Fife council affirms preferred City Center alternative, directs final EIS and planned-action ordinance

The Fife City Council on Feb. 11 unanimously affirmed a preferred alternative for the City Center subarea and directed staff to prepare a final environmental impact statement (final EIS) and a planned-action ordinance to implement new zoning around the planned Sound Transit light-rail station.

The preferred alternative, recommended by the Planning Commission and presented by city planning staff and consultants, aligns closely with Alternative 2 from the draft environmental impact statement (DEIS). That alternative is intended to meet the Puget Sound Regional Council and Pierce County growth targets studied in the DEIS (2,044 housing and employment growth units) and emphasizes medium-density mixed-use development, multimodal connections and community gathering space. The recommendation also incorporates inclusionary zoning incentives drawn from the higher-growth Alternative 3 and expands the city’s multifamily tax exemption (MFTE) program across the City Center to encourage affordable units.

Why it matters: Council members and staff said the action frames how the city will plan for growth and…