Commuter rail to leave the station next year

Workshops put Puyallup and Sumner on track

and LEE PARDINI
Merritt+Pardini

Since voters approved funding for Sound Transit's 10-year plan Sound Move in 1996, design for a regional transportation system has come a long way. And there is a long way yet to go before we have a system that includes electric light rail, regional express bus service, HOV improvements, and community bus connections.

But by the end of next year, commuter rail will be leaving the station. There will be five stops between Seattle and Tacoma. In Puyallup and Sumner, commuter rail station projects are on track and headed for construction next year.

A series of workshops led by Sound Transit with design consultants Parametrix and Merritt+Pardini put these communities in the driver's seat for projects that will help to define their futures.

Puyallup and Sumner are two of six Southend and Pierce County towns targeted as commuter rail stops by Sound Transit. The other four are Kent, Auburn, Tukwila and Tacoma. Four of the towns, including Puyallup and Sumner, had already completed a station siting study in the early 1990s, which resulted in a decision that commuter rail stations would be located in town on the Burlington Northern/Santa Fe Line.

Even with the tracks in place, moving from approval of a plan to building a rail station in the middle of town can be a difficult task.

A focused, inclusive community involvement process is the key.

A rendering of the Sumner Commuter Rail Station.

The cities of Puyallup and Sumner had very different concerns and issues to address. A similar process, however, was used in both communities to reach a consensus. It involved a series of two-day workshops, two sets in Sumner and three sets in Puyallup. In the first workshop the issues of location, size and access were addressed. In the subsequent workshops, the question, "What does it look like?" was answered, and the operational side of the process (the budget and timeframe) discussed.

These workshops were open to a variety of participants. They generally began with a procedural meeting with city staff, Sound Transit representatives, and the design team.

Then the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), which was the primary focus group made up of local citizens, came in. This is where much of the brainstorming took place. The TACs were appointed to represent their respective communities and included city council, planning commission, and general citizens. Later in the day, business owners were part of the process, and at night the general public.

In Puyallup - after the station location was narrowed down to a one-block area along the tracks - the group moved on to address the style of building, how it would interact with other businesses in the community, and what it would add to the overall community. TAC members were asked to finish sentences such as "Puyallup feels like...," "Puyallup is...," and "The station will be a success if...."

Responses to "Puyallup is..." included "new and old, friendly, a rail town, historic, safe, agricultural and locally owned," which were listed along with others for all to see. Soon the questions were as specific as listing building materials for the station.

After the community had found agreement on what Puyallup represents, a site plan was developed. Different location alternatives were drawn, overlaid and redrawn while people in the audience voiced their thoughts. Soon any inhibitions that had been present were gone, and people were letting their creative juices flow. Once seemingly insurmountable issues were being solved creatively and rapidly.

"We decided to use the workshop process to ensure that each community had lots of input into all aspects of their respective station, and to expedite the process," John Hubbard, commuter rail project manager for Sound Transit in Pierce County, commented. "Drawing changes to the plans on the spot as ideas were vocalized seemed to increase the audience participation, and allowed each community to see exactly what the site would look like."

In the participatory environment of the workshops, words were converted into drawings and ideas were seen on paper. The workshops allowed the community to envision a commuter rail site that fit its character. At the same time, the decision-making process was moving quickly towards a solution.

In Puyallup, it was decided that the station should draw on historic design themes and frame a historic "commercial square."

"It was important to work closely with local property owners who are adjacent to the station," Hubbard said. "Their participation in the process was pivotal."

One side of the station in Puyallup will be framed by a historic building, preserving part of Puyallup's past. The "commercial square" concept can transform the station from a basic commuter rail station to a community square for visitors and residents to enjoy.

A similar process occurred in Sumner, where there was already a clear vision of where the station would be and preferred architectural themes - but in a shorter time frame. After the first two workshops, a site plan, layout, and specific architectural theme and style were determined. The difficult issues in Sumner involved car traffic coming and going through the neighborhoods and the fact that the commuter rail station would also serve as a bus transit center for Sound Transit and Pierce Transit. To accommodate residential neighborhoods, a new access roadway has been suggested. Reaching consensus on how this road would look, how it could be financed, and its relationship to the station was a key element of the design process.

"In Sumner, the siting study of the early 90's was taken a step further - we selected the exact site and decided on the general layout of the station," Hubbard explained.

With the major hurdle of consensus behind these communities, they are moving forward. Their commuter rail stations will be the first to be designed in the region. Construction is slated to begin in spring 1999, and trains will be running before the end of 1999.

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Copyright © 1998 Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce.