Tenino planning commission reviews draft land use and housing elements, discusses rezoning for food bank

Tenino’s Planning Commission spent much of its Dec. 18 meeting reviewing preliminary drafts of the city’s land use and housing elements, hearing from the planner on schedule and data needs and discussing a proposed rezoning for two city-owned parcels the local food bank has asked to convert from residential to commercial.

Planner (Speaker 4) opened the discussion by stressing that the materials are “very preliminary draft documents” and that the commission should review tracked changes to see what has been updated. She said the commission’s preliminary comprehensive plan draft is due to be submitted by June, with a finalized adoption targeted by December, and that staff are coordinating required elements under the Growth Management Act with Thurston County and the Thurston Regional Planning Council (TRPC). "Please remember that these are very preliminary draft documents," Speaker 4 said, noting the city will continue public engagement with a survey and two open houses before any final action.

Why it matters: The review sets timing and process for Tenino’s periodic comprehensive-plan update, which will define growth, housing capacity and future zoning for years ahead. The planner told commissioners the city must include updated population projections, density estimates and a land-use map reflecting potential density and development intensity; mapping and GIS analysis are still pending.

Commissioners discussed data presentation and public input. They debated figure styles for population and permit-trend charts, and Planner (Speaker 4) said she would update figures to include 2024 data where available and pull additional permitting information from the permitting desk. Commissioners also recommended adding survey items about whether residents own their unit but rent the land (a common arrangement in mobile-home estates such as Tenino Estates), and asked staff to bring open-house dates to the January meeting.

Rezoning question: Planner (Speaker 4) described a proposed map amendment for two city-owned parcels the food bank has requested be rezoned from residential to commercial so the organization could build a permanent service facility. Commissioners discussed the potential of colocating emergency housing or low-income housing near the food bank to improve access to services; Speaker 2 asked staff to confirm the food bank’s goals and whether its intended use is for storage, service delivery, or a full service center. "If the individuals who need those emergency houses…could be used in that manner, it would make the most sense because then they're closest to the services," Speaker 2 said.

Other planning topics: Commissioners supported the planner’s suggestion to move the downtown plan into an appendix (LU4–LU15) to avoid confusion between townwide land-use goals and downtown-specific strategies, and asked staff to return with a pros-and-cons analysis about whether to keep or remove the existing master planned community zoning designation. The planner also said she will prepare an anti-displacement technical memo to identify local regulations that may produce racially disparate impacts and will present mapping options and a workshop on those displacement risks.

Next steps: The planner said the commission will review transportation and natural-resources chapters next month and will follow up with GIS-produced density maps and an updated land-use map reflecting parks and other newly incorporated areas. "I have a list of things to bring back to you guys next month," Planner (Speaker 4) said. The commission members signaled they are willing to extend meeting time if needed to meet the June deadline.

No formal rezoning vote was taken at the Dec. 18 meeting; staff will return with additional details, maps and the food bank’s intended use for the parcels.