Shelton staff outline comprehensive plan update; council schedules ordinance for April 21 action

Interim community and economic development director Jason Doss presented the city’s 2025 comprehensive plan update during a public hearing on March 17, summarizing the plan’s required changes under recent state law and the proposed approach to accommodate projected growth.

Doss told council members that under county allocation Shelton was assigned roughly 41% of Mason County’s growth target — roughly 7,400 additional residents over the planning horizon (about 370 new residents per year on average). The presentation stressed new state requirements that shape the plan: House Bill 1220 requires planning for all income levels; House Bill 1337 requires allowance of up to two accessory dwelling units on lots where single-family housing is allowed; and House Bill 1181 requires climate-change planning and a climate element.

To meet those requirements, the plan proposes to resurrect a multifamily zone, establish residential target areas (locations where developers can be incentivized to build multifamily affordable housing), allow more middle-housing types (duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes), and pursue targeted density near existing infrastructure. Doss emphasized that these are plan-level policy directions that would be implemented later through code amendments, incentives (tax exemptions, development bonuses), and site-specific zoning changes. He also described updates to capital facilities, transportation, and a regional transportation model developed by public works with regional partners; a multimodal transportation plan is still in process and will be incorporated later.

No members of the public signed up to testify during the hearing. Council read Ordinance 2038-1025 (amending the comprehensive plan and adding a climate resiliency element) and moved that it be placed on the action agenda for the April 21 meeting after the Department of Commerce 60-day review period closes. The motion carried by voice vote; no roll-call tally was recorded in the meeting transcript.

Why it matters: The comprehensive plan sets the long-range framework for land use, housing, transportation and infrastructure. The proposals respond to state mandates to plan for housing at multiple income levels, allow more ADUs, and add a formal climate element — changes that will lead to follow-up zoning and code updates affecting where and how Shelton can add housing in the coming years.

What’s next: City staff expect to issue the final EIS (if no substantive comments require changes) and bring the ordinance back for adoption and for subsequent code amendments in late spring and summer. Council members signaled a multi-step implementation process with study sessions to prioritize code changes.