Thurston Regional Planning Council subcommittee approves two proposals to expand Grand Mound urban growth area

The Thurston Regional Planning Council's Urban Growth Management Subcommittee considered three proposals to expand the urban growth area in Grand Mound.

At the Wednesday, December 20 meeting, the subcommittee members reviewed the three parcels, and only two were approved to be added to the UGA that would help accommodate the county's projected housing needs over the next 20 years.

Thurston County Community Planning associate planner Amelia Schwartz presented the Black Lake Quarry proposal to rezone 66.53 acres from rural residential to light industrial. The property is currently used for mining and has utilities available to support future development. She explained that this proposal aligned with the county's industrial land study by providing a large site suitable for industrial uses.

For the Deskin proposal to rezone 75.83 acres to arterial commercial, Schwartz noted the property is not currently planned for utility services, and there needed to be more demonstrated need due to recent additions of commercial zoning in the area.

Housing capacity

Map showing the Wilmovsky property.

Schwartz also discussed the Wilmovsky proposal to rezone 20.95 acres for residential development, allowing up to 464 housing units.

According to the county planner, about 60% of land in the Grand Mound UGA residential zone has low-density housing, and only six acres remain available for higher-density housing types.

Schwartz said there is a supply of 424 housing units in the Grand Mound UGA. Most of these housing units are above 50% of the area median income (AMI). They also projected a capacity of 370 units based on the current zoning in the UGA and a projected demand for 310 additional housing units below the 50% AMI level to be needed in the Grand Mound UGA by 2045.

The TRPC UGA subcommittee approves including Black Lake Quarry and Wilmovsky properties in the Grand Mound UGA.

Industrial use

During the discussion, Tye Menser of the Thurston Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) stated that Thurston County had invested significantly in utility and infrastructure development in the Grand Mound area to support industrial uses.

Menser noted that a recent industrial land study identified a need for large, utility-ready industrial sites to accommodate projected industrial growth. He explained that the Black Lake proposal presents a good opportunity to fill the gaps identified in the study while also meeting the county's planning policy criteria.

Menser added that the property already has an established mining use and limited critical areas, providing an opportunity for a contiguous sizeable industrial site.

The BOCC commissioners also pointed out that the site is feasible for utility connections as it has existing water rights and nearby power, gas, and water infrastructure. Menser added that continuing mining at the property long-term is not viable, and rezoning allows for a better transition than developing a new greenfield site for industrial use.

Affordable housing

For the Wilmovsky proposal, Menser was convinced that this proposal was needed to provide affordable housing.

The subcommittee members approved Black Lake Quarry and Wilmovsky properties to be included in the Grand Mound UGA.

The TRPC UGA subcommittee did not approve Deskins property for lack of necessary utilities to support development.

The Deskins property was not approved to be added to the UGA because it needs the necessary utilities like power, sewer, and water to support development within the next 20 years.

The subcommittee's recommendations will be forwarded to the BOCC for consideration and final decision on the proposed expansions.