In order to have a comprehensive plan that provides clear direction, it is necessary that the Plan be both internally and externally consistent. Although the 1982 Comprehensive Plan generally achieved this objective, the Growth Management Act of 1990 now requires this consistency.

First, the Comprehensive Plan is adopted based on the State goals and guidelines of the Growth Management Act. One of the requirements of the Act was for the County and cities to adopt a County-wide planning policy that formed the framework for adoption of County and city comprehensive plans. The County-wide Planning Policies ensure that the County and city comprehensive plans achieve consistency between jurisdictions. It is imperative that the County-wide Planning Policies be reviewed prior to adoption or amendment of the Comprehensive Plan, and that the Plan is determined to be consistent with the County-wide Planning Policies.

The County Comprehensive Plan also includes four regional subarea comprehensive plans: Sequim-Dungeness, Port Angeles, Straits and Forks-West End. Similar to the relationship of the County-wide Planning Policy to the County-wide Comprehensive Plan, regional comprehensive plans must be determined to be consistent with the County-wide Plan. For example, the County-wide Plan identifies forest lands of long-term commercial significance to be a County-wide issue; policies and criteria within that section of the Plan ensure that these lands are conserved. Therefore, for example, it would be inconsistent to have regional plans adopt conflicting strategies for conservation of forest lands.

An issue that needs careful consideration in the adoption of the four regional subarea comprehensive plans is consistency between regions. It is possible that the four regional plans could have widely varying land use classifications and development standards. This could result in the County adopting four different sets of development regulations. This approach could be an administrative nightmare, but does reflect the different visions and values of the very different regions. Where possible, the regional subarea plans should strive to find consistency between the plans.

A comprehensive plan must also be internally consistent. The transportation element must be consistent with the land use element. Rural land use densities must be consistent with the need to protect environmental quality and encourage growth into urban areas. Making this internal consistency test requires that the framework of the Plan and any amendments to it are adopted with a comprehensive analysis of one section’s impact on other sections.

Finally, any ordinance which regulates development of property requires consistency with the Comprehensive Plan. Prior to passage of the Growth Management Act, the Comprehensive Plan was only a “guide” to the physical development of the County. Land use ordinances, such as zoning, took precedence over the Comprehensive Plan where conflicts existed. Any ordinances now adopted to implement this Comprehensive Plan must be consistent with the Plan. The following figure identifies the relationship of development regulations and capital budget decisions which must be consistent with the Plan.