Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Committees - Planning and Economic Development Committee - 07/15/1997 CITY OF ��"� Jim White, Mayor Planning Department (253)859-3390/FAX(253)850-2544 James P.Harris,Planning Director CITY COUNCIL PLANNING COMMITTEE MINUTES July 15, 1997 Planning Committee Members Present: Planning Committee Members Absent: Leona Orr, Chair Jon Johnson Tim Clark Planning Staff City Attorney's Office James P. Harris, Planning Director Tom Brubaker Fred Satterstrom, Planning Manager Kevin O'Neill, Senior Planner Linda Phillips, Planner Margaret Porter, Administrative Assistant III Teresa Beener, Administrative Secretary • CM-2 ZONING DISTRICT REGULATIONS - (F. Satterstrom) Planning Manager Fred Satterstrom explained that the Planning Department has received a regulatory review from Mr. Troy Peterson, President, Special Interest Auto Works. Mr. Satterstrom explained that Special Interest Auto Works is located at Pacific Highway and 248th in the CM-2 zone. The regulatory review is a request to amend the CM-2 Zoning District Regulations to allow towing and impound lots as a conditional use. Mr. Satterstrom explained that it is the Committee's responsibility to determine whether the regulatory review has merit; and if so, send this item to the Land Use and Planning Board for further consideration. Committee member Tim Clark questioned whether this change would effect the business that is currently being operated at Pacific Highway and 248th. Mr. Satterstrom explained that this change would effect all CM-2 zoning districts. He commented that there is only a small area of CM-2 zoning on Pacific Highway and the only other area of CM-2 zoning is located south of downtown along Central Avenue. Troy Peterson, Special Interest Auto Works, 24816 Pacific Highway S., Kent, WA 98032. Mr. Troy Peterson explained that he operates a collision repair shop on Pacific Highway. He explained that they currently have a towing operation, but not for impound. He explained that an impound lot would aid their business. • Currently, they pay other towing companies to store vehicles and transport them to their facility when they are ready to be repaired. He commented that they,have the means to collect the vehicles themselves and would like to enhance their business by having this ability themselves. He i 1_20 4th AVE. SQ.. /KENT.WASHINGTON 98032-5995/'TELEPHONE t206i859-3300/FAX#850-3334 City Council Planning Committee Minutes June 17, 1997 • commented that this seems to be hand in hand with what they are already doing; however,this is not an allowed use in the CM-2 zone. Clark stated that he is concerned with the security issues and questioned the use of guard dogs. Mr. Peterson explained that insurance policies do not allow them to use guard dogs. Planning Director Jim Harris asked Mr. Peterson how many cars they could impound in a 24 hour period. Mr. Peterson explained that they only have one tow truck and could only pick up about ten vehicles. He explained that a vehicle is usually towed either from place to place, to their facility for repair, or to sit for a given period before they go on their way. Mr. Harris questioned if they would ever have a hundred cars parked on the site. Mr. Peterson explained that his site is limited and they do not have room for a hundred cars. Mr. Harris commented that the Special Interest Auto Works site is constricted but a site on S. Central could have more room available to store vehicles. Chair Orr questioned whether the Land Use and Planning Board could set conditions for impound lots. Mr. Harris explained that if this item is approved an application for a conditional use permit would be required. He pointed out that site specific conditions could be set by the Hearing Examiner through the public hearing process when the conditional use permit application is considered. Clark MOVED to send the regulatory review requesting an amendment to the CM-2 Zoning District • Regulations to allow towing and impound lots as a conditional use to the Land Use and Planning Board for further consideration. Chair Orr SECONDED this motion. Motion carried. DOWNTOWN STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN - (L. Phillips) Planning Manager Fred Satterstrom presented a model display of the downtown area. He explained that it will be a living model and will be changed as the downtown area changes. Mr. Satterstrom explained that as part of the grant received the City has produced a video, Downtown Kent a Smart Investment, which was prepared as a promotion for downtown. Mr. Satterstrom played the video. Planner Linda Phillips explained that the plan proposals support and implement the goals in the Comprehensive Plan and are based on Growth Management principles of concentrating growth within areas where facilities can be economically provided and areas where it is easy for people to get public transportation. Ms. Phillips explained that this is very much demonstrated by the fact that commuter rail is coming to Kent and Metro and other facilities are being improved. She explained that it is an ideal place to start to develop residential with good jobs and residential serving businesses. She commented that it's an ideal area for growth to happen in Kent. Ms. Phillips explained that the plan is based on a system of districts. This concept was developed to recognize that there are some activity areas in Kent that serve various purposes as they've developed through the years. 2 City Council Planning Committee Minutes June 17, 1997 Ms. Phillips explained that the Land Use and Planning Board recommended the approval of the Downtown Strategic Action Plan with the changes noted below: • Further study of the commuter rail station location alternatives, both north and south. The north site was recommended by both the consultant group and planning staff and a great deal of downtown business representatives that prefer the south location. • Retain the residential designations for the North Park area east of Fourth Avenue on the north side of James Street. The plan had proposed to rezone a portion North Park of approximately three lots in depth east of Fourth Avenue and north of James Street to a limited Office use. • The residential area between Fourth and Fifth Avenue from James to Cloudy would be designated as mixed use/office. • Eliminate the conceptual parking area shown on the Commons Play field. Develop angle parking on the west side of an improved Fifth Avenue adjacent to the Commons Play Field, north of James Street,and create a drop off and pick up area for children along this improved right-of-way. • Study traffic patterns in North Park for ingress, egress and safety concerns. • Study parking concerns in the Uplands Playfield located between Meeker and Smith Streets adjacent to the Union Pacific Railroad. • Develop realistic costs associated with the plan actions. (Ms. Phillips explained that these . are being worked on by the Public Works and Parks Departments. They are looking at costing out the implementation ideas and will develop some ball park figures which will give an idea of what the public improvements that are recommended will cost.) • Develop a gateway area at the intersection of N. Central Avenue and the Valley Freeway (SR-167). Chair Leona Orr questioned when the realistic costs would be available for review. Planner Linda Phillips stated that those figures should be ready within a week's time. Ms. Phillips explained that the basic layout of the plan includes several district areas and proposals for each area as well as overall proposals. North Frame District. Ms. Phillips explained that this is one of the most discussed districts in the proposal. She outlined the main proposal for the North Frame District which made the following recommendations: • Rezone part of the North Park area • Master plan the Commons Park which would organize the storm water situation, give some parking recommendations, and look at uses as the park relates to the neighbors and the downtown. • Improve James Street by adding sidewalks and bicycle paths. These kind of improvements • will make James Street a really pedestrian friendly area. 3 1 City Council Planning Committee Minutes June 17, 1997 Ms. Phillips explained that one major component of the plan is to connect various areas to be truly • pedestrian oriented with improved pedestrian connections so the City becomes a truly pedestrian town. A place where people work in certain areas, catch the commuter rail, live in other areas, and can get around without taking a car out to do that. North Core Area. This district includes the Borden site, the recommended north rail station location, Smith Street, and also the proposed Market location. Ms. Phillips explained that'the rail station was the most discussed issue. She explained that the historic rail station located between Gowe and Meeker received a lot of support during the hearing process, but the north location alternative, just north of Smith Street, is recommended by the Planning and Transportation staff and the Urban Design Consultants. Senior Planner Kevin O'Neill explained that the Regional Transit Authority (RTA) is the entity responsible for planning the entire regional transit system which includes the commuter rail between Seattle and Tacoma. Mr. O'Neill explained that the RTA is planning to have the commuter rail portion of the plan in place before any of the other systems. The RTA completed an environmental assessment and preliminary draft environmental impact statement back in early 1995. The RTA is required to complete both in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act and the State Environmental Policy Act. • Mr. O'Neill explained that subsequent to the approval of the RTA package the RTA is now updating the environmental analysis. The first part of the environmental analysis they are updating is the section pertaining to the Seattle to Tacoma commuter rail line. He explained that the RTA is also in the process of selecting a consultant who will work with the RTA and each jurisdiction along the commuter rail line, including the City of Kent. RTA is also going to be working with each City to negotiate an interlocal agreement. The interlocal agreement will outline what the RTA responsibilities are versus the local jurisdiction responsibilities. They will also be forming local technical advisory groups to work with each City along the commuter line. The advisory group will include City staff and community representatives. He explained that the interlocal agreements should be distributed in the next few weeks. It is the RTA's hope that the technical advisory groups will be up and ready to go by late August early September. He commented that RTA then hopes to have their preliminary and draft environmental impact statement done by the end of the year. Following a thirty day comment period, RTA will respond to comments and issue a final environmental statement sometime in early 1998. Mr. O'Neill explained that the RTA is aware that there are two alternative locations for the commuter rail station in the City of Kent. He commented that the RTA wrote their scope of work to allow for alternatives. He stated that the RTA will look at both locations in their environmental • assessment. 4 1 � City Council Planning Committee Minutes June 17, 1997 Due to time constraints, Chair Leona Orr decided to stop the staff presentation and allow an opportunity for the citizens to speak. She also explained that this item will be continued to a later date not that has not yet been determined. Paul Hammerschmidt, 814 Fifth Avenue N. Mr. Paul Hammerschmidt is a resident of the North Park area. Mr. Hammerschmidt suggested that the redeveloping the area between Fourth and Fifth north of James should be done as a master plan; not on a property by property basis. He also commented that Fifth Avenue North is very narrow and although it is technically a two lane road it does not support two full size vehicles side by side. He is concerned with the Planning Board's recommendation to add parking for the Commons Park along an already under capacity road. He was also concerned with flooding of neighboring properties and the park itself if the ditch was covered to create parking. Janer Wilford, 3330 S. 253rd. Ms. Janer Wilford represents the St. James Episcopal Thrift Shop. Ms. Wilford commented that the Thrift Shop is happy with their present location at Railroad Avenue and Titus. She explained that the Thrift Shop would prefer not to move. The Thrift Shop serves low income residents in their shopping facilities and through cash donations to the Kent Food Bank and other local agencies from money they raise. Rhonda DeVito, 8220 S. 212th Street. Ms. Rhonda DeVito is concerned with locating the commuter rail station at the south location. She commented that the majority of the industry is to the North and would be more accessible with the north commuter rail station. Ms. DeVito recommended building a parking garage to accommodate the commuter rail station instead of street level parking. Ms. DeVito questioned the City's continued reference to the Borden site. She commented that the Borden site is not for sale and should not be referenced as future development. Ms. DeVito questioned why the Commons Park could not be used for a commuter rail station which would not require any businesses to be relocated and it would be directly accessible to the Kent Park and Ride. Chair Leona Orr questioned which of the tracks would be used for the commuter rail station. Senior Planner Kevin O'Neill explained that the decision on which alignment of tracks to use for the commuter rail station will be ultimately be made by the RTA. Mr. O'Neill explained that the RTA has been negotiating with both Burlington Northern Railroad and the Union Pacific Railroad. Mr. O'Neill stated that there has been no final decision as to which rail line would be used. He explained that the environmental assessment will look at a number of different alternatives. Mr. O'Neill commented that it is the City's expectation that the Burlington Northern route is going to be the preferred route. 5 City Council Planning Committee Minutes June 17, 1997 Chair Leona Orr questioned when this decision would be made. Mr. O'Neill explained that the decision will be made by the end of the environment assessment period. Planning Director Jim Harris explained that the RTA is leaning toward the Burlington Northern/Santa Fe line because of the dual tracks. The Union Pacific has only a single track. Ms. Devito suggested that building a spur off the Union Pacific track could be less expensive than relocating businesses to utilize the Burlington Northern line. Ms. DeVito commented that she is currently a member of the Kent Chamber of Commerce Board which has a Freight Mobility Task Force assembled to study the impacts of grade separation, the ability to get trucks through the City of Kent, and other related freight issues. She questioned why the City is looking at clustering up an area in which they are trying to promote as a nice pedestrian area when the purpose is to bring fewer cars and encourage people to commute to work. She commented that it seems logical to take an open area next to a rail and make a commuter rail station instead of trying to cluster up an area that is already full with businesses. Chair Leona Orr asked for stuff to consider building parking up instead of out. She would like staff to look this at this possibility regardless of the location of the station. Chair Orr commented that she was not aware that the decision of which rail to use had not been made. She commented that she is seriously interested in looking at a parking garage as opposed to street level parking for 500 plus cars. A parking garage could eliminate the need for some businesses to relocate. The income realized from those businesses could eventually pay for any additional costs associated with building a parking structure. Linda Johnson,P. O. Box 557. Ms. Linda Johnson represents the Kent Downtown Partnership and presented the Committee with basic cost analysis comparison for the north and south station locations for the Committee to consider. She also presented the Committee with a preliminary sketches for the parking garage idea. Chair Leona Orr stated that this meeting would be continued to an undetermined date and time. She explained that the citizens would be notified when a time had been set. BILLBOARD ISSUE - (T. Clark) This item was continued to the next regularly scheduled Planning Committee meeting (8/19/97). ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 4i58 p.m. 6