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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Committees - Planning and Economic Development Committee - 06/16/1992 CITY OF ILZID�� CITY COUNCIL PLANNING COMMITTEE MINUTES v7acT§�, JUNE 16, 1992 4:00 PM COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT OTHER CITY STAFF Leona Orr, Chair Tom Brubaker Jim Bennett Alana McIalwain Judy Woods PLANNING STAFF GUESTS Lin Ball Barbara Simpson, Acting Director Sharon Clamp Chamber of Commerce Jim Harris Kevin O'Neill Fred Satterstrom Margaret Porter GROWTH MANAGEMENT UPDATE - (F. SATTERSTROM) Planning Manager Fred Satterstrom stated the Growth Management Planning Council (GMPC) recently held hearings in local communities and several changes have been made to the recommended GMPC goals and policies. These changes will be the subject of a upcoming hearing of the King County Council on Monday, June 22, 1992. Planner Kevin O'Neill has reviewed the differences between the original GMPC recommendations and those which will be heard on June 22 . Kevin O'Neill distributed a summary and reviewed the major amendments. Planning Director James Harris is concerned about the tight timelines involved with the new policies. Barbara Simpson, Acting Director of the Kent Chamber of Commerce, stated the Chamber is very concerned that economic impact is not part of the plan, and they are concerned about the issue of affordable housing. The Chamber feels these issues need to be part of the package and to increase land values in urban centers would be detrimental to keeping jobs in the area. HUMAN SERVICES ROUNDTABLE UPDATE (L. BALL) Lin Ball reported that the Human Services Roundtable is continuing to look at existing services and programs that address child abuse and neglect. The Roundtable's May meeting featured Kip Tokuda, Executive Director of the Governor's Council on Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect. Mr. Tokuda reported that prevention works, however, it is one of the hardest items to fund because it is difficult to measure the results. The Roundtable is continuing to CITY COUNCIL PLANNING COMMITTEE MINUTES JUNE 16, 1992 PAGE 2 study information in order to decide what route they want to take in their 1993 program on child and youth issues. Phase I of the Roundtable's housing access information and referral project which addresses individuals at risk of becoming homeless is complete. The Roundtable contracted with Gambrell & Associates to determine what housing support and information and referral services are available in King County. Phase II of the project will look at successful models throughout the country, specifically coordinating services and providing more effective use of funds. The Domestic Abused Women's Network (DAWN) confidential shelter will open in July. A contractor is currently renovating the site, and a shelter coordinator has been hired. Transitional shelter housing is scheduled to open January 1993 . A domestic violence data base is being maintained by the County. Statistics relating to Kent will be presented at a future meeting. TEAM DOWNTOWN UPDATE (F. SATTERSTROM) Fred Satterstrom explained that Team Downtown started in September 1991 with a series of retreats convened by Dee Moschel and the Kent Downtown Association in cooperation with the Chamber of Commerce. It brought together people concerned about the downtown area. Problems and opportunities in downtown were identified and participants expressed their preferences. As a result of the retreats, a great deal of energy was spent getting people together to talk about downtown, the future of Kent Downtown Association, and determining what people foresee in terms of management of the downtown area. This effort relates to the City Council's downtown revitalization goals but is independent of the City's downtown planning and rezoning plan. Currently Team Downtown's efforts are more directed at downtown management and coordination rather than development programs and zoning and land use planning concerns. The results of the September 1991 retreat led to interviews of approximately 70 individuals. The City of Kent, through an EDC grant, provided funding for a consultant to compile a report which was presented at a large community meeting at the Kent Library on March 31, 1992 . As a result, three task forces were formed: planning, organization committee, and retail committee. A fund- raising program has begun, and their goal is to raise $25, 000 by June 30, 1992. Team Downtown has adopted bylaws, a job description for a downtown manager/coordinator, a preliminary budget, and are forming a board of directors. They will unveil their strategy at a breakfast meeting to be held at 7: 30 a.m. on June 30. CITY COUNCIL PLANNING COMMITTEE MINUTES JUNE 16, 1992 PAGE 3 URBAN GROWTH AREA (K. O'NEILL) Kevin O'Neill stated that the Growth Management Act requires each county to impose an urban growth area. The Growth Management Planning Council has proposed a countywide urban growth area, however, the ultimate decision on this area will be made by the King County Council in conjunction with the cities of King County. The City of Kent needs to look at its own interim growth area because it is necessary for the City to determine the boundaries within which the new comprehensive plan will be prepared. The alternatives are based on existing policies of one kind or another and are all within the urban area proposed by the Growth Management Planning Council. Alternative 1 is a very tight boundary encompassing the present city limits plus a small area to the northeast. The area outside of the city limits represents an area which the City currently has both water and sewer franchises. Alternative lA is slightly larger than Alternative 1 and includes land in which the City has either water or sewer franchises, but not necessarily both. Alternative 2 is based on the City's priority annexation area map which the Kent City Council adopted in 1989. This area is consistent with the City's current planning area boundary. Alternative 3 is very similar to the city's existing planning area boundary. The only difference is that it includes the Panther Lake area which is not presently part of the City's planning area. This area has been included in this alternative since it is presently served by the Kent Fire Department and is also part of the Kent School District. Alternative 4 includes all of the area in Alternative 3 and extends the eastern boundary east of Big Soos Creek to Covington. The proposed boundary east of the existing planning area follows the urban/rural line proposed by the Growth Management Planning Council. The Planning Commission considered the alternatives at their June 8, 1992 hearing and recommended Alternative 4. Their rational in making this recommendation is that Kent needs to plan for the possibility of the Covington area being designated urban. They feel the area impacts Kent and many of the residents associate themselves with Kent. CITY COUNCIL PLANNING COMMITTEE MINUTES JUNE 16, 1992 PAGE 4 Staff recommends Alternative 3 because it is consistent with existing City policies and the Soos Creek Plan. Fred Satterstrom stated that Alternative 4 was offered as an extreme example for discussion purposes only. At the Planning Commission meeting staff did not have a great deal of information about who provides services to Covington. James Harris questions if Kent can service the Covington area and wonders if Kent can provide services that, in time, Covington can provide for itself with its own tax base. Kevin O'Neill feels the Planning Commission may have been making a distinction between a planning area and an urban growth area. He believes the Planning Commission may be saying that we should plan for the Covington area but may not necessarily want to annex it. However, the intent of the Growth Management Act and the Countywide Planning Policies seems to be that the planning area and urban growth area be consistent. James Harris pointed out that Kent has gone on record with the County as agreeing with the growth boundary in the Soos Creek Plan. Council President Woods stated Councilmember Johnson has indicated strong support for Alternative 3 . Chair Orr prefers Alternative 3 but would like information on what it would take for Kent to service the Covington area and if servicing Covington is even realistic. Councilmember Bennett favors Alternative 3 and would also like information on servicing the Covington area. ADDED ITEMS Chair Orr stated the work release issue needs to be scheduled for a future meeting. The citizens concerned about this issue will contact Chair Orr to advise her of a convenient time for them to meet with the Committee. This is a separate issue from the Regional Justice Center. At a recent Public Safety Committee meeting, it was decided to bring this issue to Planning Committee to resolve distance and siting issues. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 5: 10 p.m. PC0616.92