city limits that has been designated by Whatcom County as the city's Urban Growth Area (UGA), or “future city”.
The Comprehensive Plan is a generalized, long-range vision of how citizens want their community to look and function in the future, and provides the basis for the creation of more specific development regulations, such as zoning, which serve to implement the Comprehensive Plan goals and policies on a project-by-project basis. GMA requires that the Comprehensive Plan include at least five (5) chapters, or elements, including Land Use, Housing, Utilities, Capital Facilities, and Transportation.
Amending the Comprehensive Plan
State law provides that a city may amend its Comprehensive Plan once a year. However, a Comprehensive Plan Amendment may include several separate elements, each of which may be a separate, unrelated proposal. All proposals for amendments to the Comprehensive Plan must be submitted for consideration at the same time of the year, which is between April 1st and May 1st of each year. In addition, since all proposals are technically a portion of an annual amendment, they must proceed through the review and approval process together.
Comprehensive Plan Amendment proposals are considered by the Planning Commission at a public hearing, after which the Planning Commission makes a recommendation to the City Council. The City Council then holds another public hearing, and make a final decision to approve or disapprove each of the amendment proposals.
Who Do I See?
Contact one of our Planners for information about processing an application for a Comprehensive Plan Amendment, (360) 384-4006. For more contact information, please view the Planning and Building Department page.
What's the Process?
Section 18.12.280 of the Ferndale Municipal Code includes the provisions governing the processing of Comprehensive Plan Amendments.
Updating the Comprehensive Plan
The State requires cities to update their Comprehensive Plans periodically in order to insure that the Plans are consistent with the GMA, including any changes to the Act that have occurred since the Plan was last adopted. Documents, schedules, and information pertaining to current Comp Plan Update processes may be viewed on-line or at the Planning and Building Department.
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