Legislation meant to bring regulatory relief to residents of flood-hazard areas will be on the agenda when the Pierce County Council travels to Riverside Elementary School for its District 2 council meeting, June 10 at 5:30 p.m.
Federal designation as a flood-hazard area restricts how residents of the Riverside community — which is south of River Road between Tacoma and Puyallup — can use and develop their land. Located at 5515 44th St. E., Riverside Elementary itself lies within the flood-hazard area, which was determined to have a one percent chance of flooding in any given year.
The first proposal amends the existing flood-hazard regulations in the county code. It outlines exemptions based on the type of building that can be built, rebuilt or modified, and creates a process for landowners to request a variance from the county for a specific construction project.
The second proposal urges local, state and federal officials to support the funding of improvements to the lower Puyallup River levee. The levee was decertified by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which means that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) no longer considers it able to protect against a 100-year flood. Pierce County is working with the state and other sources to identify possible funding sources.
The District 2 meeting will be in lieu of the council’s regular Tuesday meeting, 3 p.m. in the County-City Building (930 Tacoma Ave., Room 1045) in Tacoma.