HomeMy WebLinkAboutITEM III-A
C1 -ry oF DRAFT
EJ ~ PLANNING 8~ COMMUNITY
]~~`C~ DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
WASH WG70N
NOVEMBER 23, 2009
MINUTES
1. CALL TO ORDER
Vice Chair Nancy Backus called the meeting to order at 5:01 p.m. in the Council
Chambers located on the first floor of Aubum City Hall, 25 West Main Street, Auburn,
WA. Committee members present were: Vice Chair Nancy Backus, Member Rich
Wagner and Deputy Mayor Sue Singer. Chair Lynn Norman was excused.
Staff members present included: Mayor Pete Lewis, Director Cindy Baker, Assistant
. Director Kevin Snyder, Principal Planner Elizabeth Chamberlain, Senior Planner Karen ,
Scharer, Public Works Director Dennis Dowdy, Traffic Engineer Pablo Para,
Transportation Planner Tiffin Goodman and Planning Secretary Renee Tobias.
Audience members present included: Hans Korve
II. ANNOUNCEMENTS AND AGENDA MODIFICATIONS
Discussion Item A- Ordinance No. 6278 - 2009 Budget Amendment #3 has been
removed from the agenda.
IIL CONSENT AGENDA
A. Minutes - November 9, 2009
Member Wagner moved and Member Singer seconded to approve the minutes, with
the following amendment to Page 4, Paragraph 4.
Committee agreed that Council acted in good faith and did so with the
idea that they were trying to save as much property for the landowner as
possible while still protecting critical areas.
MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY 3-0
IV. ACTION
A. Ordinance No. 6282 - Current Use Assessment Tax Program
The Washington State Open Space Taxation Act allows property owners to have
their open space valued by the County Assessor at its current use rather than valued
at the highest and best use. At the March 23, 2009 Committee meeting, Senior
Planner Karen Scharer introduced the state law and processes for review of such
requests for properties located both within the City of Auburn and within Pierce
County. City Council members are appointed to the Joirit Determining Authority
(JDA), which holds hearings and acts on open space taxation applications.
Ordinance No. 6232, approved by Council on April 20, 2009, was limited to
applications acted upon prior to December 31, 2009.
Planning and Community Development Committee Minutes November 23, 2009
Senior Planner Karen Scharer distributed an updated ordinance that Legal had
revised. The main changes to the original ordinance include elimination of the
sunset clause for the appointment of inembers to the Joint Determining Authority
(JDA) and for acting on applications that are currently in process. Further, the new
ordinance adopts Pierce County's Public Benefits Rating System to determine value
reduction and current use assessment.
In response to Committee's question, Ms. Scharer stated that a sunset clause was
initially placed in the ordinance to allow staff time to determine if the City wanted to
utilize the program and the fact that an application hadn't been processed by the City
in over 13 years. The familiarity with the program was minimal when this first came
before the Committee. Staff has since had some interface with Pierce County staff
and has a better feel for the program. Ms. Scharer confirmed that this will not be an
annual update process.
Committee discussed the property tax reduction and the costs associated with an
application.
Committee discussed the Pierce County Public Benefit Rating System table and
noted that the "Tracts that provide linkage and access to said open space areas" was
confusing. Staff will research and report back to Committee.
Committee discussed looking at adding another sunset clause while staff and
Committee look into this program more in-depth. To ensure that there are three
separate council members on the JDA, Committee requested that the Vice Chairs be
added as alternates to the JDA. Committee requested that this item be brought back
at the December 14, 2009 meeting, including the RCW 84.34, and have Legal
available to answer Committee's questions.
B. Ordinance No. 6280 - 2009 Comprehensive Plan Amendments
Principal Planner Elizabeth Chamberlain provided an overview of the materials to be
referenced, most of which were included in the agenda packet.
The City received a comment letter on the 2009 Comprehensive Plan Amendments
from the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) which was
distributed to the Committee. Transportation Planner Tiffin Goodman then
. distributed a memo summarizing WSDOT's comments and staff response for the
committee's consideration. Ms. Goodman provided highlights from both documents.
Committee discussed WSDOT's response that the city should not assume that the
state is responsible for building the SR 164/SR 18 bypass. The Committee and .
Mayor crafted a response back to WSDOT indicating that the Muckleshoot Tribe
Party Agreement indicates clearly what the state's role would be in this project. Staff
was also given additional information to respond to WSDOT regarding the SR 18 at
SR 167 Ramp Completion
Councilmember Wagner asked staff to have the Public Works Committee review the
Average Capacity Ratio methodology for a clearer understanding for future plans.
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Planning and Gommunity Development Committee Minutes November 23, 2009
At the recent Public Works Committee meeting, staff was asked to draft a general
statement that would be added to the Utility Comprehensive Plans. Ms. Chamberlain
distributed this statement, noting that the drafted language had been reviewed and
approved by legal. Committee agreed with the proposed language and asked that a
reference be made to it in several places within the utility comprehensive plans as
well as the Capital Facilities Plan.
Ms. Chamberlain distributed an updated page 4 for Ordinance No. 6280 correcting a
scrivener error
Staff brought the Committee's attention to the privately-initiated plan amendment
CPM #6 - Craig Commercial, should the committee have any specific questions as
the applicant was in the audience. The applicant has requested to change the
property from High Density Residential to Heavy Commercial to achieve higher
density. Staff supports higher density in that location but does not feel that Heavy
Commercial is the way to achieve this. The applicant concurred with the Planning
Commission's recommendation that a rezone condition be placed on the property in
that it would be developed only as multifamily. Staff noted that this CPM was
reviewed by PCDC on October 26, 2009 and the Committee concurred with staff but
was willing to let this move forward as long as there was a condition placed on it.
The applicant's agent, Hans Korve, was in the audience; Committee asked if he
_ wished to make any comments. Hans Korve, DMP Enqineerinq, Inc. 726 Auburn Way N. Auburn, WA 98002
Mr. Korve told the Committee that everything that staff has said his client is in
agreement with the condition placed on the property and appreciates the Planning
Commission's faith in them. The preliminary engineering for the 9-unit complex has
begun. Mr. Korve appreciated staff's assistance and going the extra mile to make
this project happen. Committee asked staff to provide the highlights on the privately-initiated plan
amendment CPM #5 - Lyden and Lyden, located at 800 C Street NW requesting a
change from Light Commercial to Light Industrial. Staff stated_that three years ago,
Council approved changing the Light Industrial zoning of a neighboring property to
Light Commercial. Staff recommended denial of this request for several reasons.
The property is currently in the North Auburn Business Plan Area, the future A/B
Corridor will be this property's frontage in the next few years, and the Economic
Development Strategies document, which was adopted in 2005, designated this area
as a future extension of downtown with the connection of the A/B Corridor.
At the October 6, 2009 Planning Commission public hearing, the applicant testified
and the Commission concurred that the property today is isolated with wetlands.
Planning Commission recommended approval of the amendment in a vote of 7-1.
Staff confirmed that the Planning Commission received the same information that is
before the committee today. When this was reviewed by PCD Committee on
October 26, 2009, the committee agreed with staff.
Staff stated that the items for consideration before the Committee are the draft
ordinance, the post memo that staff presented and WSDOT comments; staff has
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Planning and Community Development Committee Minutes November 23, 2009
received direction on how to address the Utility Plans and Comprehensive
Transportation. Plan.
Member Wa9ner moved and Member Sin9er seconded to forward ordinance No.
6280 - 2009 Comprehensive Plan Amendments on to City Council for approval.
MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY 3-0
V. DISCUSSION
A. Update on Green River Flood Preparation ' Public Works Director Dennis Dowdy distributed a written update on the Green River
flooding preparation and reviewed the status of each project. All levee work is over
80% completed. Staff also completed walking the levee to identify areas of existing
conditions of note for reference by the levee patrols.
The Hesco line across the West Port property is complete and work on the
Supersacks to tie into the end of the existing levee has begun. The wall through
RPG has been realigned due to extremely soft soils; this was coordinated with the
RPG's on-site representative. Hescos on 277`h are in place and all barrier placement
work will be done at night work due to the traffic. Staff met with the King County staff
to discuss their plan for the east side of the river near the 102"d Street area. This
work will start on November 30, 2009 and all materials are on hand.
Mr. Dowdy reported that if the City were to have a flood tonight, the City would be dry
in most places; it would take a substantial event to reach the heights that the levee
is currently built. Some holes have been purposefully left in areas for people to get
through so the river is not completely cut off. A notice will be going out to residents
along the levee asking for their assistance in keeping people off of the levee walls.
The city is investigating partnering with the City of Kent to create signage for the
levees.
Mayor Lewis and Mr. Dowdy confirmed that State Insurance Commissioner has
issued a statement telling insurers not to use a common policy exclusion for
"governmental actions" to deny claims if water releases from the Howard Hanson
Dam flood parts of the Green River Valley.
Other preparations include city staff receiving training by the Army Corps of
Engineers for levee patrols; agreements are in place.with Emerald Downs and
Segale for free fenced-in storage areas, establishing staff plans for flood fight and
other simultaneous winter responses by the M&O staff and agreements for
emergency facilities generators.
B. Proposed Updates to the 2010-2015 Transportation Improvement Plan
This resolution of the City Council approving the 2010-2015 Transportation
Improvement Program pursuant to RCW Chapter 35.77. RCW 35.77.010 requires
that the legislative body of each city prepare and adopt a Comprehensive
Transportation Improvement Program (tip) for the ensuing six years, but only after
conducting a public hearing. The public hearing will be held on December 7, 2009 in
the City Hall at 7:30 p.m.
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Planning and Community Development Committee Minutes November 23, 2009
Traffic Engineer Pablo Para stated that this year's update had significant formatting
revisions which the committee found much easier to read. Updates included
comments received at committee meetings and from the public hearings during the
Transportation Comprehensive Plan meetings.
Mr. Para answered committee's question regarding negative figures in the
Transportation Fund Balances, noting that this is a planning document. In order to
receive grant funds, the projects must be in the TIP. Projects are required to be fully
funded for the first three years and staff is looking for grants and other funds for the
remaining years.
C. Ordinance No. 6279 - School Impact Fees
Title 19 (Impact Fees) of the Auburn City Code contains.standards and regulations
pertaining to the imposition of impact fees in the City of Auburn. Chapter 19.02
(School Impact Fees) addresses the establishment, calculation, collection and
, amendment of school impact.fees within the municipal boundaries of the City of ,
Auburn.
In past years, the Auburn City Council has reduced the proposed school impact fees
for the Dieringer School District to be more consistent with the other Districts. During
the September 9, 2009 public hearing, the Planning Commission recommended that
the Auburn City Council consider reducing the school impact fees for the Dieringer
School District, but did not identify specific amounts. The Committee discussed
Dieringer's requested proposed fees.
Committee asked staff to research the proposed 2010 Pierce County School Impact
Fees and the amount of fees collected by the City of Auburn in 2009 for the Dieringer
School District.
D. PCDC Matrix
Committee reviewed the matrix and provided fhe following changes and/or feedback.
• Item #4 - Urban Center. Change reconvene date to January 2010
• Item #4 - Healthcare District Overlay. Include in update letter information about
the D Street neighborhood parking permit and the potential for the same in their
neighborhood.
• Item #6 - Existing historic structures. Change priority to medium
VI. ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business to come before the Planning and Community
Development Committee; Vice Chair Backus adjourned the meeting at 6:43 p.m.
~
APPROVED THIS DAY OF
Nancy Backus, Vice Chair Renee S. Tobias, Planning Secretary
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