WE NEED YOUR HELP! Support the Frederickson Town Center

~~ Attend the next public hearing August 11th, 2015 – 3:00 pm ~~
Room 1045, 10th Floor, County-City Building, 930 Tacoma Ave S, in Tacoma

Sign the Petition!

There has a been a setback in the ongoing regulatory battle to make Frederickson Town Center a success. The County Council approved Comprehensive Plan has been vetoed by the County Executive. An aggressive campaign against a project overwhelmingly supported by citizens is underway by a few people who do not live in the area. So we are going to need your support in letting the council know that you support the plan they passed and that they should override the veto and secure a vibrant future for the Town Center.

We will be at the annual Freddie Fest on Aug 8th with petitions for you to sign in support of the Town Center.

We have prepared a new petition for your signature. And we encourage you to also contact your council members to let them know that you support the Frederickson Town Center.

There is a large amount of support from the community for the amendments approved by the County Council. We only need one more council person to vote in favor in order to turn over the veto of the County Executive.

Read more about the Frederickson Town Center Community Plan Amendment Petition.
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Letters to the council in support of FRETOC

Letters from the community in support of FRETOC

Our new Petition

Frederickson Town Center Facts

  • The property is approximately 57 acres in size.
  • It has controlled access from two “fully signalized” points.
  • Currently, Safeway is the only “anchor” in the Frederickson Area.
  • The developer wants to create a quality center providing retail and professional services to the Frederickson Community and requires an anchor tenant to kick off the project.
  • The proposed development has the support of the Pierce County Planning Commission and the majority of the County Council.
    Our proposal to remove the 60,000 square foot building size limitation was approved by the Council but Vetoed by the County Executive.
  • 25,000+ residents live within unincorporated Frederickson (2015). We believe they should be able to shop and buy socks without driving to Meridian.
  • There are 8 schools in the Bethel School District servicing Frederickson. The annual sales tax funding to schools once the project is fully developed with approval of M-4 and C-6 amendments could be as much as $3,299,778. Current sales tax revenue from the site is ZERO!

Click on your council member below to email them with your support.

Read the article in the News Tribune.
Large-scale retail could be coming to Frederickson

“I can’t buy a pair of socks in Frederickson,” – John Marshall

Keep in mind that the proposed amendments apply to only to the Frederickson Town Center, and do nothing to change the broader context of zoning in Frederickson. They just allow the economics of the shopping center to work in the real world, by allowing anchor tenants that are necessary to bring success to shopping centers.

What are the current disagreements about?

The proponents of the Frederickson Town Center do not fundamentally disagree with the intent of the county Executive to protect the status of Frederickson as an industrial center. The disagreement is centered around the status of a single property that is already zoned for commercial use, which is desirable for companies providing industrial jobs. We believe that the planned Frederickson Town Center increases the quality of life and access to services for the industrial zone. Business cannot attract employees to areas without a quality commercial core. Where can they go for lunch, or quickly shop before returning home. A Frederickson Town Center that is attractive to major restaurant chains and retailers will benefit all and serve the goals of the County Executive.

The changes that are being requested in the comp plan amendment are minor but significant to the success of the project. In our opinion they simple correct a planning error that limited the land to uses that are not in line with how successful shopping areas are created. Under the current zoning restrictions the project would be relegated to unsightly and extremely limited retail uses and be unable to attract significant interest from the kinds of tenants that people living and working in the community would like to frequent.

It is also the position of the county executive that this project will create another Meridian, causing congestion and impeding the ability for industrial transports to deliver their goods. The conditions in this location are not the same as Meridian where there is no divider down the center of the street and so you have major traffic issues cause by cars turning both ways. Canyon has dividers which allow traffic to keep moving so this concern is not an issue.

So we believe that your support of Frederickson Town Center is in the best interest of everyone involved. If you have more questions about our position please attend Freddie Fest or contact us for more information. We want you to have all the facts.

The County Executive is concerned about attracting more industrial development to nearby parcels and the effect that this project will have on that goal due to increased traffic.

The Frederickson Town Center is the only property in Frederickson zoned to allow a shopping center and the only property of the size to attract an anchor tenant. If our proposal does not go through, a quality shopping center will not be created in Frederickson.

Over 1,000 acres of undeveloped industrial land already exists within Frederickson (Economic Development Board for Tacoma-Piece County), the use of the FTC property for retail and services will have next to no effect on the ability for Frederickson to expand industrial development, and will actually make the location more attractive to prospective employers.

Sign the Petition!

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