SUBJECT/RECOMMENDATION:
Title
Approve amendments to the Community Development Code updating the city’s platting process to address statutory changes pursuant to Senate Bill 784 (2025), An Act Relating to Platting; and pass Ordinance No. 9856-25 on first reading.
Body
SUMMARY:
Currently, in the City of Clearwater, preliminary plats may be approved administratively by the Community Development Coordinator or by the Community Development Board at a public hearing, while final plats require City Council approval. Proposed Ordinance No. 9856-25 updates the Community Development Code to align with recent state legislation. Senate Bill 784 (effective July 1, 2025) transfers final plat and replat approvals from City Council to administrative review and establishes new requirements for written notice.
The Planning and Development Department has determined that the proposed text amendments to the Community Development Code are consistent with and further the goals, objectives, and policies of the Comprehensive Plan and the Community Development Code, as outlined in the staff report.
The Community Development Board, in its capacity as the Local Planning Agency (LPA), will review the proposed amendments to the Community Development Code at its regularly scheduled meeting on November 18, 2025. Staff will present the Board’s recommendation to the City Council at its meeting.
STRATEGIC PRIORITY:
These proposed amendments support the Economic & Housing Opportunity goal of the city’s Strategic Plan by streamlining the platting process through administrative review, which may be perceived as reducing barriers to new development.
