Pierce County Eyes Restrictions on Warehousing

With land available for commercial and industrial ventures rapidly disappearing, Pierce County, Wash., must choose between manufacturing and logistics.

The choice may come down which option can produce the most jobs.

The county council will decide May 26 whether to rein in construction of warehouses and distribution centers, which increased dramatically in Pierce County in recent years to serve the Port of Tacoma.

Retailers are building large warehouses near the port, with some facilities topping 800,000 square feet. Most counties would welcome such investment, but a study by Pierce County found that warehouses and distribution centers in the region create about 5.3 jobs per acre, while manufacturing plants result in 18.7 jobs per acre.

The Port of Tacoma supports development of distribution centers, claiming 43,000 jobs in Pierce County are directly related to port activity.

The council will consider a compromise proposal that would allow the construction of most warehouses up to 250,000 square feet. Proposed facilities ranging from 250,000 to 425,000 square feet would require an administrative review and warehouses larger than 425,000 feet must have a public hearing and be approved by a hearing examiner.

Contact Bill Mongelluzzo at bmongelluzzo@joc.com.