What is the Project about?

The City of Chewelah is embarking on a path to update its development regulations to address known housing needs of the community.

Why is the City doing this?

The City of Chewelah adopted a Housing Action Plan (HAP) in 2023 and seeks to implement the strategies identified in the Plan’s recommendations.

Where is the funding coming from?

The Department of Commerce awarded the City of Chewelah Grant funding to update development code regulations.

When will the development regulations updates be finalized?

At this time, the finalization of development regulations is anticipated no later than June 30th, 2025, following several workshops, state and agency review, a State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) review, and at least one public hearing before the Chewelah City Council. Please refer back to this site or get in touch via the link above to stay in the loop on future code workshops, City Council meetings, and public hearings.

How will this impact current developments?

Until the finalized development regulations are adopted by the Chewelah City Council, any development applications currently under review will be reviewed based on compliance with existing standards in place. New development applications will only be subject to new development code standards once adopted by the City Council.

What about other barriers to housing, such as water, sewer, traffic, etc?

While the Housing Action Plan identifies infrastructure barriers to growth, principally water and sewer service, this effort does not specifically address any known infrastructure deficiencies. However, serviceability is essential when considering any changes to development code, such as density or infill standards, and will be carefully considered throughout the process.

Will this effort involve a change to the Comprehensive Plan?

A city’s comprehensive plan sets the stage for zoning and development regulations, and per Washington State Law, zoning must be consistent with the plan. While a Comprehensive Plan amendment is not anticipated as part of this effort, it is not necessarily ruled out. A city must also periodically update its comprehensive plan and development regulations, which, for Chewelah, will next occur in 2027. This effort may (and likely will) address some of the known updates needed later, helping the city get a head start on compliance.

How do I get involved?

Community members and stakeholders can get involved by attending public workshops either in person, keeping up with website updates, or getting in touch via the button at the top of this page. Community and staff feedback will be provided to the City Council for consideration as it reviews the development code updates during workshops and public hearing(s). Community conversation is important to this effort, ensuring the final code changes address local needs.