Annual Long Range Planning Work Program

The Washington County Board of Commissioners adopts a Long Range Planning Work Program to identify planning staff's annual tasks. These include ordinances, projects and other transportation and community planning activities. 

A draft annual work program is expected to be presented to the Board in March. In prior years, the draft program was developed earlier because the County Charter restricted land use ordinances adoption to March-October. In November 2020, voters approved a charter amendment abolishing this restriction, allowing land use ordinance activity to be conducted year round.

After review and consideration, the Board authorizes the draft program to be released to the public and interested parties for a 30-day review and comment. After considering comments received, the Board approves the adoption of the program.

Ongoing priority tasks from the 2020-21 Long Range Planning Annual Work Program include:

• Continued support of affordable housing development, including implementation of House Bill 2001
   
• Implementation of Significant Natural Resources Program Review and Assessment findings
   
• Development of a program to regulate short-term rentals
   
• Continue implementation of Cooper Mountain Area Transportation study recommendations
   
• Planning and implementation of the Countywide Transit Study to increase transit use and meet potential demand identified in the Transportation Futures Study, including findings from the First and Last Mile transit connections study
   
• Review of County road design and construction standards to more appropriately reflect the land use contexts within the county through the Complete Streets Design Update
   
• Transportation planning for urban reserves and the Cooper Mountain area to evaluate the cumulative impact of future development on the countywide transportation system

Review the completee 2020-21 Long Range Planning Work Program.