Manufacturing-Industrial Center passes after heated debate

By Avani Nadkarni/of The Herald

After much back-and-forth debate, especially from councilmembers Steve Allsop and Matt Richardson, the Sumner City Council voted 4-2 to amend the Comprehensive Plan to designate Sumner’s industrial area a Manufacturing-Industrial Center.

The MIC does not change zoning or increase growth, said city Community Development Director Paul Rogerson.

“Sumner’s MIC would be Sumner’s uniquely,” he said. “It doesn’t put development on a faster pace than it’s already on.”

“It’s a way to shift a major tax burden from Sumner’s taxpayers to the taxpayers of the region ... because everybody benefits from (better roads),” he said.

Residential homes cannot be built in an MIC, staying consistent with current zoning. The MIC would also cap the area’s retail stores to 20 percent of the total square footage, said Senior Planner Ryan Windish.

“It would actually increase the possibility for retail,” Windish said, adding that currently, anyone wanting to open a retail store in the industrial area needs a permit and must go through a lengthy process. “In the MIC zone, retail up to 10,000 feet is allowed without a conditional-use permit.”

With the MIC, there should be a creation of 20,000 more jobs in Sumner by 2040, Windish said.

“There’s a lot of economic development benefit as you increase employment,” he added.

Richardson was vocal about his stance against the MIC.

Limiting retail stores to 20 percent of the area made him nervous, he said, as did the requirement that at least 2,000 daily truck trips needed to be logged in an MIC. Windish countered that, saying that Sumner’s industrial area already has that many truck trips. Rogerson added that even after the area becomes an MIC, council can stop following requirements and end the designation if they want to.

Allsop, Enslow and Councilmember Cindi Hochstatter all spoke out in favor of the MIC.

“The way (staff) explained it seems to be very different than what (Richardson) sees it as,” she said. “I just see it as a great benefit.”

Several residents spoke out against the MIC.

“You can’t honestly believe that you’re going to get free money for roads and it’s not going to affect us,” said resident Julie Moltke. “Wake up! It sounds way too good to be true.”

Richardson’s motion to table the topic failed in a 3-3 tie.

The designation step is critical, especially during an election season when four members of the council and the mayor are all campaigning. In the past, both Enslow and Richardson, who is contesting the mayoral seat, have been vocal about their disagreement about the MIC issue. Hynek ultimately voted against the ordinance, but said he could see its importance.

“We have to find a way to merge both (jobs and neighborhoods),” he said. “(But) it seems like you have to be a grand chessmaster, thinking 50 steps ahead. It’s complicated.”