Puyallup City Council members didn’t take any action last week following deliberations on two components to the River Road Corridor Plan.

A first reading and public hearing on an ordinance that would have designated the River Road Mixed Use Zone as a residential target area for tax abatement incentives went nowhere, as did a first reading on an amending ordinance that would have required all structures 4,000 square feet or larger in the RMX zone be subject to review and approval by the city’s design review and historic preservation board.

“You’re looking at a council that is so different from before,” Mayor Rick Hansen said. “There are seven opinions up there, and seven people actively involved in anything that comes to us. We have a lot of very smart people. People who are passionate and active, and they’re not just going to move forward. They’re going to be certain about their decisions. They didn’t feel these (two items) needed to be acted upon.”

Deputy Mayor John Knutsen said he was tickled with the style and personality of the new council. He added that this isn’t a “rubber stamp” council.

“I think these are all smart individuals,” Knutsen said. “They don’t always agree with me, but their arguments are always solid. The administrative staff has to take notice of this.”

The meeting Feb. 7 was a big night for the River Road Corridor Plan. According to city documents, the plan was approved in two steps: the plan’s policy element was approved last July, and the implemented code standards were introduced to the council in October and November.

One code standard policy considered by the city planning commission was “strong incentives” that would encourage affordable housing in the RMX zone, which would adhere to the state’s Growth Management Act that encourages choices in different housing. When the River Road Corridor Plan was approved in November, it endorsed affordable-housing incentives in the proposed mixed use area.

The public hearing and first reading last week was aimed to implement that provision and expand the residential target area in Puyallup’s Central Business District to also include the RMX zone on the north side of River Road and points west.

Residents who spoke were opposed to the tax-abatement incentive on new housing built within the RMX zone.

“This ordinance needs a lot of thought before it is approved,” said Steve Shores, District 1 resident. “I really feel that this is not being driven by affordable housing but being driven by development.”

Tim Shirts told the council they should consider reassessing the validity of the entire River Road Corridor Plan. He said the plan as written represents the vision of the previous council and that voting on the tax-abatement incentives would be like putting the cart before the horse.

David Couch asked council members to vote the incentive down.

“I think the council should think of the people who live here now,” he said. “Let’s not give tax breaks those who don’t live here yet.”

Part of the discussion related back to the Central Business District and the residential target area that was established there in 2003. That year, the city council passed PMC 3.70, which created tax incentives in the residential target area. It was provided for by state law in RCW 84.14.

But PMC 3.70 did not include the affordable housing component until 2007, when the state amended the RCW to include the affordable housing.

“When it was passed in 2003, the property tax abatement for 10 years was not emphasizing affordable housing but emphasizing 100 percent market-rate housing,” said Steve Kirkelie, assistant city attorney for the City of Puyallup.

Kirkelie said the tax-abatement incentive for the RMX zone would’ve been specified for a 12-year period if 20 percent of more of the units in a project were designated as affordable. When the discussion came forward, council member John Palmer was positive about the incentive.

“I think this is good policy,” he said. “This tax incentive is important to facilitate the River Road Corridor Plan.”

Palmer made a motion to make clear that the tax-abatement incentive would only be for the 12-year period with the specified conditions, but his motion wasn’t seconded.

“I was trying to make a point that the tax revenue to the city, even during a tax-abatement period, is much better than having just a vacant lot,” Palmer said.

Council member Tom Swanson said he wasn’t entirely opposed to the incentive. It should be considered as a tool, but there’s a time and place for it, he said.

“We should ask ourselves a test question: ‘Does this increase the overall economy with this tax abatement?’ ” he said.

Knutsen is opposed to a tax-abatement incentive.

“We don’t need to give a tax abatement to bring people in,” he said. “We don’t seem to have a problem attracting people to move here.”

Knutsen is opposed to the idea of multi-family housing abutting the Puyallup River.

“The probability of flooding increases each year,” he said.

No action was taken on giving authority to the design review board to review designs on structures in the RMX zone, because a majority of council members felt strongly that more control should be given to city staff members and the council instead.

“Sometimes a board like that can tie things up and discourage development,” Knutsen said.

Hansen said he is looking forward to when the city council discusses policy issues during its retreat on Feb. 24 at the Hampton Inn.

“After we have our retreat, will be unified in our direction,” he said. “We have an opportunity to get a lot of work done.”

Reach Puyallup reporter Andrew Fickes at 253-841-2481 Ext. 313 or email at andrew.fickes@puyallupherald.com.