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2021-01-27 Planning Board MinutesCITY OF EDMONDS PLANNING BOARD Minutes of Virtual Meeting Via Zoom January 27, 2021 Chair Rosen called the virtual meeting of the Edmonds Planning Board to order at 7:00 p.m. LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLES Board Member Pence read the land acknowledgement. We acknowledge the original inhabitants of this place, the Sdohobsh (Snohomish) people and their successors the Tulalip Tribes, who since time immemorial have hunted, fished, gathered, and taken care of these lands. We respect their sovereignty, their right to self-determination, and we honor their sacred spiritual connection with the land and water. BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT Mike Rosen, Chair Alicia Crank, Vice Chair Matthew Cheung Todd Cloutier Nathan Monroe Roger Pence Daniel Robles Conner Bryan, Student Representative READING/APPROVAL OF MINUTES STAFF PRESENT Rob Chave, Planning Division Manager Angie Feser, Director, Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Shannon Burley, Asst. Director, Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services BOARD MEMBER ROBLES MOVED THAT THE MINUTES OF JANUARY 13, 2021 BE APPROVED AS PRESENTED. BOARD MEMBER MONROE SECONDED THE MOTION, WHICH CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. ANNOUNCEMENT OF AGENDA The agenda was accepted as presented. AUDIENCE COMMENTS Due to technical challenges this agenda was moved to the end of the meeting. DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DIRECTOR REPORT TO PLANNING BOARD No report was provided. PARKS, RECREATION AND CULTURAL SERVICES UPDATE Ms. Feser recalled that the last department update was in July of 2020, but she also provided an overview of the department's activities as part of the presentation she made to the Board in October regarding the Capital Improvement and Capital Facilities Plans. In addition to the items she reported at that time, she highlighted the following Department activities: • As a result of the pandemic, the department's programs were significantly modified, shifting many of them to the virtual realm. They worked hard to build creative programs based on the Governor's orders. • Throughout the fall, they had to address issues with renters of the indoor and outdoor spaces, as well as tenants at the Anderson Center. Although the building is technically closed to the public, a few tenants (Edmonds Montessori, Main Street Kids Daycare, Olympic Ballet and SnoKing) have continued to function or have started to operate again. Programming and custodial staff continue to work on site, as well. • The capital and operating budget processes were challenging, as it was difficult to predict expenditures and revenues a year out when it wasn't even possible to predict a month out. They ended up snapshotting 2021 in a conservative way, doing 50% across the board on a lot of the programs. • The department continued to support five advisory boards (Youth Commission, Mayor's Conservation Advisory Commission, Edmonds Arts Commission, Cemetery Board, and Planning/Park Board). • Two applications were submitted to the Recreation and Conservation (RCO) Office for funding for Marina Beach Park. One was ranked 11t, and the other was ranked 18t' out of 80+ projects. They will learn about the funding for these two grants after this year's legislative session concludes. • The Edmonds Marsh has become a priority for the City's leadership, and a consultant was hired to finish the Critical Area Permit for the entire marsh. Once completed early this year, the City can set up volunteer work parties to do restoration throughout the entire marsh. • The park maintenance staff are resilient and patient and continue to function under the pandemic guidelines that were put in place 8 months ago. They still have two separate crews and eat lunch in their trucks. They haven't been able to hold a maintenance division meeting with all staff due to the pandemic restrictions, either. • They have only been able to offer limited volunteer opportunities, and they are still experiencing an increased demand for park services. Even in the winter, there is an increased demand for litter and restroom service on nice days. Staff is working hard to keep the parks clean and safe. • The City's annual tree lighting event was cancelled. Instead, the parks crew put the lights on a timer so they came on daily at 5 p.m. during the holiday season. Christmas music played at the same time. Part way through, they found that squirrels were damaging the lighting wires, and the solution was to leave the lights on 24/7. • The framework has been built for the Edmonds Museum's art installation, which is a Native American carving, and the art will be installed in the next few weeks. • The parks crew also recently installed the new Chamber sign. • The Park Department's portion of the Waterfront Center project has been finished. The project's five goals were: removing hazardous material, reconfiguring the parking lot to reduce the amount of impervious surface, rehabilitating the beachfront, increasing public access to the waterfront, and improving recreational opportunities. The park and parking lot are open, but the building is not yet open. • The programming staff was incredibly resilient. Some of the bigger programs that went online experienced increased attendance. For example, participation in BirdFest increased by 300%. They had creative solutions for the summer programs and fitness classes. The scavenger hunts in the parks were designed to encourage families to get out, and they received good feedback. • The CRAZE Program List was published to provide information about the programs that are offered online, and it tied right into the registration system. • The City has programming time in the new Waterfront Center, and a recreation coordinator was hired to run the programs in that location. The programs are ready to move forward as soon as the building is open. • All full-time staff have been retained during the pandemic. One of the recreational coordinators was repurposed to support the Cemetery Board and is involved in a capital project there. The other one is helping her with land acquisition. They have both been a tremendous help to get other planning programs moving. • At the direction of the Mayor, the Parks staff made weekly contact with all of the long-term care facilities in Edmonds (65) to see how they were faring and offer support to meet their needs. They are now tracking their Planning Board Minutes January 27, 2021 Page 2 vaccination processes. They also act as a conduit for the centers to provide required information to the Snohomish County Health District. • The Learning Enhancement and Activities Program (LEAP) is a new program that started in October. They found that, with the Edmonds School District doing distant learning, it was almost impossible for some families to support their children in their academic endeavors because they had to work. The LEAP Program serves 2nd to 6`h graders and is tied directly into the school district's distant learning program. The program is bundled with a daycamp approach for the breaks and recesses, etc. They have been very careful to observe pandemic procedures, isolating the students in small pods. To date, there has been no COVID outbreak related to the program. The program was funded via the CARES Act through the end of December, so there were no direct costs to the City, and Verdant Healthcare agreed to pay for half of the program costs in January and February. They had hoped there would be additional CARES Act funding or that school would be back in session by the end of February, and they are now searching for donations and partners. The program currently serves 29 or 30 children, and all but four are on full scholarship. • The Cultural Arts Program continued in 2020. About 180 people participated in the virtual Write on the Sound event, and five concerts were provided through the Hazel Miller Grant Program. The performances were video recorded and played via City television and YouTube. There was a virtual open house for the 4th Avenue Cultural Corridor with more than 240 people responding, and a one-time granting program was created for 2021 offering small and large grants that focus on inclusion and accessibility for everyone in the community. • The Civic Playfield Project will probably go out to bid in March, and drawings are being finalized at this time for the bid process. • A new Salmon Safe Certification Program was created that uses a consultant to snapshot the City's policies and operating procedures to evaluate water quality throughout the City. Salmon is used as an indicator species to gauge that water quality. The program will ramp up at the end of the 1 3t quarter or beginning of the 2nd quarter. • Outside of their routine work, the parks crew accomplished a number of small park capital projects. The schedule includes a number of projects at Yost Pool, installation of a new greenhouse, spray park upgrades to incorporate a UV system, City Park pathway, SR-104 sign installation, and the Brackett's North restroom refurbishment. • They are exploring the expansion of the columbarium at the cemetery. Phase 2 calls for bringing in three components of niches to be dropped in an existing build structure. • The recreation programming and facility rentals in 2021 will be based on when the pandemic restrictions are changed and/or lifted. The goal is to remain as flexible as possible. Board Member Cloutier said he heard from friends who were working with EarthCorp that they were unable to continue their work with park cleanup, removing invasive species, etc. He asked why the program was discontinued. Ms. Feser answered that EarthCorp had a contract with Safe Salmon Solutions to perform this work, and Safe Salmon Solutions recently shifted to a different group. The work is still getting done, but by a different group. Board Member Pence asked what is on the horizon in 2021 for the 41h Avenue Cultural Corridor Project. Ms. Feser responded that the City did not receive funding to continue the work in 2021. Staff will provide an update to the City Council in February, reviewing the information received at the open house and identifying the next steps in the process. Board Member Pence pointed out that 29 to 30 students being served by the LEAP Program is such a tiny fraction of the student population in the City. He asked if the program had a limited capacity, and Ms. Feser answered that the program was designed to expand and contract based on enrollment. At one point, they were targeting 100 kids, and they worked hard to get kids enrolled. Students who were on the free or reduced meal program with the school district qualified for free enrollment, and families could also explain hardship situations. There are four or five students who pay $150 per week. They promoted the program through the school district and other avenues. While they had a tremendous response from people who live in Lynnwood, there was much lower interest from Edmonds residents. The program was only offered to Edmonds residents. Ms. Burley added that the Boys and Girls Club and the YMCA offer similar programs. She summarized that many of the children who are enrolled in LEAP have significant needs, including social and emotional challenges, and the services provided by LEAP are enhanced. Each of the programmers know the students' teachers so they can support them on a deeper level. They discovered the need was more qualitative rather than quantitative. Board Member Pence asked for an update on when the welcome sign on SR-104 would be installed. Ms. Feser said it is scheduled for installation in 2021. She said the sign has been fabricated, but the budget has been spent. That means that Planning Board Minutes January 27, 2021 Page 3 installation must be done in house. The existing sign must be torn down, and a crane must be used to set the new post. Because the location will shift, crews must also redo the irrigation and plantings. Up to this point, they haven't had the resources to do the work. Board Member Pence pointed out that Edmonds City Code (ECC) 10.40.C.3 reads, "The Board shall serve as an ongoing Park Board and advise the Mayor and City Council on all matters relating to the acquisition and development of all City parks and recreation facilities. " He summarized that, based on this code, the Planning Board has a legally -defined role in the City's parks and recreation program. Chair Rosen offered that parks are critical and vital to air quality, water quality and providing critical habitat, and they absolutely improve the quality of life. He believes that, for a lot of people, it was a city park that gave them their first exposure to nature and biodiversity and inspired an ethic to start liking nature and living things. He also believes that the earth's inhabitants are borrowing the land, and the City's parks team is a very inspiring group of stewards. They are lucky to have them, and it is obvious their work goes beyond just being a job. He thanked them for their work and passion. Ms. Feser agreed to share this complement with the entire staff. PARKS, RECREATION AND OPEN SPACE (PROS) PLAN PRESENTATION Ms. Feser advised that the PROS Plan must be updated by 2022. The purpose of the presentation is to request recommendations from the Planning Board in regard to the focus and contact of the future PROS Plan work and to request that the Board designate a representative to serve on the PROS Plan Advisory Group. Staff would like to hear from the Planning Board their preferences for focus areas and content. Although there are some basic components of most PROS plans, each community has the opportunity to tailor focus areas based on current priorities as they relate to parks, trails, open spaces, recreation facilities and amenities and recreation and cultural arts programming. Ms. Feser reviewed that the PROS Plan is intended to be a 6-year guide and strategic plan for managing and improving the existing parks, open spaces and recreational opportunities. It provides guidance when developing strategies for new or revised policies and is built on a thorough public process. It is a tool for communication and conveying the department's work, decisions and efforts, and it is also required for grant application eligibility. The vast majority of significant grants are managed through the State of Washington's Recreation Conservation Office (RCO), and it requires that PROS plans are no older than six years. Ms. Feser said typical components of a PROS Plan include goals and objectives that identify, recognize and quantify community priorities and create the ability to measure progress. Plans also develop project lists based on priorities, as well as funding sources and strategies that feed into the 6-year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). The information in the plan also supports the 20-year Capital Facilities Plan (CFP). The implementation strategies in the plan outline how the goals and objectives can be made actionable. As part of the update process, they will need to identify the community's strengths, how the parks can best serve the community, and how to prioritize and focus the City's resources over the next 10 years. Ms. Feser advised that the PROS Plan Update must be adopted by the City Council by the end of February 2022. If the City misses this deadline, it wouldn't be eligible for grant applications until 2024 because the RCO process is biannual. She summarized that it is important that the deadline is met. She briefly reviewed the steps involved in the planning process, including hiring a consultant, inventorying the existing facilities and their conditions, completing a gap analysis for the needs assessment, creating goals and strategies, collecting information and preparing a draft plan, and adopting the final plan. She emphasized that community engagement and involvement will be a huge part of the process to ensure that the final update reflects what the community wants. Ms. Feser said that, at this time, staff is seeking feedback from council advisory groups to help shape the content and focus of the update. There will be heavy community involvement during the needs assessment phase, and during the remaining phases the draft documents will be reviewed by the public and feedback will be solicited. She emphasized that community listening is essential to informing and building the PROS Plan goals and strategies in conjunction with the asset inventory. They will use various forms to engage the public in meaningful ways, working around the pandemic guidelines. Over the past year, they have learned that online open houses tend to have more public involvement than in -person events. Methods for community engagement will be one of the key questions when interviewing potential consultants. Planning Board Minutes January 27, 2021 Page 4 Ms. Feser said that earlier PROS Plans, going back to 1986, will be used for reference, as will other related plans, including the 2009 Aquatic Facility Study, 2014 Community Cultural Plan, 2019 Urban Forestry Management Plan, and the City's 2017 Comprehensive Plan. Ms. Feser provided an overview of the four main sections of the current PROS Plan: System Needs. This involves an inventory of the existing system, identifying the sizes and existing conditions, the amenities inside of them, etc. It includes capturing other publicly -accessible facilities such as the county and school district facilities within the City's boundaries. A habitat inventory is also part of the City's PROS Plan and includes ecological diversity, marine environment, estuaries, fresh -water lands, upland native vegetation and forest, and wildlife inventory. The community needs are also quantified in the plan. However, the traditional way to measure based on quantity per 1,000 population can be too limiting. A more recent qualitative approach is based on true accessibility to facilities. • System Concepts, Goals and Objectives. The system concept in the PROS Plan is defined by four key concepts: expand and connect recreation opportunities, capitalize on the unique identity of Edmonds, look forward to the big ideas that represent the future of Edmonds, and steward and activate key community assets. This concept is supported by seven primary goals, each with objectives and related projects and initiatives. The goals are as follows: 1. Lead collaborative efforts to fulfill the community's needs for parks. This involves working with community partners and resources (county, school district, non -profits, etc.) 2. Provide an interconnected park system that offers a wide variety of year-round recreation opportunities and experiences in harmony with Edmonds' cultural identity and the natural environment. This involves looking at how the various elements of the overall park system connect and work together. 3. Preserve and expand opportunities for pubic access and enjoyment of the shoreline in Edmonds. The City has more than 1 mile of access to Puget Sound, as well as some fresh -water access. 4. Preserve and provide access to natural resource lands for habitat conservation, recreation, and environmental education. 5. Provide recreation opportunities and experiences to promote a healthy, active and engaged community year- round. 6. Provide arts and culture opportunities and experiences to promote an engaged and vibrant community. 7. Provide a high quality and efficient level of maintenance for all parks and related public assets in Edmonds. As the system continues to expand, they will need to provide adequate maintenance for the new facilities. Ms. Feser pointed out that the pandemic has demonstrated the value of parks for the community and across the nation. Action Plan. The current plan list 86 action items, and many of them are sizeable projects and initiatives to implement the goals of the PROS Plan. While they are all viable and worthy, they are possibly a little overwhelming. The prioritization framework identifies operational considerations and resource availability to help identify what should be done first. Funding Plan. This section includes a funding plan and a list of identified capital projects and estimated costs, which assists in the development of the Park CIP. It also identifies ongoing operational impacts to those ideas. There is a good implementation timeline that recommends short and long-term projects to consider. The last part of the chapter is a comprehensive collection of the funding sources, including City funding (general fund, real estate excise tax, park impact fees and bonds). It also lists all of the various grant opportunities that are available at the local, state and federal levels. In addition, it outlines some more complex approaches such as a parks foundation or a metropolitan park district Planning Board Minutes January 27, 2021 Page 5 Ms. Feser said the update is currently in the scoping and development phase, and staff is working with five advisory groups: Planning/Park Board, Mayors Advisory Committee, Youth Board, Diversity Commission and Arts Commission. The next phase will be the consultant selection process. To get the discussion started, Ms. Feser shared examples of potential areas of focus: • Parks Systems and Facilities. When it comes to the systemwide approach to existing and needed parks, trails, open spaces, and recreation facilities, do we have what the community needs and wants? • Recreation Programs. Are the community's recreational needs being met? Examples include youth and adult athletics, special events, before and after school programs, camps, environmental education, and special population programming. There are some really active community partners that help provide these services (Chamber, SnoKing, Boys and Girls Club, Edmonds Center for the Arts, etc.) • Parkland Acquisition. This includes the acquisition of open space, green belt connections, land for active or passive recreation, more and different types of water access, trail corridors, conservation and preservation, etc. There are many forms of acquisition, and the City doesn't have to outright purchase land and facilities. • Maintenance and Operations. Are we adequately maintaining the existing park and recreation assets and can the maintenance be sustained? There is a need for a capital replacement program to appropriately plan for both the short and long-term maintenance needs for the system and amenities. • Equity and Access. This includes equity and access for both programs and facilities. Are the programs and parks truly serving the population that wants and needs them the most? Are they easily and readily available to them? • Other. She is interested in hearing other suggestions and comments from the Board, as well. Ms. Feser said that, in addition to comments pertaining to the PROS Plan update now, Board Members could also submit their comments to her via email. She invited Board Members to convey their interest in participating on the advisory group to the Chair, and she will work with Chair Rosen to identify the Board representative. Chair Rosen asked if there is a place in the update's timeline when the Board will be formally a part of the process. Ms. Feser said the advisory group would be utilized throughout the process, likely meeting on a monthly basis. She also sees opportunity to bring benchmark pieces to the Planning Board to check in. The Board will also be invited to review the draft update. The timeline will be clarified after the consultant has been hired. Chair Rosen stressed that the more robust the public outreach, the better. The City has learned more than once that the community does want to be engaged. The process needs to be accessible and clear. The City has indicated a desire to do that in the past, but has fallen short. You can't do enough to make sure that the public is aware and has the ability to participate in a meaningful way. Board Member Robles said that, as a new dog owner, he has found the public parks to be absolutely amazing. Although the leash laws differ from park to park, no dog is excluded from any park in the City. It has been fantastic for his family to visit the parks with their pet. He encouraged the expansion of trails in existing wilderness areas, particularly in the southern portion of Olympic View Park. There's also an area behind the baseball fields at Meadowdale Park where additional trails could be provided. There could also be trails in the rights -of -way between communities. Walking is one of the only things that people can do during the pandemic, and it has meant a lot to his family over the past several months. Board Member Pence asked if staff has dates in mind for the early stages of the update (consultant selection and project kick- off). He also asked about the budget. Ms. Feser said the budget is $120,000, so the City should get a good response from quality consultants. She said she hasn't settled on timelines at this point. Staff will finish visiting all of the advisory groups next week, and then they will begin drafting a scope of work by the end of February. The goal is to select a consultant by the end of March. Kickoff for the project is anticipated for mid -April, depending on City Council approval. She acknowledged that the timeline is tight and the project will need to stay focused in order to meet the February 2022 deadline. Chair Rosen reminded the Board Members to reach out to staff with any additional comments and questions within the next few weeks. Planning Board Minutes January 27, 2021 Page 6 AUDIENCE COMMENTS There were no general audience comments. REVIEW OF EXTENDED AGENDA Chair Rosen advised that, as per the Board's request at the last meeting, he and Vice Chair Crank met with Ms. Hope and Mr. Chave to talk specifically about the Planning Board Retreat timing. They talked about how the Housing Commission's work might influence the timing and content of the retreat, and the thought was that the Board should move forward with its retreat. In addition, the time pressure to get in front of the City Council was not as great as originally thought since they recently met with the City Council to validate the Board's work plan. They are currently targeting March 10th or 241h for the retreat. The Board could then present their work plan to the City Council for feedback and redirection. At that time, the City Council could convey any directives to the Planning Board related to the Housing Commission's work. If necessary, a second retreat could be held to dive deeper into those subjects. Chair Rosen advised that the agenda for the February loth meeting will include presentations by staff on potential code amendments to allow for subdivisions in the Downtown Business (BD) zones and an interim ordinance related to outdoor dining. Mr. Chave noted that both of these items could end up as public hearings at the first meeting in March. That means the retreat would be postponed until the second meeting in March. Board Member Cheung asked the protocol for seeking applications for a new student representative to the Planning Board. Mr. Chave responded that the City would advertise the position. PLANNING BOARD CHAIR COMMENTS Chair Rosen reiterated the Board's comments from the last meeting that Student Representative, Connor Bryan, set a very high bar. He wished him well in his future. All of the Board Members thanked him and wished him well, too. PLANNING BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS Board Member Pence noted the extensive list of pending agenda items. He said he hopes the Board leadership has a plan for managing the items on the list. Board Member Robles asked Mr. Bryan to provide a list of things the Board could do to improve the experience for future student representatives. He said his comments would be helpful when the Board interviews the next applicants for the position. Mr. Bryan said it was an honor to serve as the student representative on the Planning Board. ADJOURNMENT The Board meeting was adjourned at 8:19 p.m. Planning Board Minutes January 27, 2021 Page 7