Island County’s principal planner, Brad Johnson, 8 will become the senior planner for the city of Burlington Feb. 8, 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 newcomers. The most senior of them has been on staff only six months, Higman said.

Higman added that he had tried to persuade Johnson to remain on staff, “but his mind was already made up.”

In Burlington, Johnson will be in charge of current planning, community development and long-term planning, said Bryan Harrison, who is city administrator and nominally head of community development.

“I’ll be coordinating a new interdivisional approach to permit review, and Brad will be functionally equivalent to a planning director,” Harrison said.

Like Island County, Burlington, located in Skagit County, is working on a revision to its comprehensive plan, a document meant to reflect changes and anticipated changes in land use, housing, population growth, water, sewage, parks, schools, parks, recreation and transportation.

“We have a great deal of work left to do before the July 1 deadline, and Brad will be in charge of that,” Harrison said.

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-quarters finished,” Johnson said.

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

Johnson lives in Whatcom County, so working in Burlington means less of a commute, he said.

Burlington had an estimated 2014 population of 8,568.

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

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