Olympia Land Use & Environment Committee Meeting - March 26, 2026

The Olympia Land Use and Environment Committee met on Thursday, March 26, 2026, from 4:00 p.m. to 6:20 p.m. The committee discussed two major items: preservation of manufactured home communities and subarea planning for the Plum Street corridor. No formal votes were taken, but direction was provided to staff on next steps for both topics.

Consent Calendar

• The agenda was approved by unanimous consent.
• Minutes from the February 17, 2026 and February 26, 2026 meetings were approved by unanimous consent.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Dan Scherck testified in support of preserving manufactured home communities. He shared that his mother lives in the Friendly Ridge community and faced a 63% rent increase attempt (from under $800 to over $1,400) after a corporate purchase, which was halted by state rent stabilization. He urged the city to continue working to preserve these communities, noting the broader economic and social connections to the city.

Discussion Items

Manufactured Home Communities Preservation Staff (Krista Lenssen, Senior Housing Program Specialist) presented an overview of Olympia's 12 manufactured home communities (about 800 total units), state policies, and potential city actions. Options included education/outreach, funding (e.g., revolving loan fund, relocation assistance, capital improvement grants), and policy options (e.g., protective zoning, covenants). Committee members discussed:

• Interest in covenants over zoning for long-term preservation, as covenants are harder to change.
• Exploring a revolving fund or bond-funded acquisition, though staff noted bonding is better for tangible assets.
• The desire to understand costs for a new park and potential financing through federal legislation (e.g., 21st Century Housing Act).
• The need for continued education and convening of residents to facilitate cooperative purchases.
• A suggestion to hold a special roundtable meeting with organizations like Habitat for Humanity, Northwest Co-op, and others to discuss tenant opportunity to purchase and rent-to-own models.

Plum Street Subarea Planning Scoping Staff (Casey Schaufler, Associate Planner) presented on the Plum Street corridor, which has 5-7 zoning districts, multiple designations, and upcoming major developments (Squaxin Island Tribe at former Justice Center, Thurston County Public Services and Regional Justice Center). The proposed scope of work included visioning, traffic study, zoning consolidation, and infrastructure evaluation. Committee discussed:

• The need to simplify zoning to avoid spot-zoning requests, possibly moving toward a single downtown business zone.
• A phased approach: first, in-house zoning consolidation (with a comp plan amendment in 2027), then visioning and transportation work (potentially requiring consultant funding).
• The importance of public engagement, especially with many stakeholders (tribe, county, 130 property owners, 110 residential addresses within the planning area).
• Staff recommended that the transportation master plan update (starting soon) should be coordinated with this effort.
• Committee members emphasized that the goal is not to redevelop existing neighborhoods but to improve the corridor as a welcoming entry to downtown.

Key Outcomes

• Manufactured Home Communities: Staff will continue exploring educational avenues, creative funding (e.g., revolving funds, covenants), and will report back to the committee in June. A special meeting may be scheduled to gather input from housing organizations.
• Plum Street Subarea Planning: The committee directed staff to proceed with a phased approach, beginning with zoning consolidation work (in-house) and preparing for a 2027 comp plan amendment. Visioning and transportation studies will follow when funding is available.
• Reports and Updates:
  • Committee member Gilman reported issues with the new parking ticket system transition to Thurston County (delays, no online payment portal yet) and constituent concerns about pedestrian access to LBA Park.
  • Chair Vanderpool shared a conversation with the Housing Land Trust and suggested a roundtable with regional housing organizations.
  • Community Planning & Economic Development Director Smith noted that hearing examiner contracts will go to Council on April 14, and two leadership recruitments (Planning Manager and Housing Director) have been launched.