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HomeMy WebLinkAboutITEM III-ADRAFT C~ PLANNING &COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE * ~HI~"I Au ust 09 2010 g MINUTES I. CALL TO ORDER Chair Lynn Norman called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m. in Annex Conference Room 1 located on the second floor of the One East Main Building, 1 East Main Street, Auburn, WA. Committee members present were: Chair Lynn Norman, Vice Chair Nancy Backus and Member Rich Wagner. Staff Members present included: Principal Planner Jeff Dixon, Planning Manager Elizabeth Chamberlain, Planning Director Kevin Snyder, Finance Director Shelley Coleman, City Attorney Dan Heid, Environmental Planner Jennifer Shih, Traffic Engineer Pablo Para, and Project Engineer Robert Lee. Audience members present were: Terry Danysh. II. ANNOUNCEMENTS AND AGENDA MODIFICATIONS III. CONSENT AGENDA A. Minutes -July 26, 2010 Vice Chair Backus moved and Member Wagner seconded to approve the Consent Agenda as presented. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY 3-0 IV. ACTION A. Permission to Award Contract 10-07, White River Trail Extension (CP0745) A brief discussion was held on the phasing of this project. It was moved by Vice Chair Backus, seconded by Member Wagner, that the Committee recommend City Council approve and award Contract 10-07, Project No. CP0745, White River Trail Extension MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY 3-0 B. Resolution No. 4613 -Setting Public Hearing for 2011-2016 Transportation Improvement Program Mr. Para provided two handouts to the Committee; one map and the other an updated project summary spreadsheet. He explained that the highlighted map shows the corridors and the Level of Service E or F which was requested by Member Wagner. Mr. Para explained that the Group A projects will be completed in 2030. These are not the current conditions. The levels are from Table 2.4 in the Transportation Comprehensive Plan. Assumption is Group A projects are only ones to be completed by 2030. TIP document takes you through 2016. By 2030 the roads highlighted will be moved up to Level of Service A and B levels. Mr. Para explained that the projects at the bottom of the 1 project summary spreadsheet are projects not to be completed by the City. These projects would be by WSDOT, King or Pierce County. The Committee requested that language be added explaining the Level of Service of key corridors within the City. The Committee would like to spend some time over the next year including Level of Service in the TIP as it is outlined in the Transportation Comprehensive Plan. Staff was asked to clarify the project costs totals since the financial summary table does not show money spent in previous years. It was asked if the Committee agreed the entire amount should be shown and yes the Committee concurred. Mr. Para agreed to add a note as in #9 in the TIP document for the final draft. Chair Norman requested that there will be a memo in the council packet that states what is being changed in the packet. Any corrections or additions will be noted so that they are all on the same page. Questions were asked on page 5 about the amount of GO bonds that were sought for downtown projects. Ms. Chamberlain clarified that the amount shown is for the promenade only and Mr. Para confirmed this is one of those areas thatwould show previously spent funds. On Page 6 the Committee questioned the amounts which rely on some large grants. They wanted clarification on where the grant information was located. They would like to see a list of what grants are in the process and status as a resource document for the council members. Member Wagner wants to bring back to committee. It was moved by Vice Chair Backus, seconded by Member Wagner, to forward Resolution No. 4613 to full City Council for consideration. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY 3-0 C. Resolution No. 4633 -Grant Agreement for Fenster Levee Setback & Floodplain Restoration II Environmental Planner Jennifer Shih presented a map of the area of the project. Back in March this project came before the Committee and the full Council in April to accept a grant forthis project from the Salmon Recovery Board. We have now gotten a grant from the King Conservation District for $200,000.00 for this project which will act as the match for the Salmon Recovery Board Grant. There was discussion on any Green River trail projects that might affect this levee setback project. Member Wagner stated that King County has had a proposed trail in the area of this project for years. Director Snyder added that the County is looking at a trail system on top of the levees. Ms. Shih stated that the City and the County are working together on the design of this project. The goal is to make all the ongoing projects tie in to each other. The Committee asked if any other levee projects were going on further upstream towards Black Diamond. Director Snyder and Ms. Shih agreed they would look into it. It was moved by Vice Chair Backus, seconded by Member Wagner, to forward Resolution No. 4633 to full City Council for consideration. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY 3-0 2 D. Ordinance No. 6321 Principal Planner Jeff Dixon reported that at the last PCD meeting the Robertson Property Group extension was introduced and in response the Committee had three concerns on the extension of the conditional zoning, comprehensive plan, and special area plan changes for a period of one year. The request is similarto what had been done fortwo previous extensions. The City is currently working on redrafting the development agreement. The first concern was any traffic improvements identified were brought current since the EIS was completed in 2004. Mr. Dixon explained that because the applicant has acquired 11 additional acres to the west and the need to explore what improvements will be associated with what phases of the project, which was not studied in the original EIS, additional environmental impact analysis is being prepared. The additional environmental analysis includes a traffic study and the Transportation Division is looking at this traffic study information provided by the consultant. Once completed, this update to the EIS will eventually be available to serve as a basis for updates to the Special Area Plan. The special area plan and comprehensive plan changes are policy level documents. The original special area plan documented that this part of town was underserved by a road networks, and by utilities so the main purpose was to identify what road networks and utilities were necessary to support development in this area. Those policy statements do not assign financial responsibilities but do identify what types of improvements are necessary to provide a complete road and utility network. The identified improvements are in keeping with the type of improvement that the City has envisioned all along such as the widening the south side of 277t" and extension of I Street NE and 49t" Street to connect to I Street NE among other improvements that the City has been planning on. Mr. Dixon stated that he expects once the City receives the updated environmental analysis they will be able to update the text of the special area plan and the comprehensive plan changes that have already been conditionally approved. There will be a need to bring the information current, such as the exchange of right of way for I Street NE with the Port of Seattle which has already taken place. The second issue was the financial analysis of the project. Robertson Property Group (RPG) had prepared a financial analysis that was reviewed by the City Council at their 2008 retreat. There has not been any effort by RPG to update that information even though changes in the economic climate would suggest that this information is no longer accurate and that would suggest things are going to be a lot different. Since that time, the City has determined that it will not participate financially to the degree that they may have participated before, so there has not been any new financial analysis since what was prepared in 2008. The third concern was the Council's continued involvement in the Development Agreement discussion. Kevin Snyder handed out a memo from Dan Heid to the Mayor and Council members dated July 30, 2010 regarding the Council quasi-judicial role and vesting of development agreements. Mr. Dixon stated that they would like to bring this Ordinance to the PW Committee meeting and on to full council at theirAugust 16t" meeting, as may be appropriate. 3 Member Wagner asked whether the development agreement or the special area plan is the final word. He is concerned that allowing this extension to go forward does allow us to make the development agreement the final word. Mr. Dixon pointed out in two locations within the NE Auburn Special Area Plan it does state that the plan is not the final word. It states that the special area plan is only intended to be implemented through subsequent adoption of a development agreement and planned action ordinance Staff reviewed this language with the Committee and the Committee was satisfied the language covered their concerns. City Attorney Dan Heid explained that the city codes had changed and that Auburn City Code chapter 14.21, which was the development agreement process and the old PUD code, may have been in place when the plan was originally developed. Member Wagner stated that the paragraph Mr. Dixon pointed out does answer his concern; that Council will get another review opportunity prior to the project proceeding. There was clarification on the dates of the plan and that the official record is the one attached to the Ordinance. It was moved by Vice Chair Backus, seconded by Member Wagner, to forward Ordinance No. 6321 to full City Council for consideration. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY 3-0 V. DISCUSSION and INFORMATION A.124t" Avenue SE Corridor Improvements Traffic Engineer Pablo Para explained the Green River Community College (GRCC} improvements to 124t" AVE SE are due to some extra funds that the college had from an onsite project. They are making improvements proactively prior to the Trades project. They are striving to complete construction prior to the start of the school year. Chair Norman stated that they are making some major changes to the main entrance to the campus once the Trades project moves forward and believes the college is still interested in the roundabout concept. Mr. Para explained that the Valley Regional Fire Authority (VRFA) is also going to be working on 124t" AVE SE for the frontage improvements for the new fire station. He stated pedestrian facilities are mostly on the east side. The VRFA improvements are mainly storm drainage related and emergency signal related. Mr. Para stated that the City is applying for a Safe Walking grant from the Washington State for a portion of 124t" AVE SE but there will still be intersection issues at SE 312t" ST. The goal is two through lanes all the way to the college from SE 3121h. Concerns were voiced about the construction on 124t" AVE SE and the 8t" and R ST NE signal construction causing major traffic issues forthe residents on Lea Hill. Mr. Para assured the committee that there is coordination between projects and that no full street closures are being allowed on any of the projects. The major impact from the signal construction at 8t" & R will be to the apartment tenants. 4 The Committee asked if an area circulation plan is required for any development other than multifamily mixed use. Director Snyder confirmed that when the code update was done they did not include any other types of development as this was slated for phase II of the code update. Mr. Para did state that the engineering design standards were updated with similar language. For the Trades Building a pedestrian and a vehicle circulation plan will be required. B. Ordinance No. 6323 Finance Director Shelley Coleman handed out a revised spreadsheet forthe proposed budget amendment. Director Coleman stated this is the same information that was handed out at the Finance Committee except forthis revision which is for a new SWAT vehicle through VNET. Director Coleman stated she needs to add the revenue side to the summary spreadsheet sheet so the Committee will see a revision at the Council meeting on August 16t". The other items on the list are mainly book entries to clean up items such as the Valley Com agreement, the Plaza and Promenade budget amounts and carrying forward the Airport runway lights project that should have been carried forward from last year. PCDC Status Matrix The Committee had a couple minor changes requested forthe Matrix. Auburn Environmental Park moved from summer to fall and IDEX was listed as a separate line item. A line item for electric vehicle infrastructure was added to the list. Vice Chair Backus reminded the committee that she will not be here forthe August 23rd meeting. I. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business to come before the Planning and Community Development Committee, Chair Norman adjourned the meeting at 6:08 p.m. APPROVED THIS DAY OF Lynn Norman, Chair Darcie Hanson, Administrative and Business Services Manager 5