Vancouver, WA
Project Timeline

Project Timeline

Return to Our Vancouver main page

Overview

The process to update the Comprehensive Plan began in early 2023 and will take just over three years to complete. This timeframe has allowed for in-depth community input and helped us ensure consistency with legislation.

Project Start-up (Spring 2023)

  • ✅ Project Initiation
    • 2/6/2023 City Council Workshop materials (pages 134 - 181)
  • ✅ Convene the Community Partners

    The Community Partners is a committee made up of City residents who are tasked with co-creating policy with the City for the Comprehensive Plan update. Our Community Partners meet regularly to discuss the needs of the communities they serve and identify with. By hearing from folks outside the typical City planning process, we can deliver a comprehensive plan that is truly reflective of the community we serve. 

  • ✅ Equity Framework and Analysis

    Establishes a structure for ensuring disproportionately impacted and historically marginalized communities drive the policy design process

  • ✅ Community Partnership Framework and Public Involvement Plan

    Provide details on how we inform, consult, involve, collaborate, and empower co-creative partners and community members during the plan development process. This also outlines overall community engagement goals and objectives, and provides details on the who, what, where and why of engagement.

Phase 1: Learn About Our Community (Summer 2023 - Fall 2023)

This phase of the project focused on gathering input from the community to identify a collective vision for the future of Vancouver as well as understanding our community's past and present.

  • ✅ History - Understand how we got here
  • ✅ Existing Conditions - Understand where we are
  • ✅ Visioning - Understand where we want to go
    • Goals Framework and Plan Vision Statements

      Provides an overall framework and structure for goals within the plan, including the outline of plan chapters and key themes for each chapter that reflect existing policy guidance and Council universal policy priorities.

    • Envision Events

      Meet the community where they are and learn about what makes you feel connected to OUR VANCOUVER. In-language liaisons gathered community input to make sure we are hearing from folks in spaces where they can express their needs without language barriers. Individual event summaries are available by request.

    • Community Survey

      Gather community feedback on neighborhoods, housing and community health and well-being.

    • Vision Statement Survey

      A draft vision statement was created based on input from envision events and the community survey. The draft was shared on the project webpage for a four-week comment period and reviewed with Community Partners. Then, additional refinements were made based on this feedback to create the final Plan Vision Statement.

Phase 2: Land Use Alternatives (Winter 2024 - Fall 2025)

This is where we got into the technical part of the update and looked how we can best use our land it to meet the needs of our growing city. We began by developing Land Use Alternative 1 and Land Use Alternative 2 based on what we learned in Phase 1 of the project and community mapping workshops. The land use alternatives were then analyzed for their possible affects on the environment and community. The findings were shared in an environmental report, called a Draft Environmental Impact Statement or Draft EIS, which was available for public review and comment from July 8 to September, 8, 2025. Then, at the Dec. 15 City Council meeting, Council finalized the updated land use map for Vancouver, called the Preferred Alternative.

  • ✅ Develop Land Use Alternatives
    • Analyze existing and future conditions
    • Develop new zoning districts
    • Community Mapping Activities

      Gather community input during community mapping activities on land use and development preferences to create draft land use alternative maps. You can look through the Phase 2: Community Mapping Activity - Engagement Summary to learn about what we heard and how it's being incorporated into the process.

    • Refine and finalize the land use alternatives so that we can study their potential environmental impacts.
  • ✅Study the Environmental Impact
    • Study how possible land use and development choices could affect the environment.
    • Summarize the potential impacts of each of the land use alternatives in an environmental report called a Draft Environmental Impact Statement, or Draft EIS.
  • ✅ Community Feedback on Draft Environmental Report (July 8 - September 8, 2025)

    The Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Comprehensive Plan Update is a state-required environmental report that describes how different land use maps, called alternatives, could affect Vancouver's community and environment. We recieved over 400 comments - thank you for participating! Responses to substantive comments will be published in the plan's Final EIS, expected in Spring 2026.

  • ✅ Create Preferred Land Use Alternative Map (Fall 2025)

    At the Dec. 15 City Council meeting, Council finalized the updated land use map for Vancouver, called the Preferred Alternative. The Preferred Alternative map was created based on:

    • Information from the environmental report, called the Draft EIS,
    • Community input, including public comments submitted during the Draft EIS comment period (Jul 8 – Sep 8, 2025),
    • City policy priorities,
    • State law, and
    • Direction from City Council.

Phase 3: Policy Development and Implementation (Winter 2026)

The policy development/implementation phase focused on reporting back and demonstrating how community input was reflected in plan policies and code development. The draft Comprehensive Plan and draft zoning code were shared for the public to see how their input over the past three years has shaped the plan. The public also had an opportunity weigh-in on details before they are finalized.

  • ✅Develop Goals, Policies, and Actions (Winter 2026)

    The draft plan goals (developed from the adopted Goals Framework) served as the basis for development of policies and actions.

  • ✅Share Draft Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Code (February 19 - March 31, 2026)

    The draft Comprehensive Plan and draft zoning code were shared for the public to see and weigh-in on. The public had the chance to see how community feedback, state requirements, and City priorities shaped the plan and code through an online overview of the Draft Plan and Draft Zoning Code as well as at four Community Presentations:

  • Finalize Updated Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Code (early Spring 2026) - WE ARE HERE!

    Staff is currently refining the Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Code based on Council direction and feedback before bringing it to the Planning Commission and City Council for the approval process. See upcoming meetings for upcoming discussions with Council and Planning Commission.

Adoption (late Spring 2026)

This is where three+ years of work and engagement come together, and the final plan, map, and development regulations are presented to the City Council for adoption.

  • Adoption of final Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Code (Spring 2026)

    See upcoming meetings for adoption process meeting dates.

    Final plan will include updated land use map, goals, and policies supported by the final environmental report, called a final environmental impact statement or Final EIS. The Final EIS will describe the potential environmental impacts of the draft map and plan, how the impacts are being addressed, and include responses to substantive comments submitted during the Draft EIS comment period.