Your Home Town Bulletin • July 2024
NW Landing office closed July 4-5
The Northwest Landing office will be closed on Thursday, July 4, and Friday, July 5, 2024, for the Independence Day holiday. But look for staff and board members in the Northwest Landing truck in the Hometown Parade! The office will reopen Monday July 8, at 9 a.m.
Street closures for Hometown July 4th Parade
Huggins Street and Richmond Avenue will be closed from 8:30 to 11 a.m. for the Hometown July 4th Parade. DuPont police recommend that if you live on Bittner Court, Heron Court, Latham Court, Richmond Court, Richmond Avenue or Huggins Street that you plan to park a vehicle away from the area if you will need to travel during that time. Road closure signs will be up as well.
Have a safe and happy 4th!
Not all fireworks are legal in Washington, including those you might purchase on tribal lands. Be sure to check the Washington State Patrol list of legal and illegal fireworks (download here).
In DuPont, you may light fireworks on July 4 between 6 p.m. and 11:59 p.m. on your own property. It is illegal to light them on city streets, sidewalks, parks, or ROA green spaces. In the past, there have been fires ignited in our woods by fireworks set off on our trails. This year could potentially be a big problem with fires because we’ve had much less rain than normal.
Report fireworks complaints to 253-287-4455 or 800-562-9800. For all in-progress emergencies, call 9-1-1.
Don’t forget that your Northwest Landing Residential Owners Association funded the fireworks display that will be held at dusk (about 9:30 p.m.) in the open field next to Patriots Landing at McNeil Street and Bobs Hollow Lane.
Information for new (and longtime) residents
Are you new to Northwest Landing? Even if you have lived here for several years, you may not know who to call – Northwest Landing or City of DuPont. Whether you are an owner or renter, there is information for you on the Northwest Landing website. A Who You Gonna Call webpage includes common topics our office gets questions about. Governing documents for the association are also available without logging into the members’ portal.
Reminder about Edison/café lights
We’ve started sending notices to homeowners who have string lights on the front of their homes. Low-wattage Edison-type café lights are permitted in backyards but not in front yards. Why? Four years ago, the association’s board of directors and Property Improvement Committee began looking at revising rules for string lights because these types of lights have become very popular, and the ROA rules only allowed for string lights during holiday seasons. The first proposed rule in 2021 met with many complaints among members (homeowners). Staff put together a poll which garnered 210 responses (about 10% of members). A majority of those surveyed told us that there need to be some restrictions on string lights but more than 90% told us they like seeing them in backyards. Far fewer liked seeing them in front yards. Board and Property Improvement Committee members used that poll to reconsider the rule which became effective January 1, 2023. String Light Policy
Board of Directors – 5:30 p.m. • Wednesday • July 24 – Association Office and via Zoom– reservations required by July 17. Call 253-964-1289.
Property Improvement Committee – meetings are generally held at 5:30 p.m. – 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month This committee must review all exterior modifications, including painting, roofing, adding central air conditioning, heat pump or solar panels, fences, sheds, patios, patio covers, decks, landscape renovations, adding or removing trees. Some projects may also require a city permit. PIC forms can be found in the member login area of the website. Go to Member Logins. After you login, click on Documents, then open the folder Property Improvement Committee Forms. Call 253-964-1289 if you need help finding PIC forms.
Fun for all ages at our June Family Bowling Night in Tacoma
Fun for all ages at the June bowling event.
Chamber of Commerce Block Party
DuPont’s newly formed Chamber of Commerce is hosting a block party on Wednesday, July 10, 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Barksdale Station – DuPont-Steilacoom Road at Barksdale Road. Enjoy a summer evening with music, local bites and more! Meet your new DuPont Chamber of Commerce! Better yet…become a member! It’s free for DuPont businesses for this year.
The Association does not receive compensation for this message; it is not paid advertising. Any business in Northwest Landing may ask to be featured in DuPont Business in Focus. Send your request to .
Dear ROA,
I’ve lived in Northwest Landing for about 15 years and have repainted the trim on my house twice. I just found out from one of my neighbors that I was supposed to get “permission” from the ROA office to do that. Seriously? I thought painting trim was like regular maintenance. What gives?
– Good painter in Hoffman Hill
Dear Good Painter,
First of all, there shouldn’t be a problem here unless you painted your trim a different color. Still, we ask that homeowners send in a property improvement request for painting just so we can keep track. You should be okay unless you painted a different color than the original paint scheme. But let us know. Sometimes people fix something and then add something else that isn’t part of the community standards.
Gardening workshops get rave reviews
The last of three gardening workshops – The Resilient Yard – was held June 8 at a pocket park in Hoffman Hill Village. Master Gardener Mike Peronto talked about the challenge climate change is bringing to home gardens. Some of his recommendations: switch to electric from gas lawn and garden tools, fertilize twice instead of four times a year, add compost, water less but longer (twice a week for 45 minutes instead of 15-20 minutes a day), pull weeds instead of using weed killers. Download the presentation here: TRY for Dupont.
Participants were surveyed and told us that they would like to see more workshops on topics including raised bed and container gardening, lawn care, shrub and tree trimming tips, and native plant and wildflowers.
WSU’s suggested spring timeline for fertilizing lawns in western Washington is November 15–December 7, April 15, June 15, and September 1.
Gardening resources for Washington State – flower beds, fruits, lawns, pest management, and more.
If you have suggestions about plants and plant care for the bulletin, email
Weed or Wildflower?
Many of us moved from our parts of the country where the plants we see here in Washington were considered to be wildflower. Here it might be considered to be a weed. Buttercup, for example. Some of us growing up with fond memories of holding the flower under someone’s chin to find out if they like butter, right? But, in Washington, they are an invasive weed. Many that we see on the roadside are actually garden escapees from long ago. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a weed is defined as “a plant that is not valued where it is growing” and a wildflower is defined as “an uncultivated plant” and “a flower that grows in natural places without being planted by people.” Sometimes, it seems to be a matter of perspective. Still, growing where we don’t want it can be a huge challenge and sometimes a health threat.
The photos below are common tansy on the left and balsamroot (and bumblebee) on the right. Tansy is native to Europe and Asia and is toxic, although it has been used as a medicinal plant. It is classified as a noxious weed in Washington state. On the other hand, balsamroot is a native wildflower and edible (even for humans). It has a long blooming period and you can find seeds and plants locally. Yes, you can plant it in your garden here but…warning…deer love it. So best to grow it behind a fence.
City of DuPont Events
4th of July Hometown Celebration – Start with the DuPont Historical Museum’s pancake breakfast (8-11 a.m.), then watch the Hometown Parade at 10 a.m., music, and fun at Clocktower Park until 2 p.m. Fireworks at Patriots Landing begins at dusk. Your Northwest Landing Residential Owners Association is funding the parade, activities for kids and the fireworks show.
Senior Lunch at the Landing • Tuesday • July 16 • Patriot’s Landing • Cost is $17, registration required.
DuPont Farmers Market • Thursdays • 3-7 p.m. • July 11, 18, 25, August 1, 8, 15, 29, September 5 • Clocktower Park
Concerts in the Parks • Thursdays • 6:30-8:30 p.m. • July 11, 18, 25, August 1, 8, 15, 29 • Clocktower Park
The End of the Era: Fort Nisqually’s Final Decade • Wednesday • July 17 • DuPont Historical Museum • Lecture by historian Steve Anderson
Summer Camps for kids and teens: The City of DuPont is offering a variety of art and sports camps for young children and teens this summer. Check out offerings here
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