Summary of the Problem
WETLAND / SHORELINE VIOLATIONS SEPT & OCT 2024
WETLAND / SHORELINE VIOLATIONS SEPT & OCT 2024
WETLAND / SHORELINE VIOLATIONS SEPT & OCT 2024
Members of Spanaway Concerned Citizens witnessed this backhoe digging WITHOUT A PERMIT in Spanaway Creek and Audubon Springs Creek. Link to see the videos: https://youtu.be/HmxWHpgV-9A?si=0bFGdhQuJtXSogsb
THE BACKGROUND
WETLAND / SHORELINE VIOLATIONS SEPT & OCT 2024
WETLAND / SHORELINE VIOLATIONS SEPT & OCT 2024
The Residential Resource Zone (RR Zone) designation protects our most environmentally sensitive areas and accordingly has the lowest density of all zones, allowing only 1-3 Dwelling Units per acre (see info below).
THE ACTION
WETLAND / SHORELINE VIOLATIONS SEPT & OCT 2024
THE ACTION
On March 21st, 2023, the Pierce County Council amended the code to allow “Shared Housing” in the RR Zones of Parkland/Spanaway/Midland ONLY. The RR Zone in other communities still prohibit "shared housing".
THE REASON
THE SOLUTION
THE ACTION
To “allow” the Pierce County Village for the chronically Homeless to be built in an environmentally sensitive and critical watershed area.
THE PROBLEM
THE SOLUTION
THE SOLUTION
The Village was allowed to apply for a permit in the one month period when Ord. 2023-5s was in effect.
THE SOLUTION
THE SOLUTION
THE SOLUTION
Spanaway Concerned Citizens filed a land use petition appeal (lawsuit) against Pierce County and Tacoma Rescue Mission on September 16, 2024.
YOUR HELP IS STILL NEEDED!
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS HELPED US GET THIS FAR!
YOUR SUPPORT HAS BEEN TRULY REMARKABLE!
The County and the applicant have significant resources at their disposal, which has made this battle particularly challenging. However, the dedication of the Spanaway Concerned Citizen's Community has been extraordinary, and your continued support has kept us in this fight.
We remain hopeful that this misuse of wetlands will be stopped by our lawsuit filed on September 16, 2024. Please join us in our efforts to protect this land, environment, and community.
We estimate the cost of this lawsuit to be at least $30,000.00!
YOUR UNWAVERING SUPPORT IS DEEPLY APPRECIATED!
100% of the money donated will go toward legal fees.
IF YOU PREFER, DONATIONS CAN BE MAILED TO:
Spanaway Concerned Citizens
P.O. Box 562
Spanaway, WA 98387
Please make checks to Spanaway Concerned Citizens.
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Location of the County/TRM's Homeless "Village" ?
VILLAGE SITE PLAN & ENTRANCE
6/13/23 Edition
Zoom in to see the details. Does this look like "low-density" to you?
INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING FROM THE TNT
Was Pierce County homeless village 'COOKED'? Questions dogged $62M project from start
It passed but can it last? Hurdles remain for the Pierce County homeless village project
It passed but can it last? Hurdles remain for the Pierce County homeless village project
BY SHEA JOHNSON 8/23/23
It passed but can it last? Hurdles remain for the Pierce County homeless village project
It passed but can it last? Hurdles remain for the Pierce County homeless village project
It passed but can it last? Hurdles remain for the Pierce County homeless village project
BY SHEA JOHNSON 8/23/23
How behind the scene politics helped win approval for Pierce County homeless village
In rare move, Pierce County Council overrides executive veto on homeless village zoning
In rare move, Pierce County Council overrides executive veto on homeless village zoning
BY SHEA JOHNSON 8/23/23
In rare move, Pierce County Council overrides executive veto on homeless village zoning
In rare move, Pierce County Council overrides executive veto on homeless village zoning
In rare move, Pierce County Council overrides executive veto on homeless village zoning
BY BECCA MOST 8/23/23
Important Past Council Actions!
WHY DOES ONE PROJECT NEED SO MANY COUNCIL ACTIONS AND CODE CHANGES?
1. Ordinance 2022-49: Significant Update to our "Residential Use Development Regulations"
On October 4, 2022, the Council updated the Residential Use Code which included allowing "Shared Housing" and language for counting "Sleeping Units" as .25 of a house. This was a significant Code change with anemic Public Notice. There are only 3 comments, none of which address "Shared Housing".
2. Resolution 2022-174: Council's Questions to the Executive regarding the Pierce County Village
On December 6, 2022, after discovering the Village was not allowed on the chosen site because it was in the RR Zone, the council asked significant questions to be answered by the Executive.
3. Executive's RESPONSE to Resolution 2022-174
The 218 page response can be found using the link below. BE SURE TO READ PAGES 5 & 6 WHERE THEY OUTLINE HOW THEY WILL PUSH THIS THROUGH REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT IT IS ALLOWED IN THE ZONING. Thankfully, we have won at every turn so far, and plan to continue!
4. Ordinance 2023-5s: ALLOWED "SHARED HOUSING" in our Residential Resource Zones/Critical Areas
This Ordinance was the major problem! It "ammended" current zoning-density codes to allow "shared-housing villages" in our RR Zones. RR Zones were created to protect environmentally sensitive zones and critical watershed areas. The Council passed this ordinance on March 21st, 2023.
5. Resolution 2022-163: THE FUNDS for the Homeless Village
The Council released $22 million dollars to fund the Homeless Village in a critical wetland area. The Council approved this resolution on March 21st, 2023.
6. Ordinance 2023-14: Changed the Effective Date of "Shared Housing" Ord. 2023-5s to 12/1/23
Because Futurewise appealed the "Sharing Housing" Ordinance, the council voted on May 23rd, 2023 to change the ordinance's effective date to 12/1/23 in an effort to protect county funds should the appeal be upheld. Ord. 2023-5s was no longer in effect and could not be used.
7.Ordinance 2023-24: REPEALED the "Shared Housing" Ordinance 2023-5s
On July 25th, 2023, the council voted unanimously to REPEAL "shared housing" in the RR Zone. However, they added a last-minute amendment so that the repeal is not effective until 12/15/23.
(Vetoed by Executive on August 9th | Council voted to Override veto on August 22.)
7. Ordinance 2023-42: Closed the "vesting window" left open by Ord. 2023-24.
Although the County Council repealed Ord. 2023-5s on July 25th, at the last minute they changed it's effective date to 12/15/23, which would have left a window from Dec. 1-15 where Ord. 2023-5s would be in effect. Ord. 2023-42 fixed that problem.
8. All 8 LUAC Commissioners UNANIMOUSLY Vote to DECLINE the Village Permit
The Parkland Spanaway Midland Land Use Advisory Commission voted to decline the Village permit because of the many environmental problems with this location.
Pierce County Village Information
Pierce County Village Proposal
- Located on the 27 buildable acres of 87 acres in the critical, environmentally sensitive, and Federally protected Chambers/Clover Creek Watershed & Wetland. Over 300 buildings including 285 houses, many large support buildings, large parking areas, gardens & farm.
- "Chronically homeless" housing.
- 50 for Spanaway's homeless. 200+ being moved from other cities and communities.
- "Low-barrier community" (Not Clean & Sober Housing. Rehab optional. Drug use permitted.)
- Against the Residential Resource (RR) Zone Code until the County "Amended" the Code on 3/21/23 to allow these type of Villages in our sensitive RR Zones while claiming this is still just 1-3 houses per acre.
Letter from Tom Seigel Bethel School District Superintendent
DEAR BETHEL COMMUNITY MEMBERS
From: THOMAS SEIGEL <tseigel@bethelsd.org>
Date: Tue, Apr 18, 2023 at 11:18 AM
Subject: Lack of progress in providing County Resources to Support the Bethel area
Dear Bethel Community Member,
The following is an email I sent to the County Council this morning. I am forwarding a copy to you because you have a stake in the quality of life here for yourselves, our families and our students. Nothing has changed and there is no perceived urgency to provide a fair share of county resources to this neglected part of Pierce County. On top of that, recent zoning changes will result in as many as 40,000 additional residents coming here in the near future. The priority of the County needs to shift to backfill the shortfall of services and resources here and then begin expansion to accommodate the rapid growth that is coming. The following County Council membership information is provided for your convenience.
DEAR PIERCE COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBERS
Dear Pierce County Council Members,
About a year ago I shared with you a briefing on the lack of resources, especially County resources, in the Bethel School District area. Since we are rapidly approaching the end of another school year I wanted to provide you with a simple synopsis of the progress toward attainment of the key issues of County support to this area. The following table provides that summary. As you can see not much has changed.
There has been no movement to reestablish Pierce Transit routes to this area. The lack of public transportation is a tremendous hindrance to the poor in trying to access services. The needed services do not exist here. The current 3 miles of bus service is inadequate to allow access to vital services elsewhere.
There has been no new funding for sidewalks. Our request via "Safe Routes to School Program" was not approved.
Phase 1 modernization of Sprinker Recreation Center is in progress, but that will not compensate for the fact that there are only three parks for 124,000 residents. There should be many more.
Pierce County Village has been approved but it will take years to build and, while it is targeting the highly visible homeless population on the streets, it does nothing for the bigger problem of homeless families. We have 730 McKinney Vento qualified students and of that number 70+ are truly homeless. (E.g. We have a family of five living in a Passat, with four school age children and one 10 month baby).
Blue Zones may have some impact, but the infrastructure other communities have to support such an effort is lacking here (limited sidewalks, no trails, no swimming pool, no senior center, etc.).
In summary, this is the area of the County with the highest inequity; it has experienced generational governmental neglect, amounting to what may be considered effects similar to "redlining", and there is still no perceived urgency for action. Yet, rezoning will be directing as many as 40,000 more residents to this area in the near term, but County resources are already inadequately resourced for the current population.
I call for action. Serious action, now.
Yours, Tom Seigel
Tom Seigel
Superintendent
(253) 800-2011
IMPORTANT VOICES
"No amount of buffering will abate the damage this will cause due to the location in a wetland area." - Penny Cooper Howard is a Friends of Spanaway Lake board member and Chairman of Spanaway Lake Management Advisory Board
"This great project needs another site to be successful. I have asked citizens to seek other sites to recommend to the County Exec. The new site must not be on wetlands, must be served by the sewer system and be much closer to public transportation and the management team.
Sewer service is a must to prevent pollution of the wetlands and Spanaway Lake. Septic systems do not remove nitrogen, phosphorus, or drugs. Over the long-term, rain will move the pollutants through the ground into the lake." - Al Schmauder is President, Clover Creek Watershed Council
LOCATION MATTERS! PROTECT OUR WATERSHED!
