Title
Approval to Merge Ken Lake Basin Amendments with Imagine Olympia Comprehensive Plan Update
Issue:
Whether to pursue amendment of the Olympia Comprehensive Plan regarding issues in the Ken Lake basin as part of the annual Plan amendment process or to merge these issues with the Comprehensive Plan update known as Imagine Olympia.
Committee Recommendation:
Not referred to a committee.
City Manager's Recommendation:
Move to delete the Ken Lake Basin amendment from Olympia's 2012 docket of annual Comprehensive Plan amendments and to direct staff to incorporate these issues into the periodic Comprehensive Plan update known as Imagine Olympia.
Staff Contact:
Todd Stamm, Planning Manager, Community Planning and Development Department, 360.753.8597.
Presenter(s):
Not applicable - Consent Calendar item.
Background and Analysis:
In the fall of 2012 the City Council responded to concerns expressed by City staff and neighborhood residents and adopted interim zoning for an area of about 200 acres south of Highway 101 near Kaiser Road. The Council subsequently directed that staff pursue further study of issues in this area and propose appropriate Comprehensive Plan amendments, if any. In 2011, the Council amended the zoning in the mentioned area from Residential Four-Units-Per-Acre to Residential Low Impact (RLI) and directed that study of basin issues continue.
On February 14, 2012, the City staff recommended and the Council concurred that remaining issues should be addressed as part the 2012 Comprehensive Plan annual amendment "docket." (Other items on the adopted docket are changing Trillium-site zoning, Parks chapter amendments related to facility funding, and the annual Capital Facilities Plan update.) On April 2, 2012, the Planning Commission was briefed regarding this and other annual amendments. (See attachment 1.) A hearing on this particular amendment was tentatively scheduled for June 18, 2012.
Unfortunately, staffing limitations (the lead staff left City employment soon after the briefing) combined with the need for continuing studies of basin hydrology have resulted in this matter not being ready for a hearing on June 18. In particular, public outreach regarding this topic has been inadequate, a key study is still in 'draft' form, and new information regarding water rights has recently been received. Therefore, staff concluded that proceeding with the hearing on June 18 would not be in the public interest.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
Neighborhood leaders have expressed frustration with the lack of progress, the limited scope of the amendments being contemplated by the City staff, the lack of public outreach, and minimal staff time and budget committed to this effort. Recent communications between staff and neighborhood representatives have resulted in a consensus that the contemplated annual amendment process is inappropriate for addressing these issues and that it would be in the public interest to instead merge them with similar issues in the Imagine Olympia update of the Plan. (This process change would probably result in Council action being delayed by three to six months.)
Options:
1. Delete Ken Lake basin amendments from annual Comprehensive Plan amendment docket and direct that such be addressed in periodic Plan update known as Imagine Olympia.
2. Direct that Ken Lake basin amendments be scheduled as part of annual Plan amendment process. (Planning Commission hearing would probably be in August at same time as Capital Facilities Plan update hearing.)
3. Delete Ken Lake basin amendments from annual Comprehensive Plan amendment docket and direct 'no further consideration' by City staff.
4. Refer the matter to Land Use and Environment Committee for review.
Financial Impact:
Both Plan update processes were funded in 2012 budget. Costs of the Ken Lake basin amendment process would be reduced slightly as a result of the efficiency of merging these issues with the 'Imagine Olympia' Comprehensive Plan update.