Downtown Cornforth Campbell redevelopment draws parking concerns from residents and business owners

Public comment at the Jan. 7 Puyallup City Council meeting focused in part on parking concerns related to the Cornforth Campbell redevelopment and the broader downtown area.

John Hopkins, a long‑time downtown property owner who identified himself as "John Hopkins, District 1," said he reviewed the Cornforth Campbell plan and generally found it workable but raised parking as his chief concern, noting his three decades as a downtown property owner. "I'm going to talk about parking because I always do," Hopkins told the council, adding that new apartments often provide one parking space per unit and that nearby retail and restaurants will add demand for on‑street spaces.

Paul Romich, also speaking during citizen comment, supported the redevelopment as a model for productive mixed‑use lots but acknowledged the tradeoffs. He noted that adding on‑site parking consumes space and raises development costs; "each cost of parking or each parking stall costs anywhere from $10,000 to $40,000 a unit," Romich said, and those costs can be passed on to residents or consumers.

What was asked: Commenters urged the council and staff to consult adjacent business owners who will be most affected by any net reduction of on‑street parking and to consider parking mitigation or phased approaches so downtown businesses are not displaced by resident parking demand. Councilmembers acknowledged the concern and discussion noted that some city lots are being acquired to expand parking supply.

Next steps: The comments were part of the general public comment period; no formal agenda action was taken on the redevelopment at this meeting. Council members said staff will continue to engage with developers and business owners as planning proceeds.