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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1968 Comprehensive PlanI rI ? l ;t-- r I ;\ i I I \ ! iI I iI l ( I t I I i I I t r l l i I II ( l I I I I I i I t poRr Townsenb COMPREHENSIVE PLAN PORT TOWNSEND, WASHINGTON CLARK, COLEMAN & RUPEIKS, INC. November, 1968 The preparation of this report was aided by the Washington State Planning and Community Affairs Agency through a Federal Grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development under the Urban Planning Assistance Grant Program authorized by Section 701 of the Housing Act of 1954, as amended. of by n4,*.u.- 3233 IASTLffiI AY[.,[. SIATTLI,}TASIIINCT0N,98102 . P}I0N[ 1.206'325,9729 q-;'t::: cr*rcsr*icax*."o*.-L November, 1968 Honorable Mayor, City Gouncil and Planning Commision City Hall Port Townsend, Washington Gentlemen: ln accordanc-e with our agreement, we are pleased to submit the Comprehensive Plan for the Port Townsend Planning Area. The purpose of this Plan is to guide the physical development of the community during the next docado or two. The report contains coordinated proposals for future development of land uses, community facilities and major thoroughfares, each as an integrated part of the overall framework. The benefits of planning can bst be realized when both public and pri- vate development decisions are in accord with the recommendations of the Plan. The preparation of this Plan during the past few years has been an agreeable effort. The asistance and cooperation rendered by many of the citizens of Port Townsend and parti- cularly both the present and former members of the City Planning Commision are grate fully acknowledged. Respectfully submitted, Robert S. Clark RSC:ne MAYOR Frank M. Smith CITY COUNCILMEN Donald H. Hoglund Dale C. Judy Roy Lindsey James D" Moody Byron L. Ruby William J. Scheyer John H. Siebenbaum DEPARTMENT HEADS Glenn D. Abraham, Jr., City Attorney Dolores Hoyt, Treasurer Gale l. Youngblood, City Clerk CITY PLANNING COMMISSION Present Members Gus Lindquist, Chairman George Brown Harry Deits Mary Johnson Fred Lester Jeff Pederson Former Members Dr. Charles Chuljian Phil Copps Marilou Green Jerry Simpson Gael Stuart CHAPTER tl TABLE OF CONTENTS AN INTRODUCTION THE HISTORY OF THE CITY THE PLANNING COMMISSION PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PLANNING AREA GENERAL BACKGROUND EMPLOYMENT PAST TRENDS CURRENT EMPLOYMENT ESTIMATES OF FUTURE EMPLOYMENT ECONOMY CROWN ZELLERBACH KRAFT MILL FORT WORDEN TREATMENT CENTER SELECTED SERVICES RETAIL TRADE Past Trends Current Retail Trade Estimate of 1985 Retail Needs POPULATION TRENDS IN GROWTH AND CHARACTERISTICS Age and Sex lncome and Education THE CURRENT POPULATION THE FUTURE POPULATION SUMMARY THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND ITS COMPONENTS LAND USE THE EXISTING PATTERN OF LAND USES Dwelling Unit Distribution Condition of Structures Building Trends THE LAND USE PLAN Residential Areas Commercial Areas lndustrial Areas PAGE 1 1 3 4 5 5 5 6 7I 8 I III 11 12 13 13 14 14 14 15 15 17 17 18 21 21 22 22 25 26 29 -t CHAPTER lll, cont. IV COMMUNITY FACILITIES EXISTING COMMUNITY FACILITIES Schools Parks and Recreation Other Public Facilities Post Office and Customs Jefferson County Courthouse City Hall Library Public Safety Fairgrounds Public Utilities Water Sanitary Sewers Historical Areas and Open Space STANDARDS FOR COMMUNITY FAC!LITIES Schools Parks and Recreation THE COMMUNITY FACILITIES PLAN THOROUGHFARES STREET CLASSIFICATION AND DESIGN STANDARDS PLANNING PROCESS THE THOROUGHFARE PLAN Specific I mplementation Proposals THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT (CBD) THE EXIST!NG CBD CBD PARKING Parking Supply Parking Demand THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT PLAN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLAN ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT SUBDIVISION CONTROL URBAN RENEWAL CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM PAGE 30 30 30 32 35 35 35 35 35 36 36 36 36 39 39 39 39 40 41 42 42 44 47 48 49 49 54 54 56 56 60 65 65 66 66 67 68 -il- NUMBER I t-1 la-2 il-3 il-4 il-5 il-6 ll-7 il-8 il-9 ilt-1 ata-2 ilt-3 ilt-4 ilt-5 ilt-6 lil-7 ilt-8 ilt-9 ilt-l0 FIGURE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 LIST OF TABLES 1960 EMPLOYMENT BY MAJOR INDUSTRY 1967 PLANNING AREA EMPLOYMENT ESTIMATED 1985 EMPLOYMENT RETAIL ESTABLISHMENTS BY TYPE RETAIL SALES BY CATEGORY ACTUAL VERSUS AVAILABLE RETAIL SALES 1967 RETAIL SALES, FLOOR SPACE AND PRODUCTIVITY 1985 ESTIMATED RETAIL SALES AND FLOOR AREA TRENDS IN POPULATION EXISTING LAND USES CONDITION OF STRUCTURES 1966 PLANNING AREA SCHOOL ENROLLMENT AND SITE DATA EXISTING PARK AND RECREATION FACILITIES THOROUGHFARE STANDARDS CBD AND UPTOWN COMMERCIAL FLOOR SPACE CBD AND UPTOWN RETAIL ESTABLISHMENTS AND FLOOR AREA 1967 CBD RETAIL SALES, FLOOR AREA AND COMPARATIVE PRODUCTIVITY ESTIMATED 1985 CBD RETAIL FLOOR SPACE 1967 PARKING SPACE INVENTORY LIST OF FIGURES EXISTING LAND USE CONDITION OF STRUCTURES LAND USE PLAN COMMUNITY FACILITIES PLAN UT!LITY SERVICE AREAS URBAN ARTERIAL SYSTEM CBD EXISTING LAND USE CBD COMMERCIAL VACANCY RATE CBD PARKING INVENTORY CBD LAND USE PLAN COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 32 43 50 53 53 54 55 PAGE 6 7I 10 10 11 12 13 13 18 21 31 PAGE 23 27 33 37 45 51 51 57 57 63 19 -ilt- CHAPTER I AN INTRODUCTION THE HISTORY OF THE CITY Olympia and Steilacoom were rough mill towns, the future Seattle was only a tiny settle- ment at Alki Point and San Francisco was considered the social and cultural center of the western United States in 1851. And, in this year, an impoverished Bostonian, Alfred Plum- mer, filed his land claim in Port Townsend. The claim established him as the first settler in an area whose existence was chronicled in 1592 by Juan de Fuca, who mistook the straits he found for the legendary water link to the Atlantic, and that had been named two hundred years later by Captain George Vancouver for the Marquis of Townshend. Plummer's Port Townsend gradually attracted new citizens and the farming pursuits of the first year were abandoned in satisfying the lumber hunger of a booming San Francisco. An- other natural resources industry, a fishery, also appeared. lndustrially, the town was on the move and civic progress grew apace. A plat was drafted for a townsite in 1852 and Jeffer- son County was formed with Port Townsend as the County seat. Two years later, the City became the port of entry for the Customs District of Puget Sound, a three-year-old entity previously headquartered in Olympia. The town added people and businesses-a store, a brewery and a newspaper. When the loca- tions for legislative political plums (the university, the penitentiary and customs headquar- tersl were considered, Port Townsend vied with Seattle, Olympia, Vancouver and Walla Walla. Socially and culturally, the City had the same advantages as the others. and appar- ently, the same drawbacks, for several Port Townsendites were among the crowd of bache- lors in Seattle meeting Asa Mercer's first boatload of brides from the East. Railroads were widely advertised as the major link between all parts of the United States, and the fiercely competitive cities of the Pacific Northwest each hoped to be made the rait terminal point that would establish her as the metropolis of the new region. Plans by the Northern Pacific Railroad that would have made Port Townsend such a terminat were aban- doned in the economic collapse that followed the end of Civil War hostilities. The prosperous period of the late 1880's and the early 1890's again brought to life th; dream of a railroad, this time the Union Pacific. ln the Gity, speculation was rampant, 1 business was fantastitand land values were skyrocketing" Gity leaders confidentty predicted 20,000 residents and constructed the facilities needed to serve them; brick and stone busi- nesses of three and four stories appeared in the commercial blocks. Then came the collapse" Rail construction stopped and real estate prices took a dive. The thousands upon thousands of dollars of local capital invested-i'n the establishment of indus= tries were a complete loss. The population fell drastically" The war years of 1917 and 1918 gave some relief from the economic slump, since Fort Flagler and Fort Worden were then active military installations, but the war's end again brought stagnation. The City's few remaining industries failed, for the incoming taxes of a diminishing citizenry were not enough either to help the faltering mills and canneries on even to maintain such services as the water system. ln this region of plentiful timber and water, the solution to economic problems would logi- cally come through capitalizing upon natural resources. When rumors floated into Port Townsend of a pulp and paper kraft mill searching for a possible site, the City fathers hastened to point out the perfection of their community for such an enterprise. Several years and $7 million in invested capital later, Port Townsend was the location of that kraft mill and had a new water system as an added bonus" From 1928 on, Crown Zeller- bach functioned solidly and steadily in the economy, drawing nearly its entire personnel from the ranks of Port Townsend residents" The Second World War for Port Townsend, as for the rest of the nation, spelled intense ac- tivity and growth" Fort Worden, as a coastal defense post, was important militarily. But the erratic history of the City was not yet finished. ln 1953, the Army deemed Fort Worden an outmoded installation and the military departed, leaving the empty barracks and gun emplacements behind as a ghostly memory. Again, the size of the City dw:ndled, but the spirit of the City stubbornly refused to follow suit. Massive community participation in meetings defied news and national magazine reports of a "ghost town," and, in 1958, those efforts resulted in the attraction to Port Townsend of a diagnostic and treatment center for juveniles under the auspices of the State Department of lnstitutions. Today, the City is still exrtending an invitation to industry and,'6.ffth Crown Zellerbach in the late 1920's, displaying its fauorable aspects as a location for industrial endeavor. But the Gity has discovered something else-that not every town has such proof of a splendid past in a natural setting not yet touched by the steel and concrete of metropoli- tan America and that such a legacy is worth much in itself. Thus, tourism will provide valuable economic growth for the Gommunity" -2- THE PLANNING COMMISSION With the protection of this legacy in mind, and perhaps with some memory of the success of the committees in the post-Fort Worden days, the Port Townsend Planning Commission was formed in the early 1960's" The Commission, consisting of six members and a chair- man, selected a Planning Consultant firm and made application to the Urban Renewal Ad- ministration of the Housing and Home Financing Agency (now the Department of Housing and Urban Development) for a federal urban planning assistance grant under Section 701 of the Housing Act of 1954 as amended. The planning program was scheduled to run in three consecutive stages of about one year each, but delays in Federal funds for the second and third phases have stretched the program out over a period of about four years. The Planning Commission is responsible for advising and for making recommendations to the City Council for the adoption of a comprehensive plan for the physical development of the City. The Commission, concerned with matters of population densities, public buildings, parks and streets, is in a position for formulating and recommending the Plan to the Council. The Commission's suggestions, however, are advisory and may be overruled by the City Gouncil and Mayor. The Planning Commission has formulated and adopted the following overall standards for a Gomprehensive Plan for Port Townsend: The Comprehensive Plan should provide a general framework for public and private development. lt should not be the maximum plan, but should allow flexibility in improving the relationship between the people and the land, The diverse elements,of the plan should tae together visually and functionally all the major developments of the Gity and should serve the real needs and desires of the community. A meaningful relationship between all planning areas should be established, i.e., the central, residential, commercial, industrial and recreational areas, streets, walkways, parks, public service areas and open space areas. The total plan concept will integrate all these developments, The Plan shoulci be aesthetically pleasing, economically feasible, attainabie and workable. Provisions to implement and expedite the Plan should be included. Priority scheduling for both major and minor capital improvements and financing will help to de- termine the rapidity with which the Plan can be implemented" -!t- PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PLANNING AREA The Planning Area is composed of 6,635 acres, just over ten square miles, on the north- east tip of Ouimper Peninsula, which is the northeastern portion of the Olympic Peninsula. The area is bordered on three sides by water - the Straits of Juan de Fuca, Admiralty lnlet and Port Townsend Bay - and on the fourth side by the heavily timbered, unpopu- lated lands that characterize the far northwestern portion of the State of Washington. The Planning Area boasts of the mild winters and cool summers common to the Puget Sound region, and claims iess rainfall, about 18 inches annually, than is common. The area is 50 miles northwest of Seattle and the most common means of transport over the water portions between the two points is the Washington State Ferry System. The Planning Area extends out from the corporate limits of Port Townsend to about one-half mile beyond Miller Road on the west and to Glen Cove and the Crown Zeller- bach mill on the south. The Planning Area has a generally agreeable terrain, with only about 360 acres either under water or with slopes in excess of 25 percent (25 feet rise in 100 horizontal feetl and not suitable for intensive urban development. There are, however, large reserves of land held by the County and State, including Fort Worden, that will probably not be permitted to develop unless unprecedented growth occurs in the Planning Area. -4 CHAPTER II GENERAL BACKGROUND The face of a city changes dramatically during its lifetime regardless of whether it remains the same size for a century, triples in size in a few short years or experiences fluctuating r+ sponses to internal and external economic pressures. Port Townsend is no exception. The City of the 1880's was hopeful and excited; in the 1890's, forlorn and groping. The City of the 1940's was alive in the push and necessity of the war years; in the 1950's, empty stores and homes symbolized the departing military. At no time did Port Townsend be- come either a ghost-town or a metropolis" The populace numbered only a few thousand more or less with each eventful decade, but the economic and demographic face of the City mirrored the real change. EMPLOYMENT PAST TRENDS The most recent upheaval, the closure of Fort Worden as an active military installation in 1951, saw a drop in the civilian labor force in both the Gity and Jefferson County. ln the City, the proportion of males over 13 years of age in the labor force to all males over 13 fell from nearly 90 percent in 1950 to about 68 percent in 1960; the Counry experienced a decline of only slightly less severity. The outflux of population after 1951 had obvi- ously included large numbers of males of working age. The ratio of working females rose relative to the total female population and to the totalvrcrk force. The employed labor force as a share of the whole population rose from one-fourth to one- third between 1950 and 1960 in both Gity and Gounty. Unemployment was not a great problem in either census year. Occupationally, the largest number of employed persons in Jefferson County in both 1950 and 1960 were either operatives, craftsmen or laborers. Within the City, the professional and clerical occupations drew heavily from the labor force, and services occupations gained in popularity over the decade. The major industrial employer in both 1950 and 1960 was manufacturing, accounting for over one-third of the employed labor force by the latter year and showing an absolute gain -5- despite the loss in population. Generally, the agriculture and construction industries showed the greatest los over the decade, and both trade and services responded to the decreased demands of a smaller population by reducing their employment. The share of the total labor force found in each industry by 1960 is shown in Table ll-1. TABLE II.1 1960 EMPLOYMENT BY MAJOR INDUSTRY (By Percent) lndustry Agriculture & Forestry Construction Manufacturing Trans., Comm. & Util. Trade Fin., lns. & Real Estate Services Public Administration Not Reported TOTAL Jefferson County 8.7 4.7 36.0 4.0 11.7 1.7 19.1 11.4 2.7 100.0 Port Toiirnsend 2.4 1.9 33.6 5.5 15.5 2.1 23.5 14.3 1.2 100.0 Source: United States Census of Population Those statistics pertaining to workers covered under provisions of the Washington State Employment Security Act reveal the same trends as do the census employment figures. A comparison of 1950 covered employment with that of 1965 showed manufacturing with the greatest share of employment in both years and one of the faster rates of growth over the fifteen-year period. CURRENT EMPLOYMENT As of 1967, the Planning Area's labor force totaled an estimated 1,760 persons, better than one-third of whom were in manufacturing. Persons in the professions of teaching, laur, medicine and dentistry, and in such businesses as barber and beauty shops and auto and other repair outlets, collectively referred to as the services industry, made up the second largest category of employment with 23.2 percent of the total. Table ll-2 gives the 6ti- mated breakdown of the Planning Area's 1967 labor force by industry, and the share of total Gounty employment taken up by Planning Area workerc. -6- Based upon known trends toward a greater number of retired persons in the population, the labor force as a share of total population is estimated to have dropped slightly to about 31.5 percent by 1967' TABLE II-2 1967 PLANNING AREA EMPLOYMENT , .-lndustry Number Percent Agriculture & Forests 41 2:3 Construction 30 1.7 Manufacturing 595 33.8 Trans., Comm. & Utal. 95 5"4 Trade 295 16'8 Fin., lns" & Real Estate 41 2.3 Services 408 23.2 Public Administration 255 14"5 TOTAL 1,760 100.0 Source: Estimates by Clark, Goleman & Rupeiks, lnc. furcent of Coufi 16.3 21.7 M.9 76.0 75.6 63.1 64.6 66.6 53"2 ESTIMATES OF FUTURE EMPLOYMENT The trends toward higher education and earlier retirement are expected to produce, in the P:anning Area and the rest of the nation" a labor force that is an ever decreasing share of total population. This share, an estimated 30.7 percent by 1985, will mean a total of 2,O45 workers in that year. As in previous years, about one-third of the labor force is expected to be in manufacturing. Trade and services, two other large employ- ers, are anticipated to increase in rough proportion with the population, although 'in the case of services, the increase is likely to be greater due to trends toward new kinds and diversification of services offered. The Planning Area's labor force, an estimated 54 percent of Jefferson County's total by 1985, is shown by type of industry in Table ll=3" -7- TABLE II-3 ESTIMATED 1985 EMPLOYMENT lndustry Agriculture & Forests Construction Manufacturing Trans", Gomm. & Util" Trade Fin., lns. & Real Estate Services Public Administration TOTAL Number 33 25 685 104 358 65 470 305 2,045 Percent 1"6 1.2 33.5 5.1 17.5 3.2 23.0 4.9 100.0 Permt 1967- 1985.-0hange -19.5 -16"7 15.1 9.5 21.3 58.5 15.2 19.6 16"2 Source: Estimates by Glark, Coleman & Rupeiks, lnc. ECONOMY Because the City is small, its four" economic cornerstones can be identified without dif- ficulty as Crown Zellerbach, the Fort Worden Treatment Center, the collective services rendered by business and professional elements of the City and the retail community. Excepting hiring by the various levels of government, nearly all of Port Townsend's labor force find employment in one of these four segments of the economy. CROWN ZELLERBACH KRAFT MILL Appearing in Port Townsend in 1928, the mill is the largest employer in the area with 675 persons earning an annuai payroll of about $6.5 million in 1967" As a basic, or primary, industry, the mill's employment determines population, rather than being affected by changes in numbers of people; thus, employment at the mill did not fluctuate much over the decade of the fifties despite the population loss. Officials at Crown Zellerbach have pointed to planned expansion programs, but the con- struction personnel needed for these would only be temporary" The lessened employment needs generated by technological advancements would produce a surplus adequate for staff- ing the new facilities; hiring at the mill is thus not expected to increase much in the future. "8 rI t r- II t- (- I i i, a- I I L r-i I r I l^ r- r'iI( t I It r- iI !- t\ t it r ii( t It it l- { -II i. r- i( r- It r- It e ( FORT WORDEN TREATMENT CENTER The Fort Worden Treatment Center, a State institution, was begun in 1958 on 134 acres in the southern end of the military post deactivated in 1951. The staff at the Center, about 190 persons, and the students, approximately 210 youths, make use of the bar- racks and other buildings that are remnants of the days of military ownership, although many of the structures are over fifty years old and in need of rennovation or replacement. Salaries in 1967 totalled about $1.25 million. The types of services and treatments at the Center are expected to diversify in the future in line with national attitudes toward juvenile correction, but Genter adminis- trators foresee only slight increases in employment as a result" SELECTED SERVICES lncluded in the category 'selected services' are hotels and motels, barber, beauty, photo shops and other personal services; credit services and similar businesses; ::aob,'rgphiy, rental and related services; miscellaneous repair seruices; and commercial amusement facilities. Little recorded data on the City's service establishments is available, although the observed growth of the services industry in terms of employment between 1950 and 1960 and the fact that 11 new services outlets were added between 1958 and 1963 lend credence to the asumption that economic output from the services is growing. Two factors indicate continued growth into the future, One is a rising per capita in- come with a proportionately larger amount both available for and actually'spertt--.on non-necessities. The other factor is tourism, and Port Townsend is well enough endowed with tourist attractions that the addition of motel, hotel and commercial amusement facilities might be expected to capture more visitors for longer stays. RETAIL TRADE Past Trends The merchants of Port Townsend realized gains in both number of establishmeRts ard sales ln the 1958 to 1963 period, specifically, three new outlets and about$1.7 million increase in sales. The Countyt sales during this time rose by $1"8 million with a loss of three outlets. The number of establishments by type in both years is shown in Table ll-4= ln theTabte, the primary category includes those stores generally found clustered together in the down- -9- town area for ease of access by pedestrian traffic in a comparative shopping morirl; the second group, those stores with more appeal to vehicle traffic and generally located on the periphery of the City" ln the last category, the stores deal in everyday necessities, such as food and gas, and are customarily found close to the populations they serve. TABLE I:-4 RETAIL ESTABLISHMENTS BY TYPE 1958 1963County City County 30 24 2739 25 4048 27 47 117 76 114 Source: United States Census of Business, Retail Trade Washington The breakdown of sales by type is shown in Table ll-5, along with total sales in both 1958 and 1963" The City captured 72.7 percent of total County sales in 1958 and 76.7 percent of total County sales in 1963, with all three categories contributing to the increase. TABLE II.5 RETAIL SALES BY CATEGORY Primary Secondary Convenience TOTAL Sales ($000) By Percent: Primary Secondary Convenience Jefferson Gounty1958 1963 7,700 9,500 25"6 21.0223 22.152.',1 56"9 Port Townsend1958 1963. 5,600 7,300 City 20 27 26 73 TOTAL 100.0 100=0 22.3 25.2 52.5 100"0 22"3 23.6 54"1 100.0 Source: United States Census of Business, Retail Trade Washington "10- Growth in the retail sector can also be noted in the increase of retail employees, from 255 to 287 between 1958 and 1963 in the City, and of payroll, from $530,000 to $710,000" Further proof of Port Townsend's general retail success is shown in comparing actual sales with the amount estimated to be available for retail expenditures out of the community's total disposable income. Such a comparison is given in Table ll-6, whereafigureof 100.0 indicates equality of actual and available sales, over 100.0 a magnet:sm for the retail dollars of persons living outside the City and less than 100.0 a loss of potential sales to other com- petitive areas" The improved position of the City over a five=year period is noticeable in all the categories. TABLE II-6 ACTUAL VERSUS AVAILABLE RETAIL SALES Countv Port Townsend1e63 1958 1963Jefferson 1958 Primary 72.4 69.9 83"0 107.1 Secondary 73"7 75"4 106"5 117.3 Gonvenience 106.8 135.8 137.1 186.5 TOTAL 101.9 98.8 112"6 142.9 Source: United States Census of Business; Sales Manaqement 1959 and 1964. From the Table, Port Townsend retailers are seen as having served a population of about 7,500 in 1963, nearly one and one-half times the number of people living in the City. Current Retail Trade A survey taken in 1967 counted 86 retail stores in the Planning Area, a gain of ten over 1963. The entire gain took place in the primary category, and is likely due to the variety of curio, souvenir and art shops that have appeared in the City, The same suntey measured a total of 381"756 gross square feet of floor area devoted to retail sales, with 142,634 square feet in primary establishments, 85,098 square feet in secondary and 154,014 square feet in convenience outlets. The 31"4 percent of Planning Area merchants who answered the distributodrquestionnaire produced a basis for estimating 1967 sales. This estimate, neariy $9.1 miliiori represents an "11" inqease of $1.8 million over 1963 and about 80 percent of total Jefferson County sales. The square foot measurements and estimated sales by general category, along with estimated retail productivity of retail merchants, is shown in Table ll-7" The latter, a measure of reail success, is simply the amount of dollar sales per square foot of floor space. TABLE II-7 1967 RETAIL SALES, FLOOR SPACE AND PRODUCTIVITY "' Sales Floor Areaa$000 Percent Sq. Ft" Percent Primary 2,311 25,5 142,6U 37.4Secondary 2,080 23"0 85,098 22.3 Convenience 4,67O 51.5 154,024 40.3 TOTAL 9,061 100.0 391,756 100.0 alncludes facilities at the new Safeway shopping center. source: Field and ouestionnaire surveys by clark, coleman & Rupeiks, lnc., July, 1967" The retailers answering the questionnaire represented 255 years in business in Port Town- send, at an average 10"6 years each. Not one merchant revealed a desire for a new location and only a handful were critical of the busines atmosphere. Estimate of 1985 Retail Needs Retail sales done within the Planning Area are expected to total nearly $17 million, an ex- pectation predicated upon expanded success in tourism, a modest increase in the resident population and an overall gain in personal income by 1985" An accompanying shift in spending patterns can also be expected to occur, with a greater proportion going for,items of a primary retail nature, such as clothing, sporting goods and the like, and a correspond- ingly lesser share for convenience, or necessity items. Although current retaii saies are in excess of those available from the immediate population, the rate of sales per square foot of floor area is low and a reasonable assumption can be made that this productdvity level will rise before more floor space is added. lf returns are to be boosted to a level comparable to other cities, i.e. $42 per square foot in primary outlets, $40 ln secondary stores and $43 in convenience establishments, an estimated 59,420 square Hgtail Productivity $ro.zo 24.50 30.00 23.50 -12 I t- r t feet of new floor space will be needed in the Planning Area by 1985. A breakdown of anticipated 1985 sales and floor space requirements is shown in Table ll-8' TABLE II.8 1985 ESTIMATED RETAIL SALES AND FLOOR AREA Source: Estimates by Clark, Coleman & Rupeiks, lnc. POPULATION TRENDS IN GROWTH AND CHARACTERISTICS When Fort Worden closed in 1951, over one-fourth of the City's population left and, by 1960, only 5,074 persons remained of the 6,888 counted in 1950. The City held 52.6 per- centof theGounty'sresidentsinlg60andlssthan0.2oftheState's. Tablell-9tracesthe growth of both Port Townsend and Jefferson Gounty over the census years since 1930. TABLE II-9 TRENDS IN POPULATION Primary Secondary Convenience TOTAL Sales$000 Percent 4,940 29"1 4,035 23.8 7,995 47.1 16,970 100.0 Floor Area Sq. Ft. Percent 154,375 35.0 100,875 22.9 185,930 42.1 441,180 100.0 City as Percent of Couirty 52.3 52.5 59.3 52.6 Port Townsend Jefferson County 1930 3,979 8,346 1940 4,683 8,918 1950 6,888 11,618 1960 5,074 9,639 Source: United States Census of Population, -13- With the decline in population, the number of City households feil from 1,g01 to 1,466and County households from 3,358 to 2,948" The City averaged about 3"2 persons per household in 1960 and the County about 3"1" The high percentage, S.'1, of persons ingroup quarters in the Caty in 1960 was attributed to the presence of the Treatment Center begun at Fort Worden in 1gb8" Age and Sex; The populations of both the City and County shifted toward the less youth-ful categories with the departure of military personnel" School age children, ages fivethrough 14, and persons 45 and older ingeased their numbers despite the 1gS0 to 1g60population loss; the 20 to 34 age group, containing the majority of military persons andtheir dependents, displayed the most drastic decrease" Accordingly, the median age rosefrom 25.5 to 27.8 years in the City and from 26.g to 30"b years in the Gounty. lncome and Education" The 1960 median income of Port Townsend families was $5,722,higher than the $5,418 recorded for the County and lower than the $6,115 overall Statemedian" The bulk of the city's families, 4I"1 percent, earned between $4,ooo and $7,000annually, and nearly one"fourth fell into the $z-10,000 category. The link between income and educational attainment is shown in the fact that the State,w:th the highest median income, has a median educational level of I2.O years, or highschool graduation. Corresponding medlans in the City anci Gounty were'11"7 and 10.9years, respectively, in 1960" THE CURRENT POPULATION Reliable estamates over the years since 1960 have indicated a slow and steady rate of growth of about one percent annually, The Washington State Census Board set the population ofthe City at5,425, a gain of 351 persons over 1960" Thetotal PlanningAreacontainedap- proximately 5,580 persons by 1967, up from 5,230 in 1960. All of the planning Area,sgain occurred within the corporate limits of Port Townsend. An estimated 1,7S0 dwelling units housed the 1967 Planning Area residents, at an average of three persons per unit" Enrollment figures furnished by School District No. 50 for the 1966-67 school year iisted T,35'l stucients in the Planning Area, slightly less than one=fourth of the total population. Senior high pupils numbeted 313, or 23.1 percent of enroliment; junior high students, at21.8 percent, numbered 294: grades one through six, enrolling 636, accounted for 47.1petcent; and the remaining eight percent, 108 pupils, were kindergarteners" There wasan average oI 0.77 student per dweiling unit 'throughout the planning Area= "14 THE FUTURE POPULATION The displayed tends toward increasing tourism and a greater proportaon of retired per' sons within the Gity point to expansion similar to that of the 1960 to 1967 period, or about one peroent increase annually. The population of the Planning Area is thus expected to reach 6,660 by 1985, a gain of 1,140 persons over 1967. The estimate represents 521"3 percent of the Washingcon State Census Board's 1985 estimate of 12,150 for Jefferson Gounty. Both the Planning Area and the County are expected to make up an ever decreasing share of total state popuiation as a result of the growth in the four-county Puget Sound Region to the southeast" The number of new units needed to house the anticipated population is estimated at 382, Ior a total of 2,105 by 1985. A reduced average househoid population, from 3.00 to 2.95 persons per dwelling unit, reflects the somewhat older population expected for the Planning Area. School enrollment is etimated at 1,615 students, an increase of 2il over the current inventory, with 365 in senior high, 360 -n junior high, 760 in grades one through six and 130 in kindergarten. As in past years, about 24 percent of the population is ex= pectcd to be enrolled in the Planning Area's public schools. SUMMARY lf a trend can be established in the City's history, that trend is, since 1930, the increas- ingly steady presence of manufacturing in the economy despite the erratic behavior of other factors. The century that turned an excited and rapidly growing frontier port town into a relaxed community of slow and steady gain has given little hint of what might' be expected in the future in Port Townsend. Asuming, however, that nationally, rela- tive economic, political and social stability will prevail, that statewide, the counties of King, Pierce, Kitsap and Snohomish on Puget Sound will continue to dominate both in terms of population and economic production, and that locally, the City will attract increasing numbers of tourists and retired persons and will retain its solid industrial base, certain projections can and have been made" -15" Briefly, these projections of the Planning Area's future are 1" An increase of just over one percent per year for a 1985 population of 6,660, requiring 2,'165 dwelling units and generating a school enrollment of 1,215; 2. A labor force of 2,045 workers, one-third of whom are in manufacturing and about 40 percent of whom are in the trade and senrices industries that will grow in rough proportion with the popuiation; 3. Continued and expandeci support of the artistic and cul- tural endeavors of the community will attract even more tourlsts in the future; and 4" A total retail sales of about $17 million, requiring 441jBO square feet of floor space, with a shift in sales emphasis from convenience, or necessity, goods to primary, or com- parison, items in response to rising per capita incomes. _i .16- CHAPTER III THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND ITS COMPONENTS As the varied elements of a population combine to produce a total community, the diverse facets of that community studied in the planning process combine to produce a total, or comprehensive, plan. The arrangement, qualiW and compatability of existing land uses and the amouns of land estimated to be needed for each use by 1985 generate the plan for land uses. The current number and condition of schools, parks and other community-serving fa- cilities, the number and kind needed to serve the expected 1985 population and the stand- ards that must be met formulate a plan for community facilities. Contemporary conditions within the Central Business District, the amount and kind of business now, and estimated to be, done there, and the commercial land requirements for 1985 determine a CBD Plan. Fi- nally, the existing transportation network, its adequacy in meeting current and estimated fu- ture needs and standards of safety and minimal congestion generate a maior streets and highways plan. Just as a discussion of street capacities is meaningless without knowing where people live, work and shop, a plan for streets and highways takes on meaning only in conjunction with the plan for land uses. The four plan elements of the Gomprehensive Plan can be, and are, separated on paper, but in reality an inseparable link is formed and any change in one generates revision in the other three. LAND USE The original City had Water Street as a nucleus and the bluff along the edge of this area helped to determine, when the population grew large enough to require more land than was available between the bluff and the water, that residences would locate north and that com- merce would control the water accelis so necessary to success. The early industries mixed with retail ventures along Water Street, and residences from the earliest days were sited on the land in between. The streetcar lines traversing the town made transportation between uptown and downtown a relatively efficient matter. The establishment of Fort Worden during the war years spelled more grovuth to the north, and the construction of Crown Zellerbach more growth to the west, but despite the exten- sive amount of land within the corporate limits, development of the City has been fairly compact. -17" THE EXISTING PATTERN OF LAND USES The arrangement of land uses within the Planning Area in 1965 is shown in Figure 1; the acreage occupied by each use is given in Table lll-1" Unsurprisingly, in view of the ageof the original townsite plan and developments since it was initiated, streets and alleys take up the greatest share of developed land. The public land category, with Fort Worden as a part, is another large user. The Figure shows dramatically the urban land reserved by early set- tlers that did not develop as such within the generous corporate limlts of the Gity. TABLE III-1 EXISTING LAND USES Use Residential Single-Family Duplex Multi-Family Hotels and Motels Commercial Retail Wholesale Offices & Services Public & Semi-Public Schools Parks & Recreation Other Public lndustry Lisht Heavy Streets & Alleys Total developed Agric. & Timber Vacant Land/Water Percent of Developed Land 21.1 20.5 .6 .3 .3 Percent of Total Land 5"38 5.17 .14 .o7 "08 .43 .20 .14 "09 8.16 .44 1"27 6"45 1.00 .01 .99 1At2 25"17 53.53 21.30 100.00 Acres 360"31 346.01 9.48 4.82 5.12 28"77 13.60 9.23 5.94 il6.32 29.80 84.80 431.72 67.27 1.20 66"07 678.36 1,686.15 3,586"12 1,426.43 .8 .5 .4 32.4 1.8 5.0 25.6 4"0 0.1 3.9 40"2 100.0 1"7 TOTALPlanningArea 6,698.70 Source: 1965 Field Survey by Clark, Coleman & Rupeiks, lnc. -18- i. i-- t-- Il--l nntr flrl T1- d Dt'-l[ [-_ltrL--l QrrtrL!rurL_il n ti Fn r---_ttlt_'rl f- -1 tt +b$f8;I[ EXISTING tAND USE eto4 ' Jrran De ' it o' I g\t^ I o'l {o' ?oto 6 r6@'24@', Ar* RESIDENTIAL SinqleFamily I MultiFamity PUBLIC f $h@b f c".t' a n"-*ton I o** I B@irr6de I omc"a*^icc f no,"r a uot"r INDUSRIAL T68' Comm., & Utiliti6 !t "o. t Admiralty lnlet AGRICULTURE & TIMBER lSUNVEY _ SUMMER- 1965) Dwelling Unit Distribution Of the estimated 1,750 dwelling units counted in the Planning Area in 1966, 40 percent were located between Blaine Street and the waterfront. Nearly 65 percent of the total housing stock was found east of San Juan Avenue. Throughout the Planning Area, resi- dential land was occupied at an average of 5.1 dwelling units per net acre. A slightly higher density of 6.7 was noted south of Blaine Street to the waterfront, but .reiidenfia'l density was unusually uniform in all other developed areas. Multiple family units, usually of the duplex variety, were found largely south bf Blaine Street, although there were no apparent major groupings of such structures. Condition of Structures A survey rating the exterior condition of all structures in the Planning Area was accom- plished during the summer of 1965. ln the survey, the ratings ran from "good" for a new building exhibiting obvious maintenance, to "poor" tor a building that would con- stitute a hazard to living or working and would be better demolished than reconstructed. Since each building was compared to all other structures in the Planning Area, the bulk of structures were rated "average," that is, in average condition for Port Townsend. The results of the suruey are given in Table lll-2. TABLE III-2 CONDITION OF STRUCTURES Residential Comm/lndus PuhrSemi-Pdr TOTALNo. Pct. No. Pct. No. Pct. No. Pct. Good 254 16.0 25 16.1 15 23.4 294 16.3 Above Avs 339 21.4 48 31.0 10 15.6 397 22.0 Averase 554 34.9 51 32.9 30 46.9 635 35.2 Below Avs 331 20.9 24 15.5 I 14.1 364 20.2 Poor 108 6.8 7 4.5 115 6.3 TOTAL 1,586 100.0 155 100.0 64 100.0 1,805 100.0 Source: 1965 Field Surveys by Glark, Coleman & Rupeiks, lnc. -21- The condition ratings were summarized by block, as shown graphically in Figure 2, as a means of identifying areas which are sound as well as varying degrees of deterioration" ln the North Beach area, in the vicinity of the high school and in certain locations along San Juan Avenue the worst of the clusters of these blocks appeared. Several Gentral Business District blocks show up as deteriorating, but many of the individual buildings are vacant and the remodeling that would accompany occupancy would likely raise the rating to at least "average"" Blocks rated between 20 percent anci 100 percent are eligible for urban renewal assistance. Building Trends Records on building permits issued by the Gity for the period 1958 to 1966 helped to estab- lish directional trends of the Planning Area"s growth. About two-thirds of the 166 new dwelling units added during this time were built east of San Juan Avenue; over one-fourth of the total were constructed in the area bounded by Fir Street and San Juan Avenue on the east and west and by Blaine Street on the south. Little construction activity took place be- yond the limits of established residentlal areas as they had occurred prior to 1958" Overall, new units were added at an average of 21 per year" The peak year, -.,II)65, saw- 44 new dwelling units, seventeen of which were in a single structure built on the waterfront. Wath lattle exception, major commercial growth happened in the shopping center construc- ted at the western end of the Gentral Business District and a trend cannot be established" LAND USE PLAN The land use plan is the proposeci arrangement of future land needs for specific uses. The plan considers the amount and location of land currently in each use, the estimated acreage needed in the future and the availability of land, the existence and causes of blight, and the directional trends of the area's growth" The highest aims of the plan are compatability in the environment and protection of land values. The possibility of incompatability of uses has dictated that each use and intensity of use be protected from one another through proper transition and bu'ffers such as streets and open space" Changes in the plan for land uses - residential,.commercial and industrial - musr therefore be well-considered and systematic since any revision will generate related changes in both the community faciiities and thoroughfares plans. The land use plan is depicted in Figure 3 "22- +bi,,;Hffi5 C()N DITI()N ()F STRUCTURES c \toa ' Juan 0e ' . r Or g\(4 or) { ?oto 6 4@ a@'t5m'2qg -L..-t PERCENTAGE OF $RUqURES BELOW AVERAGE LsSan 1% I rrore% f zoroasx I sorozsx I aorormr Ad miralty lnlet ! JEh II r-TLTt- : L]n It-a l! Residential Areas The Gity Planning Commision has approved the following local standards for areas to be designated as suitable for residential use: The naturai inheritance of tet'rain, view sites and water exposure should be fully emphasized and developed in planning for residential areas. While pro- viding maximum standards of safety, convenience, privacy and accessibility, adequate assurances should be included which will insure the protection of public and private view sites and scenic areas. The natural terrain in residen- tial areas should be reasonable for livability and the terra:n slopes should not exceed 25 percent (25 feet rise in 100 feet). Areas which have terrain in ex- ces of 25 percent, or extremely low areas, should be considered as marginal land not suited to intensive residential development. Residential areas should be planned for single-family units, multi-family units and adequate vehicular and pedestrian circulation. Planned residential areas should be buffered from noise, smoke, heavy traffic and invasion from incompatible land uses. ln planning for the future density of dwelling units, the growth potential, as well as historical development patterns, should be recognized" Major consid- erations in allowing for future growth should include subdivision regulations, zoning provisions, etc. Major thoroughfares through residential districts should be limited as far as possible" While residential boundary streets should be so patterned as to al- low safe and easy access to residents of the area, limited access should be the ruie. Longer blocks, with the accent on pedestrian circulation, could per- haps be utilized as a means of achieving this end" Land use proposals for residential areas, as well as for all other areas of the City, should stress the natural topographical assets. Provided in the plan are three single-family residential densities: low, or up to two dwelling units per net acre; medium, or between 2"1 and 5"9 such units; high, or between six and twelve units per net acre. ln the western end of the Planning Area, a considerable amount of land is not serviced by either streets or utilitles; this land is proposed for a maximum of two dwelling units per net acre" The total demand for new residential land is expected to be about 75 acres, an amount available within the currently developed areas of the City and infill can be expected to take piace there before pressure is put on outlying, currently timbered, land. -25- The Planning Area is cunrently developed at a density of about five units per net acre. This medium density is expected to prevail in the future on residential land accessible by Gity streets and serviced by existing or planned utilities" West of San Juan Avenue, the Plan sug- gess medium density development in the North Beach area and extending roughly to Grant Street School south of Hastings Avenue as shown in Figure 3" South of Blaine Street to the bluff, the Plan recommends that single-family development take place at a density of between six and twelve dwelling units per net acre. This density could, and will, accommodate duplex development as well" The area demarcated by the Plan for this density is the older densely developed part of the City containing many sound structures dating back to the City's founding. Multi-family development is shown on the PIan as a transition between high-density single- family development and commercial or intensive recreational uses" Given the nature of the City, however, the Plan suggests that multi-family development such as garden apartmens and other small complexes be encouragecl. While it is unlikely that a major demand for muiti-storied structures will be discovered during the Plan period, the logical location for such structures would be either near the waterfront or on elevated view sites. These proper- ties are more properly reserved for the public in view of the expressed community goals. Commercial Areas The Plan recognizes three types of commercial development within the Planning Area: the community retail or Central Business District (CBD), the general commercial retail area and the neighborhood retail area. The Port Townsend CBD, covered in greater detail later in this chapter, is the major retail and service center of the Planning Area. The ornate structures that are remnants of another time provide a distinction and identification for the CBD and the City. The water boundar- ies of the south and east and the high bluff on the north reinforce the natural tendency to- ward strip commercial development along the highway into the City and the Plan urges strict adherence to commercial locations as shown. Too. the GBD is in a particularly vulner- able position with regard to competition from shopping centers on the hlghway entrance, since the out*of-town shoppers, currently comprising about one."third of CBD patrons, would reach these establishments first, lf the CBD is to remain as the center of the com- munity, adequate study should be undertaken to prove that the community can support both the CBD and any future shopping center that might be proposed. The Plan has proposed some highway-oriented general commerciai use south of the tighwatf between Waiker and Benton Streets for such establishments as new and used auto dealers, -26- r Ii r IlI I f- l -I It r r- iI i. Ij t -- I I, f-* I a I t - I I r I I I I( f'- I t I { L r i. r- i It (- i I( r I I i. ?bil#8$S LAND USE PIAN 0a (\tcd Strait r Juano\ or) ?ot' 6 45,-, RESIDENTIAL {D.U.tTTffi) Low Donrirysnsie Family (un&r 2.0) Mdium DmdqSngle Family {2.r ro 5.9) I Hish hiiysiDsle Family {6ob 10.9} I WilmD$iryMultiFamilv(11.oom.o) PUBLIC I soors I hrki&otsnsrc ! moeuui" COMMEFCIAL | ru"ieno.n*a I e-".' ] c...-iv INDUSTRIAL ! riot I "*t Admiralty lnlet 0Ll I lrt i motels and restaurant$ The Planning Area has a projected need for Iess than five acres of new commercial land, a factor that should be remembered when pressures increase for commercial use of all land frontrng the highway" As standards for the community retail areas, the Planning Commission has suggested that they: . . . be planned to serve two or more neighborhoods, their accessibility and convenience standards comparable to that of the CBD. The selectivity of goods and services, however, should not equal the magnitude of the CBD. The Plan recommends retention of the Uptown business district as a community retail area on the well-traveled Lawrence Street. Concerning neighborhood retail areas, the Commission recommends that they: . . . be in close proximity to one or more major streets and the seiection of goods limited to the immediate demands of the neighborhood's inhabitants" The size of these areas should be no greater than that required for the con- venience of the inhabitants of the neighborhood in which they are located. The Plan proposes two neighborhood retail areas, the first at the intersection of Hastings and San Juan Avenues, and the second at the crossroads of State Highway 113 with Thomas Street, the turn-off for Grown Zellerbach. Both are suggested to contain such facilities as grocery stores, service stations and barber shops for the convenaence of the immediate neighborhood. Industria! Areas The local standards approved for application to proposed industrial land are: Parcels for wholesale and light manufacturing areas will range in size from one and one-half to ten acres with smaller sites predominating in central or close-in locations. Wholesale/warehouse areas should front primanly on streets and alleys having good access to the rnajor thoroughfare system. Heavier industrial sites should be located as to allow for minimum inter- ference with the living areas of the city. Adequate provisions for buffering from nsise, smoke and other characteristics attendant upon such industries should be stipulated. -29 Municipal utilities and easy access to major thoroughfares and waterways should be readily available for industrial expansion and development. The Land Use Plan proposes light manufacturing use along the highway south of the lagoon as showh, in the Figure. Thoroughfare access here is excellent and both sewer and water lines can easily be extended into the area" The retention of open space buffer along both the highway and the waterfront should be encouraged so that the aesthetic appeal of road- way and water approaches to the Gity will not be damaged. While it is not supposed that the City will require the entire designated area for light manu- facturing during the Plan period, a variety of sites and site sizes is desirable in attracting po- tential industrial developers" Heavy industrial use is recommended to remain in the Glen Cove area. The area is buffered from residential and commercial invasion by natural barriers on three sides, and the lack of Gity services is likely to act as a deterent on the north side. COMMUNITY FACILITIES Throughout history, the basic function of government at all levels has been to foster the safety, health and general welfare of a particular jurisdictional area. The City, closest to the people, has accepted responsibility for providing the most critical functions and services, those of parks, schools, public safety and utilities, supported by other governmental levels. Especially in Port Townsend, where some facilities were built to serve 20,000 people, the in- ventory of community facilities represents a trcmendous investment that cannot be over- looked in planning for the future. The following discussion of existing community facilities, the estimated number and kind that will be needed to serve the future population and the standards that have been adopted form a solid base for the Commun-ty Facilities Plan. Both the existing inventory and the Plan are shown in Figure 4" EXISTING COMMUNITY FACILITIES Schools Port Townsend School District 50, encompassing 63 square miles of Jefferson Gounty, en- rolled 1,546 students in the fall of 1966, about 88 percent of whom lived in the planning -30- Area. Two elementary, one junior high and one senior high held the total enrollment. Within the Planning Area, about 68 percent of the studen$ lived east of San Juan Avenue. The Lincoln-Primary Elementary complex on the east side thus drew its complete enroll- ment from the Planning Area; students bussed from outlying areas attended Grant Street. Other pertinent data on the schools is given in Table lll-3. TABLE III-3 1966 PLANNING AREA SCHOOL ENROLLMENT AND SITE DATA Schools Grades K-64 1-6 7.9 10-12 571 297 336 362 Site Area 9.6 9.8 7.3 3.1 Class- rooms 25 14 15 20 Enroll- mentb Date of Constr. 1889-1952 1957 1963 1934c Condition Avg./Good Above Avg. Good Above Avg. LincolnlPrimary Grant Street Junior High Senior High TOTAL 1,566 29.8 aThe facility also enrolled 28 special education students in the fall of 1966. blncludes total District 50 enrotlment. cThe high school gymnasium was constructed in 1942 and the annex in 1929 with an addition built in 1958. Source: Office of the Superintendent, Port Townsend School District 50. The expected increase, some 11.9 percent, in elementary students by 1985 within the Plan- ning Area will mean 845 kindergarten through sixth grade pupils. At the accepted standard of 28 pupils per classroom, the existing 39 rooms could hold 1,092 students or the project- ed enrollment plus a 157 percent increase in the number of outlying students. School ad- ministrators, however, have expressed a desire for replacement of Lincoln School which is reaching functional obsolescence. At the recommended standard of five acres plus one additional acre for every 100 enrolled, both Grant Street and the Lincoln-Primary complex are well endowed in terms of site size. With a recommended 28 pupils in each of its 15 regular classrooms, the iunior high can ac- commodate an estimated 1985 enrollment of 360 easily even if 42 students from without the Planning Area now attending the facility increase their numbers by as much as 50 per- cent. At standard, the existing site is about seven acres deficient, -31 The Planning Area's senior high students, numbering about 370 by 1985, will not overcrowd their facility at the recommended 15 students per classroom. The 49 students curyently coming from beyond the Planning Area's boundaries wouid have to number over 80 before a classroom problem would emerge. The high school's site is currently neariy ten acres below standard and should be expanded somewhat, although the athletic teams do not use school grounds for their contests. Parks and Recreation The park inventory shown in Figure 4 is investigated as to acreage and development tn Table lll-4" TABLE III-4 EXISTING PARK AND RECREATION FACILITIES Name North Beach Sather Park Ghetzemoka Park County Playground (1) County Playground (2) Memorial Field Golf Course Leroy Carroll Park TOTAL Acres .9 4.9 10.1 1.0 1.1 4"1 55"7 7.0 84.8 Dweloped Limited Yes Yes Yes ":' Source: Field Survey by Clar[ Coleman & Rupeikg lnc. Within the accepted standard of one acre of parks for each 100 persons in the com- munity, the Planning Area has enough acreage to meet 1985 needs. lt should be noted though that the park system currently contains neither playgrounds equipped specifically for elementary school age children nor playfields for use of junior and senior high young people. ln keeping with the goals of the community to provide a restful and inviting tourist attraction, it should be noted that there is no park acreage either in the CBD or along the highway leading into town except the undeveloped Americal Legion Park. I ) -32- ntrn Ll [Jn L_L= n-r-ttrL Htr F f- TI Trr 1t rT'l -d nr +bilsfJ"E EXISTING C()MMUNITY FACILITIES & C0MMUNITY FACILITIES PIAN tvou ' Jrrao 9e ora\tgtr Admiralty lnlet { ?o** 2W o^) 6 @ PARre AND OPEN $ACE -25'^, + d Golf tuuEI e'icnn f mo*f-* $HOO6 f am.s ililll fropd OTHER PUBLIC ! e"i*n, I e-r* Q eru*rry Q e.io' Hid' Q ri4,s-r { tui" euaaine $ ri*vion f amry + H6pi6l fi r"iry*asaiu- I mricurity Since the survey, the northern two-thirds of the old Fort Worden site have been designated a State park with plans for development currently on the drawing board. Old Fort Town- send State Park, just south of the Planning Area, provides another 241 acres of developed recreational area. Other Public Facilities Post Office and Customs. Constructed in 1891 on a 1.1 acre site, the three-storybuilding was designed to give service to about 20,000 customers, The Federal agencies occupying the building currently use only the first two floors and considerable space is available for expansion in the approximately 36,000 total square feet of floor space. The building is in good condition both structurally and functionally" Jefferson Countv Courthouse. One year older than the Post Office building, the Court- house is in questionable structural condition" Contractors are currently evaluating the magnitude of repairs. All the County offices and the State Department of Public Assist- ance occupy only the first two floors; the third floor, never finished, is used for storage. The 24,675 square feet of floor space, plus the jail facilities in the basement, are situated on a 1.1 acre site. City Hall. The Port Townsend City Hall, built in 1891, was rated in below average struc- tural and poor functional condition. The total two-story floor area is about 10,000 square feet, although about half of the building has been given over to use by the Jefferson County Historical Society. City employees are all housed on the first floor,withGouncil chambers on the second. The basement is not usable for offices. The original building included a third floor and spires, which have since been removed and, unlike the Post Office and Courthouse buildings, City Hall has little remaining architectural significance. The cost of remodeling City Hall in a sympathetic Victorian manner may be considerable and the City will soon be faced with deciding upon the alternatives. Library. The municipal library on Lawrence Street was built in 1913 with a ground floor area of about 2,100 square feet and a fuil basement for storage. The library is open six days a week with two full-time and one part-time librarians handling the estimated circulation of 100 volumes per day. Although the building is in average structural and functional condi- tion, the community may soon be confronted with a space problem at the facility. -35- Public Safetv. The protection of life and property emanate from the combination police and fire station constructed in 1947 on Lawrence Street one block west of the tibrary. The fire station is staffed by three full-time firemen and 23 volunteers on a floor area of about 7,500 square feet. The station is equipped with three engine trucks, 1965, 1942 and 1940 models, with respective capacities of 1,250,750 and 500 gllons per minute; one aerial ladder truck with a ladder length of 65 feet; and a 750 gallon tank truck. Protection extends to the City's corporate limits (Crown Zellerbach has its own system) and as the population spreads west and south, a branch station will have to be considered west of San Juan Avenue. When the facility is added savings in fire insurance premiums probably will be realized. The six police officers and their part-time clerk occupy a small corner of the fire station, with approximately 150 square feet of office space and an equal amount of laboratory space. The City Police use the County jail facility in the Courthouse basement, paying for the service on a prisoner by prisoner basis. Efficiency of operation suggests that the police function be given additional space. Fairgrounds. The Jefferson County Fairgrounds cover approximately 23 acres off of 49th Street in the northern part of the Planning Area. The Fairgrounds are the site of annual summer festivities centered around 4-H Club youth activities. There are nine buildings on the grounds, consisting of exhibit halls, horse barn and art gallery, plus a go-kart trackmnr.,- plete with stands. Public Utilities Water. Under a contractual arrangement of nearly 40 years duration, Crown Zellerbach sup- plies the City of Port Townsend with four million gallons a day piped from the Big Ouilcene River some 28 miles away. The water system is City-owned Treatment is by filtration and takes place at City Lake, about seven miles from town. A City reservoir with a 3.2 million gallon capacity is located at Reed and Quincy. As shown in Figure 5, the City water system does extend beyond corporate boundaries and is fairly complete for the developed area. The problem is thus not coverage but supply, since in a dry year, water resources are severely strained with the additional demands. Offi- cials of the mill have expressed their own need for more water before production can be di- versified. Research is currently underway with early resultslshowing the Dosewallips River as a likely new source. -36- *A;#-%}S GENERALIZED WATER & SEWER SERI/ICE AREAS . Juano\ ge 9t(a\t (\toa Admiralty lnlet o^l ^d^@'o$o- ?oto 6 r-E:IIIIIIlIIllll- e,r,-, WATER Sanitary Sewers. The generalized sewer service area shown in Figure 5 is the result of con- siderable improvements and additions over the past several years. Prior to 1965, the gravity flow system terminated at five outfalls which discharged directly into the water without treatment, and bacteriological samples indicated pollution considerably over the maximum allowed by State health authorities. The plans formulated by a special consultant to the City called for priority in constructing a treatment plant and interceptor lines to serve a projected 7,500 people. The plant, located between Kuhn and Landes north of 53rd Street, was completed in 1967 and simultaneous work on the interceptors has discontinued the use of the outfalls for dumping raw sewage into the salt water" Additional lines are now being built, as fast as the City's budget allows, in fairly dense residential areas with no previous service. Historical Areas and Open Space Books and pamphlets outlining the legacies of the past that can be found in Port Townsend have been published before and a repetitive listing is not in order here. Because these his- torical areas are of interest and value nationally and statewide as well as locally and because the City views them as a potential economic base for attracting tourism, every effort should be made to preserve the most valuable and meaningful structures. The City has an active committee concerned with historical restoration and has expressed a deep interest in zoning as a partial means of preservation. The Planning Area currently has abundant open space, including a desirable greenery along State Highway 113 and along much of the shoreline. These amenities will not remain, how- ever, if strict measures are not taken since this land is the first target of commercial and resi- dential developers when expansion happens. STANDARDS FOR COMMUNITY FACILITIES Schools Schools should be located within walking distance for almost all students. One mile is the recommended distance for junior high students and older, one-half mile for elementary -39- students. The elementary school should have a minimum site size of five acres ptus one acre per each 100 pupils, and a maximum of 22 rooms averaging 28 pupils each. The junior high school should be sited on a minimum of ten acres plus one additional acre for each 100 pupils. Recommended maximum enrollment is 800, with an average class- room of 28 pupils. The senior high school should have a minimum site size of ten acres plus one additional acre per each 100 puFils. Authorities recommend a maximum enroll- ment of 1,500 students with an average ol 25 per classroom. Expected future pupil distribution, as well as current student population should determine school sites" Wherelpossible, elementary schools should be located away from major arterials. Parks and Recreation Playground facilities within easy walking distance of all residents are recommended. Where possible, neighborhood parks and playgrounds should be so situated as to take advantage of the natural scenery of the area. Playgrounds normally adjoin an elementary school and are at least partially developed and equipped with apparatus and courts for organized sports. A minimum site size of three acreli, with one acre per 800 neighborhood residents, is the re commended standard" Playfields of from 15 to 20 acres, and preferably part of junior high school grounds, serve the 14 years of age and older population" Playfields generally contain facilities found on playgrounds in addition to various courts and relatively large areas for organized field games. One acre of playfield per 800 persons is recommended. On a community basis, one acre of municipal parks for each 100 persons in the present or estamated future population is a commonly accepted standard. Playgrounds and playfields consume one-fourth of the total municipal recreational acreage requirements. The remain- der is usually devoted to neighborhood parks, special re,creational areas and large parks serving the entire community. Within the total standard, public golf courses consume considerable acreage. The standard for public golf courses is one 18-hole course per 25,000 population. A stadium is another facility included in the recreational standards, the provision of which depends on school, college or other private facilitres available in the municipality. The stadium is intended for outdoor assemblies, ball games and track and fleld events. -40" THE COMMUNITY FACILITIES PLAN The Community Faeitities Plan is shown in Figure 4 in combination with the existing situa- tion. The Plan recommends that Lincoln School be phased out and that the 7"6 acres at the site be given over to use by the high school. Primary school should then be enlarged to 14 class- rooms, serving all the kindergarten through sixth grade students south of "F" Street. The two-acre site should be enlarged to the west and north to a total of about eight acres, neces- sitating the removal of several run-down structures. A new site, preferably north of Center Street and west of Gherry Street, should be acquired to serve the remaining students living east of San Juan Avenue and from the North Beach and Fort Worden neighborhoods. Although the facility will need only an estimated nine rooms by 1985, a site of at least ten acres should be acquired in the event that more rooms are required after that date. The remaining Planning Area elementary students, plus an estimated 140 pupils from out- lying areas, would attend Grant Street School. The junior high, with enough classrooms for 1985, should acquire land west to Kearney and south to Lawrence, provi{ing a site that could function also as a playfield in the Planning Area park system. The Plan also suggests that playgrounds of no less than three acres be de- veloped at Grant Street and the Lincoln replacement in cooperation with the school district for possible joint use. The swimming pool program at the junior high is a good example of this type of school/park cooperation. The Plan proposes the development of the lagoon area as a municipal park, providing a sce- nic entrance to and exit from the CBD and a link between the open space along the highway on the west and the bluff on the east. The Plan also agrees with the Washington State Parks Association that a multi-purpose recreational center be developed at Fort Worden, including use of existing buildings and gun emplacements for cultural aspects of the project and use of the extensive lowlands and beaches for recreation. Open space is recommended along the entire coastline, linking the Fort Worden, Chetze- moka and Point Hudson shoreline parks and preserving the beaches and scenic vistas for the public. ln most instances, these open spaces are already present, and this proposal is intend- ed to give a base for regulations retaining such lands in open space use against pressures for change. t- atl r- t t- t r I r- I T I( t- -41- The other open space proposals shown in Figure 4 link difficult topographical areas to pro- mote a system of open spaces rather than isolated parcels. This system gives not only possi- ble hiking and riding trails to the recreation program, but produces welcome relief in the landscape when areas become subject to urban development and subdivision. The large blocks of land in the Western Planning Area, beyond the corporate limits, are timbered tand in either County or State ownership currently, and it is unlikely that demand for this land will so increase over the Plan period that another use will happen; these lands are thus shown as part of the open space system. Despite the age of the Planning Area's public buildings, the majority are in sound condition for many years of future service, the single exception being the City Hall. The specific re- commendations for Gity Hall are given in the CBD Plan. On the Post Office and Court- house, where space is adequate for some time to come, it is recommended that periodic maintenance and rennovation be carried out in keeping with the historical emphasis of the community" The Library should acquire land to the wst for expansion of both building and setting. The Fire Station should also acquire land to the west and new police facilities with off-street parking constructed. A second fire station should be constructed at the intersection of 19th Street and Sheridan Street to serve development west of San Juan. Plan proposals for Memorial Field are detailed in the CBD Plan later in this chapter. The extension of water and sewer facilities should be predicated on the City's ability-to-pay and caution should be taken that service to sparsely developed areas is not constructed when such service would mean minimal financial return to the City. City cooperation with Crown Zellerbach in researching new water resources is strongly encouraged. THOROUGHFARES The thoroughfare plan has been developed with the objective of providing a general guide for orderly implementation in street and highway improvements in the Port Townsend Plan- ning Area, To accomplish this, the thoroughfare plan has been developed with considera- tion for land use" The Plan also establishes a structure within which the community may effectively grow and develop. STREET CLASSIFICATION AND DESIGN STANDARDS A functional classification or urban streets forms a basis for planning, design, eonstruction, maintenance and operation or the system. Street classification is also the basis for an -42- r- ti r- equitable and practical method of aliocating responsibility for street and road construction expenditures. An urban street has the two basic functions of providing access to abutting property and moving traffic. By properly combining and scaling the two functions, allstreets and roads in Port Townsend should be classified either as major arterials, secondary arterials, collector streets, or local residential or commercial access streets. A major arterial provides for traffic movement between large traffic generators, but may also provide direct access to abutting property. Major arterial streets are subject to neces- sary regulation and control of parking, turning movements, entranc*, exits and curb use. Secondary arterial streets provide for traffic movement within the areas of the City and be- tween major arterial, collector and local streets. They may connect directly to traffic gener- ators and provide direct access to abutting property" Secondary arterial streets, like major arterial streets, are subject to necessary regulation and control of parking and turning move- ments. A collector street collects and distributes traffic between arterials and local access streets. lt serves neighborhood traffic generators and provides direct access to abutting property. Local acces streets provide for direct access to residential, commercial, industrial or other abutting land for local traffic movement, and connect with collector and/or arterial streets. Present State law provides uniform design standards for arterial streets" Table lll-5 shows the design standard dimensions for arterial streets, secondary arterial streets and collector streets. These design standards should be followed in all new construction and, as far as practicable and feasible, in the reconstruction of existing facilities. TABLE III-5 THOROUGH FARE STANDARDS Classification Major Arterial Secondary Arterial Collector Street aParking Optional Number of Lanes 4-6 2-44 2-44 Paved width 48-64' 44', 44', R.O.W. width 80'min. 60'min. 60' min" -43- Street design standards are based upon functional street classification and traffic volumes. After a street has been classified according to its function, traffic volumes dictate the rs quired number of travel lanes which, in turn, determine the pavement and right-of-way width. Local conditions in Port Townsend may require deviation from the street design standards and State law indicates that such deviation may be made with the approval of the Assistant State Director of Highways for State Aid" Figure 6 shows the program recently approved by the City Council which indicates those local streets which will receive attention during the next six years in the form of mainten- ance and improvement. State and County arterials are not shown. PLANNING PROCESS The existing street and road network plays a major role in the development of a thorough- fare plan" A community such as Port Townsend can not afford to ignore the large invest- ment in street facilities by curtailing maintenance, nor can it overbuild. Maximum use should be made of existing rights-of-way and improvements thereon. The maior street and road facilities seruing Port Townsend are the State Highway which for part of the way runs along Water Street, and Federal Aid Secondary Road which runs along Hastings Avenue, Discovery Road, "F" Street, Tyler Street, Jefferson Street and Ouincy Street, connecting with Water Street. Some of the other major street and road facilities are Washington Street, Lawrence Street, Fir Street, Cherry Street, San Juan Avenue, 49th Street, Cook Avenue, Miller Road, Discovery Road, Monroe Street, Jackson Street and Walnut Street. The current traffic volumes on the major street and road facilities range from a low of less than 100 to a high of about 4,500 vehicles per day on Water Street between Fillmore and Polk Streets. The 1965 average daily traffic volumes on State Highway 113 ranged from 2,400 vehicles at the south city limits to 3,700 vehicles southwest of Jefferson Street, to 4,500 vehicles southwest of Polk Street, to 1,700 vehicles southwest of Monroe Street. The daily traffic volumes on Hastings Avenue ranged from a low of about 300 vehicles at the westerly city limits to about 1,000 vehicles west of Discovery Road. The street and road system at present has the physical capacity to accommodate these volumes with little or no congestion. The estimated 1975 and 1985 traffic volumes ranging between 2,600 and 8,900 vehicles per day on sections of Water Street exceed the practical traffic carrying capacity. lmprovements such as pnovision of additional travel lanes and removal of 'curb parking at -44- I r-I i\ (- t- I I ( I t l I It r' l i i r- I r- {. r'' 1 t a- lt r- ( l^ t - I I I n l-l r- tl I 4 a trh-llr--l,l far#-os5 URBAN ARTERIAL SYSTEM (6 YEAR PR0GRAM) (voa0@r Juanor 5t(ait Admiralty lnlet or) -""" o$o- ?oto 6 16@ 240V As,-, I SECONDARYABTEBIALS I COLLECTORARTERIAG peak periods may have to be implemented. The estimated twenty year growth in traffic volumes elsewhere in the City do not appear to pose major congestion or capacity problems. ln Port Townsend, there are certain natural and man-made planning restraints. The natural restraints are topography, the shoreline, and a high bluff separating the Central Business Dis- trict (CBD), built on the tide lands, from the residential area on the embankment" Automo- bile access to the CBD is limited to either the northeast or the southwest approach. Topo- graphy and the demarcation of the high tade line again influenced the development of the CBD, limiting expansion to a narrow east-west axis, and provision of additional street facili- ties is thus not practical. The man-made restra:nts to good thoroughfare planning consist of the prior development of land and dedication of public rights-of-way. Little thought has ap- parently been given in the past to developing good road facilities between Fort Worden and the rest of the community. Arterial street access to Fort Worden from the CBD via Monroe, Jackson, Walnut, "U" and Cherry Streets is circuitous. The planned thoroughfare system should be compatible with the plans for land use develop- ment. The arterial facilities should be located at neighborhood boundaries and should assist in defining homogeneous land uses. Wherever possible, arterial streets should be planned to avoid skirting elementary schools. Collector streets in the developed areas should be located to collect and distribute local traffic between local streets and the arterial facilities. THOROUGHFARE PLAN The thoroughfare plan, a network of arterial and collector streets for the Port Townsend Planning Area, is shown in Figure 11 as a part of the Gomprehensive Plan. In keeping with the primary objectives, this plan provides for present and future traffic demand and meets those requirements with an acceptable level of service. The major arterial network should consist of State Highway 113, Water Street, Monroe Street from Water to Lawrence, Lawrence Street from Monroe to Kearney, Hastings Ave- nue, San Juan Avenue from Hastings to Blaine, and Kearney from Blaine to State Highway 113. This primary arterial network forms the backbone for vehicular travel in the Port Townsend Planning Area. The need for major arterial classification on Water Street is obvious. Water Street is, and will be, the only through street in the CBD, both facilitating traffic to and from the central area and providing for direct access to abutting development" Curb parking along Water Street should remain, but it may become necessary in the future to restrict curb parking -47 during the morning and evenlng peak travel periods. This measure should be applied only after other improvements fail to provide the needed street capacity. Lawrence Street facilitates substantial traffic movement on top of the hill in the older and established sectaon of the City. ln addition to some commercial land development, Law- rence Street. provides access to major community facilities such as the library and the fire station. State Highway 113 and Hastings Avenue connect Port Townsend with the current and fu- ture development in the region, and it is essential that the two be part of the primary arteri- al system" Sections of San Juan Avenue, Kearney and Monroe Streets provide the.connec- tions necessary for tying the system of primary arterials together. The system of secondary arterials has been developed to provide for traffic movement with- in the Planning Area. The system connects directly to such major employment centers as Crown Zellerbach and Fort Worden. The secondary arterial system also forms part of the scenic drive system, particularly to the north, along Cook Avenue and 49th Street. ln pres- ently undeveloped areas, the future arterial system should follow the contours of the iand. lnitially, in these areas, the right-of-way should be reserved, followed by roadway construc- tion at the time of need. The entire secondary arterial system apparently can be operated for many years with two travel lanes and with curb parking where necessary. The collector system has been designed to collect and distribute auto travel between major and secondary arterials and the local access streets. ln presently undeveloped areas, the right-of-way should be reserved for future development of the collectors. ln the presently developed areas, collectors should be lined with stop signs and pavement center stripes should be applied. Part of the collector system, particularly in the Fort Worden and the beach park area, form the scenic drive system" Specific lmplementation Proposals The laws of the State of Washington contain considerable legislation regarding the funding of street and road construction and maintenance. The communEty should be particularly in- terested in two areas; first, the aliocation of arterial street funds from the State and second, allocation of additional street funds to urban areas over 5,000 population from the recent one and a half cent :ncrease in the motor vehicle fuel tax" Both programs require documen- tation in the form of a thoroughfare plan to lnsure that the funds are expended on facilities benefiting the entire community rather than selected individual property owners on local access streets. With this in mind, the six-year program (Figune 6) relates to the long-range thoroughfare plan eiement (Figure 11)" -48. ln addition to the Federal Aid Secondary Road system of which Hastings Avenue, "F" Street, Tyler Street, Jefferson Street and Ouincy Street are a part, the Federal government, through the State Highway Department, will be designating a Federal Aid Primary ll system. All the streets in the CBD. in outlying business and industrial areas can qualify for inclusion in the FAP ll System, Washington, Monroe and Lawrence Streets and parts of San Juan and Kearney Streets can qualify, as well as Thomas Street connecting with the Crown Zellerbach industrial facility. Federal funds for improvement of these facilities are available through the State Highway Department. Current funds are in short supply, but are expected to in- crease substantially upon completion of the Federal Aid lnterstate System. Upon approval of the Comprehensive Plan by the Port Townsend City Council, the thor- oughfare plan should be adhered to by the Gity-County engineering department responsible for street and road construction and maintenance. lmprovements on the system should be made in response to anticipated need and within the financial limitations. A twenty year long-range capital improvements program should be prepared. The first six years of the pro- gram should be fairly detailed to allow the first year to become part of the City and County annual budget. The thoroughfare plan is only a guide to be followed by those responsible for providing ade- quate road and street facilities in the Port Townsend Planning Area. lts true value will be realized if it directs action and decision toward achievement of improved street and road fa- cilities with the support of citizens and all levels of government. THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT The core area of any City is its one unique point and should function as an identifiable so- cial, cultural and economic center for the Gity. A City is unwittingly judged by the condi- tion of its CBD, both by visitors and the residents themselves. The architectural vestiges of another century determine that Port Townsend's CBD will never have a llittery cosmetic look but, if properly maintained, will have a look of historical elegance that cannot be matched elsewhere. THE EXISTING CBD The land area termed the CBD is that edged by Admiralty lnlet on the east, Port Townsend Bay on the south, by the bluff on the north and by roughly Harrison Street (west of Port Townsend Plazal on the west" The map of existing CBD land uses in Figure 7, however, has -49- the boundary extended northward to include the Uptown commercial area as well as the whole of Memorial Field and Point Hudson" Excepting apartment use in some of the upper stories and a single industrial facility. GBD floor space is devoted largely to commercial uses. Commercial floor area in the planning Area was measured in the summer of 1967 with results for the downtown and Uptown as shown in Table lll-6. TABLE III.6 CBD AND UPTOWN NET COMMERCIAL FLOOR SPACEA(ln square feet) Retail Offices/Services First Floor Second Floor Vacant First Floor Second Floor Third & above TOTAL CBD 174,665 52,576 47,534 5,042 84,126 28,923 23,263 31"940 311,367 Pct. of Total P.A. 74.5 58.8 57.7 71.6 89.2 79"0 90"3 100.0 Uptown 25,850 11,900 9,900 2,000 Pct. of Total P.A. 11.0 13.3 12.0 28.4 74.5 37,750 9.0 aNet floor space refers onty to the area actually in commercial use, and excludes storage and other accessory floor area. Source: Field Surveys by Clarlq Coleman & Rupeiks, lnc, July, 1967. The CBD held nearly three-fourths of the Planning Area's commercial floor area, as shown in the preceeding Table, and nearly 90 percent of the vacant floor area noted. Well over one-fourth of the CBD's floor space was in fact vacant, a good share of which was found in the upper stories of buildings constructed in anticipation of a much larger population. The location of the vacant floor area by block is shown graphically in Figure L About 56 percent, or 174,665 square feet, of commercial floor space was in retail uee in the CBD; the Uptown percentage was 68.5. The number of establishments by general retail category in both the CBD and Uptown is shown in Table lll-7, along with the ihare of total Planning Area square footage in both commercial areas, "50" ! i. ftb.. z -TORI- TOWnS€no tAND USE cBD & ENVTRoNs L_l L_,J I r# L_J I !tr EXISTING tll l l_l I ltrt_JL_ SINEErf:E;t;l! F stittl SrRa€l sti€ ET slntEr 4.o ffirIIJI Itl:iliE As,^, COMMERCIALRESIDENTIAL Single-Family I Murti-Famiry I Rebat/whoteete I offi*/seruies INDUSTRIAL N*ei.{ Trans., Comm" & Uriliti6 W Heavv f PUBLTc&sEMr.PUBLrc E VACANTLAND I I I 2W 409 600' t__l L_J +bil#$d$ C0MMERCIAL VACANCY RATE (BD & rNrrrRoNs L_l l_J L] I ll ll | il tul-l l CE SI IET I Tnttl LIXCOLil SI RTET sln!Et STNTET JEF'ER5OI 7' ffi €- -ffiI:I o2,s,-" VACANCY AS A PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL FLOOR AREA ffi,q 11 .2s% I 26.so% f sl%andover nil o. 5% 6. 10%{SURVEY - SUMMER, 1967)tm' 20q 40(I TABLE III-7 CBD AND UPTOWN RETAIL ESTABLISHMENTS AND NET FLOOR AREAA CBD Pct.Total Floor Area P"A. Uptown Pct. TotblNo. Fioor Area P.A. Primary Secondary Convenience TOTAL aln square feet 89,275 35,040 50,350 174,665 Primary 2,002 86"6 125,890 16.00 No. 28 12 12 52 87.3 61.2 67.2 74.5 9,750 6,900 10,200 25,850 5 2 3 01 8.6 12.1 13.6 11.0 Total 5,792 63.9 247,400 23.50 Source: Field surveys by Clark, Coleman & Rupeiks, lnc", July 1967. Planning Area retailers did an estimated $9.1 million in business in 1967, about 64 percent of which took place in the CBD: Of this estimated $5"8 million in CBD sales, about 34.6 percent were in primary goods, 21.8 percent in secondary purchases and 43"6 percent in convenience items. CBD sales are compared with floor area in Table lll-8, and CBD retail productivity, or dollar sales per gross square foot of floor space, is matched with that found in other Washington cities in which the consultants have worked. TABLE III-8 1967 CBD RETAIL SALES, FLOOR AREA AND COMPARAfIVE PRODUCTIVITY CBD Sales ($000) Pct. of TotalPA" CBD Floor Areaa Productivity ($) Productivity/Avg. Washinston City i$)b Secondary Convenience 1,261 2,52960.6 54"1 51,635 69,87524"50 36.00 42.00 40.00 /13.00 42.0O dcross square feet of floor space. bAn auerage of the Washington cities of Vancouver, Bremerton, Bellingham and Walla Walla. Source: Field Surveys and Estimates by Clark, Coleman & Rupeiks, lnc., 1967" -53- Despite the capture by Port Townsend of retail sales over those available from the local pop ulation, the retail area appears to be overexpandeci. Since floor space added is a result of in- creased demand, it is reasonable to assume that the 1950 to 1960 population loss did not compel a corresponding decrease in retail floor space" Thus, rather than expecting new stores with increased sales activaty, a higher level of productivity for existing stores is anti- cipated, especially among those dealing in primary and secondary shoppers' goods. lf returns are boosted to a level comparable with other cities, an estimatedSg,42O square feet of new retail floor space will be needed in the Planning Area by lg8b, with about 35,590 square feet of the new space locating in the CBD" Table ttl-g gives the expected Planning Area and the share that is antacipated for the cBD, by general category. TABLE III-9 ESTIMATED 1985 CBD GROSS RETAIL FLOOR SPACEA Primary Secondary Convenience TOTAL aln square feet Source: Estimates by Clark, Coleman & Rupeiks, lnc. CBD PARKING A parking study was carried out in the Central Business District in June of 1g67 to deter- mine present parking characteristics and to define present and future parking demand and need. Parking Supply The survey revealed a total of 814 parking spaces in an area bounded by Harrison, Jefferson, Monroe and the waterfront, Curb parking spaces numbered .424, of which 141 were meter- ed and 283 were for all-day parking. The remaining 390 spaces were off-street parking, re- served for customei's and empioyees or leased-out on a long=term basis" The locations of 1967-1985 P"A. lncrease 11,740 15,775 31,905 59,420 To CBD 11,740 7,900 15,950 35,590 1985 CBD Total 137,630 59,535 85,825 282,gg0 -54- both curb and off-street parking are shown in Figure 9 and the type of parking by time limit is given in Table lll-10. TABLE III-10 1967 PARKING SPACE INVENTORY Curb Parking 12 min. meter 24 min. meter t hour meter 2 hour meter All day Off-Street Parking TOTAL Itrlo. of Spaces 424 1 14 56 60 283 390 814 tut. of Totd SuppV 52.1 .1 1.7 6.9 7.4 34.8 47"9 100.0 Source: Field Survey by Clark, Coleman and Rupeiks, lnc. The useage, turnover and duration of parking recorded for each space provided a basis frfre determination of demand and need. The maximum accumulation of parkers occurred between 2:00 and 2:30 p.m. when 45.4 percent of the available supply was occupied. Generally, the average daily usage of a park- ing space is an indication of its accessibility and popularity with parkers, and its value in serving parking needs in the vicinity of primary generators. Between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., all spaces were 36 percent occupied; curb spaces were 41 percent used and off-street spaces 31 percent occupied. During peak periods, curb and off-street spaces had respective occupancy rates of 81 and 52 percent, resulting in a total peak occupancy of about 59 percent. The average CBD parker used a space for one hour and 25 minutes; violations, especially in the 12 and 24 minute metered spaces, were frequent. Uptown parking in the vicinity of Lawrence and Tyler Stree8, also shown in Figure 9, con- sisted of 51 curb parking spaces on Lawrence between Fillmore and Taylor and 98 off+street spaces. The supply is considered adequate for the needs of the Uptown commercial area, and is capable of absorbing considerable additional growth. -55- Parking Demand The parking space demand for 690 spaces was adequately met by the 814 space supply in 1967. Some congestion did occur near lAlater and Taylor Streets where demand exceeded supply. ln the CBD, a ratio of one square foot of parking space to one square foot of,occupied com- mercial floor area is desirable" This ratio means a demand of about 800 spaces by 1985, a demand that would be satisfied by the existing inventory if adjustments were not necessary. Too, ferry traffic is expected to at least double by 1985, overtaxing both loading and park- ing facilities at the terminal" THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT PLAN The Planning Gommission has set forth the following standards for planning thear CBD The Central Business District should be the prime retail and service center of the Gity. Easy access to the cBD and adequate parking therein, particularly off-street parking, are of utmost concern. Again, as with the residential areas, the growth potential of the area should be sufficiently recognized in the planning process. The GBD Plan should suf- ficiently demarcate the area in order to limit the spread of commercial and industrial sprawl into residential andlor public and private recreational sites" ln order to fully recognize and exploit the character of the city, all struc- tures and places of social, historical and arch8tectural significance should be definitely considered" Provisions to preserve the visual character of the CBD, both the historical and the scenic aspects, are strongly recommended" The problems of transifion between residential and commercial uses are not present in Port Townsend; nature has provided the most effective buffer possibie in the bluff along the northern edge of the GBD. The bluff also delimits the area that might be referred to as GBD on both the west (at Van Buren Streetl and north. The remaining two sides are coastline. The CBD Plan shown graphically in Figure 10 proposes multi-family residential use north of Jefferson Street from Aciams Street to the western half of the Point Hudson property. When Point Hudson becomes sublect to the intensive recreationaUcommercial uses proposed for the site, thts multi=family use will act as a buffer for the single-family residential neigh- borhoods to the north. Some multi-tamily development is also suggested around the Up- town eommercial area. -56- J l l l l l L_J +bil8S#fi PARKI NG I Nt/ENT()RY eBD & tNtrrRoNs r_J U L_J I il lt ll ll lLJt- L] STREEI EIST sif,ttl c)^ ffi KL SIRIIT STSETTlEtfEns0H 2t ? 2,s,-, f AtlDay I shr.freter X 2hr.meter I thr.meter f 12&24min.mete6 OFF.STREFT PARKING ffiiL1i I Lot & Number o{ spaces {SURVEY - SPRING. 1967)0 to(y 2r 40(y ffi +#ffi#8Jl$ LAN D USE PLAN (BD & rNttlnotqs .J l l l l l t__l G'EII L_JE E l_J I t# L='1 I II ILJL t iefitts0R !TNEEI R ESI D ENII AL I ffi 1**df iI:d*li{sr Sinqle-Family ft,'lulti.Family COMIUERCIAL PABKS & OPEN SPACE PUBLIC & SEMI,PUBLIC PARKING PTISLIC RIGHT"OF.WAY & TIDE LANDS rtr f tt lm 2m'40(y 6m' The Plan shows multi-family use extending down into what is now Memorial Field, intend= ing not that the City immediately abandon the site for athletic events but that when the inevitable time comes for moving the Field, the City will have an idea as to the best use of the land. As greater numbers of visitors come to Port Townsend, access to and parking at Memorial Field, a facility meant for purely local enjoyment and deciicated to local memories, will become stained, lt is thus suggested that the Field relocate, withir+Se Plan period, to a new site either near the County Fairgrounds or on the new acreage acquired by the High School when Lincoln School is replaced. That part of the FnId south of Jefferson Street is recommended for deveiopment as a City park, not one of whlch is currently found in the CBD. The multi-famiiy use in the northeast corner would be ideal for retirement-oriented housing, given the expected increase in retired persons in the population and the proximity of the site to shopping and entertainment facilities It is urged that the CirylPort Commission require in the future development of Point Hudj son that the shoreline be accessible by the public. With the reservation of the tide lands along Front Street as public rights"of-way as shown in Figure 10, the CBD would be com- pletely encircled by open space" A system of small green areas and walkways within the CBD would provide a feeling of harmony with the surroundings, The Plan proposes that the present City Hall be given over to total use by the Jefferson Gounty Museum, and that a new City government buiiding be constructed to the rear, fac-ng Washington Street" The building is not efficient as a City Hall, but with its unusual Council Chamber and ornate woodwork, it is efficient as a museum and its location with regard to the ferry dock and main highway will insure heavy use. The new City Hall will require clo- sure of Madison Street between Washington and Water Streets, allowing a small plaza devel- opment linking City Hall and the Museum. West of the plaza, it is recommended that panl* ing facilities be developed for use by City and Museum employees and by possible week-end ferry parking overflow. ln this, as in other parking proposed, for development by the City,.it is suggested that brick, rather than black.top, surfacing be considered as more in keeping with the overall character of the CBD The parking facility produced by the closure of Adams between Water and Washington Streets is an example where this might be used, as is the lot suggested at the foot of Quincy Street connecting with ferry parking at the Madison Street terminal. Some interest has been shown in the construction of helioports both in the CBD and near St. John's Hospital. A site lying between the ferry dock and Point Hudson would be most su:table for this type of faeility The iocation of the terminal at Madison Steet is recommendeci in the event that major fa- cility reconstruction or expansion becomes necessary- lf the ferry docks remain at the foot of Ouincy Street, however, the parking suggested in the Plan can be reversed so that the cars move west from Madison Street to the terminal rather than east from Ouincy Street. "59- It is anticipated that industrial uses will relocate outside the CBD during the Plan period, and that the City might provide some form of incentive to those firms which move to the industrial area south of the lagoon, The commercial uses that are so vital to a healthy CBD should remain in muclr the same lo- cations as they are currently found. Remembering that little new floor space will be re- quired by 1985, there is ple{!f,y of land within demarcated CBD limitsforanynewgrowth. Point Hudson when developed will undoubtedly contain some limited commercial enter- prise, boosting the CBD's commercial inventory. Parking meters are recommended for removal from the CBD as soon as practicable, with two-hour curb parking limits installed instead. This change should take place when the meters are paid for, or sooner, if sale of the meters can cover the unpaid balance. The off- street parking shown in Figure '10 represents a consolidation of the existing lot inventory for greater use by parkers. THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN The Port Townsend Comprehensive Plan shown in Figure 11 describes the future arrange- ment of uss considered best when the four elements discussed previously are analyzed in the effect of one upon the other. The proposals for residential use in the Plan are dealing with a Planning Area that could, at current densities, hold nearly 19,500 dwelling units. The amount of residential land avail- able is thus many times above what is estimated to be needed, and the Plan is concerned that new residential development occur where it is within the realm of the City's econom- ic ability to extend services. Multi-family residential use is recommended for the blocks in the immediate vicinity of the Uptown commercial area, for the area north and west of Point Hudson and ringing the park development proposed for the lagoon" ln all cases, the use acts as a transition between single-family neighborhoods and active recreational or commercial areas that might prove incompatible. The industrial locations proposed south of the lagoon offer even more favorable aspects than the CBD waterfront, and even though the same highway is accessible from both loca- tions, the conflict with ferry traffie does not happen in the lagoon area. -60- A series of shoreline parks and the small areas of unbuildable terrain in the Planning Area has produced an attractive system of open spaces fringing both the entire shorelihe and major arterials. Because the ferry is such an important means of introducing tourist trade to Port Townsend, several merchang have recognized a possible value in having stores that front on the water, an idea that is encouraged by the Plan. Each citizen finds security in knowing of his beginnings, and Port Townsend, as one of the first cities in the Pacific Northwest, has not only the desire to capitalize on her historical holdings but the responsibility for presenring them" The proposals of the Comprehensive Plan have recognized these factors and have attempted to promote them as well as to make the Planning Area a desirable place for its permanent residents to live, Correspondingly, visitors will be increasingly attracted to the community as scenic and cultural assets are enhanced" The Comprehensive Plan is not a fixed document and can be modified if abrupt and unfore- seen changes occur; however, modifications should preserve the overall obiectives of the Plan, objectives that have been stated firmly by the Planning Commission as: 1. The development of a long-range program with the dual aims of ac' quiring new municipal parks in line with residential and commercial growth and developing park sites previously donated to the City" 2, The development of park sites in such a way as to appeal simultane- ously to resident and visitor, Further, prominent rest and recreation areas should be provided in or near the CBD and along major thor- oughfares. 3. The procurement of sites for possible future school construction while open land is still available" 4" The exploration of undeveloped water resources available to the City and the full investigation of means for future development. 5" The presenration of the visual character and historical aspects of the City for both aesthetic and economic reasons. 6. The preseruation and restoration of historical aspects of the City should be studied in depth in order to bolster the natural trend towarci increased tourism" 7" The retention of view sites and landmark areas in public andlor resi- dential use and the limiting of high rise structures and commercial and industrial buildings to other areas" 8" The harmonious composition of streets, residentiai and commercial areas, enclosed and open vistas, view sites, building groups, landmarks and parks" -61 t utrn ttat a0ta +";SSS C(}MPRTHENSIVE PtAN (\to40eJUal\ei 5t(a\t Admiralty lnlet orl ?ot' 6 LAND USE &3,-, t5@ Public II&I Sqte Fanily Raiet'd Mu16-Flmily R6i&irl $BEfl CLNIFICATIONS G kodryffit CHAPTER IV IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLAN The Comprehensive Plan describes a desirable and coordinated development plan for the fu- ture for the Port Townsend Planning Area. The Planning Commission and its committees have made admirable progress in promoting;such a Plan and in soliciting community ideas and goals for inclusion, but the true value of the Plan will be determined when it is adopted as a statement of policy and properly implemented. lmplementation is achieved by guiding the use and development of public and private property through zoning and land srSdivi- sion regulations while the development and improvement of public facilities suggested in the Plan are accomplished through a capital improvements program, urban renewal or acombi- nation of the two. Little of the Planning Area is outside the corporate limits of Port Townsend, and that which is seems likely to see only minimal development over the Plan period. Cooperation between the City and Jefferson County officials is urged, however, since many of the facilities af- fected by Plan proposals are shared by the two jurisdictions. A step toward this required City-County coordination was taken in the formation of a Regional Planning Gommission in late 1967. ZONING Zoning is one of the most important legal devices available for implementing the Compre- hensive Plan" The goals of the Plan are achieved by regulations in height and bulk of build- ings, density of population, percentage of lot covered, size of open spaces and the use of buildings and land" The zoning map, delineating the zoning districts, and the zoning text, defining the regulations for each district, are legislative enactments which exercise the police power or that power which regulates the use of private property for the purpose of promoting the health, safety and general welfare of the community" While these regula- tions may appear restrictive, they allow every property owner the enjoyment of his property rights as long as he does not infringe upon the same rights of others. Simultaneously, prop- perty values are protected while working toward implementation of the Comprehensive Plan. -65- Port Townsend has not previously had a zoning ordinance of any kind; such an ordinance is being prepared pursuant to the Land Use Plan. The Planning Commission has expressed a desire to have historical areas dealt with in the new ordinance, giving impetus to restoration and preservation plans for areas of historical interest within the City. BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT The Board of Adjustment, to be appointed by the City Council, is an administrative board whose function is to apply the zoning ordinance adopted by the legislative body of the com- munity, with judgments on exceptional situations as provided in the ordinance. The adjust- ments must be consistent with the zoning plan and regulations as mapped and set forth by the ordinance. Sound policies and practices by the Board of Adjustment are imperative since their decisions can undermine the Gomprehensive Plan. The Board performs three review functions: 1. lt interprets the ordinance when it is uncertain as to the correct mean- ing of specific provisions or of the precise location of a zoning district boundary as shown on the zoning map. 2. lt may grant, in certain situations and in strict conformance with the rules and tests set forth in the zoning ordinance, special exceptions, or those cases specifically named and described in the ordinance. 3. lt reviews variations or modifications of the strict terms of the zoning ordinance when hardships arise as a result of the ordinary working of the ordinance. ln performing these functions, the Board can provide relief to the Planning Gommission who will be burdened with policy and developmental decisions ne,cessary to the achievement of the objectives of the Comprehensive Plan. SUBDIVISION CONTROL Subdivision of land, interpreted to be the division of land into two or more parcels, is an- other tool of plan implementation when regulated or guided by the Planning Gommission. This regulation is enforced through the power to withhold the privilege of public record on -66- plats not meeting established requirements and, together with zoning, can provide an effec- tive means of developing an appropriate land use pattern. The main impact of subdivision control is on vacant iand; therefore, adequate controls in conformance with the Compre- hensive Plan will prevent costly redevelopment and replatting proJects in the future and will insure equal treatment for developers while protecting their investments from substandard developments. It is becoming common for subdivision controis to cali for the provision by developers of adequate sites for schools, parks and other public faciiities. Many communities require that these s:tes be reserved for a certain leng6h of time during which the municipality may pur- chase or condemn the propefty. Many developers in recent years have willingly dedicated such sites realizing the marketability of attractive open space and available public facilities. Zoning and subdivision controls can prevent undesirable conditions from arising by regula' ting the type and quality of land development. However, to fully implement the Plan, ex' isting undesirable conditions must be improved, requiring both private and public efforts. A minimum housing standards ordinance is one tool of correction which requires the rehabilitation or destruction of individual substandard structures, while urban renewal or redevelopment might be utllized to correct large areas of blighted structures. URBAN RENEWAL Perhaps the most comprehensive method of plan implementation avallable is the National Housing Act of 1949, as amended. Under the Community Renewal Program, the broadest program within urban renewal, the entire community is subiected to a thorough study after which priorities are assigned and the Wpe of treatment determined. The General Neighbor- hood Renewat Plan, the next most extensive program, focuses attention on a particular resi' dential neighborhood or even the entire Central Busines District. An urban renewal pro- gram is an action program in contrast to a plan and certain criteria must be met before actu" al redevelopment can take place" These criteria include determination of blight, location of adeguate facilities for dislocated families and businesses, and a study of marketability of the land which is to be temporarily acquired by the public agency before resale to private devei- opers" As m,rdr as three-fourths of the cost of urban renewal can be borne by the federal government with Iocal contributions being combinations of cash, municipal services, com" munity facility construction and other non-cash improvements. Potential renewal areas can be located in the map of Planning Area structural conditions in Figure 2. "67- CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM The Comprehensive Plan cannot by itself produce the community it describes; however, with sound fiscal planning based on cost and revenue considerations, the recommendations of the Plan can be brought into scale with the Gity's resources and achieved" Such a fiscal plan is the long-range capital improvements program, which consists of revenues from taxes, borrowing and other sources. Listing the needed capital improvements according to priority and estlmating anticipated costs and revenues makes it possibie to assure municipal services while providing capital improvements on a basis of retative necessity and ability to pay. Per- iodic review allows flexibility in such advance planning and thus prevents detraction from the authority and responsibility of the City Council to determine capital spending. Such a long-range program with a six-year capital budget would allow an adjustment of expendi- tures to the fiscal capacity of the City, thus preventing taxes from rising to an unreasonable rate. lt is anticipated that the Planning Commission will request local funds in its 1970 bud- get to match two-thirds federal funds for the preparation of the capital improvements fiscal study for the City of Port Townsend. Long-range programming should give special atten- tion to the acquisition and development of the rather extensive parks and open spaces in the Plan, since federal aid can be requested in sharing up to half these costs. -68- { I