Pierce County Planning and Land Services and other County departments are currently working with the citizens of the Upper Nisqually Valley, Gig Harbor Peninsula, and Parkland-Spanaway-Midland, to develop community plans for those areas. These plans will be the first community plans developed by the County and its citizens since the Pierce County Comprehensive Plan was adopted in 1994.

Completed Community Plans

Upper Nisqually Valley Community Plan - The Upper Nisqually Valley Community Plan area is located in southeast Pierce County, Washington. The plan area is approximately 18 miles in length beginning slightly north of Alder Dam and extending eastward along the highway corridor through the communities of Alder, Elbe, and Ashford, terminating at the Nisqually entrance to Mt. Rainier National Park. The southern border of the plan area is the Nisqually River and Lewis County. The northern border follows the northern boundary of the Upper Nisqually River Watershed. Major highways within the plan area are SR-7 and SR-706. The plan area consists of approximately 27,000 acres. Roughly 50 percent of this area is public lands held by the Federal, State, or local government. The majority of the public lands are designated forests which provide significant recreational opportunities and conservation of wildlife habitat. Population in the plan area is approximately between 1,100 - 1,200 persons.

The Upper Nisqually Community Plan has been in the process of being developed since the Summer of 1996. The completed plan and an accompanying environmental impact statement were released for public review and comment on December 31, 1998. The completed plan was adopted by the Pierce County Council in September of 1999. If you have questions regarding the status of the plan, please contact Kimberly Freeman, Associate Planner , at (253)798-2784.

Parkland-Spanaway-Midland - The Parkland-Spanaway-Midland (PSM) Communities Plan area encompasses approximately 13,003 acres (20.3 square miles) and is located in west-central Pierce County. The plan area includes three separate, but inter-connected communities- interconnected by history, environmental features, transportation issues, and growth pressures. The PSM Communities Plan area is bounded on the north by the City of Tacoma, the west by the City of Lakewood, McChord Air Force Base and Fort Lewis, and on the south by Fort Lewis, and on the east by the Summit-Waller/North Clover Creek and Frederickson Community Plan areas.

In 1998, Pierce County and three community planning boards began to meet in order to update the 1980 Parkland-Spanaway Comprehensive [Community] Plan. The revised plan, now referred to as the Parkland-Spanaway-Midland Communities Plan, will soon be available for public review and currently, is only a recommendation to the Pierce County Planning Commission and the Pierce County Council.

If you have questions regarding the status of the plan or how you can get involved, contact Sean Gaffney, Senior Planner , at (253)798-2724.

South Hill - The Pierce County Council authorized the development of a community plan for the South Hill area of unincorporated Pierce County. Last fall the Community Planning Board began work on developing vision statements for the Community Plan.

If you have questions regarding these community plans or would like to get involved, contact Dan Cardwell , Associate Planner , at (253)798-7039.