Longtime Island County planner to leave soon

Published 2:56 pm Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Island County’s principal planner, Brad Johnson, on Feb. 8 will become the senior planner for the city of Burlington, he said Monday.

On staff with the county since April 2010, he is currently one of four long-range planners, primarily working on the state-mandated revision of the Comprehensive Plan, which is due June 30.

“It’s a big loss,” said Keith Higman, the county’s interim director of long-range planning and Johnson’s immediate superior.

“He was the repository of all things long-range planning, very knowledgeable about growth management and case law about growth-management decisions and outcomes.”

The county’s other three long-range planners are all junior. The most senior of them has been on staff only six months, Higman said.

Johnson lives in Whatcom County, so working in Burlington means less of a commute, he said. Johnson will be in charge of current planning, community development and long-term planning. Like Island County, Burlington, located in Skagit County, is working on a revision to its comprehensive plan.

On Whidbey, Johnson was promoted to principal planner, from senior planner, in October following the ouster of Planning Director Dave Wechner earlier that month. The county’s long-range planners bear the primary responsibility for the comp plan update.

The county is “fairly well along in the comp plan — about two-thirds or three-fourths finished,” Johnson said.

Johnson was primarily responsible for the portions dealing with environmentally sensitive areas and with countywide planning policies, Higman said.

Johnson said he was impressed by Whidbey Island residents’ high level of government participation. “People here really pay attention and get involved,” he said.

His last day on the job is Feb. 5, he said.