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Planning Comm MINS 04-21-2004K:\Planning Commission\2004\Meeting Summary 04-21-04.doc City of Federal Way PLANNING COMMISSION Regular Meeting April 21, 2004 City Hall 7:00 p.m. Council Chambers MEETING MINUTES Commissioners present: John Caulfield, Hope Elder, Dave Osaki, Dini Duclos, Bill Drake, and Grant Newport. Commissioners absent: Marta Justus Foldi (excused). Alternate Commissioners present: Lawson Bronson, Tony Moore, and Merle Pfeifer. Alternate Commissioners absent: Christine Nelson (unexcused). City Council present: Deputy Mayor Linda Kochmar and Council Member Jeanne Burbidge. Staff present: Community Development Services Director Kathy McClung, Community Development Services Deputy Director Greg Fewins, Senior Planner Margaret Clark, Associate Planner Isaac Conlen, Assistant City Attorney Karen Jorgensen, Traffic Engineer Rick Perez, Contract Planner Janet Shull, Jones & Stokes Lisa Grueter, and Administrative Assistant E. Tina Piety. Chair Caulfield called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. APPROVAL OF MINUTES It was m/s/c to adopt the April 7, 2004, minutes as presented. AUDIENCE COMMENT None. ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT None COMMISSION BUSINESS PUBLIC HEARING – Potential Annexation Area (PAA) Subarea Plan Mr. Conlen delivered a presentation on questions raised at the last public hearing. It was stated that a development agreement is an option for the Rabie property. PUBLIC HEARING – New Freeway Commercial Zoning Classification Ms. Shull delivered a presentation on questions raised at the last public hearing. Because the Commission wanted to know what parcels this proposed zoning could be applied to, she showed a map of the current zoning in the areas considered for this proposed zoning classification. Ms. Shull commented that if this zoning classification is approved, any owner wishing to apply this proposed zone to their property would have to go through the City’s Comprehensive Plan Amendment process. PUBLIC HEARING – 2003 Comprehensive Plan Amendments – Quadrant Site-Specific Request Ms. Clark delivered the staff report. Commissioner Newport recused himself from the Quadrant site- specific request. This is a request to delete a proposed road from the Federal Way Comprehensive Plan (FWCP). The road in question is an extension of Weyerhaeuser Way. The City Council required the Planning Commission Minutes Page 2 April 21, 2004 K:\Planning Commission\2004\Meeting Summary 04-21-04.doc applicant to prepare a traffic study analyzing the effects of deleting this street from the comprehensive plan. The study concluded that no roadway improvements would be needed by 2020 as a result of the proposed action. Due to this proposal, Mr. Perez asked the Commission to consider amending the comprehensive plan to make 32nd Avenue South a principal collector from South 320th Street to approximately South 316th Street. The meeting was opened to public testimony. Commissioner Duclos informed the Commission that she had spoken to Steve McNey and encouraged him to bring his comments to this public hearing. Wally Costello – Applicant for the Quadrant request. He explained their proposal for the parcels the road would pass through and showed how the road would be detrimental to the proposed project. There are wetlands on the property that will restrict development and a road would restrict it further. Joanne Kirkland – She spoke in opposition of the Jackson request. She stated that the map in the staff report shows 312th as a through street (from 32nd to Military), but it is not. The report also says that a grocery store would decrease the amount of traffic in the area, but how could adding retail decrease the amount of traffic? She also commented that she recently learned that the PAA process has been going on for some two years, but this is the first she has heard about it. She is concerned that annexation would raise taxes and services would go down. This is a safe area for children and she is concerned that will change. Chairman Caulfield asked if King County mailed a notification of the PAA Subarea Plan to those within the PAA? Ms. Grueter replied that the issue was on the King County website, but for the most part, the City of Federal Way mailed the notifications. A notification had been sent in the utility mailings. Charles Gibson – He spoke his support of the Northlake request and said he was available if the Commission had any questions. Cindy Cope – She spoke in opposition of the Jackson request. She feels there is no need to bring more retail into the area. There is a lot of available retail space in Federal Way, such as the vacant theater and empty spaces in the Mall and Ross Plaza and SeaTac Village, etc. This area is a very private neighborhood that is safe for children to ride their bikes. Opening 32nd would bring more traffic, which would make it more dangerous for children to ride their bikes and would bring in more crime. Steve McNey – He is the Jackson property manager. They want Community Business (BC) zoning because they feel they can best serve the neighborhood and the City with that zoning. They are not trying to compete with the downtown core. A grocery store in this area would decrease traffic on 320th, would proved a tax base to the City, and would provide a service to the neighborhood. They have submitted a docket to King County asking for a zoning change to commercial business. Kristen Wynne – She spoke in opposition of the Jackson request. She feels the proposed Freeway Commercial zone is not compatible with existing uses. If a car dealership were to go into the area, it would mean more lights and noise. She commented that 320th is already a disaster area on the weekends. A more intense traffic study should be done before a decision is made. In addition, in terms of aesthetics, a car dealership at the entrance to Federal Way is a step in the wrong direction. Planning Commission Minutes Page 3 April 21, 2004 K:\Planning Commission\2004\Meeting Summary 04-21-04.doc Public testimony was closed. It was m/s/c (unanimous) to recommend adoption of the Neighborhood Business comprehensive plan designation and Neighborhood Business (BN) zoning for the Davis PAA site-specific request. It was m/s/c (unanimous) to recommend adoption of the Single Family, High Density comprehensive plan designation and Single Family 9.6 zoning for the Northlake PAA site-specific request. The Commission discussed how the owner of the Rabie PAA sit-specific request could utilize a development agreement. Mr. Fewins informed the Commission that annexation of this area is not anticipated in the near future and the owner plans to develop soon. It was m/s/f (one yes, four no, one abstain) to recommend adoption of the Neighborhood Business comprehensive plan designation and Neighborhood Business (BN) zoning for the Rabie PAA site-specific request. The Commission expressed concern over downzoning the property. It was m/s/f (three yes, three no) to recommend adoption of the Single Family, High Density comprehensive plan designation and Single Family 7.2 zoning for the Rabie PAA site-specific request; with the stipulation that the Planning Commission feels strongly that a self- storage/mini-storage use would be an acceptable use on this site. After further discussion, it was concluded that the Rabie PAA site-specific request would go forward with no Planning Commission recommendation. It was m/s/f (one yes, five no) to recommend adoption of the Community Business comprehensive plan designation and Community Business (BC) zoning for the Jackson PAA site-specific request. It was m/s/c (four yes, two no) to recommend adoption of the Office Park comprehensive plan designation and Office Park (OP) zoning to the south part of the Jackson PAA site-specific request, and Single Family High Density comprehensive plan designation and Single Family RS 9.6 zoning to the north part of the Jackson PAA site-specific request. It was m/s/c (five yes, one no) to recommend adoption of the staff recommendation for the New Freeway Commercial Zoning Classification. It was m/s/c (unanimous) to recommend adoption, with the aforementioned changes, of the staff recommendation for the PAA Subarea Plan. It was m/s/c (four yes, one no, one excused) to recommended adoption of the staff recommendation for the Quadrant site-specific request with the amendment that 32nd Avenue South, from South 320th Street to approximately South 316th Street, would be reclassified from a minor to a principal collector, it would use Cross Section “O,” Map III- 6 would be modified to reflect this, and 32nd Avenue South from South 320th Street to approximately South 316th Street would replace Weyerhaeuser Way as Map ID #35 on Table III-19. The Public Hearings were closed at 8:55. These items will be scheduled for the May 3, 2004, City Council Land Use/Transportation Committee, which will meet at 5:30 p.m. in City Hall Council Chambers. ADDITIONAL BUSINESS None. AUDIENCE COMMENT None. ADJOURN The meeting was adjourned at 9:00 p.m.