Stuck River Road/Mt. Rainier Vista Subarea Planning
Auburn Stuck River Road/Mount Rainier Vista Subarea Plan and Planned Action
NOTICE OF SCOPING PERIOD FOR STATE ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT (SEPA) ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT (EIS) AND
DETERMINATION OF SIGNIFICANCE (DS)
Request for Comments on the Scope of the Environmental Impact Statement
DATE OF ISSUANCE: October 31, 2025, for the Scoping Period of November 1, 2025 through December 15, 2025
LEAD AGENCY: City of Auburn
AGENCY CONTACT: Tony Ching, PE, Development Review Engineer
Auburn Stuck River Road/Mount Rainier Vista Planned Action EIS Scoping Comments
Department of Community Development
25 West Main St, Auburn, WA 98001
253-804-5068
tching@auburnwa.gov and development@auburnwa.gov
The City of Auburn has determined that it will prepare a Planned Action Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Stuck River Road/Mount Rainier Vista Subarea Plan, currently in development. The City will conduct formal “scoping” to gather input and comments on key issues related to the subarea from November 1 through December 15, 2025. Scoping is conducted under the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) to help identify the range of issues and topics and elements of the environment to be studied in the EIS. The City is providing an expanded 45-day scoping to provide additional opportunities for interagency coordination, public participation in the scoping process, and gathering agency and public comments.
The public, interested agency representatives, and tribal representatives are invited to attend one of the following public meetings during the scoping period. Both meetings will cover the same information, so choose the date and time most convenient for you:
Thursday, November 13, 2025
6:00 pm to 7:30 pm
OR
Saturday, November 22, 2025
10:00 am to 11:30 am
Both meetings will be held at:
Bowman Creek Elementary School, in the Gymnasium, 5701 Kersey Way SE, Auburn
In addition to attending one of the meetings listed above, the public is invited to submit comments (via email or regular mail) by 5:00 pm on Monday, December 15, 2025 to:
Attn: Tony Ching, PE, Development Review Engineer, 253-804-5068
Email: tching@auburnwa.gov and development@auburnwa.gov
Regular mail: 25 West Main St, Auburn, WA 98001
DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSAL: A new subarea plan is being developed for the Stuck River Road/Mount Rainier Vista Subarea to address future land uses and development, housing, critical areas, transportation, parks and open space, utilities, public services, and other topics. The subarea is recognized in the City’s Comprehensive Plan as an area that will support phased development of a new planned community with future residential, commercial, institutional, and employment opportunities. The Planned Action EIS will analyze a range of alternatives for future land uses and identify infrastructure and public services needed to support these future land uses. Segale Properties owns a majority of the 876-acre subareas, which includes an active gravel mining pit with mining operations expected to cease within the next 3 to 5 years. Within that time the City anticipates completion of the Planned Action EIS, selection of a preferred alternative and preparation of a Planned Action Ordinance in 2026. From that point forward, the project would move forward with a planned community permitting process, carrying phases of the project through design and construction over the next 20 years approximately.
The subarea plan will be consistent with the Growth Management Act, Puget Sound Regional Council Vision 2050 Plan, and King County Countywide Planning Policies (CPPs). To support implementation of the subarea plan, the City of Auburn will prepare a Planned Action Ordinance under RCW 43.21C.440 and associated SEPA Rules in WAC 197-11, which will require a Planned Action EIS. Future proposals consistent with the Planned Action Ordinance (and related level of analysis in the EIS), the subarea plan, and development regulations would be subject to a streamlined environmental review process.
PROJECT LOCATION: Located within the city limits of Auburn, the Stuck River Road/Mount Rainier Vista subarea covers a large, 876-acre land area located south of the White River and Stuck River Road and accessible via R. Street SE and Kersey, Stuck River Road, Kersey Way SE, and 53rd Street SE. See map on next page.
PLANNED ACTION ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT: The City of Auburn, as lead agency for this proposal, has determined the need to prepare a new Planned Action EIS for the subarea under RCW 43.21C.440. The City anticipates preparing and adopting a new Planned Action Ordinance consistent with the subarea plan. As the lead agency, the City has identified the following areas for analysis and discussion in the EIS: Land Use Patterns, Housing, Employment and Socioeconomics, Multimodal Transportation, Utilities (Including Water, Sewer, Surface Water Management, Power, and Communications), Public Services (Schools, Parks, Police, Fire/Emergency Services, Library, other City Services), and consistency with Plans and Policies
PROJECT LOCATION MAP
ALTERNATIVES: The City will evaluate a “no action alternative” and multiple action alternatives in the EIS. Evaluation of the no action alternative is required by SEPA and will assume potential future development of the subarea if no plan or preferred alternative is adopted. Under existing zoning, development could still occur but would not align with a specific plan or implementation strategy for infrastructure improvements.
The EIS will evaluate a reasonable range of potential action alternatives for development of varying patterns of land use (residential, commercial, employment, parks and open space).
The following will be assumed under all alternatives:
- Development of the property as allowed through Comprehensive Plan and the Zoning Code (Title 18) regulations (the property is located within the city limits of Auburn and is part of the urban growth area designated as an area to support future population and employment growth of the community);
- Protection of critical areas including but not limited to streams, wetlands, habitat areas, steep slopes, and other conditions;
- Provision of parks, open space, trails, and streetscapes as part of the subarea plan;
- Development of infrastructure (transportation, utilities, and other facilities) and provision of public services to serve future development; and
- Compliance with all applicable local, regional, state, and federal policies, laws, and regulations.
SCOPING: Agencies, affected tribes, and members of the public are invited to comment on the scope of the EIS. Comments may address potential topics to be evaluated in the EIS, the range of alternatives to be studied, potential impacts, and potential mitigation measures. Per WAC 197-11-408 and RCW 43.21C.440(3)(b) the City invites the public, agencies, and tribes to a public meeting to discuss the Planned Action EIS scoping.
Scoping Meetings: November 13, 2025 and November 22, 2025 (see times and locations above)
Scoping Comment Period: November 1 through December 15, 2025—Provide written comments to the City Contact below by 5:00 pm on December 15, 2025.
CITY CONTACT:
Tony Ching, PE, Development Review Engineer
Auburn Stuck River Road/Mount Rainier Vista Planned
Action EIS Scoping Comments
Department of Community Development
25 West Main St, Auburn, WA 98001
253-804-5068 I tching@auburnwa.gov and development@auburnwa.gov
SEPA RESPONSIBLE OFFICIAL:
Alexandria Teague, AICP, Planning Services Manager
Department of Community Development
25 West Main St, Auburn, WA 98001
