Portland Avenue Rezone Update

At their June 6^th study session, the Parkland-Spanaway-Midland Advisory Commission (PSMAC) used a different format than usual. All meeting attendees worked in small groups to answer specific questions about what they liked and disliked about development and zoning in the neighborhood around Portland Avenue.

During the small group discussion, many of the people in attendance expressed concerns about loss of community character and sense of community, a need for investment in infrastructure and services, especially roadway improvements for safe vehicle and pedestrian movement and parks and open space. Many groups also discussed keeping the residential character of certain neighborhoods and an interest in preserving “nodes” of more intense commercial and residential development, instead of a continuous strip of development. Many of the participants did express an interest in new development in the community, but did not want it to have negative impacts on existing residents. They requested height limitations of 2 or 3 stories in most areas. A few participants expressed an interest in higher intensity development, but they were a minority.

PSMAC members expressed an interest in having more development along Portland Avenue, and shared their concern that investment in new infrastructure would not come to fruition without new development. PSMAC changed the proposal to 1) change proposed rezone from 88^th to 93^rd Street from Neighborhood Mixed Use (NMU) to High Density Single Family (HSF), and 2) reduce the proposed height limit in HSF from 40 feet to 35 feet. These proposed changes will be included in the draft Parkland-Spanaway-Midland Communities Plan.

Public hearings on the draft communities plan will be held in late 2018 or early 2019. Public comment will be accepted at those hearings. Notice of hearings will be mailed to property owners whose property is proposed to be rezoned and emailed to our interested parties list. (If you are receiving this email, you are included on the interested parties list.)

Meeting presentation
Meeting handout

If you would like to receive more information about this proposal or the overall Parkland-Spanaway-Midland Communities Plan update, go to www.piercecountywa.org/cpupdate or contact Tiffany O’Dell (253) 798-6859, [email protected]