Lacey staff unveil draft comprehensive plan goals emphasizing climate, housing and reduced vehicle miles traveled

Ryan Andrews, community planning manager in Lacey's Community and Economic Development Department, presented the draft goals and policies for the city's comprehensive plan update and asked the commission for feedback on how to move the package to public review.

The draft frames the plan around six community priorities — connected neighborhoods; public health and safety; a diversity of housing types; preservation of natural resources; community identity; and economic vitality — and layers in state mandates, including a new climate element. "This is kind of our centerpiece of local planning efforts," Andrews told the commission.

The plan matters because it sets the city's land-use, housing, climate and transportation goals for a multi-decade horizon and will guide zoning and public investments. Andrews said the draft will be released to the public around July 1 for a summer comment period and the city is aiming to complete the adoption process by the statutory deadline at year-end.

Most immediately, the update adds a climate element required by state law and divided into two subelements: greenhouse-gas reduction and climate resiliency. Andrews said the resiliency work relied on a vulnerability and risk assessment and…