Title
Approval of Ordinance Amending Rezone Hearing Body
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Not referred to a committee.
City Manager Recommendation:
Move to adopt the Ordinance in clarifying procedures for review of site-specific rezone applications on second reading.
Report
Issue:
Whether to adopt the attached ordinance clarifying procedures for review of site-specific rezone applications and affirming that the Hearing Examiner should continue to be the hearing body to hold public hearings and makes recommendations to the City Council regarding site-specific rezone applications.
Staff Contact:
Leonard Bauer, Deputy Director, Community Planning & Development, (360) 753-8206, lbauer@ci.olympia.wa.us
Presenter(s):
Leonard Bauer, Deputy Director, Community Planning & Development
Background and Analysis:
Background and analysis have not changed from first to second reading.
During the update of the Comprehensive Plan, some members of the public suggested that if the Plan were to allow for more rezone applications, the City's Development Code should be amended to provide that rezone hearings would be held by the Planning Commission instead of the Hearing Examiner. On September 23, 2013, the Commission held a public hearing regarding this proposal and, following deliberation on October 21, 2013, the Commission unanimously recommended that the City Council amend the Development Code accordingly. This proposal was placed on hold until the Council approved the updated Plan in December of 2014. On May 19, 2015, the Council referred the rezone-hearing-body issue to the Land Use and Environment Committee for review.
The Committee considered the issue on July 16, 2015. Following discussion, which included Planning Commission Chair Carole Richmond and Commissioner Roger Horn, the Committee recommended continuing the current practice and recommended that staff report back to the Committee at the end of 2016 regarding public heari...
Click here for full text