Your Opportunity to Weigh in on Land-Use Decisions

February 29, 2020

Sue Danver

Thurston County sets priorities for land use decisions that involve the Comprehensive Plan early in the year every two years. This year’s decision of what projects will get docketed for study in 2020 and 2021 will be made this April. We encourage you to send comments no later than 5 p.m. March 4, 2020 to Shannon Shula, Associate Planner, at: Shannon.Shula@nullco.thurston.wa.us (Subject: 2020-21 Docket).

If you haven’t already written a comment asking Thurston County Commissioners not to rezone Rocky Prairie to industrial – a rezone requested by NorthPoint, please submit comments to Shannon Shula (see address above) asking the county not to place CP-17 on the final docket. See friendsofrockyprairie.org for more information.
Those in support of local agriculture and farmland preservation are raising their voices via email or letter in support of a proposal to include a Community-Driven Review of Agricultural Policies and Programs. This study would include agriculture policies, review of prime farmland designation, and conservation programs such as transfer and purchase of development rights, to ensure support for agriculture. Refer your agriculture comments to CPA-16.

Friends of Rocky Prairie (FORP), which leads the coalition to preserve the Rocky Prairie lands, reports:

We have gathered over 5,000 signatures opposing the rezone and delivered these to the county. (BHAS assisted in collecting signatures and sending in prairie postcards to the County Commissioners.)
- We have met with city, county, and state agencies and officials to make sure they have all the information on this project and the sensitive land, as a result:
- Tenino City Council passed a resolution opposing the rezone.
- Tumwater City Council sent a letter to the Thurston County Commissioners opposing the rezone.
- Olympia City Council unanimously approved a resolution opposing the rezone.
- Thurston County Democrats unanimously passed a resolution asking the county not to rezone the property.
- A bi-partisan group of state legislators has sent a letter to the county commissioners opposing the rezone.
- We have built a coalition of groups to support our cause: The Coalition to Protect Rocky Prairie from NorthPoint’s Industrialization. Some of the members are: