New Urgent Information on SR162 Roundabouts

January 3, 2021Neighborhood EventsKirk Hall

It seems that the Tacoma News Tribune did not give us the entire picture in their article which was referenced in the previous post. Below is a communication from Maxine Herbert-Hill of the SR162traffic.org committee. Could the readers of this Blog please pass the informaion along to their friends and neighbors who do not read this Blog? It is vital that we get at least 100 more signatures on the petition. Go to https://www.sr162traffic.org/ and sign the petition.

I wanted to let you know that the article in the paper and in the online version are untrue. We have not lost the battle. It wages on with this legislative session. As you know we are collecting signatures on our petition that the legislators asked for so they can leverage their conversation with others. The legislators agree with us and will be working to get a new environmental review required for this roundabout. Pierce County has given their lobbyist a directive to work toward that goal as well. So with the legislators and Pierce County working with us, this is anything but dead! I am disappointed in the paper and the reporter that we were not accurately represented even though I sent her documentation on what WSDOT is using to make this roundabout decision and how erroneous it is. She did not look at anything I provided that would challenge WSDOT. She just printed everything they said. It’s what they didn’t say that proves it wrong. They say only half truths. The whole truth would reveal how wrong it is.

So if you would please pass on to your Sunrise Terrace folks that this is NOT a lost cause, it is not a done deal. Only WSDOT thinks so, and they want the rest of the world to think so so they won’t be challenged on it. We need all the signatures we can get, so if you know anyone who has not signed it, please encourage them to sign it right away. We only have one more week and we need about 100 more signatures.

Maxine Herbert-Hill SR162traffic.org committee

A roundabout is headed for state Route 162 in East Pierce County, like it or not

December 29, 2020Public Service Announcements, SafetyKirk Hall

Wayne Reibold and Jeff Sparks both asked that we let the Neighborhood know what was going on with State Route 162 and the roundabouts proposed. To read about what is happening go to: https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/community/puyallup-herald/ph-news/article248066285.html

New Traffic Study

December 2, 2020Public Service Announcements, SafetyKirk Hall

Below is some information from a County Traffic Planner about the traffic study which was just started. If more information becomes available we will let you know.

Dan Cardwell, Long Range Planning Supervisor, referred to me your question regarding the presence of traffic counters in your neighborhood. I passed on your inquiry to our traffic engineering group. They indicated that they are now collecting field data to assess and evaluate an community member’s concern at the intersection of 136^th Ave E and Military Rd E. Scott Moeller, ( scott.moeller@piercecountywa.gov ) , Civil Engineer, of the Traffic Section staff is the point of contact for this project. Based on the timeline of 4 to 6 weeks for this investigation, you may want to contact Scott at the end of December or beginning of January to check the status of this assessment. I am copying Scott on this email for your reference and to make him aware of your possible interest in this issue.

Increasing Traffic on 122nd St East – Its Going to get WORSE – Much WORSE

November 6, 2020Neighborhood Activity, Neighborhood Security, Public Service Announcements, SafetyKirk Hall

Below is a note that one of our neighbors in the Shawnee Ridge development is sending to the people of Shawnee Ridge. I think it contains some good information about concerns all of us should have. Exiting from any area on to 122^nd St E has gotten much more difficult over the last two years, and it is going to get worse, much worse. Unless we act now we are going to find ourselves with long waits to get out of our areas/driveways, followed by a mad dash hoping not to be smashed by approaching vehicles.

I know the situation is dangerous as it is now. One day I stopped at Military Rd. E. and 122^nd St. E., checked for traffic and pulled out smartly on to 122^nd St. E. going west. I had gone only 30 to 40 yards on 122^nd when a vehicle whizzed by on my left, cut in front of me and sped away. I have no idea how fast he was going, but am glad he missed me and the oncoming traffic.

“Signatures needed on Petition at SR162traffic.com.”

“if you are concerned about privacy please note that you only need to fill in the starred boxes at SR162traffic.com petition to register your concern. The more signatures we can get the better we hope it will be for traffic in our neighborhood.”

Neighborhood HOA

I live in the Shawnee Ridge HOA and have been involved in the SR162 Community Group for almost a year. You may have seen our signs on SR162 advertising our Website, “SR162traffic.org”. Our main focus right now is to try and stop Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) from building a roundabout at SR162 and 128^th street. You can go to our Website to learn more but let me explain briefly how a roundabout at 128^th street impacts your homeowners.

Tehaleh is the largest development in Washington State. Close to 10,000 homes are expected to be built in this development at completion. For the month of October Tehaleh sold an average of 12 homes a week. In order for the builder to continue to keep building these homes the county is requiring them to build a four lane road from their development down to 128^th and SR162. WSDOT has no plans to expand SR162 to handle this additional traffic which is expected to increase SR162 traffic by 150%.

This has a direct impact to traffic on Military road and south hill. Traffic wanting to go west are expected to use Military road to get off the gridlock of SR162. When the new road to Tehaleh opens up, the traffic on military is expected to increase 135% to 150%. In addition, if the roundabout is allowed to be installed at 128^th, the next roundabout is planned for SR162 and Military road. A total of 11 roundabouts are planned between Orting and SR410. Once the Military roundabout is installed there will be few breaks in traffic that will allow you to get onto Military Road/122^nd St. E.

This is the primary reason I am involved with the SR162 Group. We need traffic signals on SR162 to provide breaks in traffic. We will also need traffic signals on Military Road so we can get out of our neighborhoods safely.

We have been discussing improvements for the Military Road corridor with the county transportation division that would help with the safety issues but they are years away.

We are asking that you would join us in stopping these roundabouts by communicating the information provided here to your residents so that they all know about this future traffic mess. We also have a petition on our website SR162traffic.org that we are asking everyone to sign that requests the state to do required reviews that would look at the traffic impacts of a roundabout. This petition will be provided to our legislators in Olympia who we are already talking to, to get them to demand traffic signals instead of roundabouts on SR162.

SR162 Community Group

Elvin Lerew email etlerew@hotmail.com

BMX Bike thefts

October 4, 2020Neighborhood Security, Public Service AnnouncementsKirk Hall

There have been a rash of BMX bicycle thefts recently. One appears to have been 0.1 miles from my home, but in an area our Neighborhood Cameras do not cover. The owner of this BMX stated that his “Ring” camera did not catch the theft. This is not surprising as the original “Ring” cameras were meant strictly as entry way cameras. Another was stolen from the 7-11 at the corner of Meridian and 128th. Its picture is the bike at the forefront in the 2nd picture.

I am posting pictures of these bikes as a public service with the hopes that they will be recovered. The owners were told to check “Offer Up”, “Craig’s List”, and other sites in the hopes that they will show up there. At least one of the owners of the bikes shown below have filed a police report, which will make it easy to recover the bikes if they show up on any of the selling sites.

Emergency Request For Comments

September 4, 2020Public Service AnnouncementsKirk Hall

Elvin Lerew one of our neighbors in Shawnee Ridge has sent me some material about the Miles Sand and Gravel Mine on the east side of the valley. As you know the operation has been expanding steadily over the past several years, and a new large product pile has appeared on the crest of the hill around 3000ft south of the original mining operation.

Now Miles Sand and Gravel has asked for an amendment to Conditional Use Permit CP11-08, Fennel Resources, Application number: 939160 and 940194. If granted, these changes will change the view we enjoy toward Mt. Rainier for the next 20 to 30 years or longer.

Please write to express your views of this unwarranted change to the original permit. Below are copies of the amendment application and Elvin’s letter. There is a very short deadline. Comments must be in by close of business on 9 September 2020. Please send comments (citing Conditional Use Permit CP11-08, Fennel Resources, Application number: 939160 and 940194) to:

Pierce County Planning and Public Woks Development Center 2401 South 35th Street, Room 2 Tacoma, Washington 98409

I apologize for the orientation of some of the documents but this was a rush job.

Thank You!

August 20, 2020Interesting ThingsKirk Hall

On the morning of 18 August at 7:13 AM two of our neighbors were out walking when they came across the mess left by the people who tipped over the trash bins in front of Wayne Flood’s home. Instead of walking around the mess, they stopped and cleaned it up. They did not have to do it, but they did. We just want to say:

Mindlessness in our Neighborhood

August 20, 2020Neighborhood EventsKirk Hall

At 11:23 PM on 17 August a white car stopped in front of Wayne Flood’s home. Three or four people got out of the car and tipped the trash bins there into the street. They then reentered the car and proceeded north on 136 Ave. E. It appears they turned into Shawnee Ridge. It is unknown what possessed these people to do this mindless act. If you recognize the car and/or know of three or four people who got home in the early hours of 18 Aug, it would be nice to let them know that this is not acceptable action for civilized individuals. Below are pictures of the event. The last two pictures are blow ups of the individuals getting out of the car at times 23:23:23 and 23:23:24. 2020-08-17_23-23-24[M][0@0][0]-1

Theft on 138th Ave. E. (South of 122nd St. E.)

July 19, 2020Neighborhood Security, SafetyKirk Hall

Ross Connors experienced a break in on Friday early morning from 1:46:30 am on his camera until about 1:58 am. And, then it has been told to us that they moved over to the white house on the corner of Military and 138th, went through the yard and didn’t find anything to steal so they moved on. There were 2 people, who seemed to know the exact things they were looking for. They opened all of the compartments on Ross’s truck and took several large ticket power tools and some smaller stuff. I do not have a list yet. But, all the compartments were locked and so was the cab of the truck. It looks as though the jimmied the locks taking a few seconds to open all of them pick what was the most valuable. A police report has been made.

Ross is interested in knowing about the rest of the neighborhood and if they saw activity on their cameras. It appears that they must have parked their vehicle at some other place and walked to Ross’s. We would be very interested in having a picture of their vehicle and if possible their license plate.

You can contact me if you have any information on the people pictured or their vehicle.

Sunrise Neighborhood Blog

A BLOG to log activity in the Sunrise Terrace neighborhood