Schedule of Upcoming Hearings

What is a Public Hearing?
A public hearing is a special meeting which allows the public to comment on proposed plans and projects before officials make a final decision. As implied by the title, public hearings are open to the public. All members of the public wishing to testify regarding an action may do so. Public hearings are generally divided into two categories- legislative and quasi-judicial. Legislative hearings are conducted to seek citizen views on land use plans and ordinances, while quasi-judicial hearings deal with individual property. The official(s) conducting the hearing may establish rules regarding how the hearing is conducted, including time limitations on public testimony. Members of the public wishing to testify at a public hearing should prepare their testimony in advance of the hearing in order to ensure their testimony is clearly understandable by the official(s) conducting the hearing.

Pierce County Hearing Examiner
Pierce County utilizes a Hearing Examiner system for quasi-judicial decisions on land use actions such as variances, conditional use permits, shoreline permits, and applications to subdivide land. The Hearing Examiner is appointed by the Pierce County Council and acts as the decision-maker for the County regarding discretionary land use permits and approvals. The Hearing Examiner also issues decisions regarding appeals of administrative decisions made by the Planning and Land Services Department. The procedures governing hearings before the Hearing Examiner are set forth in the Hearing Examiner Code, Chapter 1.22 Pierce County Code . Hearings before the Hearing Examiner are generally held on a weekly basis in the public meeting room at the Pierce County Public Services Building, located at 2401 S. 35th Street in Tacoma. Public notice of hearings before the Hearing Examiner is published in the official County newspaper at least ten days prior to a hearing.

Pierce County Planning Commission
The Pierce County Planning Commission is an advisory board to the Pierce County Council regarding legislative actions dealing with planning and land use. Hearings before the Planning Commission are typically in regard to planning related legislation such as zoning code changes, comprehensive plan amendments, and other land use regulations. The Planning Commission also makes recommendations regarding applications for current use assessment. The Planning Commission is not a final decision-making authority, the final decision making authority on legislative matters lies with the Pierce County Council. Hearings before the Planning Commission are generally held once a month on the fourth Tuesday of the month in the public meeting room at the Pierce County Public Services Building, located at 2401 S. 35th Street in Tacoma. Public notice of the Planning Commission hearings is published in the official County newspaper at least ten days prior to the hearing.