PORT TOWNSEND — The Jefferson County commissioners have voted unanimously to adopt the 2018 Jefferson County Comprehensive Plan and Unified Development Code, a 400-page road map for the county’s future.

The comprehensive plan is a tool for making decisions about future growth and development in the county for the next 20 years. It outlines goals and policies.

The plan also defines the long-range community vision and “is a tool for turning possibilities into realities.”

The plan explains that the Growth Management Act (GMA) provides the framework for land use planning and the regulation of development in response to challenges posed to health and quality of life by rapid growth.

The elements required to be addressed in the plan include land use, housing, capital facilities, utilities, transportation, rural elements, economic development, and parks and recreation.

The GMA requires Jefferson County to prepare comprehensive plans every eight years to manage population and employment growth for 20-year planning horizons. It was to be reviewed in 2016 but was given an extension because of population.

The plan includes a vision statement that refers to “diverse viewpoints shared during participation of the community has shaped a meaningful and enduring vision that is pragmatic and responsible.”

County staff members and Joel Peterson, project manager/associate planner, and Austin Watkins, planning manager, said there were months of deliberations and many edits made to the document.

“The process involved a lot of the public, the planning commission and commissioners in developing a document the provides policy, not as an assertion of any governing body but as a reflection of the community,” Peterson said.

“It implements the community’s vision as much as possible by law and by financial constraints.

“We did do a lot of emphasis on rural character, economic development and housing as the primary issues for the county for this periodic review.

“We have some good direction from this comprehensive plan that will do some good things in the future.”

Commissioner David Sullivan said the document shows a lot of listening.

“There was a lot of listening to the community, the planning commission and to us,” Sullivan said.

“This shows a whole lot of work. We made considerable changes to the draft we got. I always think we are in danger of looking at the edits we make rather than looking at how much of a foundation is already there.

“I feel good about this comprehensive plan. It kept getting pushed off by the state for funding the effort. Pushing the effort to delay it. We took advantage of that. It is a huge effort for the community, and it deserves to be done well.”

Commissioner Kathleen Kler was impressed the community outreach.

“I was very impressed with the amount of public outreach and public involvement not only with open houses, but the wonderful staff presentations to elicit impute,” Kler said.

“The planning commission took all of this and rebalanced the vision. Some of that had to do with how we have sustainable economic growth in our economy while being in the midst of protecting and using our resources. It’s an intricate dance and we’ve come closer in the choreography here than anything we’ve had before.

“It’s a remarkable effort and a remarkable document. I’m grateful that I was able to be a small part of it. The amount of work is almost incomprehensible.”

Commissioner Kate Dean complimented Peterson in particular, saying he is “one of our most skilled and dedicated planners. I’ve learned a great deal working with you over the years and your dedication to good planning practices is reflective in this work.”

Watkins said “We wanted to move the county forward in a way that wasn’t in the previous comp plan.”

“We are trying novel approaches to policies for our community that may bump up against what the GMA will allow,” Watkins said.

“We want the GMA to look at how it should be amended to cover housing shortages in rural communities.

“We are in compliance with the GMA, but we want to challenge it.”

To read the 2018 Jefferson County Comprehensive Plan, go to: tinyurl.com/PDN-ComprehensivePlan.

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Jefferson County Editor/Reporter Jeannie McMacken can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at jmcmacken@peninsuladailynews.com.