
Imagine Monroe: A lively center surrounded by nature. A place of beauty and goodwill.
Our parks, waterways, and environment are healthy and accessible for everyone to enjoy. Our historic downtown and business districts are thriving and full of locally owned businesses and locally sourced products. We can find everything we need with regional connections and a variety of choices for work, housing, dining, shopping, arts, and activities.
Friendly and responsive, we strengthen connections through gathering spaces, events, services, and community-centered infrastructure – creating a safe space for all.
In Monroe, everyone feels at home and everyone feels they belong.
Where will you be in 20 years? The City of Monroe is asking community members to work together to create a visionary blueprint for the future of our City. This updated 2044 Comprehensive Plan will analyze population and employment growth, housing, transportation, parks, the environment, and many other features to guide development and decision-making in the future.

Input from the community is essential to the development of the vision, goals, and policy statements. We need you to be part of the community-wide discussion to update existing and create new policies and actions for a wide range of topics. This process represents an opportunity for residents, regardless of income, education, ethnicity or race, and the business community to share their ideas for the future of Monroe, both in terms of near-term actions and a long-term vision.
The Comprehensive Plan touches many topic areas, such as where and how housing can be built, where new commercial businesses or centers are needed, how the road network can better accommodate vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians, how parks can be enhanced, how critical services and infrastructure can be improved, and how shorelines and other critical resources can be protected. What kind of city will Monroe be in 20 years?

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Couldn’t attend the kickoff? Take the survey and sign up for project updates!
Thank you to everyone who attended the community kickoff on April 13th. A summary of the event will be posted here soon.
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FAQ
The Comprehensive Plan (the “Plan”) is a document that guides the City of Monroe decisions on local policy, planning, and capital facility investment over a 20-year time period. The Plan acts as a blueprint for development in the City; it will impact neighborhoods, businesses, traffic, public facilities and services, the environment, and you. The Plan is also meant to reflect the vision and priorities of Monroe communities and residents, while meeting requirements of state and federal law. The Monroe City Council and City staff are responsible for carrying out the policies of the Plan.
Washington State’s Growth Management Act (GMA) requires each city and county to periodically review and update their Comprehensive Plans. This is an opportunity to revise population and employment growth forecasts with the most up to date data, review existing policies to ensure they make sense for the communities they serve, write new policies that reflect the priorities of the communities of Monroe, and confirm that all federal, state, and local requirements are met.
Mandatory Elements
- Land Use
- Housing
- Capital Facilities Plan
- Utilities
- Transportation
- Economic Development
Optional Elements
- Conservation (RCW 36.70A.080)
- Solar Energy (RCW 36.70A.080)
- Recreation (RCW 36.70A.080)
- Subarea Plans (neighborhoods, rural villages, urban growth areas, tribal areas, etc.)
In addition, Monroe has several system plans that will need to be updated. These include:
- Water System Plan
- Sanitary Sewer Plan
- Stormwater System Plan
- Transportation System Plan
Every parcel in the City of Monroe is assigned a Comprehensive Plan land use and zoning district designation. Comprehensive Plan designations set the long-term vision for properties and identify generalized uses such as industrial or multi-family residential. Zoning designations, which by law must be consistent with the Comprehensive Plan designations, provide more detail on permitted uses and development standards. The City must maintain a certain amount of residential and commercial growth capacity in certain areas of the County. The Snohomish County-Wide Planning Policies (CPPs) provide growth targets for different areas of the County, and the Comprehensive Plan must be consistent with these goals.
Once a new Comprehensive Plan is adopted, the City will pursue an update of the Zoning Ordinance. The update will address inconsistencies between the Comprehensive Plan designations and current Zoning designations.
The State Environmental Policy Act, commonly called SEPA, requires state and local agencies to consider the likely significant adverse impacts of planning actions such as adopting comprehensive plans and development regulations. If the proposed plans or regulations would allow activities to occur that are likely to have significant adverse impacts, those impacts must be addressed during environmental review.
An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will evaluate three different growth alternatives, including a “no-action” alternative. The EIS will include an analysis of potential impacts associated with amendments, and the public is given an opportunity to comment on the EIS. Ultimately, a “preferred alternative” will be selected to move forward through the public process.
The Comprehensive Plan Update is an opportunity for residents, business owners, community organizations, and other stakeholders to discuss how the City will grow through 2044. There will be many opportunities to participate, including meetings, open houses, online surveys, and public hearings. You can join the email list or receive notification of upcoming events through our website. If you have any questions, or would like to provide us with comments, please contact visit our Contact Us page.
Public input from every engagement opportunity is recorded and cataloged to ensure that City staff and decisionmakers have a full understanding of public sentiment when drafting goals and policies. Public feedback on Comprehensive Plan materials (including goals and policies) will be considered when making final revisions.
Project documents
As the update to the Monroe Comprehensive Plan Update moves forward, associated documents will be posted for public information and review. Check here frequently, as documents will be posted on a regular basis.
Additional Documents
schedule
The update to the Monroe Comprehensive Plan is anticipated to be a two-year process. Below is a summary of the overall schedule. A variety of community outreach and public engagement activities that will be held throughout the process. Check back frequently and/or sign up for our email notifications to stay up to date.
The final deadline for adoption of any updates related to this project is December 2024.
Summer-Winter 2022: Monroe Today
Constraints and Opportunites (current)
- Baseline Conditions Analysis
- Regulatory and Equity Audit
- Identify Issues and Opportunities
- Joint Planning Commission and City Council Meeting
- SEPA Scoping
Winter 2022/2023
Exploring Options for Monroe’s Future (upcoming)
- Exploring Options for Monroe’s Future (upcoming)
- Community Priorities Workshop
- Identify Areas of Potential Change
- Study and Identify Land Use/Transportation Options
- Land Use Mapping Open House
- Prepare Facility Plan and Transportation Plan Updates
Spring 2023 – Winter 2024
Preparing a Plan for Monroe 2044 (upcoming)
- Prepare Draft Comprehensive Plan
- Prepare Draft Environmental Impact Study
- Public Review of Documents
- Comprehensive Plan Open House
Summer-Fall 2024
Adopting the Monroe 2044 Comprehensive Plan (upcoming)
- Adopt Final 2044 General Plan and Environmental Impact Study
- Planning Commission and City Council Public Hearings
Community Engagement (ongoing)
- Stakeholder Meetings and Focus Groups
- Community Advisory Committee Meetings
- Community Priorities Workshop
- Future Land Use Map Open House
- Comprehensive Plan Open House
- Pop-up Events
- Online Survey
- Social Media
- Email Campaigns
- Planning Commission and City Council Meetings
Summer-Winter 2022: Monroe Today
Constraints and Opportunities (current)
- Baseline Conditions Analysis (Assessment and Plans Review)
- Inclusive Planning Assessment
- Identify Issues and Opportunities
- Joint Planning Commission and City Council Meeting
- SEPA Scoping
Winter 2022/2023
Exploring Options for Monroe’s Future (upcoming)
- Community Priorities Workshop
- Identify Areas of Potential Change
- Study and Identify Land Use/Transportation Options
- Land Use Mapping Open House
- Prepare Facility Plan and Transportation Plan Updates
Spring 2023 – Winter 2024
Preparing a Plan for Monroe 2044 (upcoming)
- Prepare Draft Comprehensive Plan
- Prepare Draft Environmental Impact Study
- Public Review of Documents
- Comprehensive Plan Open House
Summer-Fall 2024
Adopting the Monroe 2044 Comprehensive Plan (upcoming)
- Adopt Final 2044 General Plan and Environmental Impact Study
- Planning Commission and City Council Public Hearings
Community Engagement (ongoing)
- Stakeholder Meetings and Focus Groups
- Community Advisory Committee Meetings
- Community Priorities Workshop
- Future Land Use Map Open House
- Comprehensive Plan Open House
- Pop-up Events
- Online Survey
- Social Media
- Email Campaigns
- Planning Commission and City Council Meetings
Contact us
We look forward to hearing from you! Sharing your ideas will help shape Monroe’s future and help us understand important issues.
There are several ways to be involved in the 2024 Update.
to receive text or email notifications, including our newsletter, information about outreach events, surveys, and other public participation opportunities.
Send us an email
at PlanUpdate@monroewa.gov to let us know what you think. What do you want to see in your neighborhood?
submit a comment
related to the 2024 Comprehensive Plan Update. This form can also be used to contact us with any questions about the Comprehensive Plan process or to request more information.
Comments will be sent to: ktourtellot@monroewa.gov