Tumwater Planning Commission to hold public hearing on development code 

Local residents and business owners are going to get a chance to weigh in on an ordinance dealing with four proposed changes to the development code in Tumwater.

The Tumwater Planning Commission will hold a public hearing to gather comments on the ordinance at a meeting on Tuesday, April 14.

The proposed updates are minor and meant to align the city with newer regulations, as well to address an issue raised by a state agency. 

The first amendment involves accessory dwelling units and updating its definition to reflect its function as a single-family deatched unit, a duplex, triplex or townhouse. 

The amendment also corrects an error in the current code that effectively limits a lot to one accessory dwelling unit. According to the Washington State Department of Commerce, a lot may have two accessory dwelling units. 

The second amendment involves allowing child care centers as a permitted use in all zones except for industrial and open space zones. 

While child care centers are a permitted use for commercial zoning districts, the centers are only a conditional use for residential zoning districts. Under the current code, the centers are also a conditional use for light industrial and airport-related zoning districts. 

Another proposed amendment expands the list of essential public facilities under a certain city chapter dealing with conditional use permits, which requires the approval of the city’s hearing examiner before being granted. 

The proposal seeks to expand the list so that opioid treatment facilities require conditional use permits for six zoning districts: medium density residential, high density residential, mixed use, Capitol Boulevard community, neighborhood commercial and general commercial. 

Conditional uses permits would also be required for regional transit authority facilities and improvements to high capacity transportation systems for six zoning districts: community services, general commercial, light industrial, heavy industrial, airport related industrial and the Brewery District. 

The final amendment updates signage rules by narrowing conditional exemptions and clarifying when an increase in the area of a wall sign may be approved by the city. 

Following the public hearing, the planning commission will decide whether to recommend the ordinance to the Tumwater City Council. 

The council would then review the ordinance on April 28 before considering it for adoption at a meeting on May 5, according to a staff report.