2021-11-10 Planning Board MinutesCITY OF EDMONDS PLANNING BOARD
Minutes of Webinar Meeting
November 10, 2021
Chair Rosen called the virtual meeting of the Edmonds Planning Board to order at 7:00 p.m.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
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 Staff Present
Mike Rosen, Chair Rob Chave, Planning Division Manager
Alicia Crank, Vice Chair Angie Feser, Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services Director
Richard Kuehn Shannon Burley, Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services Asst. Director
Judi Gladstone
Matt Cheung
Todd Cloutier Other:
Roger Pence Steve Duh, Parks Consultant, Conservation Technix
Lily Distelhorst (Student Rep.)
Board Members Absent
None
READING/APPROVAL OF MINUTES
MOTION MADE BY BOARD MEMBER CLOUTIER, SECONDED BY BOARD MEMBER PENCE,
TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF OCTOBER 13 AS PRESENTED. MOTION PASSED
UNANIMOUSLY.
MOTION MADE BY BOARD MEMBER GLADSTONE, SECONDED BY BOARD MEMBER
CLOUTIER, TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF OCTOBER 27 AS PRESENTED. MOTION
PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
ANNOUNCEMENT OF AGENDA
THERE WAS UNANIMOUS CONSENT TO APPROVE THE AGENDA AS PRESENTED.
AUDIENCE COMMENTS
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Natalie Seitz commented that she was just present to listen.
NEW BUSINESS
A. 2022 Parks, Recreation & Open Space (PROS) Plan Update and Goals Review
Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services Director Angie Feser introduced Steve Duh, a consultant with
Conservation Technix who made a PowerPoint presentation regarding the PROS Plan as contained in the
agenda packet. He gave an overview of the PROS Plan, summarized feedback they have heard from the
community, reviewed the gap analysis, and discussed goals and objectives.
Mr. Duh explained the PROS Plan is a 6-year guide for managing and enhancing parks, open space, trails, and
recreation opportunities for the Edmonds community. The Plan will include a vision for the parks & recreation
system to include goals and actions; programs and capital investments; and implementation strategies. Steps to
build the Plan include inventory site assessments, community engagement, goals and policies review, system-
wide needs assessment, capital project planning, implementation and funding strategies, and plan review and
approval. Mr. Duh reviewed the project timeline noting they are about two-thirds into the project.
Community engagement included community surveys, pop-up events, online open houses, stakeholder
discussions, newsletters, online and social media, Planning Board and City Council. 99% of almost 2000
respondents feel that parks and recreation is essential or important. 81 % visit parks at least a couple times per
month. Top reasons for visiting Edmonds' parks include the beach/waterfront (83%), walking or running (77%),
relaxation (61 %), playgrounds, fitness, community events, wildlife viewing, dog walking, family
gatherings/picnicking, and recreation programs. Other key takeaways from the community are the following
priorities for the park system:
• Connect gaps in the trail system & expand trail connections
• Improve or upgrade existing parklands
• Buy more conservation and open space lands
• Build an aquatic center
• Improve restroom facilities
There is a strong interest in recreation activities and program options like community events such as outdoor
movies and summer concerts; outdoor programs such as Beach Rangers and environmental education; youth
programs such as arts and gymnastics; and youth sports programs and camps.
The gap analysis highlights gaps in the existing parks and open spaces system. Regarding parkland access and
distribution, they heard community interest in additional park investments in south/southeast Edmonds and
along Highway 99. The 10-minute walk analysis illustrates current park access, and the distribution reveals gaps
in south/southeast and north Edmonds.
The PROS Plan includes the following sections: Introduction & Community Profile; Community Engagement;
Goals & Policies; Inventory & Classifications; Parks & Open Space; Recreation Programs & Facilities; Trails
& Connections; Capital Projects & Implementation; and Appendices.
Mr. Duh reviewed Goals & Objectives:
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• Engagement and Leadership — Goal 1: Lead collaborative efforts to fulfill the community's needs for
parks, recreation, and cultural services.
• Parks, Trails and Open Space — Goal 2: Provide an interconnected park system that offers a wide variety
of year-round recreation opportunities and experiences which support and enhance Edmonds' cultural
identity and the natural environment.
• Waterfront Use and Access — Goal 3 Preserve and pursue opportunities to expand public access and
enjoyment of Edmonds' waterfront.
• Natural Resource and Habitat Conservation — Goal 4: Conserve and provide access to natural resource
lands for habitat conservation, recreation, and environmental education.
• Recreation Programs and Facilities — Goal 5: Provide a varied and inclusive suite of recreation
opportunities and experiences to promote health and wellness, year-round activity, and social
engagement.
• Cultural Services — Goal 6: Provide arts and cultural opportunities and experiences to promote an
engaged and vibrant community.
• Parks Operations and Maintenance — Goal 7: Maintain and operate a modern, efficient park system that
provides a high level of user comfort, safety and aesthetic quality, and protects capital investments.
Discussion:
Board Member Crank asked when the last community survey was done. Ms. Feser thought it was probably in
2008. Board Member Crank was interested in comparing the amount of participation with the last survey since
this one had quite a significant response. Ms. Feser concurred. She noted that compared to other outreach they
have seen in the last year -and -a -half, it is significantly higher. Mr. Duh added that 2000 participants for a
community the size of Edmonds is great. Part of the draw is likely the subject matter.
Board Member Pence asked if there was any public outreach activity within the parks themselves. Ms. Feser
replied that there was not because they didn't have the resources to do that.
Board Member Gladstone asked where the acquisition of new parks fits into the survey results. Mr. Duh
reviewed questions on the survey which addressed this. Board Member Gladstone asked if they did cross tabs
with the demographics in terms of age or other demographics. Mr. Duh replied that they did. One of the
appendices in the final Plan will be the survey summary which looks at variations and subgroup responses.
Board Member Gladstone asked what the Plan might be able to do to address the parks "desert" in
south/southeast Edmonds given the existence of Esperance. Mr. Duh suggested that one way they could
approach it is to put a barrier around the county park and focus more on city property. Ultimately it will be more
important to look at ways to acquire additional park lands or expanding the capacity at Mathay-Ballinger Park
to serve that area well. He also suggested looking at long-term plans to explore how to get additional waterfront
property at Mathay-Ballinger. Director Fesar added that even when Esperance is factored in, south Edmonds is
still lacking in parks. Asst. Director Burley commented on previous conversations and issues about acquiring
some property within Esperance. Board Member Gladstone commented that there is a church in that area with
a very large lot that could be considered. Also, since Mathay-Ballinger is on the other side of Highway 99 she
does not think is an acceptable park for that part of the city.
Board Member Cheung asked if the City keeps data on park usage. Ms. Feser replied they do not currently track
that, but Ms. Burley is exploring opportunities to track visitors.
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Board Member Kuehn asked about pursuing community engagement with signage throughout the update
process. Ms. Feser discussed how engagement would be used in the upcoming playground replacement process
to get the residents involved in the design and to promote equity. Board Member Kuehn suggested putting a
land use action sign up with a QR code link to a survey. He asked if conversation with other cities will be part
of the PROS Plan. Mr. Duh affirmed that the notion of coordinating with neighbors is a point that will be in the
Plan.
Student Representative Lily Distelhorst asked how they would achieve park equity outside of the bowl area.
Mr. Duh referred to mapping efforts to discover where the parks are today and who lives within a reasonable
walk to those parks. They can overlay those maps with socioeconomic data to help focus the energy on future
improvements. Ms. Burley explained that this plan would have more of a focus on access and equity than any
plan Parks has done.
Chair Rosen had several questions and comments:
• He asked if there is any intention to make the objectives more in the form of SMART goals. Mr. Duh
explained that is one of the reasons they are bringing this to the Parks Board. Ms. Feser commented on
the balance between having goals and objectives that are too narrow and being flexible enough to take
advantage of opportunities that come up. She also noted that recreation trends change over time. Chair
Rosen agreed but encouraged them to tighten up the language while still allowing flexibility.
• He noted that it was not clear to him how objectives 1.6, 1.8 and 1.9 under Collaboration were related
to advancing collaboration.
• He referred to 2.11 and asked what was meant by the "Recreational Trends". Mr. Duh explained that
Recreational Trends will be a lead in into each of the three main needs assessment chapters focusing
on parks, recreational programs, and trails. There will also be an appendix that highlights a collection
of recreational trend data that's been gathered over the last couple of years from different sources.
• 3.2 mentions including visual access. Chair Rosen asked if Parks is going to have a formal position on
view corridors and trees. Mr. Duh thought that referred to visual access to water. Ms. Feser explained
this had to do with street ends that had a view of Puget Sound or slivers of property that have views of
Lake Ballinger or Olympic Mountains. She acknowledged that the topic of view corridors is one that
might need to be explored more.
• 5.1 and 5.2 might fit better under Collaboration.
• He commented that the numbers for Public Engagement were very impressive. He asked what kind of
response rate they got with the foreign languages. Mr. Duh reported that the total response for three
non-English languages was very low. Ms. Feser added, however, that they did build some good
relationships in the process. Chair Rosen asked if weighting was done on the survey responses. Mr.
Duh replied that weighting was not used because the survey responses well reflected the demographic
profile for Edmonds. Chair Rosen asked if the slides about what they heard were in priority order. Mr.
Duh affirmed that they were. Chair Rosen noted it would be interesting to understand the distance
between the slides. He is also eager to see the cross tabs.
Board Member Pence agreed with Ms. Feser that people don't consider city boundaries and county boundaries
when they decide which park to go visit. He thinks this needs to be acknowledged more. For example, Lynndale
Park is in Lynnwood, but borders Edmonds and is likely used heavily by Edmonds' residents. He asserted that
it is important to recognize that parks in other jurisdictions also provide park services to Edmonds' residents.
He noted that the State has changed the annexation laws and provisions and now allows cities like Edmonds to
annex pockets like Esperance without a vote of the people of that pocket. Regarding residents walking to parks,
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he asked what percentage of residents actually walk to parks; he wondered if most people drive. Mr. Duh replied
they did not have that information from the survey; the walk shed data is generally just a tool to frame the
conversation about geographic distribution. Ms. Feser added that they are also looking at what type of access is
available to the parks. Ms. Burley pointed out that some of the parks are considered regional parks and others
are more neighborhood parks. Different types of parks draw from different radius. Board Member Pence
suggested a minimal facilities standard for parks such as port-o-potties or benches.
Planning Manager Chave referred to the annexation issue and noted that there is a provision that allows a petition
to require a vote. The threshold for obtaining the petition is extremely low. He commented on the challenges
the City has had regarding annexation in this area. Board Member Pence thought that the legislature deleted that
provision allowing petitions.
Board Member Cloutier noted that it could be helpful to have a sort of "Level of Service" language as exists
with traffic to compare the services at various parks. Also, regarding density and walking distance to parks, he
suggested looking at GIS data to cross multiply the population and distance to get a heat map. This could help
to determine where would be the best place to put a park to get the biggest impact. He suggested that a park in
south Edmonds near Lake Ballinger and Highway 99 where there is huge density would make a much bigger
impact than in a single-family neighborhood elsewhere.
Mr. Duh responded to a question in the chat from Natalie Seitz asking why the defined park service areas used
for resource mapping. He explained how they determined which areas were used.
B. Parks, Recreation, Cultural Arts & Human Services Department Update
Ms. Feser made the PowerPoint presentation regarding the department update. She gave an overview of
administration/park planning including:
• The 2022 PROS Plan
• Francis Anderson Center programs/rentals
• Civic Park project
• Land acquisition — Johnson property donation, due diligence on other properties
• Selection of contracted Parks Planner
• Transfer of Department of Commerce grant to City management
• Brackett's Landing North — restroom drainage failure August 26
• Yost Pool contract with Cascade Swim Club for winter operations
• Greenhouse design, variance application
• Bill Anderson Memorial Viewer at Marsh
• State of Washington RCO (Recreation Conservation Office) previous grant site audit
• Highway 99 Improvement project — planting and irrigation review
• Supported the cemetery's drive -through Memorial Day event
• Launched Salmon Safe Certification project
Parks Maintenance:
• Community event support — Walkable Main Street (I I weekends), Uptown Market (3 evenings), 4t' of
July parade, 5K, fireworks, Healing Waters Canoe Landing/overnight, Taste of Edmonds, Edmonds
Arts Festival, Car Show
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• Re -opened Yost Pool and Spray Pad
• Hired 1 FTE/6 seasonal staff
• Volunteer work coordination
• Holiday lighting
• Gateway Project— design, permits, contracted services, in-house work
• Installations — Salish Crossing High School Portico sign, Native American carving at museum,
Chamber welcome sign at Log Cabin
Recreation Programming:
• Concluded LEAP Program (June)
• Developed online shelter reservation system — 74% rental increase
• Online CRAZE publications
• Waterfront Center programming
• Recreation Programs
o Youth and adult athletics (softball, volleyball)
o Recreation camps and classes for youth
o Adult fitness and recreation classes
o Meadowdale Preschool — full this year
• Environmental Education
0 3 Ranger Naturalists were hired and trained
0 12 summer camps
o Special events — Birdfest, Marsh Restoration, beach clean-ups
Cultural Arts Division:
• 36t' Write on the Sound
• Live music/performances at Hazel Miller Plaza (12), Walkable Main Street (22), and Uptown Market
(6)
• 2nd round of one-time community art grants
• Highway 99 Gateway project design
• Proposed Public Art projects — Veteran's Memorial, Floretum Club 100t' Anniversary, Indigenous
People Land Acknowledgement
• Civic Park Artist selection/design support
Human Services:
• Program development — inventory of existing services/providers; established Council priorities; Council
updates
• Evaluated four potential contracted Social Worker providers — Compass Health selected
• Changed city policy to accept vouchers for utility payments
• Connected 65 individuals with needed services including finding housing and services for two
chronically unhoused individuals
• Remodeled Room 112 in FAC for program
• Homelessness Assessment Update — Kone Consulting
• Working with Snohomish County for improved provision of services in South County
• Recruited, established, and currently managing the Mayor's Homelessness Task Force with bi-weekly
meetings
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2021 Upcoming:
• Civic Park Construction continuing
• Brackett's Landing Restroom repair — October 17 start
• City Building reopening/in-person programming — January??
• Holiday events/lighting support
• Gateway sign unveiling — mid -December
• 2022 PROS Plan adoption
• Parks small capital projects
• Celebration of Rich Lindsay's 50th work anniversary with the City
Board Member Gladstone commended the work staff has been doing. Board Member Pence also acknowledged
the tremendous amount of work that Ms. Feser and Ms. Burley are managing. Chair Rosen thanked staff for the
presentation and the great information provided in the packet.
PLANNING BOARD EXTENDED AGENDA
Chair Rosen reminded the Board that there would be no meeting on November 24, the day before Thanksgiving.
On December 8 they will be looking at code amendments addressing residential occupancy standards and code
amendments addressing multifamily design standards, discussing public outreach, and electing officers for the
new year. The December 22 meeting will be cancelled.
Vice Chair Crank asked about filling upcoming Planning Board vacancies. Mr. Chave commented that Todd
Cloutier and Richard Kuehn's terms are up, but they may be reappointed if they are interested. Both indicated
they would like to continue.
Ms. Distelhorst asked how long she would be able serve as a student representative. Mr. Chave replied that
historically it has been one calendar year, but it is up to the Planning Board.
PLANNING BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS
Vice Chair Crank referred to Paine Field's Master Plan. There is an open house available online right now. She
was pleased to report that Paine Field got Salmon Safe Certification. Additionally, she hopes that Ms. Seitz ends
up applying for any Planning Board vacancies that may be coming up.
Board Member Pence noted that the Mayor is not going to recommend continuation of the emergency ordinance
authorizing the `streeteries' to continue. Assuming the Council does not take action, they will begin going away
in January. Mr. Chave commented that the City received a letter from the Hospitality Association requesting
that streeteries be continued. This will be on the Council's November 23 agenda for discussion with potentially
having a public hearing on December 7. This will not come through the Planning Board because it is an
amendment to the Engineering/Public Works section of the code.
Board Member Kuehn concurred with the suggestion that Ms. Seitze should consider applying to the Planning
Board.
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Vice Chair Crank spoke in support of locating a secondary city office along Highway 99 as has been discussed.
This would be a good start to having better representation in the area. She encouraged board members to speak
up at Council when it is being discussed. Mr. Chave added that this was tentatively approved by Council pending
budget approval.
ADJOURNMENT:
The meeting was adjourned at 9:00 p.m.
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