THURSTON COUNTY Thurston County Housing Update

HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN.

Thurston began implementation of the county’s habitat conservation plan on January 1, 2023. There are many positives that have come from implementation of this plan including a predictable and streamlined process. Builders no longer need to satisfy two different entities just to build on land that may contain desirable habitat conditions for the species covered in the plan. This is a huge step forward for the county in pursuit of its housing goals, made possible via an approved “take permit” from U.S. Fish and Wildlife. Such a step is a major diversion from what the process looked like just a year ago, but not all that glitters is gold.

There are elements of the plan that still cause a drag on efforts to meet the county’s goals for housing that mostly stem from costs. For example, building on land that may be desirable habitat for the Mazama Pocket Gopher will require the purchase of mitigation credits. Those credits do not come cheap, and just how expensive they are depends on the subspecies of gopher you happen to be displacing. The Yelm Pocket Gopher might cost you $14k to $17k per credit, while displacing the Olympia Pocket Gopher subspecies could cost you as much as $51k per credit. While mitigation depends on the size and scope of the project and you no longer need to wait for a June-October gopher inspection, buildable land in the county is limited and it isn’t cheap.

For all things HCP related and to plan for this aspect of your future projects visit https:// www.thurstoncountywa.gov/departments/community-planning-and-economic-development/community-planning/hot-topics/habitat-conservation-plan-hcp-home

BUSH PRAIRIE HABITAT

CONSERVATION PLAN.

Not only is there a countywide habitat conservation plan, but some habitat extends within the boundaries of the City of Tumwater and onto Port of Olympia property. Put on hold for a variety of reasons, including a worldwide pandemic, the Bush Prairie HCP process has picked back up where it was left off a couple of years ago. The process shares many similarities with the larger countywide plan including the purchasing of a “take permit” from U.S. Fish and Wildlife to allow for mitigation through the purchase of credits at a nominal fee. However, there are also some slight differences.

The City of Tumwater and Port of Olympia are working together on the Bush Prairie HCP, as such there are more options for mitigation through the purchase of available land. By combining forces, it opens up property that both the city and the port own as viable options to establish replacement habitat. The Bush Prairie HCP also allows for the development of habitat in some cases. In other words, there may be an opportunity to both purchase and develop land into potential habitat that did not previously exist. Historically, much of the Tumwater area was prairie land and, in many cases, this would be returning the land to its natural state. As is the case in every project, mitigation can get expensive. Credits can cost

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Housing At A Glance

Housing Units as of July 1, 2021: 123,026

Net Housing Need by 2045: +52,456

Median Household Income: $81,659 People Who Currently Qualify for a Mortgage: 13%

Thurston Community Planning and Economic Development 3000 Pacific Ave SE., Olympia (1st Floor) (360)754-3800

8:00 AM – 4:00 PM, Monday – Friday

Lacey Community Economic Development 420 College Street SE, Lacey, WA 98503 (360)438-2669 or building@ci.lacey.wa.us

8:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Monday – Friday

Olympia Building Department 601 4th Ave E, Olympia, WA 98501 (360)753-8314 or cpdinfo@ci.olympia.wa.us

8:00 AM – 4:00 PM, Monday – Friday

Tumwater Building Department 555 Israel Rd SW, Tumwater, WA 98501 (360)754-4180 or cdd@ci.tumwater.wa.us

8:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Monday – Friday

Yelm Building Department 106 2nd St SE, Yelm, WA 98597

Contact: (360)458-3244

8:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Monday – Friday as much as $58k, but the cost depends on the size of the project and there are plans for some potential relief from both Tumwater and the Port.

For more information on the progress of the Bush Prairie Habitat Conservation Plan go to www.bushprairiehcp.org/index.html

THE BIG MOVE.

The Thurston County Courthouse has long been the topic of much debate. Staff and others who work for the county have often stated their grievances about the condition of the facilities they have worked in for a few decades. However, when that discussion is brought up in public it is not uncommon to hear resistance to the thought of building another million-dollar facility. Taxpayers are rightfully cautious as we navigate a variety of impacts from the recent surge in inflation. In the face of that caution and the desperate need for a more adequate facility to conduct county business in, the Board of County Commissioners approved a move to an already existing but new building on Lacey Blvd. known as The Atrium.

The board has spent nearly every meeting since the big move approving costs for moving expenses and office needs, but despite these costs many seem to be satisfied with the new setup. What will this mean for our members and local builders? That remains to be seen, as there are certainly going to be steps taken to compensate for the costs associated with this move. And it has been recently announced that a contract has been agreed upon with a firm that will study every fee that the county uses to collect revenue including for building permits, impact fees, and those associated with the variety of studies needed to meet county regulatory requirements.