TACOMA, Wash. – On Wednesday, June 5, the City of Tacoma Planning Commission made its final recommendation on the Home In Tacoma package, moving it forward to the City Council to begin the final phase of the process this summer. The formal letter of recommendation, the findings and recommendations report, and other supporting documentation for the Planning Commission’s decision was recently completed and are now available online.
Home In Tacoma is a significant package of changes to the rules that govern housing construction in the city. In response to recent state-level legislation that eliminated the single-family zoning designation and updated urban zoning standards to increase housing density in cities across Washington, the City of Tacoma has worked diligently for several years to develop new residential zoning and standards that will allow more diverse and affordable housing to be built citywide. The proposed changes and updates to City codes and regulations are designed to help meet the rapidly growing housing needs of current and future residents, while ensuring that new housing contributes to making Tacoma’s neighborhoods more livable, walkable, and sustainable.
The Planning Commission recommendation is a milestone in the Home In Tacoma process that comes as a result of a robust community engagement process, including a public hearing earlier this year. Planning Commission members thoroughly reviewed the Home In Tacoma proposal over the course of several months and numerous public meetings, tailoring their recommendations to acknowledge and respond to the many comments that were received from community members.
The Planning Commission recommendations include significant proposed changes in three major areas—changes to zoning, including three new Urban Residential zones for low and mid-scale density; changes to parking regulations and requirements, including the designation of Reduced Parking areas; and landscaping, including tree retention and minimum planting requirements.
Planning Commission final recommendation documents are available for review at the Home In Tacoma project website Home In Tacoma Project: AHAS Planning Actions – City of Tacoma. Documents include:
- Planning Commission Recommendation Letter
- Findings and Recommendations Report
- Code
- Maps
Updated topic summary sheets, an interactive zoning map, and a Frequently Asked Questions section will be added to the Home In Tacoma webpage in the coming weeks.
Next Steps for City Council
Staff from the City’s Planning and Development Services Department are slated to provide a briefing and overview of Home In Tacoma Planning Commission recommendation package at Council Study Session on Tuesday, July 30 at noon. After the July 30 briefing, the next action for the City Council will be to set a public hearing date for late August.
City staff expect to provide additional briefings to Council, digging deeper into specific topics raised during public comment, and providing more detail about specific proposed changes. Staff also will host additional public informational meetings in August to update the public on the Planning Commission’s recommendations, the latest version of the proposed legislative packet, the remaining process steps for the City Council, and to promote the public hearing date.Details on Home in Tacoma are available at cityoftacoma.org/homeintacoma. Questions, or requests for information in an alternate format, may be directed to mailto:homeintacoma@cityoftacoma.org or (253) 591-2051.
