Lewis County Planning Commission

The Planning Commission assists the Community Development department in carrying out its duties, including assistance in the preparation and execution of the comprehensive plan and the adoption of development regulations for Lewis County, Washington. The Planning Commission holds workshops and public hearings and makes recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners, whom ultimately vote to approve amendments to the County’s comprehensive plan and development regulations.

The Planning Commission is made up of seven (7) members appointed by the Board of County Commissioners. Any resident in Lewis County can apply to serve on the Planning Commission. The Board of County Commissioners strives to appoint members that represent varying geographic, demographic and socio-economic perspectives. Commissioners serve for a four (4) year term and can serve a maximum of three (3) terms. If you are interested in serving on the Planning Commission, please contact Mindy Brooks at mindy.brooks@lewiscountywa.gov for more information.

The Planning Commission meets on the second (2nd) and fourth (4th) Tuesday of each month at 6:00pm. Meetings are held at the Lewis County Historic Courthouse (351 NW North Street, Chehalis) and via Zoom. The Zoom link is found on the Community Development Calendar. Click on the specific meeting date to view the meeting information. All meetings are open to the public.

If you would like to view upcoming meeting topics, please see the Lewis County Planning Commission 2024 Tentative Agenda. This agenda will be updated as changes occur.

If you do not see an upcoming meeting on a topic you are interested in, that means the meeting has not been set yet. You can subscribe to the Lewis County Planning Announcements email list to get notifications of upcoming meetings.

All Planning Commission meetings are open to the public and the public is encouraged to communicate with the commissioners. The public is invited to participate in meetings via Zoom or in person. Meetings take place at the Lewis County Historic Courthouse, 351 NW North Street, Chehalis, WA 98532. We are continuing to use Zoom because it provides the opportunity for public participation without the hassle of commuting, sometimes for hours, across the county or having to make arrangements, such as childcare, to attend. Zoom also allows for easy sharing of presentations, photos and charts. Planning Commission meetings are recorded and available to watch on YouTube.

During each Planning Commission meeting, there is a public comment period. This is different than testimony during a public hearing. Public comments can be provided during the meeting on topics that are not currently the subject of a public hearing and are not quasi-judicial actions (see note below). Testimony can be provided in writing to Mindy Brooks at mindy.brooks@lewiscountywa.gov or orally at the public hearing. Please check the Events page to see if there are any upcoming public hearings. Hearings are also noticed in The Chronicle.

Staff have created guidance for those who would like to submit written testimony or provide oral testimony during a hearing.

Important note - Quasi-judicial actions are changes to zoning. An example is when a property owner requests to have their zoning changed from ARL to RDD-20. Another example is when a city proposes to expand an Urban Growth Area boundary. Commissioners are not allowed to hear public comments about quasi-judicial actions outside of a public hearing.

Quasi-judicial actions are different than legislative actions.

Legislative actions include changes to the Countywide Planning Policies, updates to a planning document (e.g., Shoreline Management Program) and changes to development regulations (e.g., subdivision code or Critical Areas). The public may provide comments on legislative actions to the Planning Commission at any time.