2025 Comprehensive Plan Update

The Comprehensive Plan describes the 20-year vision for the City of Centralia and how that vision will be accomplished. The Plan develops goals, policies, and implementation strategies that guide the community-driven vision. The Plan includes elements that discuss land use, housing, economic development, environment, historic preservation, transportation, public facilities, utilities, capital facilities, parks, recreation, and open space. Centralia's first Comprehensive Plan was adopted in 1960 and has been updated regularly. The City’s first GMA comprehensive Plan was adopted in 1998 and periodic updates have occurred since, with the last update taking place in 2017 and last amended in 2022.

Why are we updating our Comprehensive Plan?

The Washington State Growth Management Act (GMA) RCW 36.70A.130(5), requires that cities and counties update their Comprehensive Plans on a periodic schedule. This is an opportunity to revise population, land use, and employment growth forecasts with updated data, review existing goals and policies to ensure the community supports those ideas and ensure that they reflect the priorities and values of the community, and conform to all federal, state, and local requirements. The next update of the Comprehensive Plan is due June 30, 2025. The 2025 update will plan for the next 20 years of land use, population, and employment growth through the year 2045.

Centralia's Comprehensive Plan

This Plan is our community's vision, values, and priorities and helps guide the decision-making for the leaders of the City for the next 20 years.  The Plan consists of different elements or chapters that have goals and policies for each topic that guide and direct the city leaders.  

Elements of the Comprehensive Plan

The plan is made up of different topics called elements these include:
  • Environmental
  • Land Use
  • Housing
  • Economic Development
  • Historic Preservation
  • Public Facilities
  • Utilities
  • Capital Facilities and Financing
  • Transportation Plan
  • Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan
  • Climate Resiliency Plan (new for 2025 Plan)

Get Involved

The development of a successful comprehensive plan is when it reflects a wide variety of views and reflects the values of the entire city and its Urban Growth Area (UGA).  The vision, goals, and policies should reflect the entire community of those who reside, work, and play in Centralia.  The plan needs to be inclusive and reach out to everyone and that means YOU.  So how can YOU be involved in the process?

1.  Attend workshops with the City Council and Planning Commission;
2.  Attend an open houses or public meetings and provide feedback;
3.  Participate in the Comprehensive Plan survey;
4.  Attend a pop-up event or request a neighborhood meeting;
5.  Request a community group presentation;
6.  Send us an email with your opinions or comments; and
7.  Attend public hearings or city council meetings and let them know what you would like to see.

Being involved in the planning process is up to just one person and that is YOU.  Make your opinion known for the future of Centralia and be a part of the 2045 Vision for Centralia.

How to Contact Us

If you have questions or comments about the 2045 Comprehensive Plan Update, please contact
Emil Pierson, Community Development Director
Telephone: 360.330.7662 
Email: at CentraliaCP2025@cityofcentralia.com
In-person: City Hall, 118 W. Maple (2nd floor) 
Mail: P.O. Box 0609, Centralia, WA  98531

2045 Comprehensive Plan Housing Simulation

The 2045 Comprehensive Plan for Centralia will be the guiding document for how and where the city will grow over the next 20 years. In 2021, the City got the ball rolling on developing a Housing Assessment and Analysis Plan by working with Lewis County in holding a housing summit. In 2022, the city received a Housing Action Plan Implementation (HAPI) grant from the Washington State Department of Commerce to develop a housing action plan.

The Plan will help the city understand what types of housing we are missing and what barriers we need to remove to provide housing for all people. This Plan will be a major puzzle piece to developing our Housing Element for the Comprehensive Plan. As we start to address where the housing should go in the city we want to know where you think we should direct new housing to go and at what density.

In the Housing Simulation, we need to identify where 925 new housing units should be located. Seven different areas have been identified as potential sites for 685 housing units, as well as an additional 240 units as a buffer. Housing units could be single-family homes, duplexes, tri-plexes, four-plexes, apartments with 5+ units, townhomes, or other types of housing (ex. mixed-use commercial/residential).

This exercise gives you an opportunity to provide feedback on identified sites and to create your own housing plan for the city. Your plan will assist us in providing the direction where new housing will go in the future. Click on the Housing Simulation to start participating in the housing exercise.  

Calendar of Events

Event Date Comments
Joint work with the City Council & Planning Commission on Goals and Policies 11/21/2023 6 pm at City Hall
City Council Public Meeting on the Public Participation Plan 11/14/2023 CC approved the PPP by Resolution 2797
Workshop with Planning Commission 11/9/2023 6 pm at City Hall

Documents & Maps

Documents and other materials pertaining to the 2045 Comprehensive Plan Update.

  1. Comprehensive Plan Work Plan Schedule 11-17-2023
  2. Centralia Public Participation Plan 11-14-2023