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HomeMy WebLinkAbout032212 CITY OF PORT TOWNSEND MINUTES OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF MARCH 22, 2012 CALL TO ORDER The Planning Commission met in regular session the 22nd day of March 2012 in the City Council Chambers of City Hall, Vice Chair Jerauld Fry presiding. The meeting was called to order at 6:30 p.m. ROLL CALL Commissioners present at roll call were Monica Mick-Hager, Cate Comerford, Jerauld Fry, Sarah Bowman, and Steven Emery with Gee Heckscher excused. Staff members present were Public Services Director Rick Sepler, Senior Planner/Planning Manager Judy Surber, and Deputy City Clerk Joanna Sanders. CHANGES TO THE AGENDA Added was an item to revisit the time limit on public comment. Motion: Steven Emery moved to amend the agenda to add before General Public Comment a Discussion of the Three-Minute Limit on Public Comment. Cate Comerford seconded. Vote: motion carried unanimously, 5-0 by voice vote. ELECTION OF OFFICERS Chair Ms. Mick-Hager nominated Steve Emery as Chair. Mr. Emery nominated Jerauld Fry as Vice Chair. It was suggested that the Commission consider in January 2013 (when the normal election of officers occurs) whether Mr. Emery would continue as chair filling out a full one-year term. Motion: Monica Mick-Hager moved to approve electing Steve Emery as Chair of the Planning Commission. Sarah Bowman seconded. Vote: motion carried unanimously, 5-0 by voice vote. Vice Chair Motion: Steven Emery moved to approve electing Jerauld Fry as Vice Chair. Monica Mick-Hager seconded. Vote: motion carried unanimously, 5-0 by voice vote. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: JANUARY 12, 2012; JANUARY 26, 2012 Planning Commission Meeting March 22, 2012 Page 1 of 5 Motion: Jerauld Fry moved to approve minutes of January 12, 2012. Monica Mick-Hager seconded. Vote: motion carried unanimously, 5-0 by voice vote. Motion: Monica Mick-Hager moved to approve the minutes of January 26, 2012, Cate Comerford seconded. Vote: motion carried unanimously, 5-0 by voice vote. DISCUSSION OF THREE-MINUTE PUBLIC COMMENT TIME LIMIT Ms. Mick-Hager led a discussion of expanding the three-minute public comment period to five minutes or removing the limit altogether. She noted the Planning Commission might also decide to set the limit based on the number of the public that are present. Some discussion ensued about other options, including asking the participants how they wish to be engaged or letting the public set the limit. It was noted that setting a limit allows the time to be shared. Public Services Director Rick Sepler spoke about several ways the Commission might fairly allocate time for public comments. Depending on the number of individuals wanting to testify, the Commission could expand or contract the total time for public comment. There was consensus to expand the three-minute limit for public comment to five minutes with flexibility as needed. GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT Rick Jahnke commented on the supposed contaminants in the soils at Kah Tai Lagoon. There are no human health or contamination concerns at Kah Tai. Susan Langlois read her written comments titled "A Play in One Act," expressing her disappointment about the staff report and parks plan update. UPDATE TO THE 1999 PARKS RECREATION & OPEN SPACE FUNCTIONAL PLAN Staff report Senior Planner/Planning Manager Judy Surber presented a detailed review of the staff report as written. She explained the structure of her response to public comment. A packet of additional public comment was provided to the Commissioners this evening. She also distributed Ordinance 2681 which was unintentionally missing as an attachment to the staff report. Ms. Surber reviewed "Workshop Results - Subcommittee Direction" drawing attention to Item 6 of the inventory. She noted that the capital facilities element was meant to distinguish between current and future level of service requirements for park land owned and controlled by the City. Section 4 of the Draft Plan Section does include facilities owned by other agencies, which the subcommittee will want to consider. She Planning Commission Meeting March 22, 2012 Page 2 of 5 also spoke about options for creating a home-grown classification for Parks. Ms. Surber reviewed options and Staff's recommendation on Items 2.5 and 2.6 Kah Tai Policy Language, noting that Item C (staff's recommendation) should read "Proceed with 2.6 and place 2.5 on hold pending resolution of lawsuit. On the Parks Plan Update, staff recommends Option B "Recommend to Council that the Park Plan be pulled from the 2011 docket." Mr. Sepler reviewed the options before the Commission in directing the Parks Functional Plan subcommittee. He suggested the Commission start by discussing the key issues starting on page 8 of the staff report. The Commission could also address Items 2.5 and 2.6 regarding plan options, asking that Staff provide a report to Council to alter the review process, segregate an issue (such as the Parks Plan from the docket), or a combination of the above. Public comment (limited to five minutes per person) David Goldman commented on the citizen involvement process associated with creating the 1999 plan and referred to Ordinance 2681. He spoke about the need for more public process and suggested the plan update could be done by volunteers. Jim Todd spoke about the form and manipulation of the parks survey data. He suggested the full survey and answers to the survey be available. He also spoke about respect for the public process and sought clarification about the process for writing a third draft of the parks plan. Julie Jaman commented about the parks plan review process. She also spoke about a need for better public process. She suggested the Planning Commission help provide the vision. Susan Langlois asked the Commission to discuss 2.7 (definition of the Functional Plan) and consider what the word "implement" means. Rick Jahnke commented on 2.5 and 2.6 Kah Tai Policy Language and his confusion over staffs recommendation. Mr. Sepler provided a detailed response to comments about the public process and participation. Planning Commission Discussion - Provide direction to subcommittee and Council Some discussion ensued as to what the direction is from Council on working on an update of a functional plan. Mr. Sepler reviewed levels of authority of the Planning Commission and the public process working on the plan to date. The Commission discussed options for public involvement in working on the Parks Planning Commission Meeting March 22, 2012 Page 3 of 5 Functional Plan. There was also interest in accessing guidance documents and best practices for working on the plan. Mr. Sepler said there is much information available on how to craft a plan, including the availability of plans from other jurisdictions. Mr. Sepler stated he could assist in creating a timeline for plan completion after deciding upon an approach for public involvement. He recognized the desire of the subcommittee to utilize information from both the 1999 Draft Plan and the draft plan created by the Friends of Kah Tai (bringing past tense or future tense references current). Another suggestion was to clearly separate action plans from the appendices. Some additional discussion ensued about how to include in the plan volunteer groups and organizations who partner on park improvements. The Commission then moved to a discussion of key issues listed on the Staff Report to see if there were additions or deletions. Proposed changes to the issues were as follows: 2) Addition of"Community" under primary audiences; 5) interest in using Draft 2 of the 1999 Plan as the basis for subcommittee discussion but to also consider the plan work completed by the Friends of Kah Tai. Mr. Sepler agreed to craft for the Commission's consideration a table of contents and purpose and intent statement, including the relationship to other plans and end users. Staff reviewed the docketed language and staff's alternative language of Items 2.5 and 2.6 for the Commission for discussion. Once litigation is resolved, the Commission was interested in crafting language that best meets the needs of the community. Possible actions: Motion: Jerauld Fry moved to approve recommending to Council that both Items 2.5 and 2.6 Kah Tai Policy Language be placed on hold pending resolution of the lawsuit with the Port of Port Townsend. Sarah Bowman seconded. Vote: motion carried unanimously, 5-0 by voice vote. Motion: Jerauld Fry moved to approve recommending to Council that the Park Plan be pulled from the 2011 docket comment. Monica Mick-Hager seconded. Vote: motion carried unanimously, 5-0 by voice vote. Staff agreed to prepare a recommendation to be reviewed and approved at the next meeting for forwarding to Council. SCHEDULING - PARKS PLAN UPDATE AND COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE Map timeline for Draft #3 of Parks Plan, Public Review of Draft #3, set date for continued public hearing on the Comprehensive Plan Update Margaret Lee asked whether the Commission could discuss "Mapping a timeline for Draft #3 and set a date for the continued public hearing on the Comprehensive Plan." Mr. Sepler responded that the decision tonight precludes being able to set a date until Planning Commission Meeting March 22, 2012 Page 4 of 5 Council takes action on the docket. Mr. Sepler suggested that staff schedule a time that works for the subcommittee to meet and develop materials noted previously. There was additional discussion about the extent of public involvement in the subcommittee and rewriting process. Mr. Sepler explained how meetings are noticed and the process for inviting public comment. He noted that the extent of public involvement and participation in helping to write the plan will impact the timeline for plan completion. The subcommittee members felt that a discussion of public involvement would need to occur at their first meeting. UPCOMING MEETINGS April 12 Planning Commission Meeting - Review findings, conclusions and recommendations on removing Kah Tai Policy Amendments (Items 2.5 and 2.6) and Parks, Recreation and Open Space Functional Plan (Ms. Bowman would be absent). Subcommittee meeting to be scheduled before the April Planning Commission meeting. COMMUNICATIONS ADJOURN There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 9:19 pm. Attest: Planning ComMis,6 on Chair City Clerk's Office Planning Commission Meeting March 22, 2012 Page 5 of 5