Commission hears plan for a —heritage zone— after 1,200-acre annexation

Staff updated commissioners on a recent large annexation (about 1,200 acres) and described a proposed "heritage zone" intended to preserve rural character in "Zone 8" (the George Road area). The update said the parcels in Zone 8 include a small number of owners (staff noted nine owners in that zone) and one large parcel held by Alan McKenzie, whose family the staff described as early local homesteaders.

Staff said the proposed heritage zone would keep a rural residential density consistent with the prior Thurston County zoning (one unit per five acres) and would provide a tailored code to protect agricultural and homestead characteristics while allowing the city to regularize its boundaries following annexation. Staff said they plan to meet with property owners in person to review the draft code before formally presenting it to the planning commission, and that they hope to bring the proposed code language to the commission next month.

Commissioners asked a few clarifying questions about whether specific small triangle parcels south of 507 were included (staff said those parcels were already zoned residential and not part of the same discussion) and about how the larger South Loop alignment interacts with the zone. Staff emphasized the heritage-zone code will be crafted for rural character; the commission received the briefing as information.