SHAW-E. PIONEER NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN
SUMMARY OF NEW ZONES: RAIL MANUFACTURING,
MIXED-USE AND AGRICULTURE/OPEN SPACE
(City Council, January 13, 2009)
All development proposed within the Shaw-East Pioneer Neighborhood Plan Urban Growth
Arae will be subject to standards of the underlying proposed City base zone districts (NOTE: a
separate attachment summarizes the proposed zoning overlay for commercially-zoned properties
within the Plan area on the south side of East Pioneer). While the majority of the UGA will be
covered by existing City zone districts, the recommended plan includes three new zone districts,
which are summarized as follows. With Council concurrence, the Planning Commission will
develop recommendations for detailed code text standards for these proposed new City zones
over the coming 2-3 months.
1.
NEW “RAIL MANUFACTURING (MR)” ZONE
Staff, Planning Commission and landowners have endorsed an “MR” (Rail Manufacturing) zone,
which would be a new subset of Puyallup Municipal Code Sec. 20.35 (Manufacturing Zones).
The MR zone is intended to provide for rail-based industrial uses operating along existing
railroad lines in the app. 51-acre “industrial” area located in the SE portion of the Shaw-Pioneer
Neighborhood Plan). This zone would recognize that rail-serving operations often involve more
intensive manufacturing operations, including external freight loading and related activities.
Most light and heavy industrial uses would be permitted in this zone. Uses allowed in the MR
zone would include uses permitted in the ML zone, however “heavy industry” and “natural
resource extraction or processing” uses would be permitted uses, rather than conditionally
permitted uses. Development standards for the MR zone would be the same as in the ML zone,
but “maximum building height” would increase from 50’ to 65’, and industrial design standards,
as contained in PMC Sec. 20.26.400, would not apply in the MR zone. As a portion of this MRzoned area also includes the County Parks-owned trail corridor, County Parks has formally asked
that this new zone district expressly recognize the trail and ancillary activities (e.g. trailhead
parking) be permitted uses. Staff expects to address this Park request in the detailed code text.
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2.
NEW “MIXED USE” ZONE
As contained in the recommended draft land use plan, this would apply to an approximately 30acre area immediately north of East Pioneer between Shaw Road Extension and 134th Avenue
East. At the prior Council meeting on this topic (12/2/08), this area was proposed to be zoned
commercial, with allowance for a mix of residential uses. The current draft plan proposes a
distinct new mixed-use zone which would allow a similar combination of:
those commercial uses (e.g. retail, office professional, related general commercial)
permitted within the City’s Business Commercial (CB) zone. As such, light manufacturing-type
and/or outdoor storage use would not be permitted.
those residential uses typically permitted within the City’s RM-10 zone (e.g. townhouses,
cottages, etc.). This would expect to be no greater than 10 units/acre, which precludes higherdensity apartment uses.
Don Moody, the representative of the three owners of this mixed-use area, envisions this area
being a master plan combination of commercial pads, higher-quality townhouses and perhaps
some mixed-use buildings with commercial ground floors and upper-story residences. Some
senior housing will likely be a component. As such, this new zone would be more liberal in
allowing a mix of uses (including some stand-alone residential uses adjacent to commercial
areas) than under conventional City commercial zoning. To-be-developed detailed code
standards would specify a creative intermixing of these uses, precluding an exclusively
commercial or residential development. Those detailed zone standards would address elements
such as compatibility between uses, design standards, pedestrian connections, landscape/open
space and building street orientation. Staff intends to work with the Planning Commission to
craft these standards so that this mixed-use zone could potentially apply to other areas of the
City. While this particular mixed-use area would cap residential densities per the RM-10 zone,
it is possible that the overall zone may be crafted to permit other residential densities (low or
high) when/if this zone is applied elsewhere, depending upon the specific context.
3.
AGRICULTURAL/OPEN SPACE “SET ASIDE” AREA
A new base zone for agricultural and open space preservation will be created relative to the
prescribed set-aside areas. This zone will preserve natural features, open space, and the
agricultural character as envisioned in Resolution 1903. Emphasis is on agricultural operations
with some recreational agriculture supporting uses. Such supporting uses may include fruit
stands or other agricultural related retail, sheds, silos, and other agriculture supporting structures,
as well as residences directly serving the on-site agricultural use. Recreational areas may also
be accommodated in this zone. Property in this zone will be subject to applicable floodplain and
critical areas overlay regulations.
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