By ordinance a board may, as an alternative to and in lieu of the creation of a planning commission as provided in RCW 36.70.030, create a planning department which shall be organized and function as any other department of the county. When such department is created, the board shall also create a planning commission which shall assist the planning department in carrying out its duties, including assistance in the preparation and execution of the comprehensive plan and recommendations to the department for the adoption of official controls and/or amendments thereto. To this end, the planning commission shall conduct such hearings as are required by this chapter and shall make findings and conclusions therefrom which shall be transmitted to the department which shall transmit the same on to the board with such comments and recommendations it deems necessary.

Terms Used In Washington Code 36.70.040

  • Board: means the board of county commissioners. See Washington Code 36.70.020
  • Commission: means a county or regional planning commission. See Washington Code 36.70.020
  • Comprehensive plan: means the policies and proposals approved and recommended by the planning agency or initiated by the board and approved by motion by the board (a) as a beginning step in planning for the physical development of the county; (b) as the means for coordinating county programs and services; (c) as a source of reference to aid in developing, correlating, and coordinating official regulations and controls; and (d) as a means for promoting the general welfare. See Washington Code 36.70.020
  • Department: means a planning department organized and functioning as any other department in any county. See Washington Code 36.70.020
  • Official controls: means legislatively defined and enacted policies, standards, precise detailed maps and other criteria, all of which control the physical development of a county or any part thereof or any detail thereof, and are the means of translating into regulations and ordinances all or any part of the general objectives of the comprehensive plan. See Washington Code 36.70.020
  • ordinance: is synonymous with the term "resolution" as representing a legislative enactment by a board of county commissioners. See Washington Code 36.70.020
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