Title
Stoll Road Rezone
Recommended Action
Move to recommend to the Hearing Examiner that the proposed rezone is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan.
Report
Issue:
Whether to make a recommendation to the Hearing Examiner regarding the proposed rezone’s consistency with the Comprehensive Plan.
The city has received an application to change the zoning of two parcels at 414 & 422 Stoll Road SE from Manufactured Housing Park (MHP) to High Density Corridor 4 (HDC-4). This proposal will be considered by the Olympia Hearing Examiner at a public hearing before a recommendation is made to the City Council. The City’s code provides an opportunity for the Planning Commission to make a recommendation regarding the proposal’s consistency with the Comprehensive Plan.
Staff Contact:
Lydia Moorehead, Associate Planner, Community Planning & Development, 360.570.3746
Presenter(s):
Lydia Moorehead, Associate Planner, Community Planning & Development
Background and Analysis:
On September 30, 2019, Fourth Street Housing, LLC submitted a request to change the zoning for two parcels totaling .96 acres from Manufactured Housing Park (MHP) to High Density Corridor 4 (HDC-4).
The site is located in the northeast corner of the city and was annexed in 1970 under Ordinance 3609. Uses to the north include office/retail development along Martin Way and a manufactured housing park to the east. Areas to the south and west include single family homes and properties that are undergoing redevelopment into multifamily housing by Fourth Street, Housing LLC.
A map of the area showing the proposed rezone (Attachment 1) and a summary of the two zoning categories in question (Attachment 2) provide further context for the proposal.
Procedural Background
The process for reviewing proposed site-specific zoning map amendments (also known as “rezones”) has been established by State law and by Olympia Municipal Code chapters 15.58, 18.59 and18.82. The municipal code provides for staff level review, including environmental review through the State Environmental Policy Act, followed by review by the Hearing Examiner.
The Hearing Examiner holds an open-record public hearing before making a recommendation to the City Council. The City Council makes the final decision regarding such applications. The Examiner’s hearing has yet to be scheduled but will likely be in late February 2020. This will be the only open record hearing for this application pursuant to the State of Washington Local Project Review Act.
However, OMC 18.59.050 provides that staff also forward rezone applications to the Planning Commission for review. While the Commission is prohibited from holding a hearing to solicit comments from the applicant or the public, the Commission may choose to make a recommendation to the Hearing Examiner, which would be part of the record forwarded to the City Council.
The Proposal
The rezone application seeks to change the zoning from MHP which allows manufactured houses in parks on sites greater than 1 acre in size and on individual lots in addition to single family, duplex and townhouses at densities between five (5) and twelve (12) units per acre. The proposed HDC-4 zone allows for a compatible mix of commercial, office and high-density multifamily residential uses.
Consistency with Comprehensive Plan
The Hearing Examiner will consider consistency with the Comprehensive Plan and other rezone criteria when evaluating the proposal.
In addition to extending High Density Corridor zoning along Martin Way similar to existing zoning to the west, the increase in density afforded by rezoning this parcel from MHP to HDC-4 appears to be consistent with the Comprehensive Plan’s goal of providing a variety of housing choices as described in GL 14: “Olympia’s neighborhoods provide housing choices that fit the diversity of local income levels and lifestyles. They are shaped by thorough public planning processes that involve citizens, neighborhoods, and city officials.” The corresponding policy PL14.2 further states, “Concentrate housing into three high-density Neighborhoods: Downtown Olympia, Pacific/Martin/Lilly Triangle; and the area surrounding Capital Mall…( emphasis mine).”
The proposed rezone appears to be consistent with the Comprehensive Plan’s goal of responding to the anticipated population increase for Olympia as described in GL16: “The range of housing types and densities are consistent with the community’s changing population needs and preferences.” The corresponding policy PL16.1 further states, “Support increasing housing densities through the well-designed, efficient and cost-effective use of buildable land, consistent with environmental constraints and affordability.
The proposal also appears to meet the requirements of OMC 18.59.055 that zoning districts correspond to future land use map designations in the Comprehensive Plan. Attachment 3 illustrates the location of the proposed rezone falling within an area identified for Urban Corridor with a High-Density Neighborhoods Overlay. The Comprehensive Plan defines Urban Corridor as follows:
This designation applies to certain areas in the vicinity of major arterial streets. Generally more intense commercial uses and larger structures should be located near the street edge with less intensive uses and smaller structures farther from the street to transition to adjacent designations. Particular 'nodes' or intersections may be more intensely developed. Opportunities to live, work, shop and recreate will be located within walking distance of these areas.
The Comprehensive Plan defines High-Density Neighborhoods Overlay as follows:
Multi-family residential, commercial and mixed use neighborhoods with densities of at least 25 dwelling units per acre for residential uses that are not re-using or redeveloping existing structures. New mixed-use developments include a combination of commercial floor area ratio and residential densities that are compatible with a high-density residential neighborhood. The height in these neighborhoods will be determined by zoning and based on the "Height and View Protection Goals and Policies.”
As described in Attachment 4, both the existing MHP zoning and proposed HDC-4 zoning districts fall within the Urban Corridor category.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
A neighborhood meeting was held on November 12, 2019. Neighbors of the proposed rezone site expressed concerns regarding impacts from existing redevelopment projects in the area rather than concerns related specifically to the rezone request.
Options:
1. Recommend to the Hearing Examiner that the proposal is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan.
2. Recommend to the Hearing Examiner that the proposal is inconsistent with the Comprehensive Plan.
3. Recommend that the Hearing Examiner proceed without the recommendation from the Planning Commission.
Financial Impact:
No direct impacts on City finances. Change in zoning may affect property values in the area and, upon future development, are likely to result in different demands for public services.
Attachments:
Zoning Map
Zone Comparison
Comprehensive Plan Future Land Use Map
Rezone Criteria Excerpt