Planning Commission Meeting

Agenda City of Ocean Shores Planning Commission Meeting Join Zoom Meeting Online Click Here Join by Phone Phone Number: 1.253.215.8782 Meeting ID: 853 7865 5908 Passcode: 693451 Tuesday Ocean Shores Library March 14, 2023 573 Point Brown Ave. NW 2:00 PM Ocean Shores, Washington Page Call to Order Roll Call Approval of Meeting Agenda Approval of Minutes 3 1. Approval of minutes for the Regular City of Ocean Shores Planning Commission Meeting on February 28, 2023 Public Comments Planning Commission is accepting written Public Comments to be sent via email to the City Clerk at slogan@osgov.com no later than 1:00 PM on March 14, 2023 Old Business New Business Discussion 4 2. Lot Clearing - Post Construction Landscaping • Led by: Planning Commissioner Chair, Gary Pease Page 1 of 8 Page 5-6 3. Shoreline Management Plan (SMP) Draft - Review • Led by: City Planner Marshall Read 7-8 4. Blue Zones Project • Led by: Planning Commissioner Chair, Gary Pease Reports 5. Planning Commission Member(s) Report • Dan Bricker • Gary Pease • Thorn Ward • Kerry Barr • Paul Schulz • Brian Bachman • Mark Lawlis Future Meeting Date March 28, 2023 at 2:00 PM Adjourn _________________________________________________________ Public Notice: • Persons requiring auxiliary aids or special arrangements in order to participate in meetings should call 360.940.7498 at least two business days prior to the scheduled meeting. Page 2 of 8  City of Ocean Shores Planning Commission Meeting Minutes for Feb. 28, 2023 Meeting Ocean Shores Library 573 Point Brown Ave. NW Ocean Shores, Washington Call to Order by Chairman Gary Pease at 2 p.m. Roll Call and all commission members, except Kerry Barr (excused) were present. Meeting Agenda approved by members Feb. 14, 2023 meeting minutes approved by members Public Comment by Vida Piera regarding enforcement of fire code on subdivisions There was no Old Business discussed New Business discussed as follows: Transient Lodging Code – Discussion by Planning Commission Chair, Gary Pease. Commission approved a language addition to present code OSMC 17.50.055. Legislative Update discussion by Commissioner Dan Bricker regarding HB 1245 and HB 1110, neither of which will have any effect on the City of Ocean Shores, being outside of Growth Management Act guidelines. Landscaping Code Update by Planning Commissioner, Mark Lawlis who provided extensive material on past and existing landscape standards. Also, discussion with City Planner Marshal Read. Shoreline Management Plan (SMP) Draft – Review Led by: City Planner Marshall Read. Most of the updates are regarding fresh water wetlands buffer zones and existing setbacks. Planning Commission members reports. None. Meeting adjourned at 3:15 pm. 1. Approval of minutes for the Regular City of Ocean Shores Planning Com... Page 3 of 8  Ocean Shores Planning Commission Review of Lot Clearing Municipal Code and Recommendations March 14, 2023 Having reviewed the Ocean Shores Municipal Code, 17.50.100 – Clearing and Grading, the Ocean Shores planning commission considers the code as currently enacted sufficient for purpose. In particular, the commission notes the following provisions of Section 17.50.100, paragraph B: “3. Significant trees, which shall mean existing trees over eight inches in caliper (excluding alders and cottonwoods) as measured four feet above grade, shall be retained as follows: a. All significant trees located within areas designated for retention in a natural state which are not dead, dying, diseased, and do not pose a significant safety hazard shall be retained; b. At least ten percent by number of the significant trees on the subject property shall be retained. The city may approve modifications or require minor site plan alterations to achieve tree retention in compliance with this requirement. Where the location of the existing significant trees interferes with reasonable placement of the primary use structure, a landscaping plan may provide for the retention of fewer significant trees than required by this section only if the trees to be removed are replaced at a ratio of three to one.” In discussion with the Lead City Planner, the Planning Commission observes that due to the narrow width of most lots, combined with the shallow root structure of native trees in Ocean Shores, it is often not possible to retain ten percent of the significant trees on a lot to be developed. In this case, replacement of removed significant trees more than the ten percent retention requirement at a three to one as identified in the clearing and grading permit is the most prudent action. The Planning Commission recommends that for construction on a lot that required a landscaping plan to receive a clearing and grading permit in accordance with OSMC 17.50.100 A, the City Building Department should not grant a final building occupancy permit/inspection approval until the Planning Department verifies that the landscaping required (including significant tree replacement) at the time of clearing and grading permit issuance has been accomplished. Alternatively, or in the case of unavoidable delays in completing required landscaping, the owner may post a $5,000 landscaping completion bond with the City to obtain a final occupancy permit/inspection approval. 2. Lot Clearing - Post Construction Landscaping Led by: Planning Commiss... Page 4 of 8  1. Suggest adding a statement like the following at an appropriate place within the document: “The city shall work with all regulatory agencies to balance the need to ecologically protect shorelines and critical areas with the rights of property owners and the public to establish and maintain physical and visual access to the shoreline as well as protect personal and public property from fire and other hazards resulting from encroachment of bordering wetlands and associated vegetation abutting and on private and public lands.” 2. Section 4.08.01.E (Page 42): Paragraph regarding public access to the shorelines reads: “Maintain, enhance, and increase public access in accordance with the following priorities unless found infeasible: 1. Maintain existing public access sites and facilities, rights of way, and easements. 2. Provide new or enhance existing public access opportunities on existing public lands and easements. 3. Acquire property or easements to add public access opportunities to implement adopted public access plans or to recognize opportunities to protect areas that hold unique value for public enjoyment. 4. Encourage public access to shorelines as part of shoreline development activities.” To maintain pedestrian access to the Pacific shoreline, the City should develop plans to upgrade and maintain all pedestrian access trails, especially those such as the one located at the west end of ButerClam Road that are often under water and inaccessible during several months during the winter. Additionally, the City should consider developing pedestrian-only east-west access trails along major vehicle access routes such as Pacific Avenue, Ocean Lake Way, and Taurus Boulevard for safety reasons. 3. Section 5.03.G , Table 5-1 (Page 54). Suggest removing concession stands, gift shops and other commercial activities as a permitted in the residential shoreline area. 4. Section 6.07.02.D.3 (Page 112). Suggest removing “or 35 feet, whichever is smaller as measured on a cumulative basis” from the statement: “Replacement of greater than 50 percent or 35 feet, whichever is smaller as measured on a cumulative basis, of the linear length of existing shoreline stabilization is not considered a repair or maintenance for purposes of these regulations, and must be designed and reviewed as a replacement subject to the provisions contained in SMP Section 6.07.02(E).” 5. Section 6.07.02.I.1.a (Page 116). Suggest increasing the time frame from three to five years in the below section: 3. Shoreline Management Plan (SMP) Draft - Review Led by: City Planner M... Page 5 of 8  1. “For a new or enlarged hard or soft structural shoreline stabilization measure, a geotechnical analysis must be prepared by a geotechnical engineer licensed by the state. The analysis shall include the following: a. An assessment of the necessity for structural shoreline stabilization by estimating time frames and rates of erosion and reporting on the urgency associated with the specific situation. 1) New hard structural shoreline stabilization measures shall not be authorized, except when an analysis confirms that: a) There is a significant possibility that an existing structure will be damaged within three years as a result of shoreline erosion in the absence of such hard structural shoreline stabilization measures, or b) Where waiting until the need is immediate results in the loss of opportunity to use measures that would avoid impacts on ecological functions.” 3. Shoreline Management Plan (SMP) Draft - Review Led by: City Planner M... Page 6 of 8  Blue Zones Project Manhattan Beach: Sustainability - Vitality - Community The Beach Cities Health District (BCHD) identified an opportunity for the Beach Cities (Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, and Manhattan Beach) to compete in a national contest to participate in the innovative Blue Zones Project initiative. The Beach Cities were selected to be the world's first Blue Zones Project by Healthways and Blue Zones from over 70 other cities across the nation (the Blue Zones Project principles were first tested in Albert Lea, Minnesota). The project was launched in 2010, with the Beach Cities becoming a nationally certified Blue Zones community in 2016. The Blue Zones concept was documented by Dan Buettner in the New York Times best-selling book, "The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who Have Lived the Longest." Becoming a Blue Zones Community is in line with BCHD’s vision of a healthy beach community. Through this initiative, BCHD and the City of Manhattan Beach made permanent environmental and policy changes that support the well-being of people who live and work in the Beach Cities. In the Beach Cities, the Blue Zones Project focused on active transportation, or improving the walkability and bikeability of the cities. With the help of the Blue Zones project, the Beach Cities were awarded $8.1 million in grant money. Healthy eating habits and reducing smoking rates were several additional priorities for the region. Since 2010, the Beach Cities have: • Adopted the Beach Cities Livability Plan (Fall 2011) • Adopted the South Bay Bicycle Master Plan (Fall 2011) • Completed preliminary analysis to assess feasibility of bike lanes on Aviation Boulevard • Participated in “Bike to Lunch” event on national “Bike to Work” Day • On behalf of the Cities of Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach, Beach Cities Health District's Livability Committee applied for and won two grants to support livability projects: 1) Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) Sustainability Planning Grant – Bicycle Mini-Corral Plan project - $40,000 and 2) SCAG Transportation Planning Grant – Aviation Boulevard Multi-Modal Corridor Plan - $277,000 Taking further action, Manhattan Beach: • Established bike lanes on Rosecrans Avenue between Highland and Sepulveda and on Manhattan Avenue between 1st and 8th Street, and put up Bike Route sign and sharrows on Manhattan Avenue • Coordinated with Metropolitan Water District to replace landscaping at the Chamber of Commerce, Post Office and City Hall with drought-tolerant alternatives and improve the Manhattan Beach Pier • Launched a Safe Routes to School project by adding pedestrian countdown signals, putting in reflective signs and replacing crosswalks 4. Blue Zones Project Led by: Planning Commissioner Chair, Gary Pease Page 7 of 8  After 6 years, the Beach Cities recorded a 25% decrease in obesity and overweight rates, a 36% decrease in tobacco use, an 9% increase in exercise and the highest well-being score in the US compared to 190 metropolitan areas measured. Results were achieved through thousands of residents enrolling in workshops and taking pledges, implementing smoke-free policies in 2 of 3 of the Beach Cities, 100+ restaurants committing to serve healthier meal options, employers adopting policies that favored health, gardens and nutrition education in schools, and 37 walking school bus routes. For a further summary of results, you can visit the Beach Cities Project Results on the Blue Zones website. The 2016 Community Health Snapshot Report contains more detailed information about the Beach Cities overall health improvements. If you would like to find out more about the City's involvement in Blue Zones Project initiative, please contact the Environmental Sustainability Manager at (310) 802-5508. • What is the Blue Zones Project? • Follow us on Facebook 4. Blue Zones Project Led by: Planning Commissioner Chair, Gary Pease Page 8 of 8