Category Archives: Gig Harbor

Amending Gig Harbor’s Comprehensive Plan

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Derek Young

Update: I was wrong, read more at the bottom. Over the last couple of weeks the City Council has received a considerable amount of testimony, emails, and phone calls on a proposal to amend the Comprehensive Plan. The applicants would … Continue reading →

Posted in Activism, Comprehensive Plan, Gig Harbor, Land Use | Tagged , , , | Comments

Height restrictions in downtown Gig Harbor

Posted on March 26, 2013 by Derek Young

Last week the Gig Harbor Planning Commission held a public hearing on height restrictions in the Downtown Business and Waterfront Commercial zones. Comments I’ve received or read online make clear we did a poor job of explaining the proposal. Hopefully I can … Continue reading →

Posted in Downtown, Gig Harbor, Land Use | Tagged , , | Comments

Short term incentives in government & Wall Street are a recipe for disaster

Posted on February 10, 2013 by Derek Young

Politicians, with short term election incentives, have always sought ways to deliver short term benefits at the expense of long term fiscal health. Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, Cities, Federal Budget, Gig Harbor, Regionalism, Roads, Taxes, Transportation, Washington State Legislature | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments

Spend more on infrastructure, but also reduce its cost

Posted on December 1, 2012 by Derek Young

I spend a lot of time thinking about infrastructure spending. Whether it’s local projects in Gig Harbor or at one of the regional councils I sit on, there are constant reminders that we just don’t build enough in this country. Continue reading →

Posted in Cities, Federal Budget, Gig Harbor, Infrastructure, Public Employees, Sewer, Transportation, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Comments

What’s next for Pierce Transit?

Posted on November 17, 2012 by Derek Young

While it came incredibly close, Pierce Transit’s Proposition 1 has failed. That’s despite being one of the most important and best run campaign I’ve been a part of. Hats off to all the hard working people that volunteered their time and … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, Gig Harbor, Pierce Transit, Taxes | Tagged , , , | Comments

Local Group Raises Funds for Gig Harbor Inclusive Playground

Posted on August 13, 2012 by Derek Young

A cooperative effort has been underway, spearheaded by local citizens, to create a Maritime themed Inclusive Play Zone at Gig Harbor’s Crescent Creek Park Continue reading →

Posted in Gig Harbor, Parks, Youth | Tagged , , | Comments

Update on Pierce Transit service & taxes

Posted on May 22, 2012 by Derek Young

If you’ve followed my updates on Pierce Transit over the last several months, you probably have noticed I’ve increasingly turned my interest to that agency and its financial health. Last month I decided to take the next step and was … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, Gig Harbor, Pierce County, Regionalism, Taxes, Transportation | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments

QOTD: How will the City pay for the Donkey Creek project

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Derek Young

Last week we got a letter from a constituent asking why their water and sewer dollars would be used to help pay for the Donkey Creek project and thought it would make a good “Question of the Day.” I’ve considered … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, Gig Harbor, Parks, Sewer, Stormwater | Tagged , , , , | Comments

Update on the Flood Control Zone District

Posted on April 3, 2012 by Derek Young

After months of waiting, yesterday we saw a flurry of activity on the Flood Control Zone District that I’ve previously written about here, here, and here. We should see a conclusion to its formation this afternoon with a vote by … Continue reading →

Posted in Gig Harbor, Key Peninsula, Pierce County, Stormwater, Taxes | Tagged , , , , | Comments

Job numbers in Gig Harbor & Pierce County

Posted on March 26, 2012 by Derek Young

In preperation for an upcoming meeting on transit with Councilmember Glenn Hull from Fife, he passed along some job data from PSRC that I had missed. It’s not exactly the freshest data and was taken during the bottom of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Gig Harbor, Land Use, Pierce County, Regionalism | Tagged , , , | Comments