On Monday, April 17, 2017, the San Juan County Council was briefed on the Department of Community Development’s recommended twenty-year population projection. The discussion may be viewed at: http://www.sanjuanco.com/903/Council-Agendas-and-Video as soon as Council’s videos are posted this week.
The Department of Community Development recommended the adoption of a 2036 County population of 19,423. This projection is based on the County’s proportionate share of Washington State’s population. This recommendation has the most statistically valid result of the analyzed projections. It falls between the medium and high projections for the County issued by the State Office of Financial Management. DCD’s April 11, 2017, memo and technical memorandum on population may be viewed here. Council Hearing 4/17/2017.
Population Projection as Presented to SJCC
The Planning Commission will be briefed and take comments on the DCD memo and population projection proposal at, or after 8:45 a.m. on Friday, April 21, 2017 in the Council’s legislative hearing room, 55 Second St. Friday Harbor, WA.
Comments with the subject line, Population Projection, may be submitted to: compplancomments@sanjuanco.com
After the Planning Commission briefing and preliminary public comments are considered, staff will obtain direction from the Council before scheduling a public hearing on the proposal.
Once selected, the County will allocate the projected population growth to the County’s rural areas, UGAs and activity centers for the twenty year planning horizon. Identifying the County’s 2036 population is a key component of correctly sizing the County’s Urban Growth Areas (UGAs), assessing the community’s future housing and transportation needs, and identifying and establishing priorities for capital improvement projects.