red kelp

San Juan County Comprehensive Plan Update – the Final Push

San Juan County is close to finalizing their latest update to the Comprehensive Plan or Comp Plan. The Comp Plan provides a high-level framework for issues like housing, transportation, water, climate, and land use. Once approved, the updated Comp Plan will guide new policies and shape how the County prepares and plans for growth over the next two decades.

Friends was founded in 1979 to support the creation of the County’s first-ever Comp Plan. Today, we’re still vigilantly rooted in this vital work, reviewing every section of the 2025 update to ensure it is informed by sound science, policy, and legal expertise. We also spent months partnering with the Family Resource Centers to inform residents about the Comp Plan update and gather feedback, which we shared with County Council and the Planning Commission.

See Friends’ comment letters.

What’s at Stake?

The Comp Plan update will affect all life on the islands, from you and your neighbors to marbled murrelets and endangered orca. It guides decisions that will profoundly impact our thriving communities, clean air and water, healthy habitats, and sustainable agriculture.

This year Washington State is mandating changes to the Comp Plan including stronger language for affordable housing and the addition of a climate element, which Friends has advocated for since 2022. Further, two Urban Growth Areas—Eastsound and the Town of Friday Harbor—are expanding. Each of these changes provides excellent opportunities to make lasting improvements for our community, economy, and future.

The current draft update includes many of Friends’ recommendations, but there is still room for improvement and just a few weeks left to make your voice heard. Several key sections still need more thoughtful consideration; Friends’ latest comments emphasize the need to hold the County accountable to State regulations and code, particularly around Essential Public Facilities, the Transportation Improvement Plan, and the new Climate Element. For a deep dive, check out the comment letters below that Friends submitted over the past ten months.

The Opportunity

NOW is the time to share your vision with the County! What should life in the islands look like 20 years from now?

The County has released a new draft of the update, which incorporates the recommendations of the Planning Commission. This draft will be reviewed by the County Council on November 3rd. On November 25th, the edits and changes will be reviewed at a Public Hearing.

Take Action Now

The County Council is now reviewing updates to the Comp Plan, and your participation is critical to ensuring that community voices are reflected in these decisions. Speaking at public hearings or submitting written comments are powerful ways to make a difference for our future and that of generations to come.

Oral Comments

County Council Work Session – November 3, 2025

November 3rd is an impactful time to comment as the County Council will be reviewing the latest draft at this meeting. Comments can be made in person or via phone.

  • Time: 9:00 a.m.
  • Location: San Juan Island – Legislative Hearing Room, 55 Second St. N, or online
  • Livestream and Agenda: County Council Portal
  • Call in to Comment: +1 (360) 726-3293
  • Conference ID: 853 275 322#
  • Sign Up to Comment Online: Public Comment Signup
  • Time Limit: Public comments are typically limited to three minutes each

Other Public Access Time

If you cannot attend the work session on November 3rd, you can still speak—in person or remotely—during Public Access time at any County Council meeting.

To comment remotely, you must:

  1. Sign up by 9am on the day of the meeting: Public Comment Signup
  2. Call in at: +1 (360) 726-3293
  3. Use Conference ID: 853 275 322#
  4. Time Limit: Public comments are typically limited to three minutes each

You can watch meetings live at the County Council Livestream Portal. (Note: public comments cannot be made directly through the livestream link.)

To comment in person, attend one of the below meetings. Public access time will be at the start of the meeting.

DateTimeLocation
November 4, 202510:30 a.m.Orcas Island – 45 Lavender Lane
November 10, 20259:00 a.m.San Juan Island – Legislative Hearing Room, 55 Second St. N

Planning Commission – November 21, 2025

Another option is to comment either in-person or remotely at the Planning Commission meeting on November 21, 2025 at 8:30am. The meeting will be held in the Legislative Hearing Room at 55 Second St. N, Friday Harbor.

To comment remotely, call in via phone, or join the meeting with Microsoft Teams.

Written Comments

Written comments are also a valuable and easy way to provide feedback on your hopes, concerns, and priorities. When writing comments, it’s helpful to include a bit about yourself. To maximize your impact, email your comments to compplan@sanjuancountywa.gov by 12pm on November 2nd, so that County Council can consider them during their meeting on November 3rd. All comments should be received before November 24, 2025.

  • Email comments to: compplan@sanjuancountywa.gov
  • Include: A brief introduction about yourself and your connection to the islands.
  • Best by: November 2, 2025, at 12 p.m. (for inclusion in the November 3 work session)
  • Final deadline: November 24, 2025

Public Hearing

County Council will hold a Public Hearing on the Comp Plan on November 25, 2025. If needed, the Hearing will continue to a second date, possibly on December 9, 2025. For updates, agendas, and livestream links, check the County’s website.

Friends of the San Juans Comment Letters

Friends of the San Juans protects the San Juan Islands and Salish Sea for people and nature. We recognize the interconnectedness of humans, our communities, wildlife, and habitats, and implement solutions that improve the health and well-being of our collective ecosystem. Friends comment letters reflect this belief, and are informed by our team of science, legal, and policy experts who have decades of experience.

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