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Lakewood planning staff set draft 2025 amendment docket; includes co‑living, climate updates and rezone requests
Summary
Staff proposed a draft 2025 comprehensive plan amendment docket of 11 items that includes state-law-driven updates (co‑living rules, climate/resiliency updates to capital facilities and utilities per SB 1181, middle housing/ADU alignment with state law), tentative items (commercial-to-residential conversion, station-district expansion), and a written rezone request from LRI affecting a parcel near the McChord Field flight path.
At the Sept. 18 meeting, planning staff presented the draft 2025 comprehensive plan amendment docket the Commission will consider for formal review next year.
Mr Bear, a planning staff presenter, told commissioners the docket distinguishes items required by state law from tentative items the Council may or may not forward for substantive review. Recommended, state-driven items include implementation of HB 1998 to allow co‑living in areas that permit multi‑family housing, updates to the capital facilities and utilities elements to comply with SB 1181’s climate and resiliency requirements, and code changes to ensure accessory dwelling units and middle housing regulations meet state limits on local restrictions.
Staff also listed technical and policy items: updating the multi‑unit residential building definition, revising residential parking regulations to align with state changes, restoring civic‑use language removed during the 2019 code rewrite, and preparing the five‑year commute trip reduction plan (2025–2029) in coordination with Pierce County and regional utilities.
Tentative docket items brought forward by commissioners include a proposal to allow conversion of commercial buildings to residential use (Council would need to adopt any associated sales/use tax changes), an expansion of the station district subarea to include Springbrook, and creation of a new subarea plan north of Silicum Boulevard and west of South Tacoma Way. Staff said these would be added to the docket for Council consideration, not enacted automatically.
Staff also reported receiving a written letter from LRI requesting a rezoning of one parcel now zoned AC1 (air corridor) to industrial due to its location within a flight path near McChord Field. Mr Bear said including that request on the docket would allow Council to consider it in fall.
Commissioners asked about utility capacity and mapping used to assess whether infrastructure could support added housing; staff said utilities had been engaged in the prior 2024 review and that the city continues to coordinate with those providers. The public hearing for the docket was closed after staff confirmed receipt of a written comment from LRI and no in‑person or virtual commenters.
Next steps: staff said substantive review of docket items will occur in winter and spring with public hearings next spring and Council action by June 30, 2025 where state deadlines apply.
