Tacoma City Council will hold a public hearing on Tues., Oct. 25, 2011 at 5:30 p.m. in City Council Chambers, Tacoma Municipal Building, 747 Market Street, 1st Floor, to discuss an ordinance (No. 28014) adopted on Tues., Aug. 30, 2011, placing a six?month moratorium on the permitting of large scale retail establishments (those with a floor area greater than 65,000 square feet). The purpose of the moratorium is to allow the City time to evaluate the impacts of these kinds of uses and consider potential changes to its regulations and requirements.

Tacoma City Council referred the moratorium to the Planning Commission to develop findings and recommendations regarding the moratorium. The Planning Commission held a public hearing on Oct. 5, 2011, and will be finalizing its recommendations to the City Council on Oct. 19, 2011. The City Council is seeking public comment on whether the moratorium should be retained as is, modified, or withdrawn.

Additional information, including the complete text of the moratorium, and the Planning Commission’s findings of fact and recommendation (once adopted), is available from the Community and Economic Development Department, located at 747 Market Street, Room 1036, (253) 591?5365, and on the Planning Division Web site at http://www.cityoftacoma.org/planning (click on “Large Scale Retail Moratorium”). You can testify at the hearing or provide written comments to the City Clerk, 747 Market Street, Room 220, Tacoma, WA 98402, no later than 4 p.m. on Tues., Oct. 25, 2011 or by facsimile at (253) 591?5300 or via e?mail at http://www.cityoftacoma.org/citycouncil . If you have additional questions, contact Brian Boudet at (253) 573?2389.