Olympia Planning Commission Meeting: 2026-2027 Work Plan and Administrative Approvals – November 18, 2025

The Olympia Planning Commission met on November 18, 2025, to approve routine items, receive staff announcements, and discuss its 2026-2027 work plan. Casey Shoffler, associate planner in Community Planning and Economic Development, led the work plan discussion. Commissioners also considered future in-person and hybrid meeting formats and a potential December social gathering. Note: The raw transcript identifies the meeting as November 17, 2025; the provided timestamp is November 18, 2025, which is used in this summary.

Consent Calendar

• The commission approved the evening’s agenda by voice vote on a motion by Vice Chair Daniel Garcia, seconded by Commissioner Aaron.
• The commission approved the October 6, 2025 meeting minutes by voice vote on a motion by Commissioner Jason, seconded by Commissioner Aaron.
• Commissioner Marchon was excused; roll call established a quorum.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No members of the public signed up to speak, and no attendees raised a hand to give general comment.

Staff Announcements

• Olympia Transportation will hold an open house on December 4, 2025, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in City Hall council chambers about the Capital Boulevard update. Proposed changes include enhanced crosswalks, new bike lanes, updated transit stops, street resurfacing and repair, and lane reconfiguration.
• City advisory committee applications, including one Planning Commission opening, are open through December 12, 2025 at 5 p.m.; terms generally run three years from April 1 to March 31.

Discussion Item: 2026-2027 Planning Commission Work Plan

• Casey Shoffler explained that advisory committee work plans run April through March, are developed from department work plans and council priorities, and are reviewed by the Community Livability and Public Safety Committee before full council adoption in March.
• Staff proposed five priority work areas:
  • Small-scale commercial uses in neighborhoods and home occupations, tied to the Neighborhood Centers report and the Olympia 2045 land use chapter.
  • Zoning code review and simplification, prompted by examples such as eight commercial zoning districts in a small downtown area and Olympia having the most zoning types among four regional jurisdictions; expected to be a multi-year effort.
  • Commercial parking standards and an update to the downtown parking strategy, including evaluation of parking minimums.
  • Additional Capitol Mall Triangle subarea updates, likely focused on design review, open space requirements, and engineering and development standards.
  • Continued middle housing work, including unit lot subdivisions, residential unit density calculations, and engineering design standards; staff noted a council first reading on middle housing was expected around December 9, 2025.
• Staff also noted outstanding work on the critical area ordinance, code updates to align with Olympia 2045, and a return to comprehensive plan amendment applications twice a year once the moratorium ends.
• Process deadlines: Commissioner work plan suggestions are due by the January 5, 2026 meeting; staff asked for suggestions before the December 18, 2025 Land Use and Environment Committee meeting to share with Deputy Director Tim Smith and help align council and commission work plans. A draft work plan will be discussed January 26, 2026, with adoption by February 2, 2026 as a fallback.
• Commissioner Saroff asked about downtown revitalization; Shoffler said economic revitalization remains a focus and will not be limited to the downtown core, and the downtown parking strategy is part of that conversation. Commissioner Aaron expressed support for giving downtown more focused attention.
• Commissioner Jason raised stormwater and impervious surface issues; Shoffler anticipated future discussions on stormwater management and site development requirements.
• Commissioner Erin suggested including shared streets and pavement condition and maintenance in work plan discussions; Shoffler noted transportation coordination would be important.
• A commissioner asked about reviewing middle housing projects coming forward that may miss or seek to meet requirements; Shoffler said only a pre-submission conference has occurred, engineering design standards are not yet drafted, and some questions remain state-wide.

Other Business: Meeting Format Discussion

• Chair Queaton sought feedback on increasing in-person meetings while preserving remote accessibility; ideas included quarterly in-person study sessions or work sessions, casual coffee or restaurant meetups, and a retreat in a winter or spring shoulder season rather than summer.
• Commissioner Zanim valued in-person connection but noted remote participation is important for accessibility and family logistics.
• Commissioner Jason recalled the quality of pre-COVID in-person meetings and recommended trying an in-person meeting with a substantive topic.
• Shoffler noted that public hearings already have an in-person and hybrid option, but hybrid formats can be challenging for online participation; study sessions and educational presentations are easier to run in person.
• Staff proposed making the scheduled December 15, 2025 meeting a non-agenda social or networking gathering with notice of possible quorum, rather than a regular business meeting.

Key Outcomes

• The agenda and October 6, 2025 minutes were approved by voice vote.
• No public comment was given.
• Commissioners will submit suggested 2026-2027 work plan items by January 5, 2026, with earlier input encouraged before the December 18, 2025 Land Use and Environment Committee meeting.
• The commission will review a draft work plan on January 26, 2026 and adopt it no later than February 2, 2026 for forwarding to the Community Livability and Public Safety Committee.
• Staff will follow up on comprehensive plan amendment response timing, middle housing engineering design standards, and council actions on urban agriculture and other pending ordinances.
• Future meeting format changes, including possible in-person study sessions and a December 15 social gathering, will be explored without formal action.