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Orting council approves conditional use path for Orting Senior Center in RU zone
Summary
The council on Feb. 12 adopted Ordinance No. 2025‑1141 to amend Orting Municipal Code 13‑3‑3 to allow community centers as a conditional use in the Residential Urban (RU) zone and to allow churches as accessory conditional uses, enabling the Orting Senior Center at 112 Varner Avenue to pursue a permitting path.
The Orting City Council on Feb. 12, 2025, adopted Ordinance No. 2025‑1141 to amend Orting Municipal Code section 13‑3‑3 (tables 1 and 2), permitting community centers in the Residential Urban (RU) zone through a conditional use permit and allowing churches as accessory conditional uses to community centers.
Community Development Director Kim Gunderson told the council the Orting Senior Center at 112 Varner Avenue is a present nonconforming use under the RU zone and that the applicant seeks a path to make the site conforming because they intend to expand the building by approximately 50% in the future. "The applicant's intention is to, in the future, expand the size of the building on the site by approximately 50%," Gunderson said, and staff recommended a conditional‑use approach rather than allowing community centers outright across the RU zone.
Gunderson said the city's nonconforming‑use rules limit expansions of legally nonconforming uses to 10% for the use and 25% for hard‑surface coverage, so pursuing a legal nonconforming status would not allow the applicant's planned enlargement. The ordinance therefore provides a discretionary permitting path — a conditional use permit to be reviewed by the hearing examiner — rather than making community centers an outright permitted use in the RU zone.
Councilmembers from the CGA committee said they supported the staff recommendation. Councilmember Hogan said the existing site has not produced neighborhood complaints and urged council to support the ordinance. Gunderson said the city received one comment during notice of application — from Pierce County — in support of the change. She explained that because this is a citywide code amendment, notice was broad rather than site‑specific; when the applicant later applies for a conditional use permit, neighbors within 500 feet will receive site‑specific notice.
The ordinance was moved by Councilmember Hogan and seconded by Councilmember Sprowl. The council approved the ordinance on a voice vote with all present members saying "aye." Gunderson stressed that passage of the ordinance does not authorize construction; the decision only creates a zoning path for the applicant to seek permits and for the hearing examiner to review any future expansion.
