Large Scale Retail Uses Public Hearing

Another round of the battle of the big box will take place this Wednesday. The Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on large scale retail uses, giving the community the opportunity to share their feedback on proposed code changes to the City’s zoning regulations.

The proposed changes look slightly different from the broad strokes of the moratorium, which implemented a six month city-wide ban on new retail development over 65,000 square feet. Rather than an all-out ban, the changes would put in place a series of size limitations limiting development within zones as follows:

• Under 65,000 square feet in the industrial M-1 and M-2 zoning districts (other than the South Tacoma Manufacturing/Industrial Center). Larger development would require a Conditional Use Permit.
• Under 45,000 square feet in the community commercial, commercial mixed-use, urban mixed-use and commercial-industrial mixed-use. Larger development would require a Conditional Use Permit.
• Under 30,000 square feet in the residential commercial mixed-use (other than grocery stores, which would be allowed up to 45,000 square feet). No option for increased square footage.

The intent of the limitations is to ensure that community members have the opportunity to provide input on plans for developments such as the unpopular Walmart that sparked this debate this time around. The focus would be on ensuring that the intent of the Comprehensive Plan is preserved, and keeping development consistent with neighborhoods in which it occurs. As a part of the Conditional Use Permit process developers would be required to meet certain criteria, including a pre-application community meeting and a public hearing, and would be subject to approval by the hearing examiner.

• CCX – Community Commercial Mixed-Use
• UCX – Urban Center Mixed-Use
• UCX-TD– Urban Center Mixed-Use/Tacoma Dome
• CIX – Commercial Industrial Mixed-Use
• C-2 – General Community Commercial
• M-1 – Light Industrial
• M-2 – Heavy Industrial
• RCX – Residential Commercial Mixed-Use District

Source: Planning Commission Public Review Package (pdf), available from the City’s Large Scale Retail Moratorium project page.

Large Scale Retail Uses Public Hearing
When: Wednesday, December 7th, 5:00 p.m.
Where: Tacoma Municipal Building, 747 Market Street
Details: See the public hearing notice (pdf), available from the City of Tacoma’s Large Scale Retail Moratorium page

More details from the Business Examiner