Tumwater planning commission consolidates residential categories, reclassifies one public institutional site to mixed use

The City of Tumwater Planning Commission on July 22 examined proposed 2025 comprehensive‑plan map edits that would simplify several residential land‑use categories and reclassify one public institutional designation as mixed use at the corner of Yelm Highway and Henderson Road.

Donna Bowers, associate planner, led the presentation and said the primary edits are a consolidation of two single‑family designations (single‑family low and single‑family medium) into a single “low density residential” designation, and renaming multifamily categories so that “multifamily medium density” becomes “medium density residential” and “multifamily high density” becomes “high density residential.” Bowers said the only parcel shown as changing from public institutional to mixed use is the former range site near Pioneer Park and that the change “makes more sense, to continue with that designation, because that is the current use and that is the foreseeable ongoing use.”

Bowers told commissioners the map edits were driven in part by a buildable‑lands capacity review completed by the Thurston Regional Planning Council (TRPC). She said TRPC’s updated housing analysis, together with state legislative changes, showed Tumwater sits near a capacity margin for housing, and the city can meet housing needs primarily by increasing allowable densities in some zones rather than converting additional commercial or industrial land to residential use. Bowers said the draft code will include minimums in some areas (she cited an example minimum of 18 units per acre) so the mapped densities translate into built housing rather than only theoretical potential.

Commissioners used the planning staff’s live, interactive map tool to view overlays including mineral resources, flood hazard, landslide hazard and UGA parcels. Bowers flagged that some mineral resource parcels are in heavy industrial designations while others are in open‑space or park designations, and she clarified that parcels inside the Urban Growth Area (UGA) are under county zoning control. Commissioner Kirkpatrick asked about a strip near the airport identified as light industrial that includes agricultural parcels such as Bush Prairie Farm; Bowers responded that the city’s “light industrial” designation can include agriculture and flexible commercial uses and that the zoning chart in the code defines allowable uses.

Bowers also said staff will add a density‑range legend to the map printout so users can view the density ranges associated with each designation in one place. The interactive map is live and available to commissioners and the public, she said.

No formal motions or votes were taken during the presentation. Bowers and commissioners discussed follow‑up items: (1) adding the density legend to the map display; (2) confirming and documenting the single parcel being reclassified to mixed use; and (3) noting the TRPC buildable‑lands analysis and the city’s forthcoming development‑code update, due later in 2025, as the next steps to implement density changes.

Staff indicated they will return with any requested clarifications at a future meeting; Commissioners noted the next meeting is Aug. 26.