Title
Rezone Hearing Body - Potential Code Amendment
Recommended Action
Planning Commission Recommendation:
Recommend to City Council that the Development Code be amended to provide that the Planning Commission, instead of the Hearing Examiner, will hold public hearings related to site-specific rezone applications. (Option 2.)
City Manager Recommendation:
Recommend to the City Council that the City retain existing development code provision so that Hearing Examiner holds public hearings and makes recommendations to City Council regarding site-specific rezone applications; and direct staff to report to Land Use and Environment Committee in 2016 regarding experience with this approach. (Option 1.)
[Note, staff did not make a recommendation when this issue was considered by the Planning Commission.]
Report
Issue:
Should Olympia's Hearing Examiner or Planning Commission hold public hearings before making a recommendation to the City Council regarding proposed changes in the land use zoning of individual properties?
Staff Contact:
Todd Stamm, Principal Planner, (360) 753-8597
Presenter:
Todd Stamm, Principal Planner
Background and Analysis:
During the recent 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. (See attached minutes' excerpts.) This proposal was placed on hold until the Council's decision regarding the Plan update in December of 2014. On May 19, 2015, the Council referred the rezone-hearing-body issue to the Land Use and Environment Committee for consideration.
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