Thurston County Land Use Plan
* January 2005 *
Revisions to the Thurston County Comprehensive Land Use Plan have been
completed. There was no change to the Urban Growth Area boundary
lines on Cooper Point. The Green Cove Creek
Comprehensive Drainage Basin Plan has been extended north for the rural portion of
the basin, similar to the development standards adopted for the UGA portion
of the Basin in 2001.
For more information, see the Thurston County website pages:
Development Services -
Main Page
Planning Commission
Comprehensive Plan
Cluster
Development - Planned Residential & Rural Developments
Resolution 13222 (PDF) - Nov 2004 Interim Regulations
* December 2003 *
County to Begin Amending its Comprehensive Plan
from the December 2003 Newsletter, article by Eric Johnson
Thurston County, in cooperation with the Thurston Regional
Planning Council, is beginning the periodic revision of its comprehensive
land use plan. Most of the state's large counties, including Thurston, are
mandated by the state Growth Management Act (GMA) to write a land use plan
and update it to account for population and other changes.
One of the most important decisions made during this
process involves the location of the 'urban growth boundary' line (UGB).
This is the line within which growth is supposed to be concentrated. Outside
the line, development is supposed to remain rural or less dense. On Cooper
Point, this line runs roughly east/west a few hundred yards north of Kaiser
Road at its intersection with Cooper Point Road.
The County will have the opportunity to move this line, which is a decision
that could have major ramifications for all of Cooper Point's neighborhoods.
This entire process will be accompanied by a series of
hearings and public comment opportunities. It will culminate in a decision
by the County Council to adopt a new plan - probably in the summer of 2004.
This plan includes policies that will guide development within each of the
cities and towns in the county.
The process of updating a county comprehensive plan
starts with estimates of the population and employment levels within the
county. These are used to forecast levels for the future. During this
process, planners will use a variety of types of information to decide which
areas should be targeted for development and other types of land uses. This
information includes natural features such as drainage basins and
shorelines, and political boundaries such as schools and fire districts. The
process also includes decisions on how much growth each city is expected to
plan for.
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