Council pulls comprehensive-plan item 5B after staff request; Washington State Fair urges inclusion when rescheduled

The Puyallup City Council removed item 5B — a set of comprehensive-plan map amendments that included requests from the Washington State Fair — from the May 13 agenda after a motion by Councilmember Johnson.

Councilmember Johnson moved to strike item 5B from the agenda, saying parts of the proposed comprehensive plan "need more study before we bring it up." The motion was seconded and carried with one nay; the mayor announced the item was removed.

Tom Utterback, representing the Washington State Fair, told the council the fair supports staff’s recommendation on its map amendments and asked that council include the fair’s requests in the ordinance when the item is taken up. Utterback referenced the council packet and told members staff had recommended approval of the fair’s map amendment embedded in the overall package: "the packet does have a exhibit e... Staff discusses the Washington State Fair amendments and concludes that the staff recommends the Washington State Fair map amendment request be approved by city council as a part of the 20 20 44 comp plan amendment package." He added, "the fair supports that staff recommendation and hopes that council will follow through and include that within your ordinance."

Several council members later expressed frustration at postponing the comprehensive-plan work. Councilmember Whitting said, "we've been working on this comp plan for a year ... I think we shouldn't take postponing this issue on our agenda quite so lightly." Councilmember Whiting also urged that the council move the work forward so that related code amendments can follow.

No final action on the map amendments was taken; rezones connected to the comp plan were described as coming later and will return to council at a future meeting.