Thurston County Appeals Grow Management Board Decision

By Jennifer Latson: The Olympian

"The county is appealing a ruling from a state agency that found some of the county,s land-use rules violated state policy meant to prevent sprawl. The July 20 ruling by the Western Washington Growth Management Hearings Board found that the county's urban growth areas were too big, and that zoning rules in rural parts of the county allowed too much housing density. A Supreme Court commissioner decided Tuesday that the court will consider legal briefs on the case, and will send it to the Court of Appeals or take the case itself. County officials bypassed lower courts to bring their case to the state's highest court in hopes they could get a ruling faster and not face subsequent appeals."