Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Works Code Update topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Lakewood staff outline broad Title 12 and ESM update; permit backlog, Pierce County sewer and street ends draw questions
Summary
City staff briefed the Planning Commission on a comprehensive update to Title 12 (Public Works Code) and the Engineering Standards Manual, describing stormwater alignment with Ecology manuals, relocating sewer connection language to Title 13, a migrating permit system (about 2,200 active permits, ~30–40% migrated), and concerns about street ends, tree removal near Hilltop Lane and downtown traffic mitigation fees.
City staff provided an extended briefing Dec. 3 on proposed amendments to Lakewood’s Title 12 (Public Works Code) and the Engineering Standards Manual (ESM), describing the package as a combination of housekeeping, substantive technical updates and reorganization meant to align local rules with current state and regional standards.
The presenter said the update’s goals are to modernize engineering standards, remove outdated references and make code and design standards easier to find — placing procedural rules in the code and technical design specifications in the ESM. "The purpose of this update is really to modernize our engineering standards to reflect current regulatory requirements," City staff said, adding that the ESM will incorporate current Ecology stormwater manuals and that Pierce County sewer standards will be adopted by reference where Pierce is the sewer utility.
Staff described schedule and process: the meeting was informational only; a public hearing will be scheduled in mid-January, followed by council consideration in February–March. Staff said the update was supported by consultant Keller Associates and noted some changes were driven by state permit requirements.
Permitting system and backlog: staff discussed migration from an older permit platform to a new system implemented quickly because of a grant deadline. The presenter said the new software provides queueing and Power BI dashboards to manage reviews and that the backlog is being reduced. "I think we have about 2,200 permits in some active status in the system as of this morning," City staff said, and estimated that migrated permits account for "maybe 30%–40%" of that total. Staff cautioned many projects span multiple years and timing varies by builder type.
Stormwater, site development and downtown mitigation: substantive edits include clarifying three tiers of drainage review (simplified to engineer-required reviews), addressing trash enclosure runoff treatment where Pierce County is the sewer utility, aligning geotechnical requirements between building and engineering codes, and matching floodplain regulations across the code. Staff also proposed codifying a downtown traffic mitigation fee (TMF) tied to the plan action EIS (not a traditional impact fee). In an illustrative example staff said a TMF could be roughly $2,100 per PM peak trip to provide upfront clarity to developers.
Rights-of-way, street ends and shoreline constraints: commissioners asked about specific local issues including a closed street end at Hilltop Lane and a large tree near the lake. Staff said unopened street ends must be surveyed before any action; removing trees near shoreline areas can trigger mitigation under the Shoreline Management Act. Staff explained vacated streets become private property when sold and generally cannot be reversed; staff suggested alternative approaches like trails or park easements where legal and funding constraints allow.
Next steps: staff urged commissioners and the public to submit feedback ahead of the mid-January public hearing and said council will consider related items (appointments and the election of the 2026 chair and vice chair) at its Dec. 15 meeting.
The commission did not take formal action on the Title 12/ESM package at this briefing; staff said the public hearing will be the formal opportunity for testimony.
