Growth plan gets new hearing today

The Snohomish County Council will take another stab at collecting comments on the 10-year comprehensive-plan update today, after considering the addition of 65 proposed amendments.

On the agenda are a host of individual land-use items throughout the county, highlighted by a plan for so-called fully contained communities. Also on the agenda is the comprehensive plan's natural-resources chapter, which would create a base line for environmental protection along the county's shorelines and in other critical areas.

The Republican-led council is expected to approve the nuts and bolts of the comprehensive plan before the end of the year, leaving unfinished business to a Democratic-majority council in 2006.

Some citizens have charged that the process is purposely convoluted, allowing developer-friendly actions to take place with little public notice. Critics said there should have been more notice before today's public hearing, which was added to the council's schedule late last month.

The comprehensive plan will govern growth patterns in Snohomish County during the next 10 years, as required by the state Growth Management Act. During that span, the county population is expected to grow by about a quarter-million.

One proposal for handling the growth has been a concept for fully contained communities, a planning tool that would allow developers to build out large parcels of land outside urban-growth areas, basically creating small, citylike communities. Such a proposal would have to offer housing for varying income levels, adequate transportation and enough jobs to prevent a morning traffic exodus from the area.

But council members have yet to agree on what amenities and control measures would be necessary to prevent the concept from becoming a source of sprawl. Decisions must still be reached on transportation amenities and job availability.

"We have different council members with different ideas and amendments on this issue," council Chairman Gary Nelson said. "This is one of the larger issues to be addressed."

The rural Lake Roesiger area of Snohomish County has been touted as a potential fully contained community. But it's areas such as this that some say shouldn't be allowed such large-scale development.

"It feels like a developer feeding frenzy at the county," said Kristin Kelly, a spokeswoman for Futurewise, an environmental watchdog group. "There are an incredible amount of citizens that are very concerned about the process and why the council is acting so quickly."

The natural-environment chapter also is expected to draw public comment today. Council members have differed on how the chapter should be written.

"If we're too precise on how to do things, then we've created enormous hurdles for future councils," said outgoing Councilman Jeff Sax, who hadn't decided whether to support the proposed changes.

Christopher Schwarzen: 425-783-0577 or cschwarzen@seattletimes.com