HomeMy WebLinkAboutDetermination of Non-Significance - May 25, 2016 CITY OF PORT TOWNSEND
RESPONSIBLE OFFICIAL'S AMENDMENTS TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL CHECKLIST
AND THRESHOLD DETERMINATION
Proposal: 2016 Growth Management Act Periodic Update. The proposed action is the
adoption of updates to the City of Port Townsend Comprehensive Plan and development
regulations necessary to comply with the Growth Management Act(GMA)periodic update
requirement(RCW36.70A.130). On November 16, 2015, Council adopted Resolution 15-042
setting the Final Docket identifying proposed mandatory and optional amendments.
Mandatory updates include but are not limited to: Amendments to reflect a consistent population
projection throughout the plan;updated inventories, forecasts and anticipated needs;updated
funding capabilities and finance plan;provisions for temporary encampments for the homeless;
level of service updates; permitting electric vehicle battery charging stations; timelines for
approval and disapproval of preliminary plats.
Optional amendments include but are not limited to: housekeeping items; updates to begin
incorporating community resiliency concepts throughout the Comprehensive Plan;
amendments to promote and encourage affordable housing and a wider range of housing
types; amendments to parking policies as a means to support affordable housing/non-
motorized transportation/transit; amendments promoting local food production as an
economic strategy; a revised definition for conference center; and amendments fostering
economic development in the Howard Street Corridor.
You may review the complete docket on the City's website at:
https://weblink.cityofpt.us/WebLink/0/doc/122861/Pa eg l.aspx
File Reference: LUP 16-037
Proponent: City of Port Townsend
City Hall
250 Madison Street,
Port Townsend, Washington 98368
Location: Port Townsend's incorporated City limits, Jefferson County: Section 3, Township
30N, Range 1 W.
Lead Agency: City of Port Townsend
Threshold Determination: This is a Determination of Non-Significance - The lead agency for
this proposal has determined that it does not have a probable significant adverse impact on the
environment. An environmental impact statement (EIS) is not required under RCW
43.21C.030(2)(c). This decision was made after review of a completed environmental checklist
and other information on file with the lead agency. This information is available to the public on
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request. This DNS is issued under 197-11-340(2); the lead agency will not act on this proposal
for 15 days from issuance.
Comment/Appeal Period for the DNS Expires: 4:00 PM,June 8, 2016. If you wish to address
the adequacy of the SEPA review,please submit comments to Judy Surber,Planning Manager at the
address below.
Contact person: Judy Surber, Planning Manager, (360) 379-5084 jsurber@cityofpt.us.
Address: City Hall, Suite 3
250 Madison Street
Port Townsend, WA 98368
Responsible Official: Lance Bailey, AICP
Director of Development Services Department
Date: May 25,2016 Signature:
TO: All Permit and Review Authorities
RESPONSIBLE OFFICIAL'S AMENDMENTS TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL CHECKLIST
The City of Port Townsend adopted a comprehensive plan pursuant to the Growth Management
Act (GMA) July 15, 1996. The City of Port Townsend Comprehensive Plan is a
policy document that guides growth and future 'land use decisions within the City. The City has
conducted annual amendments as allowed under the GMA (see RCW 36.70A.130). The process
for amending the Comprehensive Plan is outlined in Chapter 20.04 of the Comprehensive Plan.
ENVIRONMENTAL RECORD
The environmental review consisted of analysis based on the following documents included in
the environmental record.
Exhibit A: Environmental Checklist
Exhibit B: Final Docket- 2016 GMA Periodic Update Comprehensive
Plan/Development Regulations Compliance Review& Update Program
Exhibit C: Draft Comprehensive Plan Update
Exhibit D: Draft updates to the Port Townsend Municipal Code
Exhibit E: Port Townsend: Howard Street Corridor Economic Feasibility Study by
E.D., Hovee & Company, LLC (January 30, 2015)
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Exhibit F: Port Townsend Housing Element Inventory &Needs Assessment
by E.D., Hovee & Company, LLC (December 31, 2015)
The Draft Port Townsend Comprehensive Plan and Draft Environmental Impact Statement
(an integrated SEPA/GMA (Growth Management Act) document) issued on January 10,
1996 (referred to herein as the Comprehensive Plan DEIS); and
City of Port Townsend Environmentally Sensitive Areas Maps
The above documents are hereby incorporated by reference pursuant to WAC 197-11-754:
Unless otherwise noted, the above information is available for review at the Development
Services Department, City Hall, 250 Madison Street, Suite 3, between the hours of 9 am to 4 pm
Monday through Friday.
I. PROPOSAL DESCRIPTION
Proposed amendments to the Comprehensive Plan are described in Exhibit A. Environmental
Checklist and B. Final Docket, attached. Strike-out and underline amendments are shown in
Exhibits C and D.
lI. PERMITS/APPROVALS REQUIRED
Proposed amendments are legislative, Type V decisions under Chapter 20.01.060 PTMC. In
short, the amendments require approval by the Port Townsend City Council after review and
recommendation by the Planning Commission. The public process includes notice and at least
one open record public hearing before the Planning Commission. City Council also provides
notice and either a closed-record or open-record hearing before making the final decision.
I1I. PUBLIC COMMENT
Notice of this SEPA threshold determination will be issued on May 25, 2016 with 15 day
comment period. The Responsible Official will consider any comments received before issuing a
final SEPA decision.
IV. RESPONSIBLE OFFICIAL'S AMENDMENTS TO CHECKLIST ITEMS
The environmental checklist is incorporated by reference. The Environmental Checklist(Exhibit
A) adequately addresses the environmental impacts of the 2016 GMA Periodic Update. No
probable significant adverse impact on the environment has been identified.
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Future development envisioned by the plan will place additional demands on transportation,
public services and utilities, however, due to slowed population growth; demand is likely to be
less than anticipated under the current Comprehensive Plan. Population growth has slowed
markedly over the last decade. The City's forecast population is expected to be less in 2036 under
the County's population projection and allocation than was anticipated in the current
Comprehensive Plan for the year 2024.
Any development permitted pursuant to the proposed Comprehensive Plan revisions will follow
applicable City codes, the City Engineering Design Standards and any applicable State and
Federal regulations. Future project level actions may be subject to review under the City's
Critical Areas/Shoreline regulations and project actions that are not categorically exempt under
Chapter 197-11-800 WAC will be subject to review under the City's SEPA Implementing
Ordinance (Chapter 19.04 PTMC).
Several Docket Items pertain to a proposed Howard Street Subarea Plan (Docket items 15-20, 45,
46, and 50). The subarea plan will be subject to future environmental review.
V. CUMULATIVE IMPACTS ANALYSIS
While some impacts are immediate and can be directly addressed through avoidance and
mitigation, other impacts are cumulative in nature. Individually, the action may not result in a
significant impact, but the composite of many similar actions over time may lead to a significant
cumulative impacts.
Given the nature of the proposed 2016 GMA Periodic Update amendments, slowed growth and
the existing regulatory environment, the SEPA Responsible Official has determined that the
proposal would not significantly increase the likelihood of cumulative environmental impacts.
This determination was made based upon evaluation of:
a. Current Circumstances. The degree that the subject properties and/or proposed actions
that are effected by the proposed amendments are environmentally interrelated;
b. Reasonably Foreseeable Future Development. The potential for impacts associated with
reasonably foreseeable future development and use of the subject properties as effected by the
proposed amendments; and
C. Regulatory Context. The mitigating effects of established regulatory programs under
other local, state, and federal laws that would address through application of specific
requirements the potential for cumulative impacts.
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Current Circumstances
Fifty three items are included on the final "docket" (Exhibit B). The docket includes both
mandatory and optional amendments. Although the focus of the 2016 Periodic update is to
complete mandatory revisions necessary to comply with the GMA, Council has included a
limited number of optional amendments on the docket. Optional items general address:
1) Preparing Port Townsend for transition and resilience.
2) Promoting and encouraging a wider range of housing types. The community is interested in
a number of"new"housing types (e.g., tiny homes, micro-apartments, common wall
construction). Corollary amendments to the development regulations would follow in a
subsequent phase.
3) Fostering economic developmentâHoward Street Corridor presents the greatest opportunity
to promote employment growth with the goal of increasing family-wage jobs. Overarching
Comprehensive Plan goals will be processed as part of the 2016 update with a subarea
plan to follow. The subarea plan will be subject to future environmental review.
All of the proposed amendments are legislative, non-project actions. All are inter-related as they
constitute revisions to the Comprehensive Plan and development regulations applicable within the
Port Townsend city limits. The proposed legislative amendments are designed to bring the City
into compliance with state statutes and provide greater clarity on adopted goals and policies.
None of the amendments would allow or encourage land or shoreline uses incompatible with
existing plans.
Reasonably Foreseeable Future Development
The 2016 GMA Periodic Update sets forth the framework for the next 20 years of growth. The
update includes a consistent population projection throughout the plan which is consistent with
the Office of Financial Management forecast. Over the next twenty years, Port Townsend's
current population (estimated at 9,454 for 2016) is expected to increase by 2,711 to a total
population of 12,165 by 2036 translating to a need for an estimated 1,369 additional residential
units. This projection anticipates that the City's population will grow at a compound annual
growth rate of 1.27% over the course of the planning period 2016-2036. This updated forecast
and allocation anticipates a significantly slower growth rate than was projected under the City's
initial GMA Comprehensive Plan in 1996. In fact, the updated allocation anticipates Port
Townsend's 2036 population will be 1,711 less than was projected for the year 2016 under the
original GMA Plan. Accordingly, the updated forecast and allocation suggests that no expansion
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to the Port Townsend UGA is currently necessary, and neither is there a need for municipal
infrastructure expansions not anticipated under the 1996 Plan.
All of the proposed amendments are legislative and none are parcel specific. Future project level
actions would be subject to regulations in place at the time of application. City's Critical
Areas/Shoreline regulations may apply and project actions that are not categorically exempt
under Chapter 197-11-800 WAC will be subject to review under the City's SEPA Implementing
Ordinance (Chapter 19.04 PTHC). After reviewing applications for such project actions, the
City of Port Townsend may determine that mitigation measures are necessary to avoid probable
significant adverse environmental impacts.
Regulatory Context
All of the proposed amendments are not parcel specific and are legislative in nature. Pursuant to
PTMC Section 20.04.080 (3)
For all amendments, the planning commission shall develop findings and conclusions and a
recommendation based on the following decision criteria:
a. Whether the amendment will adversely affect the public health, safety and welfare in any
significant way; and .
b. Whether the proposed amendment is consistent with the GMA and adopted county-wide
planning policies; and
c. Whether the proposed amendment reflects current widely held community values or resolves
inconsistencies in the city's comprehensive plan; and
d. Whether the proposed amendment would maintain the appropriate balance of land uses
within the city; and
e. Whether the proposal implements the comprehensive plan; or alternatively
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f. Since the adoption of the comprehensive plan, there has been a substantial change in
circumstances related to the proposed amendment and/or the area in which it is located which
warrants the proposal.
Future project level actions would be subject to regulations in place at the time of application.
All future specific development proposals will be reviewed for consistency with the provisions of
the Comprehensive Plan and development regulations, including the City's Municipal Code, and
the Engineering Design Standards.
Projects within shorelines jurisdiction will be reviewed for consistency with the City's Shoreline
Master Program.
Projects within critical areas or their buffers will be reviewed for consistency with the Critical
Areas Ordinance codified in Chapter 19.05 PTMC.
The following design standards may apply:
Chapter 17.30 Historic Preservation Code
Chapter 17.34 Cottage Housing Development Design Standards
17.36 Multifamily Residential Standards
17.40 Mixed Use Developments
17.44 Commercial and Mixed Use Architectural and Site Design Standards
17.46 Commercial, Multifamily, Cottage Housing Developments, and Mixed Use
Architectural and Site Design Review Processes.
Additional design standards may apply with future adoption of the Howard Street Subarea Plan.
Project actions that are not categorically exempt under Chapter 197-11-800 WAC will be subject
to review under the City's SEPA Implementing Ordinance (Chapter 19.04 PTMC). After
reviewing applications for such project actions, the City of Port Townsend may determine that
mitigation measures are necessary to avoid probable significant adverse environmental impacts.
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