Planning 2018-01-25 Minutes - Public Hearing - TMC 18.54 Tree Regulations / TMC 18.06 Definitions Updates

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City of Tukwila Planning Commission PLANNING COMMISSION PUBLIC HEARING MINUTES Date: January 25, 2018 Time: 6:30 PM Location: Council Chambers Present: Chair, Nhan Nguyen; Vice Chair, Dennis Martinez; Commissioners, Miguel Maestas, Mike Hansen, and Louise Strander Absent: Commissioners Sharon Mann and Heidi Watters Staff: Nora Gierloff, Deputy Director, Carol Lumb, Senior Planner; Andrea Cummins, Urban Environmentalist, and Wynetta Bivens, Planning Commission Secretary Chair, Nguyen called the public hearing to order at 6:35 PM. Commissioner Nguyen thanked Commissioner Maestas for doing a wonderful job as the 2017 Chair. AdoptionCommissioner Strander requested amendments to the minutes to include several ofMinutes: questions that she raised at the 12/14/17 work session. Staff requested one addition to the minutes. Commissioner Hansen made a motion to adopt the 12/14/17 minutes as amended to include the eight questions listed below that Commissioner Strander asked at the Commissioner meeting, as well as staff’s addition. Martinez seconded the motion. All were in favor. The addition to the minutes are as follows: 1)What is the difference between an exemption and an exception? Staff : An exemption is a circumstance when the tree regulations are not applicable. An exception is similar to a variance. If there are some special circumstances that make it difficult or impossible to meet the requirements of the tree code this process is used to allow flexibility. 2)How is the City going to fulfill GMA goals to encourage more single-family and multi-family housing while preserving the tree canopy? Staff : It is a balancing act. The code requires to the extent possible trees be retained on site. For multi-family development, defer to the Landscaping Code, most of the site would probably be cleared, although if possible to retain trees is encouraged. Otherwise, the landscaping code would specify the amount of landscaping required on the front, sides and rear. For individual single-family development there is no requirement for landscaping. For subdivisions, try to preserve the trees that can be incorporated into the development, otherwise there are street tree requirements for subdivisions, and requirement for replacement trees in sensitive areas. Also, try to maintain some protection of the trees on the older homes that currently exist to get to our goals.