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THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 2014
Vol. CXXIV, No. 44
OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE CITY OF TACOMA Devoted to the Courts, Real Estate, Finance, Industrial Activities, and Publication of Legal Notices
Published Published Since Since 1890 1890
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Pierce County to update shoreline regulations Photo Courtesy Washington State Department of Ecology Pierce County Council seeks public input as it prepares to update its shoreline development regulations for the first time since the 1970s. Based on changes to state law enacted by the Washington State Legislature in 2003, the county must regulate development along marine waters, rivers, wetlands, floodplains, and certain lakes and streams. State law also establishes a schedule for all cities and counties to update their shoreline management programs. Various Pierce County stakeholders have been working on a draft proposal since 2008, and it's nearing completion. Pierce County Council's Community Development Committee has scheduled a series of meetings around the county to gather public comment on the draft. "This update to shoreline regulations affects approximately 12,000 properties in Pierce County," said Pierce County Councilmember Rick Talbert, chair of the Community Development Committee. "We know this is a sensitive issue. We are trying to craft an update that complies with state law while protecting individual property rights. We encourage interested parties to review these updates and provide the Council with their comments." State law includes a requirement that development result in "no net loss of shoreline ecological function." The law also includes criteria for shoreline vegetation conservation. Pierce County proposes to comply with the law by establishing a shoreline buffer.
These new buffer standards would not apply retroactively. For example, legally existing residential development is defined as a "conforming use" and would not be subject to new shoreline buffer requirements. Legally existing lawns, gardens and established landscaping also could be maintained within shoreline buffer areas. All future development and redevelopment within shoreline jurisdiction would need to comply with the county's updated Shoreline Master Program. Typical examples of development that would be reviewed for compliance with the updated shoreline regulations include: residential development and associated accessory uses, docks, piers and floats, bulkheads and retaining walls, boat launching ramps, recreational development, marinas and aquaculture uses. Pierce County Council's Community Development Committee will discuss the issue during a series of public meetings: Thurs., March 6, 5:30 p.m., North Lake Tapps Middle School, 20029 12th St. E, Lake
Last year, the Washington State Department of Ecology approved the town of Steilacoom's comprehensively updated shoreline master program, which governs the protection, use and development of 2.6 miles of marine shoreline and 1.1 miles of stream shores in the town. Steilacoom's shoreline includes the Pierce County Ferry terminal (pictured). Tapps; Thurs., March 20, 5:30 p.m., Pacific Lutheran University, Scandinavian Cultural Center, 12180 Park Ave. S.; Thurs., April 3, 5:30 p.m., Peninsula High School auditorium, 14105 Purdy Dr. NW, Gig Harbor; Mon., April 7, 1:30 p.m., County-City Building, Room 1045, 930 Tacoma Ave. S, Tacoma. Pierce County Council is scheduled to vote on the updated regulations on April 22. Councilmembers will accept testimony orally and in writing. More information is available online at piercecountywa.org/council.
Public workshop ahead for Freighthouse Square Amtrak station The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) will share concepts for a new Amtrak station at Freighthouse Square during a public workshop next week in Tacoma. The new station is part of the Point Defiance Bypass, which will reroute passenger trains to an existing rail line along the west side of Interstate 5 through south Tacoma, Lakewood and DuPont. Architects hired by the City of Tacoma and WSDOT produced concepts based on comments received during public meetings earlier this year, as well as through email, letters, and Web postings. The workshop will be held on Weds., March 12, between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. at Tacoma City Hall, 747 Market St., Room 708, in downtown Tacoma. The workshop will include a presenta-
tion by WSDOT's project team, which will share comments received from the community during a workshop last month, as well as design concepts that are moving forward. More information is available online at wsdot.wa.gov. To read the Tacoma Daily Index's complete and comprehensive coverage of the Point Defiance Bypass Project and the Freighthouse Square Amtrak station, visit our Web site for the following articles: Public workshop Feb. 19 to discuss Freighthouse Square Amtrak station (Tacoma Daily Index, Feb. 13, 2014); Design discussion continues on Freighthouse Square Amtrak Station (Tacoma Daily Index, Jan. 23, 2014); WSDOT: Feds approve $89M Point Defiance
Bypass rail project (Tacoma Daily Index, March 4, 2013); Engineers complete enviro study for $89M Point Defiance Bypass project (Tacoma Daily Index, Oct. 8, 2012); Tacoma City Council to discuss Point Defiance bypass project (Tacoma Daily Index, Sept. 19, 2011); Pt. Defiance, South Tacoma rail line re-route meeting Nov. 15 (Tacoma Daily Index, Nov. 8, 2010); WSDOT to study $91M Point Defiance highspeed rail project (Tacoma Daily Index, May 11, 2010); 2 Tacoma rail projects recommended for federal stimulus funds (Tacoma Daily Index, March 22, 2010).