14.25.060 Selection and decision criteria.
Considering that the comprehensive plan was developed after significant study and public participation, the principles, goals, objectives, and policies contained therein shall be granted substantial weight when considering any proposed amendment. Therefore, the burden of proof for justifying a proposed amendment rests with the applicant. The City Council’s approval, modification, deferral, or denial of an amendment proposal shall be based on the following criteria:
(1) Proposed amendments that meet one of the following criteria may be included in the final docket:
(a) If the proposed amendment is site specific, the subject property is suitable for development in general conformance with adjacent land use and the surrounding development pattern, and with zoning standards under the potential zoning classifications.
(b) State law requires or a decision of a court or administrative agency has directed such a change.
(c) There exists an obvious technical error in the pertinent comprehensive plan provision.
(2) Proposed amendments that do not meet one of the criteria in subsection (1) of this section shall meet all of the following criteria:
(a) The amendment represents a matter appropriately addressed through the comprehensive plan, and the proposed amendment demonstrates a public benefit and enhances the public health, safety and welfare of the City.
(b) The amendment is in compliance with the three-year limitation rules as specified in CMC 14.25.040(3).
(c) The amendment does not raise policy or land use issues that are more appropriately addressed by an ongoing work program approved by the City Council.
(d) The proposed amendment addresses significantly changed conditions since the last time the pertinent comprehensive plan map or text was amended. “Significantly changed conditions” are those resulting from unanticipated consequences of an adopted policy, or changed conditions on the subject property or its surrounding area, or changes related to the pertinent comprehensive plan map or text, where such change has implications of a magnitude that need to be addressed for the comprehensive plan to function as an integrated whole.
(e) The proposed amendment is consistent with the comprehensive plan and other goals and policies of the City, the Countywide planning policies, the Growth Management Act, other State or Federal law, and the Washington Administrative Code and other applicable law. (Ord. 24-08 § 2 (Exh. 1))