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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-05-2009 * * ATV~s-BU Il~l ~I PLANNING COMMISSION WASHINGTON May 5, 2009 ~ MINUTES 1. CALL TO ORDER Chair Judi Roland called the meeting to order at 7:03 p.m. in the Council Chambers located on the first floor of Auburn City Hall, 25 West Main Street, Auburn, WA. Commission Members present were: Chair Judi Roland, Bob Baggett, Ron Copple, Peter Di Turi, Michael Hamilton, and Joan Mason. Vice Chair Kevin Chapman and Commissioner Dave Peace were excused. Staff present: Assistant Planning Director Kevin Snyder, Senior Planner Chris Andersen, Assistant City Attorney Steve King and Planning Secretary Renee Tobias. Also present: Gil Cerise, Project Consultant with ICF Jones & Stokes, Garrett Huffman, Master Builders Association, Jeffrey D. Mann, Apex Engineering, Jeff Johnston and Bernard Johnston. II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES No meeting minutes for approval. III. PUBLIC COMMENT No comments IV. PLANNING DEPARTMENT REPORT Assistant Planning Director Kevin Snyder presented the background and four key objectives of the code updates. . Respond to the change in the City Council's role in the quasi-judicial decision-making process for land use and development review process by updating regulations and standards to insure that community goals and expectations are addressed. , • Improve the readability of the development regulations and design standards to make them easier for property owners, developers, and City residents to use. . Update the development regulations and design standards technical content to address known issue areas and better support the City's development review and quasi-judicial decision process. . Ensure that the development regulations and design standards are coordinated and consistent with Auburn's Comprehensive Plan and other state land use and environmental requirements. Senior Planner Chris Andersen briefly reviewed the exhibit list and noted that no SEPA comments were received during the public notice period. Exhibit 11, which contains a summary table of the latest revisions to Title 17, was distributed to the Commissioners. Mr. PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES May 5, 2009 Andersen reviewed the staff recommendations from Exhibit 11 and answered Commissioners' questions. Other than scrivener errors, the following changes were noted: Chapter 17.04 - Definitions • 17.04.025 - Alley will be added to the chapter Table of Contents. Chapter 17.04.400 • Staff will confirm whether United States Geological Service (USGS) or National Geodetic Survey (NGS) should be used. Chapter 17.12.080 - Release of improvement guarantee • Staff will insert cross reference to Title 13 at the end of subpart B. Chair Rowland recessed the meeting at 8:14 p.m. for approximately 5 minutes. The meeting reconvened at 8:18 p.m. Chair Rowland opened the Public Hearing at 8:18 p.m. V. PUBLIC HEARING A. Amendments to Title 17 (Subdivisions) of the Auburn City Code Jeff Mann, Apex Engineering, 2601 S. 35th St, Suite 200, Tacoma, WA stated he has had the privilege to serve on the Code Working Group and applauds the work that staff have done. Mr. Mann offered the following comments and suggestions. 17.06.010.F - Boundary Line Adjustments. Mr. Mann suggested changing the wording from "becomes conforming" to "more confirming". 17.12.010(6) - Final (Plats) Subdivisions. This section requires that a certificate of improvement or bond be in place before the final plat can be filed. Mr. Mann suggested allowing the applicant to file the final plat while completing improvements. City would still have the leverage, but it would allow developers to start the review process. Mr. Mann suggested striking this entire item from the requirement for application of final plat. 17.14.080. - Minimum Improvement Requirements for Recording of Subdivisions and Short Subdivisions. The City has added a minimum number of improvements so basically the City is requiring that everything be installed except for the last lift of asphalt and sidewalks. 17.26.040 - Clustering in residential zones outside urban separators. Mr. Mann presented two plat drawings. The first drawing shows that with current R-5 zoning, 43 lots were achieved at an average of 8,549 square feet per lot. The second drawing shows that with the proposed clustering RS-5, 55 lots would be achieved. However, the second drawing does not show the required 25% open space in addition to the critical areas and associated buffers. If the required 25% open space of the non-constraining land was shown, he would lose all the lots he gained. Mr. Mann believes the open space requirement takes away the amount of developable land. Mr. Mann envisioned Page 3 PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES May 5, 2009 clustering as allowing units in constrained lands to be moved into unconstrained lands to obtain an increase in units. Chair Roland asked staff to provide information on the items that Mr. Mann brought up; Mr. Andersen responded with the following. 17.06.010.F -Boundary Line Adjustments. Staff would be supportive of amending the language to read "more conforming" as proposed by Mr. Mann. 17.12.010(6) - Final (Plats) Subdivisions. Staff have been in consultation with Public Works staff who have crafted proposed language in regards to Certification requirements. The intent was that the project would either be substantially completed to the point, if not certified, prior to being allowed to apply for final approval. With regard to where that level might occur, staff will continue to work with Public Works who are the staff experts on infrastructure and other required improvements. Intent was to provide a more flexible approach with regard to what improvements needed to be complete so as not to unduly constrain the application for final approval. Mr. Mann clarified for the Commissioners that he was asking that Item B.6 be deleted. He suggested that an applicant be allowed to apply for final plat, with both the City and developer knowing that there were items in the process of completion. Staff will consult with the City Engineer and Mr. Mann to develop other options for consideration and bring back to the public hearing on May 2009 17.26.040 - Clustering in residential zones outside urban separators. Staff will look to re-evaluate open space and critical area buffers requirements. Staff will consult with the City Engineer and Mr. Mann to develop other options for consideration at the May 2009 public hearing continuance. Garrett Huffman, Master Builders Association (MBA), 335 116th Ave SE, Bellevue, WA 98004 stated that he has been a part of the Code Working Group from the beginning. Mr. Huffman commented that he does not think that any developer would use clustering, that there is no value to it. He suggested putting open space requirements into the critical area buffers. Unless this is done, Mr. Huffman stated that developers would not be able to obtain the number of units to make clustering worthwhile. The point of clustering is to get the lot yield and still have the critical areas on site so in the end, everyone has the environmental value from the wetlands and the builders gets the units out of there and the costs are affordable. Otherwise the builder has to absorb the costs for those units they can't build on. Chair Rowland closed the public hearing at 8:47 p.m. Due to further editing needs on the Title 17 and staff review, it was a consensus of the Commission to postpone voting on Title 17 until Thursday, May 2009. Commissioner DiTuri moved and Commissioner Copple seconded to continue the meeting to Thursday, May 2009. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY 6-0. Page 4 PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES May 5, 2009 VI. OTHER BUSINESS None VII. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business to come before the Planning Commission, Chair Roland adjourned the meeting at 8:50p.m. Page 5