November 2019

Annual Volunteer Fair

Puyallup Area Aging in Place Coalition hosted its Annual Volunteer Fair at the Puyallup library on October 12th. A wide variety of community groups and non-profit agencies participated in the fair and approximately 150 visitors attended. Most importantly, the Annual Volunteer Fair provides a great opportunity for Puyallup residents to learn more about the agencies and how to get more involved in the community by donating some of their time.
Volunteer Fair

Breakfast with Santa

Once again, Breakfast with Santa is sold out. On December 14th, families will create new traditions that celebrate the spirit of the season when they attend this special event by enjoying a delicious warm breakfast buffet, pictures with Santa and quality time with family and friends. There are several activities for families to enjoy including holiday crafts and games. It’s the perfect chance for the little ones to tell Santa exactly what’s on their Christmas list!

Development Services: Nearing Completion 

There are a number of development projects around Puyallup which are now nearing completion and/or occupancy, including:  

  • Pioneer Crossing:  A retail shopping center at the SW corner of Shaw Road-East Pioneer, which recently had a grand opening for Safeway.  Several other tenants such as MOD Pizza, Starbucks, Taco Bell and Jersey Mikes are expected to open in the near future.  
  • Huntington Apartments:  Phased occupancy has already begun for this project, located in the 2000 block of S. Meridian, which contains 38 new multi-family units within three buildings.
  • Puyallup Fish Hatchery:  For the last several months, the State Fish & Wildlife Department has been upgrading various parts of the long-standing hatchery site.  These improvements include major changes to the hatchery’s fish rearing areas and associated water works, as well as upgrades to facilities and grounds.  
  • Affinity Senior Housing:  This large senior facility, located on the NE corner of 5th Avenue SE-43rd Avenue SE (opposite the Korum YMCA), will consist of 168 independent-living units within the four-story main building, with associated amenity and parking/landscape areas.  The developer is preparing for occupancy of this project to commence in early 2020.  

Trip: UW Seismology Lab

On November 14th, patrons from the Puyallup Activity Center took the opportunity to visit the University of Washington's Seattle Campus to participate in a tour of the seismology lab. The University of Washington Seismologic Center tracks earthquakes all around Western Washington and are also able to view earthquakes from around the world.  The trip-goers learned the difference between the source zones and Plate Tectonic Theory and how those processes have formed the western margin of North America, more specifically Western Washington.  Although Mount Rainier blows its top every 300-500 years, the last eruption was 312 years ago and thankfully there are no indications of one anytime soon.

Response Exercise - “Mass Casualty Incident” 

On November 14th the City of Puyallup partnered with Good Samaritan Hospital and MultiCare to conduct a classroom-based exercise at Good Samaritan Hospital that involved a mock mass casualty event at the fairgrounds.  Partners from the Puyallup Police Department, Central Pierce Fire and Rescue, Good Samaritan Hospital and the Washington State Fair participated.  The training was an excellent opportunity for first responders to work through the response to such a scenario and to discuss plans for communications between the various responding agencies.  Trainings like this are critical to identify and address any gaps for future trainings and exercises and to strengthen the ability of the City to respond to emergencies.  A special thanks to Assistant Chief John Unfred of the City of Lakewood Police Department for moderating the training.  

Activity Center Thanksgiving Lunch

In partnership with Catholic Community Services, the Activity Center provided a wonderful Thanksgiving meal to a full room of seniors on November 27th.  The Thanksgiving feast included a carved turkey, potatoes, green beans, cranberries, rolls, and scrumptious pumpkin pie for dessert.

Community Civics: Puyallup 101 Graduation

December 5th concluded the City’s first ever community civics course, Puyallup 101!  The course included 10-weeks of classes focusing on Puyallup’s local government and how community members can get involved and partner with City Council.  The final class included a small graduation ceremony, with 22 participants receiving certificates and city pins presented by Councilmember Cyndy Jacobsen and Interim City Manager, Steve Kirkelie.  The City is so grateful to have had a fantastic group of community members for the inaugural class series – all were truly invested in learning more about our City!  The next 10-week course will be held in early Spring 2020. 
Puyallup 101

Potential New Development Projects



Over the past few months, City Development Review staff have held pre-application meetings with the proponents of the following potential new development projects:

  • A 52-unit, four story multi-family building, proposed on a vacant 0.77-acre property at the NE corner of 2nd Street NE-5th Avenue NE.  This project, which includes associated site improvements and landscaped areas, would have structured parking beneath the first level, utilizing the old river bed depression on the site. 
  • Conversion of existing tenant spaces at the Valley Plaza Shopping Center, on East Main, into a children’s commercial play facility (Kaleidoscope Family Playground).  
  • A proposed 406-unit, multi-family residential project contained within three large multi-story buildings, for the existing Meridian Mobile Home park site on 27th Avenue SE, just east of S. Meridian.  The development concept includes associated parking and site improvements.  The applicant has also discussed with City staff an alternative project design for this site which would have substantially fewer units (252) housed within multiple smaller three-story residential structures, configured around the 7.8-acre site.     
  • Multi-family residential units located on the second floor of a building containing ground-floor professional office tenant spaces, with associated site features, proposed for the 2200 block of S. Meridian. 
  • A new 6,000 square foot maintenance building, proposed within the existing Shope Concrete property at 1618 East Main.  
  • A residential duplex, proposed for an existing RS-zoned lot in the 400 block of 43rd Avenue SW. 
  • A new infill residential fourplex, with site improvements, planned for the 800 block of 3rd Street NE. 
  • Review of two potential optional sites for re-using existing vacant facilities to house a new youth baseball training center (Level 360).  The two sites reviewed with City staff were the former-Sears space at the South Hill Mall and the former-Serta Mattress manufacturing facility located at 403 N. Levee Road.      
  • Two separate requests, by different applicants, to review the feasibility of new five-plex residential buildings and associated site work on existing lots located, respectively, in the 400 block of 10th Avenue SE and the 1200 block of 7th Avenue SE. 

Beards for Buddies 
If you haven’t already heard… The Puyallup Police Department is proud to be supporting the Law Enforcement Torch Run Campaign with Beards for Buddies.  The current Puyallup Police Department's grooming policy does not allow for any beards while in uniform.  For the first time in nearly 29 years, during the months of November and December the department is not only allowing, but promoting, our uniformed officers to grow beards! Along with the facial hair, the department is asking each officer who participates to make a minimum donation of $50 per month to Special Olympics Washington! At last count the Department has already raised $2,114.75!

The Puyallup Police Department is asking the Puyallup community to make a donation in support of Beards for Buddies!

Your generosity is the key to welcoming Special Olympics Washington athletes into our community under conditions where they are accepted and respected as valued and productive citizens. Your donation provides Special Olympics Washington with the tools and resources to offer year-round sports training and competition, health education, and leadership opportunities to more than 19,500 Special Olympics athletes in Washington!

Support today with your own donation: https://impact.sowa.org/BeardsforBuddies

Puyallup Pacers Walking Group



The Puyallup Activity Center encourages active and healthy lifestyles among all seniors through walking.  The most recent adventure was to St. Edwards Park in Seattle.  Although the weather was not particularly nice, the group made the best of the situation and “brought the sunshine with them”, as they said.  The Puyallup Pacers walking group gathers twice a month and transportation is provided to the participants to and from the various locations.  The Pacers’ have put many miles on their shoes while traveling to various popular locations including Kubota Gardens, Tacoma’s newest park Dunes Peninsula, Tumwater Falls, and Bellevue’s Botanical Gardens for their Christmas Holiday Lights.
Pacers 1
Puyallup Pacers 2

The Puyallup City Council: Your Elected Officials

The City of Puyallup has three Council districts, each represented by two councilmembers and one "At Large" member (see City Council District Map). Each councilmember is elected to their non-partisan seat for a four-year term. The mayor and deputy mayor are two-year positions filled by standing councilmembers who are chosen by their fellow members on the council.
Chambers
Deputy Mayor Tom Swanson will voluntarily exit his position on December 31, 2019. Deputy Mayor Swanson represented District 3 for eight years after having served on the Puyallup Planning Commission, among many other community service endeavors.

Ned Witting was elected to fill this position representing District 3 starting January 1, 2020. Other members of the Puyallup City Council are: Julie Door (District 3); Robin Farris (District 1); Cyndy Jacobsen (District 2); Dean Johnson (At Large); Jim Kastama (District 1); and John Palmer (District 2 and mayor, 2018-2019). You can find out more about your elected officials and obtain contact information for each of them here.