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Home My WebLink About08-11-2008CITY OF R ?T V BUR WASHINGTON PLANNING & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE August 11, 2008 MINUTES CALL TO ORDER - 5:00 PM, COUNCIL CHAMBERS Chair Norman called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers located on the first floor of Auburn City Hall, 25 West Main Street, Auburn, WA. Committee members present were: Chair Lynn Norman, Vice Chair Nancy Backus, and Member Rich Wagner. Staff members present included: Director Cindy Baker, Principal Planner Elizabeth Chamberlain, Principal Planner Jeff Dixon, Senior Planner Al Hicks, Environmental Protection Manager Kelli McClain Aardal, City Engineer Dennis Selle, Assistant City Engineer Ingrid Gaub, Communications Manager Dana Hinman, Planner Angelique Moser and Senior Planner Karen Scharer. Audience members included: Valley Regional Fire Authority (VRFA) Fire Marshal Jeff Stottlemyre and Wayne Osborne. 11. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Member Backus moved to approve the minutes from the July 28, 2008 meeting as submitted, seconded by Member Wagner. Minutes approved unanimously 3-0. III. ACTION No action items IV. DISCUSSION A. Citizen Survey Results Communications Manager Dana Hinman introduced Stuart Elway of Elway Research. Mr. Elway answered the Committee's questions and clarified the methodology of the survey results. The trend data from previous surveys was blended with the current survey by developing a series of questions on the importance of a variable and then asking the same variable question with a different scale on how well the City was performing. There were questions about the quadrant analysis used to summarize survey results. There was discussion about the number of Pierce county residents polled. The plan is to take this year's survey results to establish questions for next year's survey with the potential of more direct questions. Committee was asked to forward, by December 15, 2008 to Planning Department any questions they want included in future surveys. Councilmember Norman asked that this be added to the Matrix. Planning and Community Development Committee Minutes August 11, 2008 B. Access Tracts Design Standards - 2 lot short plats Assistant City Engineer Ingrid Gaub provided a recap of previous committee discussions and reviewed the August 11 Residential In-Fill Development and City Infrastructure Requirements memo with the Committee. There was discussion about the third lot threshold triggering a 34-foot wide access and that this standard seemed too large based on the number of dwellings. There was discussion about the appropriate access tract width. The Fire Marshall noted that in order to have parking on one side the minimum width to accommodate this parking and a fire lane is 28 feet. Director Baker noted that the location of future rights-of-way (ROW) that would be extended as public streets are treated differently. Mr. Selle noted that staff seeks to ensure appropriateness of the requirements. Deviations approved by the City Engineer also may be requested. Often ROW dedication is required and only partial street construction. There are many factors considered. The policy guidance in the design standards could be updated. There was discussion about sidewalks needed. There was discussion that for accesses, pedestrian access could be accommodated by an at-grade path to the side of the drive aisle. Access Tracts/Easements The Committee supported the staff recommended changes as outlined in the memo. Half Street Requirements: Committee concurred with staff recommendations as outlined in the memo. Committee directed staff to bring this topic to the Public Works Committee for review on September 2, 2008. C. Residential Office Overlay - North of Hospital Principal Planner Elizabeth Chamberlain provided background information from the Auburn Downtown Plan, the City's Vision 2016 and shared examples from other jurisdictions. Incentives were discussed and it was noted that other jurisdictions tended to use allowable building height as an incentive. Auburn is limited to 75' building height by current zoning and due to proximity to the airport north of the hospital. There was discussion about the existing use and zoning maps presented and needed changes. Staff reported that this is a two-phase effort; first is zoning code text amendments to the RO zoning district. Changes will provide an overlay to the RO zone that would allow medical/dental clinic as distinguished from medical office. Another possible incentive is to adjust parking standards. Member Backus indicated that some adjustment may be appropriate but example in staff memo was too great. Committee discussed several options and noted that a balance is needed to ensure that one proposal to adjust parking does not adversely affect a nearby or subsequent land use proposal; push shortage to another area. Mayor suggested that more appropriate incentive could be traffic impact fees. He suggested a change could be made based on "sector" or category of land use. It would need to be taken back to committees for consideration and approval. Also, Page 2 Planning and Community Development Committee Minutes August 11, 2008 preference to address through traffic impact fees which are based on trip rates; there is a wide variation in trip rates for different types of medical uses. The Committee remarked that the existing Multicare medical facility on Cross Street was not identified as medical on the map. Staff stated that the map was prepared based on use and this facility is within a commercial zoning district and needs to be corrected. Ms. Chamberlain indicated that the survey for the map was prepared today and the map can be updated. Staff offered to refine the proposal and bring back to the committee. One possibility is to allow pharmacies in the Residential Office zoning district. Director Baker noted that the term should be health care district. There was discussion about not allowing hazardous waste facilities. D. Multifamily Tax Abatement Senior Planner Al Hicks distributed a Median Home Prices report from the Washington Center for Real Estate Research. He acknowledged a previous briefing to the committee on multifamily tax abatement based on recent changes to the state law. State legislation requires 3rd quarter previous year to determine high cost area. King County is 150% of the statewide median. Chair Norman and Member Backus shared that in Charleston, NC, affordable housing is included in every development project. The units may have fewer amenities; however, from the outside, the units looked exactly like the upscale units. The Committee asked if this would be possible in the State of Washington. The Committee discussed various options and situations where this might work in Auburn. Member Wagner asked to see the actual Multi-Family Tax Abatement RCW and asked if the above suggestion would be beneficial for downtown Auburn. Mr. Hicks reported that based on his conversation with the city attorney, the multifamily tax abatement as changed would generally not benefit Auburn. The Committee discussed the various options under the recent legislation. Staff recommends making changes to the existing Multi-family Tax Abatement ordinance to reflect changes required by the amended state legislation. Mayor asked that other incentives be researched. There was ensuing discussion about the building rehabilitation provisions. Committee directed staff to provide the RCW for review and follow-up discussion at the September 8, 2008 PCD Committee meeting. There was a question about if the program would be administrative or council decided upon adoption; it would be administrative. V. INFORMATION A. Director's Official Decisions and Report Director Baker introduced Environmental Protection Manager, Kelly McLain Aardal. Page 3 Planning and Community Development Committee Minutes August 11, 2008 B. PCDC Status Matrix Chair Norman reported that the matrix was reviewed with staff and a few items have been removed. Item #3. Member Wagner asked if the Committee wished to wait this long to revise storage containers code. Director Baker noted that completion of the code revisions may be affected by budget reductions. Mayor said monies are available for quasi judicial changes now and will go forward. Other code changes may be further out. It was noted that this may affect code changes for loading zones and PODs. Item #7. Committee asked that the investigation of a housing authority be deferred. Item #19. There was discussion about inviting tree board to meeting for purpose of clarifying roles. Item #25. It was suggested to have Transportation, Transit and Trails Committee attend a PCDC meeting Fall 2008. C. Information None VI. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business to come before the Planning and Community Development Committee, Chair Norman adjourned the meeting at 7:25 p.m. APPROVED THIS DAY OF % 1 Lynn No an, Chair Re Wee S. Tobias, Secretary Page 4