County Council recognizes Pacific Avenue corridor

At its Aug. 10 meeting, the Pierce County Council approved a resolution recognizing the Pacific Avenue corridor — State Route 7 in the Parkland-Spanaway area of unincorporated Pierce County — as a “high-priority area” for capital facility investment and initiating a review of capital improvement needs in order to “operationalize plans,” as principal policy analyst Hugh Taylor put it.

This will be done in conjunction with the establishment of the Pacific Avenue Rapid Transit system, a plan to construct 4.7 miles of dedicated transit lanes, articulated bus rapid transit vehicles and improvement of intersections and sidewalks. Per Resolution R2021-125, Planning and Public Works is directed to prepare a consolidated capital improvement plan for the corridor.

“Largely what this exercise is is bringing together a myriad of plans that have been done over the years bringing them together and being able to prioritize them and ready ourselves for our, perhaps, our funds at Pierce County, readying them for state and federal grants and investment opportunities,” Councilmember Ryan Mello said.
Calling it a “key piece to our overall growth planning,” Council Chair Derek Young went on to say, “We all benefit across the county when there is additional housing to meet the needs of the amount of growth we’ve been having, and we plan that growth where we have the most substantial capital investment and infrastructure. And so this corridor will be our priority because it’s going to be the place where we plan for the most growth.”
In other business, the council approved Resolution R2021-127, amending R2020-131 relating to the officers of the council’s Human Services Committee, to make Councilmember Jani Hitchens chair of said committee, replacing Young.

The council passed Resolution R2021-128, establishing times for upcoming retreats and Committee of the Whole meetings for the 2022-23 biennial budget planning process.
Three new members were approved to the Economic Development Corporation of Pierce County via passage of Resolution R2021-142: Bill Dickens, Becky Newton and Frank Boykin.

The council passed Resolution 2021-143, confirming the appointment of new member Kathy Young to the Personnel Board.

The council approved Resolution R2021-139, declaring Aug. 12 through Aug. 15, 2021, as “Pierce County Fair Weekend.”