Comprehensive Plan - Amended 2019
2016 Periodic Comprehensive Growth Management Plan Update
The Growth Management Act (GMA) was adopted in 1990, under RCW 36.70A, and requires counties and cities that meet certain population and growth criteria to adopt and maintain comprehensive plans. Under GMA, comprehensive plans must consist of these elements: land use, housing, capital facilities, utilities, rural lands (counties only), transportation, economic development, and parks and recreation. Due to the small amount of land located within Clark County, the City of Woodland is required to fully plan under the GMA.
These plans account for a minimum 20 years forward, and are to be updated every eight years, as needed. Woodland’s previous Comprehensive Plan was adopted in 2005 and looked out to 2025. The new plan will consider 2016 through 2036. (Clark County and the jurisdictions within, including the City of Woodland, are required to review and revise their comprehensive plans by June 30, 2016.)
Public Participation: The purpose of the plan is to ensure compliance with the Growth Management Act by identifying the scope of proposed activity and potential timeframes for participation and decision making. The GMA calls for early and continuous public participation. That public participation process concluded with the adoption of the 2016-2036 Comprehensive Plan that was adopted.
Population Projection and Urban Growth Boundary Expansion: Selecting a population projection was an important step in the update process. The projection is used as the target for the periodic update and allows the City to plan for adequate jobs, housing, capital improvements (roads, utilities, etc.), and other services. As part of this projection, the City can decide whether to expand the Urban Growth Boundary (UGB). The UGB is the planning area including the lands to which Woodland may feasibly provide future urban services, including infrastructure (utilities, roads), employment, and housing. After deliberation by the Planning Commission, the City Council held their own workshops and decided not to expand Woodland’s Urban Growth Boundary for the 2016 update cycle. Further, City Council selected a population projection of 9,274 which equates to a 2.3% increase over the next 20 years. The 2016-2036 Comprehensive Plan for the City of Woodland was adopted to implement this vision.
2019 Comprehensive Growth Management Plan Update - The City amended it's plan in 2019 to make several minor changes to the text and both the Comprehensive Plan Map and the Zoning Map.
