StaffReport_AMD-07-17_final+Attachments_WEB.pdf
CITY OF EDMONDS
121 - 5TH AVENUE NORTH, EDMONDS, WA 98020
PLANNING DIVISION ADVISORY REPORT \[AMENDED\]
FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS
To:
EDMONDS PLANNING BOARD
From
: ____________________________
Gina Coccia
Associate Planner
Date:
June 12, 2008
File:
AMD-2007-17
A
pplication by Dana Gillet, represented by A.D. Shapiro Architects, to add a new section of
text to the Comprehensive Plan. This new language would be specific to the Perrinville
neighborhood (designated “Neighborhood Commercial” on the Comprehensive Plan Map)
and would include development goals and policies for future land use in that neighborhood.
Hearing Date, Time, and Place:
June 18, 2008, at 7:00 PM,
Edmonds City Council Chambers
Public Safety Complex
th
250 - 5 Avenue North
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section Page
I.INTRODUCTION..........................................................................................................................2
A.A...........................................................................................................................2
PPLICATION
B.R.................................................................................................................2
ECOMMENDATION
II.FINDINGS OF FACT AND CONCLUSIONS............................................................................2
.S...................................................................................................................................2
AETTING
.SEPA(SEPA).......................................................................4
BTATENVIRONMENTALOLICYCT
C.T..........................................................................................................4
ECHNICAL COMMITTEE
D.P.................................................................................................................4
UBLIC COMMENTS
E.CPZC.....................................................5
OMPREHENSIVE LAN AND ONING CODE OMPLIANCE
III.ATTACHMENTS..........................................................................................................................7
IV.PARTIES OF RECORD...............................................................................................................7
City of Edmonds Planning Board
Perrinville Comprehensive Plan Amendment
AMD-2007-17
I. INTRODUCTION
A. APPLICATION
1.Applicant:
Dana Gillet, represented by A.D. Shapiro Architects (Attachment 5).
2.Site Location:
Perrinville Area – properties designated “Neighborhood Commercial” on the
Comprehensive Plan Map (Attachment 1).
3.Request:
Application for a Comprehensive Plan Amendment to add new language specific
to the Perrinville Neighborhood (Attachments 5-6).
4.Review Process:
Comprehensive Plan Amendment – The Planning Board conducts a public
hearing and issues a recommendation to the City Council for the final decision.
5.Major Issues:
a.
Compliance with Edmonds Community Development Code (ECDC) Chapter 20.00
(CHANGES TO THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN).
b.
Compliance with Edmonds Community Development Code (ECDC) Section 20.100
(HEARING EXAMINER, PLANNING ADVISORY BOARD AND CITY COUNCIL
REVIEW).
B. RECOMMENDATION
Based on Statements of Fact, Analysis, Conclusions, and Attachments in this report, staff
APPROVE
recommends that the Planning Board make a recommendation to the City Council to
the request to add a new section of text to the Comprehensive Plan specific to the Perrinville
Neighborhood. The staff recommendation includes a change to the wording of the last sentence
so that it reads: “The mix of uses shall incorporate not less than one third commercial space.”
The applicant has demonstrated that the proposed amendment is consistent with the provisions of
the Comprehensive Plan and is in the public interest.
II. FINDINGS OF FACT AND CONCLUSIONS
A. SETTING
1. Proposed Designation and Development of the Site
The proposal is not to change the designation of the site – the site would remain
“Neighborhood Commercial.” The proposal is to add new language specific to the Perrinville
Area, because the Comprehensive Plan encourages neighborhood commercial areas “to
reflect the identity and character of individual neighborhoods, thus strengthening their
importance as neighborhood centers” (Attachment 10, page 57). The proposed
Comprehensive Plan amendment contains the following language:
In the Perrinville commercial area, development should include an attractive mix of uses that
create a ‘neighborhood village’ pedestrian-oriented environment. Commercial spaces shall be
oriented toward the street in order to maximize visibility, and parking should be primarily
accommodated either behind or underneath structures.
Development shall not be more than three (3) stories in height, and the design should focus
on breaking up the mass and bulk of buildings by incorporating such features as setbacks,
varying rooflines, and landscaping into the design of the site. The mix of uses shall
incorporate not less than one quarter commercial space.
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Perrinville Comprehensive Plan Amendment
AMD-2007-17
There are no development proposals at this time; the only proposal is for an addition of the
above text to the Comprehensive Plan.
The applicant argues that “The new updated Neighborhood Commercial designation
demonstrates the goal to provide an alternative to the strip mall type commercial
development presently found in Perrinville and other areas in Edmonds. This designation
would allow and encourage a ‘neighborhood village’ type of development – one that allows
for a mix of commercial and multi-family residential structures with an emphasis on creating
an attractive pedestrian-oriented streetscape and development” (Attachment 6, page 1).
The applicant’s request would potentially set them up for applying for a change to the Zoning
Code, because residential use is very limited under the current zoning designations. The BN
zone only allows “one dwelling unit per lot, in the story above the street floor, with a
minimum lot area of 6,000 square feet” (ECDC 16.45.010.B.3) and the BC zone allows for
multiple dwelling units, but “this use may not be located on the ground floor of a structure”
(ECDC 16.50.010.A.8). The applicant has indicated a desire to eventually apply for a change
to the Zoning Code that would affect this area (in order to allow for a mix of residential and
commercial uses), if the Comprehensive Plan amendment were approved (Attachment 6, page
3 and Attachment 8, page 10). Under the current zoning designations (BN and BC), it would
be difficult to design a project that incorporated a mix of residential and commercial uses, or
the desired vision stated in the Comprehensive Plan (Attachment 10).
2. Current Designation and Development of the Site
The Neighborhood Commercial area in Perrinville is comprised of 11 parcels and about 8.5
acres in area (according to the Snohomish County Assessor’s website). The properties are
th
Avenue West
developed with older commercial buildings (constructed in 1947) along 76
and South of Olympic View Drive. The Post Office is sited on the NW corner of the
intersection, and was constructed in 1992. A vacant parcel lies to the north of the Post Office
th
Avenue West to the East, comprising
site, and there are two vacant parcels across 76
approximately 3.42 acres or roughly 40% of the project area (Attachment 3). The property at
the NE corner of the intersection is home to Tolefson’s Market and a new commercial
building constructed in 2006 which has a restaurant, animal hospital, and retail (skating
supply) store. These existing commercial uses are consistent with the zoning designations
BN and BC.
Currently, the zoning designation is a mix of Neighborhood Business (BN) and Community
Business (BC) (Attachment 2). The Tolefson’s Market property (7533 Olympic View Drive)
is zoned both BC and Single-Family Residential (RS-12). The Comprehensive Plan
designation is also split between Neighborhood Commercial and Single Family Resource. As
indicated on the topography map (Attachment 4), there is a significant change in topography
on this site.
3. Designation and Development in the Vicinity
The surrounding area is designated Single Family Urban 1 to the west, Single Family
Resource to the north and Multi Family Medium Density to the south. There are three large
parks in the area: Seaview Park, Lynndale Park (City of Lynnwood), and the Southwest
Snohomish County Park to the north. Perrinville Creek daylights north of the intersection of
th
76 Avenue West and Olympic View Drive.
th
The neighborhood west of 76 Avenue West was annexed into the city in 1967. Later, in
th
1982, the northern most parcels on the east side of 76 Avenue West were annexed into the
city, followed by the area that includes the market in 1997. This Neighborhood Commercial
area is adjacent to the Edmonds city limits; properties across the street to the southeast are in
Page 3 of 7
Perrinville Comprehensive Plan Amendment
AMD-2007-17
Unincorporated Snohomish County and the City of Lynnwood. It appears that the property
under Snohomish County jurisdiction is currently under construction. Further south along
th
76 Avenue West there is a mix of multiple-residential and single-family buildings. The area
surrounding the Neighborhood Commercial designation is dominated by established single-
family neighborhoods and adjacent to multi-family property.
4. Previous Proposals in the Vicinity
Staff is not aware of any previous requests in the vicinity. However, language specific to
other “Neighborhood Commercial” areas (Firdale Village and Five Corners) was added to the
Comprehensive Plan in 2006 (Attachment 10, pages 57-58).
B. STATE ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT (SEPA)
A Determination of Nonsignificance (DNS) was issued for the proposed Comprehensive Plan
amendment on May 9, 2008 (Attachment 8). The appeal period expired on June 6, 2008, and to
no appeals or comments were received. An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was not
required for the proposal, because the impacts likely to occur due to the specific request were not
determined to be so significant and adverse that they could not be adequately mitigated by the
application of existing development regulations. It should also be noted that the DNS issued for
this proposal is a “non-project” determination, meaning that additional SEPA review could be
required if the Comprehensive Plan Amendment were to be approved and a specific project
proposed. Both the applicant and the City have complied with the requirements of ECDC
20.15.A.
C. TECHNICAL COMMITTEE
The application has been reviewed by the Engineering Division as well as the Fire, Public Works,
and Parks and Recreation Departments. The Public Works Department commented that the
“Perrinville Creek Basin is stressed.” This indicates that enforcement of the city’s critical areas
and other development regulations will be important during any future development of the site.
D. PUBLIC COMMENTS
To date, two public comment letters have been received (Attachments 11-12).
1.Scott Hibbert
said that he agreed with the draft language, however he would suggest a
building height of no more than two stories or about 25 feet (Attachment 11).
2.Barbara Hanson
discussed her concerns about this proposal, because she feels it could
significantly change her neighborhood in a very negative manner (Attachment 12).
The applicant voluntarily held a neighborhood meeting on the proposed amendment, and the
meeting invitation is included as Attachment 7. The applicant states that the goal of the meeting
is“…to clarify community related issues and concerns for the neighborhood village type of
development and tailor needed goals into the amendment” (Attachment 6, page 2). The applicant
has not presented additional information related to the outcome of the neighborhood meeting;
they may be submitting a summary of the outcome of the meeting during their presentation to the
Planning Board.
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Perrinville Comprehensive Plan Amendment
AMD-2007-17
E. COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND ZONING CODE COMPLIANCE
The Comprehensive Plan is the City’s long range vision. The following discussion reviews
pertinent Comprehensive Plan goals and policies related to the proposed amendment in the
context of the requirements of the zoning code (ECDC 20.00 – Changes to the
Comprehensive Plan). The full text of the Commercial section of the Plan (which includes
goals specific to the neighborhood commercial areas) is included in Attachments 10. The
applicant submitted a narrative which discusses the proposed request, and staff generally
agrees with the statements made in this document (Attachment 6). The Edmonds Community
Development Code requires that amendments to the Comprehensive Plan be adopted only if
the following findings area made:
1. Is the proposed amendment consistent with the Comprehensive Plan and in the public
interest?
The proposed amendment is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan. There are several
existing goals/policies that are supportive of the proposed amendment (Attachment 10):
B.3.
“The proliferation of strip commercial areas along Edmonds streets and
highways and the development of commercial uses poorly related to the
surrounding land uses should be strongly discouraged” (page 56).
The current zoning designations (BC and BN) will typically result in commercial strip
development, which is discouraged by the above goal. Policies geared towards a mix of uses
that take advantage of the building footprint (building up to a certain extent, not out), would
be consistent with the Comprehensive Plan.
D.
“Neighborhood commercial areas are intended to provide a mix of
services, shopping, gathering places, office space, and housing for local
neighborhoods” (page 56).
The new language proposed emphasizes the goal of providing housing as well as commercial
uses.
D.2.
“Permit uses in neighborhood commercial areas that are intended to
serve the local neighborhood. Mixed use developments should be
encouraged within neighborhood commercial areas” (page 57).
The proposed new language also encourages mixed use developments, and alludes to the
potential of amending the zoning code in order to best utilize the property to include
residential use.
D.6.
“Encourage neighborhood commercial areas to reflect the identity and
character of individual neighborhoods, thus strengthening their importance
as neighborhood centers. Neighborhood commercial areas may set
additional specific goals for their community in order to further refine the
specific identity they wish to achieve” (page 57).
The applicant has held a voluntary neighborhood meeting (Attachment 9) with the hopes of
obtaining input from the neighborhood on how they would like to see the Perrinville area
developed in the future. Allowing the proposed Comprehensive Plan amendment specific to
the Perrinville area is intended to “reflect the identity and character” of the neighborhood
and to “further refine the specific identity they wish to achieve.”
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Perrinville Comprehensive Plan Amendment
AMD-2007-17
See pages 3-4 of the applicant’s narrative (Attachment 6). There are several multiple-
residential buildings south of the project area, so adding mixed use goals and polices into the
Comprehensive Plan for this neighborhood seems appropriate. The proposal is in the public
interest, because it would potentially allow for an increase in residential housing options,
while limiting the vision of future developments to the goals and policies provided with this
application (for example, the applicant has proposed language that states, “development shall
not be more than three (3) stories”).
2. Is the proposed amendment detrimental to the public interest, health, safety or welfare
of the city?
The proposed new language is not detrimental to the public interest, health, safety, or welfare
of the city. The new language is fairly consistent with the relatively new language provided
for the Five Corners and Firdale Village areas. No significant adverse environmental impacts
were identified through the SEPA process (see item II.B above and Attachment 8). See also
page 4 of the applicant’s narrative (Attachment 6).
3. Does the proposed amendment maintain the appropriate balance of land uses within the
city?
Adding new goals and policies to the neighborhood commercial section of the
Comprehensive Plan will maintain the appropriate balance of land uses within the city. The
existing zoning allows for commercial uses – the proposed amendment, if approved, would
likely spur an applicant to apply for a change to the zoning code implement the Plan’s
direction. See item II.A.2 above for a discussion on the current zoning designations related to
residential development. See also page 4 of the applicant’s narrative (Attachment 6).
There is one wording change staff is recommending, related to the mix of commercial vs.
residential use required. The proposal is that at least one quarter (25%) of a development be
devoted to commercial use. Staff recommends changing this to one third (33%). This would
be equivalent to the policy direction established for other neighborhood commercial areas, in
that the equivalent of at least one floor of the overall development is reserved for commercial
use. Remember that the primary reason for establishing and encouraging neighborhood
commercial areas is to provide commercial uses and services in proximity to larger residential
neighborhoods. Allowing residential uses to dominate neighborhood centers would be
counter productive in meeting this goal.
4. Is the subject parcel physically suitable for the requested land use designation(s) and the
anticipated land use development(s), including, but not limited to, access, provision of
utilities, compatibility with adjoining land uses and absence of physical constraints?
The subject area itself is physically suitable for the requested new language. The site is
relatively flat and located at the base of a fairly steep slope (Attachment 4). The identified
stream, Perrinville Creek, would need to be taken into consideration with any future
development proposal. All future development would have to meet the applicable zoning
criteria for height, setbacks, lot coverage, parking, critical areas, etc. See also page 5 of the
th
applicant’s narrative (Attachment 6). 76 Avenue West is considered a “Minor Arterial”
south of its intersection with Olympic View Drive, and it is considered a “Collector” street
north of Olympic View Drive. Olympic View Drive is considered a “Minor Arterial” east of
thth
its intersection with 76 Avenue West, and it is considered a “Collector” street west of 76
Avenue West. All of the properties front on and have direct access to these streets. Lastly, it
is important to note that there are topographic changes that define and buffer these properties
from the surrounding single-family neighborhood (Attachment 4).
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Perrinville Comprehensive Plan Amendment
AMD-2007-17
III. ATTACHMENTS
1.
Comprehensive Plan Vicinity Map.
2.
Zoning Vicinity Map.
3.
Aerial Photo Vicinity Map.
4.
LiDAR Vicinity Map.
5.
Land Use Application.
6.
Applicant’s Narrative.
7.
Applicant’s Public Meeting Flyer.
8.
SEPA DNS & Environmental Checklist.
9.
Neighborhood Notice.
10.
Edmonds Comprehensive Plan – Commercial Land Use, pages 55-59.
11.
Public Comment Email from Scott Hibbert, dated 05.10.08.
12.
Public Comment Email from Barbara Hanson, dated 05.14.08.
IV. PARTIES OF RECORD
Dana Gillet
Norkote, Inc.
PO Box 3546
Lynnwood WA 98046
Tony Shapiro / Lesley Brown
A.D. Shapiro Architects
624 Edmonds Way
Edmonds WA 98020
Scott Hibbert
18420 Homeview Drive
Edmonds WA 98026
Barbara Hanson
7531 Ridge Way
Edmonds WA 98026
Planning Division
Public Works Department
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OpenSpace
(Park Overlay)
180THSTSW
L
T
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1
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181
1
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Single Family
PROJECT AREA:
Resource
ALLPROPERTIES DESIGNATED
N
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182NDST
"NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL"
1
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P
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Neighborhood
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18
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PL
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OpenSpace
City of
(Park Overlay)
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185TH
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LY
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18
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PL
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Snohomish
18
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County
City of
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Multi Family
Lynnwood
Medium Density
18
7TH
PL
SW
18
8
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S
T
S
W
18
8TH
ST
SW
Single Family
Urban 3Single Family
Urban 1
18
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PL
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\]
Attachment 1
Dana Gillet / A.D. Shapiro Architects
Comprehensive Plan Amendment
Comprehensive Plan Vicinity Map
File Number AMD-2007-17
0500250Feet
Perrinville Area (Neighborhood Commercial)
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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
180THSTSW
!!!!!
L
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1
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81ST
PL
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RS-12
PROJECT AREA:
ALLPROPERTIES DESIGNATED
N
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SW
182NDST
"NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL"
1
8
2N
D
P
L
!!!!!
!!!!!AY
!!!!!
BN
!!!!!!!!
RS-8
!!!!!!!!
Neighborhood
SW
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Commercial
!!!
18
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PL
SW
!!!!!!!!
!!!
BC
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Edmonds
185TH
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Snohomish
!!!
18
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City of
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RM-3
Lynnwood
18
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PL
SW
18
8
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S
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W
18
8TH
ST
SW
RS-10
18
9TH
PL
SW
\]
Attachment 2
Dana Gillet / A.D. Shapiro Architects
Comprehensive Plan Amendment
ZoningVicinity Map
File Number AMD-2007-17
0500250Feet
Perrinville Area (Neighborhood Commercial)
PROJECTAREA:
ALLPROPERTIESDESIGNATED
"NEIGHBORHOODCOMMERCIAL"
Cityof
Neighborhood
Commercial
Edmonds
Snohomish
County
Cityof
Lynnwood
\]
Attachment3
DanaGillet/A.D.ShapiroArchitects
ComprehensivePlanAmendment
AerialPhotoVicinityMap
FileNumberAMD-2007-17
0200100Feet
PerrinvilleArea(NeighborhoodCommercial)
PROJECTAREA:
ALLPROPERTIESDESIGNATED
"NEIGHBORHOODCOMMERCIAL"
Neighborhood
Commercial
Cityof
Edmonds
Snohomish
County
Cityof
Lynnwood
\]
Attachment3
DanaGillet/A.D.ShapiroArchitects
ComprehensivePlanAmendment
AerialPhotoVicinityMap
FileNumberAMD-2007-17
0500250Feet
PerrinvilleArea(NeighborhoodCommercial)
PROJECTAREA:
ALLPROPERTIESDESIGNATED
"NEIGHBORHOODCOMMERCIAL"
Neighborhood
Commercial
Cityof
Edmonds
Snohomish
County
Cityof
Lynnwood
\]
Attachment4
DanaGillet/A.D.ShapiroArchitects
ComprehensivePlanAmendment
LiDAR(10'Contours)VicinityMap
FileNumberAMD-2007-17
0210105Feet
PerrinvilleArea(NeighborhoodCommercial)