What's an Urban Growth Area?   An Urban Growth Area (UGA) is a term of art in the Washington State Growth Management Act (GMA), a law passed by the legislature in 1990.  The intent of the GMA is to balance the need for economic development and environmental preservation.  UGAs are areas where growth will be encouraged and can be supported with adequate facilities, such as sewer and water.  UGAs are created, in large part, to accommodate growth in a cost-effective manner.    CTED Factsheet on UGAs

On September 28, 1998, the Board of Island County Commissioners (BICC) adopted the Island County Comprehensive Plan.  The "Plan" establishes the strategies for managing growth that is anticipated to occur over the next 20 years in Island County. It implements the requirements of the Washington State Growth Management Act (GMA) which establishes a number of goals that counties must strive to achieve. These goals include preservation of rural character, protection of agricultural and forestry lands, protection of the environment and reduction of sprawl.  A large portion of future population and economic growth is expected to occur in our County's three cities of Oak Harbor, Coupeville and Langley. 

So far, policies and strategies have been established which strive to direct future population into each of the cities.  Protection of Island County's rural character and other aspects can be further enhanced by adopting policies that will provide development alternatives in other "non-municipal" areas that are prepared to accommodate growth.

The Board of Island County Commissioners formed the Freeland Sub Area Planning Committee (FSAPC) in order to prepare a customized plan for Freeland. Due to the fact that much of the land in and around Freeland has already been subdivided, much of the anticipated population can already be accommodated on existing vacant and underdeveloped parcels. The Committee was charged with developing a plan that would manage this growth both in a manner that would establish where in Freeland it might occur as well as how it might look.

The committee began working on the Sub Area Plan in January 1999 and finished in May 2004. During this time there have been 76 public sessions to fully explore the various issues that were seen as important in creating the Plan. The November 2000 Survey of Freeland residents indicated a strong desire to improve the Highway 525 corridor by limiting the visual impact of commercial and residential development, making the business core more pedestrian friendly, and creating gathering places for community events. The testimony heard has been that the citizens of Freeland want their community to be attractive, convenient, aesthetically pleasing and environmentally friendly. The Freeland Sub Area Plan addresses all of these issues.

The Draft Sub Area Plan has been prepared by the FSAPC. It represents a vision of what Freeland would look like in 20 years and is based on the concepts, goals and ideas developed through citizen and Committee participation. This Draft will continue to be shaped by citizen input and participation from Freeland residents.