Lacey seeks ways to accommodate growth

Urban growth area's population likely to boom

LIONA TANNESEN THE OLYMPIAN

LACEY -- Residents will get a chance to talk about their vision of Lacey at a series of open houses during the next couple of months.

Population the size of a second Lacey is expected to fit into the city's urban growth area within about 20 years, Lacey Senior Planner David Burns said.

"We're going to have to accommodate a whole lot of folks," Burns said. "We have to decide how to do that and still maintain the quality of life."

Input from the open houses will be used for the five-year update to the city's comprehensive plan.

Residents will be able to make certain the city is heading in the right direction, Lacey spokesman Scott Spence said.

The open houses will be informal, with staff and planning commission members on hand to talk to people who drop in on the way home from work.

Transportation, land use and open space such as parks will be topics for discussion.

The city also must amend its comprehensive plan to include the policy for siting homes in Lacey for sex predators from the McNeil Island Special Commitment Center.

The change is required by state law.

Proposed regulations would allow the homes in light industrial zones only.

The homes would not be within a half-mile or in the line of sight of schools, school bus stops, licensed day-care centers, public parks, trails and sports fields, community centers, churches, public libraries and other places with children.

The regulations also include other restrictions and requirements.

"There may be things we have not thought of yet," Burns said.

City and planning commission staff also will listen to other issues.

"You will probably get some people coming in who want to talk about junk cars or signs," Burns said.

The open houses also are a chance for the city to educate citizens, Burns said.

When the city had similar meetings in 1994, people who came were shocked at how many new people were expected in their area within 20 years, Burns said.

But the city can't keep newcomers out, Burns said.

The choice was between sprawl and density, and the state chose density, Burns said.

"Our constitution allows folks to move wherever they want to live," Burns said.

The city isn't allowed to keep people out through zoning, such as requiring homes to be on lots of at least 5 acres, Burns said.

"There is a lot of change that is going to happen," Burns said. "You can't stop the change. You have to try to accommodate it."

Lacey open houses

Residents of Lacey and Lacey's urban growth area will be able to talk about what they want their community to look like at the following open houses organized by city officials:

- March 19: The Tanglewilde and Meadows areas, 4 to 7 p.m., Lydia Hawk Elementary School, 7600 Fifth Ave. S.E.

- April 2: The Central and Horizon areas, 4 to 7 p.m., Horizon Elementary School, 4601 67th Ave. S.E.

- April 16: The Lakes and Seasons areas, 4 to 7 p.m., Lacey City Hall, 420 College St. S.E.

- May 7: The Pleasant Glade and Hawks Prairie areas, 4 to 7 p.m., Pleasant Glade Elementary, 1920 Abernathy Road N.E.

- May 21: The city will have a 5:30 p.m. demographics and transportation work session at Lacey City Hall.

- June 4: The city will have a 5:30 p.m. public hearing on the updated comprehensive plan.

On the Web:

- City of Lacey

For related stories go to the South Sound section.

The Olympian Copyright 2002

back to main Home Page Stories index