[Editorial: Terry Hurd, Frederickson Clover Creek Community Council presented this at the Frederickson Land Use Advisory Commission (LUAC) meeting on January 23, 2023, while the feasibility study team was taking public comment.]

Cities are the pride of every state. Mayors’ voices carry much weight addressing issues. Big city, big voice. Cities are the focus of support from state and federal programs that come with big dollars. Those in the UGA (Urban Growth Area), you poor bastards. We have no single voice that hears and addresses our issues, at least to our satisfaction. Did cityhood have a due by date we missed so now it is the state’s job? 

The GMA (Growth Management Act) was mandated from our state government on the counties, an untouchable golden calf. The GMA did not require the county and city governments to work together, fund or staff this new concept of potential area incorporation. The county never wanted the task, not in their job description, it shows. Did City and County governments ever have city coordinating planning meetings? We could not find them on any agenda. Was there a secrete squirrel plan? The county said we will not put money into the UGA and give it to a city that paid nothing for it, and the city said we will not put money into the UGA that may not become part of our city but become a separate city. We live with the results of our sibling governments not working together, much like our political parties.

The cities have staff and departments to address city level infrastructure, the county did not. It shows. Cities should have been required to draw their own UGA boundary area and support and control the development, they did not. Cities are laid out with road grid connections that the county refused to follow, Frederickson is the dead-end capital of Pierce County. If our political divisions of land were in a grid, we would have better representative home control and maybe even control the out-of-control property tax increases. Sorry off topic. This plan is an outgrowth of failed efforts to make cities from pieces of the UGA. some succeeded, some failed; all were undertaken to protect local citizen development control from the lack of government partnership. 

This plan is a resurrection of the counties “City of Pierce” concept of connecting all communities into one city. Pierce City would be the third largest in the state. I see South Hill is not included. Without retail revenue the people will have to cover the city costs with another layer of taxation. Meridian has a large retail tax base that was always part of city efforts along with Frederickson’s industrial center. We can’t even buy a pair of socks in Frederickson. Now the state’s effort. “We’re from the government and we’re here to help”. We shall see.

The law says incorporation is from the people’s wishes. Who wishes this and why? Now let’s add this monster 6000 + acre airport, bigger than SEA-TAC and the 31+ thousand citizens south of this UGA. What will the additional land and infrastructure requirements be? Please plan big. And when will they happen?

As our sole-source aquifer recharge area is being paved over and pumped into Puget Sound, please consider adding mountain watersheds and large holding lakes to this large area concept plan. Development looks to be from Tacoma to Nisqually River. People need good drinking water from the tap, or they become unhappy. I-5 was to be built from 38th   in Tacoma along the rail system through Frederickson to Tenino.

Time is long past for another large freeway system through and beyond this and future UGAs. Build it and they will come. Thanks for listening, I wish I had seen this turnout at the LUAC, Frederickson Clover Creek Community Council (FCCCC), Pierce Communities Coalition (PCC) and Chambers Clover Creek Watershed (CCWC), But mostly at Pierce County Council meetings. Your voice can yet count in this anocracy we live in.