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Development Engineering FAQs

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1. Q: Which Stormwater Manual is applicable to development applications within the City of Puyallup?

A: The City of Puyallup has adopted the 2019 SWMMWW.

All development applications submitted on or after July 1, 2022, must comply with the 2019 Stormwater Management Manual for Western Washington (SWMMWW).

Per requirements, in Puyallup’s Phase 2 Municipal Stormwater Permit (effective date August 1, 2019) projects, that have vesting rights per Washington state vesting doctrine*, and were applied for under the 2014 SWMMWW prior to July 1, 2022 that have not **started construction by January 1, 2027, and projects permitted under earlier versions of the SWMMWW that have not **started construction by January 1, 2022, must be revised to comply with the requirements of the 2019 SWMMWW, or subsequent versions as directed by state regulations. Revisions will need to be approved by Development and Permitting Services, or its successor agency prior to construction. 

 **“started construction” means, the site work associated with, and directly related to the approved project is at a stage where rough grading is complete, or utilities are installed. For rough grading to be considered complete, elevations are within 1 foot of final design elevations.

*Applications that do not have vesting ability per Washington State vested right doctrine must have had permit issuance prior to July 1, 2022 (and start construction prior to January 1, 2027) to continue to utilize the 2014 SWMMWW for development.  Vested rights only apply to applications such as building permit, short plat or Major subdivision applications and development agreements.  For more information regarding Washington State vesting rights doctrine, please follow the following link: MRSC Washington State vesting.

2. Q: Is my property located within the City of Puyallup?

A: There are parcels located within unincorporated Pierce County with Puyallup as part of the address. However, the parcel is actually located in and possibly under the jurisdiction of Pierce County. Puyallup has a public data viewer map which can be used to search property addresses or parcel numbers to verify the jurisdiction where a property is located. 

3. Q: Does the City have an online map system for public use?

A: Yes, the public data view map shows general public infrastructure including layers for Utilities, Transportation, Recreation, Environment, Zoning and Parcels. 

4. Q: How much does development within the City of Puyallup cost?

A: Development cost range depends on the scope of a project. The City Development Engineering Fee Schedule and General Fee Schedule are useful tools for estimating development costs. 

5. Q: What do I need to submit for my permit application?

A: All development review applications include a list of required submittal items within the application form. Use the Master Permit Document List to find all City of Puyallup applications. 

6. Q: Where can I find city standards and design standards?

A: City Standards and details can be found on the City of Puyallup website located here.

7. Q: Does the city have standardized traffic control plans for obstruction of the public right of way?

A: Yes, they can be found here: Traffic Control Plans & Traffic Control Standards. When submitting a traffic control plan with your application, you may choose to either create your own site-specific traffic control plan using the city standards or submit one of the city standard traffic control plan templates if the proposed work zone matches a standard lane configuration.  

8. Q: How do I schedule a project inspection?

A: The city has created a helpful tutorial video which shows how inspections are scheduled through the CityView portal. Watch the video here, then request the inspection through the CityView permit portal. You must be a registered portal user associated with the permit to request inspections.

9. Q: When are frontage improvements required?

A: Frontage improvements are triggered for construction of residential infill lots, non-residential tenant improvements, new commercial or the expansion of commercial buildings, and subdivision of land via short and major plats. See Puyallup Municipal Code (PMC) 11.08.135 for the thresholds and specific requirements. When frontage improvements are required, if there is existing vertical curb along the site, the project can conduct this work via a right of way permit. If there is no existing vertical curb, a civil permit will be necessary.  

10. Q: Can I place fill dirt on my property?

A:   Yes, in non-critical areas, fill is allowed for depths less than eight inches of vertical depth and no greater than 100 cubic yards over any two-year period is allowed without a permit. Puyallup Municipal Code (PMC) 21.14.190 list those activities that are exempt from permit requirements and what should be reviewed prior to placing any fill. 

11. Q: When is a clear fill and grade permit required?

A:  See general thresholds below. More information can be found here: PMC 21.14

• Excavating greater than 5’
• Filling more than 8” 
• Deposit/displacement of more than 100CY of material. 
• Stockpiling more than 500CY of material. 
• Working on a site with regulated wetlands, streams, lakes, landslide hazard areas, and or wildlife habitats have the same excavation and fill amounts requiring a permit, but rather a permit is required when displacing 30CY of material.

12. Q: When is the “wet season” for stormwater testing?

A: The City of Puyallup has adopted the 2019 Department of Ecology (DOE) manual which defines the “wet season” as running between December 1st and April 1^st of each year. It is important to meet this project deadline as it may delay your project by a year. For more information regarding infiltration testing and groundwater monitoring requirements, see the DOE’s requirements here. 

13. Q: Do I need a permit to repair my water or sewer service on private property?

A:   Yes, a utility service repair permit is required when repairing or replacing a water or sewer service. 

14. Q: Is there any leniency for DOE required “wet season monitoring”?

A: Yes, the City of Puyallup has created ENG Policy 22-01 to help avoid delay of Single Family, Duplex or Triplex projects. This policy allows these types of projects to conduct infiltration testing outside of the wet season. Additionally, this policy allows for a redundant stormwater system to be designed or a secondary design showing how stormwater will be designed for groundwater intrusion. 

15. Q: What development is happening in my neighborhood?

A: Development projects may be the City’s own Capital Improvement Projects, or alternatively private development which is permitted through the City. For private development, visit the City’s Land Use Application & Notices webpage to read about recently noticed applications, including how to contact the case planner. At the bottom of the page is a map that displays all current permit activity in the city and provides links for more information. If you can’t find the project you are looking for, it may be a City project you are interested in, visit the Public Works Capital Projects webpage for information on City-initiated projects. 

16. Q: Can I place a temporary dumpster or shipping containers in front of my house?

A: Unless strictly prohibited by the conditions within Puyallup Municipal Code 10.36, you may temporarily place a dumpster or shipping container in the public right-of-way directly in front of your private residence if it fits within a regular parking spot, and it does not impact neighbors or vehicular site distance, especially at an intersection. See engineering policy ENG 23-09 for additional information. Any temporary dumpsters or shipping containers that become a nuisance or disrupt neighbors must be removed within 24 hours upon request from the City.

17. Q: Do I need a permit to install cement patios or walkways on private property?

A:   A permit is not required if the patio or walkway creates and/or replaces less than 2,000 square feet of impervious surface (i.e. a surface that water will not drain through). The stormwater pollution factsheet should be reviewed and considered/implemented before construction of your project. 

18. Q: Do I need a permit to repair my driveway?

A:   An onsite driveway, under 2,000 square feet, can be repaired or replaced without a permit.  The driveway approach, which is located in the public right-of-way, cannot be repaired or replaced without obtaining a right of way permit.  

19. If you didn’t find the answers you were looking for in the FAQs

If you didn’t find the answers you were looking for in the FAQ above, other options for determining development information can be found via emailing the permit center at permitcenter@puyallupwa.gov, calling the engineer of the day phone at 253-514-0629, scheduling a virtual counter call or lastly visiting in person at City Hall. The public counter, located on the 2^nd floor of City Hall is open from 9am-3pm Monday- Friday.