HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Meeting - Council - Minutes - 01/07/1997 Kent, Washington
January 7, 1997
The regular meeting of the Kent City Council was called to order
at 7: 00 p.m. by Mayor White. Present: Councilmembers Bennett,
Clark, Epperly (arrived at 7 : 05) , Houser (arrived at 7: 15) ,
Johnson, Orr and Woods, Operations Director/Chief of Staff
McFall, City Attorney Lubovich, Planning Director Harris, Public
Works Director Wickstrom, Fire Chief Angelo, Police Chief
Crawford, Finance Director Miller, Information Services Director
Spang, Parks Director Hodgson, and Employee Services Director
Viseth. Approximately 20 people were at the meeting.
PUBLIC State of the City Address. Mayor White presented
COMMUNICATIONS his State of the City Address, noting that 1996
has been the most significant year of change in
the city's history. He pointed out that the
Meridian Annexation increased the size of the
city by 5. 3 square miles and nearly 15, 000 resi-
dents. He added that staff has been reduced from
12 . 7 to 10. 3 per 1, 000 population, and said that
though he is committed to maintaining a small,
productive work force, staffing levels must be
balanced against delivery requirements.
Mayor White highlighted the accomplishments of
each department, including legislation regulating
adult entertainers, purchase of the Centennial
Center, National accreditation, the success of
the teen programs and skate park, completion of
Phase I of the Green River Natural Resource
Enhancement project, and awards received.
The Mayor noted that challenges to be faced in
the coming year include the impact of sales tax
exemptions to certain business groups, increased
interest in annexation, increased pressures on
emergency services, finalization of the Downtown
Strategic Plan, the impact of changes in the
telecommunications industry, and maintaining
services and infrastructure.
Employee of the Month. Mayor White introduced
Dea Drake of the Information Services Graphics
Department, and announced that she has been
selected as Employee of the Month for January.
The Mayor explained that Ms. Drake designed the
City's cable television channel, which has set a
standard for surrounding cities . He noted that
she is also involved in designing, administering,
printing and scheduling mailers, saving the City
a great deal of postage dollars. Ms. Drake' s
supervisor, Information Services Director Spang,
stated that she is an outstanding employee, and
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January 7 , 1997
her for her sense of responsibility and
PUBLIC commended �.
COMMUNICATIONS her caring attitude. The Mayor then presented
her with the Employee of the Month plaque.
Wav Back Inn. Michael Evans, President of the
Way Back Inn, explained that they have remodeled
and repaired a house donated by the City near
French Field, and that approximately four
homeless families with children live in it each
year. Evans stated that they have had this
house for five years, and presented the Mayor
with a Certificate of Appreciation. Mayor White
expressed gratitude for the Way Back Inn' s con-
tribution to the community.
CONSENT Steve O'Connor requested that Item C be removed
CALENDAR from the Consent Calendar. There was no objec-
tion from Council. HDUand EObeDapprovedthat nsOrr
ent
Calendar Items A, B,
seconded and the motion carried.
MINUTES (CONSENT CALENDAR - ITEM 3A)
Approval of Minutes. APPROVAL of the minute1996 .
the regular Council meeting
of December 10,
HEALTH & (CONSENT CALENDAR - ITEM 3E)
SANITATION Cannon Crest Estates. ACCEPTANCE of the bill of
sale for Canyon Crest Estates submitted by Pan' s
Development Corporation for continuous operation
and maintenance of 446 feet of sanitary sewer
line, 560 feet of street improvements, 1,727 feet
of storm sewers and release of bonds after the
expiration period, as recommended by
the Public
Works Director. This project is located at 100th
Avenue South & S. 222nd Street.
STREET (CONSENT CALENDAR - ITEM 3D)
VACATION Saar Street Vacation. ADOPTION of Ordinance
No. 3330 vacating a portion of Saar Street east
of Railroad Avenue, and reserving a utility
easement with related rights.
TELECOMMUNI- (PUBLIC HEARINGS - ITEM 2A)
CATIONS Moratorium on Commercial Wireless Telecommuni-
cations Facilities. This date has been set to
consider a moratorium on the issuance of land use
and development permits for commercial wireless
telecommunications facilities. City staff has
received an increasing number of permit appli-
cations for these facilities. The purpose of the
moratorium is to allow time for the City to
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January 7, 1997
TELECOMMUNI- consider the impacts and different options
CATIONS available before issuing permits for these
telecommunications facilities.
Assistant City Attorney Brubaker explained that
the moratorium would be on the placement of
antenna devices, which are usually attached to
poles, buildings or other structures. He voiced
concern about impacts on the city, including
interference with the city's 800 MHz Life Safety
911 System, the siting and aesthetics of the
devices, and the effect of electromagnetic
radiation on individuals. He said staff and
the Planning Committee recommend a six month
moratorium on permits to study these impacts.
Brubaker noted for Orr that if adopted now, the
moratorium would take effect immediately.
Mayor White opened the public hearing. Chris
Fischer, Director of Valley Communications
Center, spoke in support of the moratorium, and
asked for an opportunity to participate in the
study of impacts and to provide input as
ordinances are drafted.
There were no further comments and WOODS MOVED to
close the public hearing. Orr seconded and the
motion carried.
CLARK MOVED to adopt Resolution No. 1487 imposing
a moratorium on the issuance of land use and
development permits for commercial wireless tele-
communications facilities. Orr seconded. Clark
emphasized that the city wants to encourage the
development of further communications capabili-
ties, but that if it is unplanned, significant
problems can result. He said it is in the city's
best interest to refine this issue, and that the
moratorium is simply a study period which will
result in the best service to citizens. His
motion then carried.
PLANNING (CONSENT CALENDAR - ITEM 3C)
(REMOVED BY COUNCIL AT THE REQUEST OF STEVE
O'CONNOR)
Agricultural Preservation Position Statement.
The Planning Department has recommended approval
of the Agricultural Preservation Position
Statement.
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January 7, 1997
PLANNING Steve O'Connor, 702 5th Avenue South, Kent, noted that his family .owns the Torrance property which
has been designated for annexation. He said that
the City is building a 5-lane highway through an
agricultural area and is condemning agricul-
turally designated properties to do so. He said
his family supports the 277th road project, and
that their property is not suited for commercial
agriculture. He asked the City to consider the
potential of their property and to reconsider
action on this issue when they can provide input.
He noted that theirs is the only property in the
proposed annexation area which will be affected,
because the others have had their development
rights purchased. He added that if this policy
is adopted, they can no longer participate in the
annexation process. Upon Houser's question,
O'Connor said they believe the property would be
properly designated as commercial or industrial,
and that they are willing to work with the city
on this issue.
ORR MOVED to approve the Position Statement on
Agricultural Preservation as recommended by the
Planning Committee. Clark seconded. Orr noted
that other alternatives are being considered, and
that this Statement is a result of actions taken
by King County with no regard to the City' s
Comprehensive Plan. She said this Position
Statement changes nothing and is a reiteration of
the City' s position on agricultural lands. She
added that the Planning Committee is researching
transfer and purchase of development rights
issues along with this. She reiterated that this
is not aimed at any individual's piece of pro-
perty, but is a statement for King County's
benefit.
Clark said that the intent is not for that area
to become a major intersection. He said it is
his opinion that the nature of the agricultural
district will not be changed. Johnson noted that
the Planning Committee discussed restating their
position on the preservation of agricultural
lands and giving direction to staff to develop
another policy dealing with lands which are
designated for agricultural use whose owners
would like alternative uses.
Orr' s motion to approve the Position Statement
then carried.
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January 7, 1997
" PLAT (OTHER BUSINESS - ITEM 4A)
Stillwater Shadows Final Plat FSU-96-23. This
date has been set to consider the Stillwater
Shadows Final Plat. The plat is located at 132nd
Avenue SE and SE 261st Street and is 4 . 89 acres
in size. The preliminary plat was approved by
King County and came under Kent's jurisdiction
upon annexation.
ORR MOVED to approve Stillwater Shadows Final
Plat (King County Ordinance No. 12059 and File
No. L94P0019) and to authorize the Mayor to sign
the final plat mylar, as recommended by staff.
Bennett seconded and the motion carried.
ZONING CODE (OTHER BUSINESS - ITEM 4B)
Mixed use Zoning - Zoning Code Amendment
ZCA-96-5. The Land Use and Planning Board held
public hearings on the Mixed Use Zoning Code
Amendment on October 28 and November 25, 1996.
Due to the complexity of this item, staff re-
quests that it be sent to the Planning Committee
for review prior to presentation to the full
Council for adoption.
Kevin O'Neill of the Planning Department noted
that when the Comprehensive Plan was being put
together, there was much discussion on mixed use
development, and that this involves proposed
zoning amendments to three zoning districts, as
well as changes to permitted uses, development
standards, densities and possible administrative
design review. He said for those reasons staff
feels it is important that this issue go to the
Planning Committee to address any concerns before
coming to the Council.
ORR MOVED that this item be sent to the Planning
Committee. Woods seconded and the motion
carried.
(OTHER BUSINESS - ITEM 4D)
Administrative Variance Procedures - zoning Code
Amendment ZCA-96-7. The Land Use and Planning
Board proposes an amendment to the Kent Zoning
Code which would implement Administrative
Variance procedures, expand the use of joint use
of parking facilities and implement new transit
and rideshare provisions, and increase the
maximum allowable size of detached accessory
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January 7, 1997
ZONING CODE dwelling units that can be converted from V
existing accessory buildings.
Matt Jackson of the Planning Department explained
the changes as follows:
1. Expand the administrative authority of the
Planning Director allowing him to grant
variances for lot coverage, building setbacks
and building height for minor requests which
have been approved by the Hearing Examiner.
2 . Expand the current shared use of parking for
businesses which would like to make joint
use of a facility and establishment of reduc-
tions for minimum parking standards for those
businesses which have executed Commute Trip
Reduction programs with the city, as well as
provide relief for those businesses which
have car pool and dedicated van pool parking
available to employees.
3 . Amend the accessory dwelling ordinance to
allow a larger maximum size for legally
established detached accessory buildings to
be converted to ADUs.
Jackson noted for Mayor White that this will
speed up the process, and clarified for Orr that
the public notice requirement is ten days and the
Planning Director may reduce the minimum number
of off-street parking stalls for businesses which
have a Commute Trip Reduction program filed with
the city by up to 25%. He also explained that if
someone wanted to go into a joint use agreement,
they would have to execute an agreement which
would encumber those stalls to be used for those
particular businesses, and if there was a change
of use or redevelopment, there would be another
review.
ORR MOVED to approve the Administrative Variance
Procedures Zoning Code Amendment ZCA-96-7 as
recommended by the Land Use and Planning Board,
and to direct the City Attorney to prepare the
necessary ordinance. Woods seconded and the
motion carried.
COMPREHENSIVE (OTHER BUSINESS - ITEM 4C)
PLAN 1996 Comprehensive Plan Amendments CPA-96-3 (A-G)
and Zoning may Changes CPZ-96-1-5. On
November 25, 1996, the Land Use and Planning
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January 7, 1997
COMPREHENSIVE Board held a public hearing to consider the pro-
PLAN posed 1996 annual Comprehensive Plan and zoning
map amendments. Five sites were recommended for
approval by the Board (Coblentz CPA-96-3 (A) &
CPZ-96-1; Prouty/Ruth CPA-96-3 (B) & CPZ-96-2;
City of Kent Planning Department CPA-96-3 (E) &
CPZ-96-5; City of Kent Finance Department
CPA-96-3 (F) ; and City of Kent Public Works
Department CPA-96-3 (G) ) . One site was recom-
mended for denial (Lewis applications CPA-96-3 (C)
and CPZ-96-3) , and one set of applications was
withdrawn (Robbins CPA-96-3 (D) and CPZ-96-4) .
Kevin O'Neill of the Planning Department pointed
out the locations and explained the seven
amendments as follows:
Proposal A - A change to the Land Use Plan Map
from Residential (SF-6) to Commercial for
property located at 22320 88th Avenue South
(Coblentz - CPA-93-3 (A) & CPZ-96-1) . The board
is recommending that a portion of the applicants'
property be redesigned as Industrial in the
comprehensive plan and CM-1 on the zoning map.
Proposal B - A change to the Land Use Plan Map
from SF-1 to SF-6 for property located at the
southwest corner of 104th Avenue SE and SE 272nd
Street (Prouty CPA-96-3 (B) & CPZ-96-2) . The
Board is recommending that the applicants'
property be redesignated as SF-6 in the compre-
hensive plan and SR-4 . 5 on the zoning map.
Proposal C - A change to the Land Use Plan Map
from SF-6 to Low Density Multi-Family Residential
on property located at 25840 135th Lane SE (Lewis
CPA-96-3 (C) & CPZ-96-3) . The Board is recom-
mending that the proposed redesignation of the
applicants' property to Low Density Multi-Family
Residential on the comprehensive plan and MRG on
the zoning map not be approved.
Proposal D - A change to the Land Use Plan Map
from SF-6 to Neighborhood Services for property
located at the northeast corner of 116th Avenue
SE and Kent Kangley (Robbins CPA-96-3 (D) &
CPZ-96-4) . This application was withdrawn due to
lack of proper public notice by the applicant.
Hence, there was no action taken by the Board on
this application.
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January 7, 1997
COMPREHENSIVE Proposal E - A change to the Land Use Plan Map
PLAN from Low Density Multi-Family Residential to
Commercial for property located at the southeast
corner of 132nd Avenue SE and SE 270th Street
(Kent Planning Department CPA-96-3 (E) & CPZ-96-5.
The Board is recommending that the applicant' s
property be redesignated as Commercial in the
comprehensive plan and CC, Community Commercial
on the zoning map.
Proposal F - Amendments to the Capital Facilities
Element to update capital facilities inventories,
financial information and project summaries (Kent
Finance Department CPA-96-3 (F) . The Board is
recommending that the Capital Facilities Element
be amended as outlined by the Finance Department.
Proposal G - Amendments to the Transportation
Element to update financial information and
project summaries (Kent Public Works Department
CPA-96-3 (G) . The Board is recommending that the
Transportation Element be amended as outlined by
the Pubic Works Department.
O'Neill noted receipt of a letter from Joel
Haggard of the Haggard Law Office regarding
Proposal C (George Lewis) .
Upon Orr's question, McFall explained that
the figure shown on page 8-8 of the Capital
Facilities Element for the Centennial Center
reflects the entire size of the building because
the City owns the entire building. It was noted
that the City currently occupies approximately
one-third of the space.
ORR MOVED to adopt the recommendations of the
Land Use and Planning Board for the 1996
Comprehensive Plan Amendments and Zoning Map
Changes, to direct the City Attorney to prepare
the necessary ordinance(s) , and to make the
letter from the Haggard Law Office a part of the
record. Bennett seconded and the motion carried.
FINANCE (CONSENT CALENDAR - ITEM 3B)
Approval of Bills. APPROVAL of payment of the
bills received through December 16 and paid on
December 16, 1996, after auditing by the
Operations Committee on December 18, 1996.
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January 7, 1997
FINANCE Approval of checks issued for vouchers:
Date Check Numbers Amount
12/16/96 177275-177892 $1,868, 586. 20
Approval of checks issued for payroll for
November 16 through November 30, 1996 and paid on
December 5, 1996; also checks issued for payroll
for December 1 through December 15, 1996 and paid
on December 20, 1996 :
Date Check Numbers Amount
12/5/96 Checks 216020-216366 $ 251, 062 .29
12/5/96 Advices 40485-41070 611, 653 .47
$ 862 , 715.76
12/20/96 Checks 216367-216637 $ 238, 296. 12
12/20/96 Advices 41071-41539 613 ,866. 67
$ 852, 162 .79
Amendment to advice numbers reported for
November 20, 1996:
11/20/96 Advice # 40028-40484
REPORTS Operations Committee. Johnson noted that the
- Committee will meet at 4 : 30 on Wednesday,
January 15.
Public Works Committee. Clark noted that the
Committee will meet at 3 : 30 on Wednesday,
January 15.
Planning Committee. Orr noted that the Committee
will meet at 4: 00 on Tuesday, January 21.
Administrative Reports. McFall announced that
there will be a storm damage clean up program at
Russell Road Park on the weekend of January 18th.
McFall also noted that a workshop on the Downtown
Strategic Plan is scheduled for 6: 00 p.m. on
January 21 in the Council Chambers.
EXECUTIVE At 8: 00 p.m. McFall announced an executive.
SESSION session on labor negotiations, and noted that
(Police) there will not be a matter of property
acquisition to discuss.
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January 7, 1997
EXECUTIVE The meeting reconvened at 8: 15 p.m.
SESSION
Labor Negotiations. BENNETT MOVED to authorize
the Mayor to sign the labor agreement with the
International Association of Firefighters Local
1747 representing the Assistant Fire Chiefs for
a contract period January 1, 1997 through
December 31, 1999. Epperly seconded and the
motion carried.
ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 8: 15 p.m.
Brenda Jacober, MC
City Clerk i
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