The public is encouraged to submit applications to amend the City of Auburn Comprehensive Plan for consideration during the 2018 annual amendment cycle. In order to be considered this year, applications must be received by 5:00 PM, Friday, June 8, 2018.  Applications received may be processed as part of this year’s amendment cycle or docketed and deferred for consideration later as part of the major Comprehensive Plan Update or subsequent processing.  Early submission is advisable for complex projects to increase likelihood that the environmental review process can be concluded in time for consideration as part of this year’s annual amendments.

Amendments to the Auburn Comprehensive Plan have been considered annually since the 1995 GMA compliant amendments were adopted. There are two general types of amendments: 1) text amendments, which revise the Comprehensive Plan’s written text; and 2) map amendments, which amend the land use designation for a specific parcel(s) on the City’s Comprehensive Land Use Map (adopted December 2015, Ordinance No. 6584).

Per Chapter 14.22 (Comprehensive Plan) of the Auburn City Code, amendments to the Comprehensive Plan may be requested by: 1) an individual, organization, corporation, partnership or general or special purpose government other than the City for a specific property, provided that the property owner provides written consent for the amendment request; or 2) an individual, organization or general or special purpose government having suggested changes to the Comprehensive Plan that are not specific to a piece of property. For the latter, this process is known as “docketing”. An item may be submitted to the docket at any time during the calendar year and there is no fee for submitting an item to the docket. The Community Development Director will annually review the docket with the City Council to determine whether the docket items will be forwarded to the City’s Planning Commission for its consideration. The City Council may decline to consider any items from the docket. 

The City of Auburn Planning Commission may hold a public hearing(s) on all plan amendment applications in the fall of this year. Following the Planning Commission public hearing and recommendation, the City Council may consider the requested amendments. Final action by the Auburn City Council on amendment requests are typically made near the end of the year.

Those interested in submitting a comprehensive plan amendment application for consideration during the 2018 annual amendment cycle are encouraged to discuss their ideas with the Planning staff of the City of Auburn Community Development & Public Works Department.  To obtain a current comprehensive amendment application form, fee schedule and/or to discuss your proposal, please call 253-931-3020.