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Chamber urges more commercial uses on Highway 410; residents flag odd uses in draft table
Summary
The Buckley Chamber urged expanded commercial allowances on Highway 410 to boost business and tax revenue; public comments raised concerns about agricultural, adult-entertainment and adult-family-home categorizations in the draft use table.
Carolyn Harding, president of the Buckley Chamber of Commerce, urged the Planning Commission to prioritize commercial uses along Highway 410 in the draft use table, citing traffic counts and a need to expand the city's sales- and property‑tax base.
"We would rather not see multifamily on Highway 410. We would rather see more businesses," Harding said, urging the commission to allow flexibility that attracts retail, light manufacturing and "commercial flex" buildings along the corridor. She said commercial flex can include small retail with adjacent storage or light fabrication and provided photos she obtained through local commercial contacts to illustrate the building type.
Harding questioned several draft allowances in the use table. She pointed to agricultural uses listed for Highway 410 — including livestock, bees and poultry — and asked why such operations would be permitted on a primary commercial corridor. She also noted the draft listed "adult entertainment businesses" in commercial zones and urged careful definitions to avoid unintended outcomes.
Harding said the city currently lacks transit and faces Highway 410 access constraints (right-in/right-out intersections), which could limit the market for certain multifamily projects. She urged realistic expectations: without improved access (center turn lane or other state-funded improvements such as roundabouts), many commercial developers may not locate on the corridor.
Other public commenters raised related concerns: one attendee suggested making adult family homes a conditional use permit so neighborhoods receive notice and operators and neighbors can work through potential conflicts; another speaker noted state rules and local moratoria have already shaped where marijuana-related uses appear in the draft.
The Planning Commission did not vote on the use table and asked staff to continue refining categories, mappings and the draft language. Commissioners asked staff to provide printed maps and the use table at future meetings to aid review.
