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.
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
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:
- Sign up by 9am on the day of the meeting: Public Comment Signup
- Call in at: +1 (360) 726-3293
- Use Conference ID: 853 275 322#
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.
| Date | Time | Location |
| November 4, 2025 | 10:30 a.m. | Orcas Island – 45 Lavender Lane |
| November 10, 2025 | 9:00 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.
- Phone Number: +1 360-726-3293
- Conference ID#: 613 618 865#
- Microsoft Teams Meeting Link
- Instructions and help to join via 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 [email protected] 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: [email protected]
- 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.
