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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." KAPIanning Commission\2016\Meeting Summary 0 7- 06- 16.doc 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. KAPlanning Commission\2016\Meeting Summary 07- 06 -16.dm