Subdivision Moratorium

Subdivision Moratorium Background

Status Update

On January 3, 2012, the Thurston County Board of Commissioners adopted Ordinance No. 14700, effective January 14, 2012, which renewed a moratorium prohibiting residential plats and subdivisions within two areas of the Olympia Urban Growth Area. Those areas are generally located in the vicinity of Wiggins Rd. SE and 40th Ave SE, and at French Rd. NW. The renewal will remain in effect for six months. Click here for a map (3Mb PDF - see page 7).

Background

The subdivision moratorium was Thurston County ’s response to a July 20, 2005 ruling by the Western Washington Growth Management Hearings Board (Hearings Board) that Thurston County 's Comprehensive Plan and development regulations do not comply with the Washington State Growth Management Act (GMA).

On July 27, 2005, the Thurston County Board of County Commissioners placed a temporary moratorium on residential subdivisions as the County responded to the Hearings Board’s ruling and to allow County staff to work within a fixed landscape as they diagnosed the situation and studied solutions. The Board of County Commissioners recognized that the moratorium would be a burden for some people, but believed the temporary ban was necessary to allow for a measured response to the state ruling and to help ensure that the state did not enact its own – potentially more severe – moratorium on new residential subdivisions. When the Board of County Commissioners enacted the subdivision moratorium, they also directed staff to begin work to achieve compliance with the GMA.

Lands Subject to the Moratorium 

As of July 2011, there are two remaining study areas under the subdivision moratorium. Those areas are generally located in the vicinity of  Wiggins Rd SE and 40th Ave SE, and at French Rd NW. Information about the study areas can be found on the study areas information page.

What the Moratorium Does

The subdivision moratorium applies only to residential development applications which require the subdivision of land or a binding site plan in unincorporated Thurston County. The moratorium does not apply to applications that involve a single parcel, or the consolidation of parcels. Projects on land approved for subdivision before the moratorium took effect are not affected and may proceed.

The Board of County Commissioners may, at any time, limit the moratorium’s scope, lift the moratorium or, if necessary, extend it for another six months.

Moratorium Timeline

July 20, 2005 – Hearings Board ruling

July 27, 2005 – Subdivision moratorium established

August 1-2, 2005 – Subdivision moratorium lifted for one day to allow people with almost complete subdivision applications to submit them

September 12, 2005 – Public hearing on the subdivision moratorium

October 17, 2005 – Board of County Commissioners released pockets of unincorporated land that are within the city limits of Olympia and Tumwater from the moratorium on subdivisions. Released lands are shown in yellow on the map of released lands.

January 30, 2006 – Public hearing regarding the potential release of portions of the Urban Growth Areas from the moratorium and extension of the moratorium in remaining areas for another 6 months.

January 31, 2006 – The Board of County Commissioners extended the moratorium on residential subdivisions for 6 months. The following were released from the moratorium: 1) Subdivisions that do not create lots less than 20 acres in size; and 2) Divisions of land which do not create any additional building sites because two or more single- or multiple family homes (not mobile homes or family member units) are already located on the parcel, consistent with Section 18.04.052 of the Thurston County Code.

March 15 and April 5, 2006 – Board of County Commissioners briefing to discuss releasing some lands from the subdivision moratorium. This discussion was based on letters received by the close of the public hearing on January 30, 2006. On April 5, the Board of County Commissioners directed staff to create an ordinance to release certain areas from the moratorium on residential subdivisions; these are: rural lands that are outside both the Rural Rezoning and the LAMIRD study areas; the Yelm, Rainier, Tenino, and Bucoda urban growth areas; and portions of the Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater, and Grand Mound urban growth areas. A potential effective date for the release of the moratorium on these areas is May 1, 2006.

November 19, and December 3, 2007 – On the November 19, 2007 the Board of County Commissioners held a public hearing regarding the sizing of the Urban Growth Areas (to hear testimony regarding the County’s approach to complying with Western Washington Growth Management Hearings Board (WWGMHB) ruling that Thurston County’s Urban Growth Areas (UGAs) failed to comply with the Growth Management Act). The Board received many comments and testimony from citizens as well as the City of Tumwater expressing concerns regarding the environmental sensitivity of an area containing 81st Ave, west of Littlerock Road, to increased urban densities. The Board adopted an Emergency Ordinance No. 13961 to include this area (which is a northwest expansion of the Littlerock Road study area) in the subdivision moratorium and include it in the workplan to investigate whether the remaining areas subject to the subdivision moratorium would benefit from being designated at lower densities.

January 14, 2008 – Board of County Commissioners held a public hearing to consider (1) the amended subdivision moratorium ordinance adopted December 3, 2007 and (2) extension of the interim subdivision moratorium ordinance another six months. The Board adopted Ordinance No. 14012 to renew the subdivision moratorium for another six months to allow County staff to initiate a study of these areas to assess whether they would most appropriately benefit from being designated at lower densities.

July 14, 2008 – Board of County Commissioners held a public hearing to consider (1) the amended subdivision moratorium ordinance, (2) an extension of the interim subdivision moratorium ordinance another six months, and (3) the amended area where the moratorium would apply. The Board adopted Ordinance No. 14092 to renew the subdivision moratorium for another six months to allow County staff to continue to study the areas to assess if they would benefit from being designated at lower densities.

January 13, 2009 – The Board of County Commissioners held a public hearing to consider (1) areas that could be removed from moratorium, (2) an extension of the interim subdivision moratorium ordinance another six months, and (3) allowing for a method for properties under moratorium to be released from the moratorium. The Board adopted Ordinance No. 14187 to renew the subdivision moratorium for another six months.  This ordinance released a number of properties from the moratorium, and provided a method to be released from the moratorium if it can be demonstrated that the reason for the moratorium no longer exists.  Please see the map under the section “Lands Subject to the Moratorium."

June 30, 2009 – The Board of County Commissioners held a public hearing to consider an extension of the interim subdivision moratorium ordinance another six months. The Board adopted Ordinance No. 14246 to renew the subdivision moratorium for another six months. Please see the map under the section “Lands Subject to the Moratorium".

January 5, 2010 - The Board of County Commissioners held a public hearing to consider an extension of the interim subdivision moratorium ordinance another six months. The Board adopted Ordinance No. 14321 to renew the subdivision moratorium another six months, effective January 14, 2010. Please see the map of lands subject to the moratorium (PDF, 5.8 Mb).

June 29, 2010 - The Board of County Commissioners held a public hearing to consider an extension of the interim subdivision moratorium another six months. The Board adopted Ordinance No. 14372 to renew the subdivision moratorium another six months, effective July 14, 2010.

September 7, 2010 – The Board of County Commissioners Adopted Ordinance No. 14402, which marked the completion of the Tumwater UGA Land Use Analysis project, and removed the Littlerock Road Study Area and the 88th Avenue Study Area. A summary of Ordinance 14402 is available by clicking here.

January 4, 2011 – The Board of County Commissioners adopted Ordinance No. 14321, which renewed the subdivision moratorium for six months, effective January 14, 2011 on the two study areas in the Olympia UGA.

July 12, 2011 – The Board of County Commissioners adopted Ordinance No. 14537, which renewed the subdivision moratorium for six months, effective January 14, 2011 on the two study areas in the Olympia UGA.

 

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.