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Thurston County commissioners direct staff to 'support' 5% rural‑growth aim, clear path for detached ADUs and conservation subdivisions
Summary
Commissioners directed staff to adopt language aiming to support (not legally establish) a 5% rural new‑growth target, approved direction to permit rural detached accessory dwelling units with design limits, and asked staff to remove barriers to conservation (cluster) subdivisions; battery energy storage code work was delayed for more study.
The Thurston County Board of County Commissioners on Dec. 2 directed staff to include a revised comprehensive‑plan ordinance that ‘‘supports a sustainable development pattern’’ with a target to direct roughly 5% of new growth to rural areas, rather than language that would legally ‘‘establish’’ the target. The change reflects legal counseladvice intended to reduce exposure to Growth Management Hearings Board appeals while preserving the countyads policy aim.
Planning and legal staff told commissioners recent case law has made mandatory targets more likely to trigger appeals that would require zoning or regulatory changes to implement. "Based on very recent case law, we would essentially be on the hook for having enacting regulations or zone changes," a planning staff member said during the discussion, urging the softer "support"…
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