Lacey Planning Commission reviews code changes to comply with new state rules on daycare, parking and housing conversions

The Lacey Planning Commission on April 22 reviewed draft city code changes staff say are needed to comply with several recent Washington state laws affecting daycare centers, parking minima, and conversion of existing buildings. Staff scheduled a public hearing on the revisions for May 27 and said the state’s implementation deadline is in June.

Staff presentation and schedule: Planning staff began the presentation by sharing the meeting packet and described the scope as state-mandated updates to parking, daycare and building-conversion rules that the city must implement soon. "All of this has been state mandated in the last couple legislative cycles with a implementation date of June of this year," the presenter said, explaining why the commission’s review will move quickly into a public hearing and then to the City Council.

Daycare centers: Staff said the city will align its code with the state by allowing daycare centers as a permitted use in most zones, with limited exceptions. Under the proposed language daycare would be permitted citywide except that in light industrial zones (and in some open-space/institutional situations where a conditional-use…