This quarter’s Development Officials’ Forum was hosted by Edgewood. They kicked the meeting off by discussing staffing levels and online permitting. Both topics spurred lengthy discussions between all of the jurisdictions. Below are the individual updates of each jurisdiction shared at the roundtable portion:
Pierce County:
- Permit numbers are similar to last year (at or above)
- TIF Phase 2 starts August 1st
- Commercial turnaround is slowing down due to school projects Initiating “Fast Fridays” to clear easy items out of the queue
Orting:
- Senior housing remains their #1 application item
- Undergoing a comp plan amendment to adjust commercial areas
Puyallup:
- Universal base plans: 3 permit types to run through then the City anticipates to partake in this program
- Strong commercial application levels
- Staff is digging out on backlog and will establish turnaround goals
- The City has added a planning technician and permit technician to staff
Gig Harbor:
- Industrial areas are booming 2 new school applications
- 500 homes in pipeline
- North end of town is almost filled up; commercial development to come
- Looking to hire in-house fire inspectors
- Electronic “over the counter” permit program interactive model is working well
Bonney Lake:
- Universal Base Plan Program: not there yet
- Only 11 single family permits have been processed yet 400 permits are in the system since the beginning of the year
- 6-8 week turnaround time
- System Development Charges are going up and builders are seeking to vest
- White River School District is charging SIF at $3700 for SF
- Many MF units are going in
- City is looking to build a new public works building
- Looking to hire a new building inspector
Edgewood:
- Many short plats going through (as many this year so far as there was last year total)
- Comp plan amendments are going through
- Looking to attract commercial development
Sumner:
- East side of Main is getting mixed use apartments and a library
- Residential permits are slowing down
- Industrial growth is picking up
- A hotel is going in at the north end of Sumner
Milton:
- Assisted living facility with 89 units is in the works
- Only short plat land is left around the city
- Building department is understaffed