2021 Buildable Lands Report Project
Welcome to the project page for the 2021 Buildable Lands Report (BLR) for Snohomish County. This report is required of Snohomish County by the state Growth Management Act (GMA) and is due by June 30, 2021. On this page, you will find information on our progress towards preparing and completing the 2021 BLR. We will be providing updates periodically, so sign up to get alerts here.
The purpose of the BLR is to review the urban densities that are being achieved within both the city and county portions of the Urban Growth Area (UGA) and, based on the densities achieved, determine whether the UGA has an adequate supply of suitable residential, commercial and industrial land to accommodate the population and employment growth projected to occur during the remaining portion of the 20-year GMA planning horizon. If not, jurisdictions are required to take corrective actions (reasonable measures) that do not include adjustment of UGA boundaries.
According to the Snohomish County Countywide Planning Policies, the BLR is prepared by cities and the county using the Snohomish County Tomorrow (SCT) collaborative process. For the BLR, the county has the lead role in preparing the report, with the cities providing key data input and review responsibilities. SCT has published three BLRs on behalf of the county and its cities; one each in 2002, 2007, and 2012. See below for links to these previous BLRs.
In the 2017 session, the state legislature passed E2SSB 5254, which enacted a number of changes to state requirements for buildable lands methods and procedures. Subsequently, the Washington State Department of Commerce published updated Buildable Lands Program Guidelines in December 2018. County staff have been working with the cities, consultant staff, and stakeholder representatives on developing recommendations for implementing these changes in the 2021 BLR.
Documents Related to Review and Updating of Buildable Lands Methods and Procedures
2012 Buildable Lands Report (BLR) Validation Study (PDF)
SCT Steering Committee meeting (May 27, 2020):
Planning Advisory Committee (PAC) meeting (April 9, 2020):
Technical Supplement Documents (BLR Methods & Reasonable Measures)
PAC Buildable Lands Subcommittee meeting #4 (February 11, 2020):
Snohomish County Method Alternatives and Evaluation Criteria technical memorandum
PAC Buildable Lands Subcommittee meeting #3 (January 7, 2020):
PAC Buildable Lands Subcommittee meeting #2 (November 12, 2019):
PAC Buildable Lands Subcommittee meeting #1 (September 17, 2019):
Stakeholder Workshop (November 25, 2019):
Stakeholder Follow-Up meeting (March 6, 2020 - CANCELED):
Follow-up Presentation (for canceled March 6, 2020 meeting)
Reasonable Measures Matrix Recommended Updates
Related Reports & Studies
- 2012 Buildable Lands Report (PDF)
- 2012 Buildable Lands Report Supplemental Map Book (PDF)
- 2012 Buildable Lands Report GIS Methodology (PDF)
- Employment Density Study (PDF)
- 2002 Buildable Lands Report (BLR) Validation Study (PDF)
- Procedures Report (PDF)
- Reasonable Measures Program Report (PDF)
- 2002 Buildable Lands Report (PDF)
- 2007 Buildable Lands Report (PDF)
For additional BLR products such as UGA profiles, maps and other supplemental materials from previous reports, please contact Stephen Toy or the Planning and Development Services Division at 425-388-3311.