Title
Public Hearing and Consideration of a Resolution for a Community Renewal Plan
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Hold a Public Hearing, and after the Hearing if the City Council wishes to take action, move to approve the resolution for the Community Renewal Plan as recommended by the Community Economic Revitalization Committee.
The plan identifies as the first action the issuance of a Request for Proposal (RFP) seeking a private development partner for the redevelopment of the City-owned parcel located at 308-310 Fourth Ave E, commonly referred to as the former Griswold property. The RFP is a separate agenda item during Other Business.
City Manager Recommendation:
Move to hold a Public Hearing and after the Hearing, if the City Council wishes to take action, move to approve the resolution for the Community Renewal Plan as recommended by the Community Economic Revitalization.
Report
Issue:
Told hold a public hearing and determine whether to approve the Resolution approving a Community Renewal Plan.
Staff Contact:
Renée Sunde, Economic Development Director, Community Planning & Development Department, 360.753.8591
Presenter(s):
Keith Stahley, Director Community Planning and Development Department
Renée Sunde, Economic Development Director
Jay Reich, Pacifica Law Group
Lorelei Juntunen, Partner, ECONorthwest
Background and Analysis:
The proposed Community Renewal Plan is the culmination of years of community conversations and Council actions. On February 3, 2015 the Council passed a Community Renewal Area (CRA) Resolution forming a CRA boundary, established governance and directed staff to work with property owners and developers to develop a specific set of actions for which community renewal powers would be appropriate.
The Revised Code of Washington (RCW), Chapter 35.81 requires that communities wishing to use the powers of the Community Renewal Law must adopt a Community Renewal (CR) Plan. The CR Plan is defined by the RCW as:
(6) "Community renewal plan" means a plan, as it exists from time to time, for a community renewal project or projects, which plan (a) shall be consistent with the comprehensive plan or parts thereof for the municipality as a whole; (b) shall be sufficiently complete to indicate such land acquisition, demolition, and removal of structures, redevelopment, improvements, and rehabilitation as may be proposed to be carried out in the community renewal area; zoning and planning changes, if any, which may include, among other things, changes related to land uses, densities, and building requirements; and the plan's relationship to definite local objectives respecting appropriate land uses, improved traffic, public transportation, public utilities, recreational and community facilities, and other public improvements; (c) shall address the need for replacement housing, within the municipality, where existing housing is lost as a result of the community renewal project undertaken by the municipality under this chapter; and (d) may include a plan to address any persistent high levels of unemployment or poverty in the community renewal area.
This proposed Community Renewal Plan builds on the CRA Resolution by identifying the first action: the redevelopment of the City-owned parcel located at 308-310 Fourth Ave E, commonly referred to as the former Griswold property. The Plan as it is structured is intended to evolve as new projects and actions are identified. These future projects will be added to the Plan through an amendment process.
The Plan is designed to work together with a new Downtown Strategy as a tool to help to eliminate blight and to encourage private sector participation in downtown renewal. The CR Plan will help shape development to further the City’s goals of creating a safe and welcoming Downtown for all and increasing commerce and private investment. The CR Plan will identify as one of its first projects the redevelopment of the City-owned but blighted parcel located at 308-310 Fourth Avenue East.
The CERC considered the CR Plan and the RFP at its meeting on June 13, 2016. On June 8, 2016 staff and the consultant team conducted a neighborhood meeting and received comments and responded to questions from interested neighbors, business owners, property owners and citizens. The plan and the RFP have been modified in response to some of this input.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
Over the past several years there has been significant interest throughout the community in understanding the challenges for downtown development and the tools available to assist in the removal of blight. The adoption of the CRA Resolution establishing a CRA boundary was an important first step.
Through the work of the Downtown Strategy hundreds of citizens have been engaged in an ongoing effort to plan for the future of Downtown.
There has been much interest from neighbors in the initial stages of development of the CR Plan, acquisition of the property and development of the RFP. The objective of the CR Plan is to quickly return the property to productive economic use.
Options:
1. Hold Public Hearing and move to approve Resolution for a Community Renewal Plan
2. Hold Public Hearing and do not approve Resolution for a Community Renewal Plan
3. Hold Public Hearing and direct staff to modify the proposed Community Renewal Plan
Financial Impact:
None.
Attachments:
Resolution No. 1 - Approving A Renewal Area Plan
Community Renewal Area Plan
CRA Plan Appendices:
A. List of meetings, workshops and public hearings
B. Blight findings and resolution
C. Opportunity area study
D. Feasibility report.
E. Redevelopment Request for Proposal