About 60,000 more people are projected to move to the unincorporated communities of Pierce County between 2010 and 2030, according to the Washington State Office of Financial Management.

Pierce County is updating the Community Plans for Frederickson, Mid-County, Parkland-Spanaway-Midland, and South Hill to plan for this growth.

Central Pierce County residents are invited to attend four community open houses in May and June to discuss the updates, community identity and issues and provide feedback.

Community Plans lay out the character, vision and goals of each community, and provide direction on how growth and development will be handled. They include information on issues such as what property owners can do with their property, access to services and amenities such as transit and parks, commute time and traffic, and the look and feel of a community.

“We want to hear from the people who live, work and play in our communities,” said Dennis Hanberg, Pierce County Planning and Public Works director. “We need to create a plan for our unincorporated suburban areas that represents the people who live here and supports thriving, livable communities with a mix of housing, jobs and services.”

Attendees can drop by at any time during the following community open houses to visit booths and talk to staff from Planning and Public Works, Pierce County Parks and Recreation, the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department, and Pierce Transit:

· May 23: 5 to 8 p.m. at Meridian Habitat Park, 14422 Meridian E., Puyallup

· June 8: 5 to 8 p.m. at Spanaway Elementary, 412 165th St. S., Spanaway

· June 12: 5 to 8 p.m. at the Pierce County Library Administration Building, 3005 112th St. E., Tacoma

· June 14: 5 to 8 p.m. at Frederickson Elementary School, 17418 74th Ave. E., Puyallup

Those who are unable to attend can learn more with an online open house and survey at www.piercecountywa.org/CPupdate.

       Centers and Corridors proposal

As part of the Community Plan updates, Pierce County is proposing to focus growth along several major transportation corridors: Pacific Avenue/State Route 7, Meridian/State Route 161, 176th Street East and 112th East Street.

Under this proposal, these areas will be zoned as a Center or Corridor. Centers would be areas of major commercial and multifamily development with an emphasis on walkability and gathering people together, while Corridors would be areas for residential, commercial and employment uses designed to connect people to Centers.

“Promoting growth in these areas would help preserve and buffer single-family residential neighborhoods and allow for investments in transit, roads and infrastructure,” Hanberg said.

       Next steps

This will be the first major update to the Community Plans since they were written in the early 2000s.

Using community feedback gathered this spring and summer, Planning and Public Works will draft proposed updates to the Community Plans. Following a public comment period, the plans will be sent to the Planning Commission for approval this fall. The final proposal will then be considered by the Pierce County Council in the winter.

– Pierce County Planning and Public Works