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Thurston County outlines high-level comprehensive-plan updates, including housing, climate and code changes
Summary
Thurston County staff reviewed the countywide comprehensive-plan update, noting housing, climate, natural-resource and development-regulation changes that will affect joint planning with Yelm, including potential updates to allow limited detached accessory dwelling units and streamlined mobile-home permitting in the unincorporated county.
Thurston County senior planner Miriam Biasian briefed the joint meeting on the county's comprehensive-plan update and highlighted items that overlap with Yelm’s update, including housing, climate, natural resources and changes to development regulations.
"The comprehensive plan guides growth and development over the next 20 years," Biasian said. The county’s update will rework the housing chapter (a full repeal and replacement), add a stand-alone climate chapter, revise natural-resource sections, and update capital-facilities and transportation-related policies to reflect new requirements and current conditions.
Key county proposals that intersect with Yelm: the draft recommends limited new allowances in unincorporated Thurston County, such as permitting detached accessory dwelling units on a restricted basis (subject to water and septic checks), streamlining mobile-home community permitting from a hearing-examiner special-use permit to an administrative special-use permit, and providing limited density bonuses tied to habitat-conservation measures. Biasian noted that most of rural Thurston County’s housing capacity is single-family and that the county’s draft allocates most very-low-income needs to urban areas and the Grand Mound urban growth area.
Climate and implementation: The county moved climate-related policies out of its environment chapter into a new climate chapter to reflect state law and to group mitigation and resiliency policies by sector (human well-being, ecosystems, infrastructure, land use, and natural industries). Biasian said the county is also considering new development-code clarifications for solar and electric-vehicle infrastructure and exploring optional changes such as real-estate disclosure and late-emissions regulations.
Process and engagement: Biasian said the county began outreach in early 2022 and is in planning-commission review, with board hearings and additional public engagement planned; she invited comments through Thurston2545.org. She confirmed that many elements proposed for the county will be reflected in joint-plan edits for Yelm’s urban growth area.
Ending: County staff urged jurisdictions to coordinate on housing, utilities and climate measures during the joint comprehensive-plan cycle so that city and county regulations align where they share geography and services.
