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Record of Proceedings

City Council Study Session on Phase 2 Zoning Map & Code Amendments - June 30, 2026

City Council & Commissions — Tuesday, June 30, 2026
BodyPuyallup, Washington
SessionCity Council & Commissions
DateTuesday, June 30, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:27:38

Original source
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1:39

Thank you.

1:41

All right.

1:41

Well, the city court please call the roll call.

1:46

Councilmember Castema.

1:48

Present.

1:48

Councilmember Schmulko.

1:50

Present.

1:51

Councilmember Adler.

1:52

Present.

1:53

Deputy Mayor Johnson.

1:55

Present.

1:55

Councilmember King.

1:57

Excused.

1:58

Council Member Gilliam.

2:00

Present Mayor Witting.

2:02

Present.

2:03

Great.

2:03

Thank you.

2:04

Okay.

2:06

Council, we have can we have a motion to approve the agenda as uh stated before us?

2:10

So moved.

2:11

Second.

2:12

Thank you.

2:12

Uh Council, we have a motion and a second to approve the agenda.

2:16

All those in favor signify by saying aye.

2:18

Aye.

2:19

Aye.

2:19

Those opposed, nay.

2:20

Motion passes.

2:22

Thank you.

2:23

We have one item on the agenda.

2:24

This is study session.

2:26

It is a policy direction regarding phase two zoning map and code amendments.

2:35

If I recall right, this is kind of a preview to kind of hear direction before this goes to planning.

2:40

Is that correct?

2:42

Correct.

2:43

Okay.

2:45

Thank you.

2:47

So thank you.

2:48

Kendall Walls with the planning division.

2:51

This is what we're calling package six of the development and permitting services work plan for this year.

2:58

It's also phase two of zoning map and code work.

3:03

Phase this will go here.

3:11

Phase one was adopted earlier this year.

3:32

So this package we've presented some of our policy questions to council at prior meetings, and we're here tonight to confirm some of the policy discussion from prior meetings.

4:28

So to dive right in, we're going to start with our mixed-use zones.

5:00

So really what's left out of those general updates are looking at increased height allowances in our mixed use zones and evaluating height bonuses, so potentially just increasing to what those bonus heights would allow, kind of going to raising that base height allowance outright instead of having to require a height bonus to help with project feasibility, as we've heard from development community that some of our height standards are challenging to make projects work.

5:22

So one of the specific policy questions that we've posed to council at recent meetings is regarding the CMX zone or the community mixed use zone.

5:32

It's applied to approximately 30 acres out in the Shaw Pioneer area.

5:39

And staff was asking whether or not this area specific mixed use zone should be retained, or if it we should look at eliminating it and applying one of our other mixed use zones to the property.

6:15

And to kind of give a visual of map changes, we also in your packet have the phase two map changes outlined.

6:26

So the highlighted text is showing the proposed zoning.

6:30

So with the direction we received from council at prior um work sessions, the CMX would then convert to UCX.

6:41

These properties here on the other side of SHA Road, um, kind of the Shaw Road overpass, these were identified in the periodic update process.

6:50

The future land use map was already amended to convert those properties to a mixed use land use.

6:56

So the rezone would again be making it consistent with the already approved future land use map, and so we would be looking at making both sides consistent with the UCX zoning designation.

7:10

Another mixed use zone changes over off South Meridian and the 512 off ramp.

7:19

So this is kind of near the hospital, north of 15th Avenue Southwest.

7:24

Um the old believe the old Jason's restaurant site.

7:28

Um this one was um asked by the property owner to be held for back for phase two as they were looking at project feasibility for the site.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Zoning And Land Use██████████████████████████████████████38%
Zoning and Land Use███████████████████████████27%
Mixed Use Zones███████7%
Economic Development██████6%
Community Engagement██████6%
Affordable Housing█████5%
Procedural███3%
Data Center Moratorium██2%
Historic Preservation██2%
Summary of Proceedings

City Council Study Session on Phase 2 Zoning Map & Code Amendments - June 30, 2026

The Puyallup City Council held a study session on June 30, 2026, from 6:30 PM to 8:37 PM (including a 30-minute executive session extended by 15 minutes) to discuss policy direction for Phase 2 of the zoning map and code amendments. The meeting focused on several key areas: mixed-use zones, neighborhood commercial zones, single-family residential zone consolidation, the South Hill Business and Technology Center, and Washington State Fair parking overlays. Council heard staff presentations and public testimony.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Matthew Caras expressed concern that mixed-use expansions could signal that low-income families come second to business needs, and he opposed data centers due to noise, light, and water impacts.
  • Valorie Dent opposed zoning changes in the Pioneer Way corridor, citing ongoing traffic and safety issues, and argued that limited manufacturing would exacerbate disruptions.
  • David DeGroot urged council to defer zoning changes that increase density until a comprehensive infrastructure plan, particularly for street connectivity, is in place, warning of failing intersections and emergency access risks.
  • Terry Wise, a land use consultant, provided historical context on a three-party protective covenant on the Shaw-Pioneer area involving the Van Lierop family, City of Puyallup, and Pierce County, and praised the city's improved planning processes.

Discussion Items

  • Mixed-Use Zones (CMX to UCX): Senior Planner Kendall Wals presented a proposal to convert approximately 30 acres in the Shaw-Pioneer area from Community Mixed Use (CMX) to Urban Commercial Mixed Use (UCX) to align with the Future Land Use Map. Council expressed support for the change, though concerns were raised about traffic impacts and small business effects. A parcel currently zoned Agriculture Recreation Open Space (ARO) was discussed; Deputy Mayor Johnson noted property rights concerns and urged exploring removal of the covenant, while Councilmember Kastama emphasized historical preservation.
  • Neighborhood Commercial (LMX) Zone: Staff proposed using the existing Limited Mixed Use (LMX) zone for parcels designated as Neighborhood Commercial, with restrictions on commercial size and operations. Councilmember Smolko requested heightened neighbor notification during the permitting process, not just during code drafting. Deputy Mayor Johnson supported expanding the pilot to other areas.
  • Commercial and Office Professional Zones: Staff proposed eliminating the CL (Limited Commercial) and OP (Office Professional) zones, rezoning them to LMX. Council generally supported this streamlining.
  • Single-Family Residential Zones: Three options were presented: no change (retain RS-6, RS-8, RS-10), consolidate to two zones, or consolidate to one zone (RS-6). Deputy Mayor Johnson argued for a single RS-6 zone across the city for fairness, noting that covenants and environmental constraints would limit actual development. Councilmember Kastama opposed any change, citing the need to let neighborhoods adjust to recent state mandates. Councilmember Adler supported option two or three but preferred a thoughtful approach. Staff proposed decoupling this discussion for additional public engagement and environmental review.
  • South Hill Business & Technology Center (Benaroya property): Staff presented requests from the property owner to add uses such as data centers, daycare centers, multifamily residential, warehouse/distribution, and outdoor storage. Councilmember Smolko requested data on water and power infrastructure impacts of data centers, noting they differ from older data centers. Councilmember Castama supported most uses, citing the site's history with high-tech. Mayor Witting and Councilmember Adler expressed caution on data centers. Councilmember Smolko also flagged inconsistency with the comprehensive plan's language on living-wage jobs. Council generally agreed to send the package to the planning commission but with scrutiny on data centers.
  • Washington State Fair Zone & Parking Overlay: Staff proposed rezoning fair-owned parcels to mixed-use (UCX) and expanding the fair parking overlay to resolve non-conforming uses. Councilmember Smolko raised equity concerns about potential impacts on adjacent residential areas. Councilmember Gilliam supported the overlay, noting the fair is a good neighbor. Deputy Mayor Johnson suggested exploring automatic overlay expansion for future acquisitions. Council directed staff to proceed with planning commission review.

Key Outcomes

  • Council directed staff to move most items to the planning commission for public process, with the exception of single-family residential zone consolidation, which will be decoupled for additional outreach and environmental analysis.
  • Council requested that staff provide data on water and power infrastructure demands for data centers, as well as job count per acre estimates, before finalizing uses in the South Hill Business and Technology Center.
  • Council supported the concept of neighbor notification for new developments in the LMX zone, to be implemented during the permitting process.
  • The motion to approve the agenda passed 6-0 (Councilmember King excused).
  • The council recessed into executive session at 7:56 PM to discuss potential litigation, extending it by 15 minutes and concluding at 8:37 PM; no further action was taken.

Meeting Transcript

Thank you. All right. Well, the city court please call the roll call. Councilmember Castema. Present. Councilmember Schmulko. Present. Councilmember Adler. Present. Deputy Mayor Johnson. Present. Councilmember King. Excused. Council Member Gilliam. Present Mayor Witting. Present. Great. Thank you. Okay. Council, we have can we have a motion to approve the agenda as uh stated before us? So moved. Second. Thank you. Uh Council, we have a motion and a second to approve the agenda. All those in favor signify by saying aye. Aye. Aye. Those opposed, nay. Motion passes. Thank you. We have one item on the agenda. This is study session. It is a policy direction regarding phase two zoning map and code amendments. If I recall right, this is kind of a preview to kind of hear direction before this goes to planning. Is that correct? Correct. Okay. Thank you. So thank you. Kendall Walls with the planning division. This is what we're calling package six of the development and permitting services work plan for this year. It's also phase two of zoning map and code work. Phase this will go here. Phase one was adopted earlier this year. So this package we've presented some of our policy questions to council at prior meetings, and we're here tonight to confirm some of the policy discussion from prior meetings. So to dive right in, we're going to start with our mixed-use zones. So really what's left out of those general updates are looking at increased height allowances in our mixed use zones and evaluating height bonuses, so potentially just increasing to what those bonus heights would allow, kind of going to raising that base height allowance outright instead of having to require a height bonus to help with project feasibility, as we've heard from development community that some of our height standards are challenging to make projects work. So one of the specific policy questions that we've posed to council at recent meetings is regarding the CMX zone or the community mixed use zone. It's applied to approximately 30 acres out in the Shaw Pioneer area. And staff was asking whether or not this area specific mixed use zone should be retained, or if it we should look at eliminating it and applying one of our other mixed use zones to the property.

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