Title
Comprehensive Plan for the Olympia Urban Growth Area - A Joint Plan with Thurston County
Recommended Action
Information only. No action requested.
Report
Issue:
Information regarding the joint plan for the Olympia Urban Growth Area.
Staff Contact:
Joyce Phillips, Senior Planner, Community Planning and Development, 360.570.3722
Presenter(s):
Joyce Phillips, Senior Planner
Background and Analysis:
The City of Olympia and its Urban Growth Area (UGA) are comprised of about 16,000 acres of land. Of that, approximately 12,000 acres are in the city limits while the remaining 4,000 acres are in the UGA. These lands are in the jurisdiction of Thurston County and the County retains the decision-making authority on land use proposals.
In general, unincorporated lands in UGAs are intended to develop in a manner consistent with city standards, so that when these lands are annexed into the city they match the character and development standards of the city.
Thurston County and the cities within it have a long history of addressing regional issues together. In 1995 the Cities of Olympia, Lacey, and Tumwater signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Thurston County, which addressed Urban Growth Area Zoning and Development Standards. In 1998, the Planning Directors from the cities and county signed a second MOU specific to the implementation of the first MOU.
Additionally, the County and all of the cities within it have also agreed to Countywide Planning Policies, which were originally adopted in 1992. The County Wide Planning Policies, or CWPPs, are the shared planning policies that address growth management issues for the seven jurisdictions within Thurston County - Lacey, Olympia, Tumwater, Bucoda, Rainier, Tenino, and Yelm - as well as the County itself. Each county planning under the Growth Management Act (RCW 36.70A) must develop a framework of such policies in collaboration with its cities and towns to ensure the region's comprehensive plans and polic...
Click here for full text