2024 Comprehensive Plan Update
LATEST UPDATES - October 2024
Draft Comprehensive Plan Document
The draft 2024 Comprehensive Plan was last updated on July 30, 2024. The draft Plan reflects feedback received to date from the Clyde Hill community, the Planning Commission, and the City Council. The City now waits for the WA Dept. of Commerce and other state and regional agencies to complete their review, which may take several months.
Residents and other members of the public are invited to provide general feedback or comments on the draft Comprehensive Plan by emailing Maia Knox, Assistant City Administrator (maia@clydehill.org) or by providing formal written or oral public comment at an upcoming City Council Meeting. Written public comments for City Council may be submitted to Cityhall@clydehill.org.
Notice of State Environmental Police Act (SEPA) Action
The City issued a SEPA Determination of Nonsignificance for the 2024 Comprehensive Plan Periodic Update on October 17, 2024. The SEPA responsible official has determined that this action does not have a probable significant adverse impact on the environment and that the issuance of a Determination of Nonsignificance (DNS) is appropriate. Any interested party may submit written comments on this proposal by 4:00 pm, Thursday, October 31, 2024. Comments may be submitted in person, by mail, or by email to Dean@clydehill.org.
Next Steps
The City is currently in the process of reviewing comments received from agency partners and members of the public. The next review of the draft Comprehensive Plan is anticipated to occur at the November 12, 2024 City Council meeting. Plan adoption is anticipated to occur at the December 10, 2024 City Council Meeting.
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN BACKGROUND
Washington State requires that all cities, including the City of Clyde Hill, periodically update their Comprehensive Plan...and that periodic update is now upon us! This process, which now takes place every decade and was last performed in 2015, can take upwards of two to three years and can cost a considerable amount of money, depending on the needs of the community. Thankfully, the Washington State Legislature is expected to help greatly fund this State-mandated update (estimated at ~$125,000 for Clyde Hill), of which is already well underway. The process of updating the City's Comprehensive Plan will involve numerous outreach efforts to its residents - please be on the lookout for mailers, social media postings, and updates on this webpage! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Eric Jensen at eric@clydehill.org.
For a slightly more in-depth description of this process, please visit the Municipal Research & Services Center.
WHAT IS THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN?
The Comprehensive Plan is the guiding document every city in Washington maintains in order to determine how it develops and manages its land as well as how it provides services to the public. The Plan addresses issues including, but not limited to, how it provides services to the public, what types of residential homes can be built, where sidewalks are planned, and how solid waste is managed. The City's Comprehensive Plan must be in alignment with King County's Countywide Planning Policies, the State's Growth Management Act, and other governing jurisdictional documents. Lastly, the City's Land Use Code must be in alignment with its Comprehensive Plan. Needless to say, the City's Comprehensive Plan is one the three most important documents that the City maintains and which has a significant impact on the lives of its residents (with the other two documents being the City's Annual Budget and the City's Municipal Code). Public participation in the development of this Plan is a step that the City is required to seek, so your input is highly encouraged!
To view a copy of Clyde Hill's current Comprehensive Plan, please use the respective link on the right sight of this webpage.
WHAT IS THE LAND USE CODE?
While a Comprehensive Plan lays out policies regarding land use and government services, a Land Use Code implements those policies into action through municipal code and makes them legally binding. For example, Clyde Hill's Comprehensive Plan includes a policy of protecting the views (Land Use Policy 1.7). The City's Land Use Code takes this policy and specifically codifies it by stating that residential homes can be no higher than 25 feet above original grade (the topography of the parcel from when it existed as of the incorporation of the City in 1953)(CHMC 17.60.020).
Once the City has completed the process of updating its Comprehensive Plan in 2024, it will then begin the process of reviewing and updating its Land Use Code to align it with any changes made to the Comprehensive Plan. That process will also require that the City seek public participation, so your input is highly encouraged!
HOW CAN I GET INVOLVED?
As a resident of Clyde Hill, your input regarding the Comprehensive Plan process (as well as the eventual Land Use Code process) is important. Your elected officials (Mayor and City Council) and appointed officials (Planning Commission) play an integral part in these processes - ultimately, your City Council will approve the new Comprehensive Plan. Following that step, your City (the City Council and Mayor, collectively) will approve the Land Use Code. However, the City will seek public participation at various stages in order to help guide the development of these deliverables. This is how you can get involved - your contributions can be helpful, necessary, and impactful with respect to shaping the future of Clyde Hill.
Over the next year, there will be opportunities for you to provide input. These will include, but are not limited to, surveys, public meetings, and public hearings. Please be on the lookout for flyers/notices in the mail and social media posts (NextDoor & Facebook). Additionally, please feel free to contact City Staff directly (maia@clydehill.org), members of City Council directly, and/or your Mayor directly. You may also stop by or call City Hall if you are so inclined. Lastly, you can check this web page for updates (provided at the top) regarding upcoming opportunities to provide input.
