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Home My WebLink About3352 an Interim Ordinance Amending PTMC Chapter 17.72 Relating to Interim Parking Regulations and Providing that the Interim Regulations, Unless Extended, Will Sunset on the Earlier of Six (6) Months from thePort Townsend Municipal Code Page 1 /4 ORDINANCE NO.3352 AN INTERIM ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF PORT TOWNSEND AMENDING PORT TOWNSEND MUNICIPAL CODE CHAPTER 17.72 RELATING TO INTERIM PARKING REGULATIONS AND PROVIDING THAT THE INTERIM REGULATIONS, UNLESS EXTENDED, WILL SUNSET ON THE EARLIER OF SIX (6) MONTHS FROM THE DATE OF ADOPTION OF THIS ORDINANCE OR THE ADOPTION OF REGULATIONS THAT SUPERSEDE THIS ORDINANCE Recitals A. The City Council enacted Ordinance 2578 on April 21, 1997. Part of that ordinance, codified as Port Townsend Municipal Code ("PTMC") 12.04.040, adopted the City's Engineering Design Standards (EDS). B. PTMC 12.04.130 of the EDS addresses General Right -of -Way Improvements and Construction Requirements. Specifically, "previously undeveloped lots of record are proposed for development or improvement, or any type of development is proposed including a change of use, as a condition to further property development" may require "Pavement; Curb and gutter installation; Walkway improvements; Storm and street drainage; Design of structures and/or grading to future Right -of -Way grade; Pathways and bikeways; Landscaping; Driveways; Street widening and turning lanes; ... (and) On -street parking;" C. Since the adoption of the EDS in 1997, the Public Works Department has proposed interim engineering design standards to support "people, prosperity, and planet," by allowing right-of-way improvements that improve access for people, reduce impervious surface, and decrease the cost of maintaining rights -of -way. D. The City Council enacted Ordinance 2571 on April 7, 1997. Part of that ordinance, codified as PTMC 17.72.080, adopted minimum required off-street parking spaces for different land uses. E. Since the adoption of minimum off-street parking standards in 1997, City residents have also spoken at meetings of the Infrastructure and Development Committee, Parks Recreation Trees and Trails Advisory Board, and Planning Commission in support of reducing or removing minimum off-street parking requirements. F. The City Council enacted Ordinance 3333 on March 5, 2024. This interim ordinance allowed the City to begin studying whether recommending, instead of requiring, parking minimums, in conjunction with improving the right-of-way to the standards The Port Townsend Municipal Code is current through Ordinance 3349, passed March 17, 2025. Port Townsend Municipal Code Page 2/4 of the interim EDS, appropriately balances transportation modes and the environmental impacts of impervious surfaces. G. Development applications on and after March 18, 2024, were subject to parking recommendations, not parking requirements, provided the applications included the Interim Engineering Design Standards (EDS) for Right -of -Way development. H. The City has received 118 applications for building permits and street development between March 18, 2024 and August 21, 2025. Of these applications, 66 have been issued with 52 permit applications ongoing. City Council has extended Ordinance 3333 twice: first on September 16, 2024, via Interim Ordinance 3339; and second on March 3, 2025, via Interim Ordinance 3347. J. On February 3, 2025, City Council approved a preliminary docket of amendment topics for the 2025 periodic review. The preliminary docket included supporting density, which is impacted by parking requirements. K. The 2025 Periodic Review of the Comprehensive Plan is currently in Phase II of the GMA update. L. Per PTMC 20.04.020(D), once the Periodic Review enters Phase II, annual amendments shall not overlap with the review and any amendments to the Comprehensive Plan or development regulations must be processed through the Periodic Review or wait for the next Annual Amendment cycle after the review. M. Interim Ordinance 3347 is scheduled to expire on Wednesday, September 3, 2025. N. Adopting a subsequent interim ordinance allows current active development permits to continue their design and permitting process under the parking recommendations instead of requirements. O. Adopting a subsequent interim ordinance also allows City Staff to study the outcomes of active projects in conjunction with Phase I of the Periodic Review, to determine the recommendation's impact on our rights -of -way, streetscape, access, and built environment. P. The interim controls in this subsequent Ordinance, plus any extensions, would be entirely or partially extinguished when either the review and possible revision of The Port Townsend Municipal Code is current through Ordinance 3349, passed March 17, 2025, Port Townsend Municipal Code Page 3/4 zoning is completed and/or the road and supporting infrastructure is fully designed and permitted. Q. Section 36.70A.390 and 35A.63.220 of the Revised Code of Washington authorizes the City Council to adopt an immediate development regulation amendment for a period of up to six months provided that a public hearing is held within at least sixty days of its adoption. R. The City Council deems it to be in the public interest to establish interim regulations on the acceptance of development permit applications for any development that does not conflict with the terms of this Ordinance. NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of Port Townsend, Washington, do ordain as follows: ` cti rl 1 1 q,rrtllrlg ww tt i �1 4 art(I "onclusion , The City of Port Townsend is facing an imbalance of transportation options, with the public commenting that existing parking policies prioritize cars over other users of City streets. Requiring a minimum number of off-street parking spaces necessitates driveways, which decrease the frontage available for other public uses along the right-of-way. An interim ordinance began the process of determining if recommending, not requiring, minimum parking addresses our current imbalance of transportation and right-of-way access. This interim ordinance expired on September 14, 2024, and was superseded by a second and third interim ordinance expiring September 3, 2025. Following the expiration, City Council wishes to continue providing time to determine the best way to balance parking and public use of our streets. Section 2 Aend„ent, Port Townsend Municipal Code 17.72.080 Vehicular and Bicycle Parking Standards and the accompanying table shall be amended in substantially the same form as Exhibit A for a period of six (6) months from the date of adoption. Section 3. Severabitity. If any section, sentence, clause or phrase of this Interim Ordinance should be held to be unconstitutional by a court of competent jurisdiction, such invalidity or unconstitutionality shall not affect the validity or constitutionality of any other section, sentence, clause or phrase of this Ordinance. Sectiwi 4. Public f1cariAs provided for in RCW 35A.63.220, a public hearing was held to review the findings and conclusions adopted in this Ordinance. This public hearing was held on September 2, 2025. „ Section 5. Publication... tion.. This Interim Ordinance shall be published by an approved caf summary consisting of the,, title. Section 6. Effeetive Date and Duration. The City Council hereby declares that an emergency exists as there is potential that the City will receive development and land use applications in the near future under which these interim regulations will apply. Such emergency The Port Townsend Municipal Code is current through Ordinance 3349, passed March 17, 2025. Port Townsend Municipal Code Page 4/4 necessitates that this ordinance become effective immediately in order to preserve the public health, safety and welfare. Non -exhaustive underlying facts necessary to support this emergency declaration are included in the "WHEREAS" clauses, above, all of which are adopted by reference as findings of fact as if fully set forth herein. The City Clerk is directed to publish a summary of this ordinance at the earliest possible publication date. This ordinance will expire on Tuesday, March 2, 2026, unless extended, and shall terminate earlier on adoption of an ordinance by the City Council that replaces this Ordinance. ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Port Townsend, at a regular meeting thereof, held this 2nd day of September, 2025. r� David 1 dbxtiN"emu Mayor Attest: A4My�"r.~7��"� C 16LPt.`� City Clerk The Port Townsend Municipal Code is current through Ordinance 3349, passed March 17, 2025.