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2019-06-26 Planning Board MinutesCITY OF EDMONDS PLANNING BOARD Minutes of Regular Meeting June 26, 2019 Chair Cheung called the meeting of the Edmonds Planning Board to order at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers, Public Safety Complex, 250 — 5' Avenue North. BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT Matthew Cheung, Chair Daniel Robles, Vice Chair Todd Cloutier Alicia Crank Nathan Monroe Carreen Nordling Rubenkonig Roger Pence Mike Rosen BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT Conner Bryan, Student Representative (excused) READING/APPROVAL OF MINUTES STAFF PRESENT Rob Chave, Planning Manager Jerrie Bevington, Video Recorder Karin Noyes, Recorder BOARD MEMBER ROSEN MOVED THAT THE MINUTES OF JUNE 12, 2019 BE APPROVED AS PRESENTED. BOARD MEMBER RUBENKONIG SECONDED THE MOTION, WHICH CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. ANNOUNCEMENT OF AGENDA An update on the Edmonds Street Waterfront Connector Project was added to the agenda as Item 5.1). The remainder of the agenda was accepted as presented. AUDIENCE COMMENTS There was no one in the audience. DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DIRECTOR REPORT TO PLANNING BOARD Chair Cheung referred the Board to the Development Services Director's Report that was provided in the packet. There were no comments or questions from the Board. COMPREHENSIVE PLAN PERFORMANCE IN 2018 Mr. Chave advised that this is an annual report that is prepared for the City Council and Planning Board's information. The report is primarily comprised of two items: implementation actions and performance measures. He explained that implementation actions are steps that must be taken within a specified timeframe to address high -priority goals. Performance measures provide targeted information about the Comprehensive Plan's implementation and effectiveness. He reviewed the four implementation action items as follows: 1. Develop an update to the Street Tree Plan by the end of 2018. The Street Tree Plan was last updated in 2016, and the intention was to develop an update by the end of 2018. However, the update was postponed until after the Urban Forest Management Plan (UFMP) has been adopted. 2. Develop an Urban Forest Management Plan by the end of 2018. A draft UFMP was completed in 2018 and went before the Planning Board and City Council for review. The City Council requested some revisions to the plan, and an updated plan was presented at their last meeting. The document has been forwarded to the Tree Board for review and comment. So far, the feedback from the City Council has been favorable, and staff anticipates adoption soon. The Street Tree Plan will be updated shortly after the UFMP is adopted. 3. Develop level of service (LOS) standards for key public facilities by the end of 2018 and consider including the standards in the Comprehensive Plan. A Complete Pavement Analysis Report was completed in August of 2017 to provide a comprehensive analysis of pavement status in the City. The report proposes priorities for improvements that will filter through the Transportation Master Plan (TMP) and the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). 4. Develop a housing strategy by the end of 2019. This strategy is directly tied to the Housing Element of the Comprehensive Plan. The idea is to consider how the City can improve its supply of affordable housing and meet the diverse housing needs of its residents. The Board has been discussing housing topics for a few years, and a draft Housing Strategy was presented to them several months ago. However, the City Council determined that substantially more work was needed, and a Housing Commission is now being formed to move the project forward. Mr. Chave summarized that, although not all of the implementation actions have not been completed, they are all in various stages of progress. Drafts have been prepared and are under review. Next, Mr. Chave reviewed the six performance measures: 1. Annual City-wide and City government energy use. The aggregate natural gas consumption city-wide and for city -owned properties has fluctuated some over the past five years, but has been fairly consistent over time. Marginal progress has been made on electricity consumption, particularly on City -owned properties. Against the backdrop of housing, population and employment growth, the numbers are encouraging. The City is doing okay if energy consumption decreases marginally while the City is growing. However, there is still room for improvement. The City has made a concerted effort to reduce energy consumption via a number of projects that have allowed for steady progress. In particular, improvements were made by the sewer utility, which is one of the biggest users. Projects at City Hall and the Anderson Center also resulted in significant energy savings. Board Member Rubenkonig asked if Puget Sound Energy would also provide numbers about natural gas consumption. Mr. Chave noted that the numbers were included in the charts showing the aggregate natural gas consumption. Board Member Rubenkonig commented that the information will provide wonderful guidance for future policies. 2. Number of residential units permitted annually. There has been a significant uptick in the number of new residential units over the past four years. The overall growth target goal is 21,168 units by 2030, or approximately 112 additional units annually from 2011 to 2035. The average number of additional residential units permitted per year is 108. This number is not out of line with the City's growth targets. There were about 126 demolitions over the past eight years that do not show up in the figures, but the City is making progress with slow and steady growth. There are some large projects in the pipeline, particularly on Highway 99, that could dramatically change the numbers going forward. Planning Board Minutes June 26, 2019 Page 2 3. Yearly average number of jobs within the City. The City's goal is to add 13,948 jobs by 2035, which would require adding about 95 jobs annually from 2011 to 2035. The numbers show that an average of 324 jobs were added each year, far exceeding the target number. There were 13,151 jobs in Edmonds at the end of 2018. 4. Lineal feet of water, sewer, and stormwater mains replaced or rehabilitated. The Planning Board has shown a keen interest in these numbers over the past several years when the Public Works Department presented the annual Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) and Capital Facilities Plan (CFP). Significant work has been done to replace or rehabilitate water, sewer and stormwater lines, and there were also several large projects that were not broken down by lineal foot by are significant to the overall system. These include the Five Corners Reservoir Rehabilitation Project, 4 pressure reducing stations, and a 110-lineal-foot underground chamber infiltration system. 5. Capital Facilities Plan project delivery results. A chart was provided to illustrate the status of each of the projects in the CFP. Most of the projects have either been completed or are in progress. Overall, a lot of headway was made on very key projects. 6. Lineal feet of sidewalk renovation and rehabilitation. In 2018, 655 lineal feet of new sidewalk was added, but there is still a lot that needs to be done. Sidewalk projects require grant funding, and Public Works staff actively pursues grants. In addition, sidewalk work is often done as part of roadway improvements. Mr. Chave summarized that a lot of good progress has been made, as indicated by the performance measures. However, there is more to do, especially related to utility replacement and rehabilitation. Board Member Monroe asked if all of the implementation action items have been completed. Mr. Chave responded that a draft UFMP has been developed and has been under review by the City Council for some time. Some LOS standards have been developed for key public facilities. For example, the Public Works Department has standards for water, sewer, stormwater, etc., and it is a question of how much further the Finance Department wants to take this action item. A draft Housing Strategy was prepared and is currently under review. He summarized that all of the action items are in progress, but the final plans have not yet been adopted. Board Member Monroe asked if the City has a specific goal for electricity consumption. Mr. Chave answered that there are goals and statements throughout the Comprehensive Plan about being more efficient and reducing resource usage, but they are not translated into specific numerical targets. This is something the Board could consider next time the Comprehensive Plan is updated. Board Member Monroe asked if there are opportunities to decease the City's use of electricity for street lights. Mr. Chave said the Public Works Department explored the idea of converting all of the City's streetlights to products that require less electricity, but he doesn't know the status of that project. He does know that a few pedestrian lights in the downtown were changed out and a variety of options were tested. He pointed out that many of the streetlights are owned and maintained by the Snohomish County Public Utility District and not the City. He said he believes the numbers provided in the report for City -owned properties include only those that are owned and maintained by the City, but he would check and report back. Board Member Cloutier commented that the individual utility elements are not concerned about overall climate impacts and the report does not include any implementation actions or performance measures related to the Climate Action Plan. He suggested that these numbers should be included in the report. He reminded them that the City's goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the future. Mr. Chave said he anticipates that the update to the Climate Action Plan will include a lot of numbers and metrics, and he agreed to present the update to the Board when it is finished. Board Member Crank said she is happy to see that the 2381 Street Sidewalk Project has been completed. She asked if there are any other walkway projects in the hopper. Mr. Chave said he doesn't know, but could find out and report back. He commented that this would likely be a topic of discussion when the CIP and CFP are presented to the Board later in the year. Vice Chair Robles observed that it is difficult to collect some data, but it is important to remember that what is measured is what gets attended to. He asked if there is a list of things the City would like to measure but cannot, such as electric vehicle provisions. There are also a number of community health items like volunteerism, number of students in trade schools, Planning Board Minutes June 26, 2019 Page 3 Amazon deliveries in the City, etc. He suggested that perhaps there should be a list of things the City would like to measure but cannot so they can make progress by selecting a few to add. Mr. Chave said they do not have a wish list at this time, but it could be a topic of discussion at a future Board meeting. Board Member Rubenkonig asked how long City staff has been preparing a Comprehensive Plan Performance Report, and Mr. Chave answered that this is the second or third year. The report lists things that are specifically called out in the various elements of the Comprehensive Plan. Board Member Rubenkonig asked how the performance measures are used by the various City departments, and Mr. Chave answered that each department has a list of priorities, projects and goals that they are working on, and the performance measures offer a useful way to identify what needs to be done in an organized fashion. Board Member Rubenkonig asked if staff uses the figures in the report to identify how much will be done each year. Mr. Chave said the various utility plans identify the needs of the current system and how much work needs to be done moving forward. This information figures into the 6-year CIP and budget discussions. The information is used by staff to go after grant funding, as well. The performance measures offer a way to keep track of how they are doing with things they are supposed to be working on. Again, Mr. Chave said the Board could have a work session to create a wish list of things that might be trackable going forward. Ideally, they should be consistent with the Comprehensive Plan, but that is not necessarily a requirement. Board Member Rubenkonig commented that the report is well worth the time the Planning, Engineering and Public Works staff spent preparing it. Vice Chair Robles agreed and added that so much more can be done with data than in the past. They may be able to find some good statistics that help the City measure the larger picture. Board Member Monroe observed that, based on the numbers provided in the report, the City currently has a 200-year water replacement program and 800-year sewer and stormwater replacement programs. Mr. Chave cautioned that it is difficult to make that assumption based on a single year. However, he suggested the Board keep these numbers in mind when they review the CIP and CFP later in the year. Board Member Monroe said it would be helpful to have numbers for the 2016, 2017 and 2018 totals so the Board can see what the trend is. Board Member Cloutier recalled that the Board raised these similar concerns when the CIP and CFP were presented in 2018 because it didn't identify the average age of the existing lines, the lines that have been recently replaced, and lines that are in critical need of replacement. Mr. Chave said it is a matter of prioritizing the projects that need to be done first, and some of the projects cost significantly more than others. Board Member Cloutier suggested it would be helpful to show the critical infrastructure that is getting fixed, which is much more costly than replacing and rehabilitating lineal feet. Vice Chair Robles agreed and pointed out that rehabilitation is a less costly approach than replacement. He is glad to see that they are prioritizing the more costly replacement projects in addition to the rehabilitation projects. DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES UPDATE Mr. Chave presented the Development Activities Report that was prepared by the Development Services Director and presented previously to the City Council. He emphasized that customer service is important to the Development Services Department, and staff deals with a lot of customers each year. Pre -application meetings are a significant part of the department's work and allow applicants to meet with staff to discuss and get feedback and direction on various elements of their projects. At pre -application meetings, staff is able to provide pointers and tips that help the projects move forward. More formal pre -application meetings are paid for by the applicant and include written comments and written feedback from staff. Intake appointments are used for significant projects where it is important to have all departments present at the counter to review submittals and make sure applications are complete. Mr. Chave reported that a lot of development activity is currently taking place. He provided a chart to illustrate development activity over the past 30 years, pointing out how there was a significant reduction in activity during the recession years (2008 through 2013), but there was significant improvement from 2014 through 2018. There was a small decline in the number of building permits in 2018 compared to 2017, but 2017 was the City's all-time high number of permits. Revenues have been very robust the last five years, and Development Services staff has been very busy. The City issued 60 single-family Planning Board Minutes June 26, 2019 Page 4 residential permits in 2017 and 57 in 2018. A number of permits were issued in 2017 and 2018 for additions and alterations to single-family homes, too. Because Edmonds is primarily built out, large projects are not typical, and a few commercial or mixed -use projects can have a significant impact. In 2017, there were 2 mixed -use office condominium projects totaling I I I residential units, but there were no mixed -use projects in 2018. The numbers are going back up again in 2019. Mr. Chave advised that, although the Engineering Division is part of the Public Works Department, they are located on the 2nd floor of City Hall and function as part of the Development Services team. They issued 429 permits in 206, 415 in 2017 and 460 in 2018. Mr. Chave reported that the City collects Transportation Impact and Park Impact Fees, which help fund transportation and park projects. They also collect general facilities charges associated with each of the utilities. Only 3 solar permits were issued in 2018 and none were issued in 2017. He reminded the Board of the City-wide solar campaign in 2014 and 2015, pointing out that the number of permits was significantly higher during those years. The number of permits has dropped off, but he suspects an increase in the future as people start to realize the benefits of solar projects. Mr. Chave advised that over 10,500 inspections were performed by the Development Services Staff. 7,552 building inspections and 3,158 engineering inspections. There are people out in the field every day doing inspections. Lastly, Mr. Chave reviewed the key projects that have occurred over the last few years, as well as those that are currently in progress: • Point Edwards Building 10 was finally completed and added 68 additional residential units. Building 10 is the last building for the project, which is essentially complete. • The Beachwalk Apartment Project has been completed at 303 Edmonds Street. It added 9 residential units. • The Northpoint Recovery Building is a rehabilitation center that the health community was happy to see developed. It is located at 7415 — 212'h Street. • Phase II of the Post Office Project is still in progress and scheduled to be completed later this year. It will add 28 residential units and 7,600 square feet of new commercial space. It is located at 201 Main Street. • Westgate Village is located on Edmonds Way and will be completed in just a few months. It will add 91 residential units and 3,100 square feet of new commercial space. • Doug's Mazda is located at 22214 Highway 99 and is currently under construction. It will add 12,000 square feet of new commercial space. • The Cummings Apartments are currently under construction at 20904 — 72nd Avenue West and will provide 4 new residential units. • Edmonds Village is currently under construction. It is a small redevelopment/tenant improvement project at 22019 Highway 99. • A permit was issued for the Kids Foundation Academy at 21827 — 76'h Avenue West. Two old office buildings are being renovated into a new use. • A permit was issued for the West Haven Plat located at 21515 — 98'h Avenue SW, which is a new plat for 10 residential units. • The Waterfront Center recently applied for permits. The project is located at 220 Railroad Avenue (old Senior Center Site) and will provide 26,000 square feet of new commercial space. Planning Board Minutes June 26, 2019 Page 5 • The Port of Edmonds Marine Retail Building is currently in design review. The proposal is for a 6,650 square foot new commercial building at 471 Admiral Way. • The Homestreet Bank on 5t' Avenue is currently under design review and will be a new 2,763 square foot commercial building. • An application was submitted for the GRE Apartments, located at 23400 Highway 99. The proposal is for 192 new residential units. The application will be reviewed under the new Highway 99 Subarea Plan and zoning that was adopted a little over a year ago. The project will significantly change the look and feel of the corridor and provide affordable housing to help the City meets its housing growth targets. • An application was submitted for the Paradise Heights Project, located at 546 Paradise Lane, which will add 12 new residential units. • A permit has been issued for the Meitzner Plat at 8609 — 244t' Street SW, which will accommodate 11 new residential units. • The Edmonds Crossing Project at 23830 Edmonds Way is currently under design review and proposes adding 10 new residential units. • The Kisan Apartment Project at 22810 Edmonds Way is currently under design review. It proposes to add 18 residential units. • The Graphite Studios Project at 202 Main Street is working its way through the design review process. The current proposal is for two buildings. The project will include artist studios, an art gallery, a cafe and 3 residential units. • The Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Department is currently working on financing for implementation of the Civic Field Park Master Plan • The Main Street Commons Project at 550 Main Street is currently under design review. The proposal includes retail, restaurant and event space. An existing building will be revamped and a new building will be constructed where the current parking lot is located. • There are a number of new restaurants the scattered throughout the downtown. In addition, a number of new single- family homes have been constructed on existing lots throughout the City, as well as a number of significant remodels. Vice Chair Robles commented that the report on development activities was impressive. He said he likes the emphasis on smaller projects to fill in the gaps (infill development). He is a little concerned about parking, given the current parking requirements. He said it is exciting to see projects actually get built at Westgate consistent with the Westgate Plan that was adopted a few years ago. He is also excited to see redevelopment on the waterfront. Board Member Crank asked how many permits the City has issued for demolition of existing development. She asked it is possible to provide a breakdown of the number of commercial versus residential demolitions. Mr. Chave agreed to research this possibility and report back. Board Member Crank asked if building permits have an expiration date. Is there a timeframe from when the permit is issued and when the developer must break ground on a project? Mr. Chave explained that permits are generally valid for one to two years, but sometimes permits for a project are issued in phases. For example, a developer may do the demolition first while going through design review and seeking a building permit. Board Member Crank asked if either of the new developments on Edmonds Way would be near the flashing yellow light. Mr. Chave answered no. Planning Board Minutes June 26, 2019 Page 6 Board Member Monroe asked if the City tracks permit turnaround times. He said he has heard anecdotally that it is difficult for developers to get permits in Edmonds. Mr. Chave explained that the Planning Division has a 120-day standard timeframe for reviewing and issuing a permit, and turnaround time is generally based on the size of the proposed project. While he doesn't like to compare the City to other jurisdictions, the City meets and exceeds the State standard for planning. Board Member Monroe said he would like more information about the turnaround time for building permits. Mr. Chave agreed to research this option and report back. Board Member Monroe asked if a traffic and parking study was done for the Civic Park Project. Mr. Chave said he doesn't know the specifics about this project. Board Member Rubenkonig recalled that a city-wide parking study will be done in the near future. Mr. Chave said this traffic and parking study will be focused primarily on the downtown. Board Member Rubenkonig observed that the Civic Park Project has been criticized for its lack of parking, and the parking study was supposed to inform the City Council as the project moves forward. Mr. Chave said the park project is moving ahead now without waiting for the parking study to be completed. Board Member Monroe asked if any of the projects in the report deviated from the City's current parking standards. Mr. Chave answered no; they all meet the current code requirements for parking. Board Member Rubenkonig asked how the City's impact fees for parking and transportation compare to other nearby jurisdictions. She said she has heard comments that the City's current programs are lagging behind, which puts more tax burden on the citizens. Mr. Chave said he doesn't have any comparisons with other cities, but generally speaking, the City's program is not far off with what others are charging. He reviewed that the City has been steadily increasing impact fees over time. Board Member Rubenkonig asked about the formula that is used to calculate the impact fees associated with each project. Mr. Chave answered that the fees are tied to a development's square footage and the type of use. They also give credit for existing uses on the site, so the fee is only charged on the net traffic increase associated with the project. Board Member Rubenkonig asked if the calculation is based on the applicant's traffic study, and Mr. Chave answered affirmatively. He emphasized that, in some cases, traffic studies by a qualified professional are required. In other cases, the fee is very formulative and does not require a professional study. Board Member Rubenkonig asked staff to point out the features that were included in the GRE Project based on the requirements of the recently adopted Highway 99 Subarea Plan. Mr. Chave specifically pointed to the internal amenity space that would be raised above the street level and serve the residents of the new units. He noted that two levels of parking would be located below the amenity space and upper levels of residential space. Public amenity space will be provided along the Highway 99 frontage and the project will include pedestrian improvements, as well. There will be commercial space along Highway 99 with a lot of window fenestration. Board Member Rubenkonig asked how much of the amenity space must be open to the public, and Mr. Chave answered that some but not all must be accessible to the public. Most of the public amenity space will occur in the pedestrian areas along the street front. Board Member Crank asked if the GRE Project is located near the proposed pedestrian crossing, and Mr. Chave answered that the crossing would be nearby. Board Member Rubenkonig observed that the GRE Project is the first significant project on Highway 99 since the subarea plan was adopted. Mr. Chave agreed this is the first new project, but the auto dealership property is also being remodeled and that project will have the same streetscape and public amenity requirements. Board Member Rubenkonig commented that some people have hoped that the Westgate Village Project would help people understand how the Westgate area can be redeveloped based on the currently adopted plan. The GRE Project will have a similar role for the Highway 99 Subarea. Both plans show that Edmonds is serious about encouraging redevelopment of its commercial areas. Chair Cheung requested an update on the project that was previously proposed at 220' Street and Highway 99. Mr. Chave said the developer backed off on the larger project that was originally proposed and is now doing smaller infill development on the property. Planning Board Minutes June 26, 2019 Page 7 Vice Chair Robles observed that there are features in the Highway 99 Subarea Plan that differ from what is being developed in Lynnwood. While development in the neighboring jurisdictions is the same types of buildings, they aren't required to have the amenity spaces and public spaces that are part of the Highway 99 Subarea Plan. The proposed GRE Project is an example of what can be done with good planning. Update on Waterfront Connector Proiect Board Member Rubenkonig said she has a number of questions for staff concerning the Waterfront Connector Project. She reviewed that, although a member of the Planning Board served on the Waterfront Connector Task Force, the project was never brought before the Board for review and comment. Neither the Planning Division nor the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Department were invited to review and comment on the plan. Mr. Chave commented that he wouldn't be able to answer the Board's questions about the Waterfront Connector Project because he wasn't involved in the work. Chair Cheung suggested that Board Members submit their questions in writing to staff. Staff could circulate the questions to the appropriate departments, and they could be invited to the July 24' meeting to respond. Board Member Crank cautioned against the Board having a discussion about the Waterfront Connector at this time. She explained that the City Council is trying to wrap up the next step, and it might not be prudent to spend time putting together questions over the next few weeks. She likes the idea of submitting questions in writing to give the appropriate staff members an opportunity to respond. Board Member Rubenkonig said she heard that permits for the Waterfront Connector Project could have overridden environmental constraints in respect to public safety. Board Member Monroe clarified that a City permit can be overridden for emergency reasons, but the project would still be limited by the Federal Corps of Engineer's permit. REVIEW OF EXTENDED AGENDA Chair Cheung reviewed that the July 10' meeting will include an update on the Urban Forest Management Plan (UFMP), a presentation on the Climate Goals Project, and a presentation on the Street Vacation Code Update (Chapter 20.70). A joint Planning Board/Architectural Design Board meeting is scheduled for July 24'. Board Member Monroe asked if the UFMP will have already been approved by the City Council by the July 101 meeting. Mr. Chave said that is the hope. Staff will be reporting on what changed and what the final product looks like. PLANNING BOARD CHAIR COMMENTS Chair Cheung did not provide any additional comments. PLANNING BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS Board Member Rosen recognized Roger Pence as the Board's new alternate member. He also commented on the loss of two key staff members, which shines a spotlight on how fortunate the City is to have such a high -caliber staff. The City places a high demand on its staff and they take a fair amount of hits. Most of them have options, and the City is fortunate that they continue to choose Edmonds. He thanked all of the City's staff for their work and the sacrifice that their jobs require. Board Member Monroe reported on his attendance at the June 191 Economic Development Commission Meeting where the Commissioners worked on a close-out list of Strategic Action Plan topics. They also received a presentation from the Edmonds Downtown Business Improvement District. They reported on their work to provide signage for the ferry waiting lanes. They are also surveying developers of projects of a certain size to get a temperature for how the community is doing. Board Member Monroe thanked Carrie Hite for her service as the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Director. He commented that she has always been fair, professional and helpful. He also thanked Phil Lovell for his years of service on the Planning Board. He was always practical and never too busy to answer questions. The City will miss his expertise. Planning Board Minutes June 26, 2019 Page 8 Vice Chair Robles said he appreciates the City's current focus on youth. He said he received a question from a young member of the community about whether or not a permit is required for a lemonade stand or other forms of artistic sales that occur in the summer. Mr. Chave responded that no permit is required for these types of uses. Board Member Crank welcomed Board Member Pence to the Board. Board Member Crank reminded the Board that she currently serves on the Airport Commission for Snohomish County's Paine Field. She reported that there has been an uptick of complaints from Edmonds residents around air traffic and noise. She anticipates the issue will come up to the City Council soon, and she would like them to be able to respond with an answer that makes sense and is sanctioned by the City. She announced that the Airport Commission's next meeting is scheduled for August 1 It in Everett. ADJOURNMENT The Board meeting was adjourned at 8:30 p.m. Planning Board Minutes June 26, 2019 Page 9