Comprehensive Plan GMA Compliance

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In 2024, the City of Mercer Island adopted a Comprehensive Plan Periodic Update, which was appealed to the Growth Management Hearings Board in 2025. The appeal resulted in a Final Decision and Order, which requires the City to update the Comprehensive Plan to comply with four requirements by July 31, 2026.



In 2024, the City of Mercer Island adopted a Comprehensive Plan Periodic Update, which was appealed to the Growth Management Hearings Board in 2025. The appeal resulted in a Final Decision and Order, which requires the City to update the Comprehensive Plan to comply with four requirements by July 31, 2026.


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  • Share How common is it for cities' comprehensive plans to be ruled "not in compliance?" How many other cities were also asked to revise their plans? on Facebook Share How common is it for cities' comprehensive plans to be ruled "not in compliance?" How many other cities were also asked to revise their plans? on Twitter Share How common is it for cities' comprehensive plans to be ruled "not in compliance?" How many other cities were also asked to revise their plans? on Linkedin Email How common is it for cities' comprehensive plans to be ruled "not in compliance?" How many other cities were also asked to revise their plans? link

    How common is it for cities' comprehensive plans to be ruled "not in compliance?" How many other cities were also asked to revise their plans?

    elsa.bzj asked 13 days ago

    The Growth Management Hearings Board (GMHB) rules on a multitude of cases related to implementation of the Growth Management Act (GMA)--such as development, zoning, and critical area ordinances. Local jurisdictions are required to conduct a major review and update of their comprehensive plans every 10 years, this is known as the “periodic update.” Deadlines for periodic updates are staggered (see map below), and 2024 was the deadline for the first round of comprehensive plan updates in this decade. During the 2024 comprehensive plan periodic update, cities and counties in King County, Pierce County, Snohomish County, and Kitsap County were required to review and update their comprehensive plans. Of these municipalities, there were appeals submitted to the GMHB for Clyde Hill, Kitsap County, Duvall, and Mercer Island. Mercer Island's appeal concluded first with the Final Decisions and Order issued on August 1, 2025. The other cases are still being ruled on as of January 27th, 2026. Each of the appeals during the 2024 periodic update were related, at least in part, to updates made to the GMA in 2021 via House Bill (HB) 1220 which requires cities to provide adequate provisions of housing across affordability levels.  

    Comprehensive Plan Periodic Update Map 

    Recently, Washington State Legislature enacted Senate Bill (SB) 5148, known as the Housing Accountability Act, allowing the Department of Commerce to select up to 10 cities or counties a year for a targeted review for compliance with the GMA. Currently, eight cities have been selected for review. If the state deems a jurisdiction to be out of compliance, it will be ordered to amend its comprehensive plan to achieve compliance within 120 days.  

    The updated GMA requirements from HB 1220 and the increased regulatory power from SB 5148 indicate that comprehensive plans are likely to be held to a higher level of scrutiny going forward. 

     

    -Madelyn Nelson, Assistant Planner 

Page last updated: 04 Feb 2026, 02:52 PM