Thurston County facilities are now open to the public with restrictions, including maintaining physical distancing of at least six feet at all times and, per the Washington State Secretary of Health’s face covering order wearing a cloth face covering or mask. If you come to county facilities, please be prepared for potentially long wait times or lines due to distancing guidelines. We continue to encourage residents to access county services online, by phone, by email, or through the use of drop boxes located outside of county buildings.
The availability of remote services vary by office and department.

Click here for office and department contact information
Click here for information on COVID-19

Grand Mound & Rochester Subarea Plans

Upcoming Public Hearing for Rochester Subarea Plan - July 28th, 2020 @ 3PM

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

FOR THE THURSTON COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

The Thurston County Board of County Commissioners (Board) will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, July 28, 2020 at 3:00 p.m., or soon thereafter, in Room 280, Building No. 1 of the Thurston County Courthouse Complex, 2000 Lakeridge Dr. SW, Olympia, WA 98502. In the event the Courthouse building remains closed to the public, the public hearing will be held virtually. The Board will provide a link to connect remotely to the public hearing for those interested in providing testimony on their web page, https://www.thurstoncountywa.gov/bocc/Pages/master-schedule.aspx. The hearing is to take public testimony on the 2020-2021 Comprehensive Plan Amendment Docket Item CPA-7b, the proposed draft of the Rochester Subarea Plan update.

Further information can be obtained by contacting Shannon Shula at 360-786-5474, or by email at shannon.shula@co.thurston.wa.us

Those wishing to testify should appear, and be heard. If unable to attend, written comments may be submitted by hand, mail, or email no later than July 28, 2020 by 12:00 P.M. to the staff contact listed above. If mailed please send to the Community Planning and Economic Development Department, 2000 Lakeridge Drive SW, Olympia, Washington, 98502, so it will reach the county by July 28, 2020.

Rochester Subarea Plan Update draft 07.06.2020.pdf

Note: The previous version posted left out some minor changes due to staff oversight. This version has been updated to include Plannin Commission recommended changes, which are:

Update reference year to the 1996 plan.
Revise last sentence of last paragraph on page 2.
Update information on Swede Hall with comments from the public.

Background

Grand Mound and Rochester are rural communities in southwest Thurston County. Grand Mound was established as an Urban Growth Area (UGA) in 1995 as a means to curb urban sprawl. Development is concentrated within the UGA, while areas outside are reserved for rural use. In 1996, separate development and zoning plans were adopted as Subarea Plans to address the unique needs of each community. These Subarea Plans are being updated now as part of the County's Comprehensive Plan Update process to ensure the visions and goals meet the current community's objectives.

Grand Mound Urban Growth Area Subarea Plan Update

The Grand Mound Subarea Plan update is currently in progress.

Click here for more information on the Grand Mound Transportation Study.

Grand Mound Resources

Rochester Subarea Plan Update

Planning Commission held a public hearing on the Rochester Subarea Plan update on January 8, 2020 at 7 PM at the Thurston County Courthouse.

Rochester Subarea Plan Update draft 01.08.2020.pdf (DRAFT)

Rochester Resources
1996 Rochster Plan (PDF) | 2017-2019 Main Street Rochester Study by Thurston Regional Planning Council | Stormwater Projects by Thurston County Stormwater Utility