EDITORIAL OPINION

Years ago, when the Spanaway Community Association was starting and the Growth Management Act was in its infancy, Pierce County explained to us that the housing developments with cul-de-sacs were useful to slow crime.

The county was allowing, mostly even, asking developers to build all these little pocket communities on large parcels. Each was enclosed within itself and in addition, often had and has a gate and a homeowner’s association (HOA).

That was the early 1990’s. Now, more than 30 years later. How is that working for you?

CRIME: We have more than our share of crime in the unincorporated county areas south of Tacoma. He have far less that our proper share of Sheriff Department Deputies according to guideline written by the state.

TRAFFIC: Many of these cloistered housing communities are putting in speed bumps because cars are speeding through them with reckless abandon.

BUSES: School often do not pick up kids on these housing development streets because they are not wide enough for a bus to turn around. Part of the is due to lots that are not large enough to hold the number of cars that locate at these properties. Higher housing costs, cause more family and friends to live on one property, more cars parking in the streets. Also, this is the kingdom of collector cars. Everyone has more cars than the planning process speculates, not all running, however. Kids may have to walk nearly half a mile to get to the front of the development to reach a school bus. Dogs, wild animals and strangers presenting risks along the way. Resulting in more parents driving their children to and from school.

TRANSPORTATION: Pierce Transit routes, Light Rail and Sound Transit all tax them, but do not serve these housing developments. The exception is the Pierce Transit “Runner” which does serve some within the RTA zone.

ARTERIAL ROADS: Painfully few. Building in these developments, even when there is a possibility the lot is large enough to get from one arterial to another, the county and developer conspire to block off one end so cars cannot get though. Another lost chance to get more ways to get someplace and save a little gas from going around the long way. The Landing at Spanaway Lake, is located between 168th Street and 160th Street (not near the lake at all). The 160th Street end is blocked off and cars have been directed into another established neighborhood to Winchester Drive. That was not a popular move with the community. We are still waiting to see if the road built through the Brookdale Golf Course will actually become a through road from 152nd Street to Chesney Road and Brookdale.

ANALYSIS: It is not working. The Planning and Public Works (PPW) department needs to take a hard look at the community destruction and division the presence of nothing but cul-de-sacs has caused. With streets and avenues, there is more freedom to get from one place to another, more interaction between neighbors, and no need for a bossy HOA to snoot into your business. Detours are not as lengthy. We actually might feel and begin to act like a real community if we are not all separated by fences around our little gated enclaves protecting our subdivision pocket parks from other established neighborhoods across the street.

Do you feel it yet? I mean the division the boundaries actually create between members of the same community? You are from this subdivision or that housing development, but not from a community, much less an actual city.

Your commute is terrifying from the lack of street to handle the load of traffic and you turn left and right and left again to get out of here to your jobs, schools, and medical appointments, etc.

Cul-de-sacs have failed us. Let us be a community again and start planning for real streets and avenues to crisscross our community. I can guarantee it will improve the area, not ruin it. PPW, take note.