South Tacoma residents think this code change will protect water, promote green industry

South Tacoma residents are pushing for a change in the city’s code and comprehensive plan to foster environmentally friendly and sustainable industry for their neighborhood and protect drinking water.

The residents have proposed changes to South Tacoma Groundwater Protection District and a land-use designation change to Economic Green Zone, the first of its kind in the city.

The Tacoma City Council will hold a public hearing Tuesday on the proposed amendment to the Comprehensive Plan and Land Use Regulatory Code. The plan and code are generally updated once a year through amendments.

The proposed overlaying zoning and land-use control district changes would prevent the degradation of groundwater in the South Tacoma aquifer system by controlling the handling, storage and disposal of hazardous substances by businesses, according to a presentation of the Planning Commission’s annual amendment recommendations given to the Infrastructure, Planning and Sustainability Committee last month.

The South Tacoma aquifer supplies up to 40% of Tacoma’s backup water supply during summer’s peak, according to the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department. The aquifer is important to Tacoma’s future growth, according to Tacoma Municipal Code, which adopted the district in 1988. The aquifer, where groundwater is stored, is supplied by precipitation that seeps into the ground. Groundwater only supplies about 5% of Tacoma’s water in the summer and supplements the Green River water supply.

Heidi Stephens is the South Tacoma Neighborhood Council at-large board member. Stephens stated in the application for the proposed amendment that the changes would align with Tacoma’s economic and environmental goals, avoid further costly contamination and bring additional and progressive industrial revitalization to make South Tacoma a desirable business destination/manufacturing region.

The project’s goal is to prevent contamination by creating better protections and incentives for non-polluting industry, which would include prohibiting the expansion of metal recycling, metal shredding and auto-crushing facilities, periodically reviewing high-impact uses and having zero allowance or tolerance for hazardous substances storage.

The South Tacoma Economic Green Zone would prevent future projects like Bridge Point Tacoma. Bridge Industrial is in a permit-review process with the City of Tacoma for its Bridge Point Tacoma 2MM, which will be a three- or four-building industrial park on South Burlington Way.

A petition with more than 200 signatures supporting the South Tacoma Economic Green Zone stated: “As temperatures rise, less snowfall on Mt. Rainier means less run-off to the rivers which Tacoma relies on for one water source. Hot, dry summers (as we experienced last year, and are predicted to continue) means we will be more and more dependent on the South Tacoma Aquifer.”

The Planning Commission recommended the amendment be approved by the City Council.

The City Council also will hear feedback from Tacoma residents for a rezoning to allow NewCold to expand its cold storage facility on South Orchard Street. The current land-use designation is light industrial and the proposed designation of heavy industrial would allow for higher levels of noise, odor and heavy truck traffic.

The commission has also recommended the City Council approve the land-use change.

Stephen Atkinson, the principal planner of the city’s Planning and Development Services, said the applicant has indicated willingness to reroute traffic to South Mullen Street.

Atkinson said the commission wants to study the impacts of increased freight traffic on air quality and stormwater quality in South Tacoma to address concerns of the neighborhood’s industrial lands.

Public hearing

▪ Tuesday, 5:15 p.m.

▪ City Council chambers, first floor of the Tacoma Municipal Building, 747 Market St.

▪ Also via Zoom at https://zoom.us/j/84834233126, with meeting ID 848 3423 3126, and passcode 349099.

▪ Comments also accepted via email at cityclerk@cityoftacoma.org or by mail at City Clerk’s Office, 733 Market St., Room 11, Tacoma, WA 98402 by noon Tuesday.

This story was originally published June 6, 2022 at 11:24 AM.