HomeMy WebLinkAboutPC Agenda Packet 2023-04-26
AGENDA
PLANNING COMMISSION
Hybrid Meeting – In-Person and Virtual
City Council Chambers: 321 East 5th Street, Port Angeles, WA 98362
Attend Virtual Meeting Here: https://www.cityofpa.us/984/Live-Virtual-Meetings
April 26, 2023
6:00 P.M.
I. CALL TO ORDER
II. ROLL CALL
III. PUBLIC COMMENT
IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Minutes of the April 12, 2023 Regular Meeting
V. DISCUSSION
1. 2023 Comprehensive Plan Amendment
Review and discussion of draft Comprehensive Plan language prepared by Planning
Division staff intended to integrate climate resiliency and ensure consistency of the
Land Use Element with the Port Angeles Municipal Code.
VI. STAFF UPDATES
VII. REPORTS OF COMMISSION MEMBERS
VIII. ADJOURNMENT
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Minutes of the April 12, 2023
Regular Meeting
MINUTES
PLANNING COMMISSION
Hybrid Meeting – In Person and Virtual
City Council Chambers: 321 E 5th Street, Port Angeles, Washington 98362
April 12, 2023 at 6:00 P.M.
REGULAR MEETING
CALL TO ORDER
Acting Chair Schwab opened the regular meeting at 6:03 P.M.
ROLL CALL
Commissioners Present: Andrew Schwab (Acting Chair)
Richie Ahuja
Tammy Dziadek
Marolee Smith
Commissioners Absent: Benjamin Stanley (Chair)
James Taylor
Colin Young
City Staff Present: Ben Braudrick (Senior Planner)
Chris Cowgill (Assistant City Attorney)
Norman Gollub (Interim Director of Community and Economic
Development)
Zach Trevino (Assistant Planner)
Public Present: Shannen Cartmel
PUBLIC COMMENT
Acting Chair Schwab opened the meeting to public comment.
No comments were provided during the public comment period.
Acting Chair Schwab closed the meeting to public comment.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Commissioner Ahuja moved to approve the minutes from the March 22, 2023 regular meeting of
the Planning Commission. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously through a consent
vote (4-0).
WORK SESSION
1. The Growth Management Act and the Comprehensive Plan
Planner Braudrick introduced the work session by providing an overview of recent
accomplishments and next steps in the process of integrating climate resiliency into the Port
Angeles Comprehensive Plan. He explained that the City intends to integrate climate resiliency
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Planning Commission Minutes
April 12, 2023
Page 2
policies and updates to land use designations into the Comprehensive Plan by June of 2023.
Planner Trevino presented a training for the Planning Commission covering the Washington State
Growth Management Act. The training focused on how Chapters 36.70A, 36.70B, and 36.70C of
the Revised Code of Washington apply to the City’s planning actions, including annual and
mandatory periodic updates to the Comprehensive Plan. The presentation included identification
of next steps in the City’s 2023 Comprehensive Plan update process. Following the presentation,
the Planning Commission asked questions of staff regarding the material.
STAFF UPDATES
City staff provided the following updates to the Commission:
• Planner Braudrick updated the Planning Commission on the continued staff effort to
facilitate temporary and transitional housing, an issue which the City Council has directed
staff to address. The Commission will be involved during the process, which will likely
occur during the summer and fall of 2023. The work may occur concurrently with efforts
to improve commercial code and other aspects of code.
• Planner Braudrick stated that the Finance Department is working through the budgeting
process and is still preparing information regarding the City’s finances, as requested by
Commissioner Ahuja.
REPORTS OF COMMISSION MEMBERS
• Commissioner Dziadek mentioned several library resources that can be used to obtain
planning books, including the North Olympic Library System, Hoopla, and Washington
Anytime Library.
• Commissioner Smith noted that drivers are violating the speed limit on Porter Street when
detouring around the Race Street construction site, which causes a safety hazard. Planner
Braudrick responded that the Department of Public Works & Utilities can be consulted
about options to manage traffic during the remainder of the construction process.
Commissioner Dziadek stated that the Strong Towns organization provides information
regarding traffic calming that may be of use.
• Acting Chair Schwab explained that House Bill 1337, which would allow for more
flexibility in the size of ADUs, has been passed by both the Washington House of
Representatives and the Washington State Senate and is moving forward in the process.
ADJOURNMENT
Commissioner Smith moved to adjourn the meeting. The motion was seconded and passed
unanimously (4-0).
The meeting adjourned at 7:18 P.M.
Zach Trevino, Secretary Andrew Schwab, Acting Chair
MINUTES PREPARED BY: Zach Trevino, Secretary
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Discussion Item
2023 Comprehensive Plan
Amendment
Date: April 26, 2023
To: Planning Commission
From: Planning Division Staff, Department of Community & Economic Development
Subject: PZ 23-26 – Comprehensive Plan Amendment
MEMORANDUM
Summary: The Planning Commission is considering proposed amendments to the Port Angeles
Comprehensive Plan intended to integrate policies from the Climate Resiliency Plan and ensure
consistency of the Land Use Element with the recently adopted amendments to Title 17 of the
Port Angeles Municipal Code.
Background
The Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan was last amended in 2019. The City has made considerable
progress in planning for climate resiliency and attainable housing since 2019. The Port Angeles
Climate Resiliency Plan (CRP) was adopted in June of 2022, followed by the adoption of a CRP
Implementation Plan in November of 2022. The City participated in a pilot program with the
Washington State Department of Commerce, intended to identify climate resiliency goals and
policies for integration into the Comprehensive Plan to ensure consistency between the CRP and
the City’s future. The culmination of the pilot program in March of 2023 resulted in identifying
goals and policies to integrate into the Comprehensive Plan. The proposed amendments include
climate resiliency and updated descriptions of land use categories in the Land Use element to
reflect the amendments to Title 17 of the Port Angeles Municipal Code approved in March of
2023.
Methodology
Department of Community & Economic Development staff added the draft climate resiliency
goals and policies identified during the pilot program to appropriate elements of the
Comprehensive Plan. Staff developed a typology to evaluate the purpose of the proposed
goal/policy additions and edits, as follows:
Type 1 – An existing goal/policy identified as applicable to an additional plan element.
These goals/policies have been added to one or more elements to promote consistency,
acknowledging that some goals/policies apply to multiple elements.
Type 2 – A new goal/policy facilitates the implementation of the Climate Resiliency Plan.
These goals/policies will help fulfill one or more actions identified in the CRP
Implementation Plan.
Type 3 – A new or amended goal/policy elaborates on existing goals/policies within the
plan elements. Staff edited some existing items to reflect climate resiliency.
Type 4 – Staff added a new or amended goal/policy based on direction received from the
Planning Commission and the public. During the public input opportunities for the CRP
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P&Z Application No. 23-26 | 2023 Comprehensive Plan Amendment
Implementation Plan and pilot program, the City received feedback on goal/policy
language that promotes climate resiliency.
Type 5 – A new or amended goal/policy promotes consistency between multiple elements
within the Comprehensive Plan.
Type 6 - A new or amended goal/policy promotes plan consistency with one or more other
City plans (e.g., Housing Action Plan) or regulations (e.g., SEPA regulations). Sometimes,
the City plan or policy is mentioned explicitly in the amended goal/policy. In other cases,
the amended goal/policy would help facilitate the implementation of other City plans or
policies not directly named in the amendment.
Staff used this typology to classify each change included in Appendix A so it is apparent what each
amended goal/policy accomplishes. Staff categorized most of the proposed amendments under
several types. The Planning Commission is encouraged to analyze the language of each amended
or new goal/policy and its proposed location within the Comprehensive Plan.
Next Steps
The Planning Commission must conduct a public hearing to consider the proposed
Comprehensive Plan amendment in May. The Planning Commission shall provide a
recommendation to the City Council regarding whether to adopt the proposed amendment. The
City Council will make the final decision in June. The Growth Management Act requires the
adoption of annual Comprehensive Plan amendments by the end of June.
Appendices
Appendix A: Draft 2023 Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan Amendments
Appendix B: Comprehensive Plan Appendices
Appendix C: Port Angeles Climate Resiliency Plan
Appendix D: Port Angeles Climate Resiliency Implementation Plan
Appendix E: Port Angeles Climate Resilience Discussion Guide
Appendix F: Resilience Planning Spreadsheet
Appendix G: February 8, 2023 Planning Commission Special Meeting Minutes
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