264 Proposed Urban Growth AreaCity of Yelm
105 Yelm Avenue West
P.O. Box 479
Yelm, Washington 98597
206-458-3244
CITY OF YELM
RESOLUTION NO. 264
PROPOSED URBAN GROWTH AREA
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF YELM PROPOSING AN
URBAN GROWTH AREA FOR THE CITY OF YELM PURSUANT TO THE WASHINGTON
GROWTH MANAGEMENT ACT AND THE THURSTON COUNTY COUNTY-WIDE
PLANNING POLICIES.
WHEREAS, the Yelm Plannin8 Commission has reviewed and recommened
presentation of the urban growth area as described below, and
WHEREAS, the Yelm City Council has examined said boundary and
supporting information presented by the city staff and finds the
proposed boundary to be consistent with the Yelm Comprehensive
Plan and the mandate and intent of the Washington Growth
Managment Act.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF YELM DOES
RESOLVE, AS FOLLOWS:
Sect ion 1 .
That the City of Yelm does hereby propose that the the urban
growth area of Yelm be that area as shown on Attachment A, and
described as:
that area bounded by a line beginning at the intersection in
Section 28 of Township 28 N., Range 2 E.W.M., of the
northeasterly and southeasterly boundaries, respectively, of
the rights-of-way of the Centralia Power Canal and the
Milwaukee, St.Pau1 and Pacific (Weyerhauser) railroad,
thence southwesterly along said railroad right-of-way to its
intersection with the southern boundary of section 29 of T.
17 N., R. 2 E., thence due east along section lines to
intersection with the Fort Lewis Military Reservation
boundary, being the southwest corner of Section 27, T. 17
N., R. 1 E., thence north to the northwest corner of Section
27, thence east to the northeast corner of Section 27,
thence north one-half mile to the quarter section corner of
Section 23, thence east one-half mile to the center of
RESOLUTION N0. 264 -- Page 1
Section 23, thence due north two miles more or less to the
point of intersection with the northeasterly right-of-way of
State Highway 510, thence southeasterly along said right-of-
way boundary to its intersection with the northern boundary
of section 14, thence east along the section line to the
northerly boundary of the right-of-way of the Centralia
Power Canal, thence southeasterly along said right-of-way to
the eastern boundary of Section 13, thence north to the
northwest corner of Section 18, T 17 N., R. 2. E., thence
east to the County boundary (being the Nisquslly River),
thence easterly along the Nisqually River to a point due
south of the intersection of the Burlington Northern
railroad right-of-way and the eastern boundary of Section
16, T.17 N., R. 2 E.W.M., thence north along said section
line to the southeasterly boundary of said railroad right-
of-way, thence southwesterly along said right-of-way to its
intersection with the northeasterly boundary of the right-
of-way of the Centralia Power Canal, thence southeasterly
along said right-of-way to the point of beginning.
Section 2.
That the City of Yelm stands ready to reach agreement with
Thurston County with regard to this urban growth area as proposed
or as reasonably modified by the Board of Thurston County
Commissioners.
ADOPTED th i s 26thday of August ~ 1992 .
1°S o~~ a~~~,
Robert A. Sanders, Mayor
ATTEST:
ICJ
Shelly Badger, C' y Clerk
PASSED and APPROVED: $-26 1992.
RESOLUTION N0. 264 -- Page 2
1"
CITY OF YELM
URBAN GROWTH AREA
A PROPOSAL
Yelm's proposed urban growth area is shown on the attached map.
This document describes that area and sets forth the factors
considered by the City in preparing this proposal.
Growth Management Act Goals
Two goals of the Growth Management Act are to "encourage
development in urban areas where adequate public facilities and
services exist or can be provided in an efficient manner," and to
"reduce the inappropriate conversion of undeveloped land into
sprawling, low-density development." This urban growth area for
the City of Yelm is proposed in accordance with these goals.
As set forth below, the proposal is compared with the provisions
of section 36.70A.110 of the Act and with the County-Wide
Planning Policies of Thurston County.
Growth Management Act Standards
"An urban growth area may include territory that is located
outside of a city only if such territory already is characterized
by urban growth or is adjacent to territory already characterized
by urban growth."
In April of this year the City of Yelm included 1510 residents in
574 housing units, plus supporting commercial and industrial
development and public facilities; all within an area of slightly
more than one square mile. Given that about one-half of this
area is undeveloped, Yelm's historic "small-town" urban growth
pattern has accommodated an average of two housing units per
developed acre.
The growth boundary has been drawn to encompass those areas
within one and one-half miles of the city center which have
already undergone partial urbanization, and to include property
further to the southwest which, as discussed below, provides
development opportunities unique to the Yelm area. The proposed
growth area includes fringe areas to be designated for very low
density development to ensure a planned transition from rural to
urban land uses.
The proposed growth area, including the City, is slightly more
than eleven square miles. The unincorporated portion of this
area already includes over 1000 homes. At about one home per
three acres the average residential density of this area already
exceeds the County's rural density target of one home per five
UGA REPORT-8/26/92 PAGE 1
~.
acres. Of these eleven square miles, slightly more than three
square miles are within Yelm's current water service area, and
about two and one-half square miles are within the area to which
sewer service will become available during 1993. The entire area
is within Yelm's transportation system and transit service
planning area.
"[TJhe urban growth areas in the county shall include areas and
densities sufficient to permit the urban growth that is projected
to occur in the county for the succeeding twenty-year period."
The Washington Office of Financial Management projects that
Thurston County's population will grow by over 80,000 during the
next twenty years, from 174,300 to 256,009. Neither the urban
share of this projection or the Yelm area allocation have yet
been determined.
Recent events in the Yelm area have made forecasting Yelm's
growth especially difficult. These complicating factors include:
- the Department of Defense's plans to expand Fort Lewis from
18,000 uniformed personnel assigned to the base this year to
between 24,500 and 28,500 personnel by 1995 (Yelm is less
than 20 miles from the main installation via the Main or
East Gate);
- a planned Boeing plant and spin-off development in the
Frederickson area (Frederickson is about 20 miles from
Yelm);
- the shift from rural to urban residential development
resulting from Thurston County's rural housing limits; and
- "spillover" as the Lacey urban growth area becomes fully
developed.
As a result of these four factors, demographers have generally
rejected past trends as an indicator of future development in the
Yelm area. This unpredictability has resulted in a wide
variation among the forecasts for the area, ranging from 15,000
to 30,000. These forecasts are summarized and compared in
Attachment A.
With the Yelm Planning Commission's guidance, the City has
estimated the residential capacity and planned twenty-year
population of the proposed urban growth area. The proposed urban
growth area is estimated to have capacity for 13,000 or more new
housing units or a population increase of about 33,000. This
exceeds even the highest twenty-year population forecast and
provides for market flexibility and a margin of error. Yelm's
growth management plan is being prepared for a target twenty-year
UGA REPORT-8/26/92 PAGE 2
' M
population of 21,000, but is being designed to accommodate even
higher growth rates. (Note that for many planning purposes the
rate of growth is not as significant as the ultimate population
for which the city is preparing.) This capacity analysis and
forecast are outlined in the Attachment 2.
"Each urban growth area shall permit urban densities and shall
include greenbelt and open space areas."
As described above and in Attachment 2, the proposed urban growth
area permits urban densities. In addition certain areas are
designated for greenbelt and open space purposes including public
areas and areas of generally rural densities. Yelm proposes to
preserve greenbelts along all major streams and ponds and in the
vicinity of prominent wetlands. The rural density "open spaces"
are areas at the fringe of the urban growth area included in the
UGA to ensure compatibility between the urban area and the rural
surroundings, to provide an appropriate rural to urban
transition, to create an opportunity for regulatory compensation,
and to assure the possibility of later urban expansion.
"Urban growth should be located first in areas already
characterized by urban growth that have existing public
facilities and service capacities to serve such development, and
second in areas already characterized by urban growth that will
be served by a combination of both existing public facilities and
services and any additional needed pubic facilities and services
that are provided by either public or private sources."
In general Yelm's proposed UGA only includes areas "already
characterized by urban growth" with existing facilities, and
areas that will and can readily be served by urban facilities
such as water, sewers, and streets. The principal exceptions are
those fringe areas which may not be provided with utility service
in the near future and those areas already residentially
developed which may not require sewer service to replace on-site
septic systems.
Growth Management Act Definitions
"Urban growth" refers to growth that makes intensive use of land
for the location of buildings, structures, and impermeable
surfaces to such a degree as to be incompatible with the primary
use of such land for the production of food, other agricultural
products, or fiber, or the extraction of mineral resources. when
allowed to spread over wide areas, urban growth typically
requires urban governmental services. "Characterized by urban
growth" refers to land having urban growth located on it, or to
land located. in relationship to an area with urban growth on it
as to be appropriate for urban growth." "Urban governmental
services" include those governmental services historically and
UGA REPORT-8/26/92 PAGE 3
_~
typically delivered by cities, and include storm and sanitary
sewer systems, domestic water systems, street cleaning services,
fire and police protection service, public transit services, and
other public utilities associated with urban areas and normally
not associated with nonurban areas.
County-Wide Urban Growth Area Boundary Criteria
Contain areas characterized by urban growth.
As described above, the average residential density of the
proposed UGA already exceeds the county's rural standards and is
expected to increase substantially over the next twenty-year
period. The boundary encloses all schools in the Yelm District
except an elementary school in Pierce County.
Are served by or are planned to be served by municipal utilities.
Yelm has prepared a transportation plan for serving the entire
proposed UGA. It is estimated that over thirty million dollars
in facility improvements, including bus transportation, will
result in retaining the current high level of service while
providing for an additional 15,000 residents. Updates of Yelm's
water, sewer, and other capital facility plans are in progress to
address expanded service. Initial analysis indicates that all
areas are physically and fiscally serviceable. However, service
to the southwest portion of the UGA is only feasible due to the
economies of scale resulting form large planned development
patterns.
Contain vacant land near existing urban areas that is capable of
supporting urban development.
Except for the southwestern area, all vacant lands are within one
and one-half mile of the center of Yelm and readily can support
urban development. The southwestern area is included to provide
a unique opportunity for a large planned community in association
with Yelm's growth. The proponents of urbanization of this area
envision substantial open space and residential amenities in
combination with a gradual reduction in urban density near the
Fort Lewis military reservation.
Are compatible with the use of designated resource lands and
critical areas.
Except for areas already characterized by urban development, the
UGA is designed to provide a buffer between the urban area and
the Nisqually River. In addition the proposal includes lands
specifically designated to provide a transition to rural areas.
The proposed UGA also includes a substantial wetland area at the
headwaters of Thompson Creek. The distribution of open space,
UGA REPORT-8/26/92 PAGE 4
K
greenbelts, and residential densities associated with the
proposal is intended to protect both these wetlands and the
area's open waters. Although much of the area overlies an
extremely sensitive aquifer, there are few alternative areas for
urban development in the vicinity. The City is in the process of
adopting strict groundwater and stormwater management standards
to protect this aquifer.
Follow logical boundaries.
The proposed UGA boundary follows a railroad, the Centralia Power
Canal, the Nisqually River, the Fort Lewis boundary, a state
highway, and section and quarter-section lines. These boundaries
form natural boundaries to urban expansion. Only the section
lines are not visible markers of the boundary. However, the
southern boundary along the section line approximates the crest
of Hammersmith Hill overlooking Yelm. The northwestern quarter-
section line approximates the slope along the western edge of the
Thompson Creek valley floor and encompasses the Southworth
Elementary School.
Consider citizen preferences.
This proposal is based upon public meetings and information
gathered in conjunction with preparation of the "Draft Yelm -
Thurston County Joint Plan." That process involved hundreds of
residents of the area as well as owners of land in the vicinity
of Yelm. In addition, it is assumed that Thurston County's
review and action upon this proposal will provide for additional
public input.
Are of sufficient area and densities to permit the urban growth
that is projected to occur in the succeeding twenty-year period.
As illustrated by Attachments 1 and 2, if developed as envisioned
the area is of sufficient size to permit the anticipated level of
urban growth for Yelm.
References
Department of Community Development, Issues in Designating Urban
Growth Areas. Part I, March, 1992
Department of Community Development, The Art and Science of
Designating Urban Growth Areas, Part II. March, 1992
UGA REPORT-8/26/92 PAGE 5