Chehalis, Lewis County hold public hearing on annexation ILA; commissioners recess to November for more analysis

CHEHALIS, Wash. — The Lewis County Board of Commissioners and the Chehalis City Council held a joint public hearing in October 2025 on a proposed interlocal agreement (ILA) to annex a large portion of the Chehalis Urban Growth Area (UGA), hearing detailed staff presentations and mixed public testimony before recessing the hearing to allow more information to be gathered.

Mindy Brooks, director of community development for Lewis County, opened the staff report, saying: "The purpose, tonight is to hear testimony on the proposed interlocal agreement for annexation for a portion of the Chehalis Urban Growth Area." Brooks explained that the county sets UGA boundaries to ensure sufficient land for projected housing and jobs and that cities are expected to annex UGA lands over roughly a 20‑year horizon.

Stacy Denham, Chehalis city manager, reviewed the UGA’s history and state-law changes that prompted the current proposal. Denham said the city is pursuing annexation now because earlier approvals and state law changes in 2018 (and permitting restrictions adopted more recently) created conflicts for permitting and long delays: "[T]hat was gonna be very problematic for everybody involved, to include, anybody wanting to get a permit to remodel their house, to builders, to developers." She described two ILAs: one that would…