Residents can now talk to Lacey council members about land-use cases
Lacey City Council voted unanimously on Thursday to remove the council from a controversial quasi-judicial process to review land-use proposals and to leave those decisions with a hearings examiner.
That means that instead of the council voting on certain land-use cases, the examiner will be the final arbiter, subject to appeal to county courts.
The key change is that by removing themselves from the process, council members can talk to their constituents about those land-use cases. Previously they couldn’t have those discussions because their quasi-judicial role meant they had to maintain an appearance of neutrality and fairness.
It was that lack of communication that frustrated residents as two recent development proposals made their way through the process: A convenience store and gas station in northeast Lacey, and two apartment projects at Hicks Lake. Both were ultimately approved by the council but not before the council was blasted by angry residents at meetings.
The council took a run at this topic before and voted 4-3 to uphold the quasi-judicial process. The council then revisited the subject at a recent work session and expressed a willingness to change.
“I have been opposed to making that change for different reasons, but I have come to the same place on this one,” council member Lenny Greenstein said in October, agreeing with other council members on the need to make a change.
The council voted unanimously Thursday, but there wasn’t much discussion.
Lacey Mayor Andy Ryder said he was still opposed to making the change, believing the council should still do its due diligence in those land-use cases and have the final say. However, he ultimately voted in favor of the change.
Ryder emphasized the importance of finding the right hearings examiner, who typically is an attorney. Sound Law recently cut ties with the city, so the city plans to solicit bids for a new hearings examiner. Ryder suggested a sub-committee of the council review the applicants and interview them before making a recommendation to the full council.
In the meantime, the council also voted Thursday to appoint a temporary hearings examiner.
The city needs a temporary hearings examiner because there is a public hearing set for Dec. 14 on Morel Meadows. That’s the new subdivision pitched by home builder D.R. Horton on the former Ostrom’s mushroom farm property at Steilacoom Road at Marvin Road Southeast.
This story was originally published December 8, 2023 at 5:00 AM.
