[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6175696,"mediaKeyId","5354751-8d35c5e1ead3df5ec8a78414103d0261","parentId",5354751,"title","Milton planning commission begins shaping commercial design standards to boost walkability and curbside appearance","audioSeconds",2610,"startMs",1464000,"endMs",4074000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5354751-8d35c5e1ead3df5ec8a78414103d0261&start=1464&end=4074","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5354751-8d35c5e1ead3df5ec8a78414103d0261/thumbnail_1464000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6175696/Milton/Pierce-County/Washington/Milton-planning-commission-begins-shaping-commercial-design-standards-to-boost-walkability-and-curbside-appearance","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6175696-c918e47530447a50b4e7e62230b8f7f5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771098832&Signature=BJ3tgCmHqns04ddveZ9f7K9fRqo75M7osi7pzthy4PU6dNxFGELk2aSW4yosfQ8S82dkys-e7tg0aHkzciwAHQ5N0xr40yHAP6CF7~zCMnxEoBHoPDQ6l7tyd9xJwXoziTaOGEgz5kHpKS7f1ua6gyvS-1cdTR6B8Nk5GOGb9a7l3ExnuidScI5EXCuo7QNOHgR1njY1~EEUNxJZu7Lao8JZYICqx7DAGPiGykhf5XSfcT2tgT9EOU8J7YqEdcwcLoRn~KejBApzR1AVfSI6evWkNHrwpHsGi4KTDTT09N3hwAwNfaAep1ufNqVEsaO6VZ3xIrhHmAqSFsTIzBm~pg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Milton, WA","date","2025-07-10T14:28:06Z","article","Planning staff presented an initial draft of commercial and mixed‑use design standards intended to be applied beyond the Uptown area as a template for other commercial corridors. The draft focuses on pedestrian walkways, internal site sidewalks, building placement relative to the street, parking location, bike parking, public plazas and screening of service areas.

\"What I have tonight is simply I took what we currently have in our Uptown design for commercial,\" the planning staff member said, describing the draft as a base to extend to other commercial and mixed‑use areas. Staff emphasized that the draft currently highlights intent and higher‑level guidance, with technical dimensions (for example, exact sidewalk widths) to be added later.

The draft proposes requiring safe, continuous pedestrian connections from the public right‑of‑way to building entrances and recommended measures that could include sidewalks, colored paving treatments or other pedestrian‑priority elements. Staff said the section is the natural place to introduce site‑level bicycle parking requirements: \"Design is the perfect section for that ... we sort of threw in a ... placeholder to make them start thinking about that,\" the staff member said, noting staff could return with specific ratios (for example, one bike rack per X parking spaces) if the commission requests.

Commissioners discussed tradeoffs between locating buildings at the street with parking to the rear and allowing parking up front for businesses that rely on drive‑in customers. Commissioners also raised concerns about legacy strip‑mall areas (the Safeway complex was mentioned) and asked whether the standards could encourage incremental improvements — for example, screening dumpsters and cleaning back‑lot areas even where full redevelopment is unlikely.

The draft contains standards and examples for public spaces and plazas, weather protection at entrances, building materials and storefront transparency. Staff said the standards should be worded so that mandatory objectives use \"shall/must\" while examples and flexible methods use \"should,\" allowing the planning director or designee to approve alternative compliance when appropriate.

On building massing the draft includes articulation and modulation guidance so multi‑story buildings avoid long, uninterrupted facades. Staff described modulation as stepping or recessing facades so that large buildings do not create a continuous featureless wall. The draft also recommends corner features or plazas to improve the visual character of gateways into Milton while allowing alternatives if placing a building on the corner is not feasible.

Commissioners generally supported the direction but asked staff to return with more detailed text and, for some items, numerical standards and compliance thresholds (for example, when a facade renovation would trigger application of the standard). The commission agreed that next meeting should include a short recap of comments and then staff would move into multifamily design standards in a subsequent meeting.

Next steps: staff will bring refined text with optional numeric standards, sample compliance metrics for bike parking and sidewalks, and suggested language distinguishing mandatory objectives (shall) from illustrative measures (should). The commission did not adopt any standards at this meeting; the item remains in draft and will return for additional review.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Planning Commission 07/09/25","oneSentenceSummary","Planning staff presented draft commercial and mixed‑use design standards aimed at improving walkability, storefronts, parking configuration and site appearance and asked the Planning Commission for feedback to refine mandatory standards and flexible design options.","taxTitle","Milton, Pierce County, Washington","taxId",71994,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6175701,"Milton planners prepare comp‑plan and zoning updates to accommodate planned fire station",791,176000,967000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5354751-8d35c5e1ead3df5ec8a78414103d0261&start=176&end=967","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5354751-8d35c5e1ead3df5ec8a78414103d0261/thumbnail_176000.jpg","/articles/6175701/Milton/Pierce-County/Washington/Milton-planners-prepare-compplan-and-zoning-updates-to-accommodate-planned-fire-station","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6175701-1786d54db321c6a01bc28cc546b1906e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771098832&Signature=K39C6NFJIH4gS2Xzta1vBk~h8ExeJzPcq9prhD-2nWR7v5e6dYESxKUiAe2s2vxBVD3uxXxzJ-PEDTNFuA4izBykpP0C1hOCwBZkaUIqXtO~81ZqIUgQX2yMZOlAerLXPDGdPtNQ645KIF5Y3~KbmKJXstNdIYezi1DpuvHJSAqSd2wJJHhdAqzI4cw9ZoXOncWc3oMEyo76czh2LZPmQf2NCjYG3zMXjA14MO-IFUuhlXo2H4EAcukgC2sjQZbj5FqA-3afkZBwYUHMET9KLQl7JXIPHTfIILeuLjKdcbJ1886bByHF5-9GkYug6lYXa-quB-DZVq0ScSju1BTuPA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Planning staff told the City of Milton Planning Commission that the city's 2025 annual comprehensive‑plan update will include updated capital projects from Public Works and a map amendment to designate newly acquired parcels as \"community facilities\" to allow construction of a planned fire station, and staff asked the commission to open a public hearing next month on the package.

The amendment would add Public Works' six‑year capital improvement project numbers and schedules to the comp plan and change the map designation for parcels the fire department has purchased so that a station may be sited inside the city, planning staff said. \"We are allowed to once a year update the comprehensive plan,\" the staff member said, and staff intends to return next month with the materials needed for a hearing and later referral to city council.

The planning staff described a companion zoning update. To accommodate the fire department's plan, staff recommended reclassifying the parcels to a community‑facilities zone and adding fire or emergency service stations to the city's use table as a conditional‑use permit. \"My suggestion is that we do it as a conditional use permit because ... it allows the neighborhood meeting and the public hearing and ... allows us to do conditions,\" the staff member said, describing the higher level of review the city would use.

Commissioners asked questions about scope and timing. Commissioners pressed staff on whether the highlighted parcels represented all properties the fire department intends to purchase and on alternatives that would avoid an annual comp‑plan amendment. Staff said the parcels shown reflect what the department has purchased and that the commission could alternatively amend the zoning code to allow fire stations in certain residential or commercial zones so future purchases would not require a comp‑plan update. The staff member also said the comp plan may be updated only once a year, while zoning code amendments can occur more frequently.

Chair Elliott indicated support for advancing the process to public input: \"I'm in favor of a public hearing next month,\" Elliott said during the discussion. Several commissioners asked to hear from neighbors at a public hearing before sending a recommendation to council. Staff said if materials for the six‑year TIP and other updates are complete, the commission could hold a hearing at the next meeting and then forward a recommendation to the city council.

Beyond the fire‑station items, staff outlined related small zoning clarifications planned as part of an \"annual zoning update.\" Staff proposed clarifying the city's accessory‑dwelling‑unit definition to specify that ADUs must be permanent structures on permanent foundations, to differentiate ADUs from mobile or nonpermanent \"tiny homes.\" Staff also proposed adding language to address temporary sign spacing in the public right‑of‑way consistent with the 100‑foot spacing already required on private property, and to consider allowing vehicle repair uses in the business area where auto sales already are permitted.

No formal vote was taken on the comp‑plan or zoning package during the meeting. The commission provided direction to staff to prepare materials and hold a public hearing at the next meeting; staff intends to return with the updated comp‑plan map, the companion zoning amendments and the six‑year capital improvement project details for Planning Commission action and subsequent referral to council.

Next steps: planning staff will assemble the six‑year TIP data and zoning text amendments and publish hearing materials in advance of the next commission meeting. After the public hearing the commission may vote on a recommendation to forward the amendments to the City Council for final action.","Planning staff told the City of Milton Planning Commission that the city's 2025 annual comprehensive‑plan update will include updated capital projects and a map amendment to designate parcels the fire department has bought as community facilities to allow a new fire station.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Milton planning commission begins shaping commercial design standards to boost walkability and curbside appearance

Milton planners prepare comp‑plan and zoning updates to accommodate planned fire station