Title
PUBLIC HEARING on Zoning Text Amendment - Professional Office/Residential Multifamily (PO/RM) Zoning District
Recommended Action
Hold public hearing on this proposal. Deliberation is scheduled for the March 17, 2014 Planning Commission meeting.
Report
Issue:
Should the text of the Olympia Municipal Code be amended to:
1. Change the purpose statement for the PO/RM zoning district from allowing only small-scale commercial uses to allowing small to medium-scale commercial uses?
2. Allow restaurants that do not have drive-in or drive-through services as permitted uses in the PO/RM zoning district, rather than as conditional uses?
3. For the following types of commercial uses in the PO/RM zoning district west of Yauger Road adjacent to Harrison/Mud Bay Road, change the maximum floor area from 10,000 square feet to 5,000 square feet per acre with no single commercial use larger than 50,000 square feet?
Staff Contact:
Leonard Bauer, Deputy Director, Community Planning and Development, 360.753.8206
Presenter(s):
Leonard Bauer, Deputy Director, Community Planning and Development
Background and Analysis:
In 2013, the City of Olympia contracted with ECONorthwest to study the development potential of five "Opportunity Areas" in the city. For each area, the study examined the current development character, the city's policy goals, existing barriers to private development investing in the area to implement the city's goals, and potential city actions that could address those barriers.
For the area near Kaiser Road and Harrison Avenue zoned PO/RM, the study identified that the long-term market for office development is very weak, but a strong multi-family residential market, with multi-family residential development occurring adjacent to this area. The study found that the large amount of housing and lack of retail services in the area creates an opportunity for a mix of residential and retail development that could provide employment opportunities and services to the local neighborhood. There are several larger parcels in the area that could provide this type of mixed use development. However, the current PO/RM zoning prohibits retail commercial development over 10,000 square feet, regardless of size of the property.
To improve the opportunity for this type of mixed-use development, this zoning code text amendment would allow for certain retail uses in proportion to the size of the property - 5,000 square feet per acre. No single commercial use could exceed 50,000 square feet, regardless of the size of the property. These changes would apply only in the PO/RM area near Harrison Avenue and Kaiser Road, and would only apply to food stores, general merchandise stores, fitness centers, specialty stores, office supply stores, and pharmacies. In addition, non-drive-through restaurants would be a permitted use rather than a conditional use in PO/RM zones.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
The affected area is in the Cooper Point Neighborhood Association. No comments have been received regarding this proposal to date.
Options:
1. Hold public hearing on this proposal. Deliberation is scheduled for the March 17, 2014 Planning Commission meeting.
Financial Impact:
No cost other than staff time to process this proposal. There is a potential for a slight increase in property and sales tax revenue to the city from future development.