•County contracted with CWCOG to provide oversight and leadership for the Plan update. 

 •Steering Committee established by County Commissioners. 

•Consultant hired to assist with public involvement for visioning. 

•Draft Vision statement and guiding principles developed. 

 •Steering Committee working with County and CWCOG staff to develop draft Plan amendments.  

•Steering Committee will transmit its recommendations to the County Planning Commission. 

•Planning Commission holds workshops and possibly revises proposed draft plan.  

•Planning Commission transmits its recommendations to County Commissioners. 

Comprehensive Plan Update  

Planning Process

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?  The Steering Committee and staff – with your input – will use the Vision and Guiding Principles to propose amendments to the adopted Plan. This includes revising the existing Plan and drafting new policy language.  These will go to the Cowlitz County Planning Commission for their consideration.

Comp Plans also include maps for transportation, land use, and often other important elements such as recreation.  The land use maps illustrate how and where land is being used in the County and how and were the land should be used for future development. The Steering Committee will also be looking at mapping land use.  This is not zoning.

Comp Plan land use maps do set a guide for future zoning, but they are used together with the Plan’s written goals, policies, and objectives to convey the desired direction and intent of the County’s land use position. 

In other words, defining future land use in the Comp Plan map is a mechanism to describe the Vision so that property commitments and land use decisions can be made with a degree of confidence and reliability in the interest of property rights and public benefit.

A Comp Plan is implemented through decisions made upon review of a land use proposal and with the enactment of an ordinance that places official controls (or regulations) specific to a subject. This is where zoning fits in.  Public participation and procedural due process are part of either course of action.

The Board of Commissioners ultimately adopts any changes to the Comprehensive Plan. This step follows the Planning Commission’s review of the Steering Committee proposal. The Planning Commission holds workshops and hears public comment before transmitting its recommended version for the County Commissioners to consider for adoption.

HOW LONG WILL THIS TAKE?  Work is well underway. The spring and summer visioning work concluded in the fall.  The Steering Committee and staff will continue its work through the year.  Keep posted- this site will update information and post key dates throughout this process.