2023 CPA Opening

The City of Yakima Community Development Department will begin the 2023 annual amendment process to the City of Yakima Comprehensive Plan 2040. On January 17, 2023, the Yakima City Council voted to open the annual amendment process by Resolution No. R-2023-012 in accordance with State law and the Yakima Municipal Code. The City of Yakima Planning Commission formally opened the 2023 annual amendment process at their meeting on February 22, 2023.
Amendment application forms were accepted by the City Planning Division from February 24, 2023 to April 2023, the last business day of April, at 5:00 p.m.  One application was received. Amendments to the Comprehensive Plan’s Future Land Use Map require a $3,278.00 nonrefundable application fee (fees for an accompanying Rezone, Environmental Review, or project specific land use application will be required as applicable).

Comprehensive Plan Amendments in Review – Applications

For more information pertaining to the Comprehensive Plan and land use regulatory amendment process please contact Joseph Calhoun, Planning Manager, at (509) 575-6042.

***Stay tuned for more information on the applications docketed for the 2023 Comprehensive Plan Amendment process.***

Review Process

Comprehensive Plan Background

The information below is intended to provide a brief background on the purpose of the Comprehensive Plan, the periodic update cycle, and the yearly amendment cycle.

Under the Washington State Growth Management Act (GMA), local governments in the state have to adopt, regularly amend, and periodically update an Urban Area Comprehensive Plan.  The plan helps guide long-range land use policy in urban areas by establishing a community vision for effectively managing growth over a twenty-year period.

The City of Yakima Comprehensive Plan 2040, adopted in June 2017, includes Goals and Policies related to Land Use, Historic Preservation, Economic Development, Housing, Transportation, Capital Facilities, Utilities, Parks and Recreation, Shorelines, and the Natural Environment. Those Goals and Objectives are accomplished through zoning, subdivision, permitting, and the implementation of other regulatory controls.

The GMA requires a full update of Comprehensive Plans every eight years, which means that the 2040 plan will be due for update in 2025. In order to respond to the needs of property owners in the interim, an annual amendment cycle is allowed to examine site-specific requests to modify the Future Land Use Map or Comprehensive Plan text. Whenever the plan is amended it is important to verify that it is internally consistent and that development regulations are consistent with and implement the comprehensive plan.

Yakima Municipal Code Chapter 16.10 provides the regulatory process and review criteria for the review of Comprehensive Plan Amendments. Any submitted amendments will go through an extensive public review process which will ultimately result in a recommendation from the Yakima Planning Commission for final consideration by Council.