Puyallup Planning Commission Meeting - August 12, 2026

The Puyallup Planning Commission met in person at Council Chambers on the 5th floor of City Hall, 333 S. Meridian, Puyallup, Washington, on Wednesday, August 12, 2026. Chair Taylor called the meeting to order at 6:30 PM; it adjourned at 7:40 PM. All seven commissioners were present, establishing a quorum. The commission approved the agenda and the July 8, 2026 minutes, heard citizen comment from the Washington State Fair, and held worksessions on Phase 2 fairgrounds zoning and parking overlay amendments and additional Phase 2 zoning code and map amendments.

Consent Calendar

• The August 12, 2026 agenda was approved by unanimous voice vote.
• The July 8, 2026 meeting minutes were approved by unanimous voice vote.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Tom Utterback, representing the Washington State Fair, said the Fair had submitted an August 11 letter to the commission. He requested zoning map amendments and extension of the Fair Parking Overlay to additional Fair-owned lots that have historically been used for parking, including the red and silver lots. He noted the overlay was created more than 30 years ago, while some fair parking areas date to the 1960s and 1970s and currently lack the overlay. He asked the commission to consider amending the overlay code so the existing RV parking area on Fairview Drive could also serve non-fair users, under proposed Option Three limited to that area. He stated the code currently allows 750 RVs in the area, and the Fair proposes reducing that to 130, the site's capacity. He also said the Fair is requesting the maximum stay be extended from 7 to 14 days, and that the Fair supports enforcing the duration limit to keep the lot temporary.
• In response to commissioner questions, Mr. Utterback said the Fair would prioritize contractual fair users and vendors during fair events, and that overflow RV parking is not anticipated because much of the adjacent grassy area is protected critical area or buffer.

Worksession 5A: Fair Zoning, Fair Parking Overlay Phase 2

• Associate Planner Nabila Comstock presented the proposed updates to the Fairgrounds Zone and Fair Parking Overlay. Staff supports adding implementing zones to the Fair future land use designation, and City Council supported this approach at a June study session. The proposal includes rezoning the blue and gold lots along South Meridian to Urban Center Mixed Use (UCX) and Fair-owned parcels north of 9th Avenue Southwest to Central Business District (CBD), while keeping allowed uses generally consistent with existing zones.
• The Fair also requested extending the Fair Parking Overlay to additional Fair-owned parcels historically used for parking, including the silver lot, to bring existing uses into conformance. Staff noted the overlay already includes development and performance standards, such as landscape setbacks, material and vehicle storage restrictions, parking setbacks, and lighting standards. Staff said almost all parcels included in the expansion have been under long-term Fair ownership and historically used for parking.
• To address previous concerns about the silver lot, staff offered an option to limit allowed uses on that lot. Commissioner DeGroot said he is a big fan of not having lots sit empty, but strongly urged real communication with residents before allowing uses beyond parking, especially on the silver lot. He also flagged an inconsistency between the Fair Zone's 25-foot landscape setback and the overlay's 15-foot setback; staff said they would review it.
• Commissioner Barney expressed concern about lighting, traffic, and continuous activity affecting residents near expanded parking areas, and asked what protections would be provided. Staff responded that overlay lighting and parking standards exist and that the commission could consider limiting uses on affected lots.
• Commissioner Crosby asked whether outreach to neighboring property owners had occurred. Staff said outreach is planned after commission feedback, including notices to residential neighbors and invitations to the public hearing.
• The proposed code amendments would not expand the RV area beyond its current footprint, would include a written/physical boundary, and would require a designated on-site host.

Worksession 5B: Phase 2 Zoning Code and Map Amendments - MX-DRO, Professional Office, and Commercial Zones

• Associate Planner Rachel Brown presented the proposed expansion of the Mixed Use Design Review Overlay (MX-DRO) to mixed-use zones added in Phase 1 and proposed in Phase 2, excluding limited mixed-use (LMX) zones because the parcels are small. Staff explained the overlay provides higher architectural and site design standards, including more interesting facades, windows, and pedestrian-friendly design, with design review typically triggered for projects over 4,000 square feet. Planning Manager Chris Beale added that the MX-DRO map expansion includes cleaning up an oversight from council-directed rezones on Meridian, Fair-owned UCX parcels, and areas near Shaw Road and Pioneer that are leaving the CMX zone.
• Rachel Brown also presented the proposal to repeal the Professional Office Zone chapter because the OP zone will be removed from the zoning map. Staff confirmed that businesses in affected professional office areas would be notified.
• Planning Manager Chris Beale previewed commercial zone text amendments coming in September: deleting references to the sunset limited commercial zone; reconciling conflicting ADU code sections and state law; streamlining outdated EV infrastructure code; reducing duplication of design review requirements; simplifying site plan design principle setbacks; complying with Senate Bill 5509 by allowing larger state-licensed daycare centers (13 or more children) outright in commercial zones; and complying with Senate Bill 6026 by allowing residential uses in commercial zones without requiring mixed use or ground-floor commercial, while retaining limited commercial street frontage requirements on Meridian. He noted current C zones require a 50-50 floor area mix between commercial and residential, which would be removed.
• Commissioner Barney asked how developers would know the design criteria. Staff said the MX-DRO design standards are already established, relatively clear and objective, and no changes to the design standards are proposed at this time.

Staff Report & Next Steps

• Staff said the planning division is short-staffed and in transition but working to complete the package. They plan to return on September 9, 2026, with draft code and map amendments, including LMX rezones and commercial zone text. A second September work session was proposed to review the consolidated package before the public hearing.
• Staff scheduled the public hearing for October 28, 2026, because City Council is in budget season; the meeting location was unavailable on the first Wednesday in October. Public engagement will include a survey, mailers, posted signs, and direct outreach to neighboring property owners.
• Staff will follow up on commission direction to review the setback inconsistency and consider limiting uses on the silver lot.

Commissioner Comments

• Commissioner Crosby said infrastructure planning should not be an afterthought, noting failing intersections and the Shaw Road corridor, and asked for plans to accompany zoning changes.
• Commissioner Barney echoed concerns about Shaw Road congestion, saying a single developer cannot pay for widening and that development approvals could worsen traffic.
• Commissioner Martin said Shaw Road is one of the few evacuation routes from the city in the event of a Mount Rainier volcanic emergency, framing it as a community safety issue. He also recalled the Frederickson area's develop, develop, develop experience producing warehouses and bad traffic, which he does not want repeated in Puyallup.
• Commissioner Landon said connectivity, not just capacity, matters, noting limited routes across the city and the importance of traffic calming.
• Commissioner Washburn announced a dive cleanup at Old Town Dock on August 30, 2026, from 9:15 AM to about 12:15 PM, and invited volunteers for the ground crew.

Key Outcomes

• The agenda and July 8, 2026 minutes were approved unanimously.
• No formal votes were taken on the worksession items; the commission gave staff direction and reached consensus to add a second September 2026 work session.
• Staff will bring revised maps and code text to the September 9, 2026 work session, with a possible second consolidated review meeting on September 23, 2026, before the October 28, 2026 public hearing.
• The commission directed staff to review the Fair Zone/Fair Parking Overlay setback inconsistency, consider limiting uses on the silver lot, and conduct outreach to neighboring property owners before the hearing.
• The city will conduct public engagement through mailers, a survey, posted signs, and direct outreach.