DOWNTOWN PLAN UPDATEcms.cityoftacoma.org/Planning/Downtown/Documents... · priority area” yet by the City failing to prevent the ‘land locking’ of properties owners will be

DOWNTOWN PLAN UPDATE

Proposed Amendments to the Downtown Element of the Comprehensive Plan

Planning Commission Public Hearing, October 1, 2008

WRITTEN COMMENTS Received through October 10, 2008

Community and Economic Development Department 747 Market Street, Room 1036, Tacoma, WA 98402-3793

(253) 591-5365 / www.cityoftacoma.org/planning

Table of Contents

Page

1. Adkins, Jori .................................................................................................................................... 1

2. Brown, Connie (Affordable Housing Consortium) ........................................................................ 2

3. Herman, Rollie (Hillside Development Council) ........................................................................... 4

4. Kelley, Fannie ................................................................................................................................ 11

5. Phay, Jessica................................................................................................................................... 13

6. Santhuff, Brett (Historic Tacoma) .................................................................................................. 14

7. Santhuff, Brett ................................................................................................................................ 16

8. Spakes, Patricia (University of Washington Tacoma).................................................................... 24

9. Trinidad, Ysabel (University of Washington Tacoma) .................................................................. 25

From: rick semple [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Saturday, October 04, 2008 5:38 PM To: Planning Cc: [email protected] Subject: Downtown Plan Members of the Tacoma Planning Commission, I am pleased with the Downtown Plan Update. Each time the City reviews elements of the Comp Plan we have a better understanding and develop better guidelines to making a great city. Writing after the Public Comments have been made makes my comments shorter... I support Connie Brown's comments (Affordable Housing Coalition) as far as they relate to need for affordable housing Downtown and in adjacent districts, to maximize utilization of transit, walking to work, to shopping and entertainment. (needs to be expressed more strongly in the document) Eric Byornson, Morgan Alexander and Coe Wyboa (please excuse my spelling) all spoke about downtown parking and I am concerned also that the City is not looking far enough ahead for ways to solve the parking problem. Also, within the Draft Update Intro, the Draft City Center Parking Mobility Strategy, reviewed by Council in Oct '07, is mentioned, and that a Parking Advisory Group is working on it now. Is this why there is so little about parking in the Downtown Plan Update? As a Dome District resident and property owner, I am very concerned with rumors of more garages going into the Core of the Dome District to support downtown employee and City employee parking (a concern also expressed during Public Comments by a resident of the Stadium District, for their District). 2.1E Actions 1b hints at this...I would like to restate what Pierce Transit sees as the wave of the future - reduce drive-alone-trips by catching them at home, before they get to the City. Put park-n-Rides/ garages in residential hubs like Spanaway/Parkland, Puyallup/ Sumner, Lakewood (started), Purdy/Gig Harbor. 2.1E.1b could be directed to read, "...garages located at primary entry and egress points to the entire City" (not just the downtown) Allow the City to achieve its GMA responsibility of "reducing urban sprawl by providing more housing (density) and employment opportunities within an already urbanized area". 2.1D Support Growth of Vibrant Retail Districts, a statement should be made to acknowledge the need to maintain pedestrian continuity along retail streets if a healthy retail corridor is the goal, with a Near Term Action of; continue removing parking garages, wide driveways, blank walls and large empty spaces fronting on pedestrian/retail streets. 2.1F is very important but often misunderstood, it is not a limitation but good urban design. The Action; Consider revisiting ht. limits to reflect realities in construction and to mitigate land speculation makes sense with a well thought out set of bonuses that benefit the community while stimulating development. Thank you for your time and commitment to the future of Tacoma. Jori Adkins Retired Landscape Architect/Urban Designer Dome District Resident and Property owner 301 Puyallup Ave 98421

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Hillside Development Council

Post Office Box 5887 • Tacoma, WA 98415hdctacoma.org

October 1, 2008

Comments on the Proposed Downtown Plan Update

Background: On April 1, 2008 the Hillside Development Council released its “Vision for the HDC Area”. The “Vision” was provided to Peter Huffman, Eric Anderson, City Staff, City Councilmember’s and has been available online at our web site. As stated in this document the boundaries of the area are: South 17th Street to South Tacoma Way and A Street to Court F. Our comments are based on our “Vision” document, highlighted in blue and our letter to the City dated June 26, 2008 regarding the Prairie Line Trail, highlighted in brown. Complete copies of both documents are attached.

There are four major areas where we feel the proposed Downtown Plan Update must be improved. These are presented below in the chronological order we feel they need to be addressed:

Number 1Section 3.3B on page 71 addresses the Sound Transit D to M Street connector. Property acquisition, design and engineering are already underway on this project. By the time the Downtown Plan is accepted, construction could be underway. Planning for this project cannot wait. The Economic Development Department must place this as one of their top priorities rather than hoping that the Citizens and Public Works partnering with Sound Transit will be able to craft the best solution.

Number 2“21st Street should be improved from Pacific to Yakima Avenues and be designated as the primary access route for travelers moving east-west. A convenient, free-flowing transition from 21st Street to Yakima Avenue then to 19th Street must be developed. This street requires attention to grades, widening and replacing the roadbed and sidewalks, and assigning traffic priority- all accomplished in a visually attractive manner.”The importance of 21st Street from Pacific Avenue to Tacoma Avenue is ignored in this document. On the page 47 map, the section of 21st Street between Tacoma and Yakima Avenues is marked for a street upgrade but that is the only mention in this document. The language contained in our “Vision” document relating to 21st Street must be included in the Downtown Plan Update.

Number 3“Tacoma Avenue should be developed as the broad, landscaped thoroughfare it was intended to be with four lanes for traffic and without angle parking.”Although Tacoma Avenue is mentioned throughout the document the main focus is on page 94. The wording of “Limited Driveway Access” as written would hinder existing businesses and limit future development on this important arterial. Because Fawcett Avenue is designated as a “Cycling Boulevard” and because Yakima Avenue also is a major cycling arterial, even more vehicular traffic will be using Tacoma Avenue as a major North-South route through Tacoma. Tacoma Avenue already has ample sidewalks and parking strips to create a pedestrian friendly space. Therefore the updated Downtown Plan should treat Tacoma Avenue as a four lane arterial, removing the angle parking and not including other “street furniture” in future plans.

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Staff Note: From Rollie Herman, via e-mail, 10-1-08 (see the last (7th) page)



Number 4“Height restrictions should be considered in relationship to the structure and fabric of the area”The proposed Downtown Plan does not address height restrictions within the area we represent. We feel that Jefferson Avenue is a natural boundary between the “historic” portion of our neighborhood and the newer, mostly undeveloped part. This portion of our neighborhood has much in common with the Downtown Core and is home to future development by the University of Washington Tacoma. Height restrictions in the area West of Jefferson Avenue need to ensure that future growth is not impeded.

There are two other issues we feel that the Downtown Plan Update should address:

It is our view that at this time this agreement with 20 ft right of way as explained to us would present extreme economic hardship to all the privately held properties to the east of that right of way. It would:

Limit access at the rear of these building from Hood St. from 21st St. to what would be 26th St. that have had access both from Holgate and Hood St for over a hundred years.

Sale of pieces of the right of way to various property owners would disturb this historic access causing property to devalue and businesses to move or make major investments to shift their entrance points.

The Downtown Plan Update fails to address the problem on Hood Street although the Prairie Line trail is addressed on pages 61 and 70. Specifically on page 61 there is mention that this area should be a “sunlight access priority area” yet by the City failing to prevent the ‘land locking’ of properties owners will be forced to develop the property to recoup their investment rather than by leaving Hood Street as a street. The plan must include steps to obtain the full width of the right of way from BNSF.

“The Jefferson Avenue and Market Street corridor should become the high density spine for the district as well as the whole of Tacoma’s downtown. The City owned property bound by Jefferson and Tacoma Avenues, 21st and 23rd Streets could become the home for a large anchor tenant.”City owned properties within our area provide the catalyst for future development. Unwillingness on the part of the City to develop the property they own has held the area back. This Downtown Plan should address this issue and consider the need for parking, transportation and other infrastructure developments to spur on the vitality of the neighborhood.

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Vision for the HDC Areaversion 1 April 24, 2008

Vision:

The Hillside area of downtown Tacoma provides an opportunity to develop a unique, inspiring mix of quality, creative, and safe living, learning, and working environments. The area attracts a

wide array of people for a variety of reasons. They may come for an hour or stay for a lifetime. It should

have verticality in designated areas to provide for the density and connectivity necessary to support businesses while creating and maintaining a pedestrian-level environment that is vibrant, inspiring, easy to

access, esthetically pleasing, and safe. It should include a mix of activities such as specialty shops, art

studios, useful outdoor spaces, work-live units, services, office spaces, educational, residential, and entertainment opportunities, as well as café’s that extend into public right-of-ways for casual dining. The

buildings and community fabric in this area should be designed to be architecturally distinctive and significant, as well as eco-friendly. They should compliment and showcase the historical character and

fabric of the area. An essential component of the hillside district is it’s connectivity to the other vibrant

and growing districts within the City of Tacoma. Pedestrian and vehicular friendly links will encourage the area’s continued growth and vitality as an important gateway to the City of Tacoma.

Area Boundaries:North: South 17th Street

South: South Tacoma WayEast: A Street

West: Court F

Major Assets:

Properties that are vacant or inactive—prime for development

Important “first impression” or gateway to the City from I-705.

UWT/Museums/Courthouse/Convention Center

An inventory of restorable historic structures

City owned properties within the area that can act as a catalyst for development

A unique character

Ease of access to a variety of transportation modes—Expressways, Sounder, Link, Bus

Services, Pedestrian/Bike (Future), Light Rail (Future), Streetcar (Future), Ferries (Future at Foss water head)

Excellent views

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Waterfront access

Excellent fire, police and medical services

Topography that presents opportunities for multi-level ground entrances and exciting

possibilities for uphill transit options

Governmental, business and community leaders who are willing to work together to create a

constantly improving Tacoma

The need to upgrade existing infrastructure provides the opportunity to adjust to development

requirements

Developmental Goals:

Tacoma Avenue should be developed as the broad, landscaped thoroughfare it was intended to be

with four lanes for traffic and without angle parking. Usage would include providers of services to the neighborhood in a mixed use setting. Tacoma Avenue also provides access across I-5 for both

workers and residents.

The Jefferson Avenue and Market Street corridor should become the high density spine for the

district as well as the whole of Tacoma’s downtown. The City owned property bound by Jefferson

and Tacoma Avenues, 21st and 23rd Streets could become the home for a large anchor tenant.

Commerce Street “Commerce Alley” should be developed as a pedestrian-friendly street with

limited vehicle access. This will support a variety of street-level activities including but not limited to retail shops, restaurants, art studios, educational, and entertainment opportunities. Adding these

street-level activities will create a continuous link from 25th Street, through the downtown core, to the theatre district.

21st Street should be improved from Pacific to Yakima Avenues and be designated as the primary

access route for travelers moving east–west. A convenient, free-flowing transition from 21st Street

to Yakima Avenue then to 19th Street must be developed. This street requires attention to grades, widening and replacing the roadbed and sidewalks, and assigning traffic priority– all accomplished

in a visually attractive manner.

The entire Brewery, Arts and Education, Warehouse, Museum, University Districts should be

pedestrian friendly. Buildings should have retail shops, businesses or other public activity on the ground floor. Parking should be located remotely, or clustered underground or above the street

level.

The construction of businesses and developments that support or compliment UWT and its Master

Plan should be encouraged.

Height restrictions should be considered in relationship to the structure and fabric of the area.

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The use of roundabouts, sky bridges, over or under passes, pedestrian islands and other traffic calming techniques should be considered at major intersections—notably 21st and Jefferson, 19th

and Jefferson, 19th and Market, 21st and Yakima, 21st and Commerce.

The conversion of the existing BNSF right-of-way into an active pedestrian-bicycle trail linking

Commencement Bay to the Rainier Foothills and beyond should be supported and aggressively pursued.

Usable, structured, landscaped open space should be part of the neighborhood.

Conclusions:This district has the opportunity to become one of the most desirable, vibrant, esthetically pleasing, and

investor profitable areas in the United States. HDC looks forward to working with the City and community to develop and implement strategies to make this vision a reality. Those strategies should include, but not

be limited to, a master development plan that incorporates the elements mentioned above, that is

coordinated with the plans and needs of surrounding districts and entities, and that will be developed with input from and the consensus of all stakeholders. Tacoma and this area have experienced an initial surge of

development success but desperately need comprehensive planning, direction, promotion, entrepreneurial

and governmental support for it to avoid stagnating and to continue to move towards what it could and should be.

Resources:

Historical documents and area maps are available on line at:

http://hdctacoma.org/workgroups/vision.asp

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Letter sent to the City Council and Staff June 26, 2008 regarding the Prairie Line Trail

At our meeting this month we took a walk from 26th to 21st on the proposed Prairie Line Trail route. In attendance from the City Council was Connie Ladenburg and from staff, Dana Brown. Four issues were identified with the property that encompasses the route;

1. The City must ensure that buildings that have used the Burlington Northern/Santa Fe (BN) right of way for over a century do not become land locked. The best way to prevent this is to have BN give the full right of way to the City of Tacoma. If that is not possible the City must look at zoning or other methods to prevent this from happening.

2. Maintenance of the right of way still owned by BN is and will continue to be a problem. The area north of 21st Street is a prime example of how BN is currently maintaining their property and the current state of this property can be seen in the photo.

3. There are groundwater issues, both from an artesian well between 25th and 23rd and general seepage behind the “Jet” building.

4. Pedestrian and bicycle crossing of both 21st and 25th Streets will be an issue and a plan that provides a safe crossing without impeding traffic will be essential.

We are hopeful that the City will be able to resolve the first and second issues prior to any deal being finalized with BN. The third and fourth items will need to be considered when actually planning the trail.

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From: Rollie Herman [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Wednesday, October 01, 2008 1:10 PM To: Planning Cc: Petty, Ryan; Huffman, Peter; [email protected] Subject: Comments on the proposed Downtown Plan update

Attached are three documents regarding our comments on the Downtown Plan Update:

DownTownPlanComments.pdf contains our comments

LetterToCityCouncil.pdf is a copy of our letter on the Prairie Line Trail

HDCVision1.pdf is the current version of our group's Vision Statement

We will be at tonight's Planning Commission meeting to formally present our comments.

Sincerely, Rollie Herman, President Hillside Development Council

Post Office Box 5887 • Tacoma, WA 98415 www.HDCTacoma.org

Staff Note: The e-mail from Rollie Herman

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To the Tacoma Planning Commission My name is Fannie Kelley; I am the owner of The Healing Garden Tearoom, at

111 N. Tacoma Avenue in the Stadium Historic District. I have operated my business in this location for more than five years. My husband, Alfred Kelley has operated his business, Kelley’s Custom Framing Company and Gallery at 113 N. Tacoma Avenue for more than thirteen years. We are very pleased to be business owners in the Stadium Historic District.

The Stadium District has a rich heritage; it has been on the National Register of

Historic Places for over eighty years. The Stadium Historic District has been and continues to be a neighborhood separate, unique, and distinct from Downtown Tacoma.

I am very concerned about the inclusion of the Stadium Historic District into the

proposed new footprint of Downtown Tacoma. Our profile of residential properties and businesses is dramatically different from that of Downtown Tacoma. The proposed inclusion of the Stadium District into Downtown was done without serious discussion or input from local businesses or the thousands of residents. At a meeting last fall, the City Manager, Mr. Anderson, informed us that he simply looked at a map and decided what the greater Tacoma footprint should be. At that meeting and a later one in February 2008, input was solicited and given, but apparently not seriously considered.

At the same fore mentioned meetings we also indicated that we did not want to

have paid parking in the Stadium Historic District. We asked instead for the enforcement of the existing posted parking hours. In a recent meeting with the consultants who have been hired by the city to evaluate and create a paid parking plan, it was stated that if Posted Parking has been vigorously enforced and you have eighty-five percent occupancy in the area, businesses would not be affected by paid parking. If such a situation doesn’t exist, businesses could expect a downturn in their business income for six months to more than a year.

Posted parking is not vigorously enforced in the Stadium Historic District; it is

instead so sporadic, that one would consider it none existent. Most of the businesses in the Stadium Historic District are small businesses which could not afford a financial hit of six or 12 months decrease in earnings. Already in 2007 we have had two restaurants, one children’s store and one furniture store close in the Stadium Historic District; we do not want to create a situation where we lose even more businesses. We do not want to drive consumers away from an already fragile marketplace, we believe that is consumers have choice between getting service in a paid parking situation as opposed to a similar service in a free parking area, they will choose the latter and we will suffer a lose.

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There are so many areas of concern regarding this very comprehensive and complicated plan that is being presented to you. I will simply ask for a great deal of caution and thorough study of the total plan, so much has been squeezed into it that it is quite confusing. For example in the Section 3.5 Hillside, if the Hillside area is located between 9th and 15th on Tacoma Avenue, how is Wright Park considered as a Gateway to the Hillside area. Wright Park is and has been an important part of the Stadium Historic District. Another area of concern is 4.0 the Circulation data, some of it just doesn’t make sense. Thank you for your time in reading my comments; I appreciate your effort in a very difficult task. Fannie Kelley Fannie Kelley Owner, The Healing Garden Tearoom 111 N. Tacoma Avenue Tacoma WA 98403 (253) 274-0861

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From: Jessica Phay [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Tuesday, September 16, 2008 10:29 AM To: Planning Subject: Planning Commission Public Hearing I just wanted to make a quick comment in regards to the time that was set for this public hearing. 5:00pm is when most people are just getting off of work. Even to make the time 5:30pm would be helpful…6:00pm even better. This is an important meeting and being that it is a public hearing we want as many people to be able to attend as possible. Setting the time for the hearing when people are just leaving their jobs and then commute time home isn’t probably the best. There are probably factors I do not see behind the setting of this time and I don’t want to play expert on what should and shouldn’t be done. Just wanted to give ya some external perspective to take in to consideration for next time. Thank you for reading this! Appreciate all of the work that you are doing for us! Will try to be at the meeting as soon as I can make it there!

Jessica Phay Administrative Assistant Soma Communities 253.590.4279 [email protected]

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POST OFF ICE BOX 7664 | TAC OMA, WA 98417 WWW.HISTORICTACOMA.NET

October 10, 2008 Tacoma Planning Commission Community and Economic Development Department 747 Market Street, Room 1036 Tacoma, WA 98402-3793 RE: Downtown Plan Update, 2008 Proposed Ammendments Subject: Planning Commission Public Comment Dear Commissioners: Historic Preservation is an important component of Tacoma’s identity and potential for future development. Historic Tacoma is pleased that this Downtown Plan Update continues to identify historic buildings as assets creating an environment of distinctive character while enhancing livability and economic vibility. We commend the city’s consultants, Angelou Economics and VIA Architecture, as well as city staff for a well prepared draft document that builds upon past policies and strategies to create a more comprehensive vision for downtown. We support the goals of supporting historic preservation, establishing design standards and providing design review to create context-appropriate and high quality urban design. Historic Tacoma offers the following thoughts and suggestions for improvements to this document: 2.2A Achieving Vitality Downtown: Differentiate Character Areas (pg. 22) The character areas identified in Figure 3 represent distinctive areas of Tacoma development both in urban form and also building typologies. Promote understanding history and urban form as it relates to geography, railroad and port activites, the location of commercial, industrial and residential uses, and advances in industry and technology. The historic structures in these areas offer context for the appropriate uses as well as instruction for potential future development. Recommend revisions to character area descriptions in Chapter 3 to better identify these historic development influences. 2.2F Achieving Vitality Downtown Historic Preservation (pg. 28) Recommend policy to champion historic buildings as assets and encourage public and private investment in these properties as catalyst projects for downtown areas. Recommend policy to safeguard structures through code enforcement and inspection to adequately protect from demolition by neglect. (Associated with Action 2.2F.1) Recommend action: Evaluate city-owned properties and include preservation guidelines for rehabilitation and alternate uses should the city issue RFPs. (May serve as tie-in with 2.4B.5 and 3.3E) 2.3 Sustainable City (pg. 29) New construction is a primary source of pollution and demand on natural resources. Our existing buildings represent embodied energy and a source of quality, local materials. Recommend addition to the items identified as key to a sustainable city: (1) adaptation of existing structures to new uses and (2) demolition waste mitigation through deconstruction and building material salvage. 3.3 Urban Design + The Performance of the City: Brewery District (pg. 58) The Brewery District was an early home to Tacoma’s utility and public works as well as warehouses and industry. Many breweries were located here including the large Pacific Brewing complex of brick buildings, but also Columbia Brewing/Alt Heidelberg. The visability of the Alt Heidelberg structures, signage and watertower as viewed from I-5, the 21st Street Bridge, UWT and from the hill above are a key

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Staff Note: From Brett Santhuff, on behalf of Historic Tacoma

PAGE 2 WWW.HISTORICTACOMA.NET

to the district identitiy. Recommend addition of the early Tacoma public works facilities and the structures of Columbia Brewing/Alt Heidelberg complex in the district description. The policies and actions in this chapter are not associated with a time-line. This district also includes the Prairie Line corridor. Recommend action (1-3 years): develop district design guidelines as related to historic character and parcels adjacent to the Prairie Line. 3.4 Urban Design + The Performance of the City: St. Helens (pg. 63) This neighborhood contains many landmark and landmark eligible historic properties. Specifically, the area includes the Register-listed Elks Lodge, Wagner Motors and Walker Apartments. Yet to be landmarked structures include several historic mansions, Odd Fellow’s Hall, Union Club, and early automotive delearships from the 1910s to the 1940s. Design and quality make this an interesting and desirable area. 3.4A St. Helens Opportunities: Optimize the Public Right-of-Way (pg. 64) Recommend addition of street right-of-way and stair-climbs between Stadium Way and Broadway and Broadway and St. Helens as a strategy for open space, maintaining view corridors, and pedestrian connection to transit. Correct illustration showing block at 7th and Market to reflect presence of landmark structure at 616 St. Helens. 3.4B St. Helens Opportunities: Consider Development Strategies Organized Around Height (pg. 64) A targeted Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) program for this neighborhood could allow for historic preservation, added density, and access to views. Recommend adding historic preservation and TDR to list of potential benefits associated with added height allowance. Historic Tacoma appreciates the opportunity to offer these suggestions and hope that they aide the Planning Commission and city staff in improving this the draft of the Downtown Plan Update. Should you have questions based on these comments, please contact us. Please include Historic Tacoma in future discussion on this topic.

Sincerely, Brett Santhuff, Board Vice-President 360.402.1062 c [email protected]

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BRETT SANTHUFF Downtown Plan Update Comments - 1 -

October 10, 2008 Tacoma Planning Commission Community and Economic Development Department 747 Market Street, Room 1036 Tacoma, WA 98402-3793 RE: Downtown Plan Update, 2008 Proposed Ammendments Subject: Planning Commission Public Comment Dear Commissioners: The draft of the Downtown Plan Update is an impressive document and I found much of it well thought-out and inspiring. I did find some typo’s for which I have provided photocopy pages attached to aid staff corrections. My reading also left me visioning what more needs to be done. My purpose in writing is to highlight three missed opportunities, as I see them. Items not included that (for me) leave this document and Tacoma incomplete.

(1) Trees Please I believe Tacoma has good intention but it has bad policies. This Downtown Plan Update includes many images of trees and street typologies that call for them. Yet the experience in Tacoma tends to be developers putting trees in concrete planters, property owners electing to remove established trees for ease of development, or neighbors improperly pruning and unfortunately damaging healthy trees. Tacoma needs to identifying streets and tree corridors in the city and especially downtown that will be planted and maintained by the city. The Downtown Plan Update should include a goal for street trees as part of a sustainable city policy and an action of developing strategies and city staffing.

(2) Market Opportunity

A permanent farmers’ market would be a welcome addition to the fabric of the city. The weekly Broadway market downtown during the summer proves the viability of a market for both entertainment and connecting residents with local produce. A permanent market location could support many of the goals in the downtown plan. I was surprised not to see it as an action within 2.3E Grow Community Through Food Security. My favorite idea for the Market champions historic preservation and conversion of under-utilized public property as a catalyst for neighborhood redevelopment. At the heart of the Brewery District is the City Shop and Stables, the century-old home of Tacoma’s streets and ground crews from the days of horses, wagons, and log roads. A long building with a narrow floor plate, a farmers’ market would be an ideal adaptation. To further the goal, adjacent city public works buildings might make for a good food co-op location. Such investments and uses could make the Brewery District a destination for residents, students and workers downtown. Such an amenity could fuel interst in the 3.3D Historic District Transfer in Development Rights Program and aide the development of Nob-Hill. It also seems a natural extension of the idea in 2.4 City of the Arts that food and craft vendors in close proximity to UWT and the Dome District could benefit cultural tourism.

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Staff Note: From Brett Santhuff, personal comments

BRETT SANTHUFF Downtown Plan Update Comments - 2 -

(3) A Vision for Tacoma Avenue. Tacoma Avenue should be one of the City’s most important streets. Of course now it isn’t pretty. Tacoma Avenue sidewalks are incomplete, buildings poorly designed, adjacent parcels vacant or underutilized. Walking it recently I’m more likely to encounter a prostitute than a neighbor. The most recent private investment seems to be a McDonald’s on a super-sized lot. It shouldn’t be this way. Tacoma Avenue connects downtown to Stadium District and the Northend and bridges South Tacoma Way and I-5 to the Lincoln District and beyond. It fronts the County-City Building, Tacoma Public Library, Tacoma School District Admin Building (Central School), the upper edge of the build-out of UWT, and acres of city owned property. It has great churches at each end – Holy Rosary and 1st Prebyterian. It has little treasures, like St. Paul’s Church at 27th where the brewers used to pray. North of 9th it has a few remaining big trees, century-old black walnuts that seem an extension of Wright Park. It has views of downtown, to the port and Mt. Rainier. It is the one street in downtown that connects all five “downtown character areas” as identified in the “Downtown Plan”. And yet, it was mostly left out? It’s here that we can have impact on the livability, economic vitality, and the psyche of the city. I imagine Tacoma Avenue as a great street with large canopied trees spaced widely on each block all the way from Division to Jefferson. I see transit and office and housing and retail. I see downtown rising to reach it and Hillside rising above. I imagine Tacoma Avenue with Yakima Avenue as two green and open space corridors, running the length of downtown. Connecting two great parks – Wright Park and Lincoln Park. Connecting two great high schools – Stadium and Lincoln. What a difference this would make for connecting our downtown to our neighborhoods. Update the Downtown Plan Update to include a vision for Tacoma Avenue.

I hope that these ideas inspire you. Please consider their addition to the Downtown Plan Update as you review the document and forward your recommendations to City Council. Sincerely, Brett Santhuff 360.402.1062 c Wright Park Condos 720 6th Avenue #205 Tacoma, WA 98405

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October 9, 2008 Planning Commission City of Tacoma Mr. Peter Huffman Planning Division Manager 747 Market Street, Room 1036 Tacoma, WA 98402-3793 Sent via email: [email protected] RE: Downtown Plan Element of the Comprehensive Plan Dear Planning Commission Members, This correspondence provides support to the City of Tacoma’s Downtown Plan Element of the Comprehensive Plan. The University of Washington also testified in support of this plan at the public hearing conducted by the Planning Commission meeting on October 1, 2008. As the University of Washington Tacoma finalizes its internal master plan review and approval process, the University would like the City of Tacoma to consider a modification, pending our review process, to increase the building height within the campus boundary area. Presently, the area between Market Street and Tacoma Avenue is planned for 4-story campus buildings.

The University would like to increase the height of the area to 9 - 11 stories for a mix of academic on the first four floors and residential and/or other compatible use above. This will allow flexibility to respond to the University’s master plan direction which increases the building height along the edges of the UW Tacoma campus, most notably along Tacoma Avenue, and supports a mixed-use concept. While the actual height of new buildings will vary between Market Street and Tacoma Avenue, the increase in building height will provide for the potential to respond to future campus needs.

We look forward to working with the City on developing zoning requirements to fulfill and fully

implement the University of Washington Tacoma’s master plan.

Sincerely,

Patricia Spakes Chancellor

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mailto:[email protected]

University of Washington Tacoma

Campus Master Plan Update October 2008

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Staff Note: From Ysabel Trinidad, University of Washington Tacoma, distributed at public hearing, 10-1-08

October 2008MASTER PLAN UPDATE 2

UW Tacoma Master Plan Update - A 21st Century Campus

Sustainability Urban Campus Flexibility

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UW Tacoma Master Plan Update

• The Master Plan Update was developed based upon the feedback we have received from information gathering sessions with the campus and neighboring community

• The major goals of the Master Plan Update are to enhance the urban character of the existing campus and provide opportunities to strengthen a sense of community as a four year residential institution by providing:

° A central open space (a ‘heart’ of campus) and various smaller green spaces throughout the campus ° Pedestrian connections up the hill ° An integration of uses (between residential, student life, and academics) that will accommodate 10,000 – 12,000 FTEs

- The full build-out of the campus will accommodate 10,000 FTEs with an average height of 4 stories - The housing facilities will accommodate approximately 12% of the student population

• A pathway aligned with a view of Mt. Rainier leads into the campus from the corner of 17th St. and Tacoma Ave.

• Market Street remains open through the campus, and 19th Street between Market and Fawcett is closed to vehicular traffic. • Careful consideration for accessibility will be included in north-south walkways and east-west access through buildings by elevator.

• Opportunities for retail and private development are also identified.

• The Infrastructure Master Plan will inform opportunities to promote sustainability on the campus such as collecting and filtering stormwater with rain gardens.

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S 1

9th

St

S 2

1st S

t

S 1

7th

St

Fawcett Avenue

Tacoma Avenue

Market Street

Pacific Avenue

DMU100’

CO & HO85’

WR100’

DR90’

DCC400’

HM150’

R5150’R4

60’R4

R460’RCX

60’

DMU100’

UCX120’

S100’


N

Museum District

Upper Tacoma Business District

DomeDistrict

Tacoma Dome1.2 miles

Brewery District

I-705

Link Light Rail

Thea FossWaterway

St. Joseph Medical Center

0.5 miles

Tacoma Community College

4 miles

Lincoln High

School1.5 miles

Stanley Playfield1 mile

Lincoln Park

Pantages Theater0.8 miles

City of Tacoma Context Zoning

UW Tacoma

Stadium High

School1.7 miles

Peck Field1.5 miles

DMU (Downtown Mixed Use)

DCC (Downtown Commercial Core)

DR (Downtown Residential)

R5 (Multiple Family)

S (Combined Shoreline District)

WR (Warehouse Residential)

Conservation Overlay Historic OverlayLegend

UCX (Urban Center Mixed Use)

R4 (Multiple Family)

HM (Hospital/Medical)

RCX (Residential Commercial Mixed Use)

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M a s t e r P l a n - 1 0 , 0 0 0 F T E s

Reta i l

GWP BHS(Academic Building)

Dougan

Science

Swiss

JeffersonAddition

Joy Building

Cherry Parkes

Philip Hall

Pinkerton

Library

Tioga

Mattress Factory

BB

Keystone

Tacoma Paper &

Stationery

WG

Court 17

Buddhist Temple

Whitney Church

Futu re UW Tacoma

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N0 200 400100

Community/Student Life

Housing

Academic

Legend

Campus Core

Opportunity for Mixed Use

Open Space

M a s t e r P l a n - L a n d U s e

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U n i v e r s i t y Te r r a c e

P l a n

S e c t i o n - L o o k i n g N o r t h

N

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U n i v e r s i t y Te r r a c e - P e r s p e c t i v e

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Poten t ia l P r i va te Deve lopment

10,000 FTEs

16

0’

Ht.

Ma

x

Studen t Cen te rPark ing Be low F ie ld

SwissTioga

L ib ra ry

TacomaAvenue

Fawcet tAvenue

Je f fe rsonAvenuePra i r ie

L ine Tra i lPac i f i c Avenue

Marke tS t ree t

15,000 FTEs

TacomaAvenue

Fawcet tAvenue

16

0’

Ht.

Ma

x

Whi tney Church

Univers i t y Ter raceSwissJe f fe rsonAvenueTioga

Pra i r ie L ine Tra i l

L ib ra ry

Pac i f i c Avenue

Marke tS t ree t

C a m p u s S e c t i o n s

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