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1. What is the Sewer and Traffic Operations Facility?

The Sewer and Traffic Operations Facility is a grouping of six interrelated buildings that will house county sewer and traffic maintenance and operations (M&O) staff, their vehicles and equipment, and support staff.

2. What kinds of work do maintenance and operations staff perform?

Sewer and traffic maintenance and operations (M&O) staff are service-oriented and work in the field to maintain Pierce County infrastructure.

Sewer M&O staff do emergency repairs, line cleaning, smoke testing, and other types of ongoing maintenance on sewer pipes and pump stations.

Traffic M&O staff keep traffic signals and street lights operating properly, maintain street signs, and ensure lane striping and other pavement markings are visible and helpful to drivers.

3. Why does the county need a new facility to house sewer and traffic M&O staff?

Currently sewer M&O staff and equipment operate from the Chambers Creek Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) in University Place, nearly 20 miles from the center of the county's sewer collection system. Relocating sewer M&O staff to a more centrally-located facility will save time and fuel, making county maintenance operations more cost effective. It will also allow county crews to respond more quickly to emergency situations.

Traffic M&O staff and equipment are currently housed in aging, inefficient buildings that cannot support the modern needs and activities associated with the maintenance and operation of traffic equipment. Based on these needs, it has become necessary to seek new quarters for the traffic M&O staff.

The Sewer and Traffic Operations Facility will shift most of the sewer M&O staff and equipment currently located in University Place to the new facility. The timing of this shift coincides with the major expansion project being completed at the WWTP, allowing the number of new buildings needed at the WWTP site to be reduced, and some existing buildings to be cost-effectively reused. Construction of the Sewer and Traffic Operations Facility is scheduled to be complete by 2014 providing time for the sewer M&O staff to relocate prior to WWTP expansion construction overtaking their current workspace.

The Sewer and Traffic Operations Facility gives Pierce County the opportunity to effectively solve three operational issues with one project.

4. Where will the new facility be built?

The facility will be located in the South Hill area of unincorporated Pierce County on the west side of 94th Avenue E between 122nd Street E and 126th Street E. This is the site of the former county-owned gravel pit commonly referred to as the Ninth Street Pit. This site was chosen because of its location in mid-Pierce County where the greatest concentration of both sewer and traffic infrastructure currently exists. This location is also in the midst of the communities where growth in the County is anticipated over the next 30 years.

Additionally, because the site is already owned by Pierce County, locating the facility at the 9th Street Pit provides a significant cost savings for the project.

5. Will the facility include sustainable design features?

Yes. The facility is being designed to LEED Gold standards. In addition, the site design will include rain gardens and will preserve as many trees as possible. Other sustainable design features Include:

• Daylight harvesting


• Recycled and regional materials


• High efficiency HVAC including geo-exchange ground loop system


• LED lighting for the building and the site


• Onsite stormwater infiltration


• Pervious pavement


• Natural ventilation

6. How large is the new facility?

The new facility is made up of six buildings. There will be more than 125,000 square feet of workshop, storage, and office space. The entire site is about 28 acres.

7. How many county employees will work at the new facility?

When the facility is occupied in 2014, 90 Public Works and Utilities employees will move into the new complex. Total capacity for the facility is 150 employees and is intended to accommodate projected employee needs 20 years in the future.

8. What other amenities will the facility provide?

As part of the design, a public access trail will be built connecting Pipeline Road to 126th Street E. This connecting trail is an important piece of the Heritage Trail system and will meet state objectives in Pierce County's Parks Master Plan for trail connectivity. This facility will not include trail head parking or public restrooms at this time, although it will reserve land for these future facilities.

9. Will traffic be affected on 94th Avenue E during construction?

94th Avenue E will remain open during construction of the new facility. Trucks will use 94th Avenue E to bring construction materials to the site. There will also be minor construction activities at the intersection of 94th Avenue E and 122nd Street E where a new segment of 122nd Street E will be extended 800 feet to the west as an access point to the new facility. A new traffic signal will be constructed at this intersection as part of the project. Additionally, there will be some work on underground utilities at 94th Avenue E and 122nd Street E to serve the new facility.

10. How noisy will construction of the facility be?

Construction noise will fall well below allowable decibels and work will typically be performed between 7:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.

11. How will vehicles access the new facility?

94th Avenue E is a five lane arterial that will be used to access the new facility. The new traffic signal at the intersection of 94th Avenue E and 122nd Street E along with the left-turn lane on 94th Avenue E will provide safe, efficient access to the new facility. Maintenance vehicles will also access the site through a gated entrance at the southeast corner of the property along 94th Avenue E.

12. What are the hours of operation for the facility?

The majority of staff begin work at 6:30 a.m. and usually leave the facility to go to their job sites by 7:30 a.m. Most staff typically return by 4 p.m. Additionally, a skeleton crew of Equipment Service Division employees will service vehicles on a swing shift until about 10:30 p.m. each work day. As with all county facilities, hours of operation during an emergency (snow storms, etc.) will extend beyond normal work hours.

13. I live near the site. What will I be able to see from my house or backyard?

It depends on where you live, however, the facility is being designed to blend into the surrounding area and many of the trees on the site will be preserved. Because the site is a former gravel pit, the one-story buildings will sit nearly 20 feet below the surrounding ground level and will not block existing views. Vehicles and small equipment will be parked inside or under cover. Typically, large-scale equipment such as bulldozers or front end loaders will not be stored at this facility.

14. How noisy will the facility be when it is in operation?

Noise at the facility will be minimal. No manufacturing-type activities will take place at the site so noise will mainly be from vehicles leaving the site in the morning and returning at the end of the work day.