HomeMy WebLinkAbout09291999 Min Ag
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CITY OF PORT TOWNSEND
PLANNING COMMISSION AGENDA
City Council Chambers, 7:00 p.m.
Business Meeting
September 29, 1999
I. Call to Order
II. Roll Call
III. Acceptance of Agenda
IV. Approval of Minutes:
V. Unfinished Business
A. Proposed Glen Cove UGA Designation (open-record public hearing)
1. Staff presentation (Bob Leedy)
2. Public testimony
3. Commission discussion and conclusions
VI. New Business
VII. September 30, 1999
Comprehensive Plan Amendments (open-record public hearing)
Proposed.SEPA Threshold Amendments (open-record public hearing)
October 14, 1999
Finalize Comp Plan Amendments findings & conclusions
Zoning Code Text Amendment Workshop (proposal by the Port to raise the
building height limit in the M-II(A) zoning district)
October 28, 1999
Port of Port Townsend (LUP99-72)
Zoning Code Text Amendment - height limit (open-record public hearing)
VIII. Communications
IX. Adjournment
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CITY OF PORT TOWNSEND
PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES
Business Meeting
September 29, 1999
1.
Call to Order
The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers of City Hall by Chair
Cindy Thayer.
II. Roll Call
Members in attendance were Chair Cindy Thayer, Karen Erickson, Nik Worden, Larry
Harbison, and Len Mandelbaum. Christine Ota arrived at 8:00 p.m., Staff member present was
BCD Director Bob Leedy. City Council representatives were Joe Finnie, Sydney Lipton and
Geoff Masci.
ID. Acceptance of Agenda
Motion to accept the agenda was made by Mr. Worden and seconded by Mr.
Mandelbaum. All were in favor.
IV. Approval of Minutes - There were none
V. Unfinished Business
A. PropGsed Glen Cove UOA Designation (public hearing)
Chair Thayer explained this is a public hearing to formulate a recommendation from the
Planning Commission to the City Council for their October 4th Council Meeting.
1. Staff Presentation
Mr.. Leedy pointed out this has been out for several m()nths with the special study and the
draft: EIS. He indicated the purpose for this meeting is for the Planning Commission to
formulate a recommendation with regard to the portion of the Glen Covetrri Area study.
He referred to his summary Staff Report of September 29th and the Staff three-fold
recommendation of a UGA:
1) Strongly endorse the Resolution previously adopted by City Council~
2) Endorse UGA designation for that part of Glen Cove identified on the map previously
distributed~
3) Endorse Logical Boundary designation for that part of Glen Cove shown as the City's Final
Urban Growth Area (FUGA) in the City's Comprehensive Plan.
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Planning Commission Meeting
September 29, 1999
Page 2
Overheads included:
~ Map of the Port Townsend Comprehensive Plan designation (generally all of the Glen Cove
area, extending south along SR 20 to Old Fort Townsend Road and extending on west).
~ Map of Jefferson County area to be considered for the Glen Cove planning area during the
supplemental EIS and separation of the Glen Cove/Tri Areas, broken down into seven
subareas, (Some analysis of each of those subareas took place during the study.)
Mr. Leedy noted the area recommended by Staff at this time for part of the Port
Townsend Urban Growth Area. He stated that the mill property is something of special
consideration and is eliminated as any part of this discussion in terms of the City's interest in
that property. He said it is not included in terms of acreage in the Urban Growth Area because it
is an already developed industry and such industries do not count against allowable acreage for
an Urban Growth Area.
Commission qllestions of Staff:
Ms. Erickson: Asked how many acres are in that area (the pink area).
Mr. Leedy: Replied their calculation is 150 gross acreage. A considerable part of that is
developed mill property that does not contribute against an Urban Growth Area designation.
It would be the net area of undeveloped property that would contribute toward an Urban
Growth Area designation.
Mr. Worden: There are several residential properties which apparently the county included in
commercial zoning.
Mr. Leedy: Pointed out the general location on the overhead map and indicated it is outside the
current Urban Growth Area for the City.
Mr. Mandelbaum: In Section 2 of the City Council Resolution the Commission is asked to
endorse, City Council directs the City Manager to coordinate with the City's Planning
Commission work: on a Glen Cove UGA boundary that would be consistent with plans.
policies and service commitments. He referred to Paragraph 2 of Staff's September 29th
recommendation. to the Planning Commission, "Endorse UGA designation for that part of
Glen Cove identified on the map previously distributed:' and asked if it is correct that this is
an answer to Section 2 of the Resolution and he is seeking to wrap that up tonight?
Mr. Leedy: Replied that was correct.
2. Public Testimony
At 7: 15 p.m. Chair Thayer opened the meeting for public testimony.
Napcy Dor&aTl, 2137 Washington Street
Ms. Dorgan read her "Glen Cove Open Record Public Hearing - Comments for the Record"
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Planning Commission Meeting
September 29, 1999
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of September 29, 1999 which was entered into the record as Exhibit 1:
"Commissioners:
'1 attended the July 7 interest group briefing that the study consultant and county staff gave
to the City Council and staff. At that meeting the Chair of this Commission inquired about the
potential role of our Planning Commission in the City's recommendation to the BOCC. That
meeting was almost three months ago. No role was given to you then because your input wasn't
wanted. Given all the claims of increased citizen participation in our new government, I was
quite intrigued by this. I asked the City Manager to inquire of Council if they intended to
conduct aay public process on their recommendation, and Mayor Rambo's answer was that it
was Council's prerogative.
'Council has finally yielded to public pressure and common sense to do some kind of open
process. This hearing is the result, but it's a strange process from the public's point of view
given the fact that Council has already made its decision and given its recommendation to the
BOCC, or rather a series of them. This hearing is only a gesture to get the Commission to echo
decisions that have already been formally adopted in a Council resolution. If I hadn't been one
of the people asking Council for some kind of city discussion, I wouldn't have even bothered to
come tonight.
'Since I am here, however, I will say that I'm not supporting a Glen Cove UGA because I
don't think the city would actually zone subarea 1 for light manufacturing. I believe it would
inevitably become the location of a big box retailer and thereby waste precious potential acreage
that could be better used elsewhere in the county to create real jobs, living wage jobs. I'm
simply not willing to support the use of my tax dollars to build hundred-mìllion dollar plus
infrastructure for a retaìlland use that benefits so few people and puts such a drain on our local
businesses, not to mention clogging our city limits with traffic. I refer you specifically to the
FSEIS Appendix A, table 1, p.6 which assigns the highest trip generation factor per employee for
the retail sector: 18.77 vs. 3.23 per employee for light industrial.
'At your last meeting, the Director of Planning said the City needed a Glen Cove UGA
because it had nowhere to go. We're not at build out -- far from it, as the "No-action
Alternative" of the study pointed out, and which the City Council and the Planning Commission
were supporting just a short time ago. That makes it very difficult for me to now accept the
seriousness of the current Glen Cove manifest destiny policy."
JeffKelety, 419 Benton Street
Said he echoed Nancy Dorgan's sentiments, and took great comfort in the fact that a
Resolution was passed and here we are aft:er the fact, taking commentary on such a significant
issue for what reasons he was not sure. He said it is very disconcerting, and secondly he found
the extent ofland presented completely antithetical to the spirit of Port Townsend's size and
character the majority of citizens are interested in maintaining..
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Planning Commission Meeting
September 29, 1999
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Joe Pipia, 1540 22nd Street
Said what has made Wm outraged is where is the mandate. Where are the stacks of letters
coming into the City Council saying that this is what they want - dozens of letters in The Leader
every week saying they want this desígnatio~ he hasn't seen those. He thought it was clear the
City Council mis-stepped when they went forward with the mill property, and that it is clear they
are mis-stepping again without consulting the people oftWs town and what they want. He said
that is where it is supposed to be; we are supposed to come together and make decisions about
these things, and asked, "Where is the mandate'?" He pointed out comments made by Mr.
Timmons in The Leader 3 weeks ago that he thought were pretty clear, addressing why the mill
property was included, that without that mill property, it looks like a strip development. Mr.
Pipia said he didn't think he could have said it better~ it is going to end up looking up like a strip
development; that he would leave it with Mr. Timmons' words and recommend against this.
Frieda feIU}, 1510 Jefferson Street
Said she echoed what Nancy Dorgan said in greater detail. She thanked the Planning
Commission~ she believes in their role, all the hours they devote to reading stacks of material.
She indicated their volunteering to put all this energy into taking public input and making
recommendation is an absolute joke, that· City Council has cut the terms of the democratic
process, and she is offended at the process. She again expressed thanks and asked that they keep
batting for the citizens in town. She wished the room was full of people, but there is another
meeting out in the County~ this was poor planning -- she wanted to make comment there also.
She also made the point that winter and early spring a number of people in the Right is
Wrong organization as individuals and representatives of the group went to City Council
members individually and in public City Council meetings, and asked for a series oftown
meetings on Economic Development. She said the town was ripe for it~ a new citizens economic
development grou.p in town hosted a out-of"'town speaker on the issue of economic development
-- there was standing room only. She believed, given the opportunity, the town would really turn
out and participate in discussions and town meetings on this issue. She feels like a done deal is
being handed here instead of encouragement of public process and the "open, accessible" phrase
she heard during the election. She said she is very distressed and heartily opposes Option m.
She thought the designation in pink on the map would lead to absolute strip development along
Highway 20~ it is going to be a horrible entry into Port Townsend, and have a negative impact on
the downtown corridor and the other business sections on Sims Way, etc. marching in the
direction of sprawl. She said she believes there are some people who are talking about a 20-acre
retail designation at the comer of Mill Road, and she believes they want it redesignated~ she said
there has been so little about that in the paper and in public conversation, that she feels it is a
snowjob. She would like Option n, at the most. She thinks everythíng·should be ground to a
halt, public process honestly and openly invited, and the discussion carried on in old-fashioned
democratic tradition.
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Planning Commission Meeting
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John Lockwood, 1510 Jefferson Street
Said he is confused about a lot of issues - what he wants for Port Townsend, what he wants
for himself, what kind of neighborhood he wants to live in~ he grew up in the suburbs of St.
Louis, and does not want to live in the . suburbs. He said he was attracted to rural areas and small
towns that had a functioning business district, a functioning community center and community
activity. Many places with relatively large and active business districts are in fairly remote parts
of the state, e.g. Colville, WA with a business district three times the size of Port Townsend and
half the number of people; it is not near Silverdale, not near Seattle - t 50 miles from Spokane.
Port Townsend is fairly close to Silverdale and Seattle. He thinks we do not need the
infrastructure Colville does; they are actually a regional shopping center for a large area.
He is not opposed to business, since he is a business man, employs 9 people and has had a
business rapidly growing over the past 8 eight years here in Port Townsend; he is also not sure
he wants to live in a town of 55,000, 150,000, or a town of 350,000 people and is unsure what
the City Council is actually trying to do by rapidly expanding the commercial business zone in
the area. He said he has talked to several Councilmembers privately, and they indicate urban
growth, for living.wage jobs; one said. he is all for his daughter being able to work in Port
Townsend when she grows up. He questioned if they double the size of pQpulation in Port
Townsend and double the size of the business area, would she be any better able to than now?
He indicated the big thing that happened after the 2020 survey and in lots of public meetings in
the last several years~ citizens said over and over again, they want to preserve the small town
nature, that they are not interested in living in a rapidly expanding business area. He stated his
own feeling is that if we move into a state of rapid growth, a few people who own real estate in
the area will benefIt, thatthere win be some service and retail industries who may grow;. our
property values will go up, and the open space we have available now will diminish.
He said he hadn't thought all of this through and hadn't seen a public discussion. He
referred to the September 29th Staff Report and quoted from paragraph 2, "As was indicated
earlier, there is no GMA·mandated reason that any Urban Growth Area. action by the Board of
County Commissioners needs to take place at this time. The County's adopted plan and the
City's adopted plan both acknowledge that adequate development property exists in the current
Port Townsend UGA to accommodate Jefferson County's growth needs during the foreseeable
planning future. In the unlikely event the existing UGA cannot handle growth a number of tools
are available for the County to put in motion to accommodate development in pockets outside
the UGA. Notwithstanding that fact, the County appears determined to move ahead with the
Glen Cove/Tri·area consideration. . . ." He said as a citizen he takes this at face value, but has
no idea what it means, what the County desires for urban growth in the Port Townsend area and
what they also would like to' see. He expressed his need to' reiterate that he thinks they should
take the City Council at their face value; many of them ran on the platform of open,
accountable, affordable government. He said this certainly is not, and they are certainly not
making themselves accountable to their constituency, the rest of the Port Townsend. The City
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Planning Staffover years has gone though a couple of major efforts to try to articulate to the
citizenry how much infrastructure costs to develop for both residential housing and commercial
development. They have basically said it costs a lot of money in sewage and infrastructure for
each new home, and he questioned the results if that infrastructure is not equal to the tax
revenues generated by the new houses over the years, and even more so for commercial
development. He declared the City Council may have received some sort the mandate from the
citizens of Port Townsend for open, accountable and affordable government and that they have
not run on the platform of rapid urban growth, nor received a mandate for what they are
proposing. He said he does not have what he needS to particípate in this.
At 7:40 p.m. Chair Thayer closed public testimony and opened Commission Discussion.
3. COmmission Discussion
Chair Thayer suggested that since she and Commissioner Erickson were the only two
Commissioners involved in the original Comprehensive Plan, a process of approximately 1-1/2
years with lots of public testimony, they give an overview of their experiences regarding the
Glen Cove issues relating to the Comprehensive Plan
Ms. Thayer recalled that it was their feeling at that time not to take Glen Cove in the
context ofa strip development, but that the city would need some area for light industrial; that
came out ofthe Comp Pran.
Ms. Erickson concurred and said they looked at what they needed within the first 5 years
of doing the Comp Plan as far as commercial and light industrial zoning~ they had no heavy
industrial except for the boat haven which had its own zoning. They left that acreage ·at 00
knowing they would come back and look at Glen Cove as a UGA, or FUGA, where they would
put in a zone and regulate that part of Highway 20.
Ms. Thayer noted she is saying this knowing many are new to Port Townsend since the
Comp Plan. She reiterated that there was a public process at that time - whether it is relevant
now is for all to decide, but there was a public process. She said she wanted them to know they
spent long hours on it.
Ms. Erickson said it was not somethìng they just pulled up within the last 6 or 9 months
since the County has been doing the Tri Area/Glen Cove study~ this was the result of everyone
trying to figure out where they were going to go with the land the City needs. As the City was
rezoning properties in town, they kept in mind there was always Glen Cove out there they could
use, possibly for the next 20 years when they could decide what the population growth was going
to be. Instead of zoning more residential land as commercial and industrial, they put zoning
where it would follow either Highway 20 out or come back around Discovery ROOd. That is
where a lot changes came in. In the meantime people came back indicating it was not going to
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Planning Commission Meeting
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work for their property and wanting rezoned residential. She indicated the Comp Plan rezone
changes are more and more commercial. She reminded where the commercial land is -. it is in
the Historic District; it is the. waterfront; if you want to preserve the Historic District and the
waterfront for whatever you want to preserve it, you have to have a place to put new business. If
you are not going to want it (and light manufacturing, light industrial or a lot of other uses the
town is going to need for commercial/retail/light industrial) crammed in on the waterfront, you
have to zone it somewhere so you know where it is going to go. so you can plan for it.
She continued saying that planning the Glen Cove area is going to prevent having all the
trees cut down; it has been happening over the last 15 years, because private property owners can
do anything they want on that property without a plan. The County put up the Highway 20
Corridor Plan and supposedly stopped cutting down the trees. She said they are not enforcing
their own Highway 20 Corridor Plan. With this it will be controlled more than it is now. There
is an advantage to putting a plan out there that is going to be in force.
Mr. Worden: Read what he termed a "significant part" from the Comprehensive Plan, Section
IV. page regarding the FUGA: ".... An expansion of Port Townsend Future Urban Growth Area is being
considered for a nuttlber of reasons: 1) despite the in-city upzones directed by this Plan, shortage of land available
in the commerciaI and manufacturing deveI.opment still exísts within the city limits' [referred to Mr. Leedy's
statement in paragtaph 2. but said it does not mean the need for that extra space is urgent, so he is correçt in
saying there is no mandate to do that now]; 2) many of the parcels in town which are available for commercial and
manufacturing· development tend to be too small and . . . to support the economic development needed in the
community; 3) parcels in the city which are large enough to support commercial and manufacturing development
are mainly unsuitable because they encompass environmentally seflSÌtiVe areæ that constrain the developm.ent. or
they tend to be located in areas which are removed from existing regional transportation corridors; 4) a significant
portion of the Glen Cove area is currently zoned for light manufacturing and commercial uses under the County
zoning code. Ifurban commercial and manufacturing grows in Glen Cove, it should be within the City's Final
Urban Growth Area; 5) expansion of Port Townsend's Final Urban Growth Area to Glen Cove will assist in
stemming the flow of retail sales leakage, mainly to areas like SilverdaIe and Sequim, and help promote a more
balanced and vital economy in eastern Jefferson County." He said not to jump to conclusions, but in
quoting that he just wanted to know that an annexation of that actually was foreseen in the
planning, that one issue he had. if the County now declares an Urban Growth Area, it is not
going to be under our control. He projected that it is going to be under the County's control
and we don't really know until it is annexed how it will be controlled, and we don't know
whether it can be annexed or not, or when~ we certainly don't have the money to provide the
infrastructure that would be required.
Ms. Thayer: Noted that this is not the best case scenario in terms of timing for any of us.
Mr. Leedy: Clarified that paragraph Mr. Worden referred to is really not at odds with anything
that is going on, that all it is saying is that the Growth Management Act mandates a
minimum review of the Comprehensive Plan every 6 years. He was attempting to say in the
Staff Report that certainly they were not going to exceed anything in our Comprehensive
Plan or anything mandated by GMA for Urban Growth Areas before the period comes upon
us that mandates a 6-year review. He said the City is forecast by the year 2016, the 20-year
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Plan, to achieve a population growth of an approximately 5,500 residents bringing the
population up to somewhere around 14,000 people; those 14,000 people can easily be
accommodated on areas current1:yset aside.
Mr. Mandelbaum: Still wanted to know where they are, that his sense of this document and the
request Staff and Mr. Leedy is making is that they focus on Glen Cove, which infers that they
make no comment or give no thought to the rest of the EIS the County is addressing tonight.
He said he foundhim.self very uncomfortable with that. He realìzes the tensions - what Mr.
Leedy is doing, and the City Council is doing, trying to be relevant in this process, mainly
dealing with what attaches to Port Townsend, which is Glen Cove in our Plan. Thus, if they
just addressed that question, are they inferentially saying they don't care what happens about
the Tri Area, they don't care about the relationship of that UGA and the proposed UGA here.
He said he is very bothered by how they deal with that. He didn't know who, given the
County's game, and thai they are addressing the EIS en toto, how they just say they are going
to ignore that and just address Glen Cove, and how they do as suggested here to come to a
vote in one night. Having said that, he said he is sensitive to where they are coming from,
that you are trying to play in the playing field and be relevant~ but he thought they had to face
the questions he is raising.
Mr. Worden: Was also concerned at not addressing the Tri Area UGA. especially concerned
because the way the City proposal has been presented in the County's presentations. The
one right now is that we are recommending a UOA in Glen Cove and one in the Tri Area.
He hoped if they talked about those they could separate them, talk about them as separate
items, and not lump that all together. He said the Council resolution doesn't say anything
about that, and he was not sure how that got to be on the map.
Ms. Erickson: Asked if the County Planning COmmission is making recommendation tonight to
the County Commissioners, what good is their recommendation with what the City Council
has already done. She was unsure what good their input is with the little information they
have.
Mr. Leedy: Said he thinks they have a whole lot ofinfonnation; the opportunity to assimilate
that information is another issue.
Ms. Erickson: Indicated she thinks her problem is, one week we have included the mill, the next
week the line is changed~ one week they have included an of Glen Cove through old Fort
Townsend, now the line as of last week has been shortened. She said she did not understand
the justification of all of this.
Mr. Leedy: Explained that the mill property was, and the larger Glen Cove UGA was, a Growth
Management Steering Committee reaction to the BOCC's determination that Scenario 1 was
the scenario they wanted to follow. The City's representatives to that Steering Committee,
in order to protect all of the City's interest, indicated that consideration ought to be given to
all of the Glen Cove area as an Urban Growth Area, including the already developed mill
property. Having said that, and having gotten the acknowledgment of the County that these
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things did in fact exist, it gave the City an opportunity to step back and assess exactly if they
want to proceed with on the basis of an Urban Growth Area or a Logical Boundary procedure
Growth Area consideration. They are not at the point of planning; this is still addressing the
County's supplemental EIS and their draft: decision flowing from that draft.
Ms. Thayer: Pointed.out that they asked to be included, asked to have some input. She said,
granted, they could spend a lot more time on this; they don't have that time.
Mr. Leedy: Regarding the lack of public process that supposedly has been missing, there actually
was no planning process the City could go through until the point where we are now. He
said the only thing the City could do was respond technically to the Draft EIS~ the City did
that, and the City's comments, along with individuals and other agencies comments formed
the basis for drafting of the Final EIS and for development of the draft decision document.
Mr. Worden: Said he is troubled, that whatever we do tonight it isn't going to affect the
Council's resolution, that is already done, and even if it did affect it, it couldn't get into the
County process because that will be over by the time it would get there.
Mr. Leedy: Said the BOCC win be considering this on October 5th, and they expect some
Council action October 4th.
Ms. Thayer: Indicated if they make a recommendation different from their resolution, and it goes
before the City Council, it win be up to City Council to decide how they want to proceed
based upon their recommendation.
Mr. Worden: Stated his desire to have the opportunity to raise several issues to talk about, not
just "yes" or "no."
Ms. Thayer: Did not like the pink scenario on the overhead. She said having worked through the
Comp Plan and all, it was their idea to have that go all the way to Old Fort Townsend Road;
obviously, that runs the risk of doing strip development, but it is a way to better control it.
She felt if they were going to include anything, they ought to include all the green being
shown on the overhead.
Mr. Leedy: Stated that the line at the south end is the existing City water service area; the rest is
PUD,
Mr. Mandelbaum indicated they are now engaged in the definition of boundaries. He
asked if the City would be prepared to discuss the substance of what they came up with at this
meeting.
Ms. Erickson pointed out that Comp Plan Policies 16.1 and 16.2. etc. have been goals of
the Comp Plan since the Planning Commission originally worked on it. She said this is not new,
that it is the City's FUGA. She was not sure how the Port Townsend mill was included, and said
she has no opinion. She spoke about supporting the people in Glen Cove and suggested it would
be cutting out two-thirds of them. that it is not a good employment base; in order to support what
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is out there, you havè to include all that is out there. She stated there would only be a lot of infiU
until annexing.
Mr. Leedy said this should not be confused with the Logical Boundary (prior to 1990).
Ms. Erickson indicated it does not look a lot different than in 1990. She said there is a lot of
land that win be stifled. Mr. Leedy answered her question that acreage with the new 280 gross
figure would be little over 300 -- the area in green with pink, 280 gross developable acres.
~estioBS frOQ) ~ ~u~
Q Asked regarding the Comp Plan -,. are we mandated to grow?
A Ms. Thayer pointed out that when they went through the Comp Plan, they went through it
with a lot community input.
Q Asked if everybody has done that for that anticipated growth.
A Mr. Leedy explained they were mandated by the State of Washington. He said the City had a
choice which was made at the time the Comp Plan was formed. He indicated they were
informed it did not matter what the City was planning, the State was anticipating the growth
rate. No matter how differently the City planned, the State would respond by saying they
would cut off all financial assistance. He said the State set the growth figures historically
based on commercial and industrial areas, growth rate, population, resident head count, etc.
Based on population, Port Townsend agreed they would be a certain percentage and that the
remainder would be rural. The City has adequate resources at least through this 6-year
mandated planning period. He noted that neighborhoods are coming back and asking for
reconsideration of their zoning, and that the City is somewhat short 70 to 80 industrial acres,
shorter than when they went through the exercise.
Mr. Worden: Said the County is going to do something~ we are trying to input to that. He said he
didn't think the County would do a "no action.'" He stated that Port Townsend's Comp Plan
has already anticipated growth, and there are not a lot of choices where that would go. He
indicated there was no consideration given to ourComp Plan, and that the resolution was
intended to make corrections.
Mr. Mandelbaum: Asked Mr. Leedy, if they recommend to the City Council some form of Glen
Cove UGA, assuming they would agree, would they still be with their Scenario ill
recommendation to the County.
Mr. Leedy: Replied -- a new Scenario Ill.
Mr. Mandelbaum: Said he could see this in terms of the State, could see that it might be rational
for the City through the position with Glen Cove. What he couldn't see, whether actively or
. by acquiescence, was the whole GMA process to identify a UGA. He could vote for the
Commission to recommend Glen Cove, but no other UGA. He said he thought John was
talking a different paradigm, protecting open space, that it is not automatic, and he thinks
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they have to look at that, that they have to be relevant He said if the rest are comfortable, if
you say Glen Cove, he would go along with a sensible Glen Cove area, and nothing else be
done.
Mr. Worden: Considered inclusion of the mm as a completely separate issue; it has nothing to do
with the designation of a UGA~ it doesn't impact the area available for commercial
development The amount of acreage we are talking about, if you look at the scale, the
difference between 212 and 280 acres is not very earth shaking. He said he is not terribly
worried, but is more concerned about including things that belong in that zone.
MOTION Mr. Mandelbaum 1) On the basis ofthe data read, and County Planning
hearings attended and summaries read, particularly
August 16th, The Port Townsend Planning Commission
is not comfortable with the designation of two UGAs in
the area, for reasons of too high a cost of public
infrastructure, taxes and expenditures at no proven
need;
2) on the basis of the prior planning that has been
conducted in this city, we may recommend to the City
Council the adoption of the following lines for the UGA
in the Glen Cove area to incorporate the needed
commercialllight industrial growth over the next several
years.
SECOND Ms. Erickson
Discussion: Mr. Worden said he liked the first. part, but wished he had not put the two
together. Aft:er hearing the substantial outcry oflast week's County Planning
Commission meeting it was clear to him that much of the population does not
want the cost. Because the map was drawn on the basis of the City resolution and
seems to indicate approval of that, it is very appropriate that we disclaím that
approval and ask Council to convey that to the County. He proposed truncating
the motion with a semi-colon and approving the first section.
Friendly amendment was accepted by Mr. Mandelbaum and seconded by Mr. Harbison
Discussion: Ms. Thayer said her only concern is if they talk to the County about the Tri Area,
it may have some reflection on what we are trying to do with Glen Cove. Mr.
Worden said the city has already talked to them, that they should put a UGA in
the Tri Area.
AMENDE)) MOTION: ZoRing implicatioDS; fiscal implications; public opinion
evidence, on the basis of the record, including the
Planning Commission report of August 16th and the
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Planning Commission Meeting
September 29, 1999
Page 12
VOTE
earlier City Couneil resolaûon in July, do not carry the
burden of establishing need for a Tri Area UGA, and
the City's Planning Commission recommends to the
City Council that they at least drop that out of any of
the scenarios being discussed at the County.
Unanimous - 6 in favor
Mr. Worden: Concurred with the earlier City Council resolution there is no urgency to
designate any UGAs, and that designation of a UGA in the Glen Cove area right now would
be dangerous in that it would allow. more or less uncontrolled development until such time
as annexation could be accomplished, and we have no idea when that could be.
Ms. Thayer. Said she thinks one has to come before the other.
Mr. Worden: Replied that it does, but could conceive of a situation where the City was prepared
to annex it and there was some information that the property owners would support that. He
said from what he understands at this point there is no such thing; the City would have to do
something to promote that kind of enthusiasm. He said there has been a lot· of talk in the
City of wanting to promote growth, of having living wage jobs, etc., and it is very good to
remove the barriers, but the new City Manager so aptly stated quoting for his previous
experience in another city that the other piece of it is you have to go out there and financially
support the growth of the kind of industries you want. He said he has not seen any
willingness in this town to do that, or the ability. Knocking down the barriers before you are
willing to go out and build something that will make businesses come that you want to have
there, is pretty dangerous.
Mr. Harbison: Interjected to be careful what you ask for.
Mr. Worden: Concurred and said the other thing he is struggling with is they are going to do
something, so let's tell them if they are going to anything, we want the UGA to be part of
Port Townsend, and not out there as an island by itself, somewhere. He indicated eventually
it is going to be a UGA~ the question is the timing, is this the right time.
Ms. Erickson: If it is not a UGA, it can't develop except for infill. She indicated if you want to
keep it stagnant until the 6-year renewal to the Comp Plan in 2002~ we will definitely have
more information and a lot more time to figure it out. If we don't recommend Glen Cove as
a UGA. it will basically stay the way it is.
Mr. Leedy: Said the County can do whatever they want in terms of designation in Glen Cove.
They can't delete the original logical boundaries, but they can expand the logical boundaries
from the existing 1990'5. The County can on its own declare Glen Cove as an urban growth
area, or they can leave it the way it is, and anything in between. What doesn't make sense,
the logical boundary areas the County had proposed is the action alternative for Scenario II
where the logical boundary was completely disconnected from the City of Port Townsend,
yet at some time in the future that logical boundary was proposed to be an urban growth
.
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Planning Commission Meeting
September 29, 1999
Page 13
ar~ it would not have been contiguous, could not have been annexed to the City of Port
Townsend and would have had to develop as a county island.
Ms. Thayer: Said this the Commission's opportunity for input and she felt strongly that they
need to make a recommendation for the Glen Cove area.
Mr. Leedy: Spoke regarding the comments about a strip development, that is a very deep strip
development. He said he sees the property on the east side of SR 20 as an opportunity for
the City to control development and avoid strip development. You have internal streets in
the Glen Cove area, that can serve reasonable land development very well and can avoid the
strip development. Staff does recommend that this is a desired area and to look at it with the
urban growth area designation at this point in time. The considerations for zoning, for
annexation flow from designations of urban growth areas.
Ms. Thayer: Pointed out it hasn't developed as strip development so far.
Mr. Worden: Noted there are some controls, the fact that this is a limited access highway
impacting driveways through there. Since Mr. Masci had left, he asked Mr. Finnie to
comment if he feltthTOugh that process the City win have any influence on the zoning if that
stays outside of the City as a UGA for the time being.
Mr. Finnie: Replied he was unsure whether or not it was appropriate for him to comment, but
said with the County scenario with the city limits and the Glen Cove area, the city would
have very little influence on what would go on in the fonn of developing if that new Glen
Cove UGA were established.
Mr. Worden: Asked if as pictured on the overhead map, does he think they would more.
Mr. Finnie: He asked Chair Thayer to indicate to him if as a City Councilmember he is saying
anything that would tie up their deliberations. He referred to Mr. Leedy's Staff Report of
September 29, 1999 which answered that, "Scenario 1 will commit the County and the City
to future planning and development which is of absolutely no benefit to the City and of
questionable viability for the County." He said you could carry that further and said the City
would not be a position to exercise any land use control.
Ms. Thayer: Said to Mr. Finnie she agreed, it probably would be better if he didn't comment.
Mr. Worden: Suggested they indicate their preference is to not designate any UGAs, and in the
event they should decide to do so anyway, they would hope they would abide by the City's
wishes to have it connect to the Port Townsend city limits. He said he feels it is going to be
a UGA, and they should make it incorporate all of the existing businesses, that there
shouldn't by any logical boundary, or anything else, stuck outside the UGA~ it should be
complete.
Ms. Thayer. Asked if they make a recommendation there be no UGA at this time, where are they
if the County does?
Mr. Mandelbaum: Said we are addressing the City Council.
MOTION Mr. Worden The Port Townsend Planning Commission recommends
to the City Council they continue to further put forward
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Planning Commission Meeting
September 29, 1999
Page 14
SECOND
Discussion:
VOTE
the idea witll the Joint Growth Management Steering
Committee that the designation of a UGA is not urgent
and eould be postponed to a time when the City could
prepare for it, and that the City Council officially go on
record as preferring, of the options presented, the
designation of a UGA in Glen Cove that extends to the
City Limits of Port Townsend, ineluding all existing
businesses south to Old Fort Townsend, and that such
UGA be constrained to tile east side of Route 20,
ineluding area 6 of the areas designated in the EIS.
Ms. Ota
Mr. Mandelbaum asked if it would be useful to incorporate by reference the
analysis of Mr. Leedy's September 29th Staff Report, not every sentence, but in
effect appreciating and acting on the logical consequences of this analysis other
than adopting some of the recommendations~ what we have craft:ed here flows
from the City Council's first resolution on the accuracy of the EIS, we already
adopted, and secondly on analysis here before us tonight. Ms. Thayer suggested
acting on this motion, then adding that information for support. Mr. Mandelbaum
said he is not trying for a second motion, just saying that the Port Townsend
Planning Commission's actions, both resolution 1 and 11 flow naturally from
previous City Council findings and from the report here tonight, so City Council
knows our reasoning. Ms. Thayer asked Mr. Worden why he is eliminating all of
the area west of Highway 20 which is already commercial. He replied that
commercial area can obviously stay there and continue doing the business as it is
doing under anything that can happen here. He thinks very quickly you run into a
situation if you start expanding on the left: side~ you need a buffer between the
commercial zone and residential zones beyond. There was no way he knew of
now to provide that, so what you have is commercial that win gradually encroach
on the residential areas, not by actually taking them over, but by putting activities
there that aren't compatible to residential. Ms. Erickson asked for clarification if
they are recommending to do nothing right now. Mr. Mandelbaum said they are
recommending that Council continue to express the opinion that there is no
urgency in designating a UGA; Ms. Thayer added, if they did designate, that it be
that area, from the city limits to Old Fort Townsend. Mr. Leedy asked, so Staff
would have a clear understanding, everything east down to Old Fort Townsend?
Ms. Thayer affirmed, and added, with the same boundary on either side.
Unanimous - 6 in favor
Chair Thayer thanked participants for their attendance.
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Planning Commission Meeting
September 29, 1999
Page 15
VI. New Business
Mr. Worden noted he would be sending some information from Whidbey Island for low
cost housing and their city zoning.
Vll. Other Business
Next Scheduled Meetings:
September 30. 1999
Joint Training Session
Public Hearing (open record)
Public Hearing (open record
October 14. 1999
Comp Plan Amendments
Zoning Code Text Amendment
O«tober 28. 1999
Public Hearing (open-record)
VIll. Communications -- Current Mail
IX. Adjournment
9:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. (with City Council)
Comprehensive Plan Amendments
Proposed SEPA Threshold Amendments
Finalize findings & conclusions
Workshop (Proposal by the Port to raise the
building height limit in the M-IIl(A) zoning district)
Port of Port Townsend (LUP99-12) Zoning. Code
Text Amendment - height limit
Motion to adjourn the meeting was made by Mr. Mandelbaum and seconded by Mr.
Worden. All were in favor. The meeting adjourned at 8:45 p.m.
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