Everson City Zoning Code

The City of Everson Comprehensive Plan is the document, prepared by the Everson Planning Agency and adopted by the City Council, containing text and map(s) setting forth goals and policies to guide decisions about the future orderly development of the City, which are designed to enhance the physical, social, cultural and economic well-being of its population. "Comprehensive" means that the plan encompasses all geographical parts of the City and all functional elements such as land use, circulation and community facilities, and their relationship to one another, the environment, and the urban community.

The adopted City of Everson Comprehensive Plan is intended to guide and give direction to City-wide development over a relatively long period of time. Public improvements and private developments are to conform specifically to the comprehensive plan policies and generally to the map, and shall be aimed toward achievement of the plan's stated goals.

The map portion of the plan is purposely general in nature. Because economic forces and development opportunities are unpredictable and because there can be several different developments or ways to achieve the same long range goal, it is neither feasible nor logical for the comprehensive plan to be delineated in precise boundaries and development. Precise delineation and development detail is possible where specific design plans for a neighborhood or large area are undertaken within the policies and framework of the comprehensive plan, or where zoning or subdivisions are being applied to specific land. Unless a map boundary of a land use designation or map location of a facility, such as a proposed arterial or park, is declared to be a specific boundary or location, map boundaries or locations are vicinity indications rather than precise locations, and are subject to interpretation during administration within the parameters and intent of the plan policies.

For the general goals and land use configuration envisioned and depicted in the comprehensive plan to have integrity and effect, the plan must have a degree of stability over one or more decades. To retain stability and integrity, the plan should not be subjected to frequent changes as in zoning. Nevertheless the plan must be kept up-to-date to accommodate the changing times. Therefore, the comprehensive City plan is subject to amendment by the procedure outlined in this chapter.

The City of Everson Comprehensive Plan, as a statement of longer range land use goals, is a guideline to zoning and land use decision making, both of which are intended to move land use during the short term toward the spirit and intent of the long range goals of the comprehensive plan.

The zoning code is a City-wide regulation governing the immediate, specific use of land consistent with the City of Everson Comprehensive Plan. The comprehensive plan is not a zoning map, but is the basis for zoning decisions. All rezoning shall be consistent with the spirit and intent of the plan goals, policies and map. "Consistency" means that zoning shall aim toward achievement of the plan goals.

The City of Everson Comprehensive Plan shall be considered in making all land use decisions. It shall also be considered by the Administrator in the promulgation of rules, decisions upon request for an interpretation, and the determination of what constitutes a similar use where authorized.

Except as expressed in the prior subsections, the policies expressed in the City of Everson Comprehensive Plan are not regulations in themselves and may not be the basis for enforcement action.

Rezoning petitions shall be reasonably consistent with the City of Everson Comprehensive Plan. If the proposed rezoning is deemed by the Administrator not to be consistent, but the applicant is determined to proceed, the Administrator shall refer the petition to the Everson Planning Agency for review of the proposal in the next annual plan review, or if he/she deems the comprehensive plan change to be of public urgency, may bring the proposed comprehensive plan change to the Everson Planning Agency for its consideration under any available accelerated procedure.

Every 10 years, coordinated with the availability of U.S. Census and similar data, the Everson Planning Agency shall review the appropriateness of the plan for all parts of the City, and, as warranted, shall recommend to the City Council an updated, City-wide revision of the comprehensive plan text and map. Elements of the plan such as land use, arterials and community facilities may be individually studied and updated during the 10-year period in preparation for the overall plan update.

Annually, the Everson Planning Agency shall review the plan as scheduled by the commission. The 10-year review may serve as that year's annual review.

Amendments at times other than the annual review may be recommended by the Everson Planning Agency or City Council where such body feels an urgency to consider a change which it believes could significantly affect the public welfare and good.

Amendments of the City of Everson Comprehensive Plan, or any of its elements, may be proposed by the City Council, the Everson Planning Agency, any resident or owner of property in the City, or any government agency or private organization serving the people or interests of the City.

Amendments shall be proposed by letter addressed to the Everson Planning Agency stating the request and explaining its need, public benefit and urgency of time, if any. City staff shall assist the applicant on the format and reasonable content of the proposed amendment, including any enlargement of the proposed area of change to better fit the terrain, existing development and the intent of the plan.

Amendment proposals received throughout the year are retained and analyzed by City staff, and are reported at the annual meeting scheduled by the Everson Planning Agency for hearing plan amendments, except that when the Everson Planning Agency finds that an urgency exists, it may set such date of review of a proposed amendment as it deems appropriate.

Amendments proposed by any owner, purchaser or developer of property which solely or primarily affect the property owned, to be purchased or developed by the proponent shall be accompanied by an application fee in the amount set forth in the City's current master fee schedule adopted by resolution of the City Council.