MultiCare again avoids public process

In the ongoing issue of the MultiCare boiler plant slated to go up across from Wright Park, a squirrel in the attic passed along the following email. In it is revealed another evasion of public process/comment on MultiCare's part. Here's a little clarification from Tacoma's Land Use Administration Planner Lisa Spadoni as to why their proposed plant with smokestacks reach 90' into the sky won't be up for SEPA review:

Multicare is working on submitting their building permit application for the steam plant. The proposed building size is over the 12,000 square foot trigger for SEPA review. Therefore, Multicare is required to submit an Environmental Checklist and undergo a SEPA review process. In this case, the process will involve an addendum to the existing Programmatic SEPA Determination of Non-significance which was completed during an area wide rezone process in 2002. The addendum process does not have a public comment period or an appeal period, but a legal notice will be published in the paper. This is the normal process used for projects occurring within the City's commercial zone districts.

Wow, so as in the case of avoiding historical review for FUMC they've found another loophole. I challenge MultiCare to open themselves up to comment from the public they serve. How else will we ever be able to live side-by-side with them? How does this make people in our fair city feel? The issue certainly isn't an anti-MultiCare one but one of how to carve out a balance between resident and business interests in a dense and historical part of Tacoma.

Previously on KFnet

Latest Entries

Tue. June 26, 2007, 04:23pm PDT

MultiCare again avoids public process

Post Comments