Land Use & Environment Committee

City Hall Meeting Minutes 601 4th Avenue E Olympia, WA 98501 Land Use & Environment Committee Information: 360.753.8244 Thursday, July 20, 2017 5:30 PM Council Chambers 1. CALL TO ORDER Chair Hankins called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. 2. ROLL CALL Present: 3 - Chair Julie Hankins, Committee member Clark Gilman and Committee member Nathaniel Jones OTHERS PRESENT City of Olympia staff: Jay Burney, Assistant City Manager Community Planning and Development: Keith Stahley, Director Leonard Bauer, Deputy Director Karen Kenneson, Associate Line of Business Director Michelle Sadlier, Associate Planner Stacey Rodell, Minutes Recorder Public Works: Rich Hoey, Director Debbie Sullivan, Deputy Director 3. APPROVAL OF AGENDA The agenda was approved. 4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 4.A 17-0761 Approval of May 30, 2017 Land Use and Environment Committee Meeting Minutes The minutes were approved. 4.B 17-0762 Approval of June 15, 2017 Land Use and Environment Committee Meeting Minutes The minutes were approved. 5. COMMITTEE BUSINESS City of Olympia Page 1 Land Use & Environment Meeting Minutes July 20, 2017 Committee 5.A 17-0742 Report on the Review of Regulations Pertaining to Drive-Through Restaurants Ms. Sadlier reported on the review of regulations pertaining to drive-through restaurants via a PowerPoint presentation. She reviewed the following: · Background o Informal requests from property owners/developers o Initial cross-departmental staff review o Scope review by Planning Commission June 19, 2017 o Further staff analysis · Existing current zoning conditions · New current zoning conditions · Considerations - Potential Impacts o Examples § Traffic volume § Noise and air pollution § Visual impacts of car queues § Pedestrian safety § Pedestrian experience · Considerations - Intent of Zone · Considerations - Comprehensive Plan · Potential for criteria/standards · Proposed next steps Discussion: What is driving this topic? · Community inquiry is creating exploratory analysis · Aging population may be interested in this service · Inquiries as to possible inconsistency of current zoning Concern about drive-through establishments being located in bike corridors and future expansion of bike corridors conflicting with additional drive-through establishments. Member of the public, Thomas Schrader spoke on behalf of the review of current regulations regarding drive-through establishments. Feels there should be an easier path for developers and property owners for future growth than a re-zone to allow drive-through establishments. The information was received. 5.B 17-0717 SmartGov Online Portal Rollout Ms. Kenneson presented an update on SmartGov, Community Planning and Development’s new permitting software. She reviewed the following regarding the recent launch of the public online portal via a PowerPoint presentation: · Available online applications City of Olympia Page 2 Land Use & Environment Meeting Minutes July 20, 2017 Committee · Portal statistics as of July 20, 2017 · Efficiencies o Customer convenience - apply, pay, issue permits from home or office o Changing permit counter to a virtual counter o Mobile application for inspectors · Official hard launch scheduled for September 5, 2017 o Wide-scale advertising and communication · Demonstrated of the ease of applying and paying for a permit online · What’s next o Blue Beam - online plan review tool o Expand permit types o All permits online by July 1, 2018 o All digital submittals (no more paper) by December 31, 2018 · Land records are permanent o Over 600 public disclosure requests per year § .5 full time employee worth of hours fulfilling requests § 95% of requests are for historic land records accessible only on microfilm o Future goal is to have land records digitized from microfilm § Import images into SmartGov · Self-serve public access to all land records · Reduce public disclosure requests and staff time Discussion: · Current bugs · Upcoming advertising · Going paperless o Most likely there will still be paper plans used on-site at project locations The information was received. 5.C 17-0749 ‘Missing Middle’ Infill Housing Analysis Mr. Bauer presented an update on ‘Missing Middle’ infill housing analysis. He reviewed the following: · Four workgroup meetings to date o Overall considerations from the workgroup to keep in mind throughout the process § Market effects: enough demand to support a market; not such high demand as to stimulate unnecessary demolition of existing houses § Financing: help demonstrate feasibility to lenders § Permit process: make it easy, fast, predictable, with reasonable fees § Community livability: walkable, transit access, supportive of neighborhood services City of Olympia Page 3 Land Use & Environment Meeting Minutes July 20, 2017 Committee § Effects on land values: be aware of potential upward or downward effects; on sites with missing middle housing and on neighboring properties Mr. Bauer handed out a scope of issues for review matrix and reviewed the document. Discussion: · Keep in mind relationship of missing middle infill housing in proximately to neighborhood centers · Difficulty creating density and affordability without increasing multifamily developments · Clear communication about the adaptability of the process may help address fear of potential change · Make sure to identify the underlying reason for requiring owner to live on property if wanting to build an ADU The information was received. 6. REPORTS AND UPDATES Sam Green from the Eastside Neighborhood Association, presented an update on the neighborhood’s preliminary work of its sub-area plan. Ms. Sullivan presented a briefing on the Parking Strategy progress. She reviewed the following via a PowerPoint presentation: · Progress since May 30, 2017 o Completed the data collection report o Draft guiding principles and strategies o Started parking garage feasibility study o Held an open house on July 13, 2017 o Presented at the Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee meeting on July 19, 2017 · Snapshot of findings o Today Downtown has sufficient parking capacity within study area o On-street parking is near or at capacity § Downtown core § During lunch hour § Saturday and evenings o People coming Downtown don’t know where to park, are frustrated and sometimes leave · Principles guide our recommendations · Invest in new tools · Improve on-street parking - support retail uses in core · Reinvigorate off-street parking · Pursue City-led shared parking program · Plan for a parking garage City of Olympia Page 4 Land Use & Environment Meeting Minutes July 20, 2017 Committee · Evaluate residential parking · Survey answers · Future schedule Mr. Hoey reported on the following: · Tom Crawford of People for a Carbon Free Olympia (PCFO) recently sent a request to the Land Use and Environment Committee (LUEC) asking that the City comment on Puget Sound Energy’s (PSE) current rate request before the State Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC). · PCFO’s concern is that PSE is continuing to invest in coal powered electricity generation, counter to Olympia’s goals related to climate change. The LUEC supported the request and recommends that staff draft a letter for City Council that would be submitted prior to the UTC hearing in Olympia on August 31st. The LUEC suggested that the letter emphasize the long-term financial risks associated with continued investments in coal technology. The letter should also suggest that PSE not pursue short-term, lower cost natural gas options, and that renewable energy makes a better business case in the long-term. Mr. Stahley reported on the start of the construction of Annie’s Flats project. He also mentioned that Councilmember Gilman and he toured the Drexel II property. 7. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 7:46 p.m. City of Olympia Page 5