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Comprehensive Plan Update
2025 Comprehensive Plan Periodic Update
Clallam County is excited to announce the next Comprehensive Plan periodic update due in December 2025. This plan provides a roadmap for future growth, character and development in the county over a 20-year period and fulfills the county's requirements under the Washington State Growth Management Act (GMA). The County is required to establish goals and policies in the following areas:
- Land Use
- Transportation
- Public Utilities
- Housing
- Capital Facilities
- Rural Development
- Economic Development
- Parks and Recreation
- Climate Change and Resiliency (NEW in 2025!)
While the Comprehensive Plan is a twenty-year document, it goes through updates on a periodic basis to ensure guidance remains relevant and responds to changing conditions in the county. The 2025 Periodic Update will target specific areas for amendments to comply with updated state requirements. Several themes have been identified that will guide updates throughout the plan, including:
- Climate Change and Resiliency
- Critical Areas changes - based on new science guidance from the state
- Planning for housing that is affordable to all economic segments of the community
Your input is important! The key to a successful plan update is community feedback. You are invited to join the conversation and provide input in a way that works for you, whether it be online, sending us a letter, attending a public event, meeting individually with County staff or filling out a survey.
In coordination with our consultant teams, we have developed a framework identifying necessary updates to bring the existing plan into compliance with the Washington State Growth Management Act (GMA).
As part of this process, we have submitted documentation to the Washington Department of Commerce outlining the minimum required changes to remain compliant with state law. These documents are available for public review at the "Comprehensive Plan Update Documents" heading below.
Rezoning in the Clallam Bay/ Sekiu Urban Growth Area and Sequim Urban Growth Areas
In accordance with RCW 36.70A.070(2)(c), the County is required to ensure housing capacity for all income segments. Specifically, the Act requires the County to analyze growth capacity against zoning requirements to ensure adequate room for growth in the following income segments based on Area Median Income (AMI):
- Extremely low-income: 0-30% of AMI (includes permanent supportive housing and emergency shelters)
- Very low-income: >30-50% of AMI
- Low-income: >50-80% of AMI, and
- Moderate Income: >80-120% of AMI
Based on population projections provided by the Washington State Department of Commerce, a housing capacity analysis was conducted in the Land Capacity Analysis document which has been adopted as Appendix B of the Comprehensive plan. The Land Capacity Analysis showed nominal shortfall in fully accommodating very low and extremely low-income segments in the Sequim and Clallam Bay/Sekiu UGAs. Specifically, the unincorporated Sequim UGA shows a need for an additional 147 units in the High-Density category, and the Clallam Bay/Sekiu UGA shows a need for an additional 24 units also in the High-Density category. Changes are needed to current zoning in order to correct these deficiencies, and the proposed changes are illustrated in Exhibit A, B and C below. The Clallam County Planning Commission will continue its public hearings at 6:00 PM on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, and again on December 17, 2025, in the Commissioners Meeting Room of the Clallam County Courthouse, to hear public testimony concerning these proposed update/changes to Title 31, Clallam County Comprehensive Plan and Title 33, Clallam County Zoning Code.
Stay Informed
Sign up for our Comprehensive Plan mailing list at this link to receive updates, event announcements, and opportunities to participate. Your voice is essential in shaping the future of Clallam County. Thank you for being part of this important planning effort.