MEMO TO: Members of the City Council
FROM: Mayor John Marchione
SUBJECT:
title
Adoption of Marymoor Subarea Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Code Amendments and Local Center Designation
a. ORDINANCE NO. 2882: An Ordinance Amending the Redmond Comprehensive Plan, Transportation Master Plan, and Water System Plan and General Sewer Plan to Adopt Updates to Several Elements Related to the Marymoor Subarea and to Designate the Marymoor Local Center; Providing for Severability; and Establishing an Effective Date
b. ORDINANCE NO. 2883: An Ordinance Amending the Redmond Zoning Map and the Following Chapters of the Redmond Zoning Code Related to the Marymoor Subarea of the Southeast Redmond Neighborhood: 21.04, General Provisions; 21.08, Residential Regulations; 21.13, Southeast Redmond Regulations; 21.20, Affordable Housing; 21.32, Landscaping; 21.38, Outdoor Storage, Retail Display, and Garbage and Recycling Enclosures; 21.72, Tree Protection; 21.76, Review Procedures; and Creating Appendix 8A, Marymoor Subarea Street Requirements; Providing for Severability; and Establishing an Effective Date
c. ORDINANCE NO. 2884: An Ordinance Amending RMC 6.36.030, Identification of Noise Environments and Maximum Permissible Noise Levels, in Order to Add New Zoning Designations to Table 1; and Establishing an Effective Date
d. RESOLUTION NO. 1471: A Resolution Adopting the Marymoor Subarea Infrastructure Planning Report
I. RECOMMENDED ACTION
recommendation
Adopt ordinances amending the Comprehensive Plan, Redmond Zoning Code, and Redmond Municipal Code to incorporate updates for the Marymoor Subarea and Marymoor Local Center designation (Attachments A, B, and C). Approve a resolution adopting the Marymoor Subarea Infrastructure Planning Report as an administrative implementation document (Attachment D).
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II. DEPARTMENT CONTACTS
Rob Odle, Planning and Community Development Director 425-556-2417
Colleen Kelly, Assistant Planning Director 425-556-2423
Lori Peckol, AICP, Policy Planning Manager 425-556-2411
Jeff Churchill, AICP, Transportation Strategic Advisor 425-556-2492
Kimberly Dietz, Senior Planner 425-556-2415
III. DESCRIPTION/BACKGROUND
The City Council adopted a major update to the Southeast Redmond Neighborhood Plan in October 2014. The Marymoor Subarea is part of the Southeast Redmond Neighborhood and is bounded by Marymoor Park, SR 520, and the East Lake Sammamish Trail. The vision for the Subarea, as set out in the Plan, is to transition over time to be a walkable, denser subarea that features opportunities for living, employment, community gathering, education, shopping and commuting to other Redmond and regional destinations.
The City Council appointed the South Marymoor Subarea Committee in March 2015 and the Committee met approximately monthly until November 2016. Major milestones in their work included that they adopted a set of principles, evaluated alternative land use transition strategies, selected a preliminary preferred transition strategy, and obtained input on the strategy at a neighborhood workshop in January 2016. The Committee then identified a preferred transition strategy, reviewed draft zoning regulations to see how the strategy could be implemented in the zoning code and completed their recommendation.
Planning Commission Review
The Planning Commission completed their recommendation to the City Council on
March 24, 2017. Broadly, the Commission recommended updates as follows:
• Land use transition strategy, a market-based approach that emphasizes avoiding creating non-conforming uses and establishes a “Marymoor Expanded Use Zone”.
• Infrastructure plan developed based on Southeast Redmond neighborhood plan policy and Resolution No. 1415 to identify the future infrastructure systems needed to support planned growth.
• Zoning Code amendments to advance the vision for the Marymoor Subarea as “A walkable, denser subarea that features opportunities for living, employment, community gathering, education, shopping, and commuting to other Redmond and central Puget Sound destinations.” It includes new zones that allow mixed-use, multifamily, and nonresidential transit-oriented development that is consistent with the South Marymoor Subarea Committee’s recommended land use transition strategy.
• Local center designation, consistent with the adopted vision and policies for the Southeast Redmond neighborhood and the Marymoor Subarea area, creating the opportunity for the area to be more competitive for certain regional transportation and other grant funding opportunities as long as these funding programs continue to provide for some additional points for local centers.
• Requirements for provision of affordable housing that recognize the creation of residential zoning capacity, support the use of the multi-family tax exemption (MFTE) authority in state law pending City Council’s action on a proposed MFTE code, and provide an opportunity to create a greater quantity and level of affordable housing in this subarea, especially as the area will serve as a transportation crossroads with light rail service targeted to begin in 2024.
City Council Review
The Council held study sessions on this topic on April 11 and April 25, 2017, during which the Council focused on the issues described below. Attachment E is the Council’s issues matrix.
Vision for Marymoor Subarea and Local Center Designation. Council Members discussed and concurred with the vision for the Marymoor Subarea. Council Members also compared local centers to urban centers in consideration of the local center designation specific to the proposed portion of the Southeast Redmond neighborhood. Council Members concurred that the proposed designation and companion amendments to Comprehensive Plan policies were consistent with the vision.
Marymoor Subarea Land Use and Zoning Standards. The Council considered height and floor area ratio standards for the Marymoor Subarea in the context of transit-oriented development goals. Council Members also discussed anticipated aspects of the relationships and possible conflicts between existing and future manufacturing uses and the mixed-use and multi-family uses that could be developed with the proposed amendments. Council Members discussed characteristics including the area being multifaceted and eclectic and agreed that the proposed amendments would support transit oriented development and establish regulations that require new uses to mitigate for existing uses rather than placing additional requirements on existing uses.
Existing Manufacturing Businesses. The Council also discussed the ability for existing manufacturing businesses to continue operating and agreed that market pressures could vary over time and that construction of light rail and related facilities could impact how and when property owners initiated changes to their respective property.
Catalyst for Change in the Marymoor Subarea. Council Members considered possible factors that could affect the timing for redevelopment in the subarea such as land values, lease terms, and economic conditions as well as projections. Council Members agreed that change would happen at some point, and that construction of light rail and related facilities and access would be one driver of change. Council Members recognized that a certain amount of investment in individual properties would result in needed improvements to structures and sites such as to conform with life, safety, and accessibility standards. The Council also acknowledged that the trail proposed at the perimeter of the Marymoor Subarea, if constructed in large segments or at one time would likely require property acquisition.
Marymoor Subarea Identity and Design Outcomes. The Council considered the Marymoor Subarea’s identity and directed staff to propose design standards for the subarea as part of the existing effort to update the City’s urban center and citywide design standards. Regarding desired design outcomes, Council Members spoke to a high level of eclectic, creative and artistic designs; variety to avoid repetition and sameness, flexibility and innovation; and design that reflects the area’s proximity to Marymoor Park. Council Members also expressed interest in a more distinctive name for the Marymoor subarea while maintaining “Marymoor” as part of the name to keep a strong connection to Marymoor Park and the future light rail station. Staff will follow up on both of these topics.
Marymoor Station and Park-and-Ride. Council Members carefully considered several aspects of the Sound Transit light rail station and associated park-and-ride including the relationship of planned access to the station and park-and-ride to the subarea and neighborhood, the various alignments that were previously considered by the City and community during 2006, opportunities for co-locating transit-oriented and other parking with other uses in the subarea, and the role of the Bear Creek park-and-ride in the context of the future light rail station. The Council agreed with the recommendations for each of these and recognized that additional discussion would take place between the City and Sound Transit as preliminary engineering continues into 2018.
Text Correction Subsequent to Council Review
In preparation for Council action, staff discovered a text error in the Marymoor Subarea regulations that has been corrected in the materials attached to this memo (Attachment B, Exhibit 2). The correction relates to calculating floor area ratio (FAR), and does not change the allowed development intensity, allowed uses, or site standards. Specifically, the correction ensures that allowed FAR for residential and non-residential uses in the MDD1 and MDD2 zones sum, at minimum, to the combined allowed FAR, as intended.
IV. PREVIOUS DISCUSSIONS HELD
Prior Council meetings are noted below. This does not include Committee updates:
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Date: |
Council Action or Study Session |
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October 21, 2014 |
Council Meeting, adoption of Southeast Redmond neighborhood plan and Resolution No. 1415 |
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March 3, 2015 |
Council Meeting, appointments of South Marymoor Subarea Committee members |
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June 16, 2015 |
Council Meeting, approval of consultant contract for infrastructure planning |
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November 10, 2015 |
Council Study Session, discussion with members of South Marymoor Subarea Committee and Marymoor Subarea Infrastructure Planning Study stakeholder group |
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January 17, 2017 |
Council Meeting, staff update on status of recommendations for amendments to the Marymoor Subarea Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Code amendments and Local Center designation |
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April 4, 2017 |
Council Meeting, staff summary of the Planning Commission’s recommended Marymoor Subarea Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Code amendments and Local Center designation and Councilmembers’ identification of key discussion topics |
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April 11, 2017 |
Council Study Session, Council’s discussion of the issues matrix items regarding the Marymoor Subarea Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Code amendments and Local Center designation |
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April 21, 2017 |
Council Study Session, Council’s discussion of the issues matrix items regarding the Marymoor Subarea Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Code amendments and Local Center designation |
V. IMPACT
A. Service/Delivery:
Approving these amendments will allow the City to program services and capital improvements and guide private development activities over the life of the plan, benefitting neighborhood businesses, residents and property owners and supporting transitions in land use. Also, the plan update establishes the framework through which subsequent efforts related to this area will continue.
B. Fiscal Note:
The recommended amendments call for public and private investment over time as properties redevelop and infrastructure needs evolve. The amendments add several infrastructure projects to unfunded project lists where they would compete for funding with other future capital projects.
VI. ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATION
The City Council may choose to adopt the amendments, adopt the amendments with modifications, delay adoption, or not adopt the amendments. Staff recommends adopting the amendments as proposed.
VII. TIME CONSTRAINTS
Resolution No. 1415 calls for Council action on the recommended amendment package before January 1, 2018.
VIII. LIST OF ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: Ordinance amending the Redmond Comprehensive Plan
Exhibit 1: Redmond Comprehensive Plan Amendments
Attachment B: Ordinance amending the Redmond Zoning Code
Exhibit 1: Redmond Zoning Map
Exhibit 2: Redmond Zoning Code Amendments
Exhibit 3: Analysis of Affordable Housing Provisions for the Marymoor Subarea of Southeast Redmond Neighborhood
Attachment C: Ordinance amending the Redmond Municipal Code
Attachment D: Resolution adopting the Marymoor Subarea Infrastructure Planning Report
Exhibit 1: Marymoor Subarea Infrastructure Planning Report
Attachment E: City Council Issues Matrix