Thurston County imposes stay on Tacoma port development

Thurston County imposes stay on Tacoma port development Commissioners for the state of Washington's Thurston County voted Tuesday to ban development for six months at the Maytown site of a proposed Port of Tacoma cargo facility, saying the ban would give opponents and proponents 'breathing room.'
   The county commissioners said that temporarily freezing any development at the 745-acre property, which is owned by the port, was required because of the complexity of a recent rezoning request by opponents of the proposed cargo center.
   'We were concerned that we wanted to preserve everyone’s rights,' Commissioner Diane Oberquell told the Olympian.
   Two weeks ago, the Friends of Rocky Prairie activist group asked the county to rezone the property, located about 30 miles southwest of the port, barring industrial development. The group believes the cargo center would negatively impact the rural character of the area as well as the local environment, including a wildlife preserve adjacent to the Maytown site.
   The county commissioners plan to hold a public meeting in 60 days to discuss the issue further.
   In January, port officials identified the Maytown parcel as a potential development location for the truck- and rail-based cargo center. The port also identified three other possible locations'in nearby Offutt, Tenino and Chehalis — however, the port only owns the Maytown location.
   Port officials said that they do not believe the moratorium will affect plans for the cargo facility, wherever it is built.