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Puyallup council approves Bell Site development agreement after heated parking debate
Summary
The Puyallup City Council voted to approve a development agreement for a five‑story, 100‑unit downtown project known as the Bell Site, after residents and council members pressed for parking protections and infrastructure upgrades. Staff negotiated water‑main replacement and a 0.7‑stall/unit parking requirement to bridge forthcoming state changes.
The Puyallup City Council on Dec. 9 approved a five‑year development agreement for a private, five‑story multifamily project on the Bell Site near Pioneer and the Sounder station. City Manager Steve Kirkley summarized the proposal as 100 market‑rate units with about 70 on‑site parking stalls and a ground‑floor garage, and said the developer will replace a century‑old 10‑inch water main — an engineering value staff estimated at about $417,000.
Kirkley said the developer, Urban Puyallup LLC (associated with Urban Olympia), agreed to a 0.7 stall‑per‑unit requirement to bridge a state‑mandated reduction in parking minimums scheduled for July 2027. "If [the city] don't require that and development doesn't go forward now, all they have to do is wait until July 2027, and it would be 0.5 requirement," he said, arguing the agreement locks in a higher parking standard now.
Several downtown business owners and residents urged the council to prioritize parking. John Hopkins, who said he has owned downtown commercial property for 30 years, told the council: "Be proactive" and "gobble up those little lots" to reduce future parking pressures. Other commenters asked whether vacant parcels could be converted to surface parking and pressed for dedicated spaces for seniors; one speaker noted a recently negotiated set of 50 senior spaces tied to placards and enforcement.
Council discussion focused on balancing state transit‑oriented development mandates with local impacts. Members emphasized the city has limited ability to push back on statewide parking policy and underscored efforts to expand weekend access to roughly 800 Sound Transit parking spaces through negotiated hours. After deliberation, a motion to authorize the development agreement was made and approved by council voice vote.
The agreement is procedural authorization for the city to enter the contract; construction timing, final architectural details and the complete parking plan remain subject to permit review and subsequent building approvals. Staff told the council the development term in the agreement is five years and that design review and public benefits — including the water‑main replacement — are included in the negotiated terms.
Next steps: the development will proceed through the city's permit process and any additional public review required by code. The council did not change state law; members urged residents with parking concerns to continue working with staff on broader downtown parking strategies.
