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Home My WebLink About05-17-2011 ciryoF PLANNING COMMISSION ~ May 17, 2011 WASHINGTON MINUTES 1. CALL TO ORDER Chair Judi Roland called the meeting to order at 7:00 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, Vice Chair Kevin Chapman, Ron Copple, Michael Hamilton, Joan Mason, Wayne Osborne, and Dave Peace. Commission Members excused: Bob Baggett Staff present included: Planning Manager Elizabeth Chambeclain, Senior Planner Hillary Taylor and Planning Secretary Tina Kriss. II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES May 3, 2011 Commissioner Peace moved and Commissioner Mason seconded to approve the minutes from the May 3, 2011 meeting as corrected. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY 5-0; Vice-Chair Chapman abstained. III. PUBUC COMIIAENT There were no members of the, public present. - IV. PLANNING DEPARTMENT REPORT Planning Manager Elizabeth Chamberlain stated staff will be preparing the Comprehensive Plan Amendment docket for the 2011 annual amendments. At the June 7, 2011 meeting staff will ask the Commission if they have any policies or amendments they would like addressed. Ms. Chamberlain stafed the City and Walmart are closer to a settlement agreement. The temporary use permit for parking at the Cavanaugh lot has expired and will not be renewed by the City. Planning Commission and staff discussed the status of other projects within the City. V. PUBLIC HEARINGS There was no public hearing scheduled for this meeting. VI. OTHER BUSINESS Proposed Code Amendment to allow "Small Craft Breweries and Distilleries" Senior Planner Hillary Taylor provided the staff report. Staff would like to amend the zoning ordinance to allow small craft breweries, distilleries, and tasting rooms in the commercial, manufacturing, and downtown zones in the City of Auburn. The public hearing will be held before Planning Commission on June 7, 2011. After reviewing the broad concept of the proposed code change, the Planning and Community Development Committee agreed these uses should be allowed in the Downtown Urban Center (DUC) zone as long as the use was clearly defined to not be a tavern setting. Staff proposes to eliminate the definition of brew pub; it is not necessary ' Planning Commission Meeting Minutes May 17, 2011 since the Liquor Control Board already regulates brew pubs under "Microbrewery" and if adopted small craft brewery and full service restaurant use would be allowed. After discussing the proposed code the Planning Commission provided the following feedback: 1. Commissioner Peace asked if food can be served in addition to having a°tasting room." Ms. Taylor explained if this amendment passes with the current definitions a tasting room could also have a full-service restaurant within this zoning district. 2. Commissioner Peace asked the definition of "additional location" under "tasting room.° Ms. Taylor stated an Auburn tasting room could have an additional manufacturing site in another location, i.e. Eastem Washington. Commission Members suggested rephrasing the language under °tasting room" to clarify the meaning. 3. Commissioner Mason asked if distilleries are spirits/hard liquor and if the definition was added by staff or required by Liquor Control Board. Ms. Taylor stated the distillery is for liquor and the brewery is for beer with separate liquor control regulations for both which are not part of the package. Commissioner Mason suggested addressing small craft breweries now and distilleries at a later time. Commissioner Peace is supportive of the sale of distilled spirits in small quantities. Chair Roland pointed out the Liquor Control Board is very strict in the regulation of their licenses. 4. Commissioner Hamilton was unclear why small craft breweries or distilleries would be allowed in the central business district, he is supportive of a tasting room with a small craft brewery; a standalone brewery would not benefit the central business district. 5. Commission members would like the language "ith g-t le-aast ha-if -mf thA raw matArials, ,_,s,P_d_ On t-hp- pFeduGtoeFi gFGWA ii; VVaS iA9tGA" removed from the proposed definition of "small craft distillery°, page 2 of 2 of the memorandum. 6. Commissioner Hamilton asked why restaurant or food service was not part of the definition for "tasting room.° Ms. Taylor explained it is not part of the definition since it is already included in the existing zoning code language. 7. Commission members would like staff to research the policy and language in our zoning code to see if manufacturing, production and the sale of wine from other wineries is included. Staff will look at general code and Mosby Farms code updates to determine if these winery uses are included or should be listed as a separate line item in our zoning code district. 8. Commission and staff discussed limits of production. Ms. Chamberlain cautioned the City in setting limits since that could be getting into the business practices of a brewery versus looking at establishing the use within a zone. Ms. Taylor pointed out the Liquor Confrol Board places limits on specific licenses. Ms. Chamberlain explained staff could look at changing the production amounts in different zoning districts, downtown verses the manufacturing district: 9. Commission discussed the definition of tavem, Ms. Taylor informed the Commission °Tavem" means an establishment operated primarily for the sale of wine, beer or other alcoholic beverages that may or may not include the service of food as an accessorv use. This proposed code amendment includes a manufacturing and 2 'Planning Commission Meeting Minutes May 17, 2011 production component and a tasting room that allows customers to taste by the glass samples of wine, or beec, or ofher alcoholic beverage and has a State of Washington issued license to operate a tasting room. A tasting room may include wine, or beer, or other alcoholic beverage for on premises sampling and for sale at retail for off- premises consumption wine or beer, or other alcoholic beverage ofi its own production. Ms. Taylor also explained taverns are allowed to serve a higher volume of atcohol per person: 10. Commissioner Chapman asked how other jurisdictions handle code on small craft breweries and distilleries. Commission members asked staff to provide the Washington State Liquor Control Board regulations and how they would impact the proposed zoning ordinance amendments. Ms. Taylor reviewed the direction proposed by Planning Commission: o Review the "tasting room" definition to clear up the "additional location" language. • Review the language to allow the use in the downtown urban core only if the tasting room is associated with production and manufacturing. • Strike " ' VVas#ingten State° from "small craft distillery". e Look into the winery use definition on Mosby Brother's Farms Inc. to determine if it needs to be included in this amendment for different zoning districts as a use for commercial and manufacturing districts. • Look at the wine shop, retail sales and tasting component to see if it is currently an allowed use as currently written or if changes with this ordinance could be made to allow that use. o Staff will provide the Washington State Liquor Control Board regulations to Commission. Ms. Taylor stated she will address the concems of the` Planning Commission as soon as possible to stay on track for the public hearing on June 7. VII. ADJOURNMENT There being no further busin.ess to come before the Planning Commission, Chair Roland adjourned the meeting at 7:47 p.m. 3