Project News

• Join the Planning Advisory Commission (PAC) on April 15, 2024 at 6pm for our next work session regarding the Comprehensive Plan Update. Topics for discussion include the following:
• Stakeholder Inteview Overview
• Discussion about how stakeholder interviews will impact goals/policies
• Climate Planning overview of scope and where we are at with this process

Meeting agenda, meeting location, and Zoom link can be found on the Planning Commission Meeting Agenda page.

Draft Meeting Documents

Check back here for major milestones in project development and for more detailed information and step-by-step project development see the Meeting Information page.

Project Overview

Cities and Counties planning under the Washington State Growth Management Act (GMA) are required to periodically conduct an update of their comprehensive plan and development regulations. The periodic update recently changed from an 8-year cycle to a 10-year cycle, this will take effect after the current update’s completion. Mason County is a fully planning jurisdiction and is required to evaluate the comprehensive plan and development regulations against updates in the GMA, case law, and changes in land use and population growth (RCW 36.70A.130(5). The 2022 Legislative Session addressed many issues in growth management and community development. A list of these bills can be found on the Department of Commerce's website. Some of these changes to the law may already be implemented by the County or ineffective based on the needs and vision of the community.

The state has made a greater effort to invest in growth management planning by providing grant funding to all counties and cities within those counties, fully or partially planning. The grant amount is based on whether the county is fully or partially planning and the population; Mason County will have a total of $475,000 in grant monies available from the Department of Commerce. The County has attained the services of a consulting firm, SCJ Alliance LLC, to help in gathering many components needed for the plan and regulation review and final document drafting, i.e. demographic information, existing planning documents and system plans, land use needs, mapping data, public input, etc.

Senate House Bill 2296 has extended the deadline for the Mason County Comprehensive Plan Periodic Update 2025 – 2045, from June 30, 2025 to December 31, 2025. This deadline is set forth in RCW 36.70A.130.