Planning Comm MINS 05-19-1999
City of Federal Way
PLANNING COMMISSION
Regular Meeting
May 19, 1999 City Hall
7:00 p.m. Council Chambers
SUMMARY
Commissioners present: Robert Vaughan (Chair), William Drake, John Caulfield, Eric Faison, and Ed
Soule. Commissioners absent: Karen Kirkpatrick. Alternative Commissioners present: Hope Elder.
Alternative Commissioners absent: Adebola Adekoya and Sophia McNeil. Staff present: Community
Development Services Deputy Director Kathy McClung, Code Compliance Officer Martin Nordby,
Code Compliance Officer Betty Cruz, and Administrative Assistant E. Tina Piety.
Chair Vaughan called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
The minutes of February 17, 1999, were approved.
AUDIENCE COMMENT
None.
ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
Ms. McClung informed the commission that Commissioners Greenough and Sempek have
resigned. The City Council appointed Commissioner Soule and is expected to appoint Alternate
Commission Elder at their June 1, meeting. Ms. McClung announced that applications are now
being accepted for the Advancing Leadership Program. Through the program, one will learn the
different facets of the community (government, schools, human service programs, etc.) and how
they fit together.
Ms. McClung gave an account of the design charette held for the proposed transit center. The site
of the transit center will be where the old Silo building is. There were some 70 people in
attendance who were divided into several groups. The purpose was to develop design concepts.
There were several common themes: pedestrian orientation to downtown and the mall and parks;
retail on the bottom of the structure; some aspect of housing; a civic center aspect (i.e. city hall,
performing arts center, etc.). The groups tended to consider the whole core area, not just the
transit center.
Planning Commission
May 19, 1999 2
Ms. McClung distributed to the commission an invitation to a presentation on the Character
Cities Program. Jonathan Stewart from the International Association of Character Cities will give
the presentation. A city of character is a city where good morals and integrity are held high — a
city where citizens have the inward motivation to do right and are known for demonstrating good
character.
Ms. McClung informed the commission that the results of the wetland inventory are now
available. She gave them a copy of the summary. She reminded the commission that the
inventory consists only of the known and suspected wetlands. The staff will continue to check
areas of proposed development for unknown wetlands.
COMMISSION BUSINESS - Workshop: Sign Regulations
Ms. Cruz gave a history of the sign regulations and explained the current code. Discussion was
held on a variety of issues including: the claim that some businesses have failed due to the sign
regulations; real estate signs; garage sale signs; how new businesses are informed of the
regulations; no signs are allowed in the public right-of-way; abandoned signs; and the sign
incentive program.
Mr. Nordby presented the proposed changes. He went over each issue and gave the staff
recommendation. Discussion was held on allowing businesses to have low-maintenance (i.e., no
vegetation) landscaping. Mr. Nordby added a proposed change that would allow building
mounted signs in residential areas for such things as apartment buildings and mobile home parks.
ADDITIONAL BUSINESS
None.
AUDIENCE COMMENT
None.
ADJOURN
It was m/s/c to adjourn the meeting at 9:45 p.m.
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