(1) GMA Goals. Encourage development in urban areas where adequate public facilities and services exist or can be provided in an efficient manner.

Encourage the availability of affordable housing to all economic segments of the population of this State, promote a variety of residential densities and housing types, and encourage preservation of existing housing stock.

Encourage economic development throughout the State that is consistent with adopted comprehensive plans, promote economic opportunity for all citizens of this State, especially for unemployed and for disadvantaged persons, and encourage growth in areas experiencing insufficient economic growth, all within the capacities of the State’s natural resources, public services, and public facilities.

Private property shall not be taken for public use without just compensation having been made. The property rights of landowners shall be protected from arbitrary and discriminatory actions.

Identify and encourage the preservation of lands, sites, and structures, that have historical or archaeological significance.

(2) Watershed Goals. Protect beneficial uses of water from nonpoint sources of pollution in the Port Angeles watershed, including the effects of pathogens, chemicals, sediment, and nutrients on both surface and ground water resources.

Promote stewardship by residents, decision makers, visitors, and agencies in the Port Angeles watershed.

Protect and enhance watershed resources, and reverse degradation where it has occurred.

Ensure cooperation and coordination in resource management.

(3) A Vision of the Port Angeles Urban Growth Area in 2014. The Port Angeles urban growth area in the year 2014 is known for its livable neighborhoods which express their own unique character, high quality of life, pedestrian orientation and superior design. Many residential areas have been separated from the hustle and bustle of commercial activities near Highway 101 by allowing public uses such as schools, parks and public golf courses as commercial to residential buffers. Commercial business areas adjacent to neighborhoods provide goods and services to neighborhood residents while many businesses have residences located on upper stories. The Highway 101 corridor is now a tree-lined boulevard with landscaped medians as it passes through the urban area and businesses all along this corridor have upgraded their landscaping and physical appearance.

Most moderate density, low cost housing has been infilled into moderate density neighborhoods located just off Highway 101 in urban growth areas where easy access to transit and job opportunities are available. Well designed and landscaped manufactured home parks and multifamily developments provide an attractive low cost living environment. Visitors to our area note the distinct open space boundaries between neighborhoods which make use of the steep-sided creek ravines which are left in the natural state. Within the Port Angeles urban growth area, neighborhood population centers are linked to the waterfront trail system through trails located in the stream ravines, allowing for efficient non-motorized transportation options for reaching work or for recreation.

Businesses which provide regional services have been grouped at convenient locations at intersections of major collector or arterial roads with SR101 within the urban growth area and conform to visually pleasing landscape and building design standards. Regional service center sites have been identified both within the City of Port Angeles and within the unincorporated urban growth area. Developers seeking to build a regional business facility are directed to these community approved sites which have been thoroughly evaluated for environmental constraints. All neighborhood and regional businesses centers are linked by an efficient local transit system. A new arterial paralleling Highway 101 but located farther to the south provides an alternate east side, cross town route for local access to Port Angeles. Tribal business centers have also grown to become major employers within Clallam County.

Most new manufacturing and industrial concerns are located at the expanded Airport Industrial Park. Several value-added wood product firms operate on industrial lands just outside of the urban growth area where rural densities of the surrounding area limit conflict which could occur if this type of use where sited in an urban area.

Nine streams flow through the Port Angeles urban growth area providing unique opportunities for urban residents to enjoy a riverine environment. The last 20 years have seen a renewal of these streams in terms of water quality, water quantity, stream restoration, stream enhancement for fish and wildlife, public access to stream corridors and development of opportunities for environmental education.

The urban area of Port Angeles provides a mixture of employment, residential, commercial, cultural and recreational opportunities. Much of the new development and redevelopment which occurred after 1995 took place within the existing urban growth area of Port Angeles where infrastructure was in place or could be easily extended. Today, there is still ample room for development within that original urban growth area. Port Angeles is the ultimate supplier of services within the urban growth area.

The Port Angeles region enjoys a healthy and stable economy, emphasizing diversity in the range of goods produced and services provided. Businesses continue to locate in the urban growth area because of the high quality of life, provision of business infrastructure, the emphasis on superior schools, and the ability of a tightly knit community to provide a safe living environment for all. Residents and business interests trust their local governments to follow through on solutions because the plans and promises made to manage growth in 1995 have been followed and changes to the original plan occur as a result of demonstrated community need. Change is accepted and proceeds in an orderly fashion based on the growth management plan.

(4) Urban Growth Issues and Current Trends. The Growth Management Act requires the designation of urban growth areas, within which urban growth will be encouraged and outside of which growth can occur only if it is not urban in nature. The Act defines “urban growth” as growth that makes intensive use of land for the location of buildings, structures, and impermeable surfaces to such a degree as to be incompatible with the primary use of such land for the production of food, other agricultural products, or fiber, or the extraction of mineral resources. When allowed to spread over wide areas, urban growth typically requires urban governmental services. The Growth Management Act defines “characterized by urban growth” as referring to land having urban growth located on it, or to land located in relationship to an area with urban growth on it as to be appropriate for urban growth.

The Growth Management Act and County-wide Planning Policies define “urban governmental services” to include those services historically and typically delivered by cities or other identified service provider, such as a utility district, and which at a minimum include the provision for sanitary waste, solid waste disposal systems, water systems, urban roads and pedestrian facilities, public transportation systems, stormwater systems, police and fire and emergency service systems, electrical and communication systems, school and health care facilities, and neighborhood and/or community parks.

Urban lands are the focus of primary economic activities such as retail, wholesale, professional offices and industry. Commercial and industrial uses often encourage other urban development around it, and increase the need for extension or improvement of public services and facilities. Therefore, those types of commercial and industrial uses should generally be found only in urban growth areas.

One of the prime considerations in establishing the Port Angeles urban growth area was the location of existing urban density residential, industrial and commercial land uses outside the city limits. The Growth Management Act provides the guidance that urban growth areas should be located first in areas already characterized by urban growth (see definition) that have existing public facility and service capacities to serve such development, and second in areas already characterized by urban growth that will be served by a combination of both existing public facilities and services and any additional needed public facilities and services that are provided by either public or private sources. Further, it is appropriate that urban government services be provided by cities, and urban government services should not be provided in rural areas. While the projected 20-year population growth of the Port Angeles urban growth area could be accommodated within the existing city limits, the existence of large areas already developed at urban densities and with urban type commercial and industrial land uses immediately adjacent to the city require the designation of an urban growth area which extends beyond the city limits to include these urban areas.

Over the past 10 years, the rural areas of the Port Angeles planning area have experienced 65 percent of the decade’s growth. These rural growth trends do not satisfy growth management objectives of encouraging development in urban areas where adequate public facilities and services exist or can be provided in an efficient manner. Moderate to high density development will be encouraged within the urban growth area and each urban growth area shall permit urban densities and shall include greenbelt and open space areas. The availability of high density and cost efficient services within the urban growth area should make it more cost effective to develop within the urban growth area than outside of it. This “cost of development” advantage and the retention of a high quality of life in the urban area neighborhoods should help to reverse the trend toward rural development and increase affordable housing opportunities.

(5) County-wide Planning Policies that Relate to Urban Growth Areas. Clallam County and the cities in the County developed a set of County-wide Planning Policies which were adopted in June of 1992. The County-wide Planning Policies provide a framework for all comprehensive plans developed within the County. County-wide Policies were developed which addressed issues involving urban growth areas, joint planning, siting of public capital facilities, transportation, affordable housing, economic development and open space.

The following policies provide a partial listing of the urban growth area policies found within the County-wide Planning Policies and are those most relevant to land use in urban areas:

(6) UGA Objectives. Urban densities allowed in urban growth areas make it possible to provide more efficient transportation, fire and police, water, sewage disposal, and other public services. Public transit studies point out that public transportation systems are not cost-effective until densities of seven dwellings per acre are achieved. When urban areas are set aside it is vital that urban densities and services get established. Continuing to allow rural densities and rural services within urban areas will not achieve UGA or GMA objectives.

Encouraging urban growth also helps protect rural and resource lands from conversion. When sufficient land within urban areas is provided at a reasonable price and in well-designed neighborhoods, there is less demand for rural lands. In the past 20 years, a large portion of the rural growth occurred because rural properties were less expensive than urban lots, and affordable housing opportunities (such as manufactured housing) were allowed in rural areas but discouraged in urban areas. The Clallam County Comprehensive Plan works toward conserving rural and resource lands, and making the most efficient use of scarce public resources through encouraging development within urban growth areas.