Streets

2021-2026 STIP


Street Closures


Street Sweeping

The City of Pacific street sweepers are out and about, making their way through the City and helping keep Pacific clean. Street sweeping also prevents debris and contamination from entering storm drains, which flow directly into our waterways.

When street sweepers are in your area, please:

• Move your vehicles off the street.
• Remove garbage, recycling and yard waste containers from the street.
• Trim low-hanging branches and bushes near the street to provide sweepers complete access.

For more information, call 253-929-1112.

Street Lights

At the request of the City, Valbridge Property Advisors has completed the final special benefit assessment study for the City of Pacific LID No. 6 – Valentine Avenue SE/136th Avenue E Local Improvement District (Sumner LID No. 78). Summary data on each parcel within the LID boundary is shown on the table following page 8 of the report. More detailed property description information based on Pierce County Assessor’s office data is contained in the appraiser’s files.

The Local Improvement District project widened Valentine Avenue SE from two lanes to three in a 63±-foot wide right-of-way for 1.0 miles in the City of Pacific (a 73±-foot wide 136th Avenue E right-of-way for 0.5 miles in the City of Sumner). The project included curbs, gutters, sidewalks, storm drainage improvements, bike lanes, landscaping, street illumination and signalization improvements at Stewart Road SW and Valentine Avenue SE and new signalization at 24 Street E and 136th Avenue E.

Total estimated LID-funded project cost is $6,270,052 for the City of Pacific ($4,299,073 for the City of Sumner).

Frequently Asked Questions

The following information addresses questions that the City has received with some frequency pertaining to this project.  General project and local improvement district (LID) information has been covered in previous communications regarding the construction of the project and right of way acquisition.  This document focuses instead on areas of concerns that were raised by property owners about the Local Improvement District (LID).  

1.         What other costs might a property owner be anticipated to pay?  Inflation?  Interest?  Administrative and legal fees?

All administrative and legal fees to administer the LID have been incorporated into the assessment values provided to property owner.  However, interest fees in the amount of 5 – 6% annually have NOT been included.  The impact of interest to each assessment value will vary depending on how quickly the property owner wishes to pay off the assessment and the total payment period. 

2.         When would assessments to property owners begin?  What is the payment period?

Assessments would not begin until the LID process is complete, which is expected to be completed in June 2019.  LID’s typically require payment within 10 – 20 years, with a most likely timeframe of 15 years. 

3.         I signed a Waiver of Protest when I developed my property.  How does this affect me?

The waiver prevented you from protesting the formation of an LID, but it did not prevent you from contesting the method of calculating an assessment.

4.         After the LID is complete, will the county-assessed value of my property go up?

It is virtually impossible to predict the market activity and other county inspections that affect property assessments.  Pierce County offers a frequently asked questions webpage that can be found at https://www.co.pierce.wa.us/2943/Frequently-Asked-Questions.   State law requires assessors to value all taxable property at 100% of its true and fair market value, according to the highest and best use of the property.

5.         I just finished paying for LID #3.  What was this for, and when will it be paid in full? 

LID #3 was for a sewer expansion in the general area between County Line Road and 16th Street when the area was annexed into the City of Pacific in the late 1990’s. This affected most of the properties within the proposed local improvement district for Valentine Road. The last scheduled installment for the LID #3 property owners was on May 6, 2014.

6.         What if I can’t afford this proposed LID for Valentine Avenue?

Two types of assessment deferrals may be made available, based on the Revised Code of Washington statutes that regulate LID’s. Assessments may be deferred indefinitely for qualified senior citizens. Deferrals are permitted up to four years for economically disadvantaged properties, as defined in the formation ordinance of the LID.  In both cases, the  deferred assessment does not go away, but becomes a lien against the property.  Application and approval of deferrals is accomplished through Pierce County, who ultimately collects and disperses LID funds back to the  city. Additional information on deferrals can be found at:  https://dor.wa.gov/find-taxes-rates/property-tax/property-tax-exemptions-and-deferrals.

7.         Some properties, due to the types of use, appear to receive a much higher special benefit than other properties from the              expansion of Valentine Road. How is this accounted for?

The calculation of special benefit for each property considered factors such as zoning; proximity to Valentine Avenue; highest and best use of the property; as well as physical characteristics of the property.  Properties with similar qualities were clustered together for purposes of determining a special benefit per square foot, as set forth for reporting requirements under Standard 6 of the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice for a summary mass appraisal report. The special benefit calculation using this technique does not consider, for example, the intensity of truck movements into and out of a property, which is beyond the scope of such an appraisal and specific to a particular property. This type of usage is reviewed by the City during the development process, as discussed below.

During the development process, each property was evaluated for potential impacts to the City’s infrastructure. Developers may offset impacts with right-of-way improvements, or make financial contributions to future projects constructed by the City. When UPS, for example, developed its property, it was required to make significant  improvements to Roy Road and construct the original traffic signal at Valentine/Stewart Road intersection.  These improvements were considered sufficient to offset the high-intensity truck usage in the area, and LID assessments for this property are being calculated in the same manner as every other property within the LID boundary.

8.         Will I be paying for the cost of water and sewer improvements along Valentine Road through the LID assessment?

In general, the costs for the water and sewer improvements are being paid for by the City’s water and sewer funds. These  funds have been accumulated through utility billings over the years and were budgeted as part of the City’s capital improvement programs. There are, however, a small handful of properties near County Line Road which are not currently connected to sewer. When these property owners re-develop or connect to sewer in the future, they will be required to sign a Standard Participation Agreement. This agreement assesses an equitable proportion of sewer expansion costs to the property owner.  Note, these property owners are NOT participants of LID #3.

9.         This project is a joint effort between Pacific and Sumner. Are business and property owners in Pacific paying for    
             improvements in Sumner?

No. The cities of Pacific and Sumner are paying for only their portion of project costs, including design, right of way acquisition and construction. Separate LID’s have also been established in each City.

10.       How does the City intend to communicate with property owners as this LID process moves forward?

Legal notices, as required, will be mailed to affected property owners at the mailing addresses listed on the Pierce County Assessor-Treasurer website.

11.       What are the next steps and the schedule for the LID formation?

The next step is to have a hearing before a hearing examiner providing property owners an opportunity to protest or support the LID in writing.

If you feel your question is not adequately covered in this sheet, please contact Rick Gehrke, City of Pacific Public Works Director by EMAIL or 253-929-1113.

LID Project Evaluation Report