THURSTON COUNTY, Wash. — Thurston County residents will get another chance Wednesday, May 24, to voice their opinion on the county’s long-expected plan to replace existing development shoreline regulations that have been in place since 1990.
The Shoreline Master Program places regulations on shoreline development along large lakes and streams throughout the county and along Puget Sound.
Counties are required by the Washington State Shoreline Management Act of 1971 to periodically update their Shoreline Master Programs. The Thurston County Planning Commission began the process in 2009, in close collaboration with the Washington State Department of Ecology, but didn’t approve a draft until August 2022.
Specifically, the updates would clarify codes and regulations, give property owners more flexibility when rebuilding structures on existing footprints and offer a more streamlined permitting process.
The proposed plan would change some designations of bodies of water that are protected by the program and would also bring changes to buffers, which are the area of separation between a home or other land use and the water.
Here are the proposed buffers by designation:
- Shoreline residential: 50 feet (Marine), 50 feet (Lakes), 250 feet (Streams)
- Urban conservancy: 100 feet (Marine), 100 feet (Lakes), 250 feet (Streams)
- Rural conservancy: 125 feet (Marine), 125 feet (Lakes), 250 feet (Streams)
- Natural: 200 feet (Marine), 200 feet (Lakes), 250 feet (Streams)
Thurston County said the proposed update will “help balance growth and development consistent with protections that prioritize healthy and safe shorelines for people, fish, and wildlife to enjoy many generations into the future.”
In August, four planning commission members signed a minority report that said the proposed changes to buffers for rural designations do "not reflect the policy goals of the act" and are "unsupportable." The minority report said buffer sizes would be reduced by 50% under the plan, at a time when other counties are expanding buffers. The commissioners said the buffer sizes must be rejected and should be extended to account for climate change.
In written comments to the planning commission, residents have expressed concern about how the proposed changes would impact what they can or can't do on their property.
Once adopted, the county will submit the proposal to the Washington State Department of Ecology for review.
The next public hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Wednesday.
For more details on the proposed updates or information on how you can participate in the public hearing, visit the Thurston County Community Planning and Economic Development website.
