Want to weigh in on Lacey’s neighborhood commercial districts? Here’s your chance
The city of Lacey will host a series of community open houses to review its neighborhood commercial districts, and the first event is set for 6-8 p.m. Nov. 15 at Salish Middle School, 8605 Campus Glen Drive NE.
The open house events offer opportunities to meet with neighbors and city staff, learn about existing zoning standards, ask questions, and provide thoughts and ideas on how to update these districts to better reflect the needs and desires of the community, according to the city.
Exhibits will cover the history of Neighborhood Commercial Districts, how they got to be what they are today, how an application turns into a project, existing codes, and future opportunities to share ideas and connect with city staff.
The city of Lacey Municipal Code (Chapter 16.36) describes Lacey’s existing Neighborhood Commercial Districts in greater detail. The intent of the districts is to:
- Provide the opportunity for the development of small commercial facilities in residential areas catering to the day-to- day needs of consumers for a limited range of convenience goods and services.
- Limit the size of site and bulk of structures, and select locations that will serve a relatively large number of people in a relatively small geographic area. Pedestrian accessibility is a major criterion in the location of neighborhood commercial facilities.
The city’s decision to schedule the meetings comes after an uproar over a developer’s proposal to build Meridian Market & Gas, a controversial convenience store and gas station proposal in northeast Lacey that was widely opposed by area residents. The underlying zoning for the project is neighborhood commercial.
The city asks that residents take an online survey as a guide for next steps.
Anyone with questions should contact Lacey Senior Planner Hans Shepherd at HShepher@ci.lacey.wa.us.
This story was originally published November 10, 2022 at 5:15 AM.
