Thurston County holds public hearing on Thurston 2045 comprehensive plan update

Thurston County planners opened a continued public hearing April 26 on Thurston 2045, the county's periodic comprehensive plan update that staff said is required every 10 years under the Growth Management Act (RCW 36.70A).

Maya Tippel, senior planner with County Community Planning, told the Planning Commission the update reorders chapters, adds a new climate chapter, revises housing projections and land‑capacity analyses, and brings the plan into alignment with recent state law changes. "Thurston 2045 is the county's periodic update to our comprehensive plan," Tippel said. "It plans for the next 20 years."

The nut graf: the draft combines broad narrative and data updates with targeted code changes the county says are needed to satisfy state housing and climate requirements and to reflect local priorities. Tippel said the draft includes a new implementation appendix with actions and metrics, revisions across land‑use, natural resources, transportation and utilities chapters, and a full repeal and replacement of the housing chapter to reflect new state mandates.

Key points presented to the commission included new policies on water availability and military compatibility in the land‑use chapter, conservation subdivision tools and agricultural water rights in natural resources, active‑transportation and vehicle‑miles‑traveled considerations in transportation, a new chapter 12 on climate mitigation and resiliency, and an implementation Appendix B providing actions and metrics. Tippel also described a suite of proposed development code changes addressing definitions, military influence overlays, EV and solar permitting, and housing‑related updates such as allowances for manufactured housing, permanent supportive housing in more zones, density bonuses, and options for accessory dwelling units in Grand Mound.

Tippel told commissioners the county had conducted more than 30 community engagement events and 32 planning commission work sessions on the update. "We've received over 600 comments for the life of the project," she said, and the county had received 51 written comments as of the previous morning with more expected before the written‑comment deadline. Staff said written comments would be accepted through Sunday, April 27 at 11:59 p.m. and directed members of the public to thurston2045.org for materials and submission.

The public hearing record remains open; no final action on the comprehensive plan occurred at the April 26 session. The planning commission will forward its recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners per the commission's advisory role; the county's next procedural steps were not finalized during the hearing.