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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-November 2015November 2015 From Mayor David King Littler Big Town How many people will be living in Port Townsend 20 years from now? Under the Growth Manage- ment act (GMA) Cities and Counties are required to include in their Comprehensive Plans projec- tions of population growth that fall within a range provided by the state Office of Financial Man- agement (OFM). On October 16th The Joint Growth Management Steering Committee (JGMSC) met and agreed to use OFM’s medium projection. As it is left to the discretion of the Counties how those projections are allocated within the County, the JGMSC also agreed on how to distrib- ute projected population growth between the City, the Tri Area UGA (Hadlock Chimacum), the Port Ludlow Master Plan Resort (MPR), the new Brinnon MPR (Paradise Bay.) The agreement is significant because the projections guide our planning for infrastructure invest- ments, roads, sewer, storm water, etc. And, as they may influence access to State and Federal loans and grants for capital investment, the allocation can be an issue between the City and the County. So the unanimous agree- ment is good news. Projections and distributions were last updated in 2003 and those prior projections have been considera- bly higher than the growth we’ve actually seen and have had to be dramatically lowered. For instance, the 2003 adopted projection for Port Townsend predicted a population of 13,329 by 2024. The new projection predicts a population of 12,165 in 2036! We’re at about 9,000 now. Two things to keep in mind. …Or Not Port Townsend has a theoretical carrying capacity of over 30,000 so we are more than adequately sized to accommodate the people who we predict are coming and, as GMA relies heavily on population growth to help limit sprawl, it will be difficult to extend infrastructure outside the established UGAs and MPRs – to Glen Cove for instance –under these parameters. Of course the only thing proven about these projections is their historical inac- curacy and, depending on how people view climate change - which may drive people to move here, or the earth- quake threat from the Cascadia Fault - which may drive people to move away, they may again prove less than prescient. Zoning for the Future Our current zoning may be overly prescriptive. For instance, the Comprehensive Plan envisioned and zoned for the development of five new mixed use centers in specific locations – like the one around Aldrich’s up- town. But none of them have been established or even begun in the 20 years since the plan was adopted. We largely rely on Euclidean zoning codes (named for a landmark Supreme Court decision about Euclid, Ohio, not for the Greek mathematician) which segregates land uses into specified geographic districts and dimensional stand- ards stipulating limitations on development activity within each type of district. There are other zoning models that may be a better fit. Form Based Codes, for instance, regulate the form that land use may take, and less the use itself. Form based zoning would be less about the particular configurations of mixed use centers in very specific locations and more about what they should look like, and how they’d function, in areas designated as appropriate for that kind of development. There are already some Form Based elements in our development regulations as we rely on the Historic Preservation Committee to ensure that all development within our historic district is com- patible. To some extent the unintended consequences of our current zoning code resulted from the population projections of 20 years ago that predicted much more development pressure than we have experienced. On the other hand, one of my favorite community stories is the successful effort in 1999 to prevent Rite Aid from taking over the old bowling alley and the subsequent alliance of diverse stakeholders coming together to relocate the Food Co-op there. But it was community action, not zoning that made that effort successful. We can only try to strike a balance as we adjust to changing circumstances - in this case working to preserve and protect what we value in our community, while providing pathways for the entrepreneurial activity necessary to grow and strength- en our local economy. Monday, November 16th at 6:30 p.m. City Council Public Hearing Moving Forward with the 2016 Periodic Update to the Comprehensive Plan and Development Regulations To those of you who participated in the June Town Meeting, took the on-line survey, sub- mitted written comments , or added your voice to the SpeakUp Discussions, we thank you! From your input we compiled a long list of potential suggested amendments to the Comprehen- sive Plan and Development Regulations. Though this update is primarily focused on amendments mandated by the Growth Man- agement Act (GMA), we would like to address some issues of local importance. Unfortunately, there are many more suggested amendments than we can address with the resources at hand. How are suggested amendments selected? Staff developed a recommendation on which of the optional amendments should be placed on the “docket” for consideration during the 2016 Periodic Update. The recommendation, along with a staff memorandum explaining the selection criteria, was presented to the Planning Commission at the October 22, 2015 public hearing. Based on the staff recommendation, public testimony, and the Planning Commission’s assess- ment of the Comprehensive Plan, the Planning Commission approved a recommended docket for Council consideration. On November 16, 2015, the City Council will hold a public hearing and review the Planning Commission’s recommended docket. Docketing the item does not mean that the City will approve the amendment, only that it will be considered subject to further review and public input. Did your suggestion make it on the recommended docket? You can review the recom- mended docket on the City’s website: http://www.cityofpt.us/ . It’s not too late to comment. We offer several ways to share your voice:  Testify at the public hearing on November 16, 2015  Email us at 2016Update@cityofpt.us;  Submit written comments to: City Clerk, 250 Madison Street, Port Townsend, WA 98368. or, Starting a few days prior to the hearing, you can submit comments via “eComment”. http://www.cityofpt.us/video.html Once Council has approved the Periodic Update Docket, staff will begin drafting amendment language for Planning Commission review and conducting environmental review under the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA). The public will be invited to comment on the draft language and the SEPA environmental analysis. November 2015 Port Townsend Water Resources Update The first three weeks of October have been relatively dry and the City is still relying upon Lords Lake reser- voir to supply most of our water demand. Sufficient water remains in the reservoir to continue operating under Stage 1 of the Drought Contingency Plan through the beginning of November. The City and Mill are working together to determine if pumping from Lords Lake will be necessary, which would trigger Stage 2 of the Plan. Watering restrictions will remain in effect until sustained rainfall allows the refilling of Lords Lake to begin. Drought Response Plan details and a weekly water status update are posted on the City’s website. IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT PORT TOWNSEND DRINKING WATER Purpose of this notification. The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) has determined that the City’s watershed control program does not meet current Department expectations for being a permitted unfiltered drinking water system. While water quality has not changed, for regulatory purposes, the water system is considered to be out of treatment compliance. Chlo- rine disinfection continues to provide protection from microbial contaminants, which generally is more than adequate for safe drinking water treatment. Inadequately treated water may contain disease -causing organisms. These organisms include bacteria, viruses, and parasites that can cause symptoms such as, nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and associated headaches. What is being done? The City has chosen to build a new membrane filtration water treatment facility to meet federal drinking water stand- ards. Construction of the new water treatment facility is underway with site preparation complete, utility extensions continuing and the contractor starting work on the new building. The filtration plant is scheduled to be operating by October 2016. Until the treatment plant is operational customers will receive a notice similar to this every three months. What should I do? This situation does not require that you take action, however people with severely compromised immune systems, infants, and some elderly may want to seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. More infor- mation is available through the City’s web site http://www.cityofpt.us/waterquality.htm or from the Port Townsend De- partment of Water Quality (360-379-5001). This notice is being sent to you by the City of Port Townsend. State Water System ID#: 69000R. Date distributed: November 2, 2015. 2016 UTILITY RATE INCREASE As discussed in previous newsletters, there are significant financial obligations that the City has in order to operate and maintain our aging water and sewer systems. The January water rate increase will result in an additional base rate of 55 cents per month for a standard residential meter and an additional 7 cents per thousand gallons used (larger sized me- ters and out-of-city meters will have a slightly higher rate increase). Storm water charges will in- crease by 66 cents per month. There will be no change to wastewater rates or the water or wastewater capital surcharge rates. To view previous newsletters and detailed utility rate charges, see “What can we help you find?” at the top of the City website and go to “Utility Information”, “Utility Rates”, or “Newsletters”. For current information on our construction projects please visit the City of Port Townsend website and click on CURRENT PROJECTS From the Port Townsend Public Library Director: Reaching for the Stars Today, the sky is no limit in our mission at the City's public library to enrich the lives of our patrons. Literally. In Sep- tember, a jolly bearded man came in the library proudly carrying the donated Orion StarBlast 4.5” Telescope in his arms. Our jolly benefactor was Marc Stowbridge, who had contacted the Library earlier in the summer from New Hampshire to tell us about his astronomical society that has donated over 100 telescopes to public libraries to help fulfill libraries’ educational missions http://www.nhastro.com/. What an exciting opportunity. Marc stated that they had looked at many different organizations and decided the public libraries such as ours were the best at shar- ing. Marc and the organization donated the telescope to Port Townsend in honor of lifelong friends and local residents Rob and MarthaJane (MJ) Peck. This September, Marc and his wife Susan arrived with Rob and MJ to present the Orion Telescope to the library. We sat around the table wonderstruck as Marc demonstrated the ways he had modi- fied the telescope to make it easier to use; even creating a simpli- fied user guide that includes information on how to host a “Star Party,” a program that the library looks forward to hosting soon. One of the most moving moments I have experienced at a library was when Marc read the dedication on the telescope to the Peck’s and wanted to honor their lifelong friendship by giving the people of Port Townsend a way to reach for the stars. Libraries inspire such generosity and thanks to the Stowbridges and Pecks our community will have ability to explore the night sky. CAPITAL PROJECTS UPDATE: Water Treatment Facility The work at the new Treatment Plant Site has moved forward to placing the foundations for the building and preparing grade for the new 5 million gallon reservoir. A storm drain system is in place on the plant site, and 700 feet of support water line, sanitary sewer pipe, and ductbank have been placed from the site to Rainier Street. The Offsite contractor will soon start placing sanitary sewer pipe along Rainier Street from Discovery Road. In some locations the sanitary sewer pipe is placed over 10 feet deep. A new trail was installed by the project along Rainier Street from Discovery Road to allow bicyclists and walkers to connect to the trail extension from Howard Street at 20th Street. This provides a safe environment for people from the construction activity on Rainier Street, and it avoids conflicts with fast moving heavy construction equipment.