Title
Agenda Item:
Approval of Resolution Accepting the Urban Corridors Task Force Report
Body
Issue:
City Council adoption of this Resolution demonstrates support for the Urban Corridors Task Force recommendations and a willingness to partner with other jurisdictions to pursue the recommendations.
Committee Recommendation:
Not referred to a Council Committee. Mayor Buxbaum and former Mayor Mah served on the Urban Corridors Task Force. The Transportation Policy Board and Thurston Regional Planning Council endorse the report and forward these recommendations to jurisdictions and agencies in the metropolitan area.
City Manager's Recommendation:
Move to adopt the Urban Corridors Task Force Resolution
Staff Contact:
Sophie Stimson, Senior Planner, 360.753.8497
Presenter(s):
None - Consent Calendar Item.
Background and Analysis:
This region's transportation policies and investments are predicated on achieving land-use patterns described in adopted Comprehensive Plans. Those local Comprehensive Plans have resulted in many successes. However, despite progressive land-use and transportation policies in the cities, little mixed-use, transit-supportive development or redevelopment is locating along this region's key urban corridors.
Thurston Regional Planning Council (TRPC) actively monitors progress towards achieving adopted land-use visions. As a result of this on-going inability to attract mixed-use residential development investments to urban corridors, TRPC convened the Urban Corridors Task Force (UCTF) in 2009.
UCTF members include policy makers from Lacey, Olympia, Tumwater, Thurston County, Intercity Transit, and North Thurston Public Schools, as well as citizen and business representatives from TRPC's Transportation Policy Board.
The task force report presents recommendations for overcoming barriers to achieving more compact, transit-supportive land-use patterns in the metropolitan area of Lacey, Olympia, and Tumwater.
The report asks this region to rethink the role of the public sector in community development activities and to augment traditional regulatory tools with fresh approaches better suited to the nature of urban infill and redevelopment. To be successful, the measures will require regional leadership alongside local initiative.
The Transportation Policy Board and TRPC endorse the report and forward these recommendations to jurisdictions and agencies in the metropolitan area, recognizing that an important opportunity exists to achieve key transportation and land-use objectives envisioned by this community for over 20 years.
Efforts are focused on the Capitol Boulevard/Capitol Way/4th Avenue/State Avenue/Martin Way corridor, from south Tumwater through Lacey. This is the old state highway corridor that predates I-5, and which connects the three city centers and state capitol campuses. Select corridor districts are being evaluated for their potential to support vibrant, transit-oriented urban neighborhoods through infill and redevelopment, offering over time an urban lifestyle that does not yet exist in this region.
On July 31, 2012, Mayors, City Managers and County officials met to discuss how to proceed with these recommendations. With adoption of the report, planning commissions can begin to incorporate the recommendations into 2013 dockets and beyond.
The UCTF project is consistent with the policy direction of the City's Transportation Mobility Strategy. The work of the UCTF has been integrated into the draft update of the Land Use and Transportation Chapters in the Comprehensive Plan.
Achieving mixed-use infill and redevelopment along the region's urban corridors allows this region to reduce our dependence on driving, our vulnerability to rising fuel prices, and reduce the cost to the community of expanding the transportation system for cars.
Urban land-use patterns along our corridors will create housing options that allow people to choose urban lifestyles in vibrant mixed-use areas. Urban corridor development will allow more productive revenue-generating uses of land, minimizing the investment in infrastructure needed outside the urban area.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
The UCTF represented regional policy makers as well as citizen and business representatives.
Options:
1. Adopt the resolution.
2. Do not adopt the resolution and direct staff to pursue alternative actions relative to the task force recommendations.
Financial Impact:
None defined, as yet.