HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-21-2003 Item III-BMINUTES OF PLANNING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE APRIL 14, 2003
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The regular meeting of the Planning and Community Development Committee was held April 14, 2003 in
the Council Chambers. Those members in attendance were as follows:
MEMBERS PRESENT: Trish Borden, Sue Singer and Stacey Brothers
STAFF PRESENT: Paul Krauss, Daryl Faber, Dan Scamporlina, David Osaki, Jeff Dixon, Shirley
Aird, Bill Mandeville, Dennis Dowdy, Larry Dahl, and Patti Zook
The meeting was called to order by Committee Chair Borden at 5:00 p.m.
PUBLIC HEARING:
1. WSC03-0003 — Dennis Johnson
Planner Aird presented the staff report. The applicant is requesting water and sewer availability
certificates for 13 lot single family subdivision on 3 acres. The project is located east of 118th Avenue SE
on the north side of NE 304th Street. The applicant is requesting two modifications to City standards. The
first modification was related to access tracts, but the modification was not necessary since the City
recently amended the Land Division Ordinance related to access tracts. The second modification is
related to landscape strip between the curb and sidewalk on only one side of the internal street. Public
Works Department reviewed the application and modification request and determined that standards
have been met. Staff recommends approval with 10 conditions.
Chair Borden opened the public hearing. There was no public testimony. Councilmember Singer made a
motion, seconded by Councilmember Brothers, to close the public hearing. Chair Borden concurred.
Councilmember Singer made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Brothers, to recommend approval.
Chair Borden concurred.
ACTION:
1. Approval of Minutes of March 26, 2003 Meeting
Councilmember Singer made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Brothers, to recommend approval.
Chair Borden concurred.
2. Resolution No. 3593 — Green River Community College Agreement related to Lea Hill Park
Maintenance
Parks Director Faber presented the staff report. Councilmember Singer made a motion, seconded by
Councilmember Brothers, to recommend approval. Chair Borden concurred.
3. Final Pay Estimate #1 — Game Farm Park Shop Expansion
Parks Director Faber presented the staff report. Councilmember Singer made a motion, seconded by
Councilmember Brothers, to recommend approval. Chair Borden concurred.
DISCUSSION:
1. Consolidated Annual Performance & Evaluation Report (CAPER)
Planner Aird mentioned that this document is the City's annual performance report for HUD. The tables
were revised. The different reporting requirements are finally catching up with the program change done
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a few years ago. She will present a more extensive staff report for City Council, and provide information
on the number of people served.
Councilmember Singer referred to page 5, which talks about providing health care, and wondered if staff
is aware of the dental van. Planner Aird replied yes. The dental van staff coordinates with Community
Health and goes to schools and churches. Communities are losing dental care money and this is a major
health issue for residents and the communities.
Councilmember Singer referred to page 6, related to park planning, which needs to be updated. Planner
Aird replied that this omission was a cut and paste error when completing the document and will be
corrected.
Planning and Community Development Director Krauss remarked that the Mayor is very active in
cleaning up properties, and behind the scenes much work is going on. A new ordinance to change the
business registration process is going to City Council. This ordinance will require license for multi -family
units and they could face loss of license for failure to maintain apartments in habitable condition.
Councilmember Singer referred to page 6 related to walkable neighborhoods and likes this component.
Councilmember Singer referred to page 8 related to the PUD ordinance and wondered if this had been
adopted and Planning and Community Development Director Krauss replied yes. Planner Aird said that
she will add that this task has been completed.
Planning and Community Development Director Krauss announced for clarification purposes so that as
Council is aware, the City has acquired properties adjacent to the police block for parking expansion.
The City has signed purchase offers on two of the properties and the third is almost complete. The City
has received a request for relocation funds from a tenant. The tenant searched to see where the City is
obligated to provide this assistance. The relocation assistance mentioned in CAPER is when using
Federal funds. The City's current purpose does not involve any Federal money. The property owner will
allow the lease to run out.
Councilmember Singer referred to page 8 related to infill and wondered what the City is doing to help with
a project or grant to study. Planning and Community Development Director Krauss spoke about a
potential infill development that would not be low income.
Planner Aird spoke about considerable staff time devoted to analysis of fair housing. This could be part
of housing plan update. Auburn could possibly work on this with the City of Kent as this is a regional
issue.
Planning and Community Development Director Krauss spoke about the 10 year effort under GMA to
remove impediments and the City responded by allowing accessory dwelling units also known as mother-
in-law apartments.
2. Native Plants
Chair Borden requested that the City look at its policies and have a discussion about the topic.
Community Development Administrator Osaki referred to the memorandum in the packet which identifies
existing policies. He spoke about Zoning Code regulations. Staff identified how other cities address the
issue. He reviewed four strategies to encourage use of native plantings. Planner Dixon said it is
important to make sure prescribed species are available.
Chair Borden referred to City of University Place's policies which give specific suggestions for certain
areas. She is interested in maintenance requirement because Auburn has had to take over maintenance
and often what is planted there requires too much maintenance. Parks Director Faber mentioned that the
City has cleaned up many areas and there is a problem with some areas that are not being irrigated.
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Councilmember Singer spoke of the need to provide public information and develop water conservation
efforts. Chair Borden spoke of the consultant who worked with water conservation. She agrees that an
education component is important.
Chair Borden commented that in reviewing the information, there is a lot of material, but it is scattered
throughout the policies and it is not apparent that we have a clear policy. The way that native plants are
referred to varies in the documents. There is not a lot of cohesiveness. Everyone should be able to
understand and grasp whether they are in Planning, Parks, or Public Works. She is also interested in the
way City treats storm drainage.
Councilmember Singer spoke about the upcoming major Comprehensive Plan update. Community
Development Administrator Osaki said that in revising Comprehensive Plan this year could include more
specific policies.
Planner Dixon commented that the Zoning Code does not have language to encourage native vegetation.
He spoke of need to clarify Comprehensive Plan policies and to modify the Zoning Code to encourage
the use of native materials. The City has to negotiate what it is trying to achieve and there is no real
handle to promote or encourage native plantings. He believes there is enough policy guidance to work
on the Zoning Code modifications.
Councilmember Singer spoke about staff reporting on development of storm water detention facilities.
Parks Director Faber said that Parks Development Manager Scamporlina is doing some landscaping for
ponds and he is a good resource for the City and has become a consultant with Public Works on the
redesign of ponds.
Parks Development Manager Scamporlina said that the City is inheriting ponds from developers and is
looking at adding native vegetation to cool the ponds because the ponds do not circulate fast enough. All
ponds are different and unique. He likes the educational component. The ponds could be mini parks.
Planner Dixon spoke about the three regulatory controls: the Zoning Code deals with landscaping on
street frontage and parking lot; developer design manual regulates private storm drains on plats or
development; construction specifications for ponds has its own standards for materials.
Chair Borden wanted staff and Committee to think what would be feasible in terms of educating the
general public and continue discussion at another Committee meeting. She wants to hear more about
ponds and also talk about technology and where changes might fit into other things the City is doing like
Tree City USA designation.
3. Nathan Loop Stairs
Planner Mandeville provided background on this topic and spoke about the notices mailed out to
residents and meeting held to solicit opinions. He described the options of Plan A, Plan B or Plan C. He
spoke about the results of the survey. Tim Dooley had a number of concerns which are detailed in the
staff memorandum as Items 1, 2, and 3.
Planner Dixon provided information on the sequence of events leading up to this situation. At the time of
plat application, the subdivision code required pedestrian access. After preliminary plat approval, the
subdivision code was amended to provide pedestrian access without specific standards. The final plat
was approved and said pedestrian access.
Tim Dooley, 5502 Highland Drive SE, lives in the area and was one of the originators of the original
petition in 1998 regarding the plat walkways.
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Construction Manager Dahl spoke of the option of eliminating the stairs. In hindsight in the review
process, Tract A area could have been expanded to allow switch back pathway. When the grading plans
came in, this should have been addressed, however no restrictions were indicated. The drawing for the
stairs was based on the standard for most steps in residential areas and there was no accommodation for
larger tread or lower height of the stairs. The slope from top -bottom is 21%; now as graded out it is
steeper on the back side. On the lower 83 feet is a 6% to 7% slope to the sidewalk. There is 23 feet of
steeper slope and it is necessary to have stairs in this area. It is impossible to eliminate all the steps. He
spoke of encumbrances in the area and problem with creating a `tunnel' effect. He spoke about the utility
easement.
Mr. Dooley expressed frustration that proper planning was not in place because he thought the pathway
was a done deal and now it is not. In the past, developer asked for a variance because he did not want
to put in the path. Developer said it would be too dark, too steep, required light and would be a haven for
drugs. Input asked for is out of sync with his memory of events five years ago. There is the requirement
for neighborhoods to connect. He always thought Tract A was going to be finished and Tract B would be
finished also. He has seen other sidewalks that are steeper than these. The pathway should have been
40 to 50 feet wide with switch backs which would have been very nice.
Construction Manager Dahl said it will cost $30,000 to fix the stairs to City standards, $17,000 to take out
the stairs, and $4,00045,000 to finish up Tract C. The City is now dealing with is not the same developer
who requested the variance. The new developer bought a finished product and the development is ready
to go. That developer installed the stairs late in the project.
Chair Borden inquired how the project ended up with the stairs. The question is what can be done? Why
are stairs such a problem? Construction Manager Dahl said the developer spent their money hiring a
contractor, forms were set, had a problem with inadequate staffing on the development project. He
mentioned the Terrace View sidewalks off 15th Street which are steeper. All are concerned about
aesthetics/appearance of the 12 foot stairs with elevated walls and the tunnel effect, with fences along
property lines for the individual lots. He explained fencing requirements to Mr. Dooley.
Mr. Dooley said he does not want to be on the path and looking into people's yards. He does not like the
fence along the pathway. In this circumstance he does not want the stairs. Skateboards and stairs do
not mix. Construction Manager Dahl said the developer wants prices for reconstructing the stairs. The
developer offered to Parks amenities in the immediate area; amenities are beneficial. Councilmember
Singer wondered about taking the stairs out and putting in pathway. Construction Manager Dahl said if
the stairs had been built to our standards, they would have been acceptable, and would have been
accepted as built, and all would have moved on. However, the stairs are inferior.
Councilmember Brothers suggested that developer cap the stairs as Construction Manager Dahl has
suggested. It were all path it would be treacherous.
Parks Director Faber commented that possibly on the lower section the developer could buy 40 feet on
each side of the lower portion, then serpentine through the woods. The stairs are not a bad idea for a
portion of pathway.
Chair Borden remembers this issue well because not having the trail was a violation. Significant number
of citizens wanted the trail. It is clear that no creativity occurred in designing the trail. She voted for the
trail and hates to lose the connection between neighborhoods.
In response to Councilmember Brothers' questions, Public Works Director Dowdy said that utility division
needed access to the manholes which is why the path was paved down to a point. Construction Manager
Dahl said that staff will sit down with the developer and indicate what the City is looking for. He is
concerned about putting City at risk financially because City approved the plans. Public Works Director
Dowdy commented that relandscaping with native growth will be expensive because special equipment is
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needed and he doubts the developer will go for this idea because he does not get any additional lots.
Once the City approved the plat, the developer has certain rights. If the City asks developer to replat and
create path, we do not have the right to ask him to do this. City can negotiate the staircase be done right
or developer work with couple proposed options.
Mr. Dooley suggested that developer could go to the homeowners association, explain the scenario, and
have them assist. The City in partnership with developer and association could afford to do pathway the
best way, not the cheapest. Councilmember Singer stressed that the pathway is not high on City's
priority list and is not in the Park Plan either.
Councilmember Brothers mentioned that pathway could be re -engineered, but this would be an
expensive and long process. He likes idea of making trail as safe as possible. He likes the
connectiveness between neighborhoods. He suggested that upper and lower portions be resurfaced and
the stairs capped. In other words, keep the status quo.
Mr. Dooley believes the lower section is appropriate for stairs because it is steep, for the upper portion,
he wants further study. Chair Borden said that the City looked at what people in the neighborhood
thought they wanted. She spoke of importance of connecting neighborhoods and having a direct route.
She confirmed that this topic will be discussed again at another Committee meeting. Councilmember
Singer believes that the stairs if built right would not be a problem. Mr. Dooley wants connecting
neighborhoods. It is obvious that the stairs are needed, the question is the width of the stairs, and
obvious concerns about the cost.
Chair Borden believes that at this point there is no clear direction. Planner Mandeville believes there are
several separate issues involved.
Public Works Director Dowdy remarked about going back to the developer, and if plat amendment, make
an action item for Council. If reworking the existing requirements, this would not require Council action,
just guidance. Anything other than the status quo would require a plat amendment. At plat level, the
developer should have been required to show the design of the trail so that staff could determine that it
would not work. This was an error on the City's part by not requiring it back then. The options proposed
are a way to look at how to resolve now.
Chair Borden suggested that the developer fix the stairs to City standards, or remove the lower stairs and
use the money saved to develop a path in the utility easement, or eliminate the lower stairs and place this
money into utility easement and improve the native vegetation. There are three feasible options at this
point.
The Committee agreed that there needs to be a consensus for any of the three options. The matter will
come back to the Committee for further discussion. The Committee will also talk to other Council
members about this matter.
INFORMATION:
1. Correspondence to Kina Countv Historic Preservation Proaram in Support of Grant Reauest
No discussion occurred on this item.
ADJOURNMENT:
With no further items to come before the Committee, the meeting was adjourned at 7:15 p.m.
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