Planning Commission

City Hall City of Olympia 601 4th Avenue E Olympia, WA 98501 Contact: Amy Buckler Meeting Minutes 360.570.5847 Planning Commission Monday, December 9, 2013 6:30 PM Council Chambers 1. CALL TO ORDER Chair Parker called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. 1.A ROLL CALL Present: 9 - Chair Jerome Parker, Vice Chair Judy Bardin, Commissioner Kim Andresen, Commissioner Jessica Bateman, Commissioner Max Brown, Commissioner Darrell Hoppe, Commissioner Roger Horn, Commissioner Carole Richmond, and Commissioner Missy Watts OTHERS PRESENT Staff: Community Planning and Development Deputy Director Leonard Bauer, Associate Planner Amy Buckler, Associate Planner Stacey Ray Guests: University of Washington Research Social Scientist Dr. Kathleen Wolf, Anchor QEA Landscape Architect Betsy Bermingham, Forterra South Sound Green Cities Project Coordinator Jennifer Chang, Parametrix Landscape Architect Darren Sandeno, former Planning Commissioner Paul Ingman 2. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Chair Parker proposed, with all Commissioners in agreement, to postpone public comment until after the presentation on Urban Greenspace. The agenda was approved with a change. Public comment will come after the presentation on Urban Greenspace. 3. BUSINESS ITEMS 13-1006 Special Presentation: Urban Greenspace Ms. Ray discussed the importance of urban greenspace and introduced the panel of four regional experts. Dr. Wolf discussed the wide range of health and community benefits that result from City of Olympia Page 1 Planning Commission Meeting Minutes December 9, 2013 integrating nature into the urban environment. She shared information about preserving, creating, and managing urban greenspace for long-term physical, mental, emotional, social, environmental, and economic benefits. She stressed the need for incorporation of greenspace into the built environment and shared how environmental benefits can be determined using the software tool i-Tree. Ms. Chang spoke about the work of Green City Partnerships which involves volunteers from across generations working to restore and maintain urban greenspace in Tacoma. She talked about some of the projects that the organization Forterra is involved in and shared strategies used to manage invasive species. Ms. Bermingham highlighted her experience with various public recreation and shoreline projects. She was involved in the Percival Landing project and described the efforts to balance restoration objectives with recreation. Mr. Sandeno shared information about his experience with green retrofit projects. He believes the principles of understanding the forces in play; having an opportunistic spirit; encouraging resourcefulness, innovation and synergy; and scalable ideas are critically important. He used the Spring District project in the city of Bellevue to illustrate a successful re-zone from industrial to a blend of mixed-use commercial, residential and retail uses. Discussion: -Role of trees in the Spring District project -How walkability, greenspace and density requirements work together -Place and site appropriate use of plants -The use of greenspace in dense communities for respite -Effects of vegetation in the built environment -Transportation "context sensitive" solutions and narrowing the width of automobile lanes -Differences between being in nature and having a view of nature -Biophilic cities -Strategies to encourage developers to incorporate greenspaces -How mature trees increase property values using hedonic property pricing -Nature versus Cityscape walking benefits The reports were received. 4. PUBLIC COMMENT - None 5. ANNOUNCEMENTS - None 6. INFORMATION REQUESTS - None City of Olympia Page 2 Planning Commission Meeting Minutes December 9, 2013 7. BUSINESS ITEMS CONT. 13-1043 Ms. Buckler spoke about the need to structure the meeting to enable the Commission to make a recommendation included in the staff report, considering the shortened time for discussion due to the presentation. She suggested a timeline for considering issues in the matrix the staff had prepared and submitted to the OPC . Mr. Bauer outlined the decision points with regards to the future land use planning map in the Comprehensive Plan for policy recommendation to the Council. He detailed the specific recommendations for discussion purposes from staff . He reviewed key decision points and summarized policy text recommendations. Discussion: -Vice Chair Bardin voiced concern about protection for current low density neighborhoods. -Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) and density -Vice Chair Bardin expressed concern about the matrix changes and changes in the language of the urban neighborhood proposal Chair Parker moved, seconded by Commissioner Andresen, to move through the matrix. Motion carried with Vice Chair Bardin dissenting. -Mr. Ingman discussed the intention of and the reasons for the language in the 1994 plan related to gateways. He informed the Commission about the gateways in the Urban Neighborhood Proposal. Discussion of Matrix: -On item L14 to replace the language “continuously” with “thorough”. -Language relevant to landscaping and the difficulty of adequately describing intentions for placement of trees, gateways, etc. Chair Parker moved, seconded by Commissioner Andresen, to adopt the language in Option 2 on item L14.1: Establish eight gateways with civic boulevards that are entry/exit pathways along major streets to downtown Olympia and our Capital. Vote - Chair Parker and Commissioners Andresen, Bateman, Watts and Brown in favor, Commissioners Bardin and Hoppe opposed, Commissioners Richmond and Horn abstained. -It was agreed that all issues with no recommendation changes will be accepted. City of Olympia Page 3 Planning Commission Meeting Minutes December 9, 2013 -Consensus was not reached to extend the meeting until 10:00 p.m., so with inadequate time in tonight’s meeting it was agree to postpone a recommendation until next week's meeting. -Zoning requirements for R6 to 12 that allow duplexes, triplexes and townhomes, and zoning requirements for R4 to 8 which do not allow these properties. -Commissioner Andresen has done a sketch showing a density of 14 units per acre. She will work with staff to develop the document to be distributed at the next meeting . The recommendation was discussed and will continue at the next Planning Commission meeting on December 16, 2013. 8. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 13-1018 Approval of November 4, 2013 Planning Commission Meeting Minutes Approval of the minutes was postponed. 13-1019 Approval of November 18, 2013 Planning Commission Meeting Minutes Approval of the minutes was postponed. 9. REPORTS Leadership: Met and discussed the structure for the meeting tonight. Design Review Board: Met last Thursday to discuss a redesign of the Thurston First building . Next Thursday they will discuss the Washington State Employees Credit Union (WSECU) parking structure. Chair Parker urged the Commissioners to look at that project online. It will be a unique approach using a glass wall. Heritage Commission: The meeting was cancelled. Vice Chair Bardin is the liaison and she is not getting notified of meeting dates. Staff will remedy that. Utility Advisory Commission: Commissioner Andresen reported that the last meeting covered the waste resource master plan update with City of Olympia Waste Reduction Specialist Ron Jones . Bike Pedestrian Advisory Committee: Commissioner Horn attended the last meeting with nothing to report. City of Olympia Page 4 Planning Commission Meeting Minutes December 9, 2013 Leadership Team Elections: Commissioner Bateman spoke with Vice Chair Bardin who is interested in Chair and Vice Chair, and with Commissioner Brown who is interested in Chair. Commissioner Brown spoke with Commissioner Bateman who is not interested in either position, with Commissioner Horn who is interested in continuing as Finance Sub-Committee Chair, and with Chair Parker who is not leaving in March, but did not disclose if he was interested in remaining Chair. Chair Parker spoke with Commissioner Andresen who is interested in Vice Chair, and with Commissioner Richmond who is interested in Vice Chair. The interested candidates gave 30 second speeches. Chair Parker shared that he had been contacted by Phil Schulte of the Coalition Of Neighborhood Associations (CNA) after their presentation to the Commission on sub area planning. Mr. Schulte wanted to know if the Commission could collaborate with the CNA on stormwater management. The possibility of holding a forum was suggested with the involvement of the Utilities Advisory Committee. Vice Chair Bardin spoke about the scheduling conflict with CNA meetings , as they often occur on the same night and the possible need of a liaison from the OPC to the CNA. Because of holiday scheduling this month, the Planning Commission has met on the 2nd Monday of the month, the night of the CNA meeting, but typically they meet the 1st and 3rd Mondays. 10. OTHER TOPICS 13-1044 Information from South Sound Estuary Association (SSEA) The provision of information was postponed. 11. ADJOURNMENT Chair Parker adjourned the meeting at 10:06 p.m. City of Olympia Page 5