Cultural Resources Final Bill

On Sept. 2, 2025, the Pierce County Council approved Ordinance No. O2025-522s—adopting a new “Cultural Resources Protection” — a package billed as both a housing-permit streamlining measure and a cultural and historic sites safeguard for tribal artifacts. The ordinance raises SEPA categorical exemption thresholds while creating a front-loaded cultural review so applicants get earlier certainty.

Substantively, the ordinance lifts SEPA thresholds inside Urban Growth Areas to the legal maximum—30 single-family units and 60 multifamily units—while keeping 20-unit thresholds outside UGAs. Project screening for cultural impacts will also be required to assess potential risk, coordinated with the State’s Department of Archaeology & Historic Preservation and affected Tribes, and standard inadvertent-discovery protocols. It’s estimated that one in five projects will need a desktop review, with fewer needing to go through the full process with an archaeologist.

In addition to these changes, TPCAR was able to work with Council to also reduce their impacts on already-developed lots by successfully advocating that projects which are a minor ground disturbance (ordinary repair and maintenance; gardening; small accessory structures) and state-law “residential infill” projects are exempted from the cultural resources provisions. This will reduce burdens on everyday property owners and prevent already-developed lots from incurring additional costs, which would drive housing costs higher.

However, for parcels that end up requiring a full cultural resources review process, there will be impacts in terms of time delays and costs, which could add up to an additional $10,000 – $50,000 or more for a developer. Because cultural screens apply even when a project is SEPA-exempt, the promised time/cost savings from higher SEPA thresholds can also be partly offset in mapped-sensitive areas.

TPCAR will continue to monitor this issue and its implementation to ensure that home builders have predictable timelines, clear mapping, and relief valves where cultural screens make otherwise-suitable infill infeasible.