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Tenino planning commission finalizes comp‑plan survey questions, sets chapter review schedule
Summary
At its Nov. 13 meeting, the Tenino Planning Commission and consultant FCJ Alliance agreed a community survey and a chapter‑by‑chapter review schedule will guide the city’s comprehensive‑plan update; commissioners emphasized housing types, the 35‑foot height limit and transportation options as key public questions.
The Tenino Planning Commission on Nov. 13 reviewed a proposed timeline and community survey to guide a comprehensive‑plan update and agreed to begin chapter reviews and public outreach early next year.
Kirsten of FCJ Alliance, the consultant leading the update, told commissioners, “We have a handle on the budget and how much is left in that because I understand you got a grant. And so when we send you invoices for that work, it essentially comes out of the grant money from the State.” She proposed that land‑use and housing be the first chapters brought to the commission, followed by transportation and natural resources in January, capital facilities/utilities/economic development in February, climate resilience/parks in March and development regulations in April before Planning Commission review and City Council adoption.
Why it matters: the schedule defines when public engagement will happen and when the city will be positioned to apply for grants tied to comp‑plan priorities. Commissioners discussed outreach channels (city website, social media, school distribution and partner groups) and asked staff to provide hard copies or PowerPoint displays for meetings.
Housing and height limits: FCJ Alliance recommended using recent Thurston Regional Planning Council growth projections and prior housing‑action‑plan work to shape the housing chapter. Commissioners debated which of nine middle‑housing typologies to include in the survey and repeatedly raised the city’s 35‑foot height limit as a sensitive item. As one commissioner put it, “Our building height limit is 35 feet right now. It's very controversial.” The commission agreed to include an open‑ended survey question asking respondents their thoughts on the existing 35‑foot limit rather than leading respondents with preset numeric increases.
Transportation questions: Commissioners also refined transportation items. They recommended clarifying one question to say “transportation/road network” to avoid confusion with public‑transit terminology and asked the consultant to include a separate question about expanded public transit options (for example, expanded rural‑transit service), car‑sharing and microtransit, with a short explanatory note.
Survey final steps: Commissioners agreed to finalize edits at the meeting, allow staff to circulate a review link to commissioners for a last check, and then push the survey out online and through partner organizations as soon as possible.
Next steps: FCJ Alliance and city staff will return the draft with edits requested by the commission; the commission will begin formal chapter reviews at upcoming meetings. No formal policy changes were adopted at the Nov. 13 meeting.
