HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Committees - Land Use and Planning Board - 07/22/2013 (4)
LAND USE & PLANNING BOARD
MINUTES
JULY 22, 2013
Land Use & Planning Board Members: Chair Jack Ottini, Vice Chair Barbara Phillips,
Frank Cornelius, Steve Dowell, Navdeep Gill , Alan Gray, and Randall Smith. Ottini called the
meeting to order at 7:00 pm.
City Staff: Planning Director Fred Satterstrom, Planning Manager Charlene Anderson, Long-
Range Planner Gloria Gould-Wessen, Assistant City Attorney David Galazin
3. Approval of Minutes
Board member Gray Moved and Board member Phillips Seconded a Motion to
approve the July 8, 2013 Minutes. Motion CARRIED 7-0.
4. Added Items - None
5. Communications in the form of comments received will be submitted for the record
by Gould-Wessen.
6. Notice of Upcoming Meetings - None
7. Public Hearing
7.1 ZCA-2013-1 Residential Facilities Regulations Code Amendment
Graves reported that these amendments relate to residential facilities, group care, and
group living facilities in Kent City Code (KCC) Title 15, Zoning. Amendments include
clarifying definitions for different types of residential facilities, removing ambiguity, and
updating the residential land use table and KCC for consistency with state laws and
regulations. A new definitions have been added for “assisted living facility”, “family”,
“residential facility with health care”, and “transitional housing.” .
Chair Ottini opened the Public Hearing. Seeing no speakers Ottini closed the public hearing.
After brief deliberations, Dowell MOVED and Smith SECONDED a Motion to approve
ZCA-2013-1 residential, group care, and group living facilities amendments as
recommended by staff. Motion PASSED 7-0 without opposition.
7.2 Downtown Subarea Action Plan (DSAP) (CPZ/CPA-2012-1) and DSAP Zoning
Districts & Comprehensive Plan Map Amendments; Draft DSAP Supplemental
Environmental Impact Statement (DSEIS)
Gould-Wessen stated that the first public hearing was held on July 8th with the Board’s
concurrence to continue the hearing to July 22nd. Gould-Wessen submitted six comments
for the record defined as Exhibit Numbers 4-9: (4) from Joseph Bento, North Park resident
voicing opposition to any zoning changes.; (5) from Len McCaughan, supportive of changes
and would like the city to raise height limits; (6) from Michelle & Gerald Warren North Park
property owners supportive of redevelopment changes; (7) from Ryan Czaplinski opposes
rezoning and spoke about traffic issues along First Avenue; (8) from Washington State
Department of Transportation(WSDOT) speaking to concerns regarding Le vels of Service
(LOS) Standards; (9) from Roderick McPhee on behalf of North Park Residents with ‘13’
signatures of residents who wish to preserve the integrity of their existing single family
homes by leaving the zoning in North Park unchanged.
Gray MOVED and Dowell Seconded a Motion to accept the ‘6’ exhibits into the
record. Motion PASSED 7-0.
LUPB Minutes
July 22, 2013
Page 2 of 3
In response to questions raised during the July 8 th Hearing, Gould-Wessen defined
‘Affordable Housing” as most often referring to home sales prices and rent payments
affordable to household income levels 80% or less of Area Median Income. In 2012, the
AMI for a family of 2.4 persons in King County was $73,920 .
Gould-Wessen described the zoning history for the DSAP Study Area (the Area) which
includes areas of the North Park Neighborhood. She stated that in 1984 property located
north of James street was zoned Duplex Multifamily Residential (MRD); in 1990 the Area
was down-zoned to Residential 5,000 sq. ft. (R1-5.0); in 1997 the Area was zoned Single
Family 8 (SR-8); and in 2005 parcels located on the northern side and along James Street
was zoned Downtown Commercial Enterprise (DCE) with a buffer zone of Multifamily
Residential Townhouse (MRT-16) separating properties in the SR-8 single-family zoning
district from the DCE by approximately 360 feet.
Gould-Wessen presented proposed code amendments defined as ZCA-2013-2 Mixed-Use
Overlay Regulations Code Amendment proposals for the Board’s consideration related to
KCC Title 15, Zoning; Chapter 15.02 Definitions, as well as 15.04.190, 195, 200, 205, and
15.09.046 related to the General Commercial (GC) zoning district, and correcting a code
reference to design guidelines within downtown.
Gould-Wessen spoke about the impacts of rezoning General Commercial (GC) to General
Commercial Mixed Use (GC-MU). She stated that the amendments maintain allowable uses
in the GC-MU zone, increases allowable building height, and adds design review. Regulatory
changes will affect areas outside the downtown area and will apply city-wide. She pointed
out that the amendments change the mixed-use development definition, increases building
height to 65 feet, amends the mixed-use development standards by removing the Floor
Area Ratio language and Off-Street Parking points to KCC 15.05 off-street parking
standards.
Gould-Wessen stated that the Actions are guidance for implementing the DSAP. She stated
that the DSEIS evaluates 3 Land Use Alternatives, new Land Use Plan and Zoning Districts
Maps, new development regulations, expanded Downtown Design Guidelines, and the SEIS
will be used to develop the Planned Action & Infill Exemption Ordinances.
Board members questioned how many rental units exist north of James Street, why the City
feels it necessary to rezone property to DCE at this time which will eventually erode North
Park (a viable residential neighborhood). In response Gould -Wessen stated that these
changes have been generated by Economic & Community Development staff and the
Downtown Steering Committee as part of a team.
Satterstrom stated that although no North Park residents were represented on the Steering
Committee, they have been kept informed throughout this DSAP update process. He stated
that given the DCE regulations and zoning on the site near North Park, the potential for
large commercial development would likely be something of five-stories or less and would
maximize the building environment in downtown. Satterstrom stated that any building
development will be required to go through the design review process. Staff is proposing
DCE due to market pressures, and that this zoning provides more flexibility with the
potential to draw developers and investors to Kent.
Ottini Opened the Public Hearing.
Len McCaughan, 623 E. Titus St., Kent, WA 98030 stated that he supports changes in
downtown Kent and that Kent needs more high rises, apartments and a parking garage.
Ralph LoPriore, 1819 West Meeker St., Kent, WA 98030 stated he opposes any zoning
changes and wants Kent to retain the GC zone. He opined that Kent should focus on
revitalizing mobile home parks and limit their usage.
LUPB Minutes
July 22, 2013
Page 3 of 3
Tina Budell, 323 W. Cloudy St., Kent, WA 98032 stated she is the president of the North
Park Neighborhood Council. She painted a visual picture of those residents who live in her
community and of those who live in the rental properties emphasi zing the need to protect
their community and not rezone.
Chuck Maduell, 1201 3rd Ave #2200, Seattle, WA 98101 stated that he represents K-Mart
Corporation. He stated that a rezone to GC-MU would restrict K-Mart’s ability to redevelop.
He stated that he supports the majority of the proposed changes with one exception; some
of the design guidelines which regulate the area along the street would require that the
entire parking lot be replaced in order to convert it into a more pedestrian-oriented space
and would trigger design review. Maduell voiced opposition to applying the GC-MU zone
west of SR-167.
Discussion between Maduell and the Board ensued over the merits of the Design Guidelines
with Gould-Wessen stating that the Design Guidelines Update is Phase II of this process
with staff’s intent to make the Design Guidelines more applicable to the GC-MU.
Satterstrom stated that essentially the design guidelines are intended for use with Class A
and Class B Streets which is essentially the historic downtown where businesses front on
the street and where pedestrians can walk along a continuous walled building.
In response to concerns raised by the Board Members; Satterstrom stated that there is no
indication that K-Mart would lose their parking lot. He stated that design review is a
collaborative effort where the City strives to be flexible, conducting meetings where
discussions are held between City staff, builders and developers to determine what they are
striving to do. When design review is extended west of SR-167 all those streets will likely be
considered as unclassified. Any area in the GC-MU zone that is redeveloped would require
design review and would include architectural review.
Kathi Jones, Realtor with John L Scott, 5405 S 237th Pl, Federal Way, WA spoke in support
of zoning changes. The proposed zoning changes are not a deterrent to progress, rather
they provide the City with opportunities for positive change by giving us design guidelines
and additional choices rather than creating barriers to development. She referred to
successful developments such as High Point Development in Seattle, and the Richmond
American Home Developers who have built single family homes, integrating all levels of
housing. She stated that people need to consider that much of Kent’s housing stock was
built over 50 years ago, has become obsolete, and can no longer meet certain thresholds
such as handicap accessibility. The zoning should be in place for those who wish to sell for
opportunistic reasons to developers. Jones emphasized that no one is being pushed out of
their homes and spoke about a program that offers free down payment money for those
people who meet certain criteria for homeownership.
Gerald Peterson, 924 3rd Ave N, Kent, WA 98030 stated that he supports development of
modest affordable housing in downtown Kent, and that he would prefer stores be developed
along First Avenue rather than downtown. He stated that he does not consider downtown
Kent to be historic in nature.
Rita Lo Priore, 1819 W Meeker, Kent, WA 98030 stated that she opposes rezoning to GC-MU
as it could erode property value and increase taxation for residents. She asked that the city
not rezone west of 167 and leave K-Mart alone.
Bruce Malcolm, 944 3rd Avenue N, Kent, WA 98032 stated that he is a North Park resident
opposed to implementing zoning changes for specific parcels near the North Park
Neighborhood. He spoke in opposition to increasing building heights and stated that the
North Park Community had not received notification when the 2005 DSAP was updated.
Upon seeing no further speakers, Ottini Declared the Public Hearing Closed.
LUPB Minutes
July 22, 2013
Page 4 of 3
The Board deliberated at length posing questions and voicing their concerns related to; rules
and regulation changes, impacts to the K-Mart property if rezoned to GC-MU, impacts to the
Cloudy Street area if not rezoned. Gray asked that staff look at what type of mitigating
measures the city could provide the North Park Neighborhood if rezoned to GC-MU to
address that communities concerns. Phillips stated that she wants to hear from the
Economic Development Staff and would like clarification on what K -Mart would be allowed to
redevelop on their site.
Upon concluding deliberations, Ottini MOVED and Phillips SECONDED a Motion to
move CPZ/CPA-2012-1 DSAP; Zoning Districts Comprehensive Plan Map
Amendments and the DSEIS to a Workshop followed by a Regular Meeting on
August 12, 2013. Motion CARRIED 7-0.
Adjournment
Ottini adjourned the meeting at 9:00 pm
________________________________________________
Charlene Anderson, AICP, Planning Manager/Board Secretary