HomeMy WebLinkAboutITEM II-ADRAFT
DOWNTOWN REDEVELOPMENT
COMMITTEE
JANUARY 26, 2010
MINUTES
CALL TO ORDER - 4:00 PM, COUNCIL CHAMBERS
Chair Lynn Norman called the meeting to order at 4:02 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 and Vice Chair Sue Singer,
Member Nancy Backus was excused.
Staff present included: Interim Director Kevin Snyder, Principal Planner Elizabeth
Chamberlain, City Engineer Dennis Selle, Assistant City Engineer Ingrid Gaub, and
Planning Secretary Renee Tobias.
Audience Members present were: Spencer Alpert, Mel Maertz, Kathleen Keator, Gail
Spurrell, Val Erickson, and Jack Saelid.
II. CONSENT AGENDA
A. Meeting Minutes - December 8, 2009
Vice Chair Singer moved to accept the minutes with the following corrections. Chair
Norman concurred.
Page 2, sentence to read: Ms. Gaub noted that diverting the traffic to Auburn
Way and C Street from the A Street corridor would not have significant reduction
in traffic flow.
Page 3, sentence to read: Mel Maertz reported that at Friday's meeting, the
group discussed allowing some flexibility on securing retail space if the central
plaza is developed in the northeast block of Auburn Junction.
MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY 2-0
III. DISCUSSION/INFORMATION
A. Downtown Urban Center Design Standards
The Downtown Urban Center Design Standards were originally adopted as part of
the Downtown Urban Center (DUC) zone by the City Council February 2007.
Subsequent amendments have been made to the standards to address the two
projects nearing completion, the One Main Building and Medical Office
Building/Parking Garage.
Now that these two projects have been constructed under the current Downtown
Urban Center Design Standards, the Committee and staff discussed what elements
of the existing standards worked with the two projects and what elements did not
work and should be revised. Staff presented aerial photographs of the One Main
Downtown Redevelopment Committee Minutes January 26, 2010
Building and architect drawings of the Medical Office Building for the Committee's
review.
All Development Guidelines - Building Design
Item 3 - Screenina of Trash/Services Areas
Intent: Screen trash storage, loading and service areas from public view
The Committee questioned the visible trash storage area and the blank walls on the
east side of One Main Street building. Trash enclosures require screening by a
masonry wall and landscaping.
Staff responded that the blank walls have been addressed with the developer. They
will post a financial guarantee to finish the walls to meet the City's standards. The
developer will re-grade the current Key Bank parking lot in order to slope the water
away from the building; the walls will be finished after this.
Staff confirmed that existing surface parking lots in the downtown area may remain.
Should the current Key Bank building be demolished, said property cannot be turned
into a parking lot as the code does not permit surface parking lots adjacent to
pedestrian streets.
Item 8 - Rooftop Equipment Requirements and Screening
Intent: Screen rooftop mechanical and communications equipment from the ground
level of nearby streets and residential areas.
The Committee reviewed the aerial photographs of the One Main Building and noted
that the rooftop equipment is screened with what appears to be a fence. This is not
an acceptable method of screening per the DUC Zone Design Standards.
Staff stated that their interpretation was that it is not really a fence and staff saw this
as an extension of the building. Staff worked with the developer to create something
that would work with the design of the building and find ways to balance it with the
design standards. Staff agreed that this was obviously something that probably
hasn't worked.
Staff will define "fence" and re-work the wording in this section.
Adjacent to Pedestrian Streets - Building Design
Item 3 - Ground Level Transparency
Intent: Provide a visual connection between activities inside and outside of buildings.
The Committee commented that the windows of a business facing Division Street,
which is a Pedestrian I Street, are blocked by furniture on the north side of the One
Main Building. Because of this, the windows sweat and again, does not meet the
intent of this section.
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Downtown Redevelopment Committee Minutes January 26, 2010
Principal Planner Elizabeth Chamberlain responded that staff would have a talk with
the business to resolve the issue. Further, Ms. Chamberlain stated that that Plans
Examiners review the plans for building code requirements. Ms. Chamberlain added
that planning staff will ensure that they are not missing floor plan reviews on future
tenant improvement permits.
Item 4C - Ground Signs (Internally Lit Signs)
Per the DUC Zone Design Standards, internally-lit signs are prohibited except when
located adjacent and oriented to Auburn Way North/Auburn Way south street
frontages.
The Committee made recommendations at their October 13, 2009 meeting on how
this section should be worded based on the then current downtown projects. Staff
confirmed that no changes will be made to the electronic sign section of this item and
that cabinet and pole signs are prohibited. The next step is to make the changes to
the Design Standards and then take to the Planning & Community Development
Committee for approve.
All Development Guidelines - Site Design
Item 4 - Public Plazas
Intent: ensure public plazas are readily accessible for use and offer a pleasant
environment.
Ms. Chamberlain stated that the hospital considered adding a plaza at the corner of
Division and 1St Street (east side of the Medical Office Building), but later
reconsidered due to the costs. The area now contains landscape, including plants
and grass right up to the building. Ms. Chamberlain questioned whether the Design
Standards were sufficient so that staff could require the projectl to create a plaza in
this area. Ms. Chamberlain asked the Committee for their intent on public plazas for
downtown projects and if the language should be stronger that plazas are mandatory
or an option.
Committee discussed and decided that a definition for plaza should be included in
the Design Standards. Further, the Committee did not have a problem with a green
space being considered a plaza. Committee confirmed that a plaza is not a
requirement; however, should the developer opt to create a plaza, the Design
Standards will need to be clear on the requirements.
Pedestrian Street - Site Design
Page 13 - Land Use
Intent: Ensure a rich, uninterrupted mixture of lively activities aimed at people on
foot.
Along Pedestrian I Streets, ground floor uses that face the sidewalk shall be retail,
restaurant or personal service uses. Along Pedestrian II Streets, ground floor office
and residential uses are also acceptable when facing the sidewalk.
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Downtown Redevelopment Committee Minutes January 26, 2010
Realizing that with the changing market, getting retail uses on all of the pedestrian
streets may not be feasible. Staff stated they met with the Alpert team before this
meeting and talked about what would be the change in market factors for the next
couple of years. Staff asked if the Committee was open to discussing and identifying
the crucial streets required to have retail use. Vice Chair Singer stated her
preference would tend to be stricter in the Promenade area for restaurants and the
kinds of services that need the wider sidewalks as a means to draw the people to
downtown. Committee expressed an interest in learning the statistics of what would
be a reasonable expectation for mixed uses for older small downtowns. Staff will
research and bring the information back to Committee.
B. Other Discussion and Follow-Up
Sidewalks
Staff confirmed for the Committee that the sidewalk standards currently in place are
for brick corners, with 2x2 scored concrete and 10 foot widths. The brick band
requirement was removed from the standards.
Staff noted that on the hospital project, the street lights were placed in the middle of
the sidewalk, which is what the standard indicates. Ms. Chamberlain stated that staff
would like to change the sidewalk standards to reflect that street lights should be
closer to the curb. Staff will add the sidewalk standards for discussion at a future
meeting.
Required building height and step backs
Committee briefly discussed whether the standards should be changed to reflect the
Mayors' Institute on City Design recommendation of a maximum of two story and
required step backs for buildings on Main Street. Staff will work with the Alpert
Team to develop a white paper demonstrating what some of the change market
factors would be and what will pencil out. Committee reiterated that they do not want
a canyon effect on Main Street.
Canopies and Awnings
Staff reported that the drainage systems on the canopies and awnings for the One
Main Building are working as designed.
Incentivize Residential Development
Ms. Chamberlain and Chair Norman recently attended Puget Sound Regional
Council meeting where the City of Bellevue presented the status of their regional
growth center. Chair Norman shared an example of Bellevue's "out of the box" trade
off with one major company that brought them to locate in Bellevue. Ms.
Chamberlain stated that residential in downtown Bellevue increased due to
Bellevue's having an incentive for residential development and then the market took
over. While the City of Auburn somewhat incentivizes residential development with
additional floor area, Ms. Chamberlain asked if the Committee would be willing to
look at other ways to build in more incentives or possible tradeoffs that might entice
developers to the downtown core area. The Committee is open to having this
discussion.
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Downtown Redevelopment Committee Minutes January 26, 2010
Parking in Downtown
Staff asked Committee if they would be amenable to allowing the market to dictate
the parking needed for a particular project, which would mean not having a parking
requirement in the DUC Zone. This could be an incentive for a residential developer
to take advantage of the commuter rail station and limit the amount of required
tenant parking. Staff confirmed for the Committee that there was a pilot project for
an incentive to provide fewer parking stalls if the developer provided Smart Cars or
charging stations for electrical vehicles.
Committee expressed concern that on prior projects, it was assumed that senior
housing needed less parking. It was felt that the parking was not adequate for
visitors and employees of the senior housing. Interim Director Kevin Snyder
responded that senior housing projects usually have federal/state funding and, as
such, capital is spent on the building rather than parking.
Committee agreed that reducing parking and encouraging mass transit is what the
federal and state governments are pushing municipalities towards. However, the
concern is with the gap between where the City is now and getting to where the City
will need to be eventually. Committee agreed that they did not want to make any
parking decisions that would discourage citizens from coming to the downtown area.
Staff suggested looking at an incentive based approach initially. Then build caveats
that should a developer provide parking, it would have to be done in a way that
doesn't negatively impact the downtown.
Staff will bring some ides to a future meeting on how the proposed parking might
work.
Bicycle Routes
Vice Chair Singer asked staff for the reasoning for removing parking on the south
side of the parking garage (1St Street NW) while there is parking a block east on the
south side of the hospital. Staff indicated that the parking on the south side of the
hospital was not part of redevelopment of One Main Street. Building and therefore
was not removed. Ultimately the City would like to have bike facilities from City Hall
to Auburn Way and maybe further on. Right now, the City does not have sufficient
width in the right-of-way for a bicycle route plus on-street parking because of the
northwest corner of Auburn Avenue and 1St Street, which is the southeast corner of
the hospital block. The City would like to see this intersection redeveloped, widened
and made straight. Development by the hospital or other downtown developer may
generate some opportunities to do this and it is on the Public Works' list. Once this
is completed, the road would be able to accommodate Class 2 bicycle corridors.
Committee asked that staff find out what the options are and bring back to a future
committee meeting.
Traffic Study - A Street SE
Staff will provide the Committee with an update on the traffic analysis at the February
8, 2010 meeting.
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Downtown Redevelopment Committee Minutes January 26, 2010
Lighting
Staff has been working on with the Kim Lighting Company to have a sample light that
Committee previously chose installed for Committee's review. Staff has also been
communicating with Kim Lighting Company about what fixtures they offer for energy-
efficient lighting that would work with the chosen light.
Control Boxes
At the October 27, 2009 meeting, the Committee supported staff's recommendation
to establish standards for traffic signal control boxes in the downtown area. The
Committee volunteered to research the Internet and forward information to staff.
Public Works staff will provide the Committee with the specs in terms of the required
sizes and space and other particulars needed for the control boxes to assist in their
research. Staff will add this topic to the February 8, 2010 agenda.
Community Renewal
Vice Chair Singer reported on a recent article in the Tacoma News Tribune
newspaper regarding condemnation of private property for economic development.
Attorney General Rob McKenna and a group of Washington lawmakers want to
tighten the state's eminent domain laws to prevent private property from being taken
for economic development. Staff confirmed that the Community Renewal Plan does
mention condemnation but it is the last resort if the City cannot work with property
owners within the renewal area.
City Hall Plaza Design
City staff will be meeting on February 9, 2010 to discuss the 2010 capital projects
and allocation of resources. Staff will update the Committee on City Hall Plaza
Phase I at the February 8, 2010 meeting.
IV. ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business to come before the Downtown Redevelopment
Committee, Chair Norman adjourned the meeting at 5:15p.m.
APPROVED THIS DAY OF FEBRUARY 2010.
Lynn Norman, Chair Renee S. Tobias, Planning Secretary
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