MEMO TO: Members of the City Council
FROM: Mayor John Marchione
SUBJECT:
title
Setting the 2018-19 Comprehensive Plan Docket
a. ORDINANCE NO. 2953: An Ordinance Setting the Framework and Conducting Concurrent Review of the Cumulative Effect of all Proposed Amendments to the Redmond Comprehensive Plan and Related Amendments to the Redmond Zoning Code, for the 2018-19 Comprehensive Plan Docket, Including New and Amended Narrative, Policies, Tables and Maps
I. RECOMMENDED ACTION
recommendation
Adopt the ordinance in Attachment A, establishing the 2018-19 annual docket of Comprehensive Plan amendments and conducting a preliminary assessment of cumulative environmental impacts, thus allowing subsequent individual review and action on each amendment.
body
II. DEPARTMENT CONTACTS
Erika Vandenbrande, Director, Planning and Community Development, 425-556-2457
Jae Hill, AICP, CFM, Manager, Long-Range Planning, 425-556-2414
Judy Fani, Senior Planner, 425-556-2406
III. DESCRIPTION/BACKGROUND
State law allows one Comprehensive Plan update per year. The City of Redmond’s procedure for reviewing and adopting annual updates to the Comprehensive Plan is to adopt a blanket ordinance that establishes the content and framework of the annual amendment package.
This procedure accomplishes two principal objectives. First, it enables the City to comply with state requirements for concurrent review of the cumulative effects of all requested amendments (see Attachment B). Second, a detailed review of each amendment can occur as each is brought forward separately to the Technical Committee, Planning Commission and City Council. Separate public hearings for the various proposals are held, allowing proposals to be considered and acted upon individually, and enabling citizens to focus their review and comment on areas of specific interest, but within the context of the cumulative effects analysis. City Council adoption of the blanket ordinance establishes only those items that will be considered by the Planning Commission and City Council; it does not imply that an amendment will be approved.
|
Recommended for Further Consideration |
|
|
City-initiated carryovers (2017-2018 or earlier) |
12 |
|
New City-initiated Proposals |
7 |
|
New Privately-initiated Proposal |
1 |
|
Not Recommended for Further Consideration |
|
|
City-initiated proposals currently on docket |
6 |
|
New Privately-initiated Proposals |
3 |
City Council Review and Direction: The City Council held a study session on February 26, 2018, to discuss the Planning Commission’s recommendation regarding requested 2018-19 Comprehensive Plan amendments. The Planning Commission considered 30 items for carryover or inclusion in the 2018-2019 docket; nine of those items were not recommended for inclusion. Since the Planning Commission’s recommendation, the Amendment to the Comprehensive Plan and Code for a property in the Willows Corridor Subarea docket item has been adopted by Council and is no longer proposed as a carryover item for the 2018-19 docket.
The Council concurred with the Planning Commission’s recommended docket, which does not include three privately-initiated proposals for further consideration. The three proposals are:
1. Proposal to amend the Comprehensive Plan by adding new Overlake Subarea policies to the Urban Centers Element to encourage master planning and development agreements that allow flexibility and creativity; to re-evaluate transportation connections; to replace planned public streets with private streets, and update all relevant functional plans to reflect these changes.
2. Proposal to amend the Zoning Code to rezone the 5.85 acres designated as NDD2 to NDD1, and the Comprehensive Plan to increase the allowable total dwelling units in the entire NDD1 zone from 140-170 to 245-270 units.
3. Proposal to amend the Comprehensive Plan for a single-family zoned property in the Education Hill neighborhood by changing the land use designation to Multifamily Urban and adding a new policy that would increase multifamily urban land uses on the west side of Avondale Road NE in the area north of NE 104th Street and approximately south of NE 106th Street, if NE 106th Street were extended west across Avondale.
The rationale for not including these on the docket is that each of the three proposals do not meet the Redmond Zoning Code Criteria for further consideration and inclusion on the Comprehensive Plan docket.
At the study session, the City Council discussed the comprehensive planning process, the four privately-initiated proposals, and the items listed on the issues matrix which included
• Planning Commission workflow and capacity
• Time-related factors in RZC Threshold Criteria
• Periodic rezoning of property
• Difference between an application for a land use amendment vs. project application
• Suggestions to place the Pier 67 application on the docket
After deliberation, the Council closed all issues and also discussed the possibility of adding a new docket item to address emerging concerns related to workforce housing, housing affordability in relation to undeveloped land. Suggestions for such a docket item included possibly amending the Redmond Zoning Code and/or the Comprehensive Plan:
• To reflect outcomes from a re-evaluation of threshold criteria in Section 21.76.070(2)(b);
• To create multifamily overlays along particular corridors of the City to achieve specific goals;
• To reflect outcomes from potential updates to the Education Hill Neighborhood Plan, a functional plan or an evaluation of the Bear Creek/Avondale Corridor - both which would involve a multi-year effort, a shift in resources, and a reprioritization of current budgeted Planning projects.
• To adjust Bear Creek and Education Hill boundaries along Avondale Rd. NE.
Council acknowledged the option of possibly discussing these suggestions further at their March 7, 2019 retreat and at subsequent meetings.
IV. PREVIOUS DISCUSSIONS HELD
Staff briefed the Planning and Public Works Committee of the Whole on the recommendation on January 8, 2019. In addition, staff provided a staff report to the full Council on January 15, as well as a study session presentation on February 26, 2019.
V. IMPACT
A. Service/Delivery:
The City of Redmond’s procedure for reviewing and adopting annual amendments to the Comprehensive Plan is to adopt a blanket ordinance that establishes the content and framework of the annual amendment package. This procedure enables the City to comply with state requirements for concurrent review of the cumulative effects of all proposed amendments, applies consistent review to every application to determine whether it merits further consideration as a docketed item, and ensures thorough review later (as applicable) by the Technical Committee, Planning Commission, and City Council.
B. Fiscal Note:
Staff does not anticipate additional fiscal impact associated with Council adoption of the Comprehensive Plan docket. There will likely be fiscal impacts associated with review and action on individual amendments, including public noticing fees and postage, billing for legal counsel, and costs of conducting neighborhood meetings.
VI. ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Amend the ordinance. This alternative may alter the content of the 2018-19 Comprehensive Plan docket and could further delay the adoption of any of the proposed amendments contained within.
VII. TIME CONSTRAINTS
Timely action will allow review and consideration of proposed Comprehensive Plan amendments to begin; adding (or removing) items from the list could increase (or decrease) processing time for all individual items contained therein.
VIII. LIST OF ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: Ordinance for 2018-19 Comprehensive Plan Docket
Attachment B: Planning Commission-recommended package: Proposed 2018-19 Comprehensive Plan amendments & inter-relationships
Attachment C: Final City Council Issues Matrix