Title
Draft Comprehensive Plan Update Regarding Urban Green Space and Tree Canopy
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Not applicable. The Olympia Planning Commission has recommended the December 2013 Draft Comprehensive Plan.
City Manager Recommendation:
Recommend the following revised language in Policy PL7.4 of the Public Hearing Draft Olympia Comprehensive Plan:
PL7.4 Increase the area per capita of urban green space and the tree canopy-to-area ratio within each neighborhood.
Report
Issue:
The Planning Commission and City Manager have presented Council with recommendations on the Comprehensive Plan Update. City Council will hold a public hearing on a draft Comprehensive Plan Update at a date to be determined (most likely in June 2014). Guidance is needed regarding Urban Green Space and Tree Canopy.
Staff Contact:
Stacey Ray, Associate Planner, Community Planning and Development, 360.753.8046
Presenter(s):
Stacey Ray, Associate Planner, Community Planning and Development
Judy Bardin, Olympia Planning Commissioner
Background and Analysis:
At its February 25 work session on the Draft Comprehensive Plan Update recommended by the Olympia Planning Commission, the City Council referred several policy issues to the Land Use and Environment Committee (LUEC) for consideration. LUEC scheduled consideration of Urban Green Space and Tree Canopy for Thursday, April 17, 2014.
Urban Green Space
Approximately one quarter of Olympia is currently set aside as open space, or urban green space. Both the terms 'open space' and 'urban green space' are used interchangeably to describe land not occupied by buildings, "set aside" so that it is limited in its ability to be developed, and very likely to remain as open space for the foreseeable future.
Examples of green space in the City of Olympia include City-owned and managed parks, environmentally sensitive areas and required buffers, stormwater facilities, required bui...
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