Title
Olympia 2045 - Comprehensive Plan Periodic Update Briefing
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Not referred to a committee.
City Manager Recommendation:
Receive a briefing on the Olympia 2045 Comprehensive Plan Periodic Update.
Report
Issue:
Whether to receive a briefing on the Olympia 2045 Comprehensive Plan Periodic Update.
Staff Contact:
Tim Smith, Interim Director, Community Planning and Development, 360.570.3915
Joyce Phillips, Principal Planner, Community Planning and Development, 360.570.3722
Presenter(s):
Joyce Phillips, Principal Planner, Community Planning and Development
Tim Smith, Interim Director, Community Planning and Development
Michael Ambrogi, Senior Planner, Thurston Regional Planning Council
Background and Analysis:
City Council Input
At the City Council’s mid-year retreat in June, several policy issues were discussed. The City Council identified the following policy issues for inclusion in the plan update:
• Balancing plan goals and reading equity broadly throughout the plan
• Support for the future study of measures to meet energy demand through clean energy
• Highlight commitment to salmon recovery
• Support LOTT’s efforts to study the reuse of reclaimed water for drinking water purposes (for urban development in urban growth areas)
• Acknowledge past harms from racial segregation and work to overcome them, checking in with Council for early input on drafts
• Consider a future subarea plan for land use and transportation along Plum Street
• Look for opportunities to integrate small scale commercial uses in residential areas and integrate the Neighborhood Centers report into the Land Use and Urban Design chapter
At the retreat, the City Council also shared a desire and willingness to provide input during the update process as issues arise. There are two such issues that staff would like input from the City Council on at this time. Staff intends for the focus of their Study Session time to seek the City Council’s input on the following two issues:
1. Housing Allocations. We are required to plan for and accommodate housing that is affordable to all economic segments of the population. Thurston Regional Planning Council (TRPC) conducted an analysis to help jurisdictions in Thurston County understand the need (housing units by income levels) and capacity (zoned lands that can accommodate the housing needed). See Attachment 4.
For Olympia, the need is for an additional 7,616 units for those who are classified as extremely low income (0-30% of the area median income or “AMI”, includes permanent supportive housing needs), very low income (30-50% AMI), and low income (50-80% AMI). An additional 3,623 units are needed for those who are classified as moderate income (80-120% AMI).
The TRPC analysis shows that Olympia has adequate land supply that is zoned for residential development to support this amount of housing.
2. Urban Growth Area (UGA) Land Swap. New legislation is resulting in regional discussions about the process to “swap” lands into and out of Urban Growth Areas, including which criteria and requirements should apply. As a result, potential amendments to the Countywide Planning Policies are under development and consideration.
The TRPC UGM Subcommittee proposed draft language that has been discussed by the Planning Directors and staff. Additional issues have been identified and suggested language proposed, to help provide clarification about roles and responsibilities, criteria, and process. Staff hopes to have a potential timeline and talking points to share and on which to seek Council’s guidance.
Background - 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. In 2014, the City completed a major update of the Plan, with an award-winning process for 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. Ultimately, the Plan will become the adopted vision for how and where our community will grow and change, and be served with utilities, infrastructure, and public services.
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 update by December 31, 2025. The update also includes the requirement to update any development regulations that implement the Plan, if needed.
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 all 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 will 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 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 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 will be required to:
• 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.
Collaborations with Others
The City has been coordinating with staff from the Squaxin Island Tribe as the chapter revisions are drafted, at a minimum, offering opportunities to review and comment on drafts prior to public hearings. Tribal staff participation has been the greatest for the Natural Environment and Climate chapters. In addition, for the five chapters that Tribal Leaders identified as being of the most importance (Community Values and Vision, Natural Environment, Parks Arts and Recreation, Economy, and Climate), an opportunity for the Tribal Council to provide Council to Council input is being provided.
In addition, there are opportunities to collaborate with 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, questions, 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.
Status of Various Chapters
Chapters are at various stages of the review process, as is to be expected with staggered starting times and the degree of updates needed for each chapter being different. See Attachment 3.
To date, five chapters have been through the public hearing process. For these chapters, the Planning Commission has completed its deliberations and issued a recommendation letter to the City Council. These chapters are Parks, Arts and Recreation, Economy, Natural Environment, Utilities, and Public Safety.
Council Committees will begin to see these chapters soon. The Land Use and Environment Committee (LUEC) will see most or all of the chapters, with the exception of the Public Safety chapter, which is scheduled before the Community Livability and Public Safety Committee on October 23rd. Chapters that are of importance to the Squaxin Island Tribe will be scheduled for the LUEC once the Tribal Council’s review has been completed, so that Council to Council comments can be considered. In early 2025, the Economy, Parks, Natural Environment, and Utilities Chapters will be ready to schedule before the LUEC.
Climate Analysis:
Staff are using the Climate Framework as they review 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 considers 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. The Climate Action and Resilience chapter will comprehensively analyze and include goals and policies to guide the City’s on-going response to climate change over the next twenty years and beyond.
Equity Analysis:
An equity statement 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 is also reaching out to community groups, including those who are often unrepresented or under-represented in planning processes, to seek participation and feedback.
Staff are using the Equity Framework to strengthen our approaches to equity for the update process overall and for each chapter of the update. Staff are taking each draft chapter to the Social Justice and Equity Commission for its input prior to the public hearing.
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 are provided public testimony at the public hearings as well.
The written comments received to date are attached (see Attachment 2).
Financial Impact:
The update of the Comprehensive Plan represents a significant investment in staff resources, including participation from all City Departments. Financial resources were used to cover certain technical aspects of the work, such as transportation modeling, and will be needed for the Best Available Science work required to protect environmentally sensitive areas. Consultant services are likely needed to complete the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) the City anticipates preparing for the updated Plan.
The Washington State Department of Commerce offered $175,000 in grant funds to help cover some of these costs. Additionally, up to $700,000 in grant funds may be used in the development of the Climate Action and Resilience chapter and implementing regulations.
Community Planning and Development staff are working with Housing and Homeless Response staff, for a consultant to research and report on issues of racially disparate impacts, displacement, and exclusion as well as the development of anti-displacement policies. The City Council previously allocated $50,000 for this part of the report.
Options:
1. Receive the briefing.
2. Do not receive the briefing.
3. Receive the briefing at another time.
Attachments:
Olympia 2045 Project Webpage
Public Comments
Status Snapshot
Housing Needs Report
Public Engagement Opportunities Tracker