[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6082313,"mediaKeyId","2938693-1dffc0a7d845e564ceaa9c135ca7518a","parentId",2938693,"title","Shelton staff outline accelerated timeline, growth alternatives for comprehensive plan update","audioSeconds",1228,"startMs",363000,"endMs",1591000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2938693-1dffc0a7d845e564ceaa9c135ca7518a&start=363&end=1591","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2938693-1dffc0a7d845e564ceaa9c135ca7518a/thumbnail_363000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6082313/Shelton/Mason-County/Washington/Shelton-staff-outline-accelerated-timeline-growth-alternatives-for-comprehensive-plan-update","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6082313-f03711462d9ed03cb8833fd2883329db/orig.mp4?Expires=1776143016&Signature=kvFZsSJ6rGSDa8FZGCw2bDewMIkuAMP~8AWt6Re9aYqRDbmfQS7jw4z0SdXAAvz5h3UauXhRlM83eORoQwAspq9zEw~ljwtSCVU3auhn~PcgFJjXi90UoZS9zv6oIbkDyEH3DhjWCDfCjHz5Pd0IB0-jLR-XwUC~ndUy5t0cMP1lywKCKmAt6VUmY-a7tx8Y2im1~U3GoEOvvlySak19yQRpMbZZcvXkyhHWLAKeIcqzaDDAhuG99iiUWCiH5wah1248Gc35RBnLKkgUbL4hxbrhwWhke57yi1AdXfpgjxUiFyYuVgH~Q65y9UN3Ha7I1WltO80ng6mQY~XnkEifXQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Shelton City, WA","date","2025-04-10T02:27:57.903Z","article","Economic development director Jay Hill told the City Council on April 8 that Shelton’s comprehensive plan update is on an expedited path after the state granted a six-month extension and that the work must include an environmental impact statement analyzing traffic, water, wastewater, school capacity and economic effects.

Hill said consultants working on the plan are stretched thin statewide and that Commerce is willing to accept a “principal draft’’ (a near-complete draft) so the city can receive grant reimbursement. The schedule Hill laid out calls for a principal draft in early June, committee-delivered drafts by July, two joint council-steering-committee work sessions in August and an intended adoption by Nov. 18, with Commerce review to follow if the council issues the notice of intent to adopt in mid-September.

The update will cover mandatory changes from recent state laws, including “middle housing’’ requirements and other streamlining measures, Hill said. He said the city must also perform an environmental impact statement (EIS) to test development scenarios across public services and infrastructure. “They’re going to look at traffic and water, wastewater, school services, economic impacts — things like that of our development scenarios,” he said.

Why it matters: The comprehensive plan guides where infrastructure and capital funding are directed and determines how Shelton and partner agencies prioritize transportation and utility investments that support growth. Hill emphasized the plan’s role in qualifying projects for grants and in creating an actionable implementation matrix the council can use to track progress.

Growth projections and alternatives

Hill described a “no-action’’ baseline and a build alternative the steering committee is now analyzing. He said the baseline projection calls for growth of 5,850 people over 20 years with an increase of 2,270 housing units. An alternative forecast under consideration, which reflects different assumptions and new state requirements, projects higher growth; Hill presented the alternative’s figures as an increase of 7,401 people (as discussed in the meeting) and urged the council to review the consultant analyses before settling on a preferred alternative.

A central policy choice for the council will be whether to distribute growth broadly across the city or concentrate it within defined “residential targeted areas’’ (RTAs). Hill said the RTAs under discussion would focus about 15% of new units in concentrated nodes — for example around the Wallace/Neyland interchange and a downtown target — to improve transit, connect residents to jobs and limit neighborhood-level impacts.

Hill noted the planning process will be iterative and coordinated with Mason County, the city’s transportation plan and the city’s climate and hazard-resilience work; all of those components will feed back into the land-use element. He told council members there will be “lots of opportunities’’ for public input during the review period and work sessions, and that the city intends to include an implementation chapter with action items, responsible parties and measurable metrics so the plan does not “sit on the shelf.’’

Council questions and next steps

Council members asked about the plan’s horizon and how component plans (water, sewer, parks, transportation) interlock. Hill clarified the comprehensive plan frames 20-year growth but that component capital plans have differing horizons for grant eligibility. He said the city will aim to submit the principal draft to Commerce in June to secure reimbursable grant funding, and to schedule the council’s adoption hearing in November while preserving a small window in December in case Commerce requires substantive revisions.

Hill closed by reiterating that the update is intended to be collaborative: “It’s not like we’re just gonna bring it to you and say, alright. Adopt it,” he said, adding that the council will be asked to pick a preferred alternative when the notice of intent to adopt is presented.

Ending: City staff will return with draft materials over the summer and two joint council-steering-committee work sessions in August; council action and Commerce review are expected in the fall.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Study Session - April 8, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Economic development director Jay Hill told the City Council on April 8 that Shelton’s comprehensive plan update is on an expedited path after the state granted a six-month extension and that the work must include an environmental impact statement analyzing traffic, water, wastewater, school capacity and economic effects.","taxTitle","Shelton, Mason County, Washington","taxId",56703,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6082304,"City staff says additional PFAS testing at C Street landfill required; grant funds expected to cover monitoring",38,133000,171000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2938693-1dffc0a7d845e564ceaa9c135ca7518a&start=133&end=171","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2938693-1dffc0a7d845e564ceaa9c135ca7518a/thumbnail_133000.jpg","/articles/6082304/Shelton/Mason-County/Washington/City-staff-says-additional-PFAS-testing-at-C-Street-landfill-required-grant-funds-expected-to-cover-monitoring","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6082304-ca9994ab24eb0eeec88cb88f02f3cf46/orig.mp4?Expires=1776143016&Signature=Z85PCb9m-4Ul0~IXu2B3ta0JkdW-55JJC6Migj7zhDCvSoO5vtK5Y6D-QpImvaAdKPpQxBs5waqwwnWPcsCWV6eGj95TsVrYP-pqqHMnKz~cZEX~VFKASXfQMRlHWyg89tAbAwURTQ5nURVgNKkxeOY0glY8ZZswTXGo~yknXzPSMppItMS0PS5z7cL6hNkI4iALWvUS4Ga3gReLhZYeRs9K40GQeoyWTK91eRCZYTKnuKf~DBNFqsASwWc2H9lDHpl8f1wsqCqFcaM9lZEF7QOwNrsvPqxrgMnHQXg1J-B~LUC35RvpvxAZoZVP407q5KK7Tc76J79PJl0G~Gboaw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City staff told the Council on April 8 that Shelton will undertake additional testing for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) at the closed C Street landfill under requirements from the Washington State Department of Ecology.

A staff member said the city will seek an additional contract with Aspect Consultants to perform the monitoring work and that the Ecology-mandated testing is not a new release but part of ongoing post-closure monitoring requirements. “I tell you what it is, but it's PFAS. It's too long to pronounce, but we have to do additional testing for PFAS, up there that ecology is requiring us,” the staff member said.

Staff said a reimbursable grant will pay for the work for a couple of years and that monitoring obligations continue even after a landfill is closed. The staff member described limitations on reuse of capped landfill surfaces and cited examples of limited, nonresidential uses such as dog parks or BMX tracks elsewhere, noting any reuse requires Ecology’s approval.

Ending: Staff said it will brief councilors with a proposed contract for additional testing and the expected grant reimbursement during an upcoming meeting cycle.","City staff told the council an additional contract with Aspect Consultants will fund PFAS testing and monitoring at the closed C Street landfill per Department of Ecology requirements; staff said grant money is available to reimburse monitoring costs.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6082308,"Council reviews draft multifamily property-tax exemption, residential targeted areas to spur housing",3058,1933000,4991000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2938693-1dffc0a7d845e564ceaa9c135ca7518a&start=1933&end=4991","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2938693-1dffc0a7d845e564ceaa9c135ca7518a/thumbnail_1933000.jpg","/articles/6082308/Shelton/Mason-County/Washington/Council-reviews-draft-multifamily-property-tax-exemption-residential-targeted-areas-to-spur-housing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6082308-68ab28914cfff501a5d357d8e9e95ec5/orig.mp4?Expires=1776143016&Signature=cRpB6AJ7kiGL0s1ryLj7qkwH0Zlg5OpEaPKkAeTDFB9G2yz28dlzjro~rRMZQywpVwUGbe2acRcneZuDbmhk~joVUQoghbFgbEkECxLA3W33gw8OSRE~Gg3VWFJgO8ElM6Fl0RHJ1YdZdsJr-FMtQA6WdqssPnanUMorzXYSdQgmO6tac63tAJ~gl91093OMSovBlyYcn~MiE8In5M4eTplbwevogSyi~pzegYNDPgsYk0bb3VXDKb5auhr00BLlQ~Jmz6ee6rzwINPBGbYAERZe4lcRn11aO-jX1czDd247uGtClNRJV-MVBF8IZ3wyiWLXUt0GGMFoVZczM1QarQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City staff presented a draft multifamily property-tax exemption (MFTE) ordinance to the Shelton City Council on April 8 that would give developers a temporary exemption from the city’s portion of property taxes in exchange for long-term deed-restricted rental units.

Economic development director Jay Hill described two tiers: an eight-year exemption and a 12-year exemption that comes with deeper affordability requirements, and he said state law (RCW 84.14, as referenced in the meeting) sets eligibility rules and program limits. “We forego the property taxes for a defined period of time, but we get the affordability for the life of the project,” Hill said.

Key provisions discussed

- Eligibility areas: Hill said the draft limits exemptions to properties inside the council-designated residential targeted areas (RTAs). City staff proposed two initial RTAs — a downtown RTA and a Wallace/Neyland-interchange area near K Street and the Walmart/Hall Equities property — and noted the city could add others.

- Unit and affordability thresholds: The draft includes a minimum-size threshold (a minimum of 10 new dwelling units) and a percentage of units required to be deed-restricted affordable. Hill described the more generous 12-year term as tied to deeper affordability in a second tranche of units, and the eight-year term as a lower-threshold option. (Staff presented a matrix in the ordinance text outlining term lengths, percent-of-units, and affordability levels.)

- Covenants and monitoring: Units subject to the exemption must carry deed restrictions enforced by the city, and staff acknowledged the city will need administrative capacity to monitor and audit compliance. Hill referenced past abuses elsewhere and said the city holds the covenant and must ensure restricted units are rented to qualifying households.

- Geographic and statutory limits: Hill said the state statute requires that RTAs be urban, compact growth areas; for some extended exemptions (20-year tiers discussed in state guidance) additional transit proximity and other criteria apply. He told council members that the state has limits on where and how local MFTE programs may be used.

Implementation considerations and council reaction

Council members generally supported the concept as an incentive “arrow in the quiver’’ but several said an MFTE alone might not be enough to attract multifamily developers. Members suggested combining the exemption with zoning changes that remove the planned-development hurdle, density bonuses or other incentives to improve project feasibility.

Hill acknowledged trade-offs. He said the city would forgo some of its property-tax revenue for the exemption period but could gain sales tax, system development charges and other revenues as development occurs. He also flagged administration and enforcement costs and recommended the council include an application fee in the city fee schedule to recover staff time; staff estimated an initial application and ongoing monitoring workload for eligible projects.

What’s next

Staff will refine the ordinance text, return with a recommended application fee for council consideration, and bring the ordinance back for further study and possible action. Hill said the city could also pair the MFTE with a local density-bonus or mandatory inclusionary program in later policy work if council chooses to pursue a broader housing package.

Ending: Staff will polish the draft ordinance and come back with fee language and any proposed changes to RTA boundaries before a formal ordinance reading.","Economic development staff presented a draft ordinance that would allow an 8- or 12-year property-tax exemption for new multifamily rental housing inside defined residential targeted areas; the program requires deed-restricted affordable units, city monitoring, and an application fee to cover staff costs.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Shelton staff outline accelerated timeline, growth alternatives for comprehensive plan update

City staff says additional PFAS testing at C Street landfill required; grant funds expected to cover monitoring

Council reviews draft multifamily property-tax exemption, residential targeted areas to spur housing