Title
Comprehensive Plan Update
Body
Issue:
Staff will provide a briefing on the Comprehensive Plan process and share next steps in the process with members of the UAC.
UAC Deliverable: Review Olympia Planning Commission (OPC) March 2013 Recommendations to City Council
Issue: Staff will provide a briefing on the Comprehensive Plan process and share next steps in the process with members of the UAC.
Staff Contact: Liz Hoenig, Senior Planner
Background and Analysis: In April and September 2012, a staff team presented the UAC with drafts of the Comprehensive Plan and reviewed elements of the draft that were developed as a result of UAC input during 2011. These included:
· Sustainability as an overarching theme, with a specific goal focusing on citywide decision making around this issue.
· New goals and policies encouraging green infrastructure, renewable energy and low impact development.
· New goals and policies relating to climate change, urban forestry and tree canopy protection.
· Policies added that strive to increase the use of low impact development methods and use innovative features in transportation project design to reduce the impacts of stormwater runoff.
The UAC submitted a letter (see hyperlink No. 1) to the OPC with their comments on the April draft on August 3, 2012.
The Olympia Planning Commission received comments on the April draft and issued a July 2012 draft of the Comprehensive Plan for public review. The OPC completed their deliberations in March of 2013 on the July 2012 draft (see hyperlink No. 2). They are now preparing a draft of the plan to submit to the City Council for their review in June 2013. During their deliberations, the OPC considered public input in proposing changes to the July draft.
The OPC supported and retained most of the goals and policies proposed in the public participation & partners, natural environment and utilities chapters. Attachment 3 is a complete record of the OPC recommendations for changes to the July 2012 draft of the plan. I have underlined in green proposed changes related to environment, utilities, and public participation that I will be reviewing with the UAC on May 3.
Key proposed changes to the July 2012 draft Comprehensive Plan that the UAC may want to comment on include:
· Removal of Goal GO1 and Policy PO 1.1 relating to environmental sustainability and decision-making (Item 2, page 3) and placing it in the Introduction under "key challenges (page 53).
· Addition of Policies related to Action Plan development (Items 5 & 6, page 4)
· Additions to public participation and partner goals and policies (item 10, page 5)
· Addition of Natural Environment (Item 11, page 6) and Utility Vision and Value statements (Item 113, page 42)
· Changes to Sea Level Rise goals and polices in Land Use/Utilities chapters (Item 26, page 9 and Item 115, page 43)
· Removal of recommendation to change Light Industrial zoning to General Commercial zoning in Allison Springs Drinking Water Protection Area (Item 37, page 13).
· Addition of "Green Spaces" goals and policies in the Land Use & Urban Design chapter (Item 65, page 22).
City staff is now working with the City Council to determine a process for receiving input from the public and advisory committees on the May 2013 OPC draft of the Comprehensive Plan.
UAC Discussion on May 2
For the evening of May 3, Amy Buckler (Associate Planner, Community Planning and Development) and I will provide a briefing to the UAC, with agenda items to include:
· General overview of the OPC review of the July 2012 draft of the Comprehensive Plan.
· Presentation on Utility, Environment, and Public Participation chapter changes to the July 2012 Draft of the Plan.
· Updated information on the "Action Plan" component of the Comprehensive Plan.
· Review of upcoming schedule and next steps for Advisory Committee input to City Council.
Olympia Planning Commissioner Judy Bardin will also be available to discuss and explain OPC recommendations during our presentation.
Neighborhood/Community Interests:
There is substantial community and neighborhood interest in the update of the Comprehensive Plan.
Options: N/A
Financial Impact: N/A
Staff Recommendation: N/A
Hyperlinks/Attachments:
1. UAC Letter dated August 3, 2012 to the OPC commenting on the April Comp Plan draft (hyperlink)
2. July 2012 Draft of Comprehensive Plan (hyperlink)
3. OPC Comprehensive Plan Update Final Recommendations (March 18, 2013) with green underlines for UAC review