This mega-warehouse project would replace farmland in Pierce County. Here’s what to know
The process of developing a mega-warehouse project on Knutson Farms land is moving along.
The city of Puyallup released a draft environmental impact statement in December about the proposed seven-warehouse project that would sit between Shaw Road East and the Puyallup River.
The News Tribune previously reported that The Michelson Organization, based in St. Louis, is the developer. The company did not immediately respond to The News Tribune’s request for comment regarding the draft EIS.
The 1,348-page report analyzes how the warehouses might impact the environment as well as steps that could be taken to mitigate that.
The warehouses, totaling up to 2.6 million square feet, would be in unincorporated Pierce County. However, the site is within Puyallup’s urban growth area.
Those who want to comment on the draft environmental impact statement can do so online at knutsonfarmseis.org/#your-comments. Residents can also leave a voicemail at 253-251-2959.
Comments can also be emailed to comment@knutsonfarmseis.org or mailed to:
Puyallup City Hall
Attn: Knutson Farms EIS comments
333 South Meridian
Puyallup, WA 98371
The public comment period ends Friday, March 15.
The city held an in-person open house Jan. 17 at Pierce College to discuss the environmental impact statement and answer questions from the public. The city also held a virtual meeting Jan. 11.
The mega-warehouse project has a long history. Former City Council member John Palmer told The News Tribune that Pierce County received the proposal in 2014.
Palmer said the county determined the warehouse would not impact the community, but the city said otherwise. The city wanted to prepare an environmental impact statement, but the county didn’t want to.
The city eventually took the issue to the state Supreme Court. In 2019 the judges ruled in favor of the city and its right to prepare an environmental impact statement.
The city began work on the environmental impact statement about four years ago, Palmer said. One of the parts that stood out to him from the report was that traffic would increase on Shaw Road East.
The report also shows two alternatives — one that integrates a rail line and one that reduces the site plan. Palmer said the alternative that would reduce the site plan is a “good first attempt” to mitigate any impacts.
The city plans to issue a final environmental impact statement by summer 2024. The development has not been approved yet. The city would issue some of the permits for the project.
Palmer said after the final EIS is issued, the developer would need to develop a site plan that is consistent with the EIS. If it is not consistent, then that would slow things down.
Pierce County public information specialist Michelle Kircher wrote in an email that the county would review most of the permit applications for the project.
Kircher said Knutson Farms, Inc. and Running Bear Development Partners, LLC are the applicants. Running Bear Development Partners is affiliated with The Michelson Organization.
It’s hard to say when construction could start, if the project is approved. An application submitted to the county in 2021 listed the “proposed time for completion of the proposal” as three to five years.
