Build Up, Not Out
News on UGA Swaps
Delve into the details of urban planning, protection of salmon habitat, preservation of agricultural lands and more in these in-depth articles and podcasts.
KAOS - Jeff Sowers interview
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Kim Dobson of Parallel University interviews Jeff Sowers, educator and former chair of the Thurston County Democrats. They discuss Bar Holdings and urban planning. August 29, 2024.
KAOS - Ronda Larson Kramer & Marianne Tompkins interview
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Kim Dobson of Parallel University interviews Ronda Larson Kramer, attorney, and Marianne Tompkins, advocate for farmland preservation. They discuss Bar Holdings, Urban Growth Areas, and saving the Davis Meeker oak. September 12, 2024.
Development would destroy forestland
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The JOLT News
Monday, March 11, 2024 7:41 pm
By Ronda Larson Kramer
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Do you like trees? Then you should be a big fan of infill housing. That means building up, not out, and putting houses where we’ve already cut down all the trees. But Thurston County could approve a development that would do just the opposite. Read more...
Developers gamed the system
View the recording here and read the JOLT article here.
On August 19, 2024, elected officials from most jurisdictions in the county (Thurston, Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater, Yelm, Tenino, Rainier) held a meeting to discuss ideas for policies regarding UGA swaps. Without advance notice to the public or to planning staff from any of the jurisdictions, the agenda was amended mid-meeting and draft policy language was voted on and approved. The rushed policy language misstates the law because it assumes that the 2024 swap law provisions do not apply to all UGA swaps. The process was so flawed that two of the seven jurisdictions present submitted a minority opinion the next day in protest. (View the recording here and read more here.) Yelm's mayor played a significant role because that city acquired a 640-acre parcel far out in farmlands and forestlands, which Yelm seeks to develop through a UGA swap. But the parcel does not qualify for a swap under the law. Read more here.
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An image of what the future Bar Holdings development could look like. Mike Brewer Courtesy.