Before Chambers Creek becomes Chambers Bay, the water flow is blocked by an outdated dam. Built to provide electricity for a nearby paper plant that closed years ago, the dam is widely considered to be harming the ecosystem of the area. Pierce County Surface Water Management, South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group and three local…
Category: Pierce County
WTF is Charter Review?
Every ten years, Pierce County elects a group of people to comb through the Pierce County Home Rule Charter, to make changes and hopefully, improvements to the rules our County is run by. Once they determine a rule needs revision, the final decision goes to a vote by the public. They are called the Charter…
Tour of Chambers Creek Dam August 20
August Field Trip Join the Chambers Clover Watershed Council to learn about the Chambers Bay Estuary Restoration project’s efforts to remove the Chambers Creek dam. The dam is an active fish passage barrier, but this also requires replacing the existing Chambers Creek bridge, and restore roughly 180 acres of estuary habitat. This project will open…
YOU’RE INVITED: PERMITTING WITH PIERCE COUNTY CLASS
Understanding Recent Land Use and Housing Code Updates Last month, the Pierce County Council adopted updates to the land use and housing regulations. These changes are part of the County’s work to implement its Comprehensive Plan update. They also align with regional growth strategies, including the Puget Sound Regional Council’s Vision 2050 and the state’s Growth Management Act. The…
Stage 2 burn ban in place for Pierce County
A Stage 2 burn ban is in place in Pierce County effective immediately. The Pierce County Fire Marshal, in partnership with local fire chiefs, has declared the Stage 2 burn ban in response to dry conditions on the ground and ongoing fires in western Washington. The elevated burn ban will remain in effect until conditions…
June 30 – FP Performing Arts Center County Council Meeting
June 30 at 6:00 p.m. the Pierce County Council will hold and In-District Council meeting on District #5 at the new Franklin Pierce Performing Arts Center, 11002 18th Avenue E Tacoma, WA 98445. The building in next to Franklin Pierce High School. The Pierce County Council is set to hold its annual in-district meeting for…
Why does the County lower American Lake?
By Don Russell “Is there a reason the County lowers the [American] lake level? Do they do this each year?” The answers to these questions are as follows; There is no rational basis or reason for the County to lower American Lake water level. Yes, they do this each year. Let me explain. In my lifetime I have…
June 18 Seminar on toxic algae
Join your neighbors to learn what causes toxic algae! • Get the toxic algae basics.• Learn what you can do to prevent algae.• How can natural yard care help? Join the Tacoma Pierce County Health Department from 6-8 p.m. on June 18 in the Alder Room at Sprinker Recreation Center! You can also join online…
Community Development and Environment Committee hearings on Proposal No. O2025-516
An Ordinance of the Pierce County Council Adopting Amendments to Pierce County Code Title 4A, “Impact Fees,” Chapter 17C.30, “International Residential Code,” Title 18, “Development Regulations – General Provisions,” Title 18A, “Development Regulations – Zoning,” Title 18B, “Development Regulations – Signs,” Title 18G, “Development Regulations – Conservation Programs,” Title 18J, “Development Regulations – Design Standards…
May 23 court reconsideration hearing for Spanaway Concerned Citizens
UPDATE: The Court stood by its decision, 5/23/2025, 9:34 a.m. Testifying were Atty David Bricklin for Spanaway Concerned Citizens, Atty Margaret Archer for TRM, and Dave Owen for Pierce County. The Honorable Thurston County Superior Court Judge Carol Murphy has asked for responses from Tacoma Rescue Mission and Pierce County to our motion for reconsideration,…
Effective homeless family program to expand
By Marianne Lincoln Over a month ago, the board of Family Promise of Pierce County voted to add a dba (doing business as) name to its license. The name Family Promise of Puget Sound was added due to interest from Kitsap, Thurston and King Counties, in the project started in Spanaway. With all the noise…
Clover Creek Restoration Alliance May 14
CCRA’s next public meeting scheduled for May 14th at 6 PM with guest speaker Councilwoman Jani Hitchen! The meeting will be held at the Parkland Community Center (Formerly the old Parkland School). This is a hybrid meeting and is hosted by the Parkland-Spanaway Kiwanis to showcase the amenities at the new Parkland Community Center. Date: May 14th, 2025Time: 6 PMLocation:…
Pierce County hosts free resource fairs and film screenings in honor of Community Action and Older Americans Month
In celebration of Community Action Month and Older Americans Month, Pierce County Human Services will host two free events this May, featuring resource fairs and public screenings of the award-winning documentary, “Cooked: Survival by Zip Code.”The events aim to spark community dialogue around poverty, racial disparities, and disaster preparedness. Both gatherings will feature a robust…
Is There Enough Water for 48,000 More Residents Moving to Spanaway this Decade?
By Kirk Kirkland and Al Schmauder Will Pierce County be able to meet future demand for clean drinking water required by increasing population and development in the Chambers-Clover watershed? Two years ago, Pierce County altered zoning along Pacific Avenue, 112th Street, Meridian, and 176th Street to allow up to 5 story buildings within one quarter…
Natural Yard Care Class
TPCHD — Keep your landscape and environment healthy. We promote low impact landscape design and maintenance. Natural yard care emphasizes: • Healthy soil conditions.• Proper plant care and lawn management.• Wise water and fertilizer use.• Proper plant placement. Attend our 2025 natural yard care webinars. The regenerative garden: Small scale permaculture for the home garden, with…
Pierce County pilots translation devices to expand language access at the Development Center
PIERCE COUNTY — In an effort to make services more accessible to all community members, Pierce County Planning & Public Works is piloting the use of handheld translation devices in the Development Center Lobby. The new devices support in-person communication in more than 200 languages and dialects, helping reduce language barriers during permitting and development-related…
$12.2 million available to support development, preservation of affordable housing
PIERCE COUNTY — Pierce County Human Services is seeking proposals from qualified organizations to support the acquisition, rehabilitation, or new construction of capital affordable rental housing projects. $12.2 million is available thanks to the Maureen Howard Affordable Housing Act, which implemented a one-tenth of 1% Housing and Related Services Tax in Pierce County, outside the…
Thurston County Judge finds for TRM
On Friday, March 28, Thurston County Superior Court Judge Carol Murphy decided in favor of Tacoma Rescue Mission and Pierce County in the court appeal of the Good Neighbor Village permit by the Pierce County Hearings Examiner from the nearly two-week long hearing in May 2024. After testimony from the attorney for the Spanaway Concerned…
Aging and Disability Resources to host inaugural guardianship summit
PIERCE COUNTY — Pierce County Aging and Disability Resources (ADR) and the Health Care Providers Council of Pierce County invite professional and family caregivers to the upcoming guardianship summit. If you are acting as a power of attorney, guardian, protective payee, or personal representative for a senior or adult with disabilities, this event is for…
Pierce County offers free property tax exemption seminars
Seniors and people with disabilities are invited to attend free Property Tax Exemption Seminars hosted by the Pierce County Assessor-Treasurer’s office, in partnership with the South Sound Housing Affordability Partners (SSHA³P) and Pierce County Human Services. Seminars are designed to provide valuable information on tax relief programs. Attendees will learn about eligibility requirements for property…