Title
Final Draft of the Comprehensive Plan - Disposition of Public Comments
Recommended Action
City Manager Recommendation:
Move to include staff recommendations on public comments as shown in Attachment 1 (far right column) in Final Draft Comprehensive Plan, and direct staff to prepare the final document and an Ordinance.
Report
Issue:
Should the staff recommendations shown in Attachment 1 be included in the Final Draft Comprehensive Plan to be considered for adoption?
Staff Contact:
Leonard Bauer, Deputy Director, Community Planning and Development Department, 360.753.8206
Presenter:
Leonard Bauer, Deputy Director, Community Planning and Development Department
Background and Analysis:
Timeline:
In 2009, the City initiated a major update to its Comprehensive Plan. The Comprehensive Plan describes the City's vision for the next twenty years, and provides the policy direction for the City to achieve that vision. The state Growth Management Act (GMA) requires that the Comprehensive Plan accommodate the growth that is projected to occur over the next twenty years. Plan elements include land use, housing, capital facilities, utilities, natural resources, transportation, economic development, cultural resources, and other topics.
The Comprehensive Plan may be amended annually and a major review, and update if needed, is required every eight years by the GMA. This is the City of Olympia's major comprehensive plan update. Each major update must also address development regulations, and coordination with Thurston County to update urban growth areas. These remaining portions of the City's required GMA update will be completed by the deadline in June 2016.
The City Council held a public hearing on the Draft Comprehensive Plan update on July 22, 2014, and extended the period for receiving written comments until August 5, 2014. After deliberating on the public comments it received during its first public comment period, the Council issued proposed changes for a Final Draft Comprehensive Plan (Attachment 3). Council held a public hearing on those changes November 3, 2014, with an extended period for receiving written comments until November 9, 2014.
Public Comments and Staff Recommendations - Attachment #1:
Public comments received during this second comment period are summarized in Attachment 1, and included in their entirety in Attachment 2. Staff recommendations and responses to each comment are also included in Attachment 1 (far right column).
Alleys:
Council sought public comment on two options regarding alleys. If you adopt attachment #1 as written, alleys will be "encouraged."
One of the issues discussed by the City Council after its first public hearing was potential policies on whether to require alleys in new developments (see Draft Comprehensive Plan policies PT3.4, PT3.5 and PT3.6 - items 19-26, pages 5-6 on Attachment #1). The Council reviewed additional information on this issue at that time, and that information is provided again in Attachments 4 and 5.
Additional Process Information:
Additional information regarding the Comprehensive Plan update process is available at the link in Attachment 3.
Next Steps:
If guidance is given tonight, a final document and Ordinance adopting the update will be prepared for first reading on December 2.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
During the last five years many members of the public have participated in and commented on this periodic update of the Comprehensive Plan.
Options:
1. Move to include staff recommendations on public comments as shown in Attachment 1 in Final Draft Comprehensive Plan.
2. Approve revisions to staff recommendations and include in Final Draft Comprehensive Plan.
3. Direct staff to schedule additional deliberations on public comments.
Financial Impact:
None; this periodic Comprehensive Plan update is part of 2014 budget.