The News Tribune (Lite) - City plays Scrooge with untimely process

TheNewsTribune.com
Section: Letters

City plays Scrooge with untimely process

SANDRA MACDONALD; Tacoma
Bah, humbug. The City of Tacoma just issued a Determination of Significance concerning the proposed development of Northshore Golf Course into 860 housing units.

It does not address recreation, transportation and schools because supposedly the agencies involved are willing to “mitigate” (in many cases, this means the agencies receive money from the developer to go along with the developer’s plans).

Meantime, Northeast Tacoma resident are likely to face overcrowded schools and/or busing kindergartners through heavy Port of Tacoma traffic. How does an agency mitigate for years of busing students in the main part of Tacoma?

Northeast Tacoma is far removed from the rest of Tacoma; we are practically in Federal Way. Some Northeast Tacoma students attend Federal Way and Fife schools, shifting our school, traffic and taxation problems to other cities and King County.

Why would the City of Tacoma wait until the week prior Christmas to start the 21-day public comment period? Why can the builder resubmit and resubmit additional application papers and conveniently force public comment period during the Christmas break?