The Suburban Times

A community bulletin board for Western Pierce County.

  • Home
  • To Know
  • To Do
  • To Ponder
  • Obituaries
  • Calendar
    • Submit an Event
  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
  • More
    • Share your story
    • Submit an Event
    • Contact

Around the Sound: Long meeting at new year’s start

January 8, 2014 By Nancy Covert

By Nancy Covert

The first Tuesday council meeting of the New Year in Steilacoom ran longer than usual.

The Jan. 7 council meeting recessed around 10:20 p.m., but there was a lot accomplished that night, from inducting its newest member to dealing with town issues.

Paul Loveless, Steilacoom’s Town Administrator, read the Oath of Office to the newest  councilmember Pete Franklin, who replaced Lowell Bier. Mr. Loveless also administered the Oath to returning councilmembers Steve Stovall, (2nd term), and Marion Smith (4th term). Mayor Ron Lucas also took the oath of office, marking the start of his fifth term in that role.

Town Hall was filled with interested citizens on hand for the evening’s business. Half a dozen high school students were part of the audience as a requirement for their Civics Class. Students benefited from Mayor Lucas’ explanation about how the council conducts town business.

New Councilmembers (from left) Marion Smith, Pete Franklin and Steve Stovall stand behind Mayor Ron Lucas.
Saltar’s Beach bridge

Foremost on the minds of several residents was concern about whether or not to pave a small section of roadway (Wilkes Street) that accesses Sequalish St. After hearing comments from residents who live in the impacted area, council approved a change order on the in-progress Sequalish St. project. That includes replacing a water main and paving a section of Wilkes’ roadway instead of allowing it to remain graveled.

The status of the still-shuttered Saltar’s Beach pedestrian overpass also drew a lot of attention. Several residents complained about their inability to access the picturesque graveled beach on the southwest side of town, with its CCC-constructed rock picnic shelter.

It has been more than a year since the overpass was damaged when a low-hanging cable was snagged by a double-deck freight car, weakening the over-the-tracks structure.

Mayor Lucas explained the process and status of negotiations with the Railroad (Burlington Northern/Santa Fe) in order to restore access to the beach because of potential liability. He stressed that the bridge would not be re-opened until a new walkway was in place.

The Town received a detailed 11-page report from BNSF, saying that a steel overpass bridge would be installed, although there was no date had been set for its replacement. Matters with the Railroad progress slowly, but the Mayor is optimistic that it will be resolved. In the meantime residents are reminded that Sunnyside Beach is available for any beach-type recreation.

Finally, Doug Fortner, Town Planner, presented Town Code changes regarding any marijuana distribution businesses in the historic community. Of two alternatives available, the council approved the first option prohibiting its sale within the town’s limits. While the Town cannot control a citizen’s private, personal use, it can and has blocked any commercial distribution within the community.

Any available site for doing so is within the 1,000 ft. boundary guidelines established by the State. Because of the community’s small size—2.3 square miles—any potential retail site would be prohibited because of proximity to any of Steilacoom’s parks, schools or library.

Note: 2014 marks the 100th anniversary of the first train to travel through Steilacoom. An 80th Anniversary gathering was held at the Steilacoom Depot in 1994 to mark the occasion.

When Steilacoom celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2004, a group of townspeople boarded Amtrak for a re-creation of that historic ride to Centralia. A detailed account about the train’s 1914 arrival in Steilacoom can be read in Town on the Sound, available at the Steilacoom Historical Museum.

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)

Related

Comments

  1. Trev says

    January 9, 2014 at 9:19 am

    Thanks Nancy for publishing this summary of the council meeting, this is so much more detailed than the town’s minutes and much more timely. Would love to see this after every council meeting!

  2. Ray Egan says

    January 11, 2014 at 12:54 pm

    Nancy, please accept our thanks also.
    R and M Egan

  3. Nancy Henderson says

    January 21, 2014 at 1:06 pm

    Nancy, nice job with the article about the Town Council meeting. You write so nicely and make the content understandable to the readers. Obviously you are paying close attention at the meetings! People really appreciate this.

Top Stories

  • Thornewood Carriage House, piece of PNW history, for sale | Tacoma News Tribune
    Thornewood Carriage House, piece of PNW history, for sale | Tacoma News Tribune
  • Letter: A Warrior Has Fallen
    Letter: A Warrior Has Fallen
  • En Rama’s seating is back in downtown Tacoma. Get the fresh pasta and burger
    En Rama’s seating is back in downtown Tacoma. Get the fresh pasta and burger
  • 207 new Pierce County COVID-19 cases, 3 new deaths confirmed Apr. 20
    207 new Pierce County COVID-19 cases, 3 new deaths confirmed Apr. 20
  • 233 new Pierce County COVID-19 cases, 1 new death confirmed Apr. 21
    233 new Pierce County COVID-19 cases, 1 new death confirmed Apr. 21

Become a better informed citizen.

Join over 30,000 readers each month and get real-local news and information direct to your inbox, Monday-Saturday.


Recent Comments

  • Sharlene on The Wood Nymph
  • Jan Brazzell on Rotary Club of Tacoma – Raising Money for Tacoma, Pierce County, and the World
  • Cindy McKitrick on Letter: A Warrior Has Fallen
  • Don Doman on The Wood Nymph
  • Dennis on Letter: A Warrior Has Fallen

Contact Us

The Suburban Times
P.O. Box 39099
Lakewood, WA 98496

Ben Sclair, Publisher
253-312-1804

Stephen Neufeld, Marketing Executive
stephen@thesubtimes.com

Copyright © 2021 The Suburban Times • Log in • Privacy Policy

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.