Ellensburg’s 2046 Comprehensive Plan Moves Toward Revised Drafts After July Review

Ellensburg has completed its main July public review of a proposed 2026-2046 comprehensive plan and draft environmental impact statement, and city staff are incorporating feedback into revised drafts.

The July 22 open house and the combined draft-review period that ended July 31 are over. The proposal remains a draft, however. Ellensburg has not adopted the updated comprehensive plan, related development regulations or zoning map.

What residents reviewed

The City of Ellensburg invited comments on draft plan chapters and a draft environmental impact statement, or EIS, during the July review. The July 22 open house at the Central Washington University Foundry building gave community members an in-person opportunity to review draft goals and policies, ask questions and leave comments with city staff.

In an update posted July 27 and last revised July 28, the city said the project team was incorporating community feedback into revised drafts before the adoption process begins. That describes staff preparation for later review, not an approved or final plan.

A 20-year framework for city decisions

The proposed plan is intended to guide Ellensburg, the Kittitas County seat in Washington, over the next two decades. The city’s project page identifies policy areas including land use, housing, economic development, transportation, capital facilities and utilities, parks, trails and open space, and climate resilience.

If adopted, the plan could shape future zoning, development regulations, housing policy, infrastructure planning and environmental priorities. It would provide a long-range policy framework, but adoption by itself would not approve a specific development project. Individual projects would still need to go through their own applicable review and approval processes.

The draft EIS is part of the current review record. It should not be confused with a final environmental review document.

Decision points remain tentative

The city’s posted schedule lists preliminary City Council reviews through October. The schedule included land-use and housing on August 3, economic development and associated development regulations on August 17, capital facilities and utilities with EIS review on September 7, climate and environment on October 5, and parks, recreation and historic preservation with appendices on October 19. As of August 5, the August 3 date had passed; the city says the schedule is tentative and subject to change.

The schedule also lists a Planning Commission review and public hearing for October 8, a City Council first reading on November 2 and final adoption on November 16, 2026. Those dates are planned milestones, not guaranteed action dates.

The city’s public participation plan and Resolution No. 2025-18 say the update is due for final adoption by December 31, 2026 under Washington’s Growth Management Act periodic-update requirements. The resolution adopted the public-engagement process; it did not adopt the proposed comprehensive plan or any associated zoning or development-regulation changes.

Public comment continues

Although the main online draft-comment period has ended, the city says PDF drafts will remain available for reference from August 1 through December 31, 2026. The city’s participation plan also says written comments may be submitted throughout the update process before recommendation and adoption hearings, in addition to formal hearing comment periods.

The next major opportunities for public influence are the remaining City Council preliminary reviews, the Planning Commission review and hearing, and subsequent City Council consideration. Residents, property owners, businesses and other interested parties should check the City of Ellensburg’s project page and meeting notices for draft documents, agendas and schedule changes.

Sources

• City of Ellensburg NewsFlash: Draft Review update