The Milton Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend city council adopt the draft 2025 updates to the comprehensive plan, including an amendment to the future land use map to reclassify property East Pierce Fire and Rescue has purchased as community facilities. The public hearing was opened at 6:05 p.m. for PLN 202500005 and closed after one public speaker.

The change affects parcels now owned by East Pierce Fire and Rescue; the department presented the map amendment as the first step toward building a permanent station. John Parkinson, identified in public comment as “the fire chief of East Pierce Fire and Rescue located in Bonney Lake,” told the commission the acquisition and project had been “a multiyear project for East Pierce Fire and Rescue to both acquire the land and then make sure that we have a fund the funding to build a fire station here in Milton.” Parkinson also said the department had begun staffing a temporary Milton station “in the parking lot here, 247365,” and that “we have the funding set aside to now move the project forward.”

The staff presentation said the comprehensive plan update is twofold: (1) a routine update to the city's six-year capital facilities plan so it aligns with utility plans and upcoming infrastructure schedules, and (2) a map amendment to change the designation of the parcels East Pierce Fire and Rescue has purchased from their current category to “community facilities.” Staff told the commission a related zoning amendment to make fire and emergency service facilities a conditional use in the community facility zone will follow as a separate hearing; that zoning step would trigger a public hearing and a neighborhood meeting before the hearing examiner.

Commissioners discussed the item briefly. Commissioner Boyle said she was “glad that East Pierce was able to get that property and that we are putting it as a community facility.” Commissioner Johnson asked whether the map change would affect prior edits to the comp plan; staff replied that the change would be limited to the parcels identified and that previously adopted comp plan map changes remain in place. When Johnson asked whether moving the land to community facilities would exempt the property from property taxes, staff answered, "The zoning won't exempt them. The facility will exempt them."

After discussion the commission moved and seconded a motion "to recommend to the city council the draft 2025 updates to the comprehensive plan as presented and discussed." The motion passed unanimously.

The recommendation to council is advisory; the city council must take final action. The commission recorded the matter as PLN 202500005 for the comprehensive plan annual update. Staff said the zoning amendment to follow will be scheduled as a separate hearing and will include community notification and a public hearing before the hearing examiner.

What happens next: the recommendation will be forwarded to city council for its decision. The zoning amendment to allow fire and emergency service facilities as a conditional use in the community facilities zone will be the subject of a later hearing and will include the public-notice steps described by staff.