The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About01-03-2007* * ~'' ~TV F ~ ~~~1-1 \ WASHINGTON CITY OF AUBURN PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING Wednesday, January 3, 2007 --- 7:00 P.M. AUBURN CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS 25 WEST MAIN STREET MINUTES The regular meeting of the Auburn Planning Commission was held on Wednesday, January 3, 2007 at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers of Auburn City Hall. Those in attendance were as follows: MEMBERS PRESENT: Chair Judi Roland, Vice Chair Kevin Chapman, Peter Di Turi, Darci Bidman, Dave Peace and Joan Mason MEMBERS ABSENT: Renee Larsen STAFF PRESENT: Planning Director Michael Davolio, Community Development Administrator David Osaki, Development Services Coordinator Steve Pitcher, Senior Planner Elizabeth Chamberlain, Senior Planner Jeff Dixon and Planning Secretary Kirsten Reynolds. REGULAR MEETING CALL TO ORDER Chair Judi Roland called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. APPROVAL OF MINUTES The Commissioners reviewed the minutes from the December 5, 2006 meeting. ' Commissioner Di Turi moved to approve the minutes from December 5, 2006.Commissioner Bidman seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously 6-0. Chair Roland added that the minutes of the Planning Commission's December 18, 2006 meeting will be presented at the February 2007 meeting. PUBLIC COMMENT None PLANNING DEPARTMENT REPORT None PUBLIC HEARINGS None scheduled PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES January 3, 2007 OTHER BUSINESS • Development and Planning Activities Update Planning, Building and Community Director Michael Davolio thanked the Commissioners for their year of service. Davolio talked about the need to focus on development in the Downtown area and reported that staff is working with a few developers for future projects. Staff's priority is to focus more mixed use development in downtown. Staff reported on major projects, one of which will be renovating the old Auburn Avenue Act Theater. The first year efforts will be focused on enhancing wheelchair accessibility, wiring, heating and bathroom facility upgrades. Another project will be focused around the Annexations for West Hill and Lea Hill. The goal is to bring the annexations to the ballot in May; this will depend on the King County Boundary Review Board. Staff gave a variety of development updates happening with in the City. - New housing development near the city golf course. - A request for proposals (RFP) was issued to recruit a new Hearing Examiner; currently the contract is up on March 1St - A handout was given to the Commissioners listing residential projects with approximately 4,200 lots in the pipeline. There is no guarantee that all of the projects will happen in the next three to five years. Some that are moving forward are: o North Tapps Estates (likely to happen in the near future). o Kersey III is moving forward. o Lakeland Hills Estates, Lakeland East, Lakeland Area 8 and 9 are nearing an end. o The "I" Street NE corridor currently has had a lot of residential development activity. - The City is continuing to work with the owners of the Valley Drive In Theater on drafting of the development agreement. Recently, the Drive In Theater owners have expressed a willingness to advance this agreement. - Other major downtown commercial and industrial projects include: Project Ace, Washington Federal Bank, Cascade Orthopedic (new building), Auburn Regional Medical Center (ARMC) Cancer Center, ARMC parking garage and Stratford Development. - Commercial and industrial projects in other areas of the City include: Ellingson Crossing, 15th and Industry Drive SW, Super WalMart, Centioli Plaza, two Starbucks locations, Panatonni warehouse, Span-Alaska warehouse and the AMB warehouse. - There was discussion of the Auburn Way North and S. 277th Street area. Staff reported that an application came in for a gas station/car wash/convenience store at the corner. The site is zoned C-3 (Heavy Commercial) and part of the site is still in a floodplain. There also was discussion about adjacent vacant parcels also zoned C3 and in the floodplain. The relationship of floodplain to the Port's wetland mitigation construction was discussed. Community Development Administrator David Osaki talked to the Commission about the upcoming annexations of the Lea Hill area (totaling 10,500 residents) and the West Hill (totaling 4,500 residents). If the areas are successfully annexed into the Auburn City limits and because of recent changes in state law there will beaten-year period the city could receive a larger portion on the state sales tax to help finance the costs of annexation. In addition to these state tax funds, King County entered into an agreement with the City and will also contribute funds from its (County) annexation incentive fund). He indicated, in general, the intent is to pattern the land use designations within these annexation areas after the existing designations but with a few changes. One of the changes that would benefit residents in the Lea Hill area could be more commercial uses to serve the community. While still being researched, it appears the annexation vote needs to have the simple majority to pass. Discussion around when/if the south part of Pierce County was planned to be annexed and why it wasn't happening at the same time. Osaki indicated that these areas are incorporated in the City's Vision, but Auburn still needs to work with the Cities of Bonney Lake, Sumner and Pierce County regarding utility service PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES January 3, 2007 boundary issues. • 2007 Planning Commission Work Program Director Davolio recapped the Commission's work program handout. In the first quarter some activities included but were not limited to a Shoreline Master Program Update, "A" Street SE rezone/neighborhood public meeting, miscellaneous Code Amendments, update the Rules of Procedure, joint meeting with City Council or Council Committee. Starting in the second quarter there will be a complete overhaul of the zoning code and development regulations. In the third quarter there will be public hearings on the Comprehensive Plan and Development Regulation updates. Continuing in the fourth quarter staff will work with the Development Regulations and Comprehensive Plan Amendments. Davolio indicated that a major objective of the development code update will be to promote affordable housing within the City of Auburn. • Rules and Procedures Chair Roland lead the discussion through their current Rules and Procedures document. Staff was available to answer any questions. The Commission requested that throughout the document any gender specific wording to be gender neutral. Other changes ranged from when elections happen and the order of how business items are handled at meetings. Staff agreed to draft the revised Rules and Procedures document based on comments received tonight and re-submit to the Commission for review. • Election of Officers Commissioner Mason moved to keep the officers in the same positions as in 2006 (Commissioner Roland as Chair; Commissioner Chapman as Vice-Chair). Commissioner Bidman seconded the motion to keep the officers in the same position as in 2006. Motion passed to elect the same officers that are in office in 2006 6-0. • Other Business Director Davolio reported that on the Council's 2016 vision document, an excerpt of which was previously handed out, there were 49 mapped projects and 29 projects not shown. A grant was received for item 40 to landscape "A" Street SE, between "A" Street and the Burlington Northern property. Staff noted that this is a working document and items identified on the lists may come before the Commission in the future. It was also noted that the Mayor and the City Council are committed to implementing the Vision 2016 statement, including the Comprehensive Plan and zoning amendments that have recently been brought before the Commission. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, the Planning Commission adjourned at 9:21 p.m. 4