City Approves Changes to Port's Industrial Zoning

TACOMA, WA-The City of Tacoma this week altered requirements and restrictions related to the Port of Tacoma’s heaviest industrial zones in an attempt to prevent encroachment incompatible uses.

Among other things, the Port’s heavy industrial zone, which was renamed Port Maritime Industrial, now prohibits many non-industrial uses that were heretofore allowed such as assembly operations, day care businesses, R&D facilities, cultural institutions and retail plant sales.

Peter Huffman, manager of the growth management division of the city’s economic development department tells GlobeSt.com the zoning code now really only allows uses that are compatible to the maritime and heavy industrial uses. “There really hasn’t been too much encroachment of incompatible uses yet, but the Port and its large property owners wanted to prevent the type of encroachment seen at other ports,” says Huffman. “They felt there are more appropriate places for those types of uses to occur, and the city council agreed.”