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Washington Gas urges industrial designation for Chilum Road site; planning staff recommends LTOE rezoning
Summary
Washington Gas and its representatives asked the planning board to retain an industrial classification for the Chilum Road facility, saying the site has operated as energy infrastructure since the 1930s; planning staff recommended rezoning the property to Local Transit‑Oriented Edge (LTOE) in the third draft.
Representatives of Washington Gas and legal counsel addressed the joint public hearing to oppose staff’s recommendation to reclassify the Chilum Road gas facility to a transit‑oriented mixed‑use zoning category. They asked the planning board to instead give the property an industrial land‑use classification consistent with its long‑running operational role in the region.
Brandon Todd, vice president of government affairs, policy and advocacy for Washington Gaslight, said his company has provided energy services across the Washington region for 177 years and currently serves more than 1,200,000 customers. He asked the planning board to “review the full record and grant us the Chilum property an industrial land use classification,” saying the property supports operations, maintenance, training and material storage for nearly 100 employees who work on site.
Majette Parker, an attorney representing Washington Gas, noted that the Chilum facility has functioned as an industrial parcel since the 1930s and said staff’s LTOE recommendation is aspirational and not reflective of near‑term operational reality. Parker told the board that zoning law requires uniformity and suggested an industrial employment classification better matches the property’s established use.
Why it matters: The staff recommendation to rezone the property to LTOE is central to the sector plan’s vision for increased transit‑adjacent mixed‑use development; Washington Gas’s request raises questions about realistic redevelopment timelines and compatibility of energy infrastructure with residential neighbors.
Points of contention and staff response
Staff materials in draft 3 propose LTOE for the Washington Gas property to encourage future mixed‑use redevelopment and to align land use around transit. The draft also adds guidance in the community heritage, culture and design chapter recommending landscaped buffers near Chilum Road, compliance with floodplain regulations, and discouraging liquid gas storage near homes if the site is redeveloped.
Washington Gas representatives said they participated in prior county mapping processes and the sector plan process, and they plan to submit written comments before the record closes. The planning board and council will consider the full written record before making a decision.
Ending
Both sides said they will submit written materials to the record. Planning staff and commissioners signaled they will review testimony and appraisal of use, and the planning board’s September work session will provide the next formal opportunity to act on the SMA recommendation.
