Title
Direction on Language for Council's Public Hearing Draft of the Comprehensive Plan
Recommended Action
City Manager Recommendation:
Move to direct staff to include the attached recommendations in a City Council public hearing draft of the Olympia Comprehensive Plan. The recommendations come from the following sources:
1. Council-directed language at its April 8 and 22, 2014, study sessions on:
a. Urban Corridors
b. Urban Agriculture
c. Street Connectivity
d. Connection of Park Drive SW
2. Land Use and Environment Committee at its April 17 meeting recommended language on:
a. Alleys
b. View Protection
c. Urban Green Space and Tree Canopy
3. Staff recommended language, as directed by City Council at its February 25, 2014, meeting on:
a. Design Review Jurisdiction
b. Public Health
4. Council-directed language at its April 15 meeting on:
a. Economic Chapter (Attachment 7)
Report
Issue:
The Planning Commission and City Manager have presented Council with recommendations on the Comprehensive Plan Update (see Attachment 1). City Council will hold a public hearing on a draft Comprehensive Plan Update at a date to be determined (most likely in June or July 2014). What policy language should be included on the issues listed in the recommendation?
Staff Contact:
Leonard Bauer, Deputy Director, Community Planning and Development, 360.753.8206
Presenter(s):
Leonard Bauer, Deputy Director, Community Planning and Development
Sophie Stimson, Senior Planner, Public Works
Todd Stamm, Program and Planning Supervisor, Community Planning and Development
Stacey Ray, Associate Planner, Community Planning and Development
Amy Buckler, Associate Planner, Community Planning and Development
Background and Analysis:
At its February 25 work session on the Draft Comprehensive Plan Update recommended by the Olympia Planning Commission, the City Council referred 18 policy issues to future Council study sessions, to the Land Use and Environment Committee (LUEC), and to staff. Based on discussions in March at a City Council study session, LUEC recommendations, and staff recommendations, the City Council accepted language on nine of the issues to be included in its future public hearing draft of the Comprehensive Plan on April 15. Additionally, City Council approved the revisions to the Economic Chapter, proposed by the Community and Economic Revitalization Committee (CERC) at that same meeting and directed that they be included in the public hearing draft (see Attachment 7).
The remaining nine policy issues have been discussed at City Council work sessions on April 8 and 22; at LUEC meeting April 17; and staff discussions. Background for each of these issues is provided in the staff reports for the following public meetings:
· February 25, 2014 City Council meeting
· April 8, 2014 City Council study session
· April 17, 2014, Land Use and Environment Committee meeting
· April 22, 2014 City Council study session
Attachment 1 includes the recommended policy language for each issue. To maintain consistency within the Comprehensive Plan, staff also recommends revisions to four maps in the Transportation Chapter of the Draft Comprehensive Plan:
· Transportation Corridors Map, and
· Transportation 2030 maps (Northeast, Southeast, and Westside and Downtown).
·
These maps are Attachments 3, 4, 5, 6. They illustrate regionally designated transportation corridors, and do not represent land use designations in these corridors (which are described in the Land Use and Urban Design Chapter).
In October, 2013, the City Council also directed that a "Plain Talk" review be conducted on the Olympia Planning Commission Final Draft Comprehensive Plan. Attachment 8 provides an overview of the edits that have resulted from that review. This overview is being provided at this time only for informational purposes. The "Plain Talk" edits will be presented at the May 20 City Council meeting for the Council's decision as to whether to include them in its public hearing draft of the Comprehensive Plan.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
Public input collected during the Comprehensive Plan Update Imagine Olympia process is documented on the Imagine Olympia website. During the April 17, 2014, LUEC meeting additional public input was received on the Alleys, View Protection, Urban Green Space and Tree Canopy issues.
Options:
1. Move to direct staff to include the attached recommendations (Attachments 1 and 3-7) in a City Council public hearing draft of the Olympia Comprehensive Plan.
2. Move to amend some or all of the recommended language, and then move to include amended language in a City Council public hearing draft of the Olympia Comprehensive Plan.
3. Refer some or all of the language back to LUEC, CERC or staff for further refinement.
Financial Impact:
None; this work item is an element of the Comprehensive Plan Update. Individual policies may have financial implications in the future as they are implemented.