Title
Agenda Item:
Discussion of Sub-Area Planning Status Report
Body
Issue:
The Comprehensive Plan update proposes 12 neighborhood-scale planning areas but does not specify a template or a public involvement process. This meeting is for the Land Use and Environment Committee, staff and members of the Coalition of Neighborhood Associations (CNA) to discuss models from other cities and to begin the process of establishing a template and refining how subarea plans will be developed.
Staff Contact:
Jennifer Kenny, Associate Planner, 360.753.8031
Presenter(s):
Todd Stamm, Community Planning Manager
Jennifer Kenny, Associate Planner
Bob Jones and Phil Schulte, CNA leadership
Background and Analysis:
Staff and the leadership from Recognized Neighborhood Associations have been discussing the possibility of sub-area planning for several years. The 1988 Comprehensive Plan included a subsection for “Neighborhood Plans,” which was specific to each part of the city. This was changed in the 1994 update because the Council preferred a citywide approach to planning.
Many community members expressed strong support for sub-area planning
during the Imagine Olympia outreach and through prior meetings between staff and neighborhood leadership.
Community Planning and Development’s work plan for the next six months includes preparing a template and process for sub-area planning. Although the Comprehensive Plan update has not yet been approved by the City Council, the intention is to have a planning process ready, should the update be approved. The Growth Management Act requires that sub-area plans be consistent with a municipality’s Comprehensive Plan.
Important stakeholders for designing a neighborhood planning process are the Coalition of Neighborhood Associations and the Planning Commission.
The goal is to create an inclusive approach that helps neighborhoods identify how they can best implement the Comprehensive Plan in their immediate area, and identify their assets, constraints, and long term goals. Major goals of sub-area planning are to prioritize local actions and identify the people and organizations responsible for implementation.
Staff proposes that an update to the Downtown Master Plan be a separate process. Downtown is set apart from other neighborhoods because there is an existing plan on which to build, and because there are many more stakeholders than in the other subareas, including citywide residents, downtown business owners, downtown residents and representative organizations.
This meeting is an opportunity to review how other cities approach sub-area planning and discuss Council’s ideas for Olympia’s process. The attached summary sheets offer examples of how some other cities in Washington have approached sub-area planning.
Staff is seeking guidance on how the City Council would like to pursue sub-area planning and coordination among the CNA, Planning Commission, and the community at large. The process should outline a program lead, schedule, cost estimates, etc. Staff also seeks guidance on how the City Council would like to prioritize the sub-areas. Our hope is to produce two plans a year for six years, but perhaps start with one pilot plan in 2014. The CNA proposes to make the North East neighborhood the pilot.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
Support for sub-area planning was expressed during the Imagine Olympia effort.
Staff has not received comments on the Planning Commission draft related to sub-area planning. The Planning Commission supports the sub-area recommendations in the July Draft of the Comprehensive Plan Update. The CNA drafted a revised map of sub-areas and outlined a plan for implementation.
Financial Impact:
To be determined.