Submitted by The City of Lacey
By 2035, Thurston County’s population will surge by nearly 40 percent (about 100,000 people), bringing its total number of residents to almost 370,000. Thurston Regional Planning Council (TRPC) projections indicate the county’s three largest cities and adjacent urban growth areas will absorb a majority of those new inhabitants — about 27,000 in Lacey, 21,000 in Olympia, and 17,000 in Tumwater.
The City of Lacey is in its third year of a four-year-long planning effort to successfully accommodate its share of those new residents. Known as Envision Lacey, the project also considers nearly 12,500 additional housing units, and 13,700 new employment opportunities forecast in TRPC estimates.
The Lacey Planning Commission will hold a 7:00 p.m. hearing at City Hall on Tuesday, June 21, to consider public comment on the planning update, including how well it articulates long-term community vision, analyzes key community issues, and identifies successful implementation strategies.
Specifically, public testimony will be sought on the following items:
- Re-adoption of Lacey’s 2030 Transportation Plan
- Draft revisions to Lacey’s Comprehensive Plan elements, including the Land Use Element; Economic Development Element; Environmental Protection and Resource Conservation Element; Housing Element; and Utilities Element.
- Draft development code amendments that affect business park, office, and commercial zoning; draft height and density amendments that affect moderate- and high-density residential development; and repeal of transition areas for multi-family development.
The draft materials are available at www.ci.lacey.wa.us/envisionlacey, and at the Lacey Community Development Department, 420 College Street SE. For more information, please contact Ryan Andrews, Planning Manager, atRAndrews@ci.lacey.wa.us or (360) 491-5642, TDD (800) 833-6388.
