Councilmember Peter Agabe reported on the July meeting of the Thurston Regional Planning Council (TRPC), saying TRPC voted to remove a proposed connector road from the regional transportation plan and asked the City of Olympia to conduct a study on whether to remove or retain the connector.

Agabe said TRPC staff presented options, including removing the connector or keeping it and weighing pros and cons. He reported an amendment was adopted requiring Olympia to complete a study examining the consequences of removal and to report back to TRPC. Agabe said the change removed the connector from TRPC’s regional plan for now but that Olympia remains the land custodian and would perform the due diligence study.

Councilmember Eileen Swartout earlier had noted TRPC adoption of the Log Cabin Boulevard extension as a separate item during a TRPC meeting; Agabe’s report focused on the contested connector and process questions about how the proposed change was moved into a vote.

Agabe described concerns about procedural order and said an amendment was used to require Olympia to conduct the study. He reported that TRPC’s vote removed the connector from the regional plan but left a path for further review once Olympia completes its study and returns to the regional body.