Rumors & Questions

Great question! We're just in the process of updating our Parks & Trail Plan. That plan helps us outline priorities to bring to our system over the next six years. We've been collecting input all summer. I'm not sure if that's still open but check their page at https://connects.sumnerwa.gov/parks-and-trails-plan-update. Once the plan gets written, it will use that feedback to set priorities. I'm pretty sure dog park was one of the popular responses.

UPDATE: We continued this conversation by email, and I know you got the information you were seeking, but I later realized that anyone else reading this question doesn't have the info! We have a project page now on the website that has some information and then links to Sound Transit for the latest update as this project moves through the permitting process. Here's the link. 

ORIGINAL ANSWER: I meant to double check on this last week and then forgot to answer you! I believe this part was just under review at the Conditional Use Permit meeting late last week. Let me double check with Development Services, though, and I will update this as I get better information.

Thank you so much for your kind words about Sumner. We have every intention of doing what we can to keep that home-like feeling, as much as it remains within our control. First, let’s talk about growth. We do not have a choice with this one. Sumner did a lot of advance work to carefully plan our growth while maintaining that quaint city feeling you mentioned. Unfortunately, there’s a continual push from the State to override our plans and force more aggressive growth with relatively no control left at our local level. Some bills passed in 2023 about this, and we expect more drastic ones in 2024 and beyond. You can watch an update Ryan Windish gave at last night's Study Session. This topic starts at about 14:00. This trend has us worried because it will forever change our community with little recourse to the average resident other than visiting lawmakers in Olympia.

Second, to your points about policing, you are correct about the challenges. Sumner has a population of 10,000, but 17,000 people also work here and last count I saw on WSDOT, about 83,000 people commute through here on the freeways, which are covered by State Patrol, but we all know it spills into cut-through traffic too. We are recruiting heavily to fill the open positions we have. The one piece we’d add to your assessment is we also maintain healthy relationships with our neighboring jurisdictions. When they have a busy time, we support them and vice versa. We are continuing to have conversations about adding more positions, and hope to in the future to keep up with the growth. In the interim, our staff still make time for proactive policing—ranging from speed emphasis patrols to visiting neighbors during National Night Out to having a dedicated School Resource Officer. Even when we’re reactive, we do not give up. You mentioned drug overdoses, and we are one of few jurisdictions to pursue and obtain a controlled substance homicide arrest of the drug dealer in a case of a local student overdosing. That case took a full year to investigate, but we believed it worth the time to send a message to other dealers and get some form of justice for the family.

What makes Sumner special is its active community and active partnership between the people and police. Your message is a great example of this strong connection. We still say no call too small—and mean it—but it only works if people continue to call.

People are permitted to keep an RV on private property within medium-density residential zones, provided they adhere to specific setback, screening, and paving guidelines. While our current code doesn't explicitly forbid using an RV in this manner, it also doesn't explicitly permit it. This might be an oversight in our regulations that could be addressed later.

For reference, the code section 8.14.080 (C.) on Outdoor Storage and Parking of Vehicles states: Vehicles and related accessories, like camper shells, boats, trailers, and motorbikes, can only be stored in designated paved areas and driveways in the front, street side, rear, and interior side yards. They must also be shielded from neighboring properties and public view by a six-foot solid fence or a landscaping barrier. The term "storage" in this context refers to keeping such vehicles and accessories on a property for over 120 consecutive hours.

I apologize for the delayed response. I wanted to get more details from our permit center first, and then the road work/issues last week pushed it out of my mind. We have no set timeline, but probably a few months is most likely for completion. We don't have any kind of sales information. We're not even sure what the final name of the complex will be, although a sign company reached out to our permit team today for installation, so that should solve that mystery soon. Our best suggestion is to contact the developer in the meantime: https://timberlanepartners.com/contact/.

City code outlines the rules that peddlers & solicitors must follow, including the requirement to get a permit from the City, which helps cut down on scammers. There are even special rules for ice-cream trucks. One good option is to simply not answer. Another option is to request to see their valid Sumner permit. This not only reinforces the fact that they need one, but it also likely removes your address from their list for future efforts. As with any situation, please be firm but remain polite. These rules apply only to people seeking commercial sales or gain. It does not apply to political candidates, deliveries, non-profits, holiday carolers or your neighbor needing to borrow a cup of sugar.

What's confusing is that sidewalks are a bit of both. They started as the homeowner's responsibility but over time, we've obtained funding to help in certain areas, like around the train station, and for equity, want to balance that assistance out across the city as we can. The sidewalk webpage gives you an initial idea of who does what as well as Courtney's contact information in Public Works if you have further questions.

In preparation for crack sealing/chip sealing some of our roadways, Public Works sprayed an herbicide to remove vegetation that had crept onto the roadway.

We often conduct mutual aid, so you'll likely see other cities in Sumner (and vice versa) because we're working on an incident together or an emphasis campaign for seat belts, DUIs, etc. We also know officers from other cities live in Sumner, which we take as a compliment. If they have take-home cars like we do, you will see their vehicles around town. However, on top of all that, we do run a very lean department, staffing-wise. With some recent retirements and medical issues, we can sometimes partner with neighbors for staffing shifts. We are also currently recruiting for new officers, but we have noticed, like other jurisdictions, that recent State-level decisions regarding policing have reduced how many people are staying in/entering this profession in Washington State. Also, I apologize for the delayed response. I was out of the office for a couple weeks and am now catching back up!

As you pointed out, trying to manage traffic takes what's called the "3 E's" - engineering, enforcement and education. Unfortunately, we've been hearing from a lot of people across the city with the same concerns, so it's our job to balance the 3 E's across the city. For engineering, Public Works continually assesses routes and applies options ranging from adding signs like you suggested to assessing needs for stop signs, etc. I'll pass along your message regarding Elm and your suggestion. You mentioned enforcement, and I'll also pass along the compliment to Police. They will very much appreciate it. Then, education remains an ongoing effort too with emphasis patrols, reminders and such. It's time for a few more reminders. Thank you for taking the time to share your ideas!