Senior citizens unhappy with Puyallup’s plans to transform a downtown parking lot
The city of Puyallup wants to develop a downtown parking lot, and a group of senior citizens is not pleased.
The city opened a bidding process to convert the lot across the street from the Puyallup Police Department into a mixed-use space.
The lot at 303 3rd St. SW is zoned for apartments, office space and retail. Four developers applied by the March 17 deadline, according to city economic development director Meredith Neal.
The City Council will decide which project is selected.
Seniors who use the Puyallup Activity Center on West Pioneer Avenue tend to park in the lot, and they worry about their options once it is redeveloped.
Laurene Knutsen is concerned that taking away the parking lot will result in fewer people going to the activity center.
“When I moved in, I was thankful for the center because I use it four days a week because it is an outlet,” Knutsen said. “They talk about depression for the kids not going to school, but what about the seniors with no outlet? All of our friends are there and taking that parking space would be a great disservice to us.”
In a city survey, about 60 respondents were concerned about senior parking in the development, Neal said. An online survey was sent to the 1,500 people on the Puyallup Activity Center about the parking lot.
One of the city’s priorities in its downtown development plan is to add residential and commercial space. The parking lot is 800 feet from the Sounder Station and next to Meeker Elementary School.
Rent in Puyallup rose an average of 5.7 percent — higher than anywhere else in the Puget Sound last year, according to data from a real estate analytic company, CoStar.
Zoned in the Central Business District, Neal said the parking lot would be a catalyst for development downtown.
Neal believes that the coronavirus pandemic has changed the distance people are willing to travel for work.
“As they are looking at what’s coming next, and as COVID impacts change where people want to live and how they want to live, people are looking at some of the other parts of this region as more attractive than they might have before,” Neal said.
In the mid-1980s the lot held a grocery story and an apartment building, Neal said. Both were purchased by the city, and the grocery store was torn down by 1988. The two-story apartment building was converted to city offices and housed engineering, planning and permitting services and known as the “Administrative Office Building,” or “AOB.”
The office building was torn down after the current City Hall building was finished by early 2009, Neal said.
Lee & Associates, which is brokering the property, has estimated that the parking lot is worth $1.2 million to $1.5 million, according to records obtained by The Puyallup Herald.
City council member Jim Kastama represents downtown. He said the council is committed to ensuring seniors have adequate and close parking for the activity center.
He would like to see mixed retail shops on the first floor and apartment and condos above.
“It’s been vacant for years, and the infrastructure is just right for development. We are trying to attract investment to our downtown,” he said. “I think a vibrant downtown depends on bringing more residential growth downtown.”
In selecting a developer, Kastama said, it’s more important to find a bidder willing to accommodate senior citizen parking rather than choosing the highest offer.
Downtown district council member Robin Farris does not approve of the development. She wants more focus on the details, like a new overflow space for the police department and a full replacement for seniors.
“You can count me out on this,” she said. “ I don’t have a problem developing that if there was something we could offer our seniors that was comparable. We are absolutely not ready to make this decision without addressing these details.”
One hypothetical design included 90 parking spaces, 20 of which would be allocated to the senior center, according to a property brochure sent to developers.
“Some of the City’s specific desires include parking set-aside for community use (specifically for the senior center across the street),” the brochure said.
Knutsen said 20 spaces is not enough, because busy days can fill the 98-space parking lot.
“I’m very upset because we have too many senior citizens who need that parking so they can get to the center,” Knutsen said. “Some are on crutches or in a wheelchair or have knee problems. They can’t walk a great distance.”
Mary Butler has been involved with the Puyallup Activity Center since 2003, and she doesn’t think that the different parking ideas will work.
“I’ve taught classes to people who couldn’t find a place to park, and they didn’t come in in time,” Butler said.
Neal said the city is open to offering incentives like waiving traffic impact fees or a reduction in price for developers to include senior center parking.
The city could redesign 3rd Street Southeast to include angle-in parking on one side of the street, Neal said.
Seniors could also be given passes to park in other city lots for longer than the allotted time. A downtown parking study is underway, and there are currently a total of 2,481 parking spaces.
“I don’t think that Puyallup necessarily has too much parking, but I think that sometimes we don’t utilize the parking that we have the best we could,” Neal said.
Butler said angled parking and parking around town would be difficult for those with mobility issues.
Seniors want the city to look to the police and fire department lot across the street for redevelopment.
Central Pierce Fire & Rescue is moving to the The Puyallup National Guard Armory. The Puyallup Police Department is looking to build a new station on South Hill, but construction would require voters approval. The council’s initiative to get the $82 million project on the ballot has been stalled since the pandemic.
The Puyallup Activity Center did not respond to requests for comment. The center is run and operated by the city.
This story was originally published March 22, 2021 at 5:05 AM.
