Editorial

[Please read the article – Not This Time – before these comments from Cindy Beckett to understand what is going on.] By Cindy Beckett I keep saying this ad nauseum……I don’t care who it is – the Tacoma rescue bunch, the executive and his lying planning dept, or the so-called lead for HUD in WA…

Help or a grandfathering trick?

Stripping Away the Protections of the Residential Resource Zoneby Claudia Riiff Finseth In March, the County Council amended the Residential Resource code for Parkland-Spanaway-Midland (PSM) to allow “shared housing,” that is, high density micro-home villages on an important and fragile Spanaway wetland.Once the tiny home village development was vested as a done deal, the County…

More than a risky, bad idea, developing in critical wetlands

The proposed Tiny Home Village, or Pierce County Village that the County and Tacoma Rescue Mission are working to locate between Spanaway Marsh and Spanaway Lake is addressed in these comments by Cindy Beckett, Master Watershed Steward. In Cindy’s words: I hope you know that this is being challenged in a court with representation by…

New legislation that impacts Pierce County

The 2023 regular session for the State Legislature ended Sunday, April 23, 2023. The Legislature acted on many bills and budgetary items during the session that will benefit Pierce County residents and all of Washington. Many of these actions support priorities in areas of housing affordability, infrastructure, and public safety that are aligned with priorities…

March 21 Council hearing on micro home village

[March 21, 3pm in the Council Chambers or by Zoom. The Zoom link is on the Council Agenda at the top, you will find that at this link. Or, write or call in advance,] Do you feel you are overtaxed?Well, it’s About to Get Worse! By Kim Underwood On MARCH 21, 2023 at the 3pm….

Tiny Village in Residental Resource Zone?

The Pierce County Council is now considering the passage of the zoning change to South Hill, Parkland-Midland-Spanaway, Frederickson, and Mid-County Plan Areas to allow tiny home villages in the Residential Resource Zone. The current issue is whether a tiny home village is appropriate in the water resource are entering Spanaway Lake from the southwest. There…

Crisis for critical Spanaway watershed

By Marianne Lincoln The chatter in environmental circles is intense. The concern is removal of a large number of huge trees and the ensuing ground heat on the watershed entering Spanaway Lake from the marsh and streams to the southwest of it. Impervious surface and water system pollution are the concerns. The Tiny Home Village…

The wolf is wearing a sheep’s coat of helping the homeless

By Marianne Lincoln [Editor Note: This is my testimony to the Planning Commission for 1-3-2023. RR (Rural Resource) Zone is has a maximum density of three housing units per acre with a extenuating circumstances. Normally, two per acre. So with nearly 400 on 27 acres they’re over limit, even though they say they count four…