PPP031318PARKS, PLANNING AND PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE MEETING
March 13, 2018
Elected Officials Present
Councilmember Neil Tibbott (Chair)
Councilmember Kristiana Johnson
Councilmember Fraley-Monillas (intermittently)
Staff Present
Phil Williams, Public Works Director
Rob English, City Engineer
Carrie Hite, Parks & Recreation Director
Patrick Doherty, Econ. Dev./Comm. Serv. Dir.
Jeannie Dines, Recorder
The meeting was called to order at 7:14 p.m. in Council Chambers. The following items were added to
the agenda:
Item 2: Review of EDC Recommendation to Consider Changes to Required 15 -foot Ground Floor
Height in BD1 Zone
Item 5: Discussion regarding Idling Vehicles
FAC Playground Bids
Ms. Hite explained funds for the replacement of the FAC playground were included in the budget. The
project was put out to bid mid-January; 13 bids were received which staff narrowed to 5 and a public
voting process followed online and at the FAC. A total of 1200 votes were received, with 2 schematics
nearly tied at the top. Public feedback indicated a desire for 1-2 inclusive elements for disabled children.
The playground is also frequently used by daycare and Montessori students ages 2-5 years old; both
schematics had a smaller footprint for ages 2-5 and a larger footprint for ages 5-12. The two vendors
were asked to remove 1-2 smaller components and add a sit spinner to the schematic as well as add
capacity to the 2 -5 -year-old play equipment. The two top vendors revised their schematics, but one rose
to the top. She recommended awarding the bid to Allplay Systems on the Consent Agenda. The packet
contains pictures of the playground equipment.
Discussion followed regarding the layout of the playground within the footprint at FAC, elements of the
playground, playground materials, the sit spinner, maintenance, padding material, lifespan, and criteria
used to evaluate proposals.
Councilmember Tibbott recommended scheduling on the Consent Agenda; Councilmember Johnson
preferred it go to full Council due to interest in the project and to draw attention to it.
Action: Council President Nelson to decide whether to schedule on the Consent Agenda or full Council
2. Review of EDC Recommendation to Consider Changes to Required 15 -foot Ground
Floor Height in BD1 Zone
Mr. Doherty explained last year the EDC analyzed potential barriers to development including the
required 15 -foot ground -floor height in the BD1 zone which limits building to two stories within the 30 -
foot height limit. The 30 -foot height limit in other BD zones allows three stories. The EDC concluded the
15 -foot ground floor height in BD1 zone was limiting/restricting development given the presence of
vacant lots and very under -developed properties. It appears after 10 years this requirement makes it
infeasible for most developers to undertake a project with only 2 stories. The EDC submitted a memo
03/13/18 PPP Committee Minutes, Page 2
to Council in February 2018 recommending the minimum ground floor height in BD1 be reduced to 12
feet. The positive outcomes of this proposal include:
• Infill development on vacant/underdeveloped lots would provide new cultural, shopping and
recreational opportunity
• New businesses can locate downtown
• There would be an infusion of new revenue to the City budget as a result
• More housing opportunities in walkable downtown environment as upper floors are likely to be
residential
• Additions of 1-2 additional stories atop existing buildings could leverage needed restoration of
existing buildings
Tonight's discussion is not regarding the substantive issue, only whether to take up the issue. If the
Council ultimately decides it wants to consider this proposal, the Planning Division would do the
appropriate background work and study including presentation to and review by the Planning Board
with public comment and a Planning Board recommendation to the City Council. The Council packet for
this item includes the history of ordinances that enacted the BD zones in 2007, subsequent changes
and Council and Planning Board meeting where the BD zones were discussed. Although there was
discussion at the February 6, 2018 Council meeting that the required 15 -foot ground floor in the BD1
zone had been discussed as recently as 2013/2014, the last substantive discussion was actually in
2007.
Mr. Doherty anticipated the Planning Division's background work would include analyzing what other
cities do in their commercial districts; his research found most have a 12-13 foot ground floor
requirement, only downtown Seattle required 15 -feet. The recommendation is for the PPP Committee
to forward this to the full Council on March 20 for a decision whether or not to take up this issue.
Councilmember Johnson recalled the issues related to BD1 in 2007 were step -back and depth and
height of the ground floor. She recalled the legislative intent at that time was for BD1 to be two stories.
To the question of whether to take the issue up or not, she was interested in having a more
comprehensive discussion at the City Council level.
Councilmember Tibbott supported have staff do discovery work followed by review by the Planning
Board and opportunity for public input and public hearing as a basis for discussion at the Council level.
He was concerned prime vacant properties in BD1 had not been developed.
Councilmember Fraley-Monillas suggested involving the Architectural Design Board, pointing out the
BD1 zone is a historic area of downtown and she did not want to see 3 -story buildings with flat roofs
like were constructed on Edmonds Way. Mr. Doherty pointed out when the step -back was eliminated in
2013, design guidelines were developed for BD zones; those are not applicable to development on
Edmonds Way. For example, the new post office building in BD2 utilized the design guidelines.
Discussion followed regarding whether guidelines were enough, reasons for the first -floor height,
Historic Preservation Commission's (HPC) plans to discuss this issue at their April meeting, the City
Council providing guidance to the Planning Board, concern with involving other boards before deciding
whether to this take up as the information staff will develop will not be available to them, and what
involving the ADB and/or HPC would accomplish.
Committee members requested staff provide the information in the packet, a map of the BD1 zone,
schematics and the location of vacant lots in BD1 to the HPC for a conceptual discussion at their April
12 meeting.
Action: Schedule on the HPC's April 12 agenda and then schedule for full Council to make decision
whether to study this issue.
03/13/18 PPP Committee Minutes, Page 3
3. Presentation of a Street Dedication for Keller
Mr. English reported this is a 2 -lot short plat at 1925 80th Ave W. The City's adopted Official Street Map
indicates that a 10 -foot street dedication along the property frontage shall be provided to the City.
Discussion followed regarding the private driveway and the 10 -foot street dedication that provides City
right-of-way.
Action: Schedule on the Consent Agenda
4. Report on Public Works Committee Agenda Items
Mr. Williams explained the intent is to suggest ways to reduce the PPP Committee and the Council's
workload and accommodate one committee meeting/month. Mr. English reviewed a summary of 2017
Public Works Items presented to the PPP Committee:
Item
Qty
Percentage of
PPP/Study
Agreement
8
11.6
Annual Report
2
2.9
Construction Contract
4
5.8
Discussion
4
5.8
Equipment Surplus
3
4.3
Final Acceptance
13
18.8
Requests
4
5.8
-Funding
Ordinance
4
5.8
Planning Document
5
7.2
Prof Sery Agreement
7
10.1
Right-of-way Easement
6
8.7
Street Vacation
1
1.4
Supplemental Agreement
8
11.6
Total
69
100.0
Staff suggests consideration of the following:
A. Grant Mayor Authorization:
1. Accept street dedications
2. Accept acquisition of right-of-way or easements that are less than $100,000 in value
3. Authorize the surplus of equipment
4. Authorize the purchase of vehicles or equipment that are programmed in the current year's
budget
5. Approve supplemental agreements that are anticipated and included in the current year's
budget and do not require a budget amendment. Examples:
a) Multi-year design or construction management services on annual capital
replacement/maintenance programs that are in the current year's budget
b) Construction support services for the designer of record on projects that are in the current
year's budget
c) Final design phase after preliminary design on projects that are in the current year's
budget and less than $400,000
B. Consent Agenda Approval
1. Final Acceptance of projects
Discussion followed regarding guidance provided by the $100,000 limit in the purchasing policy and
decisions required to be made by Council, professional services agreement approval, what could hold
up a project and what makes sense to have administrative approval, having the Finance Committee
03/13/18 PPP Committee Minutes, Page 4
review the purchasing policy, and the ability for the PPP Committee to hold special meetings if
necessary to avoid delays caused by one committee meeting/month.
Action: Finance Committee review purchasing policy related to authorizing the purchase of vehicles or
equipment programmed in the current year's budget.
(Councilmember Johnson left the meeting at 8:37 p.m.)
5. Idling Vehicles
Mr. Williams reported staff plans to install "no idling" signs on the east side of Sunset. Discussion
followed regarding parallel parking increasing exhaust from idling vehicles on the pathway, other
locations for no idling signage such as North Brackett Landing, and idling vehicles in ferry lanes.
Action: Staff installing no idling signs on Sunset
The meeting was adjourned at 8:40 p.m.