Good News!
The South Downtown Subarea Plan has been awarded a 2014 Smart Communities Award in the category of “Smart Vision – Comprehensive Planning” by Governor Jay Inslee. The elite award program recognizes achievements that promote smart growth planning and projects that contribute to quality of life in Washington State.
Letter of Support from Mayor Strickland dated April 15, 2014 (PDF)
Governor's Award Application - South Downtown Subarea Plan (PDF)
Link to Governor's Smart Communities Award Website
Recent Activities
The City of Tacoma was selected to present lessons learned from the South Downtown Subarea Plan and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) at the Planning Association of Washington’s Spring Conference in Lynwood. The presentation focuses on the South Downtown Plan ability to foster economic development in the area as well as the innovation of the associated EIS. The presentation walks the audience through of Tacoma’s process of adopting the Plan and EIS while at the same time providing the broader regulatory framework and context including the challenges and benefits and the broader State and regional context.
City Council Adoption
The City Council adopted the South Downtown Subarea Plan as an element of the Comprehensive Plan on December 17, 2013 (per Ordinance No. 28193), and made some Zoning Code changes associated with the subarea plan (per Ordinance No. 28194). The subarea plan was later modified with a minor map change on July 22, 2014 (per Ordinance No. 28229). Posted below are the final subarea plan, the three relevant ordinances and the final EIS:
Planning Commission Recommendation
The City of Tacoma Planning Commission has recommended the South Downtown Subarea plan for approval. The recommendation will now be reviewed by the City Council. A public hearing was set for December 3, 2013.
The Planning Commission conducted a public hearing on September 18, 2013 concerning the Draft South Downtown Subarea Plan (dated August 2013), and is anticipated to make a recommendation for adoption to the City Council on November 6, 2013.
The non-project Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) prepared for the subarea plan has become final and been issued on August 28, 2013. There is no comment period for the EIS.
Posted below are the notice of availability and public hearing information, the draft subarea plan and appendices, the EIS, and the adoption schedule for these documents:
Environmental Impact Review
The draft South Downtown Subarea Plan and draft EIS were released on March 26, 2013 for public review and comment. A public hearing was held on April 25, 2013 for community members to learn more about the draft plan and EIS and provide comments. Written comments were accepted through May 3, 2013.
Help Inform the Process by Taking a Survey
As part of the Subarea Plan public outreach, we need your opinions with regard to existing conditions, behaviors, priorities, and other particulars concerning South Downtown. In that effort, we invite you to complete the following survey. The survey can be opened as a pdf, completed, and submitted via mail or you can use the accompanying link to complete the survey online. These surveys are intended for community members in and around the South Downtown area.
Station Working Group
This group, which meets quarterly, was established through Resolution Number 38430. Its members represent a broad range of interests and the group will help provide important feedback and input for the Subarea Plan and EIS.
Scoping Process
It is one of the first steps in preparing the EIS and is intended to hear from citizens and organizations about their concerns, comments, and ideas. In December 2011, the City hosted a Community Meeting and a Scoping Meeting to kick off the project and receive oral testimony from interested citizens. Written comments were received during the scoping process that lasted from December 5, 2011 through January 10, 2012.
Planning Commission Review
The Planning Commission receives regular updates on the progress of the project.
Project Scope of Work
The City is participating in the Puget Sound Regional Council's (PSRC)
Growing Transit Communities project. The City has been awarded $500,000 to complete the Dome/Brewery Subarea Plan and EIS, one of two Growing Transit Communities catalyst projects in the region. Growing Transit Communities is funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant Program.
For the purpose of the project, the "Dome/Brewery Subarea" encompasses such major districts in the southern portion of Downtown Tacoma as the Dome District, the Brewery District, the Thea Foss Waterway, and the University of Washington Tacoma campus; hence the use of the alternative title of the project: South Downtown Subarea Plan and EIS.
Project timeline is 2011-2013. The intent of the project is to develop an innovative area-wide long-range plan for the south end of downtown Tacoma and to complete the pre-development environmental review that will identify how to address environmental and community issues, ultimately reducing development uncertainties and risks for future projects and defining implementation timelines.
The project team is working closely with the Hillside Development Council, the Dome Business District Association and other property owners, businesses, residents and community members to insure that the priorities of these key stakeholders are represented in the outcomes of this project.
Key References
This project builds on work presented in the following plans, studies, and reports:
Area Specific Plans
Staff Contact