Planning Commission MINS 03-15-2017CITY OF FEDERAL WAY
PLANNING COMMISSION
March 15, 2017, City Hall
6:30 p.m. City Council Chambers
MEETING MINUTES
Commissioners present: Lawson Bronson Tom Medhurst, Hope Elder, Diana Noble-Gulliford, Dawn
Meader McCausland and Anthony Murrietta. Commissioners absent: Wayne Carlson (excused) Tim
O'Neil, and Dale Couture (unexcused). City Staff present: Community Development Director Brian
Davis, Principal Planner Margaret Clark, Deputy City Attorney Mark Orthmann, and Administrative .
Assistant Tina Piety.
CALL TO ORDER
Chair Bronson called the meeting to order at 6:35 P.M.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
The minutes of March 1, 2017, were approved as presented.
AUDIENCE COMMENT
None
ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
Director Davis announced that the department has hired a new Planning Manager (Doc Hensen) who will
start April 17th. He stated that city staff continues to work on the staff report for the proposed code
amendments to multi -family regulations; hence, it is not available for tonight's meeting. It will be
completed by March 291h for the April 5th, Planning Commission meeting.
COMMISSION BUSINESS
Public Hearing — Multi -Family Housing Proposed Text Amendments
Chair Bronson opened the public hearing and given that there is no staff report, opened the hearing for
public testimony.
Leah Boehm Brady, 841 South 315'h Street — She lives adjacent to Highpoint (Uptown Square).
She and other neighbors filed an appeal of the Highpoint project. She is upset that the director
was allowed to trade away the five-foot easement with trees and vegetation for bike racks and
other amenities. She is also upset that trees that were supposed to be saved were not, which will
negatively affect her neighborhood. The developer was supposed to save the 35 -foot laurel trees,
but did not do that and the city allowed that to happen. Worst thing was trading away the five-
foot easement and the trees and grass with it. This is a very serious concern to her. She is very
unhappy the city didn't protect the laurels. She thinks the developer should make amends for the
trees. In addition, the buildings are too high and as a result, many in the neighborhood have lost
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their Mt. Rainier views. The city needs to increase the vegetation for any future projects. All the
trees along 320th are gone because the city allowed the developer to shoehorn the buildings in.
We lost trees for ugly buildings. Also, there is inadequate parking, and the developer was
allowed to trade away parking spaces by providing bus passes. Neighbors are concerned
Highpoint residents and visitors will be parking in the neighborhood. She commented that at
Highpoint, the developer was allowed to let the gutters drain onto the sidewalk. This is very
hazardous in winter when ice forms. The neighbors feel the city has let them down.
Dana Hollaway - She noted Highpoint project has 300 units with approximately 663 bedrooms.
She has driven through the Highpoint project and it doesn't look like it has enough parking.
Where will overflow go? Into the neighborhood or Safeway? It lacks green space. There is one
play area in the north, but it is designed for younger kids and there is nothing for older kids/
young adults (basketball? grass space?). The apartments near 21St & Dash Point have grass in
front of every unit and open space for children. At Highpoint, they planted fir trees and column
trees (she doesn't know what kind) and rhododendrons. She feels the planting strip is too small
to sustain them. The columnar trees grow very large and will soon be pushing the fence over.
She is also concerned about the impact to the intersection—it is taking longer to get through.
People need greenspace for livability.
Chair Bronson closed the public testimony. Vice -Chair Medhurst moved that the public hearing to
consider proposed amendments to the Federal Way Revised Code relating to multi -family housing be
continued to Wednesday, April 5, 2017, at 6:30 PM in the City Council Chambers. Commissioner Noble-
Gulliford seconded. There was no discussion and the motion passed.
Training
Administrative Assistant Piety delivered training on parliamentary procedures (Robert's Rules of Order).
She went over basic principles, the Commission's public hearing procedures, and the five types of
motions.
Principal Planner Clark delivered training on the Commission's roles and procedures. She went over the
organization chart for the Department of Community Development and basic information about the city's
commissions. She emphasized that it is important to the city to inform citizens about issues and encourage
their participation in the process. She then talked about the comprehensive plan, urban growth boundaries,
and the growth management act's goals. Principal Planner Clark went on to explain the State Environmental
Policy Act (SEPA) and environmentally critical areas. She concluded with explaining the land use process
and the types of use processes the city utilizes.
Chair Bronson commented that a number of years ago he had attended some annexation meetings and at
the time, was told that an annexation had to be initiated by the residents, but now, the city can initialize an
annexation? Deputy City Attorney Orthmann replied that yes, the rules have changed. But while the city
can initialize an annexation, it can only move forward if the residents vote to annex. The city has made
the policy to not to initialize an annexation, but wait until residents vote to do so.
ADDITIONAL BUSINESS
Administrative Assistant Piety had included a copy of the Commission's Rules of Procedure with the
agenda packet. Chair Bronson asked staff to plan to bring the rules to the Commission every four years (at
same time as OPMA training) for review and possible modification. Vice -Chair Medhurst asked how the
Commission can amend the rules. The Commission has changed the start time; should it be amended in
the rules? Deputy City Attorney Orthmann replied that a minor change does not necessarily have to be
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amended in the rules. He went on to state that if the Commission would like to amend the rules, please let
him know what amendment(s) they want and Attorney Orthmann will prepare an ordinance that will come
to the Commission for adoption.
Commissioner Noble-Gulliford requested that a copy of the city's Code of Ethics be provided to the
Commissioners. Administrative Assistant Piety responded that she will email them a copy.
Director Davis informed the Commission that the following issues will come before the Commission in
the next few months: small cell technology; comprehensive plan amendments; and the Planning
Commission's Work Program.
ADJOURN
The meeting was adjourned at 7:50 P.M.
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