The VBLM has been challenged and successfully defended in court in the past.
Used by various jurisdictions, for example schools use for planning – where is growth happening.
GIS and other data used.
Reviews how zoning is incorporated. Cities are consulted to determine how some of their zoning is expected to translate to jobs, housing…
Describes how they determine ‘vacant’ and ‘underutilized’.
Sue asked about resource lands (e.g. Agricultural lands). The VBLM is only for urban areas. There is a different model used for rural.
Ridgefield has unincorporated areas within its boundaries (called it the ‘donut hole’). County is encouraging them to annex, getting resistance from property owners. Expects they are working on this for the current comp plan. See slide 16. (Fyi they are using Ridgefield as example in the presentation).
Wil asked who provides public safety in those donut holes? County Sheriff.
Matt asked if the model knows about property for sale? No. But there is an assumption on % of undeveloped and underdeveloped land will not develop over the planning period (10% and 30%). This assumption is set by council, and validated over time.
Some discussion of Market Factor (which the Building Industry has been fighting about for ages). Glen asked about checking their data – Jose talked about how they compare actuals to the model.
Matt asked about updates to the model. The model is run every year, and is available to anyone.
Model didn’t anticipate the Vancouver waterfront – housing on commercial lands. Model has been adjusted in conversation with the cities.
Sue: they are still getting letters about the VBLM – what would it take to change at this point. Would need a task force put together to work on it. When it was submitted in 2022 as part of the GMA it was not appealed. It is the basis of the allocations (population, jobs) to the cities for the current comp plan. So all that would have to be redone (we’d never make the deadline to complete the comp plan if re-opened).
Glen asked when it was run for the comp plan – 2023, run for 22 years to align with the comp plans’ 20 year horizon. Asked if trued up for actuals. No. Oliver explains that while the comp plan is being developed, people are moving in. This is all part of the numbers you are planning for. Model will be run again.
Glen asked about overrides. It is something offered to the cities because they may know more about their plans – things they know will happen that they want reflected. So Comp Plan is more inclusive of what they are planning. Glen seems to want to second guess the cities. Oliver: we don’t have land use authority in the cities, we can’t override their info on what will happen.

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