Orton Update: Group Builds Principals for a "Complete" Community

On Thursday, Oct. 13, Sumner City Administrator Diane Supler briefed the city council in what must have been one of the shortest city council meetings on record. In the end, all she could say was that after much discussion between the city, Cascade Land Conservancy (CLC) and Orton Farms LLC, an agreement had not been reached on amendments to the Orton Junction project.

However, one compromise seems to be clear – as part of negotiations, Sumner will provide an amendment to its 2012 Comprehensive Plan that ensures the city will not expand its Urban Growth Area (UGA) into resource lands. Mayor Dave Enslow signed the good faith agreement, addressed to Roger Bush at the Pierce County Council, after Thursday’s meeting.

Resource lands, explained Supler, include area designated agricultural, timber or mineral sources. For example, said Supler, development on residential land along Highway 162 will not be included in the 2012 growth plan. Sumner also has mineral lands, but those areas will not be affected because they are within the city's UGA.

Sumner met with CLC and Orton Farms LLC throughout the week to draft a principals agreement to the city’s UGA proposal that would satisfy concerns brought up by members of the community and Pierce County planning groups. Members of the Pierce County Community Development Committee (CDC) requested that the groups get together after the to address concerns for environmental protection, green building and design elements.

Sumner had hoped the groups would reach full agreement by Thursday’s special meeting. That agreement deadline has been pushed back to Monday, Oct. 17, when the council will meet for a special update at 6 p.m., an hour before the regular council meeting. Learn more about that meeting .

The Pierce County Council will review the Orton Junction project and plans to vote on it the following day, Oct. 18 at 3 p.m. Learn more about that meeting .

So, what are Sumner, Orton Farms LLC and Cascade Land Conservancy discussing?

The principals of a “connected, compact, complete community” in the Orton Junction community, if the plan is approved by County Council. Patch obtained a copy of their agreement outline, which is still a work in progress. It’s important to remember that this is a working document and not a final draft of the agreement between the parties. We’ll update these points when the final draft is approved.

Outline of a Seven Principals Agreement for the Orton Junction UGA Amendment

The concept of the agreement: The City of Sumner, Orton Farms LLC and Cascade Land Conservancy are discussing modifications to the proposed Amendment U-3a that ensures the resulting project achieves a net gain for agriculture lands and provides for the continuing long-term sustainability and livability of the community. The seven principals outlined below are under review by the parties. The parties are continuing to solicit stakeholder input to refine, and provide implementing details for each of the Seven Principals. If the parties can reach agreement on the Principals, their intent is to include them in a Framework Agreement to be executed prior to Pierce County Council action on the UGA Amendments (scheduled for October 18, 2011). The parties would then jointly ask the Pierce County Council to approve Amendment U-3a; U-3b and C-5 (collectively, the “Orton Junction UGA Amendment”), provided that the Orton Junction principals will further be further defined and incorporated into one of more future agreements between Orton, the City, CLC and Pierce County to ensure implementation.

Principal No. 1: The Orton Junction Project shall provide 4 acres of land suitable for agricultural production protected by permanent conservation easements for every one acre of land currently designated ARL within the Orton Junction UGA Amendment areas.

Principal No. 2: The Orton Junction Project shall comply with the TDR requirements of Pierce County Code 18G for the allowable residential densities within the project on all lands within the Orton Junction UGA expansion.

Principal No. 3: The City of Sumner shall include a comprehensive plan amendment or amendments in its 2012 Comprehensive plan amendment docket that reflect the City’s intent not to expand the City’s UGA onto resource lands.

Principal No. 4: The Orton Junction UGA Amendment shall not increase the total size of the City of Sumner UGA.

Principal No. 5: The Orton Junction Project shall include design elements to achieve a complete, compact and connected community. [The parties are still soliciting input on some more specific principals to include here].

Principal No. 6: The Orton Junction Project shall incorporate Built Green or Other Standards for all residential construction in the Project. [The parties are still soliciting input on some more specific principals to include here].

Principal No. 7: The Parties to this Agreement shall convene a stakeholder process to identify agriculture industry programs or infrastructure to incorporate into the Orton Junction Project to provide additional support for the local agricultural industry.