Policies and Rules
See below for a list of Planning and Development Services policies, Director’s Rules*, and official code interpretations.
For additional policies related to the Stormwater Management Manual, visit the Stormwater Permits and Manuals web page.
*A Director’s Rule provides clarity to both the general public and City of Tacoma staff. It is a policy written by the department director explaining how a particular code or part of a code will be implemented. The goal of a Director’s Rule is to ensure consistency with City Council mandates, legislative intent, code construction, and applicable legal requirements.
Director's Rules: Land Use
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This Director’s Rule is intended to clarify circumstances under which alternative documentation may be accepted in place of a Certified Arborist’s Report and Tree Protection Plan, for small-scale residential projects, while preserving the intent of the Tree Canopy Credit standards and maintaining the City’s urban forestry objectives. This Rule does not amend or waive adopted tree retention or tree protection standards.
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This Director’s Rule is intended to clarify how existing code provisions for front-facing garages are applied, identify circumstances where equivalency findings may be appropriate, and promote consistent, predictable review. This Rule does not amend or override adopted code standards.
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This Director’s Rule is intended as an interim measure to ensure application of the City’s Land Use Regulatory Code is consistent with State regulations. Clarification of the specific code language should be addressed via the Code amendment process during the next update, which for the City’s minimum parking regulations is expected in 2026. This Director’s Rule shall automatically expire when such code amendments are adopted.
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TMC 13.06.090.L.7 establishes standards regulating the placement and screening of service utility apparatus in residential development. These standards differentiate between house-scale residential development and larger residential projects in order to minimize visual impacts along street-facing facades and pedestrian-oriented areas while accommodating differing utility servicing needs.
This Director’s rule clarifies the application of these standards and provides limited flexibility for minor service utility apparatus where strict application may be impractical due to site constraints, while maintaining the intent and structure of the code.
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This Director’s rule clarifies the maximum setback standard for residential or mixed-use buildings that contain a majority of residential uses within the NCX, RCX, CCX, UXC, HMX, and CIX districts. As part of the annual amendment process to the City of Tacoma Comprehensive Plan and Land Use Regulatory Code, this issue will be taken to the Planning Commission for consideration and action and then come before the Tacoma City Council in 2025.
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The City of Tacoma amended land use regulations on December 7, 2021 to create more flexibility to construct attached and detached accessory dwelling units (ADU/DADUs). Flexibility includes allowing DADUs to extend up to 20 feet in height (in certain circumstances), regardless of the height of the main building. This change created some confusion, specifically related to the Visual Hierarchy section of the Design Guide and referenced in Chapter 13.06 of the TMC (Zoning Code). The purpose of this Director’s Rule is to provide clarity.
The Director finds there is adequate regulations in the code that, if met, result in a structure that is subordinate to the main dwelling. The additional Visual Hierarchy elements set forth in the Design Guide are redundant and result in confusion. As such, reference to Visual Hierarchy in the Design Guide should be removed and staff should stop reviewing projects for compliance with the Visual Hierarchy guidelines until the Design Guide is amended.
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The City of Tacoma presently has such a regulation within the Land Use Regulatory Code, Title 13, where “Family” is defined as (emphasis added):
“Family.” One or more persons related either by blood, marriage, adoption, or guardianship, and including foster children and exchange students, or a group of not more than six unrelated persons, living together as a single nonprofit housekeeping unit; provided, however, any limitation on the number of residents resulting from this definition shall not be applied if it prohibits the City from making reasonable accommodations to disabled persons in order to afford such persons equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling as required by the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988, 42 U.S.C. 3604(f)(3)(b).
7/21/21In order to prevent a conflict with State law, the City of Tacoma, Planning and Development Services, will no longer use this definition to limit residential occupancy. However, it should be noted that all provisions of the building and fire code, including their associated occupancy limitations, will remain in force and shall remain unchanged in application.
As part of the 2022 annual amendment process to the City of Tacoma Comprehensive Plan and Land Use Regulatory Code, this issue and potential permanent corrective code amendments were addressed.
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Temporary Covid-10 extension of time related to filing of final plat.
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This Director’s Rule alleviated certain limitations on the location, number, and zoning designation for temporary signs, including Land Use/Zoning enforcement during Covid-19.
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This Director’s Rule provides guidance on public notice signs for construction projects.
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This Director’s Rule directs staff to facilitate an early public comment period for projects during Covid-19.
Director's Rules: Permit Procedures
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This Director’s Rule is intended as an interim measure to address the gap between the Landmarks Preservation Commission’s discretionary review of Historic Assessment reports and the City Council’s need to have fully vetted recommendations from the Commission.
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Planning and Development Services (PDS) does not have a standard process for the issuance of letters of support commonly requested in State and local applications for funding. This Director’s Rule seeks to further align PDS permitting activities with implementation of Tacoma’s Comprehensive Plan as they relate to affordable housing.
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This Director’s Rule seeks to further align PDS permitting activities with implementation of Tacoma’sComprehensive Plan, with regards to affordable housing and a sustainable built environment.
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This Director’s Rule is intended as an interim measure to address this gap between the Unanticipated Discovery Plan requirement in certain areas of the city and other areas that may contain cultural resources but do not have the same measure of protection in the code.
Director's Rules: Street Occupancies
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This Director’s Rule is related to limits on the requirement for insurance as it related to right-of-way occupancies adjacent to residential
(single family and duplex) properties.
Director's Rules: Environmental Services
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The purpose of this executive directive is to authorize the use of shared sewers.
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City of Tacoma Ordinance No. 29084 – which added Wastewater System Development Charges to TMC 12.08B.225 and City of Tacoma Ordinance No. 29085 – which added Stormwater System Development Charges to TMC 12.08D.280, will enter into effect July 1, 2026. This Executive Directive clarifies which open permit applications are subject to the new System Development Charges.