Project Overview
Project Management Team
The Project Management Team (PMT) will inlcude the County's project manager and other key P&RS staff, as well as the MIG Team's key project team members. The PMT will meet in person or by teleconference on at least a monthly basis to coordinate on the project, review progress and work products, and discuss issues.
Technical Working Group
The Technical Working Group (TWG) will be composed of County staff and may include representatives of other agencies. MIG recommends that this group include at minimum a designated P&RS staff, at least one Planning and Land Services (PALS) representative, a Public Works Transportation representative, and a Public Works Water Program representative. Pierce Transit, the National Park Service, the Tacoma-Pierce Health Department, City of Tacoma Transportation Planning, and local park districts are other potential stakeholders. Advocacy groups such as the Foothills Trail Coalition could also be included in this group, and we recommend that representatives from these groups be invited to participate. The TWG will meet at key project milestones to provide review, technical advice, and input on plan directions.
There are four main phases identified in the planning process: Background and Inventory, Analysis, Plan Development and Plan Refinement and Adoption. The following provides an overview of important steps in each phase.
Phase I: Background and Inventory
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Policy and Plan Review
The MIG Team will review existing trails plans and relevant planning documents that address trails throughout the County, as well as relevant policies within the County’s Comprehensive Plan. Trails planning efforts and research conducted by neighboring counties (King, Thurston, etc.) and organizations, such as the Foothills Trail Coalition, will also be reviewed.
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Regulatory Review
The MIG Team will review environmental, accessibility, and other regulations that could impact the trails plan, design standards and guidelines, to identify opportunities and constraints.
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Draft Planning Context Summary Report
The MIG Team will prepare a summary report that documents the results of Phase 1 tasks, and describes the regulatory framework for trails planning. This memo will incorporate information from plans reviewed in Task 1.2, as well as population and land use information derived from County planning data. MIG will submit this draft report for one round of reviews through the project website. Reviewers will provide comments via email or fax.
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Final Planning Context Summary Report
MIG will evaluate the comments, identify any conflicts, and resolve them at a PMT meeting or conference call. Following this, the MIG Team will make changes and prepare the final Planning Context Summary Report.
