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2025 Comprehensive Plan Update
Review Requirements
The Washington State Growth Management Act (GMA) requires Whatcom County to review and revise its comprehensive plan and development regulations by December 31, 2025 (RCW 36.70A.130). Additionally, the GMA requires review of urban growth areas (UGAs) under RCW 36.70A.130(3). The UGAs must be able to accommodate housing and employment growth projected for the 20-year planning period. Therefore, Whatcom County has initiated a multi-year project to update its Comprehensive Plan and development regulations by the state deadline.
The update process for the Comprehensive Plan and development regulations in Whatcom County will involve:
- Creating a public participation plan
- Conducting an analysis under the State Environmental Policy Act, including the development of an environmental impact statement assessing various land use alternatives
- Examining GMA changes necessitating deeper local comprehensive plans on housing (HB 1220) and climate change planning (HB 1181)
- Hosting advisory committee meetings
- Conducting work sessions and hearings with the Whatcom County Planning Commission
- Holding meetings and hearings with the Whatcom County Council
Additional details, such as hearing dates, will be provided as they become available.
- Previous Comprehensive Plan
- Final Recommendations from Staff
- Planning Commission Final Recommendations
- County Council Approved Version
- Maps
- FAQs
- Public Participation / Comments
- Chapter 1: Introduction
- Chapter 2: Land Use
- Chapter 3: Housing
- Chapter 4: Capital Facilities
- Chapter 5: Utilities
- Chapter 6: Transportation
- Chapter 7: Economics
- Chapter 8: Resource Lands
- Chapter 9: Recreation
- Chapter 10: Design
- Chapter 11: Environment
- Climate Change and Resiliency (will be a new chapter)
- Appendix A: Glossary
- Appendix B: Acronyms
- Appendix C: Countywide Planning Policies
- Appendix D: Bibliography
- Appendix E: 20-Year Capital Facilities Plan
- Appendix F: Six-Year Capital Improvement Program
- Appendix G: Transportation Impact Fees
- Appendix H: Airport Overlay Zones
- Appendix I: Airport Imaginary Surfaces
Documents for these chapters will be uploaded as they become available.
- Chapter 1: Introduction
- Chapter 2: Land Use
- Chapter 3: Housing
- Chapter 4: Capital Facilities
- Chapter 5: Utilities
- Chapter 6: Transportation
- Chapter 7: Economics
- Chapter 8: Resource Lands
- Chapter 9: Recreation
- Chapter 10: Design
- Chapter 11: Environment
- Climate Change and Resiliency (will be a new chapter)
- Appendix A: Glossary
- Appendix B: Acronyms
- Appendix C: Countywide Planning Policies
- Appendix D: Bibliography
- Appendix E: 20-Year Capital Facilities Plan
- Appendix F: Six-Year Capital Improvement Program
- Appendix G: Transportation Impact Fees
- Appendix H: Airport Overlay Zones
- Appendix I: Airport Imaginary Surfaces
Documents for these chapters will be uploaded as they become available.
- Chapter 1: Introduction
- Chapter 2: Land Use
- Chapter 3: Housing
- Chapter 4: Capital Facilities
- Chapter 5: Utilities
- Chapter 6: Transportation
- Chapter 7: Economics
- Chapter 8: Resource Lands
- Chapter 9: Recreation
- Chapter 10: Design
- Chapter 11: Environment
- Climate Change and Resiliency (will be a new chapter)
- Appendix A: Glossary
- Appendix B: Acronyms
- Appendix C: Countywide Planning Policies
- Appendix D: Bibliography
- Appendix E: 20-Year Capital Facilities Plan
- Appendix F: Six-Year Capital Improvement Program
- Appendix G: Transportation Impact Fees
- Appendix H: Airport Overlay Zones
- Appendix I: Airport Imaginary Surfaces
Documents for these chapters will be uploaded as they become available.
- Chapter 1: Introduction
- Chapter 2: Land Use
- Chapter 3: Housing
- Chapter 4: Capital Facilities
- Chapter 5: Utilities
- Chapter 6: Transportation
- Chapter 7: Economics
- Chapter 8: Resource Lands
- Chapter 9: Recreation
- Chapter 10: Design
- Chapter 11: Environment
- Climate Change and Resiliency (will be a new chapter)
- Appendix A: Glossary
- Appendix B: Acronyms
- Appendix C: Countywide Planning Policies
- Appendix D: Bibliography
- Appendix E: 20-Year Capital Facilities Plan
- Appendix F: Six-Year Capital Improvement Program
- Appendix G: Transportation Impact Fees
- Appendix H: Airport Overlay Zones
- Appendix I: Airport Imaginary Surfaces
What is a Comprehensive Plan?
An integrated policy planning document designed to guide land use decisions, including the designation of urban growth areas, based on a consideration of land use alternatives, likely impacts, and possible mitigating measures.
What is the Growth Management Act?
A method to guide development in order to minimize adverse environmental and fiscal impacts and to maximize the health, safety, and welfare of the community.
Why do we need a comprehensive plan?
Whatcom County’s Comprehensive Plan is intended to guide growth in unincorporated areas for the next 20 years in coordination with city comprehensive plans. The fundamental purpose of the Comprehensive Plan is to establish a framework of goals and policies to guide growth, land use, capital facility and transportation planning, and environmental protection.
The plan identifies urban growth area (UGA) boundaries, rural areas, agricultural lands, forestry lands and mineral resource lands. The majority of the county’s growth will be located within the UGAs. Several factors influenced the development of the adopted goals and polices contained in the Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan. Click Comprehensive Plan Introduction for more information.
Who is responsible for developing and approving the Comprehensive Plan?
The Whatcom County Council, in conjunction with the cities, previously adopted a set of Countywide Planning Policies (see Appendix C). The framework provided by the adopted Countywide Planning Policies ensures that local planning efforts will be consistent with one another and supportive of regional goals.
Original Adoption and Amendments
The County Council adopted the Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan in May of 1997. Since then, amendments have been made on an annual basis. Additionally, a comprehensive plan update took place in 2005, a UGA review occurred in 2009 and a combined comprehensive plan update and UGA review occurred in 2016 as required by RCW 36.70A.130.
Public Participation Plan
The County's Public Participation Plan for the 2025 Update was approved by the County Council on June 4, 2024.
Email Notification List
If you would like to be on the County's email notification list to receive periodic notices of upcoming events relating to the Comprehensive Plan Update and Urban Growth Area review (UGA) you can sign up for notifications on the County's "Newsflash" website.
Submitted Comments
- January 2024 Comments
- February 2024 Comments
- March 2024 Comments
- April 2024 Comments
- May 2024 Comments
- June 2024 Comments
- July 2024 Comments
- August 2024 Comments
- September 2024 Comments
- October 2024 Comments
- November 2024 Comments
- December 2024 Comments
How to Submit Comments
Written comments on the Comprehensive Plan can be submitted at any time. Please submit written comments to:
or submit via mail:
Whatcom County PDS 2025 Update
5280 Northwest Dr. Bellingham, WA 98226
Additionally, the public is invited to attend Planning Commission and/or County Council hearings to provide oral comments.