Introduction

The planning commission provides citizen review and recommendations on planning-related matters to the city, town, county council, or county board of commissioners.

Planning commissions often have two distinct functions.

1. The first involves preparation and revision of the community's comprehensive plan and local land use regulations, such as the zoning or subdivision code. This role is typically advisory to the local governing body, with the planning board forwarding a recommended plan (or ordinance) to the governing body for consideration.
2. The second, and frequently most time-consuming, function involves review of development proposals, such as site plans and subdivisions. Not all planning commissions are involved in the development review function. In Washington State, when planning commissions perform this role, typically the commission recommends a decision that the local governing body can approve or disapprove of, or approve of with modifications. In some jurisdictions, the planning commission or hearing examiner may hold the public hearing and make a decision on certain types of land use actions. In these cases, the planning commission's decision would be subject to appeal to the local governing body.

This page is organized into two basic parts.

1. General information about planning commissions, including by-laws. Planning commission ordinances for code cities, non-code cities/towns, and counties are presented separately because of different statutory requirements.
2. A portal to selected resources available on the MRSC website and elsewhere about topics that would be useful to planning commission members, especially new commissioners.

Information on Planning Commissions

Legal References

• Statutes - See Legal References for Planning Commissions page
• Selected Court Cases - See Legal Reference for Planning Commissions page

Code City Planning Commissions

This section includes ordinances, rules of procedure, and general information on code city planning commissions.

• Buckley Municipal Code Ch. 2.33 - Planning Commission
• Kirkland Planning Commission and Kirkland Municipal Code Ch. 3.32 - Planning Commission
• Lynden Planning Commission Policies
• Redmond Planning Commission (includes links to rules of procedure)
• Tukwila Planning Commission (includes links to bylaws)

Non-Code City Planning Commissions

This section includes ordinances, rules of procedure, and general information on non-code city planning commissions.

• Burlington Municipal Code Ch. 17.76 - Planning Commission (second class city)
• Cathlamet Municipal Code Ch. 2.50 - Planning Commission (town)
• Seattle Planning Commission (first class city)
• Vancouver Planning Commission (first class city)
• Winthrop Municipal Code Ch. 2.24 - Planning Commission (town)

County Planning Commissions

This section includes ordinances, rules of procedure, and general information on county planning commissions.

• Clallam County Planning Commission
• Clark County Code Ch. 2.06 - Planning Commission
• Kitsap County Planning Commission (includes rules of procedure)
• Thurston County Planning Commission (includes rules of procedure)
• Yakima County Planning Commission (includes public meeting rules of procedure)

Planning Commission Bylaws and Rules of Procedure

This includes additional examples of planning commission bylaws and rules of procedure.

• Kelso Planning Commission Rules, 2008 
• Kirkland Planning Commission Rules of Procedure, 01/10/2013 
• Liberty Lake Planning Commission Bylaws, 04/07/2009
• Shoreline Planning Commission Bylaws, revised 03/07/2013
• Woodland Planning Commission Rules and Procedures, 04/08/2008 

Selected Articles and Publications about Planning Commissions

• New to the Planning Commission? FAQs, from A Short Course on Local Planning Resource Guide, Version 5.1, 07/2009, Washington State Department of Commerce - Useful information for new commissioners
• Providing for Alternate Members on Planning and Zoning Boards: Drafting Effective Local Laws, by Patricia E. Salkin, Planning and Environmental Law, August 2009. Vol. 61, No. 8, pp. 3-7 - Includes checklist of issues to be covered in local ordinances

Selected Resources for Planning Commissioners

This section is a portal to key resources for planning commissioners in Washington State, including planning information on the MRSC website.

• Short Course on Local Planning, Washington State Department of Commerce - Includes dates of scheduled workshops, videos of past courses, and Short Course Resource Guide 
• Planners Web, News and information for citizen planners, Planning Commissioners Journal (most articles available for a fee; some free information) - See Planning 101 for basic information for planning commissioners
• Planning, main subject page, MRSC - See contents for specific topics
• Other MRSC Planning Features
  • Planning in Focus - MRSC E-newsletter and Planning Advisor Archive
  • MRSC Planning Inquiries
  • Focus Archive by Subject, Planning
  • Local Governments in the News Archive by Subject, Planning
• Legal
  • Appearance of Fairness Doctrine, MRSC page
  • Open Public Meetings Act, MRSC page
  • Regulatory Takings, MRSC page
• Economic Development, MRSC main subject page
• Communication and Citizen Participation Techniques, MRSC page
• Environment & Natural Resources, MRSC main subject page
• Transportation, MRSC main subject page

Links to Planning Associations and Resources

The following are links to key planning associations and Web resources.

• American Planning Association (many articles require membership and password)
• Washington Chapter, American Planning Association
• Planetizen - A public-interest information exchange for the urban planning, design, and development community. It is a one-stop source for urban planning news, commentary, interviews, event coverage, book reviews, announcements, jobs, consultant listings, training, and more
• Planning Association of Washington
• Western Planner - Publication of planners networking group that represents 13 state planning associations in the western U.S. and Great Plains