King County Comprehensive Plan: Docket Process and Form

About the Docket

The King County docket was established in 1998 in accordance with Section 20.18.140 of the King County Code to provide an opportunity for the public to register comments on the King County Comprehensive Plan and associated development regulations. The County responds to each item registered on the docket, providing a feedback loop, as required by RCW 36.70A.470.

The docket is one means for amending the Comprehensive Plan; see the amendment process page for more information on how the plan gets amended.

Docket Process

Relationship to Comprehensive Plan: The docket is the means for the public to suggest a change to, or identify a deficiency in, the Comprehensive Plan or development regulations.  Deficiency refers to the absence of required or potentially desirable contents of a comprehensive plan or development regulation.  King County Code section 20.18.140 defines the receipt, review of and response to docket requests.

Schedule: The docket is open continuously, and on the last business day of December, the items registered in the previous twelve months are compiled into the Docket Report for release on the last business day in April to the King County Council.

Fees: There is no fee for submitting a docket form.

Who Can Submit:  Anyone can submit a docket, however, the property owner (or their agent) needs to submit if a land use change is requested.  Property owners submitting a rezone request that does not require a land use change will be directed to the Zone Reclassification process.

Review Process:  There are a number of steps in the review process:

• The County compiles and posts the list of requested changes.
• Requests are reviewed and analyzed by County staff.  As appropriate, County staff communicate, or meet, with the submitter.
• After the staff review is complete, a letter is sent to each submitter.
• On the last business day of April, the County Executive transmits a Docket Report to the County Council.  Items recommended for approval move forward as part of the Comprehensive Plan update process.  For items not recommended, proponents may petition the Council during the Comprehensive Plan update process.

Staying Engaged After Submitting a Docket: Everyone submitting a docket request is added to the mailing list, or email list, for the Comprehensive Plan.  This allows submitters to stay informed of milestones in the review process.  Once the Docket Report is transmitted to the County Council, submitters are also added to the mailing list for Council agendas and are notified of opportunities for public testimony.