Title
PUBLIC HEARING (Continued): High Density Corridor Zone Building Step-backs and Setbacks
Recommended Action
Staff Recommendation:
Following close of public hearing select from options below and provide recommendation to City Council on or before November 18, 2013.
Body
Issue:
Whether to amend development code to limit tall buildings adjacent to single-family housing; and whether to require more step-back of tall buildings adjacent to streets and residential zones.
Staff Contact:
Todd Stamm, Principal Planner, tstamm@ci.olympia.wa.us
(360) 753-8597
Presenter(s):
Todd Stamm, Principal Planner
Background and Analysis:
On December 11, 2012, the Olympia City Council responded to public concerns about development near certain single-family housing by adopting an emergency 'interim' ordinance changing building height regulations in the High Density Corridor zones (HDC-1; HDC-2; HDC-3; and HDC-4). Ordinance 6820 temporarily requires that within any of the four High Density Corridor zones any new buildings within 100 feet of an existing single-family home site shall not exceed a height of 35 feet and any buildings on property adjacent to single-family housing or a residential zone or along a public street shall have 8-foot step-backs at every third floor (aka 'wedding cake' design).
That ordinance will be in effect for one year, or more if extended by the Council. The Council referred this matter to the Planning Commission for a public hearing and recommendation on the appropriate means of addressing this issue, including whether or not to amend the development code. The Commission was briefed on this matter on August 19, 2013. At the briefing the Commission affirmed the October 21 date for a hearing on this potential code amendment, directed that notice of the hearing be mailed to potentially most-affected property owners, that the possibility of including General Commercial and Professional Office - Residential Multi-family zones be a...
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