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Comprehensive Plan
Cities planning under the Growth Management Act are required to have a Comprehensive Plan. A Comprehensive Plan is a long-range planning document that outlines the city's policies, goals, and implementation strategies for guiding future growth and development in the city over the next 20-year horizon. It addresses such topics as land use, housing, parks and recreation, transportation, capital facilities, utilities, public safety, environment, and economic development. Additionally, the comprehensive plan provides the foundation to which city regulations are developed from.
Adoption
- The City's current General Comprehensive Plan was adopted December 2, 2024 with an effective date of December 10, 2024. The next periodic update of the City's comprehensive plan will be due in 2034.
- The Water System Comprehensive Plan element was updated in December 2019.
- The Sewer Comprehensive Plan element was adopted October 2017.
- The Transportation Comprehensive Plan element was adopted October 2017
Arlington In Motion 2024 & Beyond
The City of Arlington completed the 2024 Comprehensive Plan, which updated the plan to meet the requirements of the Washington State Growth Management Act and to align with Puget Sound Regional Council Policy Vision 2050 and the Snohomish County Countywide Planning Policies.
As an urban edge city currently consisting of nine square miles, Arlington’s current population of 19,868 (2020 census) is expected to grow by about 8,500 households with a projected population of 34,649 by 2044, according to Snohomish County’s Buildable Lands Report (BLR).
Arlington consists of three primary planning areas: Old Town Business and Residential Districts; Arlington Municipal Airport and the surrounding Cascade Industrial Center, and the Smokey Point planning area. The Old Town planning area consists of early to mid-1900 architecturally styled residential homes and commercial buildings, with an iconic “Main Street” serving the downtown corridor. The Airport and Cascade Industrial Center planning area includes 4,019 acres between the Cities of Arlington and Marysville reserved for manufacturing and industrial development. The third planning area, Smokey Point, has the most economic potential of all. Located along the western edge of the City and parallel to I-5, the Smokey Point Boulevard corridor is currently being studied for development as a transit oriented, mixed-use corridor, along its entirety, in anticipation of the Community Transit SWIFT BRT (Gold Line) in 2027.
The Comprehensive Plan provides strategies to encourage, create, and support equity among all aspects of life, place making, neighborhood connectivity, economic stability and vibrancy, resilience and sustainability, quality, diverse and efficient residential growth, recreational/park opportunities, for the protection of the quality of life for the City of Arlington’s residents and businesses.