County Proposal No. O2024-539 to facilitate a more streamlined review process for all project applications, PPW, hearing July 15, Aug. 20

July 15 is a committee hearing in Community Development and Environment Committee, August 20 is the proposed final Council approval date. Use this link to see the “packet” which summarizes what they are amending in the development codes. “In 2023, Planning and Public works established the Workflow Improvement Project(WIP) to identify opportunities and implementation strategies…

Biennial Comprehensive Plan Amendments will not be initiated in 2024

[Editor note: in case this is confusing, this means no changes are being made to the comprehensive plan through this process in this cycle. The next cycle for review is in 2 years. Citizens rarely submit comp plan amendments, it is usually developers. Citizens just have to spend time watching, commenting and trying not to…

Transform traffic boxes into community art

The Pierce County Arts Commission (PCAC) invites artists residing within Pierce County to participate in a unique opportunity to beautify their communities once more. Applications are now being accepted online to submit artwork that can be applied to traffic signal boxes throughout unincorporated Pierce County. “We are thrilled to continue this successful program with a renewed call…

Stop building cul-de-sacs in unincorporated county

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…

Burn ban for unincorporated Pierce County starts at 8 a.m. on June 1

PIERCE COUNTY — A burn ban for unincorporated Pierce County is effective at 8 a.m. on Saturday, June 1, 2024, until further notice. The Pierce County Fire Marshal, in partnership with the Pierce County Fire Chiefs’ Association, has declared the burn ban. This is due to the expectation of warmer, drier days becoming more common…

In District Council Meetings June 5, July 30

Every year the Pierce County Council has meetings located in each Council District. These are typically evening meetings and are in addition to the regular Tuesday afternoon meetings of the Council. Coming up soon are these two in-district meetings: June 5, 2024Council District No. 7 In-District Council Meeting on Wednesday, June 5, 2024, at 6:00…

A Tale of Two Wetland Specialists

by Claudia Finseth27 March, 2024 Last week the Tacoma News Tribune carried some interesting articles related to the Hearing Examiner meetings that had just wrapped up on the proposed use of the Spanaway Marsh for a high-density development. The plan is for a tiny home village for people experiencing chronic homelessness at the end of…

Frederickson Resource Fair, June 6

The Pierce County Thriving Together Resource Event is a free event that’s ideal for local small business owners and entrepreneurs to network and learn about free resources available to help businesses thrive in Pierce County. We’re sending you this information to make sure you know about the event and can help to share with your…

Conservation Futures Information Sessions

If you have an organization located in Pierce County, you may be eligible to sponsor or steward a conservation project through the Pierce County Conservation Futures program. The next application funding cycle begins in 2025, and we want to ensure that your community doesn’t miss the opportunity to participate! Conservation Futures strives to ensure a high quality…

Please, protect the water – a poem

TO THE HEARING EXAMINER Please, protect the water                                        at the heart of our community—The Spanaway Marsh may mean little to some, but not to us. It is our arterial blood,our breath, our home. We are done with the hundred-year destructionof filled-in wetlands, re-routed streams,toxic human pollution and buildings too closeto these arteries of life.  We are done with…

Saturday walk at Spanaway Marsh

By Marianne Lincoln Spanaway Concerned Citizens is raising money to fight a Pierce County Executive’s project to build a village of tiny homes to house homeless individuals with drug, alcohol and mental health problems. These are the hardest people to bring into a stable housing situation. There is a plan. (You can see it at…