02-16-2022 Planning Commission Minutes
Planning Commission Minutes Page 1 February 16, 2022
CITY OF FEDERAL WAY
PLANNING COMMISSION
February 16, 2022
6:30 p.m. Via Zoom
MEETING MINUTES
Commissioners present: Lawson Bronson, Hope Elder, Tim O’Neil, Wayne Carlson, Tom Medhurst, Diana
Noble-Gulliford, Anna Patrick, and Jae So. Commissioners excused: Vickie Chynoweth and Eric Olson.
City Staff present: Planning Manager Keith Niven, City Attorney Kent van Alstyne, Admin & Permit Center
Supervisor Kari Cimmer.
CALL TO ORDER
Chair Bronson called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m.
MINUTES
After discussion, the January 19, 2022 minutes were approved with three modifications.
PUBLIC COMMENT
Jane Sidlo, spoke against the Bally’s project and doesn’t want multifamily built there. She encouraged the City
to push back against developers. Chair Bronson thanked her for her feedback.
Commissioner Noble-Gulliford asked what Ms. Sidlo would like to see there instead, to which she responded
health food or grocery store.
Commissioner Patrick was concerned that everyone has not been heard on the Bally’s project. Planning
Manager Niven explained that the Bally’s rezone project was before the Commission a few months ago and has
moved on to City Council. Commissioner Carlson supported his comment.
City Attorney van Alstyne noted that the comp plan amendment is past the planning commission and with the
City Council; anything new will need to go through legal review. The Development Agreement negotiations are
underway as City is not satisfied with the proposals so far. Chair Bronson recommended that this project stay
within the current process and not initiate anything new regarding Bally’s.
COMMISSION BUSINESS
Planning Manager Niven introduced subject of the Comprehensive Plan (comp plan) updates. He’d like to start
with focus on the Land Use Chapter, starting with overview and Goals, then into the Policy section over two
meetings. Described the Comprehensive Plan in place. Discussed Potential Annexation Area (PAA) with regard
to the comp plan.
For ease of use, Commissioner Noble-Gulliford requested that the agenda packet have its own separate page
numbers for the full packet. Planning Manager Niven responded that it will happen.
Part of staff’s proposed changes are to the chapter titles and the colors on the City’s Comp Plan vs. Zoning Map.
Also, using simplified land use designations would create an easier process for a zoning change.
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Planning Manager Niven then went thru the proposed revisions to the Land Use chapter of the Comp Plan.
LUG 1 Proposed: “Support land use that implements the goals of the Growth Management Act (GMA),
VISION 2050 Regional Growth Strategy, KC Countywide Planning Policies, and provide sufficient
direction to accomplish the goals ad policies contained in this plan.”
LUG 2 Proposed: “Provide sufficient land area to meet the city’s projected needs for housing employment,
and public facilities for the next 20 years.”
LUG 3 Proposed: “Provide sufficient densities and intensities of uses to meet the city’s centers designations.”
LUG 4 No change proposed.
LUG 5 Proposed: “Enhance the health and vitality of Federal Way’s existing neighborhoods to maintain a
vibrant, sustainable, and family-oriented community.”
LUG 3.1 This should be moved to the housing chapter.
LUG 4 This should be moved to the housing chapter.
LUG 6 Change some of the verbiage to make it more understandable. Proposed: “Periodically update the city
inventory of buildable land capacity and evaluate development activity and achieved densities to
ensure that the city is able to meet its regionally-adopted housing and employment targets over the
next 20 years.”
LUG 7 Guidance should be provided from the comp plan about a zoning change, is more predictable.
Proposed: “Accommodate a majority of the city’s growth in the Regional Growth Center and
Countywide Center.”
LUG 8 The small shopping areas provide places to gather. Proposed: “Provide retail areas for shopping
designed to serve neighborhoods, recognizing their multiple roles; serving residents’ needs, acting as
community gathering places, and helping to establish neighborhood identity.”
LUG 9 Potential for lessening of demand for office/corporate park type construction. Like to support school
districts efforts to expand. Proposed: “Support the school district’s efforts to identify and plan for
further school facility siting that meets the community’s needs.”
LUG 10 Since it’s so specific (Weyerhaeuser), change needed. Proposed: “Ensure the city’s land use codes
are responsive to land use decisions and changes in state statutes.”
LUG 11 Child care needs to be easier to locate. Proposed: “Support the provision of child care and access to
healthy food equitably throughout the city.”
LUG 12 Pulled from the PAA section; there should be recognition of what they are now. Proposed: “Respect
the character, integrity, and unique qualities of PAA Neighborhoods through the annexation
process.”
Discussion started by Commissioner Noble-Gulliford who believes Sound Transit is too hard to support and
thinks low density residential is what citizens really want. Planning Manager Niven responded to her concerns
regarding what the City needs to add in the Regional Growth Center (RGC), including the 11,000+ housing
units we’re expected to build in the city over the next 20 years.
Commissioner O’Neil responded that he likes the reasoning behind these changes. Commissioner Carlson
believes these changes should work for the updated comp plan. Referring to LUG 6, he has issue with the
employment and housing goals, which seem politically motivated. Believes there are likely a lot of citizens who
don’t really want the density.
Planning Manager Niven discussed how Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) and Office of Financial
Management (OFM) provide the planning numbers for our City. Commissioner O’Neil said he thought we got
transportation money based on the new 20-year period goals. How does the market affect anything in the comp
plan updates? Planning Manager Niven described the designation changes, if we lost our designation we would
likely lose transportation dollars.
Chair Bronson commented that he feels like we’re not being listened to again by King County. Will the heights
of buildings increase? Does SKFR have equipment in place to fight fires in very tall buildings? Planning
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Manager Niven responded that the question may be is a very tall building (a size that is currently allowed) the
right size for Federal Way? The Comp Plan/zoning needs to be clearer and more specific, if these are the goals.
Commissioner Noble-Gulliford mentioned the old Symphony project and the 4 buildings that were proposed
several years ago with an extended height limit and we’ve never revisited that code. Mentioned a SHAG
property in Auburn, which makes the area feel like a canyon. Compared to Kent, that has a development where
the old golf course was. They’ve pushed the buildings back, have wider sidewalks, it’s less claustrophobic.
Would like to see Federal Way meet somewhere in the middle of these two.
Chair Bronson asked if SKFR could fight fires in tall buildings over six-seven floors. Planning Manager Niven
will verify with SKFR about mid and large size buildings.
Planning Manager Niven noted he won’t be covering Policies at this meeting. Then, asked the Commissioners to
look at these items and make suggestions to him.
Chair Bronson asked if the agenda packet could be repaginated and sent to them so they can refer to the pages
when they contact the Planning Manager. Chair Bronson asked for a larger copy of the maps in the agenda
packet. Planning Manager Niven said we will make the changes and send them.
MANAGER REPORT
Thursday, 2/17/22, is the first Comprehensive Plan update ad-hoc committee meeting. He’s looking forward to
the discussions.
The City Council has given the greenlight to issuing the Request for Proposal on the Town Center 3 project. The
City will be hiring a consultant to do a development plan for that property. City will look for partners to building
this site. Will be able to control the outcome to get what is need in the downtown area.
LUTC approved the three proposed Comprehensive Plan items on the docket for this year. Three amendments
are a request to go from single to multi family, a zoning change to BC zone, and a proposal from our Public
Works department to add a number of non-motorized trails within the City so they can apply for funding.
NEXT MEETING
March 2, 2022 Regular Meeting.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 8:31 p.m.