A farewell to farms in South Puget Sound
Orting, long a farming community, is on the verge of losing its last two farms to add commercial and residential development. It shows what can happen when cities run out of room to grow.
As visitors enter Orting heading south, they are greeted by a spectacular Mount Rainier view and rows of new homes along Highway 162.
About 60 acres of pastureland opens on the left. Wooden barns with collapsed roofs have seen better days.
John Engfer grows just enough vegetables for himself and his mother, Barbara. A neighboring farmer leased the rest of the land this year and harvested pumpkins.
The Engfers had hoped they could keep the family farm until its centennial anniversary in 2012.
Now that hardly seems possible. Leaders in the valley city, long known for its rich soil for growing vegetables and raising cattle, are pushing to change land-use rules so that Orting’s last two farm parcels can be paved for commercial development.
When that happens – likely before the end of the year – the Engfer family say they won’t be able to keep up with higher property tax payments.
“It was very hard when I got the word,� said Engfer, who lost her husband, Fred, in 2003.
Orting officials have their reasons for the change.
Desperately seeking commercial growth, the City Council in May slapped a building moratorium on the Engfer farm and its neighbors, a total of about 60 acres. The city acted quickly once a 50-house subdivision was proposed for the adjacent Gratzer farm property.
Orting officials don’t want another residential-only development. Just to the north of the Gratzer property, the 572-house Village Crest neighborhood is under construction. And across the Carbon River, the Cascadia master-planned community is slated for 6,700 homes on 5,000 acres.
The pair of farms along Highway 162 is the last potential ground for new businesses, according to city officials. They want to see a mix of stores and offices on that land – and the tax revenue that comes with it.
As the clock winds down and Orting nears the end of its timeout, the city of 5,500 people illustrates a larger problem: A decade after the state Growth Management Act went into effect, some cities and counties are running out of room to grow.
Continue reading this article from the Tacoma News Tribune:
A farewell to farm
