HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-07-08 6:00 PM - Planning Commission - Minutes KITTITAS COUNTY
PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES
Courthouse RM 201 , ELLENSBURG
Regular Meeting
TUESDAY 6 : 00 PM July 8 , 2025
Board members present: Bruce Coe, Joseph Pearson, Scott Carlson,
Warren Taylor, Judith Jackson and Bill Hinkle .
Not present : Pat Deneen.
Others : Jeremy Johnston, Jessica Miller and no (0) members of the
public .
The meeting was called to order at 6 : 00 P.M.
CALL TO ORDER - Roll Call
CITIZEN COMMENTS (1 min. time limit)
There were no citizen comments .
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
COMMISSIONER JACKSON moved to approve the minutes from the June
10, 2025 meeting as presented. COMMISSIONER TAYLOR seconded.
Discussion - none . Motion passed 6-0 .
NEW BUSINESS
DISCUSSION - 2026 PERIODIC COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE BRIEFING
LONG RANGE PLANNER JEREMY JOHNSTON introduced the 2026 Periodic
Comprehensive Plan Update briefing and presenters Clay White and
Erin Skinner from Kimley-Horn. Clay White stated that this
presentation is to bridge the gap between the previous public
meeting with the Board of County Commissioners and to provide an
update to the Planning Commissioners . Power Point presentation
was provided to the Planning Commissioners and presented at the
meeting.
Clay White provided the background on the Growth Management Act
(GMA) . It was adopted in 1990, with 15 goals to be balanced. The
GMA requires a development of a comprehensive plan and
implementing regulations . The plan looks out into the future 20
years but is updated every 10 years . The deadline to update is
December 31, 2026 . Our goal is to complete it by June 30, 2026 .
It was stated that community vision is very important to
implement to make sure we are proactive on growth and not
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reactive . Ensuring that we are complying with state law,
critical areas, best available science, planning for housing,
and jobs/employment . A policy matrix will be provided showing
the updates and why those updates are being made and where they
come from.
The process we are going to go through this summer is to release
preliminary draft sets of policies to the public for a month.
They will be able to review and provide feedback and then try
and build policy around that . With regards to the survey, it was
requested to see all of the comments that are received.
Discussion occurred regarding the 2046 countywide population
growth projection, the number of housing units that must be
planned for within the unincorporated growth area (UGA) , and
affordable/attainable housing.
Long Range Planner Johnston stated that next month' s meeting
will be a public hearing regarding the code amendment and
updates to the State Bill HB 1337 .
The phases of the project include data collection and analysis,
plan drafting, final plan drafting and finally code development
& SEPA. Community engagement will occur throughout the entire
process . The engagement strategies and timeline include
stakeholder interviews, a community survey, multiple location
open houses, Planning Commission workshops, Board of County
Commission workshops, hearings and comment periods . There is a
project website with public meeting updates and pop-up event
information.
The tentative preliminary policy review will occur over three
months . In September we will be reviewing preliminary draft land
use, rural, resource lands and housing policies . In October we
will be talking about transportation, capital facilities &
utilities and the Easton sub-area plan. In November we will
discuss environment, parks, open space, economic development,
climate and resilience . These preliminary policies will be
released to the public as well and be accompanied by a 30-day
comment period.
There will be an implementation plan and the purpose is to
identify the policies that may need further action, create a
plan to answer key questions, and identify the process to act
annually through work plans and budget .
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Clay White stated that the next steps are to prepare the initial
draft policies for release this summer and continue public
engagement, including comment periods for the initial policies .
OLD BUSINESS
There was no old business .
OTHER BUSINESS - No Action to be taken
CHAIR COE concluded the Kittitas County Planning Commission
public meeting.
Meeting ended at 7 : 19 pm.
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