Thurston County hears appeal seeking special-use permit for Wendler event farm; decision due April 23

The Thurston County Board of County Commissioners on April 16 heard oral argument in an appeal by Paul Wendler challenging a hearing examiner’s Jan. 5, 2025, denial of a special-use permit to authorize temporary events at 112140 Third Avenue Southeast (referred to in the record as the property). Ty Mentzer, chair of the Thurston County Board of County Commissioners, opened the hearing and identified the issues before the board as consistency with the county comprehensive plan; zoning criteria related to parking, landscaping and impervious surface; sanitary-code compliance; and whether conditions of approval could assure compliance.

Appellant counsel Joe Rayburger of Cascadia Law Group told the board that Wendler, who operates the property as Hillside Farms (also described in the record as a Lavender Farm), has owned the site since 2015 and asked the board to reverse the hearing examiner’s denial and approve a special-use permit. Rayburger said county departments including Environmental Health and Public Works had recommended approval subject to conditions and that the county planning department’s staff report and supplemental reconsideration memo addressed the issues raised by the…