Introduction
The 2019 Annual Amendment to the Comprehensive Plan and Land Use Regulatory Code ("2019 Amendment") is a process through which the City considers changes, additions, and updates to the One Tacoma Plan and the Land Use Code. Periodic review and evaluation are important in order to ensure that the One Tacoma Plan and the implementing regulations maintain their effectiveness. The 2019 Amendment is comprised of six public-initiated applications, as described below.
Latest News - 2019 Amendment Adopted
The City Council adopted the 2019 Amendment on September 24, 2019, as recommended by the Planning Commission, with two modifications to the Future Land Use Map Implementation. The Council had reviewed the Commission's recommendations at a study session on August 13, conducted a public hearing on August 20, conducted a hearing-debriefing study session on August 27, and conducted first readings of ordinances on September 17.
The 2019 Amendment was adopted with six ordinances, for the six respective applications, as posted below:
Planning Commission Review Process
The Planning Commission has completed the year-long review process for the 2019 Amendment that started in April-May 2018. Posted below for documentation purposes, in reverse chronological order, are key steps in the process and the associated materials:
Recommendations of the Commission (June 19, 2019)
The Planning Commission forwarded its recommendations on the 2019 Amendment to the City Council on June 19, 2019. Posted below are the complete "book" of the Commission's recommendations, as well as individual sections of the document:
The "Book":
Individual Sections:
Post-Hearing Reviews by the Commission (May-June 2019)
The Planning Commission reviewed public comments received during the public hearing process and considered appropriate modifications to the proposal package at the meetings on May 29, June 5 and June 19, 2019. Posted below are the agenda packets for those three meetings:
Public Hearings by the Commission (May 1 and 15, 2019)
The Planning Commission conducted two public hearings on the 2019 Amendment, the first one addressing one of the six applications and the second one addressing the other five applications. Posted below are the hearing notices:
Public Review Document (April 2019)
In preparation for the public hearings, the Planning Commission released a Public Review Document for public review, as posted below (complete document and by sections):
Complete Document
Section I - Introduction
Section II - Proposed Amendments and Staff Analyses
Section III - Environmental Review (Comments accepted through May 17, 2019)
Open Houses (February-March 2019)
Planning staff conducted five open houses in February and March 2019 on the 2019 Amendment to raise awareness and inform interested community members regarding the purpose and potential impact of the changes, to gather community feedback on the issues, and to identify areas of community concern. We appreciate your participation!
Posted below for documentation purposes are the notices for the open houses:
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Future Land Use Map Implementation
The Future Land Use Map of the Comprehensive Plan provides a basis for applying zoning and for making land use decisions. This project will put into effect the land use designations through appropriate area-wide rezones to achieve consistency with the Future Land Use Map, and work to achieve the goals of the One Tacoma Plan.
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Shoreline Master Program - 2019 Periodic Review
The State Shoreline Management Act requires local governments to periodically review their shoreline master programs and make any adjustments deemed necessary to reflect changing local circumstances, new information or improved data. Per RCW 90.58.080, the City of Tacoma is required to conduct a periodic review on or before June 30, 2019. The initial public scoping phase of the project will inform what information, issues, and topics are pertinent for this periodic review.
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Affordable Housing Action Strategy - Planning Actions
This project will update the Housing Element to reflect the up-to-date policy recommendations of the Affordable Housing Action Strategy (AHAS). The AHAS is a strategic response to a changing housing market, increasing displacement pressure, and a widespread need for high-quality, affordable housing opportunities for all. The AHAS focuses on how to enhance existing policies and programs to serve more people; identify and deploy additional funding; and establish strong anti-displacement measures to stabilize existing residents over the next 10 years. The Housing Element is one of the City's principal statements on housing. Since it was last updated in 2015, community concerns regarding housing issues have increased significantly.
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Historic Preservation Code Improvements
This project will seek to improve the effectiveness of the Historic Preservation Program through a series of code amendments, including: enhancement of demolition/cultural resources impact review within TMC 13.12.570; clarification of the nomination and designation process and review; and improvements to the Historic Conditional Use Permit.
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Manitou Annexation
This project involves the pre-annexation planning for the Manitou Potential Annexation Area located at the southwest corner of the City. Expected outcomes of the project, upon the area's annexation to the City, include changes to the Comprehensive Plan maps and policies as appropriate.
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Minor Amendments
As part of the 2019 Amendment, this proposal would amend the Land Use Regulatory Code to keep information current, address inconsistencies, correct errors and clarify code language, in order to improve code administration efficiency and enhance customer service.
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Commercial Zoning Update
UPDATE: Proposed adoption of this update will be deferred until 2020. Further updates will be provided regarding public engagement opportunities.
The Commercial Zoning Update will revise the design and development standards for the City’s Neighborhood and General Commercial Zoning Districts. The project will bring these districts into alignment with the goals and policies of the One Tacoma Plan to promote a more context-sensitive commercial zoning standards as development occurs.
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