The purpose of this chapter is to establish the type of action and procedures for suggesting amendments and encouraging public participation for comprehensive plan, subarea plans and development regulation amendments.
(Ord. 12-96; Ord. 29-12 § 1.01)
A comprehensive plan, subarea plan or development regulation amendment is a Type IV (legislative) action and shall be considered in accordance with the procedures for such actions as set forth in this chapter and elsewhere in this title.
(Ord. 12-96; Ord. 29-12 § 1.01)
Amendments to the comprehensive plan, a subarea plan, or development regulations may be suggested by any person, including applicants, citizens, commissioners and staff of other agencies by providing the following written information on a form approved by the director to meet the docketing requirements of this chapter:
A. 
Name, address and telephone number of the person, business, agency or other organization suggesting the amendment;
B. 
Citation of the specific text, map or other illustration suggested to be amended;
C. 
The suggested amendment;
D. 
If a suggested amendment is to a plan or to both a plan and a development regulation, a statement of how the amendment:
1. 
Promotes the public health, safety and welfare;
2. 
Is consistent with or in conflict with other portions of the comprehensive plan or subarea plan; and complies with Chapter 36.70A RCW, also known as the Growth Management Act, and the Benton County countywide planning policies;
E. 
If a suggested amendment is only to the development regulations, a statement as to how the amendment complies with the comprehensive plan.
(Ord. 12-96; Ord. 29-12 § 1.01)
If during the review of any project permit application the city identifies any deficiencies in plans or development regulations, the identified deficiencies shall be docketed on a form as provided in RMC § 19.90.030, for possible future plan or development regulation amendments. "Deficiency" as used herein means the absence of required or potentially desirable contents of a comprehensive plan, subarea plan, or development regulation.
(Ord. 12-96; Ord. 29-12 § 1.01)
The community and development services group, planning and development services, shall compile and maintain for public review a list of suggested amendments and identified deficiencies to the comprehensive plan, subarea plans and the city's development regulations by appropriate classification and in the order in which such suggested amendments were received.
(Ord. 12-96; Ord. 31-03; Ord. 29-12 § 1.01)
A. 
Suggested amendments to the comprehensive plan, subarea plan or development regulations shall be considered at least once each calendar year, but the comprehensive plan shall be amended no more often than once each calendar year, except that amendments may be considered more frequently for the initial adoption of a subarea plan, the adoption of a shoreline master program, in cases of emergency, or to resolve an appeal of an adopted comprehensive plan filed with a growth management board or with the court. The city council shall initiate consideration of suggested amendments by motion requesting the planning commission to prepare a recommendation.
B. 
Suggested amendments shall generally be considered by the planning commission in the order received, although suggestions which concern the same property, group of properties, subarea, or land use topic may be combined.
(Ord. 12-96; Ord. 29-12 § 1.01)
The public shall be made aware of the opportunity to suggest amendments and to comment on suggested amendments through methods including but not limited to newspaper articles, legal advertisements and notices posted in public places. Public notice requirements shall be as set forth in Chapter 19.40 RMC.
(Ord. 12-96; Ord. 29-12 § 1.01)