Planning Commission MINS 07-06-2016CITY OF FEDERAL WAY
PLANNING COMMISSION
July 6, 2016 City Hall
6:30 p.m. City Council Chambers
MEETING MINUTES
Commissioners present: Lawson Bronson, Tom Medhurst, Hope Elder, Sarady Long, Tim O'Neil, Wayne
Carlson, Diana Noble - Gulliford, and Anthony Murrietta. Commissioners absent: none. City Staff present:
Acting Director Scott Sproul, Principal Planner Margaret Clark, Associate Planner Leila Willoughby -
Oakes, Assistant City Attorney Mark Orthmann, and Administrative Assistant Tina Piety.
CALL TO ORDER
Chair Bronson called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
The minutes of June 15, 2016, were approved with the addition that Planning Manager Isaac Coi len has
resigned his position and taken a position with the City of Seattle.
AUDIENCE COMMENT
None
ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
Principal Planner Clark introduced Acting Community Development Director Scott Sproul. Scott is the
department's Building Official. She went on to deliver an update on the 2016 Planning Commission and Long
Range Work Program. The marijuana related amendment and time horizon language of the planned action
SEPA code amendment has been completed. The open space code amendment is expected to be completed in
September. The sign code, historic preservation program, and comprehensive plan code amendments are next
in priority. The city will seek input from the Historical Society as to whether the city should do our own
historic preservation program, or have an interlocal with King County for them to lead the program.
Commissioner Noble - Gulliford asked if the city has defined a scope for the Multi- Family Development
Moratorium. Principal Planner Clark replied that a scope has not been defined. Staff is collecting data and
will seek the council's direction.
COMMISSION BUSINESS
Study Session — Proposed Amendments to Open Space Requirements FWRC Titles 18 and 19
Associate Planner Leila Willoughby -Oakes delivered the staff presentation. The purpose of this code
amendment is to establish a methodology for calculating parks and open space (POS), or "private park
amenity space" (i.e., land dedication) requirements. New regulations will ensure dedication requirements
are proportional to a project's impact on community recreation needs and will set level -of- service
standards. Staff is proposing new designation of "Private Park Amenity" (PPA) space. This is defined as:
"Areas with appropriate topography, soils and drainage, improvements, and adequate space to
be used privately for active recreation by the residents of a development."
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Planning Commission Minutes Page 2 July 6, 2016
This will require only improved open space. The city will no longer include unimproved open space as
part of the open space requirement and the categories in the code that refer to them will be deleted. A
menu of at least one major and a few minor park improvements will be provided for developers to choose
from. In addition, there will be clear standards for private park amenity spaces, with room for director
discretion and flexibility for unique and innovative landscape design. The level -of- service required by a
development will depend upon the park zone within which the development is located. A developer will
have the option of paying a fee -in -lieu instead of providing the open space on -site. Staff has developed a
formula for calculating the fee -in -lieu.
Commissioner Carlson commented that at the last Planning Commission study session on this topic, the
suggestion was made that the staff research the idea of requiring a different level -of- service for
developments such as assisted care facilities; where uses likely will not generate the same need for parks
and open space. He also suggested the city consider allowing the open space to be an enclosed space for
such developments.
Commissioner Long expressed concern about the ability of a homeowners' association to manage a park
and /or open space due to leadership and funding issues. Who will maintain the required open space?
Would the city step in to maintain the park if necessary? He remarked that Parks Director John Hutton
had stated that the city's existing level -of- service exceeds the adopted level -of- service. If this is the case,
why is the city requiring developments to provide additional parks /open space? Principal Planner Clark
replied that for some uses, the level -of- service is high, while for others it is low. The proposed
amendment will help close that gap. Staff will follow -up on this concern regarding level -of- service.
Commissioner Noble - Gulliford is concerned with the proposed fee -in -lieu formulas; specifically, the
differences for single - family /zero lot line development and multi - family. The Federal Way School
District has found that multi- family developments are generating more students than single - family
developments. They have changed their impact fees as a result of this information. Commissioner Noble -
Gulliford feels this is a major change in the city's housing base. Her concern is that this information
should be incorporated into the city's policies, formulas, and fees for parks, roads, and other services.
Associate Planner Leila Willoughby -Oakes responded that the current proposed amendment does not
address multi - family development. Staff will consider this concern when amendments for multi- family
development are addressed.
Vice -Chair Medhurst stated that with a population of approximately 93,000, at 6.7 acres per person, the
level -of- service is 627 acres per person. Is this a fair assessment? What is the basis of the formula? Does
the city have this much available land? Does the city have space dedicated to this use? How can we meet
our requirement if we don't have the space to dedicate to that use?
Commissioner ONeil asked where is the city currently at in regards to our parks level -of- service goal.
Would the city be able to maintain that goal? How will the formula get us from where we are now to our
goal? Is our target unrealistic? How much parks /open space do we currently have? How much is state and
county park land? Associate Planner Leila Willoughby -Oakes commented that the proposed amendment
will support a more proportional open space set - aside. The acres per person will not be stated in the code.
Instead, the code will cross - reference the level -of - service currently adopted by the Parks plan and state's
statistics. The level -of- service will be amended as the Parks Department updates its plan.
ADDITIONAL BUSINESS
None
ADJOURN
The meeting was adjourned at 7:15 p.m.
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