Lakewood’s Community Development Department performs permitting, licensing, planning, building inspections, and development review. This department also advances housing affordability, rental unit safety, code enforcement, and more.
Jeff Rimack
Community & Economic Development Director
6000 Main St SW, 2nd Floor
Lakewood, WA 98499
(253) 983-7739
Email: JRimack
To email Jeff Rimack, add the email handle before @cityoflakewood.us
Phones & Email:
Monday to Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Permit and Service Counter
Monday to Friday: 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Permit appointments should be scheduled 24 hours in advance. Email [email protected] to make an appointment.
About Community Development
Our team strives to enhance the character of Lakewood, conserve neighborhoods and natural habitats, promote economic development, and ensure the safety of the built environment.
Department Goals:
- Improve housing inventory & quality
- Retain & expand existing business
- Attract new business
- Protect the Joint Base Lewis-McChord mission
- Deliver efficient licensing, development review, and permitting.
- Implement the Comprehensive Plan (PDF)
Important Links
| Visit Lakewood Development Services Page for Permit Application Forms | ||||
| Apply for a Permit | ||||
| Request a Building Inspection | ||||
| Business Licensing |
Announcements
Changes to the Lakewood Comprehensive Plan, and some related changes to zoning code and development regulations, are allowable once per year under state law. As the first step in this process, the City of Lakewood invites interested parties to identify proposed changes. Afterward, the Lakewood Planning Commission and then City Council will review and confirm the list of amendments to be considered over the course of the year, including privately-initiated amendments. This list is known as the “Annual Comprehensive Plan Docket.”
Any individual, organization, business, or other group may propose an amendment. Proposals to amend the Comprehensive Plan and associated Zoning Code provisions must be received by the Lakewood Planning and Public Works Department through the online portal at between 8:30 am on July 1, 2024 and 4:30 p.m. on July 31, 2024. Proposals received after the deadline will be considered in the 2026 Comprehensive Plan Docket.
Questions? Send them to [email protected]
The Planning Commission completed its public hearings on the proposed 2024 amendments to the City’s Comprehensive Plan and Development Regulations on June 26. The Commission is scheduled to take action on its recommendations to City Council about the package on July 10 at 6:30 pm.
To learn more about the scope of these changes and to track actions at the City Council level, please visit the 2024 Comprehensive Plan Periodic Review page.
2024 Comprehensive Plan and Development Regulation Periodic Review – City Council Public Meeting and Public Hearing Schedule:
July 22 and August 5 @ 7:00 pm = City Council Study Sessions
August 19 @ 7:00 pm = City Council Public Hearing. In-Person or Remote Testimony accepted live. Written testimony available until 8/18/24 at noon by submitting to [email protected]
The state laws that passed in Spring 2023 regarding allowing more ADUs and housing units on residential lots will be part of Lakewood’s 2024 Comprehensive Plan Periodic Review. These changes to what you can develop on your property will not go into effect in Lakewood until December 31, 2024 at the earliest.
To keep track of how these new development options are being reviewed by Lakewood, please go to the 2024 Comprehensive Plan Review page.
Beginning June 24, 2024, Lakewood’s consultant FACET NW, Inc. began its inventory of trees located in the public rights-of-way and on public properties. Inventories for heavily forested areas and on private properties will also be conducted via GIS mapping and LiDAR. In August 2024, volunteers will work with the Tacoma Tree foundation to map the hottest parts of Lakewood.
Both of these efforts will help inform the preparation of the City’s Urban Forestry Program and help prioritize actions to achieve the City’s 40% tree canopy goal for the year 2050.
For more information about Lakewood’s work related to trees, urban forestry, and climate change, please go to https://cityoflakewood.us/trees/
Big Projects
The City of Lakewood has begun its 18-month review of the entire City Comprehensive Plan and development regulations and its critical areas ordinance.
The SSMCP and partners from the State of Washington, Pierce County, City of Lakewood, JBLM, and the Department of Defense have completed work on the North Clear Zone Action and Implementation Plan (AIP).
In April 2017 the City of Lakewood adopted Resolution No. 2017-09, authorizing the City to sign and execute a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to implement AIP. In May 2017, the MOA was signed by all AIP partners. Now that the AIP is completed and the MOA is signed, the SSMCP and partners are transitioning to implementing the AIP.
The Lakewood City Council took unanimous action on November 7, 2022 to adopt Ordinance 775 that protects some of the city’s oldest and most significant trees.
“This ordinance strikes a balance and moves the needle forward on tree preservation in the city. This is a significant step in our continued efforts to protect trees, increase canopy and address climate change at the local level,” said Lakewood Mayor Jason Whalen.
With its action Council:
- Stepped up protections for significant trees, including priority Oregon White Oak and woodlands, and establishment of a Heritage Tree Program.
- Directed the establishment of an Urban Forestry Program.
- Established incentives to encourage tree preservation across the city.
- Required tree removal permits for properties 10,000 square feet or larger (previously properties smaller than 17,000 square feet were exempt).
Increasing the city’s tree canopy aligns with Council’s recent adoption of a new chapter in the city’s Comprehensive Plan focused on energy and climate change. An urban tree canopy assessment in 2019 showed 26% of the city is covered by tree canopy, an increase of 0.5% from the last assessment in 2011. In 2023, Council will add a goal to the city’s Comprehensive Plan to increase overall tree canopy to 40% by 2050.
The State Department of Social and Health Services has proposed a complete reconstruction of Western State Hospital and its campus. The proposed master plan update proposes an expansion of the hospital capacity including:
- A new 350-bed forensic hospital on the property. This will require the demolition of several existing buildings on site.
- A new 18-bed residential cottage at the Child Study and Treatment Center.
- A new community residential treatment facility (RTF) of 48 beds. This is contingent on the completion of a parallel study to site community facilities throughout the region.
Long term, the state’s goal is to transition the hospital to serve primarily forensic patients (those who have been processed through the criminal justice system). This would reduce the number of civil commitment patients, which make up the majority of the approximately 850 patients on site today.
Read more about the Western State Hospital Master Plan
Lakewood’s Downtown Subarea Plan includes the Towne Center, Colonial, and East Commercial Districts. The study area is over 300 acres. The Downtown Subarea Plan will build up past planning efforts and describe a vision, land use and design, gathering places, and action strategies for Lakewood’s central business district or “Downtown”.
As the City plans for an additional 11,500 residents by 2030, new housing in the area near Lakewood Station will help meet this growth target. The Lakewood Station Subarea will be a dense, walkable, mixed-use place with a focus on connections with larger transportation networks.
In 2009, Lakewood released a Vision for Tillicum document which outlined six key planning initiatives. In 2011, the Tillicum Neighborhood Plan (TNP) was adopted as a City Subarea Plan. In 2022, the City is reviewing the status of the Plan’s action items to see how much has been done to make the neighborhood plan a reality.
Common Questions
How do I get a Permit in Lakewood?
- Please visit the Permit Center for permit services and information in Lakewood.
How do I get a Business License?
- Businesses are required to obtain a state business license to operate a business in Washington and a City of Lakewood business license to operate a business in Lakewood. You may apply for a City business license or renew your state and City licenses at the same time using the state Department of Revenue’s Business Licensing Service’s online renewal portal. For more information, visit the Business Licensing page.
Where can I find more information about Tree Preservation in Lakewood?
- Please visit our trees page for information on Trees and our Urban Forestry Program
I heard the Tacoma Community Village is being constructed. What is a Community Village?
- Please see the Community Village FAQ (PDF) to find more information
Where can I get help with housing or paying rent?
- The City of Lakewood offers several programs to assist with housing and rent issues. Visit the Housing Assistance page for more information. For help with paying rent, visit Pierce County Rental Assistance.