Ocean Shores planning commission recommends denial of rezoning request for 1045 Tonquin Ave

Ocean Shores planning commissioners voted June 24 to recommend that the City Council deny a request to rezone 1045 Tonquin Avenue SW (parcel 093301204400) from R‑7 multifamily medium density to B‑1 retail commercial, a change the applicants said would permit transient (short‑term) rental use.

The planning department staff report, read at the start of the public hearing, said the application (RZ25‑000001) was submitted May 28, 2025, and noted the property is in Division 17, Block 12, Lot 44 and is approximately 1,178 square feet. The staff report cited Ocean Shores Municipal Code provisions governing notice and review (including OSMC 17.52.090 and the standards for R‑7 and B‑1 zones) and said a SEPA environmental checklist will be required if a rezone proceeds.

The applicants, George Hall and Michelle Lemieux, told the commission they built the house to retire in Ocean Shores and sought the rezoning so they could offer the property as a short‑term rental to help retain the home. "We are simply wanting to save our home," Hall said during his presentation. He showed photos and a map and said the city zoning map initially led them to believe their lot aligned with nearby Oyehut Bay uses.

Several nearby residents opposed the change during the hearing and in written comments filed with the planning department. Randolph Peck wrote, "Stop trying to get around the will of the voting citizenry," arguing the city has already limited nightly rentals to B‑1 areas. Diana Arnold Frady and Charles Frady, owners of a nearby house on Marine View Drive SW, wrote that they purchased in a residential zone and urged the commission to "preserve our neighborhood and our safety" by denying the rezone. Susan Canary also spoke in opposition, saying property buyers could have purchased lots already in B‑1 zones if their intent was nightly rental.

Commissioners and members of the public also raised building‑code and public‑safety questions. Roy Simmons, Ocean Shores building official, said the building permit was issued and showed zoning as R‑7 but that the permit was processed as an R‑3 single‑family residence under the building code. Simmons stated the dwelling does not have a sprinkler system and described the sprinkler requirements that would apply if the use were classified as transient occupancy. A member of the public with professional experience in building code questioned the city's occupancy designation and urged caution about allowing a transient use without sprinkler protection.

Commission discussion focused on two central concerns: neighborhood character and precedent. Several commissioners said approving a single‑lot rezone could lead to additional piecemeal changes across the neighborhood. One commissioner said approving the request would set a precedent and called it a "slippery slope." After public comment and staff responses, a motion to deny the rezone was made and seconded. Commissioners voiced support for denial and the motion passed; the commission's action was a recommendation to the City Council to deny the requested rezoning.

The planning commission record includes the staff recommendation that, if a rezone were approved, conditions would include completion of the SEPA checklist and issuance of an Ocean Shores business license before transient rental activity could begin. The commission did not itself impose conditions because it voted to recommend denial.

Next steps: the Planning Commission's recommendation will be forwarded to the Ocean Shores City Council for final action. The record assembled at the hearing — staff report, the SEPA checklist routing, written comments, public testimony and building‑code input from the building official — will accompany the council's consideration.