After a lot of hard work and listening to many public comments, the Planning Commission has sent three rural rezone proposals to the County Commissioners for their review. 

Each of the proposals should be improved so that they better protect rural character, water quality and quantity, and reduce sprawl - all of which are the reasons that the County is being asked to rezone its rural lands in the first place.  Here’s a quick look at each proposal in turn:

• The majority report was presented to the County Commissioners as what the county could “get away with.”  Critical groundwater areas and at risk geographic areas are zoned 1 unit every 20 acres; nearly everything else is zoned 1:5.  For our recommendations for improvements to this proposal, please click here.

• The minority report more closely mirrors the public comment received during the open houses and hearings.  This plan rezones 39.6% and better protects rural character and habitat lands.  This proposal should be expanded to include a larger percent of the rural lands so that it complies with state law.

• The third option before the Commissioners is a proposal which puts all zoning on the back of critical areas protections. As a stand alone option, this “innovative technique” will not protect Thurston’s water quality or rural character because it will not create a variety of rural densities.  To read a more in depth view of this proposal, please click here.