In recent years, Pierce County has received an increasing number of questions from residents about zoning in rural land and farmland preservation.

To help clarify the process by which rural land is zoned, the Pierce County Council asked a consultant team earlier this year to evaluate how the County’s Planning and Land Services department designates Agricultural Resource Lands, also known as ARL.

The recommendations from this work are contained in a study titled “A Fresh Look at Pierce County Agriculture” and are the basis of a proposal included in the 2016 Comprehensive Plan Amendments. The proposal includes changing the criteria for designating ARL to include factors such as soil type and property size. 

If the proposed changes are adopted by the County, some properties will be changed to ARL, and some will be changed from ARL to another rural zone.

Members of the public can view and comment on proposed changes at www.piercecountywa.org/2016compplanamendments.

A series of information meetings will be held with staff members of Planning and Land Services to discuss the proposed changes and gather community feedback.  All meetings begin at 5:30 p.m. and feature a presentation at 6 p.m.

Information Meeting Schedule:

Nov. 15 – Kapowsin Elementary, 10412 264th St. E., Graham

Nov. 16 – Key Peninsula Civic Center VFW Room, 17010 Vaughn Road KPN, Vaughn

Nov. 29 – McMillin Grange, 12709-1/2 SR-162, Puyallup