HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution 15-042 Comprehensive Plan Docket Resolution 15-042
Page I of 3
RESOLUTION NO. 15-042
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PORT TOWNSEND,
WASHINGTON, RELATED TO THE PERIODIC UPDATE OF THE CITY'S
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS,ADOPTING A
2016 PERIODIC UPDATE DOCKET SETTING THE SCOPE OF THE REVISIONS,
POSTPONING THE 2016 ANNUAL DOCKET,AND REQUESTING THAT THE CITY
MANAGER, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND CITY
COUNCIL, DEVELOP A PLAN TO ADDRESS THOSE ITEMS NOT INCLUDED IN
THE 2016 DOCKET
WHEREAS, on July 15, 1996, the City of Port Townsend("City") adopted its 20-Year
Comprehensive Growth Management Plan through Ordinance 2539 in order to meet the goals
and requirements of Chapter 36.70A of the Revised Code of Washington("RCW")(the "Growth
Management Act," "Act," or"GMA"); and
WHEREAS, the City adopted its current Zoning Code as Title 17 of the Port Townsend
Municipal Code ("PTMC") on April 7, 1997 (Ordinance 257 1)to comply with the GMA and to
implement the Plan; and
WHEREAS, as permitted and required by the GMA, the City has considered and adopted
several amendments to its Comprehensive Plan and development regulations through the annual
update and mid-cycle amendments; and
WHEREAS, Section 36.70A.I 30(5)(b) of the State Growth Management Act ("GMA")
requires that the City of Port Townsend take legislative action to review and, if necessary,revise
the Plan and its development regulations by June 30, 2016, to ensure that the Plan and associated
development regulations continue to comply with the requirements of GMA; and
WHEREAS, to assist GMA planning jurisdictions the State Department of Commerce
(DOC), which administers the GMA, provided compliance "checklists"that were used by
planning staff and the Planning Commission to review the Plan for compliance with the various
provisions of the GMA (Exhibits B & C); and
WHEREAS, PTMC Chapter 20.04.020 sets forth a process for conducting the periodic
review: "During the first phase of a GMA update, where the focus is primarily data analysis, an
annual amendment process may be processed on a parallel track." Accordingly, on January 7 and
January 21 of 2015, the City published a call for formal applications and suggested amendments
to the Comprehensive Plan. No requests were received. The Code section provides that
"...during Phase II of a GMA update where the focus is primarily policy development, the annual
docket must be combined with the broader GMA docket or postponed until the year following
the update." Because of the City's limited resources, the Planning Commission and DSD
Director recommend that the 2016 annual docket be postponed until the year following the
periodic update; and
Resolution I5-042
Page 2 of 3
WHEREAS, on May 5, 2014, the City adopted Resolution 14-020, setting forth a Public
Participation Program for the 2016 update as required by RCW 3 6.70A.13 0(2)(a), and has
followed the program in its compliance review and update, providing at advertised public
meetings and Planning Commission workshops and hearings, the opportunity for public input,
review, and comment on draft review products and Planning Commission actions; and
WHEREAS, in order to make the most effective use of the City's limited resources
available for this periodic update, the Director recommends that the City first process
amendments to the Comprehensive Plan, zoning code and subdivision code (Titles 17 and 18
respectively) as indicated in the proposed Periodic Update Docket(Exhibit A) and, as permitted
by RCW36.70A.130(7)(a), subsequently process mandatory amendments to the Critical Areas
Ordinance (Chapter 19.05) (Exhibit D) not later than June 30, 2017. Additionally, the Director
recommends that the items in Exhibit E be considered for future work plans that are not
necessarily tied to the Comprehensive Plan update process; and
WHEREAS, the Director has informed Council that the recommended 2016 Periodic
Update Docket is ambitious and that some of the proposed "optional" (non-mandatory)
amendments may need to be postponed if it is determined that additional time is necessary to
adequately address concerns raised through the public process/SEPA review;
WHEREAS, as provided for in PTMC 20.04.030-.060, the Planning Commission held a
properly-noticed public hearing on October 22, 2015 to take public testimony on, and to review
and consider, the substance of the checklists and the resultant Director's Recommended Periodic
Update Docket; and
WHEREAS, after closing the public hearing on October 22, 2015, the Planning
Commission moved to recommend that the City Council adopt the Final Periodic Update Docket;
and
WHEREAS, the recommended Final Periodic Update Docket summarizes the results of
the compliance review of the City's Comprehensive Plan and development regulations. It
identifies those portions of the plan and development regulations where revisions are known to
be necessary in order to comply with the GMA, those portions of the plan where review for
possible revision is desirable based upon public input, those portions of the plan that need certain
"house-keeping"revisions (e.g., to update tables with new population, land use acreages, reflect
current conditions, improve maps, etc.); and
WHEREAS,the City Council has reviewed the Planning Commission's recommended
Docket and conducted a public hearing on November 16, 2015, at which it received additional
comment from the public, and
NOW,THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Port
Townsend:
Section 1. The City Council adopts the Final Periodic Update Docket for the 2016
Comprehensive Plan Update as shown on Exhibit A.
Resolution 15-042
Page 3 of 3
Section 2. The Council finds as follows:
a. that the compliance review required by GMA has been completed;
b. that the Plan and the City's development regulations as they currently exist are
in compliance with the GMA, except for the issues identified in Exhibits B &
C as needing to be addressed as to their compliance, which issues should be
addressed as updates to either the Shoreline Master Program and/or the Critical
Areas Ordinance..
Section 3. Only the work tasks for issues identified in the Final Periodic Update Docket
will be accomplished during the 2016 GMA period compliance update.
Section 4. Consistent with PTMC 20.04.020, the 2016 annual docket is hereby postponed
until the year following the periodic update.
Section 5. Staff is directed to process revisions to the Critical Areas Ordinance (Exhibit
D) as part of the 2017 annual Comprehensive Plan docket, or as an amendment to the City's
Shoreline Master Program as required by law.
Section 6. The City Manager, in consultation with the Planning Commission and City
Council, is requested to review Exhibit E and to prepare work plans to address the matters
contained therein as future amendments to the Comprehensive Plan and development regulations,
Strategic Plan, specific Functional Plan, or by other method as appropriate.
Section 7. EFFECTIVE DATE: This Final Periodic Update Docket is effective on the
earlier of 60 days after the date staff submitted the adopted docket to the Department of
Commerce (i.e., December 7, 2015), or when the City receives notice from the Department of
Commerce that they have either approved, or have no comments on, the proposed docket.
ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Port Townsend, Washington, at a regular
meeting thereof, held this 16th day of November, 2015.
David King
Mayor
Attest: Approved as to form:
Joanna Sanders, CMC Steven I: Gross
City Clerk City Attorney