Services

The Planning Division assists applicants in the development process while safeguarding the public's interest in maintaining Washougal's quality of life. While the Planning Division is sometimes referred to as "Zoning" this is only one of the Division's functions.

The specific work for this Division includes the following:

• Respond to inquiries about how property within the city is zoned, what uses are allowed in those zones, and how property can be developed within the zones.
• Process Land Division applications including:
  • Subdivisions
  • Short Plats
  • Binding Site Plans
  • Boundary Line Adjustments
  • Plat Alterations
  • Planned Unit Developments (PUD), including both Preliminary and Final Plat
• Process Site Plan applications for all commercial, industrial and multifamily developments including Design Review and Final Site Plan.
• Oversee, enforce and process applications related to the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) as well as the City's Shorelines Ordinance and Critical Areas including:
  • Critical Aquifer Recharge Areas (CARA)
  • Fish and Wildlife Habitat Conservation Areas
  • Frequently Flooded Areas
  • Geologically Hazardous Areas
  • Wetlands
• Process other applications including:
  • Conditional Use Permits (CUP)
  • Home Occupations
  • Legal Lot Determinations
  • Plan Amendments
  • Rezones
  • Sign Permits
  • Temporary Uses
  • Variances
• The Division also supports the Hearing Examiner, Planning Commission, and City Council in the public hearing process through the provisions of the Washougal Municipal Code.