Title
Approval of Medela Rezone - Ordinance Amending Zoning Map
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Not referred to a committee
Olympia Hearing Examiner Recommendation:
“The Hearing Examiner recommends to the City Council:
1. That the Medela Property be rezoned to RM-18 (Multi-Family Residential 18 units per acre) conditioned upon the re-designation of 9th Avenue East as a Neighborhood Collector Street.
2. That if 9th Avenue East is not re-designated as a Neighborhood Collector, the Medela Property be rezoned to MR10-18 (Mixed Residential 10 to 18 units per acre).
3. That the Banomi Property be rezoned in the same manner as the Medela Property.
4. That the City Council considers additional Development Regulations for development occurring adjacent to cemeteries.”
City Manager Recommendation:
Move to approve on second reading the ordinance amending the Zoning Map from Single-Family Residential 4 to 8 to Residential Multi-Family 18 with respect to the Medela and Banomi properties consistent with Examiner’s recommendations #1 and #3.
Report
Issue:
Background and analysis have not changed from first to second reading.
On January 14, 2015, the Medela Group, LLC, submitted a request to change the land-use zoning of approximately nine acres south of Pacific Avenue and east of Boulevard Road from Single-Family Residential 4 to 8 units per acre (R4-8) to Residential Multi-Family 18 units per acre (RM-18). This proposal was the subject of a public hearing held by the Olympia Hearing Examiner on July 20, 2015.The City Council reviewed the Examiner’s recommendation on October 13, 2015, and directed preparation and presentation of an ordinance approving the request and including the adjacent property owned by Thomas Banomi as recommended by the Examiner.
Staff Contact:
Todd Stamm, Principal Planner, Community Planning and Development Department, 360.753.8597
Presenter:
None; consent calendar item.
Background and Analysis:
Procedural Background
The rezone proposal submitted to the City of Olympia by the Medela Group on
January 14, 2015, to ‘rezone’ nine acres from single-family to multi-family zoning as described in the attached record was similar to but separate from a proposal submitted to Thurston County on November 12, 2009. On June 20, 2014, the site was annexed into the City of Olympia along with surrounding properties as part of the I-5/Boulevard Road “island” annexation. In December 2014, the City of Olympia’s updated Comprehensive Plan was adopted, including - in part - designation of this site as
part of the “Urban Corridor.”
The application proposed for approval was received by the City the following month.
Pursuant to the Olympia Development Code, this type of rezone request is subject to an open-record public hearing to be held by the Olympia Hearing Examiner. The Examiner evaluated the proposal for consistency with the Comprehensive Plan, as well as the other rezone criteria recently adopted by the City Council, and issued the recom-mendation summarized above.
On October 13, 2015, the City Council reviewed the Examiner’s recommendation and other relevant information and directed that an ordinance be prepared and presented consistent with Examiner’s recommendations #1 and #3. (On October 6, 2015, the Council had decided to re-designate Ninth Avenue SE as described in #1 above.) The Council considered the Examiner’s recommendation regarding cemetery-related development regulations but directed no changes with respect to that aspect of the zoning code. The attached ordinance would change the land use zoning of the Medela and Banomi properties from R4-8 to RM-18 effective on January 1, 2015.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
This proposal has been the subject of intense public interest as set forth in the recommendation and the hearing record.
Options:
1. Approve the attached ordinance on second reading.
2. Postpone approval of the ordinance on second reading and direct modification of the proposed ordinance to come back at a later date.
3. Reject the proposed ordinance.
Financial Impact:
No direct impacts on City finances. Change in zoning may affect property values in the area and upon development would result in different demands for public services.