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HomeMy WebLinkAbout07-26-2010 * PLANNING & COMMUNITY DEVELOPME9VT COIVIM6TTEE G1TY OF Juiy zs, 2010 * WASHINGTON MINUTES 1. CALL TO ORDER Chair Lynn Norman called the meeting to order at 5:00 p:m. in Annex Conference Room . 1 located on the second floor of One Main Building, 1 East Main Street, Aubum, WA. Committee members present were: Chair Lynn Norman, Vice Chair Nancy Backus and Member Rich Wagner. Staff members present included: Environmental Protection Manager Chris Andersen, Parks, Arts and Recreational Director Daryl Faber, Principal Planner Jeff Dixon and Administration Support Cleric Tina Kriss. Audience members present were: Ronnie Roberts, Tamara Thompson, and Terry Danysh II. ANNOUNCEMENTS AND AGENDA MODIFICATIONS Chaic brought before Committee discussion item V.A. Ordinance No. 6321 before hearing action item V..Ord'inance 6321: Parks; Arts'and Recreation Director Daryl Faber was delayed due to a Municipal Services Committee meeting. 111. CONSENT AGENDA A. Minutes - July 12,2010 Member Backus moved and Member Wagner seconded to approve the Consent Agenda as presented: . MOTION CARRIED'UNANIMOUSLY 3-0 IV. ACTION A. Lea Hill Neighborhood Park SBA Contract Parks, Arts and Recreational Director Daryl Faber stated he previously provided Committee with a plan for the City to design and develop a new neighborhood park at the comer of 120 Avenue.NE and NE 316'hSfreet (formerly referred to as the Martin Property). This new facility will replace the existing Lea Hill Park, which is the site for the - new Trades Building as a part of the Green River Community College (GRCC): City would like to enter into a contract with Susan Black and Associates (SBA) for consultation services to move forward with this project. All. expenses will be reimbursed by GRCC per Memorandum ofi Undersfanding and Reimbursement Agreement executed by GRCC. GRCC will provide $1.5M as reimbursement to the City based on the agreemerrt. Planning and Community Development Committee Minutes July 26, 2010 Committee asked if we have had a lot of concems expressed at the neighborhood meetings on this project. . Mr. Faber stated they have had a lot of neighbofiood 'residents in favor and support of#he new park to provide a place for their children fo play instead of using the street. The response has been positive with representatives from a crickef group, skafe- boarders and other groups encouraged by the possibility of a gathering place and community gardens with other park activities. Other residence expressed their concern for crossing 316t' Street from east to west. Residence discussed concem about noise from the proposed Trades Building: Both groups were excited about the landscape architecE's proposal to make a big loop trail around both complexes and howthe day lighting of the stream benefits the park and - Trades Building. Mr. Faber stated he doesn't feel the residence concem is over the new park but mainty traffic and noise. Mr. Faber stated he feels the increased parking at the Trades Building wilG alleviate parking issues in the neighbofiood. Neighborhood residence have asked for pull-out parking on the north side of:the road instead of interior parking at the park so students will not illegally park. By providing this pull-out parking it will increase green space, pathways and the ability to hold summer concerts and activities. Residences believe it would reduce trafric issues. Committee asked if Susan Black and Associates will be engineering the storm drain system and Mr. Faber stated he believes they will be sub contracting the engineering of the storm drain. Committee stated it would be beneficial to inform neighborhood residencethat the noise at the Trade Building will not be increased substanfially as some feel and suggests an effort to provide access to residence during construction to ease their fears. Committee and staff clarified that since the new trades building is replacing the existing building`it should not cause;a;significant increase;in traffic. - The.college is making improvements to 124"' Avenue SE.which will inclwde a t;um lane and. ottier improvements to decrease traffic issues. Mr. Faber sfated park projecf will be developed~in phases as detailed in the SBA Agreement. If any portion of development is not completed and.the City no longer needs SBA consultant services the City can terminate the Agreement and not be held fnancially liable for that portion of the Agreement. It was moved by Vice Chair Backus, seconded by Member Wagner, to bring before full City Council the Susan Black and Associates agreement for Consulting Services w'sth the City authorizing the Mayor and Ci#y Clerk to execute this agreement. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY 3-0 Page 2 Planning and Community Development Committee Minutes July 26, 2010 V. DISCUSSION and INFORMATION A. Ordinance No. 6321 Principal Planner Jeff Dixon briefed the Committee on proposed Ordinance No. 6321 to extend`the,effective date of Ordinance No. 6259,:the conditional approval of a special area plan, a comprehensive plan map and text amendments and zoning map and text amendrnents for Robertson Properties Group (RPG) for the Auburn Gateway Project: On J.une 16, 2008 Auburn City Council passed Ordinance No. 6183 which amended the City's ComptehensiVe plan (map and text), zoning (map and text) and included the - adoption of a sub-area plan related to the development of the Auburn Gateway project at the Valley 6 Theatre site and surrounding properties by Robertson Properties Group (RPG). ` On December 1, 2008 the City Council passed Ordinance No. 6219 extending the effective date of Ordinance No. 6183 untilAugust 31, 2009. On August 17, 2009 the CityCouncil passed Ordinance No. 6259 extending the effective date until August 31, 2010. The proposed ordinance would provide a one year extension. RPG is working with the City's Planning, Public Works, and Legal Departments on revisions to the development agreement which is being redrafted. This is a request fo extend the conditional Comprehensive plan (map and text), zoning (map and text) and adoption of a special area plan adoption that are predicated on the city's council's adoption of a development agreement for those changes as proposed by the Robertson Properties Group (RPG). In 2004 the applicant prepared.a draft and final Environmental Impact Statement for the ;project. It identified three different development scenarios in addition to a no action - scenario: o Retail and Office Option o RetailOption • Retail and Multi-Family Option Committee asked how the new floodplain management has changed and how it might impact this project. Mr. Dixon stated at the time the special area plan was.adopted in 2008 the Port of Seattle wetland mitigation site had already been constructed providing additional flood plain storage. What is not addressed are the revisions of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) maps which may affect.the amount of additional flood storage or volume available in this vicinity. The revisions of the FEMA maps have not been finalized so the City won't be able to assess the full affect until those maps are in final form. A portion of the RPG site is in tFie current floodplain. Committee asked,if the floodplain maps are different.from the decision we are discussing tonight to extend the, conditional approvals.to allow additional time to come up with the development agreement. Mr. Dixon answered yes and stated the development agreement will not be adopted until staff, brings it. before the committees and City Council for a public hearing. Mr. Dixon indicated that at the time the development agreement is Page 3 Planning and Community Development Committee Minutes Juty 26, 2010 available for consideration additional changes to the special area plan, comprehensiye plan and zoning code changes will need to take place due to the time that has lapsed and circumstances that have changed in the intervening time. As one example, he noted that the special area plan mentions the need to exchange some right of ways with the Port of Seattle for I Street NE; but that the language to the special area plan should. now be updated since the swap has already taken place: Mr. Dixon discussed some of the special circumstances making it staff's recommendation to allow an extension via Ordinance No. 6321: • RPG has acquired 11 additional acres to the west • RPG'in the process of processing a supplement ofithe previous Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to address the addition of this propertq and to address project phasing as additionaLEIS analysis currentfy underway and specifically including additional transportation analysis • Addressing the adoption of the City's new floodplain regulations Mr. Dixon stated by extending the effective date via Ordinance No. 6321 RPG would have an opportunity to assess the affect of the floodptain maps changing (if the floodplain maps are-changed) and allow RPG #o wock with the City on processes associated with getting a`floodplain permit under the City's recently adopted regulations. Committee asked Mr. Dixon if in 2008 Ordinance No. 6183 approvals were given conditionally. Mr. Dixon stated .yes, the changes were conditi.onally approved dependent upon execution of a development agreemenf and planned action ordinance. He added that when the development agreement provisions are presented, staff and city council can make changes to ensure tfie special area plan for RPG is updated and current. Committee asked if the Robertson Properties Group (RPG) development agreement would include any traffic signal costs to the South 277"' Sfreet and 49th Street NE signals as listed in the 2008 Northeast Auburn/Robertson Properties Special Area Plan. Committee stated they are concerned with extending the date of the ordinance without adding any signal costs to the development agreement. Mr. Dixon stated that the future development agreement would address the project mitigation needs including transporfation improvements: So prior to the adoption of the special area plan, traffic analysis will be available to show improvement needs associated with increased traffic and proponent's responsibility. This information can inform changes to the special area plan. Committee also discussed whether the City should continue with developing a Development Agreement at all for the RPG project: Committee stated it thaf in 2003 the . City was told by the city's insurance provider, WCIA that the city council should not consider Developer Agreements. Mr. Dixon stated he understands the concern but the City and RPG have spent signficant time in pursuing this development and staff s recommendation is to ask Council to extending this due to the significant investment that has made in pursuing this project. Page 4 Planning and Community Development Committee Minutes July 26, 2010 Mr. Dixon stated it is appropriate to make refinements to the zoning, comprehensive plan and special area plan when we have more iriformation from the development agreement process. Committee asked Mr. Dixon to meet with the City's Legal Department to discuss Ordinance 6321 and also discuss the WCIA's position on the City entering into a Developer Agceement with RPG,. Mr. Dixon stated he would discuss this with the City's Legal Department. Committee discussed the concem in the reduction on funds with the current economic _ climate and requested staff makes sure they are discussing the traffic needs with the City's Public Works Traffic Planner to. ensure appropriate traffic concems have been addressed. Committee clarified for that the City's insurance provider WCIA has advised the City to move away from Quasi-Judicial decision making. WCIA has discouraged the City from using the development agreement process and they have advised #he City that continuing this practice could affect the City's insurability with WCIA. Committee asked if the extension to Ordinance No. 6321 provides for a one year extension. Mr. Dixon agreed. Committee stated the Northeast Aubum/Robertson Properties Special Area Plan was written and adopted in 2008 but since this time the economic climate has changed which has changed the City's ability to make certain financial contributions toward necessary infrastructure improvements. Mr. Dixon stated this has been communicated to RPG in writing and feels they understand the City is no longer able to provide financial assistance for infrastructure.improvements. Referring to information presented at the 2008 Council retreat, the Committee also stated their concem for the information provided in-the Special Area Plan which states the City.would be ceceiving income'over the nexf 15:years due to the development of the project. Committee stated they do ;not believe this additional income is realistic and may affect the projected potential, rev.enue to the City due to,the current economic conditions. Mr. Dixon feels an extension of 1 year strikes the balance between providing enough time to accomplish some of`the additional :analysis while being short enough to encourage action. Mr. Dixon also feels two weeks will provide enough time to review Ordinance No. 6321 and the V11CIA'S position on development agreements with the City's Legal Department. Committee concurred to bring ttiis back before Committee with additional information from the Legal Department's review and discussion with WCIA within two weeks. B. PCDC Status Matrix: The Matrix is adjusted to reflect the following: • Item 2, Environmenfal Park District - change the date to Fall 2010 Page 5 Planning and Community Development Committee Minutes July 26, 2010 V. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business to come before the Planning and Community Development Committee, Chair Norman adjoumed the meeting at 5:38 p.m. APPROVED THIS . DAY OF ~ Lynn No , Chair Tina Kriss, Administrative Support Page 6