Title
Approval of Recommended Code Amendments Related to Title 10 - Vehicles and Traffic; Title 16 - Building and Construction; Title 17 - Subdivisions; and Title 18 - Unified Development Code
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Not referred to a Committee.
City Manager Recommendation:
Move to approve the Planning Commission recommendation to adopt amendments to the Olympia Municipal Code and forward to the full City Council for consideration.
Report
Issue:
Whether to approve the Planning Commission recommendation to adopt amendments to the Olympia Municipal Code and forward to Council for consideration.
Staff Contact:
Joyce Phillips, Planning Manager, Community Planning and Economic Development, 360.570.3722
Casey Schaufler, Associate Planner, Community Planning and Economic Development, 360.753.8254
Presenter(s):
Joyce Phillips, Planning Manager
Background and Analysis:
Staff regularly proposes amendments to the Olympia Municipal Code (OMC) to make updates, corrections, and clarifications, including amendments necessary to comply with new state requirements. During the multi-year Comprehensive Plan update process, staff identified several areas of the code that warranted future amendment but deferred work on those items until completion of the Comprehensive Plan update.
During that same timeframe, the Washington State Legislature adopted new laws requiring local code amendments. Due to statutory timelines included in some of the legislation, several of the required amendments are highly specific and must be adopted within six months of the Comprehensive Plan update. As a result, some of the proposed code amendments must be completed by the end of June of this year.
This set of proposed amendments affects several different Titles within the OMC. The amendments originate from a variety of sources and operational needs. Some were requested by the Olympia Fire Department and relate to Title 16 (Buildings and Construction). Others were proposed by the City’s Historic Preservation Planner and development review planners within the Community Planning and Development Department, affecting Title 10 (Vehicles and Traffic) and Title 18 (Unified Development Code). Additional amendments are necessary to comply with new state requirements and affect Title 17 (Subdivisions) and Title 18 (Unified Development Code).
Because several years passed without a comprehensive package of code amendments, and due to the need to address both accumulated updates and new state mandates, the 2026 amendment package is relatively extensive. In total, the package includes more than 40 proposed amendments.
To improve organization and readability, staff arranged the amendments generally in the order in which they appear in the OMC. Each proposal is identified by number and includes the relevant code citation and topic area. Amendments are grouped by Title, and within each Title, proposals are organized by chapter and section order. To reduce the overall length of the document, only the specific subsections proposed for amendment are included.
To assist members of the public in understanding the purpose of each proposal and identifying which amendments are required by state law, staff also prepared a companion review document
Planning Commission
The Planning Commission received a briefing on the proposed amendments and subsequently held a public hearing. No written comments were submitted, and no members of the public provided testimony during the hearing.
Following deliberation, the Planning Commission recommended approval of the amendments as proposed. During discussion, the Commission considered issues related to ground-floor retail requirements and the limitations those requirements may create for housing development in certain areas of Downtown Olympia.
Ultimately, the Commission recommended revisiting the issue later this year as part of the implementation of SB 6026 and other forthcoming state requirements that may further limit local ground-floor commercial requirements. The Commission also recommended that future discussion be informed by the findings of the recent commercial vacancy study
Climate Analysis:
These proposed amendments are relatively minor or additions to the code to address new state requirements. Staff do not believe these amendments will have a significant impact on climate related issues, either positively or negatively. Some of the amendments to implement new requirements do support urban land uses and the retrofitting of existing buildings being converted to residential uses that meet newer, more stringent, energy code requirements. These measures will provide some support for our community’s efforts to reduce emission of greenhouse gases.
Equity Analysis:
These amendments are likely to only have a minimal effect on equity issues. Some of the amendments will provide support for the conversion of existing structures into residential uses. This could provide greater housing supply, which may help slow, or potentially reduce, the cost of housing for renters. If such projects are taken in areas where other incentives for multifamily housing exist, this could make housing projects more likely to occur.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
Staff received some questions regarding the proposed amendments when they were first issued in late February. Those questions led to the development of the review companion document and appear to have answered those questions. No additional inquiries were made and no public comments were received.
Financial Impact:
Funding for this proposed work will be supported through the department’s existing base budget.
Options:
1. Move to approve the Planning Commission recommendation to adopt amendments to the Olympia Municipal Code and forward to the full City Council for consideration.
2. Move to approve the Planning Commission recommendation to adopt the proposed 2026 Code Amendments, with revisions, and forward to the full Council for approval.
3. Do not approve the Planning Commission recommendation or the proposed code amendments and direct staff to return to the Planning Commission for further discussion on specific questions about the proposed amendments.
Attachments:
Planning Commission Recommendation
2026 Code Amendments
Companion Review Document