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LUTC MINS 06-04-2001 MEETING SUMMARY In attendance: Committee members Dean McColgan, Chair, Jeanne Burbidge and Eric Faison; Deputy Mayor Linda Kochmar; Council Member Michael Hellickson; City Manager David Moseley; Director of Community Development Services Kathy McClung; Public Works Director Cary Roe; City Attorney Bob Sterbank; Assistant City Attorney Karen Kirkpatrick; Deputy Director of Community Development Services Greg Fewins; Deputy Public Works Director Ken Miller; Senior Planner Margaret Clark; Traffic Engineer Rick Perez; Administrative Assistant Sandy Lyle; David Graves, Madrona Planning Contract Planner. 1. CALL TO ORDER Chair McColgan called the meeting to order at 5:34 pm. 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES The minutes of the May 21, 2001, meeting were approved as presented. 3. PUBLIC COMMENT There was no public comment on any item not included in the agenda. 4. BUSINESS ITEMS A. Mega Churches Code Amendment – As part of the 2001 Planning Commission Work Program, the Planning Commission reviewed and recommended approval of a code amendment related to the siting of Mega Churches in the Business Park (BP) zone, where there are large parcels available and infrastructure, particularly arterial streets. The proposed definition of Mega Church is a church, synagogue, or other place of religious worship establishment with seating capacity of 1,000 persons or more, the principle purpose of which is religious worship and for which the principal building or other structure contains the sanctuary or principal place of worship. A Mega Church may include related accessory uses. Staff addressed some traffic concerns if the mega church code amendment is passed and, for example, if the Christian Faith Center is built on Weyerhaeuser property south of South 336th Street and east of Pacific Highway South. Significant street improvements would be necessary. Options would be chosen to lessen traffic impacts such as turn restrictions, adding traffic lights and extending 20th Avenue South to South 344th Street. Following staff reports, Chair McColgan opened comment to Planning Commission members present. John Caulfield, Planning Commission Chair, stated that the Planning Commission went through an exhaustive review of the Mega Churches Code Amendment. The vision of the Comprehensive Plan and the findings of the recent Market Analysis were carefully and thoughtfully considered. Following deliberation, the Planning Commission voted in support of the code amendment for Mega Churches. Hope Elder, Planning Commissioner, commented against the Mega Churches code amendment. In her opinion, it is wrong to site a private school in a location where a public school cannot be located. She feels that a code amendment is supposed to be universal, not for the benefit of a specific project, such as the Christian Faith Center. Committee Member Burbidge read a letter for the record from Bob Kellogg, a Federal Way resident. He attached a recent editorial clipped from the Federal Way Mirror supporting the Mega Church code amendment. He said, if built, the Christian Faith Center may set a standard for mediocrity. He has viewed the drawings and mock-up and he sees very little quality architecture, landscaping or parking lot design. He feels the church site will look like a SeaTac Mall parking lot. City of Federal Way City Council Land Use/Transportation Committee June 4, 2001 City Hall 5:30 pm Council Chambers G:\LUTC\LUTC Agendas and Summaries 2001\June 4, 2001 SUM.doc Peter Orser of the Quadrant Corporation encouraged the Committee to thoroughly review the record and to reaffirm the Planning Commission recommendation. He promised a project that would be an asset to both the community and the Weyerhaeuser campus. He feels this use is complimentary to the community. Russ Lane, a resident at Belmore Park, told the Committee that their complex has lost the 9th hole of their small golf course to the Regional Stormwater Detention Facility located there and that the redesign of South 324th Street will take more of the property. He stated that huge transportation impacts created by the Christian Faith Center need very serious consideration. Morgan Llewellen, a Federal Way resident and member of Christian Faith Center, stated that many of the congregation live in Federal Way. He mentioned that the Market Study supports allowing the Christian Faith Center to locate in Federal Way. He said that the church will bring indirect economic benefits to the community. Gil Hulsman of Abbey Road Land Development presented technical and quantitative comments. He stated his hope that the Mega Churches code amendment would be approved so that the Christian Faith Center would be authorized to submit their permit application. Greg Heath, a traffic engineer and member of Christian Faith Center, continued the above technical and quantitative presentation. He added that everyone, residents and planners of this project, was concerned about the traffic a project of this size would generate. He pointed out that the traffic model used a warehouse development as a comparison to the church traffic. BP uses would more likely be a mix of warehouse, office and manufacturing. This mix could generate more than twice the number of trips the church would Glen Sawyer, a neighbor on 20th Avenue South, noted that the Mega Churches code amendment has not been marketed very well as one for the entire City. He also added that the adjacent property owners had not been notified. He does not want his neighborhood sacrificed for the benefit of this project which is equal in size to a Costco or an Evergreen Truck Stop. Shirley Gulbraa, a neighbor has attended the Planning Commission meetings during discussion of the Mega Churches code amendment. Her gravest concern is the traffic the proposed Christian Faith Center will generate. Exiting her driveway currently is a challenge. She asked that a traffic count be done. Margaret Nelson, a greater Federal Way resident, opposed the Mega Churches code amendment on the basis that no code amendment should be made for a specific project. Tax revenue and quality of life will be lost. The BP zone allows places for Federal Way residents to live and work. The Federal Way School District had a difficult time finding land for a new high school. The Christian Faith Center project would include a large private school at a location prohibited to public schools. Bernice Kari, a resident on South 331st Street, stated that she chose to live on a quiet street near the freeway. She would not welcome Casey Treat to her neighborhood. The Christian Faith Center would turn 20th Avenue South into a three-lane speedway. Many people currently walk and play in and near the street. She fears loss of property value. Chuck Gibson of the Northlake Improvement Club described the traffic volumes currently experienced on 33rd Place South, which has become a cut-through street. The Slavic Gospel Church is affecting the neighborhood traffic seven days per week with church activities that take place all day everyday. Martin Durkan, Jr., of Renton works with the Christian Faith Center. He talked of a religious revival going on but property upon which to build churches is available only in industrial areas. The Market Analysis/Land Inventory supports this proposed project. Christian Faith Center will be a good neighbor and serve all citizens, not just the members. He thinks property values will increase, not decrease. Public Comment was closed at 7:00 pm. The Mega Church issue will be continued to the June 18, 2001, meeting. Chair McColgan called for a break of five minutes. G:\LUTC\LUTC Agendas and Summaries 2001\June 4, 2001 SUM.doc B. I-5/SR161/SR18 Triangle Study Scope of Work – The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is managing a study to determine short- and long-term solutions to congestion and safety issues in the vicinity of the I-5/SR18/SR161 interchange. WSDOT is providing $250,000 towards this study and has requested financial and staff participation from the Cities of Federal Way and Milton, and from King County. The City Council approved $50,000 towards the study on December 5, 2000; King County contributed $20,000 and the City of Milton contributed $5,000. The partner agencies and selected consultant team participated in a two-day chartering session to develop and adopt an outline of roles and responsibilities and outline a draft scope of work. City staff will participate in scope negotiations. Upon successful conclusion of negotiations for the scope of work, WSDOT will draft individual interagency agreements with each partner agency. No action is necessary at this time. Any comments on the scope of work will be forwarded to WSDOT. 5. OTHER 6. FUTURE MEETINGS The next meeting will be held in Council Chambers at 5:30 pm on June 18, 2001. 6. ADJOURN The meeting adjourned at 7:15pm.