City Council Meeting- Dec. 4, 2007 ( 4. December 2007, 21:37 by Whitney) ~ Lots of Talk
Another busy agenda for the Council as the year wraps up.
- The Tacoma Reads Together program announced the Mayor’s newest selection: The Things They Carry by Tim O’Brian. Events for public discussion are planned for late winter and early spring.
- Karen Larkin was recognized for her 30 years of outstanding public service with the City of Tacoma. She was the first female civil engineer in the City and will be moving on to work for the State.
- Public Comment tonight heard from many people. Most of them were talking about the new proposed mixed-use centers. Residents from the South 34th and Pacific area spoke against the mixed-use center. This area is where Prium’s proposed development for Winthrop housing replacement would be. Residents were out in force against the proposed mixed-use center in the Narrows Neighborhood. Tacoma Musical Playhouse is in support of the mixed-use center in that area.
- An open space designation was discussed for the second week in a row. After the City Attorney, property owner, another City employee and all of the Council voiced something, we were still confused. Who knew it was so difficult? Quite the mess. And the Council isn’t even making the final decision. It was approved.
- The Ordinances pertaining to above mentioned mixed-use centers were held over for final vote until next week. Council did vote to approve amendments to both Ordinances.
- Changes to the comprehensive plan to allow small scale wineries were passed. Morgan, are you ready?
- An Ordinance regarding proposed changes to the animal control portion of the Municipal Code was read tonight.
- And finally, it was citizens forum. A surprising number of folks made it through this 3+ hour meeting to speak their minds about medical marijuana, Lyndon Larouche, and the Sperry Dock… second from the end was Robert Hill. Enough said.
Meeting adjourned. And now we rest.
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Changes to the comprehensive plan to allow small scale wineries were passed. Morgan, are you ready?
A good sign. The city is allowing more integrated uses that do not cause problems. I would love to see more urban wineries start up.
Morgan can now move his winery operation out of his basement. Legally.
Its relatively easy to do and Tacoma certainly consumes it’s share.
So much potential with so many large empty buildings. What should be the new rallying cry? Buy and Drink Local?
I’d just like to throw in that The Things They Carried was a surprisingly good read. I enjoyed it a lot. Good pick, Mr. Mayor.
3 | Posted by Erik Hanberg | Dec 4, 11:08 PM
The Things They Carry by O’Brian is a great book. And a great choice as we face the questions certain to come up over the fore-coming political season (isn’t that over with yet?)
And I can think of lots of tie-ins for this – Apocalypse Now, The Wild Bunch, Jarhead. The discussions can ranch from that soldier’s experience to the experience of the soldiers in this other engagement; the response, or lack there of, of the populace with the administrations, well, administrations; and what happens to people stuck in the middle of a winless situation. Once again, a great choice, then go on the read Denis Johnson’s recent novel along the same lines, Tree of Smoke. Its the novel we’ve been waiting for.
4 | Posted by john schoppert | Dec 4, 11:32 PM
I’m going to throw in my two cents on the Prium South 34th and Pacific development. I understand that the area is having a rough time. I understand there are many new residents in the area that fear for their investments in their homes (like who isn’t these days?). I understand that there is a level of fear when people think that trouble makers from one part of town will be joining the trouble makers in their part of town.
What needs to be done is to design this development to be an asset to the neighborhood. People there need to feel that this will make their neighborhood better and not worse in their perceptions. I’m not saying there is a downside to this development but the people in the neighborhood have to be convinced of a realistic plus side. They need to believe that their fears (mostly unfounded) will be addressed and that solutions for the things that make them anxious are part of the project. I really don’t think this is a development designed to dump problems from one town to another. I believe this is a project designed with the hope of making two neighborhoods better.
Normally I’d be ragging on Prium, and will probably do so in the future, but in this case I’m less concerned about the developer and more concerned about he creation of good neighborhoods. Prium, please make sure this is good for the neighborhood and not just good for Prium. Prium, you do this right and you will really accomplished something. It is one thing to refurbish some fancy hotel, it is another to build a good neighborhood.
5 | Posted by Crenshaw Sepulveda | Dec 5, 07:36 AM
Morgan can now move his winery operation out of his basement. Legally.
Shhhhhh… it’s a “hobby” not an “operation.”
6 | Posted by morgan | Dec 5, 10:44 AM
Let’s give a virtual toast to our Planning Commission and Tacoma City Council.
Tacoma’s basement wine-makers were given a green light Tuesday to bring their businesses above ground.
At the recommendation of the city Planning Commission, the Tacoma City Council approved an ordinance to allow small-scale microwineries in certain residential areas.
Right now, people can make wine in their homes if they apply for a home occupation permit with the city, but they can’t sell the product there or hold wine-tasting events.
Let’s drink to that!
Whatever you call it Morgan, bring it over here to Whitman and Lincoln!!
On another note, the Whitman neighbors would love to see something going on over here int he Lincoln Mixed Use Center – are there even any rumors about a possible project???
8 | Posted by pat mcgregor | Dec 5, 04:54 PM
How about “Resource grapes globally, Drink locally”?
I am pleasantly in shock over the Mayor’s book selection. One of my favorites. Tim O’Brien is a fellow Minnesotan and I saw him read excerpts from this one night at the College of Saint Thomas in St. Paul. He appeared in a blue suit, crisp white shirt, red tie and spit-shined black dress shoes, ram-rod strait at attention as he read from his brilliantly rendered, horrifying stories. It was a strange experience, hearing those words coming from a guy who looked every bit the buttoned-down conservative.
10 | Posted by Squid | Dec 6, 10:10 AM
“I don’t have a drinking problem. I drink home-made Tacoma wine. I get drunk. No problem.”
11 | Posted by Mofo from the Hood | Dec 6, 01:36 PM
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