Pierce County Council approves authority to pursue condemnation for 128th Street widening after technical amendment; 6–1 vote

The Pierce County Council on Tuesday approved ordinance O2025‑535S, authorizing the prosecuting attorney to commence condemnation proceedings after at least 180 days from the county’s initial formal offer to acquire property for County Road Project 5842, a widening of 128th Street East from State Route 162 to the Puyallup River. The ordinance passed 6–1 after a technical amendment to the legal notice exhibit.

County staff said the project is part of a larger, multi‑phased transportation plan intended to improve safety and traffic flow and to support growth in the Tehaleh area. Mr. Swanson briefed the council that Exhibit A lists affected parcels and Exhibit B contains the required legal notice; the amendment updates Exhibit B with corrected meeting location details and an expanded affidavit of publication showing the newspaper‑of‑record notices.

Leticia Neal, county engineer, described the condemnation process: a project must be in an adopted plan, the council must adopt an ordinance finding public necessity, and the county must make a good‑faith attempt to negotiate, with a statutory 180‑day negotiation period before pursuing condemnation. Neal said the county intends to negotiate settlements where possible and uses condemnation only when negotiations fail and value disputes persist.

Several residents who said they own properties in the corridor urged clearer notification and higher compensation. "They called me on the eighteenth and they postponed it; they offered me $12,000 for a fence that costs $22,000 to replace," said Ron Bowman, a nearby property owner, who also said he received last‑minute changes to scheduling and inconsistent communications from county representatives. Other speakers described stakes placed on yards, confusion about certified mail notifications and distress about displacement and relocation offers.

Council members acknowledged the difficulty of property acquisition and said staff must balance resident impacts with project timelines; Council member Kuver was the lone vote against the ordinance. The ordinance authorizes making minor legal‑description amendments and directs staff to follow the notification and appraisal procedures described on the record. Under the ordinance, condemnation cannot proceed until at least 180 days after an initial offer and the county continues to pursue settlements.