[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-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",[32,75,87,99],{"_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",6159646,"mediaKeyId","5453133-32de7984a367b5d9fa972408e17698b2","parentId",5453133,"title","Puyallup School District seeks permanent closure of Seventh Street NW after safety pilot study","audioSeconds",1381,"startMs",7251000,"endMs",8632000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5453133-32de7984a367b5d9fa972408e17698b2&start=7251&end=8632","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5453133-32de7984a367b5d9fa972408e17698b2/thumbnail_7251000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6159646/Puyallup/Pierce-County/Washington/Puyallup-School-District-seeks-permanent-closure-of-Seventh-Street-NW-after-safety-pilot-study","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6159646-42870e7417a90592adafad917da88457/orig.mp4?Expires=1775195382&Signature=fxCjxJEpFwV1CtpMI4EQrbQp3a8vaVoH1a~O29vh~iZaI4AlCIEVAbaaKUpbk881Mo0ddmHzt4NsvYck6le7TxBLRtjrNqb1B4SdnGU0zmu5CaQ8fXtHzSO~Zs91UFi2C0L~MK2IoqIXJDScc6JSf0Ncx6McOtBJcSMwYwOiFzTO6fjj6rcay~g7rc50h387KlDQZrrFld0M3pXDdD34dauq92wqHloMETIsmZ2xJUyILOyE8fBoTADTC1TIAdSuDdtNdteArQDLWrg1iEC4527CyIqxSUQMEKYAzhdJpe91JZZ~r8FrtfSMznMMqlchXJPv0vaKZwDm5-373JQWRg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Puyallup, WA","date","2025-07-23T16:45:52.537Z","article","Puyallup School District staff and its traffic consultant presented data July 22 on a pilot closure of Seventh Street Northwest between the Puyallup High School gym and portable classrooms. The district asked the council to receive the report and indicated it will petition the city for a permanent street vacation if the city concurs.

Assistant Superintendent Dr. Vincent Pacquia and Brian Devereaux, director of facilities planning, described campus constraints: Puyallup High sits on roughly 15 acres, with a permanent building capacity of 1,262 students and a total capacity including portables of about 1,735. The district said enrollment rose from 1,623 students in October 2023 to 1,730 in October 2024, with 1,691 students reported in February 2025 (excludes full-time running-start students).

Traffic consultant Marnie Heffron reviewed before‑and‑after counts and video evidence. The district closed the street temporarily on Dec. 23, 2024 using lockable barriers and gates that allow emergency access. Heffron described the before condition as “chaotic” with students crossing between cars and vehicles performing parallel‑parking maneuvers; the after condition showed calmer pedestrian movement but produced modest traffic diversion to nearby Second and Eighth streets. The consultant reported increases on those diversion routes on the order of tens to a couple of hundred vehicles per hour during peak windows but said intersection operations remained within acceptable levels and that 85th‑percentile speeds on the affected streets were generally within 20 mph of posted limits.

The district plans further design work and proposed next steps: reengage neighbors and the school community, refine curb-use and parking controls, consider modest hardscape improvements for a permanent plaza-like closure (instead of temporary barricades), and submit a formal street‑vacation petition so the city can review environmental, traffic and maintenance implications. The district tentatively targets late August for a community meeting to present the petition and said physical improvements would likely occur in 2026 if the city approves a permanent vacation.

Several council members voiced conditional support but asked for stronger design standards than the temporary barriers: Councilmember Johnson said a permanent closure should not be opened again for special events and urged a plaza‑grade design rather than temporary concrete blocks; others asked the district to ensure robust outreach to nearby residents and to provide additional data on any parking impacts and collision history.

No council vote on the vacation petition was taken at the meeting; the district said it would return after additional neighborhood engagement and when it files the formal petition.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City of Puyallup Council Meeting July 22, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Following a pilot closure begun in December 2024, the school district presented a traffic study showing improved pedestrian safety and modest traffic diversion; the district plans to petition the city for a permanent vacation of the street.","taxTitle","Puyallup, Pierce County, Washington","taxId",54129,"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},6159651,"City’s federal earmark advances in House; state capital requests win funding as lobbyists outline fiscal outlook",119,5058000,5177000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5453133-32de7984a367b5d9fa972408e17698b2&start=5058&end=5177","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5453133-32de7984a367b5d9fa972408e17698b2/thumbnail_5058000.jpg","/articles/6159651/Puyallup/Pierce-County/Washington/Citys-federal-earmark-advances-in-House-state-capital-requests-win-funding-as-lobbyists-outline-fiscal-outlook","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6159651-266379f7a0d0949dc216bcafd7b79c95/orig.mp4?Expires=1775195382&Signature=HvWRm1fPuNCtZJDhVkvNv9m-~NkmkW1paQBFqFLn2rZYCJt~Bek0A4AepxRX3Fq5LvyEgnOdp2DehJs3F1~BdzYgjfU1KLEn6UOzNBZuVX~nTgo0gx4dVRAHHVEIOnxYWjxvTV-bDNKiTAGy3TDnGd63rNxaIoCqDacX0-q7MPYbuYxj3t63s9dEOre0sUPAghGha7e3uEAJ79ixqkYVd44Vg0rDaiyxDY8DSI8M3cG5a-4HpcQutkE7xFtGOBxYOdtuBwwMVzlLcuzzh04L8bd4UP2w3MbFNjH1Htzq-vX2wS1YKrcomo9iPeXYgE4Q~suXE~t5ucHfANTjjupg3A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City lobbyists and the city’s public-affairs officer briefed the council on July 22 about federal and state advocacy work, earmark requests and recent budget outcomes.

On the federal side, lobbyist Jen Covino told the council that two city earmark requests were submitted to Congress this year. Congresswoman Strickland advanced the Meeker Street improvement project to the House Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (T‑HUD) appropriations bill; the House bill included $850,000 for Meeker Street ADA and streetscape work. A second request, for a police designated crisis-responder program supported by the city and submitted via Senator Cantwell, was not selected by the Senate Appropriations Committee for further consideration.

At the state level the city scored two capital-budget awards. The state will provide $901,000 for the Meeker Street improvement project (festival-street/street‑scaping work) and $773,000 for Phase N‑1B of the Fourth Street Northwest stormwater main, which will reduce flooding risk downtown and support future development. City staff said final design and procurement are underway; Meeker construction is tentatively scheduled to begin in early 2027 and the stormwater work is targeted for 2026 construction.

Federal-lobbying discussion also covered recent national legislation. Covino summarized a large budget-reconciliation package signed into law in July (described in the briefing as the “1 big beautiful bill”), noting it made durable changes to low-income housing tax credits, extended the New Markets Tax Credit and preserved municipal bond tax-exempt status — changes lobbyists said could unlock new financing tools for local projects. She also flagged that some appropriations bills circulating in the House included provisions responding to a presidential executive order on DEI and cautioned cities to monitor legal developments and court challenges related to DEI conditions on federal grants.

State lobbyists Jim Hedrick and Luke Esser summarized the 2025 legislative session and budget outlook. They said the 2025–27 state operating budget is a bare-bones package that closed a prior $10 billion to $16 billion gap using $9 billion in new revenue and $6 billion in cuts. They highlighted a new local-option public-safety sales tax (0.1%) and a $100 million state competitive grant program for local law enforcement funded through the budget, both with eligibility conditions and limited-duration funding. The lobbyists also noted major housing bills (including parking-minimum preemption and transit-oriented development rules) and a 6‑cent state gas-tax increase to shore up the transportation budget.","City lobbyists reported that a federal earmark for Meeker Street improvements was included in the House T-HUD bill, while a separate earmark for a police designated-crisis responder program was not taken forward by the Senate. At the state level Puyallup received capital-budget awards for Meeker Street and a Fourth Street stormwater main.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6159655,"City holds public hearing on interim middle-housing zoning; developers warn rules may conflict with state law",156,4420000,4576000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5453133-32de7984a367b5d9fa972408e17698b2&start=4420&end=4576","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5453133-32de7984a367b5d9fa972408e17698b2/thumbnail_4420000.jpg","/articles/6159655/Puyallup/Pierce-County/Washington/City-holds-public-hearing-on-interim-middle-housing-zoning-developers-warn-rules-may-conflict-with-state-law","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6159655-65626b6ad8a30d5a08aa6de562e729fc/orig.mp4?Expires=1775195382&Signature=DpFkvUmjubetEz6GX6A6BC433CVCFBo1Hb1~PZbd9oyP6min0oDwsffxEAO4A6E4bsmaC9BpC935mE1eayPKVqdPLkGs8oEUrx4MW2U1vAMqBby8GKpBcOGk0XzUkLrqNvWo7abaUfv5ZEGFlqW-8Osp47GitLMT-6lU5C~1jimmYpInFQzDX4iUJ0GjVK96joaKsB10o1iAIqae0~imCGmH9HVXXd8YOLfrJqsYffOuYaFBT7cSknJG16ysR6Lnv7RpIZ281Ri86FUYeKKBG7wtr3jxpoacEZFB2DX5AmIKwJiPs2RlGoFevMdSnkIH369KaaDMTXcg8C0r7GqREA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Puyallup City Council held a public hearing on July 22 regarding interim zoning regulations the city adopted in June to comply with Washington’s middle‑housing law (House Bill 1110).

Planning staff explained the interim code creates a temporary section allowing middle-housing types (duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, stacked flats, townhouses and cottage housing) in single‑family residential zones. The interim rules permit two middle‑housing units per lot normally and up to four units where a lot lies within a quarter‑mile of a major transit stop or when one unit is affordable. The interim ordinance took effect June 22 and will remain in place for 180 days unless extended.

Paul Romich, a District 1 resident and long-time participant in the plan process, testified in favor of allowing middle housing and urged the city to prioritize infill to reduce sprawl and housing costs. The Master Builders Association of Pierce County raised concerns in testimony and a written letter: association representative Aaron Hollenberg said the city’s interim restrictions — which limit middle housing in parts of the city (for example, on lots in mapped critical areas and the volcanic hazard/Lahar zone) — may be inconsistent with state law and could be viewed as singling out middle housing in a way that conflicts with HB 1110.

Planning staff said the interim approach was adopted to meet a June 30 compliance deadline and to allow staff, the planning commission and the community additional time to develop permanent regulations. Staff emphasized the interim rules were crafted to limit development only where constrained by critical areas or hazard buffers and to reconcile the city’s hazard mapping with state requirements.

No council action was required at the hearing; comments will be used as staff and the planning commission prepare a permanent ordinance. Builders urged clearer, less restrictive options for locating middle housing near existing infrastructure; resident speakers urged the city to enable more infill and take advantage of existing services.

The city’s planning division said the next steps are: incorporate public input, work with the planning commission on a permanent code, and return to council with a proposed permanent ordinance before the interim code expires.","The council held a public hearing on interim zoning adopted to comply with House Bill 1110; builders warned the draft restrictions could conflict with state requirements while a resident speaker urged denser infill.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6159660,"Puyallup council approves 2044 comprehensive plan after contentious public comment on equity and tribal history",5802,293000,6095000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5453133-32de7984a367b5d9fa972408e17698b2&start=293&end=6095","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5453133-32de7984a367b5d9fa972408e17698b2/thumbnail_293000.jpg","/articles/6159660/Puyallup/Pierce-County/Washington/Puyallup-council-approves-2044-comprehensive-plan-after-contentious-public-comment-on-equity-and-tribal-history","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6159660-7adf4629b2b70f9801c5a87a79f307be/orig.mp4?Expires=1775195382&Signature=SXmahpXzUPZFhiBDI9GbLOY3T8HbdcuycNnX3xVsIxCFN~W1C3uMfsi-KdgYsYDpCcdMNcgRSbAgFBaR7pnLLjHQKoIPv8114xa-fV3Kpkm7xO1MVmCgGU424jb6TNRmWiAez~iXIuRCty4msoTwCNylcAoDitjz~eO4I0Th5fDorIyx3S0ci9t4MKcUedTgPRqbQuywUzIOQfKH5eSPGKoQSLea6coKCEJbGtntCU5Dy0MY~FWx9zVa2a1eCfG7-aXYSFVoxjIistYPYkDtRw4aUxNLOuOn5R88LllkZdJ4-pnm3mY3SgZwUpynPVW6mrkJsleHTWNywyX8jkDgCw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Puyallup City Council adopted the second reading of the 2044 comprehensive plan update on July 22, approving the ordinance by a 4-3 roll-call vote after an extended public-comment period in which dozens of residents urged the council either to keep explicit equity language and references to the Puyallup Tribe’s history or to change the document to avoid potential conflicts with state and federal rules.

The decision comes amid sharply divided views in the community about proposed amendments that would replace the word “equity” with “equality,” remove or revise explicit references to the Puyallup Tribe and to the Medicine Creek Treaty, and change climate-related wording. Supporters of keeping the original language said deleting equity and historical language would erase lived experience and risk state funding; supporters of the amendments said the revisions seek race-neutral, legally defensible language and to avoid future litigation.

Councilmembers and community speakers framed the stakes differently: critics argued deleting equity and tribal-history language whitewashes the past and contradicts state expectations, while supporters said the revisions focus policy on measurable disadvantage rather than ancestry. The council heard repeated warnings during public comment that altering the plan could jeopardize state approval and associated funding; Jeff Watson, a resident and auditor, explicitly cited “Revised Code 36 .78 .070” as a state statutory requirement (as referenced in the meeting) and urged the council not to replace “equity” with “equality.”

Most of the public speakers — residents, educators, faith leaders and tribal members — urged the council to keep explicit equity language. Commenters invoked local history including the Medicine Creek Treaty and the Puyallup Tribe’s long presence in the region, and many said removing those references would feel like erasure. Several speakers also raised climate concerns and urged explicit climate language be retained in the plan.

Council discussion before the vote reiterated competing priorities. Councilmember Whiting said she would not support second reading and called for more work; Councilmember Adler said the draft and the community engagement behind it deserved passage as written and said she would vote no on the amended version; Councilmember Dorr said he would vote no, citing representativeness and legal risk. Councilmember Johnson moved the second-reading motion; after debate the council took a roll-call vote. The tally: Adler — Nay; Johnson — Aye; Deputy Mayor King — Aye; Gilliam — Aye; Whiting — Nay; Dorr — Nay; Mayor Kasemath — Aye. The ordinance passed.

The council’s final measure adopts the planning commission’s periodic update with the contested edits in place as of the second reading. Councilmembers who opposed the measure said they would continue to seek more public engagement and expressed concern about potential state compliance and litigation. Those who supported it said the amended language targets measurable disadvantage rather than ancestry and aims to keep the plan legally defensible while still recognizing community needs.

The council did not adopt further direction at the meeting to reopen or delay implementation; several councilmembers and many public commenters urged additional outreach and possible follow-up language refinements. Implementation details, including how the plan’s language will guide future land-use and housing decisions, are expected to emerge in staff briefings and subsequent meetings.

Residents who addressed the council during the public-comment period included longtime Puyallup residents, teachers, veterans, faith leaders and tribal members; many asked the council to delay action or to preserve the planning commission’s original phrasing. The council clerk limited each speaker to three minutes under the standard public-comment rules.

With the vote concluded, the update is now in effect as the city’s guiding comprehensive plan for the next 20 years. The council and staff signaled intent to continue community outreach on particular implementation items and to track whether the revised language affects state review or funding approvals going forward.","After more than three hours of public comment focused on removal of diversity, equity and inclusion language and revisions to tribal history, the Puyallup City Council adopted a second-reading ordinance updating the 2044 comprehensive plan by a 4-3 vote.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Puyallup School District seeks permanent closure of Seventh Street NW after safety pilot study

City’s federal earmark advances in House; state capital requests win funding as lobbyists outline fiscal outlook

City holds public hearing on interim middle-housing zoning; developers warn rules may conflict with state law

Puyallup council approves 2044 comprehensive plan after contentious public comment on equity and tribal history