Title
Recommendation to City Council on Scenic Views from Public Streets Code Amendment
Recommended Action
Move to Amend the ‘Scenic Vistas overlay zoning maps’ to retain only those public rights-of-ways identified in the December 2013 Draft Comprehensive Plan, and amend OMC 18.110.060 to refer to the map as ‘Scenic Vista Map.’
Report
Issue:
Narrow the requirement to preserve scenic views from public streets as currently shown on the ‘Scenic Vista’s overlay zoning maps’ to those listed in the proposed Comprehensive Plan Update as examples, which include State Avenue, 4th Avenue, Harrison Avenue, Deschutes Parkway, West Bay Drive, East Bay Drive, the 4th Avenue Bridge, Olympia Avenue, Boulevard Road, Pacific Avenue, Martin Way, Brawne Street, Foote Street, and Capitol Way.
Staff Contact:
Stacey Ray, Associate Planner, Community Planning and Development, 360.753.8046
Presenter(s):
Stacey Ray, Associate Planner
Background and Analysis:
The proposed amendment would narrow the design requirement to preserve scenic views from public streets as currently shown on the ‘Scenic Vista’s overlay zoning maps’ to those listed in the proposed Comprehensive Plan Update as examples, which include State Avenue, 4th Avenue, Harrison Avenue, Deschutes Parkway, West Bay Drive, East Bay Drive, the 4th Avenue Bridge, Olympia Avenue, Boulevard Road, Pacific Avenue, Martin Way, Brawne Street, Foote Street, and Capitol Way.
This would be an intermediate step until a future public engagement process identifies a series of specific observation points from which to preserve a series of landmark views. The map would then be amended a second time to remove corridors and add observation points.
Secondly, the amendment would change the name of the map from ‘Scenic Vista overlay zoning maps’ to ‘Scenic Vista Map.’ This would be reflected in the map title as well as in the Olympia Municipal Code (OMC) Chapter 18.110.060:
Refer to the Scenic Vista overlay zoning maps Scenic Vista Map available at the Community Planning and Development Department.
The proposed amendment would have no impact on other regulations intended to preserve views, including the Budd Inlet, Sylvester Park, and State Capitol height districts in OMC Chapter 18.10, and those in the existing or proposed Shoreline Master Program.
Please see Attachment A for additional background and analysis, and Attachment B for a composite of the ‘Scenic Vista overlay zoning maps.’
The Planning Commission was briefed on the proposed amendment and held a public hearing to receive comments from the public on the proposed amendment on February 10, 2014. Questions posed by Commissioners to staff that were not addressed at the briefing are addressed in Attachment A.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
This is a citywide code amendment, so hearing notice was distributed to all Registered Neighborhood Associations, CNA, all OPC meeting contacts, Olympia Master Builders, WOBA, city staff and partner agencies; and published in the Olympian on or before January 31.
Options:
1. Amend the ‘Scenic Vistas overlay zoning maps’ to retain only those public rights-of-ways identified in the December 2013 Draft Comprehensive Plan, and amend OMC 18.110.060 to refer to the map as ‘Scenic Vista Map.’
2. Maintain all existing public rights-of-ways identified on the ‘Scenic Vista’s overlay zoning maps,’ and postpone amendments to the map until after a public engagement process identifies specific observation points.
3. Amend the ‘Scenic Vistas overlay zoning maps’ to remove all public rights-of-ways; amend it again to represent specific observation points after they are determined through public engagement process.
Financial Impact:
None. This action is included in Community Planning and Development’s 2014 work plan: Zoning Code and Map Amendments to Implement Comprehensive Plan.