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HomeMy WebLinkAboutITEM VI-C11 1 Memorandum ~ Planning and Development Dept. ~HICT~ To: Councilmember Lynn Norman, Chair, Planning and Community Development Committee Councilmember Nancy Backus, Vice- Chair, Planning and Community Development Committee Councilmember John Partridge, Member, Planning and Community Development Committee From: Kevin Snyder, AICP, Director of Planning and Development Elizabeth Chamberlain, AICP, Planning Manager cc: Mayor Pete Lewis Date: April 6, 2011 Re: Five Strategy Areas for Population, Business, and Employment Background At the November 9, 2010 Committee meeting, staff presented an initial discussion piece on 5 Strategy Areas for Population, Building, and Employment within the City. These 5 strategy areas initially came out of the City Council's discussion at its retreat in October 2010. t and are based in part on the City's current Economic Development Strategies (November 2005). The Committee reviewed the 5 strategy areas at the November 9, 2010 PCDC meeting and provided the following feedback to staff: • The Committee expressed concern with the West Valley area particularly the feasibility of developing higher density residential housing in this corridor that has been substantially built out for light manufacturing and distributionlwarehouse purposes; • The Committee discussed possibly looking at adding as an additional strategy area the portion of Lea Hill around Green River Community College as an area for business/employmentlpopulationgrnwth; and, • Specific to the Urban Center Strategy Area, the Committee discussed how to establish "satellite" relationships between the Urban Center and other areas in the City - Les Gove Community Campus was the discussed example -without adding to the boundaries of the Urban Center. The Committee identified ideas for establishing satellite relationships including signage, transportation connections and brandinglmarketing. Page 1 of 3 ~lJ~ O T~ SOU I~r~1~D Discussion At the Committee's April 11th regular meeting, staff would like to brainstorm with the Committee on its general and specific vision for the 5 Economic Development Strategy Areas. The Council at its October 2010 retreat and the Committee more recently had discussed decentralizing some portion of the planned populationlbusinesslemployment density and land use intensity for the urban center to appropriate economic development nodes. As part of this discussion, staff would also like to know if the Committee is interested in having staff analyze other potential locations for the receipt of planned populationlbusinesslemployment density and land use intensity. The Committee's feedback on the following questions will help staff begin to analyze potential changes in the City's current Comprehensive Plan during this year's annual update cycle to lay the policy foundation for future assignment of planned populationlbusinesslemployment density and land use intensity to these areas. Please note that for consistency to the City's Economic Development Strategies document, the Area designations used in this document are also used below: 1. North End Strategy Area and Target Areas • For purposes of creating increased land use intensity and density through populationlbusiness employment, the Auburn Way North Corridor -one of the Target Areas in the North End Strategy Area -seems to be the most appropriate location for this mixture, intensity and density of uses given its proximity to major transportation corridors, availability of urban services and limited environmental issues. Does the Committee concur? • If the Committee concurs with the focus on the Auburn Way North Corridor, what is the Committee's general or specific vision of the built (e.g. 4-5 mixed use structures constructed at the property line on Auburn Way North} and non-built environment that might comprise this Corridor? 2. Golden Triangle Area • What is the Committee's general or specific vision of the built and non-built environment that might comprise this Area? How should Les Gove Community Campus integrate and/or drive the redevelopment of this Area? • Is multi-family residential an appropriate consideration within the Area and more specifically along Auburn Way South? 3. Urban Center Strategy Area • How should the proposed Healthcare District Overlay -located in the North Auburn Business District highlighted in blue on the Economic Development Strategies map for this Strategy Area - tie in with Area? • Does the Committee still want to seek to preserve the existing lower density residential character of the existing neighborhoods located east of the Justice Center? • What is the Committee's vision of the portion of the Urban Center Strategy Area bordered on the east by C Street SW, on the west by G Street SW, on the north by Page2of3 ~lJ~ O T~ SOU I~r~1~D West Main Street and on the south by Highway 18 -currently characterized by older stock/lower density residences? 4. AEP Green Zone Strategy Area • The Committee has previously expressed support for the concept of mixed use residential uses in the Green Zone. Is this still the case? • What is the Committee's opinion on the possible expansion of the Green Zone to the area immediately east of the current Green Zone boundaries that is referred to as "Possible Phase 2" in the City's Economic Development Strategies document?~ 5. 15th Street SW & C Street Strategy Area and Target Areas • The West Valley Target Area Strategy that is part of this overall Strategy Area envisions an area characterized by a combination of office, professional and high density housing along West Valley Highway. Does the Committee concur with this vision? In addition to the Areas discussed above, there are other potential areas that could be considered for the receipt of planned population/business/employment density and land use intensity. These areas could include: • The A Street SE Corridor Strategy Area • The SuperMall site • The area northwest of the C Street SWl15t" Street SW intersection • The 312t" Streetl124t" Avenue SE area on Lea Hill near Green River Community College What is the Committee' opinion on each of these potential areas? Attachment: 1. Economic Development Strategies (November 2005) Document 1 This area is currently zoned Central Business District (C-2) and encompasses a portion of the existing non-residential area north of Page3of3