Title
Annual Comprehensive Plan Amendments of 2015 - Commission Deliberation and Recommendation
Recommended Action
Move to recommend approval by City Council of each and all amendments as described below.
Report
Issue:
The Growth Management Act provides that the City of Olympia can amend its Comprehensive Plan once each year. Pursuant to the procedures set forth in Olympia Municipal Code 18.59.030, this year the City Council forwarded three proposals to the Planning Commission for review, public hearing and recommendation to the Council. These proposals include an update of the Waste ReSources (solid waste) section of the Plan, a set of revisions of the Transportation system maps, and a property-owner’s proposal to amend the Future Land Use and Zoning maps related to property along
Capital Mall Drive.
Staff Contact:
Todd Stamm, Principal Planner, Community Planning and Development Department, 360.753.8597
Presenter:
None - deliberation to be facilitated by Commission chair.
Background and Analysis:
The Commission is reviewing three Plan amendments:
1. Update of the Waste ReSources (solid waste) aspects of the Plan
2. Update of the Transportation 2030 Maps of the Plan - regarding certain local streets
3. Amendment of the Future Land Use Map for a portion of the Copper Trail property bordering Capital Mall Drive concurrently with a zoning map amendment within this area.
The first two amendments were initiated by City staff. The last is proposed by the private property owner, Inland Capital Mall LLC (also known as Inland Group and Inland Construction). On June 15, 2015, the Planning Commission received a pre-hearing briefing regarding these proposals. On August 3, 2015, the Commission held a public hearing regarding these proposals. Interested parties are encouraged to review the staff report and attachments provided to the Commission at the hearing.
At the close of the hearing, the Commission presented a series of questions to the City staff. Responses to these questions and to others raised during the hearing are attached to this report. The hearing record remained open until August 7, 2015, for written comments to be submitted. Copies of all written comments received are attached to this report.
Plan Amendment and Rezone Criteria
The Commission is to make a recommendation to the City Council regarding each and all of these proposals. With regard to the proposed Comprehensive Plan amendments, the Olympia Municipal Code 18.59.040 states that at a minimum the Planning Commission recommendation and the subsequent Council decision should address the following:
1. Does the proposed amendment or revision maintain consistency with other plan elements or development regulations? If not, are amendments or revisions to other plan elements or regulations necessary to maintain consistency with the current final docket that will be considered by the Planning Commission and the City Council?
2. Is the proposed amendment or rezone consistent with the goals of the Comprehensive Plan?
3. Is the proposed amendment or revision consistent with the county-wide planning policies?
4. Does the proposed amendment or rezone comply with the requirements of the GMA?
With regard to the proposed Copper Trail rezone, Olympia Municipal Code 18.59.050 provides that a zoning map amendment shall only be approved if that at minimum the proposal complies with subsections A through C below. To be considered are whether:
A. The rezone is consistent with either the Comprehensive Plan including the Plan’s Future Land Use map as described in OMC 18.59.055 or with a concurrently approved amendment to the Plan.
B. The rezone will maintain the public health, safety, or welfare.
C. The rezone is consistent with other development regulations that implement the comprehensive plan.
D. The rezone will result in a district that is compatible with adjoining zoning districts; this may include providing a transition zone between potentially incompatible designations.
E. Public facilities and services existing and planned for the area are adequate and likely to be available to serve potential development allowed by the proposed zone.
Neighborhood/Community Interests:
Notices of this hearing were issued and published in the Olympian on or before Tuesday, July 21.Notice was posted at the Copper Trail and Ninth Avenue sites on July 24. The solid waste amendment has generated little interest as it relates primarily to commercial customers of the utility. Interest in the set of transportation map amendments varies with the location. The general public has thus far expressed little interest in the Copper Trail amendment.
Members of the Planning Commission are encouraged to visit all of the locations of the above proposals to become familiar with the sites and surrounding areas.
Options:
The City code provides that the Commission is to forward a “written recommendation” to the City Council. With regard to each and all proposed amendments, including the associated Copper Trail rezone, the Commission may recommend that the Council:
1. Adopt the amendment as proposed.
2. Modify and adopt the amendment.
3. Reject the amendment, or
4. Defer the amendment to a later date.