Tumwater grants permit to Tumwater School District for development of building for transition program

Tumwater’s hearing examiner, Andrew Reeves, approved a conditional use permit to the Tumwater School District on Monday, July 3, for the development of a 1,900 square foot classroom building at 621 Linwood Ave.

The building would be located on a playing field near the administrative offices of Tumwater School District and Michael T. Simmons Elementary School.

The proposed building would be used for the Learning Independence by the Networking, Community, and School (LINCS) program, a special education program that caters to 18- to 21-year-old life skill students,  and helps students on an individual educational plan so they can transition from high school to independent living.

The proposed development is situated within an area classified as a single-family medium-density residential zone, which allows for school facilities if the development has a conditional use permit.

According to the hearing examiner, the proposed development meets the minimum conditions for school facilities as a conditional use as prescribed under the Tumwater Municipal Code (TMC).

TMC 18.56.280 requires that for school facilities to be given a conditional use permit, the development would need 25-foot setbacks on the front, side, and rear yards, and prohibit off-street parking and loading stations within those areas.

The hearing examiner held a public hearing on May 31 to review the application. The city did not receive any opposing comments to the proposal.