Tacoma port pulls plug on Maytown logistics center

Port of Tacoma officials, facing vocal public opposition, voted June 19 to scuttle plans to build a major inland truck and rail logistics center on a 745-acre parcel of port-owned property in nearby Maytown.

The port ended all potential plans to develop the site by voting to allow a joint development agreement with the Port of Olympia regarding the project to lapse without renewal. The Tacoma port vote preempted a Port of Olympia vote on renewing the agreement originally scheduled for today.

The Tacoma port's efforts to build the facility began more than two years ago when port officials purchased the rural Maytown site, located about 30 miles southwest of the port, for $22 million. Port officials also spent more than $70,000 on a siting study last year to determine that the Maytown parcel was the best fit for the proposed development. In addition, the port spent more than $140,000 on a public relations contract specifically to deal with the project.

Local Maytown opposition to the proposed center, which began soon after the port purchased the property, has focused around increases in truck traffic to the rural area expected to accompany the development of the site.

The proposed multimillion-dollar project sought to convert the 745-acre parcel of rural property into an inland port with extensive truck and rail connections, as well as industrial manufacturing, warehousing and distribution facilities.

Port arguments regarding the creation of nearly 2,000 jobs made little headway with the local opposition groups that formed to fight the project.

Earlier this month Tacoma port officials dropped plans to develop manufacturing facilities at the site and said at the time they intended to focus on developing a rail storage facility. The port's reduced scope of the project did not satisfy opposition, including the grassroots group the Friends of Rocky Prairie. The group, which formed directly in response to the proposed development, claims to have a mailing list of some 3,000 project opponents.

The group responded favorably to the news of the project's demise.

This indicates that the Port of Tacoma has been listening to the citizenry down here, group spokeswoman Sharron Coontz told The Olympian. We have a chance to preserve this wildlife corridor for the future.

Source: American Shipper