Latest news with #Spanaway
Yahoo
01-08-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Tiny home village for homeless headed to Pierce County following zoning change
The plan to build a tiny-home village for the homeless in Spanaway can move forward following the Pierce County Council's vote to amend zoning codes that were obstructing the project. Director of the Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI), Sharon Lee, told The News Tribune the village at 415 208th St. E. will have 40 to 50 homes. She said the homes will be 8 feet by 12 feet, insulated, with heat, air conditioning and furnishings. A hygiene trailer, community kitchen, community space, laundry room and case-management offices will be on site. There will be a fully fenced perimeter, security check-in office and 24/7 staffing, according to Lee. LIHI operates several tiny home villages in the Puget Sound region, including two in Tacoma. Lee said the Spanaway Village will be built in the same model as the tiny home village LIHI recently opened in Tacoma. LIHI has owned the land where the village will be for some time, but county code prohibiting temporary housing shelters from being built and operated in unincorporated Pierce County for more than 90 days was an obstacle. Last summer, now-Pierce County Executive Ryan Mello spearheaded an effort as the chair of the County Council to amend county code to allow for the Spanaway tiny home village and others like it to be established outside of Tacoma. Mello and his Democrat colleagues supported the effort to change the code in two separate ordinances that were opposed by Republicans on the council. Former Pierce County Executive Bruce Dammeier, a Republican, blocked the efforts with two separate vetoes, calling the proposed change 'unacceptable.' At the time, Dammeier told The News Tribune the zoning change would circumvent community involvement and would allow tent encampments of up to 60 people to move into residential neighborhoods with 'zero notice.' In June, the council passed an ordinance amending county zoning code and allowing temporary housing projects to exist for longer than 90 days. The ordinance passed along party lines by a vote of four to three and took effect at the beginning of July. While the effort by council Democrats to amend county zoning last summer was largely intended to allow a $2.5 million stability site for the unhoused to be established outside of Tacoma, that project seems to have fallen through. The effort was part of a recognition that Tacoma is host to the majority of homeless shelters in the county. Tacoma's deputy city manager Sonja Hallum previously told The News Tribune the city has about 80% of the region's shelter beds. 'In terms of current impact, the property in Spanaway is the only active project that was previously held up due to county code limitations,' Pierce County Human Service spokesperson Kari Moore told The News Tribune when asked about what projects the ordinance would impact. 'This change removes a major barrier and allows the project to move forward.' Moore said the county contributed just under $2.6 million towards the tiny home village project. According to LIHI, the property where the village will be built cost $1.55 million, the village will cost to set up $1.5 million, and $1.2 million annually to operate. Lee told The News Tribune LIHI anticipates opening the village by spring 2026. 'Having a temporary designation is critical and allows us to avoid costly and unnecessary permanent development requirements,' she wrote in an email. 'Our goal is to have occupancy by Spring 2026 but it depends on how quick the new permitting process is.' Lee said LIHI will work with Pierce County to refer residents to the Spanaway Village. LIHI's tiny home villages serve as temporary housing for those experiencing homelessness to get back on their feet while looking for permanent housing. According to LIHI, more than half of tiny home residents stay in villages for less than six months before transitioning.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Pickup truck crashes through bank in Spanaway
A driver suffered minor injuries after crashing through a Key Bank in Spanaway on Friday, Central Pierce Fire & Rescue posted on X. The Washington State Patrol says the driver may have suffered a medical emergency and caused them to lose control of the truck and crash into the bank. The driver had to be extracted from the truck and was transported to a hospital, Central Pierce Fire & Rescue said.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Yahoo
PHOTOS: Car crashes through front doors of Spanaway, WA bank
The Brief An SUV crashed through the front of the Key Bank in Spanaway, injuring only the driver. Officials believe the driver suffered a medical emergency and lost control of their car. SPANAWAY, Wash. - The front of a Key Bank in Spanaway was destroyed after an SUV crashed through its front doors on Friday. Central Pierce Fire & Rescue reported that, before 4:00 p.m., a car struck the front of Key Bank at 176th St S and Pacific Ave S. According to the Washington State Patrol, the driver may have been suffering a medical emergency, causing them to lose control of their vehicle. Officials say the driver was pulled from the car and taken to the hospital for treatment of minor injuries. No other injuries were reported. The Source Information in this story comes from Central Pierce Fire & Rescue and Washington State Patrol Trooper John Dattilo. Viral TikTok warns women of convicted rapist released in Seattle Over 100 Rite Aid and Bartell Drugs stores to close, including 8 in WA Seattle Seahawks 2025 schedule released, here are all 17 matchups Marymoor Park announces 2025 summer concert series lineup in Redmond, WA Viral TikTok captures truck break-in after Seattle Mariners game, despite police presence Bryan Kohberger back in court for pretrial hearing in Idaho students murder case 'Scared of accountability': Crowd calls out West Seattle leaders at public safety meeting FBI nabs Thurston County, WA fugitive hundreds of miles from crime scene To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter. Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Yahoo
Plan to sell gun in Pierce County parking lot turns violent — was it legal?
A legal gun owner was looking to sell his AR-15 — but when he arranged to meet up with a potential buyer at the Spanaway Safeway, chaos ensued. According to a Facebook post from the Pierce County Sheriff's Office, the victim was in the Safeway parking lot at 15805 Pacific Ave S when a car with four people — two juveniles and two young adults — drove up beside him. One of the suspects allegedly pointed a gun at the victim's head and demanded he hand over the rifle. The post said the suspects — who weren't named in the post — took the AR-15 and a personal gun that was around the victim's waistband. the incident happened at 6:30 p.m. towards the end of April., according Pierce County Sheriff's Department spokesperson Carly Capetto, who declined to give the exact date. The getaway driver was an 18-year-old woman and the other suspects were a 22-year-old man and two 17-year-old boys, Cappetto said. 'Thanks to witnesses who captured the license plate and description of the vehicle, deputies were able to determine the getaway car was associated with known juveniles with prior armed robbery and unlawful possession of firearms convictions,' the post said. Police found the car a couple of hours later in the Sunrise area of Puyallup, the post said. The 18-year-old woman and one of the 17-year-old boys stayed in the car and complied with police, but the 22-year-old man and other 17-year-old boy ran out of the car and fled. Officers captured the 22-year-old man and took the three suspects into custody, the post said. They found the fourth suspect in some bushes later on by using a K9 from the Puyallup Police Department, the post said. Cappetto told The News Tribune the 18-year-old woman had a history of armed robbery and unlawful possession of a firearm and the 17-year-old boy who fled was recently wanted by the Orting Police Department for armed robbery. 'We [knew] that these people were out there committing these crimes,' Cappetto said. 'It was just a matter of finding them.' The News Tribune asked Cappetto if it was legal for the victim to sell his AR-15 in a grocery store parking lot. 'It's legal if he's gone through all the proper procedures and gone through the gun store to have the background checks done on him and the buyer,' Cappetto said. Cappetto said the victim told police he was just going to show the alleged buyer his AR-15 when they met up and then they were going to go through the legal procedures. 'Whether that was actually going to happen or not, I cannot verify that,' Cappetto said. 'If he had actually sold it in the parking lot that day without going through the proper method and filing that paperwork [it would be illegal], but how are we going to prove that, because it was stolen from him and he never actually got to meet the transaction?' According to Washington state law, legal gun owners looking to sell their firearms have to go through a licensed dealer such as a gun store. After they get to a licensed dealer, the buyer has to go through a background check. In order to go through a background check, they need to fill out federal, state and local forms and pay a fee. If the background check determines the buyer is ineligible to have the firearm, the licensed dealer must give the firearm back to the seller. There are exceptions where selling or transferring a firearm to another person does not need to go through these procedures, including: A transfer between immediate family members, which includes spouses, domestic partners, parents, parents-in-law, children, siblings, siblings-in-law, grandparents, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and first cousins. Selling or transferring an antique firearm. A temporary transfer of a firearm if it is necessary to stop immediate death or serious injury, such as preventing suicide.
Yahoo
20-04-2025
- Yahoo
Pierce County man facing vehicular homicide charges after 2 die in wreck, troopers say
A 20-year-old Pierce County driver is facing two counts of vehicular homicide after both of his male passengers died in a rollover wreck Saturday night, according to the Washington State Patrol. One passenger was 17 and from Redding, California. An age and city of residence for the other victim was not immediately known. Both died at the scene. The Spanaway man driving the car was injured and taken to an area hospital. About 9:40 p.m., the driver was headed east on state Route 900, approaching 57th Avenue South in King County. That area is north of Tukwila. Troopers say speed was a factor in the crash. The driver lost control and left the road to the right, rolled over and came to a stop on its side, according to State Patrol. The road was blocked for more than four hours following the crash.
