Title
Olympia 2045 - Comprehensive Plan Update Progress Report
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Not referred to a committee.
City Manager Recommendation:
Receive an update on the Olympia 2045 Comprehensive Plan Update.
Report
Issue:
Whether to receive an update on the Olympia 2045 Comprehensive Plan Update.
Staff Contact:
Susan McLaughlin, AICP LEED AP, Director, Community Planning and Economic Development, 360.753.8206
Tim Smith, AICP, Deputy Director, Community Planning and Economic Development, 360.570.3915
Joyce Phillips, AICP, Long Range Planning Manager, Community Planning and Economic Development, 360.570.3722
Presenter(s):
Joyce Phillips, Long Range Planning Manager, Community Planning & Economic Development
Background and Analysis:
Olympia’s Comprehensive Plan
Olympia’s first Comprehensive Plan (Plan) was adopted more than 60 years ago. With the passage of the State’s Growth Management Act in 1990, Olympia prepared a new plan which was completed in 1994. The plan was amended a few times over the years. In 2014, the City completed a major rewrite of the Plan, with broad input and participation by community members.
The Plan covers the area of the Olympia City Limits and the urban growth area. It addresses issues like housing, land use, transportation, parks and open spaces, utilities and public services, and the economy. It also reflects community values, such as public participation, addressing climate change, and tree preservation. Once adopted, the Plan becomes the adopted vision for how and where our community will grow and change, and be served with utilities, infrastructure, and public services. Comprehensive Plans must be updated every 10 years.
Growth Management Act (GMA)
The GMA (RCW 36.70A) establishes a framework for comprehensive planning in Washington State. It includes statewide planning goals that each jurisdiction must balance locally. Some of the primary objectives of the GMA are to protect resource lands of long-term commercial significance (agricultural, forestry, and mineral resource lands), to plan for growth in urban areas where it can be served with a full range of urban services, to prevent sprawl, and to protect environmentally sensitive areas.
Land is in one of three categories - urban, rural, or resource lands. Depending on which category the land is in, there are different provisions of the GMA that apply. Cities and urban growth areas are considered urban.
The GMA identifies what must be included in local government Comprehensive Plans. It identifies required elements of the plans, which are often referred to as chapters. It allows for “optional” elements as well. Each required element contains minimum requirements local governments must address. Any optional elements must be consistent with the required elements.
Periodic Update
Counties and Cities are required to update Comprehensive Plans at least once every ten years. Thurston County, and the cities within it, must complete the periodic update by December 31, 2025. This also includes the requirement to update any development regulations (codes) that implement the Plan, if needed, in order to be consistent with the new Plan.
The update requires the city to:
• Extend the planning horizon to at least year 2045
• Update population projections
• Address changes and new requirements in state laws
In order to assist local governments in identifying the minimum scope of the update, the Washington State Department of Commerce, Growth Management Services, provides a checklist that includes minimum requirements and highlights changes in state laws that have occurred since the last update cycle. Any changes identified as necessary essentially become the minimum scope of work for the Periodic Update.
Phased Approach and Timeline
The City is using a phased approach to complete the update. This is allowing us to make the most use of staff resources to complete as much of the associated work in-house as is possible. Through a coordinated effort, each chapter will be updated through a public process by staff from across most City Departments. The process varies by chapter.
Some of the chapters began the update process in 2023, while other chapters began in 2024. Chapters that started in 2023 are primarily those for which recent master plan work was completed (e.g. Transportation, Parks) or was about to be completed (e.g. Olympia Strong for the Economy chapter). Other chapters, such as Housing, Land Use & Urban Design, and Climate, started in 2024. One reason was to allow more time for state guidance on new housing and climate requirements to be issued, which help us work through the new requirements and related issues.
A webpage dedicated to Olympia 2045 was created (See Attachment 1). It includes links to a separate page for each chapter. The chapter pages include a timeline, identification of staff leading the work on that chapter, and information about how to get involved and stay informed.
One of the first ways the City staff team sought input from the community was by checking in on our adopted Community Values and Vision chapter. The values and vision chapter captures the shared values of what matters to the community and identifies the vision of how our community will be in the future in regard to each topic, based on those values. The values and vision help shape the rest of the Plan. The outcome of the survey was shared with the community, the Planning Commission, and with each of the chapter leads to help inform the chapter updates.
Information and additional outreach about the update process is planned throughout the entirety of the process. To help Olympians keep track of a project with so many parts, staff sends a monthly E-newsletter and emails updates to all parties of record with announcements and upcoming public meetings.
Most Significant Changes in the GMA
Some fairly significant changes were made to the Growth Management Act in the 2022 and 2023 Legislative Sessions. Perhaps the most significant of these changes is the addition of a GMA goal about Climate Change and Resiliency and a requirement to add a Climate Change and Resiliency chapter to the Comprehensive Plan.
There are other changes that relate directly to housing issues, both for the Comprehensive Plan and the implementing development regulations. The City must:
• Identify local policies and regulations that result in racially disparate impacts, displacement, and exclusion in housing;
• Identify and implement policies and regulations to address and begin to undo racially disparate impacts, displacement, and exclusion in housing caused by local policies, plans, and actions;
• Identify areas that may be at higher risk of displacement from market forces that occur with changes to zoning development regulations and capital investments; and,
• Establish anti-displacement policies.
Collaboration with Others
The City coordinates with staff from several stakeholders as the chapter revisions are drafted. At a minimum, we offer opportunities for other entities, such as the Port and school districts, to review and comment on drafts prior to public hearings. In addition, there are opportunities to collaborate with Tribes and other jurisdictions in this work. Most of this work is done at a staff-to-staff level. Jurisdictions share their drafts with each other and provide an opportunity for comments and input. In addition, the long-range planning staff from Thurston County and the Cities of Lacey, Tumwater, and Olympia are meeting quarterly to share ideas and experiences throughout this process. These meetings are informal and are in addition to the quarterly meetings hosted by Thurston Regional Planning Council (TRPC) for all local government planners and state agencies.
Public Review Process
While each chapter is going through its own review process, there are major steps that each chapter does follow. These include:
• Planning Commission briefing
• Social Justice and Equity Commission briefing
• Planning Commission public hearing
• Opportunity for Squaxin Island Tribal Council review (for the five chapters the tribe specified as being of importance to them)
• Opportunity for Council Committee Review (Land Use and Environment, Community Livability and Public Safely, and Finance Committees, depending on chapter topic)
• City Council Study Session - Opportunity to review and provide comments, make suggestions
• City Council Meeting - Request “acceptance” of chapter
• City Council Meeting - Request adoption of the entire plan, once all chapters are complete and the Final Environmental Impact Statement is issued.
The presentation will focus on the timeline to show where each chapter is in the process.
Climate Analysis:
Staff is using the Climate Framework as it reviews each chapter to help ensure both the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and that being prepared for the impacts of climate change are addressed. This work will consider the Thurston Climate Mitigation Plan, the Sea Level Rise Response Plan, Climate Risk and Vulnerability work, and commitments of City Council related to climate issues. Additionally, a Climate Action and Resilience Chapter is being prepared.
Equity Analysis:
Equity was added to the Community Values and Vision chapter of the Comprehensive Plan in 2021. The City is committed to addressing equity throughout the update process and in the Comprehensive Plan itself. While all public meetings are open for all to attend, City staff will also reach out to community groups, including those who are often unrepresented or underrepresented in planning processes, to seek participation and feedback.
Staff is using the Equity Framework to strengthen our approaches to equity for the update process overall and for each chapter of the update.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
There have been a variety of opinions and comments provided throughout the process so far. Some of this input has been provided through conversations with city staff, at community events, through surveys, and through submitting written public comments. Some community members provide testimony at the public hearings as well.
Financial Impact:
The Washington State Department of Commerce is providing a grant for up to $175,000 to help cover the costs of the City of Olympia’s Comprehensive Plan Periodic Update.
Options:
1. Receive an update on the Olympia 2045 Comprehensive Plan Update.
2. Review and discuss the Olympia 2045 Comprehensive Plan Update at another time.
3. Do not review and discuss the Olympia 2045 Comprehensive Plan Update.
Attachments:
Olympia 2045 Webpage