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 review already applies) the city will retain conditional-use review. Staff also said the code will add occupancy-load calculations and design guidance for the building department to use when processing daycare applications. "We're no longer allowed to require parking spaces for daycare," the presenter said, adding that the city can require designated drop-off and loading zones where appropriate.

Parking changes and bicycle parking: The draft removes several "intent" paragraphs in favor of direct, enforceable code language and updates table 16T13, which sets optional vehicle minimums, maximums and bicycle parking requirements. Under the revisions some vehicle minimums are lowered (for example, certain commercial optional minimums drop) while the required number of bicycle parking spaces is increased to offset the reduced vehicle requirements. Commissioner Aaron asked whether bicycle requirements should be expressed as stand-alone minimums rather than as ratios to auto stalls; staff replied the adjusted ratios preserve or increase bike parking where vehicle minima fall and recommended a separate, larger update to bicycle- parking standards through the city’s upcoming pedestrian and bicycle plan.

Uses the city may not require parking for: Staff listed uses the state now bars cities from mandating parking for: residences under 1,200 square feet, commercial spaces under 3,000 square feet, affordable housing projects, ground-floor nonresidential space in mixed-use buildings, certain conversions of existing buildings that add residential units, projects meeting passive-house performance, modular construction, and mass timber construction. The presenter noted the city can still require drop-off zones, short-term waiting spaces and carpool stalls as conditions of development. "You are allowed to make conditions for uses. So drop-off stalls, waiting spaces ... and dedicated carpool stalls," staff said.

General provisions, RCW alignment and definitions: Staff said much of the new text mirrors the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) so that counter staff and applicants can see explicit local requirements, while acknowledging that future RCW amendments would require consequential local updates. The presentation also inserts new definitions required by the state for terms such as mass timber construction, modular construction and passive housing, and flags the need to consolidate multiple local definitions for "major pedestrian corridor" and similar terms so the new language does not unintentionally broaden where certain uses are allowed.

Residential density allowance: The draft code adds a provision allowing an up-to-50% increase in residential density within the existing footprint of an existing residential structure under specified conditions, a change staff said will be used mainly in remodel and middle-housing contexts.

Next steps and timing: Staff said it will post a cleaned public-draft and do outreach before the May 27 public hearing; after the hearing the commission will forward a recommendation to City Council. The presenter closed by noting the statutory timeline: "If we don't implement this by June we are preempted anyways," and urged commissioners and the community to use the public-hearing process to raise issues for legislators if they want changes beyond the state-mandated framework.

The Planning Commission did not take final action on the code text at the April 22 meeting; staff emphasized the May 27 public hearing as the next formal opportunity for community comment.