Ephrata looks to the future with comp plan update

EPHRATA — The City of Ephrata is seeking public input through an online survey and an open house to reflect a “community vision” as part of an update of its comprehensive plan.

Ephrata and Grant County are among the municipalities and counties in Washington required to develop and periodically update comprehensive plans required by the state’s Growth Management Act of 1990.

Public involvement is encouraged in the process.

To that end, the city will host an open house from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, April 16, at the Ephrata Recreation Center, 112 Basin St. S.W. Along with staff, consultants from SCJ Alliance will be on hand to greet citizens, accept comments and answer questions, and identify items and issues they would like to prioritize.

“The comprehensive plan is the city's guide for future development,” said Ron Sell, Ephrata’s director of community development. “Now is the time to provide any and all thoughts and recommendations to help guide us in developing what type of city we want to live in for the next twenty years.”

“We would love to see people at the open house,” Sell said Wednesday morning. “We want to hear what citizens think and what they would like to see … It helps us make better decisions.”

Topics of potential discussion, said Sell, could include affordable housing, development of city parks and open spaces, and effects of the federally designated flood zone on Ephrata’s downtown businesses and residents.

In addition, citizens can participate in an online survey to shape the comprehensive plan. The survey poses questions about their biggest concerns, views on community character and growth, recreation facilities, housing and transportation needs, collaboration between the city and the Ephrata Port District, demographics, and more.

Under the GMA, local “comp plans” are intended provide a long-range guide to curb urban sprawl, encourage diverse and affordable housing, protect natural resources, ensure adequate infrastructure such as utilities and roads to support future development, promote efficient transportation systems, address public services, and reduce environmental threats from uncoordinated development.

Grant County and its communities are among 15 counties across the state which must submit updated comprehensive plans to the Washington Department of Commerce for review and adoption by June 30, 2027.

The comp plan and accompanying capital facilities plan also make Ephrata “grant eligible” for potential future state funding, said Sell.

In June 2022, Ephrata placed a months-long moratorium on plats, building permits, and other development services during a period of rapid residential growth to allow completion of a comp plan update by SCJ Alliance that was adopted in 2023.

Ephrata’s population in April 2025 was estimated at 8,915 residents, according to the state Office of Financial Management. Over the next two decades, the city’s population is forecasted to increase by about 2,000 residents.

LINKS:

To learn more, visit these sites:

—    City of Ephrata open house announcement

—    City of Ephrata 2026 comprehensive plan survey

—    City of Ephrata’s 2023 comprehensive plan

—    WA Department of Commerce community engagement process

—    WA State Growth Management Act

—    SCJ Alliance Consulting Services