Council Legislation

Proposed Ordinance No. 2021-36

Title: An Ordinance of the Pierce County Council Vacating a Portion of 38th Avenue East Right-of-Way Located in the Southeast Quarter of Section 2 and the Southwest Quarter of Section 1, Township 18 North, Range 3 East of the Willamette Meridian, in the Frederickson Area.

Status: Passed

Sponsors: Councilmembers Amy Cruver

Final votes

June 29, 2021
Aye Aye Aye Aye Aye Aye Aye


Documents
Additional legislative records are available below Collapse All  Expand All
 

Public Comments

Name Date Comment
Joe Zaichkin 5/27/21 12:52 PM Dear Councilmembers, As much as I support helping to develop commercial growth in Pierce County I think this proposal is short-sighted. I thought 38th Ave E in Frederickson was a "Premier-Priority" roadway. I remember mentions in some district 3 meetings about future plans to extend the commercial possibilities out to Roy. If we vacate this right-of-way now how can we truly plan for future roadways? There are too many questions to list. Did Ashley know about this "premier-priority" roadway when they purchased these parcels? Why does the county pay for these reports when they can be changed so easily? Isn't "Premier-Priority" the highest classification for the county roads? The questions keep coming. I believe we need to look to the future, long-term traffic concerns and listen to the studies and reports that have answered many of the questions this ordinance needs to consider. Respectfully, Joe Zaichkin Graham Advisory Commissioner District 3 24315 116th Ave E Graham, WA
David M Friscia 6/2/21 11:35 AM I oppose this attempt by one property owner to violate the Community Land Use Plan that protects the land use rights thousands of other property owners in the area. The Community property owners need the 3 mile link between Frederickson and Graham. Making the link from 204th Street East north to 176th Street East would save the thousands of existing property owners travel time and money.
James L Halmo 6/8/21 9:21 AM June 8, 2021 Members of the Pierce County Council Economic and Infrastructure Development Committee Ref: Proposed Ordinance No. 2021-36 I testified previously via Zoom before the Council’s Community Development Committee on the vacation of the right of way along 38th Avenue. I wish to comments about some of the information which was given to you about the Graham Community Plan’s proposed extension of 38th Avenue north, from the intersection with Wright Avenue up to and crossing 208th Street East (the Urban Growth line). First, the extension would be the first County roadway connecting 224th Street in Graham with 176th Street. There is no other roadway making that connection with the exception of two State Highways -–7 and 161. We have to ‘zig and zag’ our way driving north from 224th Street. Second, comments were made abut critical areas and wetlands on that stretch of proposed roadway in the Graham Pan area. I found a copy in the County files of what wetlands exist on that land parcel. Wetlands are not near the proposed 38th Avenue corridor. They are found on the West side of the proper, not on the East side. Third, While there exists a large “dip” along 208th Street, drivers’ caution could be dealt with by reducing the posted speed limit as well as placing cautionary electrical signs on east side of the proposed intersection. We find them around the County. They work. \ Fourth. The Transportation budget shows that the cost of improving the 38th Avenue E from 200th Street to Wright Street E is $5,600,000 (Project F6). That same road length, as listed in the Graham projects (Project G2) of the County’s Comprehensive Plan Transpiration Element is $4,030,000. A major difference. Mr. Chairman, maybe be can do a more efficient job coming out of Graham’s rural lands areas!! Fifth, I oppose the almost free give-away of county rights of way. They should be evaluated at today’s market land values. That calculation could be done easily by the County’s Assessor-Treasurer’s Office. Developers must pay the assessed value at today’s prices, not what may have existed back in 1970, the year that the right of way was created. There should be no free lunch. Finally, I oppose the proposed vacation of 38th Avenue in the Frederickson Community Plan area, and recommend that you vote ‘No’ on the proposed Ordinance. Sincerely, James L. Halmo 9806 247th Street Ct. East Graham, WA 98338 (253) 875-1890 jimh1890@hotmail.com
Allan Bogh 6/22/21 1:59 AM I oppose ordinance 2021-36, the plan to vacate 38th Ave for Ashley Furniture. The reason is that 38th should be extended as planned to 208th (and beyond to 224th), and 208th should be improved for additional truck traffic, including the creation of bike lanes and sidewalks for safe pedestrian use all the way East to 46th. These businesses will need additional support from the county in terms of resources, such as fire, electrical, water, and internet, yet they rarely invest in those resources. The county continues to increase the number of industrial buildings but has yet to complete one neighborhood of fiber internet. The burden of the services is often on the tax payer, making home owners pay additional taxes for things like fire support where these large businesses should be covering a greater percentage than they do. They build bottling plants for water and increase the price for consumers. They increase traffic and damage roads with larger trucks and the public has to cover the bill. Please build the roads as previously planned to support the homeowners in the area, not the new businesses that have yet to be built.
Brenda Williamson 6/22/21 8:06 PM The current hodge-podge of turns to get to 208th would not be improved by this proposal. Better to have a straight shot to 208th and hopefully 224th. Once you build a building in the logical path of a road, it is game over. There is no chance of changing it for generations.- I don't see that this proposal would do anything to help congestion on Canyon, as is suggested in the description. Cars would still need to go the full length of Canyon (to 200th) before turning west to take advantage of this. And 34th doesn't go through to anything. It is just continuing the twists and turn to get to anything south of 200th.