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FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday,
November 6, 2008
Contact:
Olivia Terwilleger, Assistant Planner, 360-786-7372 or terwilo@co.thurston.wa.us
Thurston
County
Long
Range
Planning Holds Open-House regarding the Long-Term Agricultural Lands of
Commercial Significance Designation Project
OLYMPIA
–Thurston
County Long Range Planning Division will hold a Public Open House on November
19, 2008 at 6:00PM regarding proposed additions to the areas in the county
designated as Agricultural Land of Long Term Commercial Significance.
The
Western Washington Growth Management Hearings Board issued a Growth Management
Act compliance ruling on October 30, 2007 that requires
Thurston
County
to identify Agricultural Lands of Long Term Commercial Significance, and apply
criteria that would identify lands “capable of being used for agriculture.
This means that
Thurston
County
must rezone areas within rural
Thurston
County
to Long-Term Agriculture or Nisqually Agriculture or risk an invalidity
ruling. An invalidity ruling could prevent most building in
Thurston
County
.
The
purpose of this Open House is to present maps, explain the designation
process, and provide the public with an opportunity to comment on the proposed
amendments to map M-15, “Future Land Use” and M-42, “Designated
Agriculture and Forest Lands” in the Thurston County Comprehensive Plan, as
well as amendments to the official Thurston County Zoning Map. It is important
to note that designating additional parcels as Long-Term Agricultural Lands of
Commercial Significance will result in the rezoning of properties from rural
densities of 1 dwelling unit per 5 acres or 1 dwelling unit per 10 acres to
the Long-Term Agriculture zoning density of 1 dwelling unit per 20 acres or
the Nisqually Agriculture zoning density of 1 dwelling unit per 40 acres.
The
open house will be held at Swede Hall located at
18543 Albany Street
in
Rochester
on November 19, 2008 from 6:30 – to 8:00 p.m.
For more information on the Long Term Agricultural Lands of Commercial
Significance Project go online at www.co.thurston.wa.us/permitting/GMA/agricultural-lands.htm.,
or contract Olivia Terwilleger at (360)
754-3355 or e-mail at terwilo@co.thurston.wa.us
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