Gig Harbor approves sewer service to new apartment complex. Project under review
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- Gig Harbor council approved boost in sewer service to serve 120-unit Trailside Apartments.
- Council reviewed sewer capacity and applicant Rush’s compliance with city code.
- Project still under Pierce County review; applicant submitted revised site plans Jan. 13.
The Gig Harbor City Council approved a request from Rush Development to increase city sewer service for a planned multifamily development north of the city, during the council meeting Jan. 12.
In May 2024, the city council approved the developer’s request for 112 ERUs of sewer service to serve Trailside Apartments. Rush realized they needed nine more, bringing the total to 121, while finalizing the project, city Public Works Director Jeff Langhelm told the city council Jan. 12. One ERU, or equivalent residential unit, is the amount of sewer service typically needed by a single residence.
The city council unanimously approved the increase, representing another step toward the construction of six buildings near the intersection of Canterwood Boulevard Northwest and Baker Way Northwest, north of St. Anthony’s Hospital. The 5.85-acre site is just outside city boundaries. The apartments will include a total of 120 units and provide 196 parking spaces, according to plans in the county’s public permit portal.
Recent news of residential developments coming to the Gig Harbor North area has raised some concern among current residents about how the growth will impact available infrastructure, The News Tribune reported. Scott Walker, vice president for Rush Residential, previously told The News Tribune that they regularly meet with local jurisdictions to check that their projects meet land use requirements and that they work with utility service providers to check that there is enough capacity to support new development.
The News Tribune reached out via email to Walker and Danny Kruse, a vice president for Rush Properties on Jan. 15, asking about the project’s status in the permitting process and when they hope to begin construction. Walker wrote that he handles the single-family residential side of the company and deferred to Kruse, who did not immediately respond.
At the city council meeting Jan. 12, Gig Harbor Public Works Director Jeff Langhelm emphasized that the city council needed to make their decision solely based on how the development would impact the city’s sewer system, since Pierce County is reviewing the overall project.
“And so impacts related to anything besides sewer shouldn’t be addressed or considered as part of this decision,” he said to the council. “It’s strictly based on the merits of do we have capacity and did they meet the requirements.”
Per the Gig Harbor Municipal Code, the city can provide sewer service to applicants who are located outside of city limits, provided they meet certain requirements such as agreeing to pay for the design, engineering and construction of the sewer service extension and to obtain all necessary permits at their own expense.
Areas outside the city’s Urban Growth Area, which state law defines as areas where “urban growth shall be encouraged and outside of which growth can occur only if it is not urban in nature,” have to meet more stringent requirements to receive city sewer service. Only when applicants can prove that the city will meet a public health, safety or environmental need and can do so in a way that is “financially supportable at rural densities,” will the city extend sewer service to areas outside the UGA. That’s the reason the city rejected Minterbrook Oyster Company’s request for increased sewer service to the site of a proposed oyster bar in Purdy, since it was outside the UGA, The News Tribune reported.
The city charges customers outside city limits at 1.5 times the rate that customers pay for sewer inside the city boundaries, per the Gig Harbor Municipal Code. The city uses its revenue from utility fees to cover the cost of providing those services, according to the sewer rates ordinance that took effect Jan. 1, 2026. The base rate for multifamily residential customers is $36.55 per month per living unit before city and state sales taxes, according to the ordinance approved by the city council Nov. 10.
The Pierce County permit portal shows that the project remains in review. The project’s engineering company, Contour Engineering, LLC, submitted revised plans Jan. 13 as part of the application for site development work.
This story was originally published January 18, 2026 at 5:30 AM.
