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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAPPENDIX B amended 2011 Page B -1 APPENDIX B REPORTS AND STUDIES Introduction The Comprehensive Plan presents the results of the comprehensive planning process. A wide variety of other documents have been prepared or utilized in the process. These other documents contain the bac kground upon which the policy issues were assessed and the decisions made. Consequently, while separately published, the "Comprehensive Plan" should be considered the full body of this information. These documents are all available for review in the Plan ning Department at Auburn City Hall, and many of them are also available at the City Library. This section identifies those documents. Report to the Mayor on the Status of Planning In Auburn, December 1982 : Upon taking office in 1982, Mayor Roegner requ ested the Planning Department to develop a comprehensive review of the status of the City's Planning Program and its Comprehensive Plan. This report was prepared by the then new Planning Director and published in December of 1982. The purpose of this rep ort was to establish a common base of understanding regarding the role that comprehensive planning should take in the City. It culminated in a recommendation that the planning program be completely revised and a new Comprehensive Plan developed. While th e original recommendations have been modified subsequent to the publishing of the 1982 report, it was this report which began the policy discussions leading to the development of this Comprehensive Plan. Population Trends, 1984: This report assessed the overall growth rate of the community and how it is related to the growth rates in other areas. The report took a detailed look at the growth pattern in Auburn over the last decade and compared this pattern to other areas in the Green River Valley, King Co unty, and the State. The report concluded that the growth in Auburn is highly interrelated with the general growth that has occurred over the decade in the Green River Valley. The consistency of this interrelationship between the growth patterns of Aubur n and the Green Valley as a whole indicates that Auburn will continue to grow at a rate Appendix B Page B -2 similar to the overall growth rate of this part of the County. Growth in Auburn itself has been higher than in most other incorporated areas. General Population Char acteristics 1980, January 1984: This report presented an overview of the population characteristics of the City of Auburn. The report explored the population change in more detail than the previous report, particularly in terms of change in sex, age, and racial composition. The report also analyzed the composition of the City's families and the employment patterns of its residents as well as general income levels. Finally the report zeroed in on the characteristics of the City's low income population. Age Group Analysis, 1984 : This report provides perhaps the most detailed examination of some aspects of the City population of any of the Planning reports. Three major demographic phenomena have strongly influenced the sociological character of the commun ity between 1981 -1984; the post - war baby boom, the subsequent baby -bust, and the growth of the elderly population. This report extensively analyzes the implication of these demographic phenomena on the community and compare these demographic patterns to o ther communities. This report noted that since different age groups exert different demands for various types of goods and services, these demographic patterns have a profound effect on the problems and needs of the community. Since age groups are also c losely related to housing and employment needs, the relevance of this report to many of the policies of the Plan is very significant. Housing Market Patterns and Characteristics in Auburn, November 1984: This report re viewed the housing supply of the Ci ty of Auburn and how it has been changing. The purpose of the report was to assess the nature of the housing supply in order to assist in the development of appropriate land use policy. The report was divided into three sec tions, the first of which desc ribed the supply of various types of housing within the City itself. The second section described how the broader Auburn area community housing stock compares to the housing stock of other communities. The third section described current construction pat terns and assessed the proposed housing development plans by the private sector. This report provides the back ground that was used by the planning process to develop residential policies in this document. Reports and Studies Page B -3 Population Forecasts, February 1985: Any compr ehensive planning process requires an understanding of where the community seems to be headed in the future. This report forecasted the City's population based on a variety of variables. The report is closely re lated to the Age Group Analysis Report and the Housing Report identified above. The report concluded that due to the availability of buildable land and the development pres sure of the last decade there is considerable potential for a very high rate of growth in the community. The report also no ted that the need for school services, after a lull that is occurring at the present time, is expected to resume; demand for preschool type services will increase, the demand for retired age group services will increase; the impact of substantiated growth in the young adult population that has shaped much of the last decade, is largely over; the need for new entry type jobs in the labor force should subside; and the aging of the labor force should result in very significant increases in family incomes and d emand for jobs appropriate for that age group. An appendix to this report assessed the interrelationship between the growth forecasted in this report, and the growth forecasted by the Puget Sound Council of Governments for the region. Existing Land Use M anagement Policy, December 1984 : This is perhaps the most significant of the reports for many of the policy issues addressed by this Plan. It is particularly important in terms of its implication on the Comprehensive Plan Map itself. This report (which i s closely related to the original report to the Mayor) contains a complete analysis of planning in the City and policy issues which are present in the current policy framework. It addressed both very general policy issues as well as site specific conflict s in City ordinances. Land Use and Development Policy of the City of Auburn, September 1983: One of the basic problems identified in the original report to the Mayor was the problem of the City's land use policy being contained in a wide variety of docum ents. This report was originally prepared in order to assist in identifying those policies. As such, it provides a very useful step in the planning process by combining all the key land use policy statements that have been adopted by the City in one plac e. This report merely compiles and restates that policy. Downtown Report, November 1984: One of the most important concerns identified early in the planning process was the problems, needs and potentials of the City's central busi ness district. Due to this concern a special committee was formed, both to address down town needs independently of the planning process, and to provide a source of advice to the planning process regarding those needs. As a part of the Committee's work, the Downtown Report wa s prepared and issued. The report reviews Appendix B Page B -4 and analyzes the downtown of the City in order to provide a common understanding of downtown issues in developing the Comprehensive Plan. The report reviews types of concerns that generally present themselves in do wntown planning and applies those concerns to the current condition and viability of Auburn's downtown. Related to this report is a report which implements some of the Committee's proposals for downtown in the form of off -street parking facilities. Econo mic Analysis, December of 1985 : This report presents an economic base study of the City. This base study is prepared from several different perspectives. First the report assesses how the people who live in Auburn gain their livelihood. Second, the rep ort describes the type of employment that is available in the City. Third, the report describes the structure of the City's business community as measured by taxable sales activity. Finally the report compares the structure of the City's employment base to the employ ment structure of the surrounding area. On the basis of this analysis a projection of future economic activity can be gained. Land Use Analysis, December 1985 : This report analyzes the current use of the land in the City and how it is chan ging. It also describes and assesses change in various regulatory actions related to land use such as rezones and platting. Neighborhoods Meeting Program, August 1985: This report documents and summarizes the citizen input that was received by the City during its eight neighborhood meetings. The first part of the report provides an overview of the neighborhood meetings taken as a whole, identifying and discussing those issues that appeared to be most important to meeting participants. The following sec tions then provide a record of each meeting including a paraphrased listing of questions and comments offered by the participants. KidsPlan, July 1985 : This report provides the results of the KidsPlan program which was conducted during the spring of 1985 . A survey form was distributed to school children throughout Auburn in both public and private elementary schools. Responses were re ceived from 375 children, or approximately 10% of all children attending school within the City of Auburn. The survey wa s intended to obtain information regarding the types of places and aspects of the community that are important to children. Issues Papers, from August to December of 1985: The Planning Commission and Planning Department prepared a series of issue papers which identified the various issues which needed to be addressed by the policies of the Comprehensive Plan. These issue papers serve as the basis Reports and Studies Page B -5 for the Comprehensive Plan and are derived from the studies and public participation process described above. Each issue paper includes an identification of alternative responses to the particular issue, a description of the issue, the views of the neighborhood groups, the view of the development community, the results of the studies as they relate to the issue, a general recommendation by the Planning staff, and recom mended goals, objectives and policies. This report contains all twenty -six of those issue papers. Environmental Constraints and Opportunities, January 1985 : This report seeks to develop an under standing of the environmental conditions existing in the City. The report describes and assesses the environmental conditions related to climate, air quality, geology and soils, hydrology, and wildlife habitat. The report notes the constraints that are im posed by environmental conditions on development within the City. It refers to a series of maps that have been used in the planning process. OTHER REPORTS: All the reports described above were prepared by the Planning Department for the Comprehensive Pla n itself. In addition to these studies there are a series of other reports that have been prepared by or for the City in recent years, independent of the comprehensive planning process. These reports nonetheless provided substantial information used in t he development of this plan. 1982 Comprehensive Traffic Plan, City of Auburn, July 1982: This report replaced the original traffic element which was adopted as part of the 1969 Comprehensive Plan. As the traffic element of the Plan, it describes both th e present and anticipated future traffic problems that will be confronting the community, the goals to be achieved in the man agement of traffic and a recommended traffic plan. It also includes policies and recommendations related to financing the traffic improvements. This document was adopted formally as an element to the City's Comprehensive Plan. Auburn Park and Recreation Plan, 1981: This plan assesses the park and recreation needs of the community and presents a recommended capital improvement pro gram to develop those facilities. The plan also includes standards for parks and recreation and recommends methods of financing facilities. The document also includes recommendations re lating to open space. This plan was formally adopted as an element of the Comprehensive Plan. Comprehensive Sewerage Plan, 1982: This plan identifies sanitary sewerage needs of the community and recommends steps to meet those needs. It contains standards for service which should be applied to new Appendix B Page B -6 development. This doc ument is based upon and is considered to be an implementing tool for the 1969 Comprehensive Plan. Comprehensive Water System Plan, June 1983: This plan identifies the water service needs of the community and recommends facilities and programs to meet tho se needs. It also contains standards for water service that should be applied to new development. This document is based upon the 1969 Comprehensive Plan and is considered to be an implementing tool for that plan. Community Development Block Grant Plan, December 1984: This is an annual plan de veloped to guide the administration of the City's Block Grant Program. The Plan identifies important community needs and seeks to develop a program to address those needs. The plan also identifies and describes low income neighborhoods within the City. Auburn Way South Sanitary Sewer Study: This report analyzed the capacity of sewer ser vice in southwest Auburn and identified significant deficiencies in that service. Housing Assistance Plan, October 1984: Thi s plan is adopted in order to guide any deci sions related to the development of assisted housing in the City. It specifically identifies high priority areas for such development. The plan also presents a comprehensive analysis of housing conditions in t he City and cost of housing for various income groups. Fire Services Study, 1982: This report analyzed fire services needs in the community and laid out a plan of action to meet those needs. Of particular importance, this report iden tified standards fo r fire station location and needs. Greenhouse Gas Inventory for the City of Auburn, Washington, August 2010 : This report documents the results of the first greenhouse gas emissions inventories conducted for the City of Auburn’s municipal operations and t he broader Auburn community. The inventories were conducted to provide the City with information to better understand the nature and sources of municipal and community greenhouse gas emissions, and to develop a forecast for projected levels of greenhouse g as emissions in future years. The inventory report provides a discussion framework for setting greenhouse gas emission reduction targets, recommendations for strategies to achieve the targeted emission reductions, and base year emission levels for measurin g progress in meeting the City’s greenhouse gas emission reduction objectives. The report indicates that the City’s municipal operations generated approximately 10,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents (mtCO2e) Reports and Studies Page B -7 and the broader Auburn community gene rated just over 840,000 mtCO2e in base year 2008. The report projects that municipal and community greenhouse gas emission levels will increase approximately 10 percent over base year levels by 2015 and approximately 40 percent over base year levels by 203 0 unless Auburn takes significant actions to reduce its emissions. City of Auburn Urban Core Task Force Final Draft Report , November 2010 : In J anuary of 2010, the Mayor appointed a citizen based Auburn Downtown/City Vision Task Force that brought togethe r a broad based set of interests, communities and experiences. The Task Force was charged with developing ideas for continued growth of the downtown area, including a broad vision for the city with the c onsideration for a projected growth of up to 50,000 m ore residents in the city center by 2050 and beyond. Once these ideas were developed, they would be presented to the Auburn City Council to consider and potentially take action on at a future date. W ith the city’s great economic o pportunity, historic char acter and cultural venues, planned growth must occur with excellent housing choices and amenities that would bring more people, more often to downtown Auburn, and support a denser, walkable and more attractive downtown core. In order to anticipate this gr owth, this report communicates the work of a group of dedicated citizens of Auburn who envisioned a sustainable future for the city focused on growth, p rosperity and livability. Six Guiding Principles form the final recommendations of the U CTF , each with S ub Principles to reinforce the ideas and suggest specific initiatives to reach the Guiding Principle goals. The first section discusses the formation and the mission of the UCTF and the mission statement development. The second section gets into specific i deas that support the overall mission in the framework of Six Guiding Principles. Each of these principles represents a separate overall character and direction for the city that the UCTF feels is critical to meet the goals of the mission statement and a q uality of life in Auburn by 2050. While some of the Guiding Principles are unique, others overlap and cross into many categories to reinforce their value. Images and maps to support the ideas that illustrate exercises and charette by the group are placed a longside the principles for more clarity. The final part of this report is a series of appendices that provide additional information including meeting agendas, photographs, presentations shown at meetings, and supporting documents that illustrate either p revious studies that need revisiting or examples of suggestions outlined in the Guiding Principles. Auburn Bicycle Task Force PowerPoint Report, November 2010: In March 2010, the Mayor convened the City of Auburn Bicycle Task Force to further develop and refine the City’s goals and policies for its bicycle transportation system. The Task Force was comprised of a broad cross Appendix B Page B -8 section of community members plus representatives from Auburn School District, Green River Community College and the Cascade Bicycle Club, that were requested to develop recommendations on bicycle facilities, issues and opportunities centered on the following three principles: Connections, Recreational Opportunities and Economic Development. The Task Force met a total of 14 times incl uding a three -hour community tour and a joint meeting with Auburn Tourism Board and Auburn Downtown Association. The Committee worked on a variety of issues including mapping of bicycle facilities and identification of bicycle related projects and prioriti es. On November 29, 2010, the Task Force’s recommendations were presented at an Auburn City Council Committee of the Whole meeting. The Task Force presented both short -term recommendations consisting of recommendations for pilot program road markings, sig nage, policy considerations, trail improvements and long - term recommendations consisting of construction of a bicycle/pedestrian bridge, intersection improvements, pilot program of further road markings, a crossing warning system, development of a bike map and promotion of bicycle related events. ENVIRONMENTAL REPORTS In addition to studies and plans identified above, there have been a series of environmen tal reports that were used in the development of various maps and reports identified above. Most of these reports are referenced in the Environmental Constraints and Opportunities report described above. In recent years several environmental impact statements were prepared and were available during the planning process as further back ground informat ion. These impact statements included: 1. Lakeland Hills 2. Auburn Downs 3. Auburn 400 4. Mountain View Terrace 5. Balgray Holdings 6. Green Meadows 7. Academy Area Water System Improvements 8. Surface Mining Operations (Lakeview) Reports and Studies Page B -9 9. London S quare 10. Mount Rainier Vista 11. Skyview 12. Proposed Groundwater Withdrawals (Wells 3 and 4) 13. Stuck River Estates 14. Auburn Way South Sanitary Sewer System. 15. City of Auburn. Final Environmental Impact Statement - City of Auburn Comprehen sive Plan: Staff Draft and Recommendations . May 1986. 16. City of Auburn. Final Determination of Non -Significance - Downtown Design Study . April 1990. 17. City of Auburn. Final Determination of Non -Significance - Comprehensive Storm Drainage Plan . Ma y 1990. 18. City of Auburn. Final Determination of Non -Significance - Comprehensive Plan Amendments on City Expansion and Urban Growth. July 1991. 19. City of Auburn. Final Environmental Impact Statement: Auburn North CBD Analysis. November 1991 . 20. City of Auburn. Final Determination of Non -Significance - Comprehensive Plan Amendments on Sensitive and Critical Lands. January 1992. Finally, a series of reports prepared by other agencies were used to assist in analyzing en vironmental conditions: 1. King County, Sensitive Areas Map Folio , March, 1980. 2. Dames & Moore, Report of Hydrogeologic Investigation, Coal Creek and West Hill Spring Systems , 1976. 3. Pool Engineering, Ground Water Supply Study , September 1982. 4. U.S. Army Corps o f Engineers, Inventory of Wetlands Green - Duwamish River Valley , August, 1981. Appendix B Page B -10 5. U.S. Soil Conservation Service, Soil Survey, King County Area , November 1973. 6. King County, King County Wetlands Inventory , January 1983. 7. Green River Basin Progr am, Mill Creek Basin Profile , (n.d.). 8. King County, A River of Green , (n.d.). 9. State of Washington Department of Natural Resources, Draft Aquatic Land Management Plan for the Duwamish/Green River , December 1981. 10. King County, Saving Farmland s and Open Space , July 1979. 11. U.S. Department of Interior, U.S. Wetlands Inventory, Auburn, Wash., July 1973. 12. King County Parks, Planning and Resources Department. Final Environmental Impact Statement: Soos Creek Community Plan Update . Decemb er 1991. 13. King County Parks, Planning and Resources Department. Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement: Countywide Planning Policies Proposed Amendments . May. 1994. 14. King County Parks, Planning and Resources Department. Supplemental E nvironmental Impact Statement: King County Comprehensive Plan . July 1994. 15. Pierce County, Department of Planning and Land Services. Proposed Lakeland Hills South Mining and Reclamation Plan and Planned Community Development: Final Environmental Im pact Statement . July 21, 1992. 16. Pierce County, Department of Planning and Land Services. Comprehensive Plan for Pierce County, Washington: Final EIS. September 20, 1993. 17. Pierce County, Department of Planning and Land Services. Final Suppl emental EIS for the Comprehensive Plan for Pierce County, Washington . June 1994. Reports and Studies Page B -11 18. Puget Sound Council of Governments. Final Environmental Impact Statement - Vision 2020: Growth Strategy and Transportation Plan for the Central Puget Sound Region . S eptember 1990.