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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 06/27/2007 I. II. FORTANGELES WAS H I N G TON, U. S. A. AGENDA PLANNING COMMISSION 321 East Fifth Street June 27,2007 6 p.m. CALL TO ORDER Pledge of Allegiance led by Chair ROLL CALL III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Regular meeting of May 23,2007 IV. . V. PUBLIC HEARING: CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT CUP 07-06 - BURNS. 1129 W. 16th Street: Accessory Residential Unit in an RS-7 Residential Single Family zone WORK SESSION: Introduction to Infill Overlav (10) Zone and Planned Low Impact Development (PLID) overlay zones. Review of proposed overlay zones intended to increase density, mitigate stormwater impacts, and provide flexibility in design. VI. COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE PUBLIC VII. REPORTS OF COMMISSION MEMBERS VIII. ADJOURNMENT . PLANNING COMMISSIONERS Werner BeIer (Chair), John Matthews (VIce ChaIr), Chene Kldd, Stanley Hams, Dave Johnson, Doc ReISS, MIke CaudIll PLANNING STAFF Mark Madsen, DIrector, Sue Roberds, Planmng Manager, Nathan West, Prmclpal Planner, Scott Johns, ASSOCiate Planner . . . MINUTES PLANNING COMMISSION Port Angeles, Washington 98362 June 27, 2007 6:00 p.m. ROLL CALL Members Present: Cherie Kidd, Dave Johnson, John Matthews, Werner Beier, Doc Reiss, Mike Caudill Member Excused: Stan Harris Staff Present: Sue Roberds, Scott Johns, Nathan West, Mark Madsen, Cate Lee Public Present: Dave Bums, Mike Peabody CALL TO ORDER Salute to the Flag was led by Chair Beier. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Commissioner Johnson moved to accept the May 23, 2007, minutes as presented. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Matthews and passed 4 - 2 with new Commissioner Mike Caudill abstaining as he was not present at the meeting. PUBLIC HEARING: Chair Beier indicated that those who testify must sign the "Sign In" log and affirm that their testimony will be truthful to the best of their knowledge. CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT CUP 07-06 - BURNS. 1129 W. 16th Street: Accessory Residential Unit in an RS-7 Residential Single Family zone. Associate Planner Scott Johns reviewed the Department Report recommending approval of the conditional use permit with conditions. Mr. Johns explained that the garage structure on the site will be significantly remodeled into the accessory residential unit. The structure will be shortened by two feet to accommodate the maximum lot coverage allowed in the RS- 7 zone. On site parking will accommodate at least four vehicles. Mr. Johns responded to a question from a commissioner regarding the location of utility services and noted that the Department will be reviewing building and site plans during the redevelopment/remodel to ensure that development standards are met. Planning Manager Roberds noted that utility services will be located prior to the approval of development plans such that structures do not cover those services. Chair Beier opened the public hearing. . . . Plannzng CommiSSIOn Mmutes - June 27, 2007 Page 2 Dave Burns, 608 School Street, Lacey, Washington described his background as a planner for the City of Lacey, and applauded the City's efforts in establishing accessory residential units, per the intent of the State's Growth Management Act, in an effort to increase densities. He provided an in depth history of his ownership of the site, and detailed the series of unfortunate events surrounding the recent occupancy of the site by renters that had been described in comment letters from the neighbors. Mr. Bums continued speaking with regard to development of the site and improvement plans. He stated his intention to return to Port Angeles at a future time and occupy the site in his retirement. The accessory residence would provide rental income at that time. Commissioner Kidd noted that the site is on a main thoroughfare and has been in a run down condition for some time, which is unfortunate. She noted that the property owner is ultimately responsible for the property. The type of problems outlined in letters from the neighbors regarding the condition ofthe site and with the renter could have been prevented with a little communication. Parking is tight on the site and it does not appear that there is room for parking off the alley on this site for four parking spaces, as is required by City code for two residential uses. Mike Peabody, 1125 West 1 ~h Street has been the adjoining neighbor for the past 18 years. He stated that Mr. Bums is very good to work with, and that his remodel plans will result in development that will complement the neighborhood. He asked that the permit be approved. There being no further discussion, Chair Beier closed the public hearing. Commissioner Reiss moved to approve the conditional use permit citing 5 conditions, 10 findings, and 5 conclusions in support ofthe action as follows: Conditions: 1. 2. Separate electrical and water meters are required for each dwelling unit. Addressing for each dwelling unit shall be clearly identified as 1129 and 1129 Y2 West 16th Street. Address numbers must be at least six (6) inches in height, readily visible from the street, and of contrasting color from their background. Two (2) off-street parking spaces are required for each residential dwelling unit for a total of four (4) on-site parking spaces to be developed per Public Works and Utilities Department standards. Driveway and site access shall be constructed to Public Works and Utilities Standards. 3. 4. 5. All utility improvements including water, sanitary sewer, storm drainage, and electrical are to be completed to the satisfaction of the Public Works and Utilities Department. Findings: Based on the information provided in the Community and Economic Development Staff Report for CUP 07-06 dated June 27,2007, including all information in the public record file, comments and testimony presented during the public hearing, the Planning Commission discussion and deliberation, and the above listed conditions of approval, the City of Port Angeles Planning Commission hereby finds that: 1. David Bums submitted a Conditional Use Permit application for an accessory residential unit located at 1129 W. 16th Street on May 21,2007. The applicant owns the subject property. . . . Plannmg CommiSSIOn Mmutes - June 27,2007 Page 3 2. The proposed site is legally described as Lot 13 Block 431 of the TownsIte of Port Angeles and is zoned Residential Single Family (RS-7) and is 7,000 sq. ft. in area. Properties in the area are zoned RS-7, commercial, Industrial Light, and Public Buildings and Parks. 3. The Comprehensive Plan designates the site as Low Density Residential. Adjacent designations are Low Density Residential with nearby areas designated Commercial and industrial. The site is located in the City's North West Planning Area. 4. Development in the neighborhood includes predominately single family residential uses. The nearest multi-family use can be found at the intersection ofW. 17th and "C" Street, approximately 1,000 south of the site. 5. Stevens School and Lincoln Park are located nearby. Per 17.96.050 P AMC, the Planning Commission shall consider applications for conditional use permits as specified in the applicable Chapter of the Zoning Regulations. The Planning Commission may grant said permits which are consistent and compatible with the purpose of the zone in which the use is located, consistent with the Comprehensive Plan, and not contrary to the public use and interest. In each application the Planning Commission may impose whatever restrictions or conditions are considered essential to protect the public health, safety, welfare, and to prevent depreciation of neighboring property. Conditional uses shall be evaluated to determine if the characteristics of the intended use as related to the specific proposed site would defeat the purpose ofthe City's Zoning Regulations by introducing incompatible, detrimental, or hazardous conditions. The Planning Commission may refuse to issue a conditional use permit if the characteristics of the intended use would defeat the purpose of the City's zoning regulations. 7. The City's Comprehensive Plan was reviewed for consistency with the proposal. Specific policies include Land Use Element Goal A and Policy A.2 and C2, Housing Element A.6 and B.6, and Transportation Element Policy B.14 6. 8. A development that is approved through the conditional use permit process must remain i n continual compliance with specific conditions of approval or may be revoked. 9. Site access must comply with Public Works and Utilities Standards. 10. Notification of the proposed action and conditional use permit application was placed in the Peninsula Daily News on June 7, 2007. Public notice was mailed to property owners within 300 feet of the subject property on June 4,2007. The site was posted on June 4, 2007. Six letters of concern were received as a result of the public notice period. Concerns listed in the letters included an increase in traffic in the area, on-site parking, the run-down appearance of the site due to the applicant being an absentee landlord, and loss of the single family character of the neighborhood. A Determination of Non-Significance was issued for this proposed action on June 21, 2007. 11. Plannmg CommISSIOn Mmutes - June 27,2007 Page 4 . The Planning Commission conducted a public hearing on the proposal at the June 27, 2007, regular meeting. Conclusions: 12. . Based on the information provided in the Department of Community and Economic Development Staff Report for CUP 07-06 dated June 27, 2007, including all of the information III the public record file, comments, and testimony presented during the public hearing, the Planning Commission's discussion and deliberation, and the above listed conditions of approval and listed findings, the City of Port Angeles Planning Commission hereby concludes that: 1. As conditioned, the proposal is consistent with the intent of the Comprehensive Plan. 2. The proposal is consistent with requirements for approval of a conditional use permit as specified in P AMC 17.96.050, and with the requirement of a conditional use permit for an accessory residential unit in the RS-7 per P AMC 17.1 0.040(A) 3. As conditioned, the proposal is consistent with PAMC Chapter 14.40 (Parking Ordinance). 4. The use is in the public interest as it allows for a variety of housing opportunities. 5. The City's responsibility under the State Environmental Policy Act in review ofthe proposal has been satisfied. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Johnson and passed 5 - 1 with Commissioner Kidd voting in the negative for the reasons she outlined earlier in discussion. WORK SESSION Introduction to Infill Overlay (10) Zone and Planned Low Impact Development (PLID) overlay zones. Review of proposed overlay zones intended to increase density, mitigate stormwater impacts, and provide flexibility in design. . Associate Planner Scott Johns noted that the two new proposed zones are overlay zones that staff is proposing to address some of the density and development issues that the Commission and Council have been discussing over the past year. The Infill Overlay (10) zone would apply to the RS-7, RMD, and RHD zones only. The Planned Low Impact Development (PLID) overlay would apply across the board to any zone. The Planned Residential Development (PRD) zone doesn't provide everything that the City is looking for with regard to flexibility in design. The PRD applies only to 3.44+ acre sites. The proposed 10 zone will allow for similar design flexibility as that encouraged in the PRD but fills in the gap between properties from 7,000 square feet to 3.44 acres III size. Both of the overlay zones allow for flexibility in design with increased density. The 10 allows a bonus density to the developer. The benefit to the community is that 30% of the building sites must be developed to meet the definition of affordable housing. The difficulty is ensuring that affordability in perpetuity. Mr. Johns read the definition of affordable housing as written in the State WAC 365- 200. In response to Commissioner Matthews, Mr. Johns provided clarification of the term "smart growth" which is used in the 10 zone language. Smart Growth is described as the infill and redevelopment of urban areas incorporating maximum density, pedestrian friendly, transit . . . Planning CommissIOn Minutes - June 27,2007 Page 5 oriented development that minimizes urban sprawl and promotes efficient use of infrastructure while creating economic revitalization of the urban core. The proposed PLID overlay zone has been modeled from the City's PRD overlay zone. Some of the proposed language was taken from a model ordinance done for the City through a grant by AHBL, a landscape architectural company well known for theIr work in this field. The PLID differs from the PRD in that the incentive to the developer is that they can get up to the allowed density of the underlying zone on a property that has some development constraint through flexible lot sizes and setbacks. The community gets back open space areas in exchange for that flexibility. The difference in the PRD and the PLID is that there is no requirement for an open space set aside. The developer is able to cluster homes but not due to the existence of critical areas, rather, to conserve space to be used for the on site management of storm water Issues. Mr. Johns noted that a public hearing has been scheduled for July 11 th in consideration of the two new zones. Staff would appreciate careful review and comment on the drafts prior to that time. STAFF REPORTS City Manager Mark Madsen explained that the City is in the midst of taking a role in the clean up and redevelopment of the former Rayonier Mill site. The role that the City has been asked to play is that of bringing together and facilitating a community visioning process as to what the future uses of the site might be. The Commission is actually the official voice of the City at this time. Mr. Madsen explained that the Rayonier site is considered a brownfield, which is a site that has been formerly used for industrial purposes and is now either underutilized or inactive in its use. The perception is that such a site has the potential of having left behind toxic pollutants. Many of the toxins from the Rayonier site have been removed and what remains on the upland at this point is a site that has been cleaned up to an industrial standard. At this point, a cleanup and land use plan for the site have to come together for the clean up to be approved by the Washington State Department of Ecology. The City of Port Angeles has the land use authority. Manager Madsen explained that the site is 75 acres in area with approximately 50 of those acres west of Ennis Creek and 25 acres east of the Creek. Area east of the Creek has less topographical modification than the western portion of the site. A hardened breakwater of rip rap was developed in the west portion of the site that protected what was a log pond in the marine environment. A very large dock/pier facility exists, however, the integrity of the dock has degraded over time. The pier was designed to support a considerable amount of weight, but was not designed to dock heavy ships or transports against and support those vessels in a storm. Mr. Madsen asked the Commissioners to visualize the highest and best land use of the site considering the broad spectrum of uses possible for the site. In response to Mr. Madsen's question as to what the highest and best land use for the site would be, the Commissioners responded: industrial uses to create jobs for the community, but transportation would be a problem onto and off of the Peninsula; a water transportation/barging use, cruise ships, hotel/tourism; restoration of the estuary; light industrial development with tiered commercial/residential development along the waterfront, parking and shopping, upscale hotel/restaurant; capture the tourist market by providing an area for cruise ships to dock tying . . . Planning CommissIOn Minutes June 27.2007 Page 6 into the Downtown area, a yacht class marina, time share condominiums; and multi use restaurant/hotel with some high tech ability. In response to a second question as to how important it is to restrict future activities to water dependent uses, Commissioners responded: water dependent uses seem more logical; activities that are not so dependent on transportation would be nice and maybe hotel/restaurant is not the best use but there is potential for that type of use; a water dependent use is integral to the site but maybe there is too much focus on tourism, maybe consideration should be given to other uses such as barging, deep sea cruises, connect with the Downtown; a sports complex and industrial site for transport uses including yachting, tie in with multi modal water taxi, fish processing; the water needs to be protected but it is key to the site and the reason for its popularity. In response to a question as to what role public access should play in the future of the site, the Commissioners unanimously responded that it is very important and primary to whatever happens to the site. In response to a final question as to what one thing would be most favorable to be included in redevelopment of the site, what would that be, the Commissioners responded that: a golf course, house boats, car manufacturing, shops/multi use residential with parks serving the community and including a yacht marina would be the first choices. Manager Madsen noted that the thoughts represent a wide range of interests and he thanked the Commissioners for their time. Principle Planner Nathan West noted that an update had been provided to the Commission regarding noteworthy issues at the Gateway project. COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE PUBLIC None REPORTS OF COMMISSION MEMBERS Commissioner Johnson asked other Commissioners to let him know if there are issues they would like presented to the Port Angeles Forward Committee on which he serves as a Commission representative. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 8:30 p.m. PREPARED BY: S. Roberds ~ORTANGELES WAS H I N G TON, USA . PLANNING COMMISSION ATTENDANCE ROSTER AND TESTIMONY SIGN-UP SHEET PLEASE SIGN IN Meeting Agenda of: JUilE 2 T 2CXJr ) To help us provide an accurate record of those in attendance, please sign in. Your signature acknowledges your presence. If you plan to testify, by your signature below, you certify that the testimony given is true and correct under penalty of perjury by the laws of the State of Washington. Signature below DOES NOT REQUIRE you to testify. . NAME: ADDRESS: Agenda Item No. _1J.nV } D J~M- n./tJ S lo (? <f ;; c f-ic90 l ~J '6 s.. (~~u:t11;21 W llo1i1 PIJ) ~~ ij/.p~~ / / 'd [L) t<J t / ~ ~ ~ .. C: \MyFiles\FORMS\Mtgrostpc. wpd