The City of Lakewood Comprehensive Plan guides the City’s overall strategy for growth and development over the next 20 years. It sets the goals and policies for items such as land use, economic development, housing, transportation, and the environment.
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Announcements
PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE
The City of Lakewood, WA Planning Commission will be holding a public hearing for the 2025 Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Map Amendment docket list on April 2 at 6:30 pm. All persons may submit written comments about the amendments no later than noon on April 2, or testify in-person or virtually during the public hearing.
HEARING DATE: April 2, 2025
TIME: 6:30 PM
PLACE: Lakewood City Hall or via ZOOM. Instructions on how to attend the hearing, testify and/or submit written comments will be published no later than March 28, 2025 at https://cityoflakewood.us/planning-commission/
The docket list is summarized below. You can view the draft amendment language here.
2025-01 “Co-Living Housing” Amendments for consistency with ESHB 1998 (Concerning co-living housing)
2025-02 Updates to Comprehensive Plan Capital Facilities Element, Parks Element, and Utilities Element for consistency with E2SHB 1181 (Climate Change & Resiliency)
2025-03 Updates to Lakewood development regulations regarding “middle housing” for consistency with E2SHB 1110
2025-04 Regulatory amendments for consistency with SB 5792 “Concerning the definition of multiunit residential buildings”
2025-05 Regulatory amendments regarding residential parking for consistency with SSB 6015
2025-06 Technical updates to the Municipal Code to reincorporate previous Civic Use regulations; update LMC 18A.10.180 (Definitions) to include “religious assembly”; amendments to LMC 18A.40.080 (A) to allow religious organizations in various land use zones; and amendments to LMC 18A.40.080 (A) to allow day care centers in real property owned or controlled by religious organizations in the MR1 and MR2 zones.
2025-07 2025-2029 Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) Plan
2025-08 Private request for parcel 0319061001 to be redesignated/rezoned from exclusively Air Corridor (AC) / Air Corridor 1 (AC1) to “split zoning” of AC / AC1 and Industrial (I) / Industrial 1 (I1).
2025-09 Review, and if needed, amend, the Lakewood Regional Growth Center (RGC) and the Downtown Subarea Plan, Regulations, and Planned Action for consistency with PSRC’s Regional Centers Framework Requirements
2025-10 Redesignate / rezone parcel 5140001191 from Downtown / Central Business District (CBD) to Open Space and Recreation (OSR) / Open Space and Recreation 2 (OSR 2.)
2025-11 Review LMC 18A.40.110 (B)(1)(e) to consider amending the minimum square footage for accessory dwelling units (ADUs.)
2025-12 Recognize RCW 35A.21.440 and RCW 36.70A.130 regarding allowing new housing in “existing buildings”, as defined herein, zoned commercial or mixed-use in the Lakewood Municipal Code.
2025-13 Rezone parcel 7025000161 from Open Space & Recreation 2 (OSR2) to Open Space & Recreation 1 (OSR1.)
Comprehensive Plan
The most recent Comprehensive Plan “periodic review” amendments were adopted September 16, 2024 by the Lakewood City Council and went into effect January 1, 2025. Adoption followed the City’s 2-year periodic review process. The periodic review is much more extensive than the annual amendment cycle and is required every 10 years by state law.
Annual Comprehensive Plan Updates
Once a year (generally in July), the City calls for public applications to update the Comprehensive Plan text, related development regulations, and/or Lakewood’s land use and zoning maps. This period is also an opportunity to request amendments to the city’s adopted subarea plans and related regulations. If the City Council approves including the private application in the “docket list” of the amendment cycle, the City will assess the applicant for required fees to review the application.
Lakewood’s annual review process runs from the month following the call for applications until the following spring/summer. Study sessions and public hearings are held on proposed amendments at the Planning Commission and at the City Council level before the final action is taken.
Comprehensive Plan Amendment Application Forms:
Periodic Review Process
State law requires cities to complete a periodic review of adopted Comprehensive Plan and development regulations, including regulations for critical areas and natural resource lands, every 10 years. Lakewood completed this review in 2024 and will complete its next periodic review in 2034.
Per state law, Comprehensive Plans and regulations must be up to date with the requirements of the Growth Management Act to be eligible for grants and loans from certain state infrastructure programs.
Contact
Planning
[email protected] or 253-512-2261
Planning Manager – Tiffany Speir
(253) 983-7702
Email: TSpeir
To email Tiffany Speir add her email handle before @cityoflakewood.us