Lacey property owner seeks to have land rezoned near controversial Hicks Lake apartments
The Gwinwood Retreat Center, located on the southwest shore of Hicks Lake in Lacey, is seeking to rezone its property to maintain it as is, the City Council learned on Thursday.
The council met jointly with the Lacey Planning Commission to approve its work program for the coming year, including review and analysis of the comprehensive plan amendment Gwinwood submitted.
The 28-acre property, which is owned by a group of churches, has a mix of zoning, including high-density residential, Planning Commission Manager Ryan Andrews said. The center would like to make it all zoned open-space institutional, he said.
Andrews, who explained the work program to both bodies on Thursday, said the churches want to “own it and maintain it as the retreat center in perpetuity.”
The center is south of 30th Avenue Southeast. Just north of that location are two parcels zoned high-density residential that are set to be developed into more than 300 lakeside apartments. The apartment projects were widely opposed by neighbors, but both were ultimately approved by Lacey City Council.
Although the rezoning request is near the apartment proposals, it does not affect them, Andrews said.
The Olympian could not reach Gwinwood’s Executive Director Kate Ayers for comment on Thursday, but she did share some comments in the comprehensive plan amendment application.
“The current zoning potentially enables more high-density, multifamily development, which is inconsistent with the mission of our outdoor ministry-focused retreat center,” the application reads.
“Community standards indicate a lack of interest of further development within what the comprehensive plan deems ‘Lacey’s most environmentally sensitive planning area.’ The current high-density residential zoning designation appears to be more of an anomaly in that part of town, as the area is not considered an urban growth corridor.”
This story was originally published February 10, 2023 at 5:00 AM.
