Thurston County Comprehensive Plan

The Role of Comprehensive Plans

Background

Comprehensive Plans guide Thurston County’s physical development and identify the transportation and other public facilities needed to meet the needs of population growth. These plans are the framework for zoning and other development regulations, which must be consistent with comprehensive plans.

Several comprehensive plans guide development of lands in unincorporated parts of Thurston County.  The Thurston County Comprehensive Plan deals mainly with rural areas of the County (land outside of urban growth areas that surround cities).  The County also has Subarea Plans for the communities of the Nisqually Valley, Rochester and Grand Mound.  Joint plans with the cities guide the land use in the unincorporated county areas between city limits and urban growth area boundaries.  There are seven joint plans in Thurston County for the urban growth areas around Bucoda, Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater, Yelm, Tenino, and Rainier.  These joint plans are jointly adopted by both the applicable city and Thurston County.

Growth Management Act Compliance

Some amendments found below may be under review by the County because of a decision by the Western Washington Growth Management Hearings Board.  Please see the Growth Management Act Compliance web page for more information.

2010-2011 Amendments to the Comprehensive Plan

The 2010-11 Official Docket of Comprehensive Plan Amendments was approved on September 28, 2010 by the Board of County Commissioners.  The target completion date is June 2011 instead of December 2010. 

2009-2010 Amendments to the Comprehensive Plan

Resolution No. 14401 and Ordinance No. 14402 amended the Thurston County Comprehensive Plan to change the land use and zoning for specified properties in the Tumwater Urban Growth Area and the Maytown Land Use Evaluation area; changed the criteria for mineral lands designation; and updated the Lacey joint plan and the Olympia joint plan. Click here for details.

2008 Amendments to the Comprehensive Plan

• Resolution No. 14180 and Ordinance No. 14181 – Amended the Thurston County Comprehensive Plan to change the land use and zoning for specified properties outside of Urban Growth Areas from various zoning districts to Long Term Agriculture.  The amendment also included changes to the Thurston County Comprehensive Plan, the Tumwater/Thurston County Joint Plan, and the Comprehensive Plan for the City of Olympia and the Olympia UGA to change the future land use maps and zoning for two properties. 
• Resolution No. 14162 – Amended the Thurston County Capital Facilities Plan. Resolution 14034 and Ordinance 14035 - On March 3, 2008, Board of County Commissioners adopted
• Resolution No. 14034 and Ordinance No. 14035 resizing the North Thurston County UGA.  Specifically, the City of Tumwater UGA was reduced to remove a property generally located south of 93rd Avenue SE and east of Hart Road SE to comply with the provisions of the Growth Management Act (GMA). 

Contact Us

Interested Parties: If you would like to be added to our Web Mail list, please click here. Staff contact: Jeremy Davis, Senior Planner. Phone: (360) 754-3355, x7010 E-mail: davisj@co.thurston.wa.us.