City of Tacoma Washington sent this bulletin at 09/19/2020 08:43 AM PDT
Greetings District 4 Residents,
Like many of you, I care strongly about the future of the building that once housed Gault Middle School. Right now, Tacoma Public Schools is taking written comment until noon Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020, as part of the public hearing process regarding an intergovernmental transfer of the Gault Middle School campus to the Tacoma Housing Authority.
The 7.3-acre Gault Middle School property is located at 1115 E. Division Lane in Tacoma and includes six buildings, a swimming pool that is no longer in use, and an open field. Gault Middle School closed in 2009 with the opening of First Creek Middle School, which replaced the former Gault and McIlvaugh middle schools. The pool, previously operated by Metro Parks Tacoma, closed in 2018 following the opening of the pool at the new Eastside Community Center.
I want to make sure you don’t miss this opportunity to submit your public comment. You can learn more about the proposal and your opportunity to comment on this City of Tacoma webpage.
Here are the concerns I shared with the School District:
As a City Council Member I would like to partner with Tacoma Public Schools to do a future use study for the property. This study would include robust outreach to the whole community when determining the future of this property. The historic Cushman Station in the north end is going through a future use study before they determine how to use the historic building. East Tacoma deserves the same investment.
The property is zoned Single-Family (R-2). This would not allow for multi-family housing, which is the way to offer the most affordable housing, should THA receive the property. The process to change the zoning is long and not guaranteed to work. If THA builds single family houses it would threaten the public field and critical open space that benefits the surrounding community.
This is a historic site with cultural significance to our neighborhood. The City’s demolition review code would require that the property be assessed for historic significance if a demolition permit was filed, and that process could potentially result in a recommendation from the Landmarks Preservation Commission that the school be protected by being added to the Tacoma Register of Historic Places. Whoever assumes ownership of this building must have a plan in place to restore the historic building and preserve its cultural value to our City.
Written public comment can be submitted by email to planning@tacoma.k12.wa.us, or mailed to Tacoma Public Schools, Planning and Construction Department, 3223 S. Union Ave., Tacoma, WA 98409. Written comment should be limited to 300 to 500 words or two pages double-spaced. All comments must be received by noon on Sept. 23. Comments will be submitted to the board for the Sept. 24 board meeting as part of the public hearing process.
I encourage everyone to share their thoughts on this proposal with the school district.
