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2016-08-10 Planning Board MinutesCITY OF EDMONDS PLANNING BOARD MINUTES August 10, 2016 Chair Lovell called the meeting of the Edmonds Planning Board to order at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers, Public Safety Complex, 250 — 5th Avenue North. BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT Phillip Lovell, Chair Carreen Rubenkonig, Vice Chair Tod Cloutier Alicia Crank Daniel Robles BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT Matthew Cheung (excused) Nathan Monroe (excused) Valerie Stewart (excused) READING/APPROVAL OF MINUTES STAFF PRESENT Rob Chave, Planning Division Manager Jerry Bevington, Video Recorder Karin Noyes, Recorder BOARD MEMBER CLOUTIER MOVED THAT THE MINUTES OF JULY 27, 2016 BE APPROVED AS CORRECTED. BOARD MEMBER ROBLES SECONDED THE MOTION, WHICH CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. ANNOUNCEMENT OF AGENDA The agenda was accepted as presented. AUDIENCE COMMENTS There was no one in the audience DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DIRECTOR REPORT TO PLANNING BOARD Chair Lovell referred the Board to the written report that was provided by the Development Services Director. He asked if any Board Members attended the August 9th City Council. Board Member Crank reported that she watched the meeting on television. PRESENTATION ON SUSTAINABLE CITIES PARTNERSHIP Mr. Chave explained that the Sustainable Cities Partnership (SCP) is a yearlong partnership between Western Washington University's (WWU) Office of Sustainability, the Association of Washington Cities (AWC) and one partner city chosen through a competitive application process. He said this is a new program for the State of Washington, but similar programs have been successfully implemented elsewhere, such as in Oregon. The City Council approved a resolution in May supporting the City's application, and after a competitive selection process, the City was selected for the 2016-2017 program year. He referred to Resolution 1359 (Attachment 2), the letter transmitting the City's application (Attachment 3), and the interlocal agreement and scope of work (Attachment 1). Mr. Chave said staff initially presented about 40 potential projects to the City Council, and the City Council added additional projects to the list. City staff then worked with WWU to narrow the list down to match the capabilities of the students and to focus on those that relate to environmental studies. The 11 projects included on the approved list (Attachment 1) tie into the Strategic Action Plan (SAP) and the Comprehensive Plan in some way. They will be supported by 17 classes of work and represent a range of projects that will provide real value to both WWU and the City. The City will obtain progress on projects that meet a variety of comprehensive and strategic planning goals, all targeting aspects of sustainability within the community, and the students will gain practical, hands-on experience and great learning opportunities in the classroom and field. Mr. Chave explained that the project will run over the course of the next academic year, starting in September and finishing next spring. The City will receive progress reports from the students at the end of each quarter, and it is anticipated there will be an event at the end of the program to celebrate its success. The students will work closely with City staff who have expertise or are leading City resources on the projects. He summarized that the program is a cost-effective way for the City to move sustainability goals forward. As agreed, the City will pay for the program's expenses (travel and a half time employee to coordinate the project). Mr. Chave advised that he has been appointed to serve as the City's liaison with WWU, but each project has a champion or a few champions who will be the key people working with the students. He pointed out that many of the items (i.e. climate change and sea level rise) will be of particular interest to the Planning Board, and progress reports will be forwarded to them, as well. The good information that comes for the projects will help the Board in future planning efforts. Board Member Crank said she is excited about all of the projects on the list, and she is happy the City is working with the students. The nature of her day job allows her to spend the majority of the summer on different college campuses across the state, and she is impressed by the students' energy and desire to do projects of this type. She said she is particularly excited about the Downtown Business/Tourism App. She noted that the Gig Harbor Chamber of Commerce has created a very interactive app, and she likes the idea that Edmonds might have a similar opportunity. The Playful City Recreation Program is also exciting, as is the Walkability Assessment, Sea -Level Rise Mitigation Planning and Green Business Program. All of these projects will play into how the City experiences the growth that is happening now and will continue to happen. She said she hopes the Board has an opportunity to be involved in the projects at some level. Mr. Chave emphasized that the Walkability Assessment will be specifically targeted outside of the downtown, and the information obtained from the assessment should be very useful in future Board discussions. Board Member Crank said she is also excited about the 4th Avenue Promotion Project. She explained that Main Street and 5 b Avenue in the downtown get the most attention, and merchants on the side streets often feel overlooked. This project will show the significance of highlighting the vendors on the side streets, as well. Chair Lovell referred to Item 3 in the Scope of Work and Budget (Exhibit A), which would allow the total budget amount approved by the City Council to be increased to account for excess laboratory analytical costs. He asked if the increase would be limited to a certain dollar amount. Mr. Chave said the additional costs would be at the City's option and mainly related to work on the Stella's Landing Project. This project will require an environmental assessment, and extra costs may be incurred to cover laboratory fees. However, the City has the option to use a local laboratory, which might be more cost- effective than working through the university process. The additional expenses will only be as needed. Chair Lovell asked where Stella's Landing is located, and Mr. Chave said it is east of SR-104 and a few lots south of the Treatment Plant. There is a large multi -family residential development on the eastern end, and the City had previously expressed interest in acquiring the property. While that is no longer the intent, the City is interested in understanding how the residual wetlands on the property interact with adjacent properties. Chair Lovell commented that there is currently engineering work going on in this area to address drainage on SR-104, daylighting Willow Creek, and restoring the marsh. He asked if the Stella's Landing Project could overlap with work that is already in progress. Mr. Chave said there will be some limited overlap, but the Stella's Landing Project will be very project -specific and the marsh project is more extensive to address vegetation, stormwater control, berms, etc. in the disturbed buffer areas. Planning Board Minutes August 10, 2016 Page 2 Chair Lovell asked if the intent of the Zero Waste Program is to develop a program that applies to both private and public properties. Mr. Chave said the extent of the program is still to be determined. The students will work with the City's recycling coordinator to identify the scope of the project. He reminded the Board that the City Council recently adopted a Zero Waste Resolution and is in full support of the project. Chair Lovell commented that the Downtown Business/Tourism Mobile App will be a wonderful benefit to the City. He asked if the project will also identify who will be responsible for maintaining and updating the app. Mr. Chave agreed that will need to be part of the consideration. Chair Lovell asked if the Playful City Recreation Program would primarily focus on the City's recreational programs. Specifically, he asked if there would be cross pollination between this type of program and sports activities. Mr. Chave said it will primarily focus on parks and recreation programs, which can involve a number of partnerships for programs and facilities. Chair Lovell said he supports the WWU program, which will provide outside resources to help the City move projects forward. Mr. Chave said he has seen the positive results of similar programs in Oregon. The results are impressive relative to the range of projects and the outcome of the work. Chair Lovell asked if the work would involve citizen input at various points. Mr. Chave answered that the actual school work would not involve citizen input, but the results of the work will be presented to the public for comment. Even if the end result is not a finished product, it can be used to push the City's initiatives forward. Vice Chair Rubenkonig asked if the Edmonds Memorial Cemetery Project would become a building block for the physical layout of the Edmonds Memorial Cemetery. Mr. Chave said that, currently, there are paper maps of the cemetery layout, as well as geographically located points. The project would locate the points onto the map and create a real live map of the cemetery that will help identify those who are buried on each site and where the vacant sites are located. Vice Chair Rubenkonig said she hopes that this initial work would eventually allow more information to on the cemetery's website concerning individuals who are buried there and their background. Perhaps it will allow these documents to be linked to the information on the map. Mr. Chave agreed that the cemetery mapping project will be valuable. He recalled that the City initially considered hiring a firm to do the work at a cost of about $100,000. To the extent the work can be done in house with assistance from the students, saves the City a great deal of money. As a wish list item, Board Member Crank questioned if it would be possible for the Board Members to engage in conversations with the students when they are visiting the City as part of their work. Mr. Chave said their visits will occur during the daytime hours, and it is not likely there will be opportunities for the Board Members to interact with them. Board Member Crank said it would also be exciting if university students from Edmonds could be part of the program. She asked how many college credits the students would earn by participating in the projects, and Mr. Chave referred to the course descriptions for this information. Chair Lovell said it appears that some City Council Members and citizens are concerned that the work will become just another plan that is placed on the shelf. This concern may have resulted in hesitancy on the part of some City Council Members to support the program. Mr. Chave said there was some concern early on about whether or not the projects would align with the SAP and Comprehensive Plan, but staff provided enough information to clear up the concerns. In the end, the interlocal agreement with WWU and the AWC was unanimously approved by the City Council. Chair Lovell said he believes the program is a terrific opportunity to harness the energy and passion of the students and benefit the City at the same time. He said he imagines the results will be positive. Mr. Chave said one thing that attracted the City to the program is the large variety of projects that would be included and the wide range of student experience. Board Member Cloutier commented that a lot of time and energy will go into producing reports for the City. He asked if there is a plan in place to lay out the resources and a timeline for addressing the things that are identified as part of the project. He agreed that the City has a lot of reports that have been shelved. Mr. Chave said the projects on the list are part of the SAP and are currently underway or will be underway in the near future. Therefore, he would be surprised if the work ends up sitting on a shelf. He summarized that a few of the projects will generate thoughts about next steps. Although some might not be completed at the end of the time period, they will provide information about what the City can explore or do to Planning Board Minutes August 10, 2016 Page 3 move goals and policies forward. For example, the Planning Board will need to do follow-up work relative to the walkability assessment and sea level rise. I I 111 M WI [!' Chair Lovell announced that the Planning Board and City Council would meet in a joint work session on September 6th at 7:00 p.m. to discuss issues relative to growth and housing. He recalled that at their March retreat, they talked about growth in Edmonds and how housing is a significant part of the equation. There are number of components to the issue including buildability, the status of housing in Edmonds, single-family residential versus multi -family residential, different types of housing needs, affordable housing, homelessness, etc. He advised that he and Vice Chair Rubenkonig met with the Shane Hope, Development Services Director, to discuss the large list of subject matter. Ms. Hope agreed to prepare an introductory memorandum for the City Council and Planning Board to use as a catalyst to get the discussion going. The intent is to tie the discussion back to the goals and policies contained in the Comprehensive Plan. He encouraged the Board Members to review the Housing Element contained in the Comprehensive Plan, as well as the report that was prepared in 2014 by the Housing Affordability Alliance of Snohomish County. Both of the documents should be available to the Board and City Council Members, as well as the public, on line. Chair Lovell referred the Board to the memorandum that he prepared with the help of Vice Chair Rubenkonig. He specifically referred to Item B of the memorandum, which provides a list of discussion items that have been identified in the past as potential ideas for accommodating more housing in Edmonds. Some of the items on the list, if successful, would contribute to the City's ability to meet its growth targets, as outlined in the Growth Management Act (GMA). As the Board reviews the items on the list, he invited them to share their thoughts on if and how they would help the City implement the goals and policies in the Comprehensive Plan. He also invited the Board members to identify other potential topics of discussion. Vice Chair Rubenkonig pointed out that the Comprehensive Plan goals and policies focus on the supply of affordable housing and meeting diverse housing needs. The items in the memorandum were not sorted into categories, but it may be appropriate to do so to help focus the discussion. Board Member Robles suggested that the discussion should include all of the housing possibilities that exist (intentional living, tech -enhanced housing, Airbnb, opportunities for the people to age in place, etc.) and not just those that address Comprehensive Plan goals and policies. Vice Chair Rubenkonig acknowledged that most of the items on the list, if pursued, would go towards providing the housing units needed to meet the GMA requirements. However, some of the items would also address homelessness and other citizen needs for housing options, which is separate from meeting the GMA. She asked the Board Members to provide direction as to whether the discussion should be dedicated to concepts that allow the City to meet the GMA goals or also include concepts that are of interest to citizens. Board Member Robles reminded the Board that its charter is to represent the citizens and what they need to fulfill their lifestyles. Vice Chair Rubenkonig reviewed that the Comprehensive Plan was put together to represent the needs of the citizenry. Therefore, the Board should look at the supply of affordable housing and address the diverse housing needs of the community's citizens. Board Member Crank suggested that the joint meeting discussion should focus on specific goals, and then the various concepts associated with the goals could be divided into those that are intended to meet the GMA requirements and those that address community needs. However, it is important to recognize that many of the concepts will overlap and serve both purposes. She reminded the Board of her earlier suggestion that the housing discussion must also consider post -retirement housing needs such as assisted living, senior housing, etc. Many aging citizens want to downsize from their single-family homes, but they still want to stay in the Edmonds community. In addition, new residents from out of state and out of the country are moving to Edmonds with their extended families, and the City must provide housing options to serve their needs, as well. Chair Lovell said that in the discussion with Ms. Hope, he noted that that there are things the City can do to enhance opportunities to create a wide range of and more housing capacity. There are also things the City can do to force this to happen. One approach is to make it happen and another is to create the conditions by which it is allowed to happen. He Planning Board Minutes August 10, 2016 Page 4 expressed his belief that issues related to housing type, housing diversity and housing affordability are distinctly different than the housing requirements associated with meeting the GMA growth targets. Board Member Cloutier recalled that when the Board last discussed the Housing Element of the Comprehensive Plan, they talked about the need to create metrics by which success could be measured. Coming up with a lot of great ideas will not result in success. The City must clearly identify what they want to happen and create a mechanism for measuring success. For example, if one of the goals is to provide opportunities for people to age in place, then there should be a way to measure whether or the not the City's housing policies are having an impact. If they are looking to create new housing units, then the occupancy rate could be used as a measure of success. Rather than throwing out answers, they should identify the right goals first. Vice Chair Rubenkonig recalled that the last time the Board discussed housing, they were reminded that the GMA is looking for 2,500 additional housing units in the City by a certain year. They were also told that the buildable land numbers are promising for meeting that target number. Perhaps the discussion should focus on what the buildable land numbers does not address: affordable and diverse housing needs. Board Member Cloutier agreed that the City currently has capacity to provide for future housing needs. Rather than having policies and regulations in place that allow the growth to happen, the City must have policies and regulations in place to make it happen. The City already has zoning regulations that allow the housing to be built, but it is not being built. The question of why should be the focus of the discussion. The Board asked Mr. Chave to frame a set of questions based on the current regulations and what the City wants to accomplish. Board Member Cloutier agreed to compile a list of issues and possible metrics for measuring and monitoring to determine if the City's goals are being met. The Board agreed to discuss the issue again at their August 24th meeting. REVIEW OF EXTENDED AGENDA In addition to a continued discussion on August 241h about the agenda for the joint City Council/Planning Board work session, the Board will also have a discussion about the Land Division Code Update. The September 14th meeting agenda will include an introduction to the Land Use Procedures and Code Update, as the City Council recently approved a resolution providing some direction to the Planning Board. PLANNING BOARD CHAIR COMMENTS Chair Lovell did not provide any additional comments. PLANNING BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS Board Member Robles reported on his experience judging the sand castle contest at Marina Beach Park. He also announced that he had a paper published with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners titled, "Launching Technology in Insurance." Board Member Crank reminded the Board of the Taste of Edmonds Festival that will take place on August 12th through 14th She noted that a few Board Members will work as volunteers at the event. Board Member Crank advised that the consultant provided a presentation on the Civic Center Master Plan at the last City Council Meeting. Comments were made by City Council Members and members of the audience relative to the Taste of Edmonds being at the Civic Center in future years. She cautioned that there may be another round of the Board engaging with the business community and neighborhood regarding this particular issue. Vice Chair Rubenkonig requested additional information about the City's Volunteer Picnic that is scheduled for September. Mr. Chave agreed to forward information to the Board Members. ADJOURNMENT The Board meeting was adjourned at 8:04 p.m. Planning Board Minutes August 10, 2016 Page 5