Award for Excellence in Planning presented to Columbia County for 2019 Regional Comprehensive Plan Update

DAYTON— In March of 2018, Columbia County, the City of Dayton, and the Town of Starbuck entered into interlocal agreements for the 2019 Regional Comprehensive Plan Update, with Columbia County taking the lead.

The County Planning Department was recently notified about being selected to receive an Award for Excellence in Planning in the 2020 Washington State Awards Program from the Planning Association of Washington (PAW) and the American Planning Association.

The letter reads:

“The jury was impressed with the collaborative effort among the jurisdictions, tailoring of the Comprehensive Plan provisions by jurisdiction for each issue and outreach to the community.”

“This year’s program entries were uniformly excellent, so this project’s selection as a winner in the comprehensive planning category for small jurisdictions is all the more impressive, as a result.”

City of Dayton Planning Director Meagan Hayes was the Planning Director for both the County and the City when the State announced the mandated Comprehensive Plan Update.

That meant she would be processing two updates.

“Why not add Starbuck into the mix? Community does not end at the boundaries of jurisdictional lines,” she said.

Primary assistance for the Plan Update came from then County Planning Clerk Dena Martin, City of Dayton Administrator Trina Cole, and then Town of Starbuck Mayor Richard Ellis and City Clerk Jan Ellis.

Hayes said the Dayton City Council, Board of County Commissioners, and Starbuck Town Council played an active role, and Ben Floyd of White Bluffs Consulting in the Tri-Cities was brought on board to help with the project.

Numerous interviews were conducted with regional stakeholders, and the three planning commissions spent hours rewriting, formatting, developing, and updating mapping elements.

“Without their willingness to collaborate, none of it would have been possible. This was a hard, strenuous, time-consumptive, and trying project, but we did it. I am so proud of our whole community and every person that contributed to getting this completed,” Hayes said.

According to the PAW, the partnership between the three jurisdictions offered significant benefits, including consistency and compatibility between the three, shared use of resources and staff, and engagement across boundaries.

“By working together, not only were state-mandated update requirements met, but near rewrites of outdated comprehensive plans were made. The result is three new plans that more accurately portray the goals of the community.”

Hayes accepted the award and spoke about the project’s benefits and challenges at a virtual Awards Ceremony held last Friday, following the annual PAW meeting.

The 2019 Regional Comprehensive Plan Update was finalized and adopted by the three jurisdictions at the end of Nov. 2019.