Latest News about Manitou Annexation
1. Manitou Area Walk-about, Friday, April 26, 2019, 4-6 PM
You are invited to join City staff for a walk-about in the Manitou area to learn more about how the Zoning Schemes currently proposed by the Planning Commission would/may work for the area if the annexation becomes effective. For more information about this site visit and instructions for participation, please review the following notice:
2. Planning Commission Public Hearings, May 1 and 15, 2019, 6 PM
The Planning Commission will conduct two public hearings to receive public comments on the 2019 Annual Amendment to the Comprehensive Plan and Land Use Regulatory Code ("2019 Amendment"). An Informational Meeting (Q & A session) will be conducted prior to each hearing, from 5 to 6 PM. In addition to testimony, written comments are accepted through May 17, 2019.
The proposed Zoning Schemes for the Manitou Area is one of the subjects for the hearings, and is to be addressed at Public Hearing No. 2 on May 15. For more information about these hearings, including how to provide comments, please review the following documents:
Status of Manitou Annexation (as of March 2019)
As of March 2019, planning for the Manitou annexation is proceeding on two tracks: (1) Interlocal Agreement, and (2) Proposed Zoning.
About the first track, the City is getting ready to negotiate the interlocal annexation agreement with Pierce County. Upon completion of the negotiation and approval of the agreement by County and City councils, the City will consider an ordinance to set the effective date for the annexation. The effective date is to be determined, but is likely to be near the end of 2019 or later.
The second track pertains to the proposed land use designations and zoning classifications ("Proposed Zoning") to be applied to the Manitou area if and when the annexation becomes effective. There are two options of the Proposed Zoning. At its meeting on February 6, 2019, the Planning Commission released both options for public review, in preparation for the public hearings for the 2019 Amendment (link to website).
City Council Reviews (August-October 2018)
According to RCW 35.13.470, the annexation process applicable to the Manitou area is the method of Interlocal Annexation Agreement. The process may be initiated by Pierce County or the City of Tacoma through the adoption of a resolution to commence negotiations of the interlocal agreement.
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The City Council adopted a resolution on October 30, 2018, to initiate the annexation process and the negotiation of the interlocal agreement with Pierce County, as recommended by the Government Performance and Finance Committee (GPFC). The resolution corresponded to a similar one adopted by the Pierce County Council on September 4, 2018.
Relevant documents are posted below:
Planning Commission Review (July 2018 - February 2019)
The Planning Commission (PC) reviewed the subject on July 18, 2018, November 7, 2018, and February 6, 2019. At the February 6th meeting, the Commission established two options of the proposed land use designations and zoning classifications ("Proposed Zoning") to be applied to the Manitou area if and when the annexation becomes effective, and released both options for public review and comment during the 2019 Amendment process.
Community Meetings (May 14 and December 10, 2018)
County and City staff conducted two pre-annexation community meetings in 2018. to inform and engage the neighborhood and stakeholders. Posted below are some relevant documents:
About the Manitou Potential Annexation Area
The Manitou Area is the 37-acre unincorporated Pierce County area located on the southwest corner of the City, near Lakewood Drive W. and 66th Street W. The area abuts the City of Tacoma on the east, south and west sides, and the City of University Place on the north side.
About Annexation
The Manitou Neighborhood is one of the unincorporated “islands” in Pierce County where future annexation to the respective abutting municipalities is expected by the State Growth Management Act (GMA) and considered a high priority in regional planning policies. This is also one of the City’s designated Urban Growth Areas (UGAs), effectively the Potential Annexation Areas (PAAs), as set forth in the One Tacoma Comprehensive Plan, pursuant to GMA.
A basic premise of the GMA is that denser urban development should be supported by urban services, such as roads, transit, sidewalks, water, sewer, parks, and libraries, and should be located in cities to ensure the most efficient provision of service.
For more information about Annexation, UGAs, or PAAs, please review:
Staff Contact
Lihuang Wung, Senior Planner
(253) 591-5682
Email