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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1981-10-05 Committee of the Whole MinutesOctober 5, 1981 7:00 p.m. CALL TO ORDER COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT OFFICIALS PRESENT DISCUSSION Interurban Avenue Zoning alternatives CITY OF TUKWILA COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE LIONEL C. BOHRER, MABEL J. HARRIS, GEORGE D. HILL, DORIS E. PHELPS, GARY L. VAN DUSEN, Council President. MAYOR TODD; BRAD COLLINS, Planning Director; FRED SATTERSTROM, Planner; MAXINE ANDERSON, City Clerk. 3 YS7 Tukwila City Hall M I N U T E S Council Chambers Council President Van Dusen called the Tukwila City Council Committee of the Whole Meeting together to continue review of the proposed zoning ordinance. Tonight's discussion will include Interurban Avenue and the alternatives for zoning. Mr. Fred Satterstrom, Planner, reviewed the material given to Council for review. It contained: (1) Memo dated October 5 dealing with the analysis of the two C -M zoning alternatives which Council directed planning staff to evaluate. The impact of C -M zoning in the creation of non conforming uses and structures was studied. Also, the impact to buildable area was reviewed; (2) Memo dated October 2 is an explanation of staff's feelings or judgments when they did the evaluation matrix. The four alternatives were: 1. All C -1 east of Interurban. 2. Planning Commission's recommendations. 3. Strict conformance with the Comprehensive Plan. 4. Existing Zoning (3) Property owners meeting. The property owners were divided into three groups and assigned one of the alternative zoning approaches to the Interurban area to evaluate. They were then discussed by the whole group. The property owners listed two preferred zoning schemes: 1. M -1 zoning throughout the Inter- urban corridor. This includes both sides of the Interurban corridor. 2. Existing zoning (modified) -C -2 on the west side, M -1 on the east, except C -2 at the entrance to Fort Dent Park and M -1 on the west side of I -5 interchange. (4) Last, the questionnaire filled in by the Interurban Owners; (5) The fourth memo is about the Special Review Designation; and (6) The memo dated June 15 is dealing with the original evaluation of the alternative zoning proposals for Interurban Ave. Mr. Satterstrom noted that Council now has the following six alternatives to consider: 1. Rezone the entire area to C -1. 2. The Planning Commission's recommendation. 3. Rezone area in strict conformance to the Comprehensive Plan. 4. Maintain existing zoning in the Interurban area. 5. All C -M zoning for all properties east of Interurban Avenue, south of the Riverside Inn, east and west of the river down to the property at the entrance to Fort Dent. 6. Partial C -M, C -M for the vacant parcels and the single family resident sites east of Interurban, south of the Riverside and north of the Village Green Motel. Councilman Hill explained, in his thinking, you don't zone par- cels of land, you decide what use is best for a certain area. The whole west side of Interurban is similar in nature. The C -M or M -1 zoning would be compatible with the businesses already developed on the east side. Council should not allow any tall buildings along Interurban. Maybe we should trade Maule Avenue for another twenty feet along Interurban to make sure we have a park like affect. There is the possibility for mixed uses. How do we want Interurban to develop? He said he favors C -2 on the west side, M -1 on the east with height restrictions closer to Interurban. TUKWILA CITY COUNCIL, C.O.W. October 5, 1981 Page 2 DISCUSSION Cont. Interurban Avenue Zoning alternatives (cont.) Councilman Phelps said she has no problem with this proposal providing a review process is required for the M -1 District. The City cannot continue to depend upon a commercial tax base without encouraging some kind of an employment base. This means encourage some kinds of industrial /manufacturing uses. Also, encourage the mixed use office and multi family resi- dential, regional commercial and M -1 with restrictions or B.A.R. review. Councilman Bohrer said the Community Affairs Committee had two recommendations. Because of the large areas devoted to parks and because the Green River is there, it is an area of high amenity; therefore, there should be an emphasis on people oriented uses office and residential uses were preferred rather than manufacturing. Second, the zoning should foster growth and development in the area. The feeling was that M -1 has not been effective. Mr. Jerry Knudson, audience, referring to the questionnaire answered by the people in the Interurban corridor explained that the consensus of the people that were at the meeting was that for commercial use the traffic on Interurban is too fast. The road is to get people through the City. At 40 miles an hour, they are not pulling off. We did not feel that retail/ commerical is the best thing to put in there. Councilman Harris noted that Council has the right to restrict the speed on city streets and this includes Interurban. Mr. Knudson said that each of the property owners attending these meetings is trying to work out what is the best for Tukwila. As Tukwila grows and prospers so will their business. Mr. Collins noted that, at the property owners meeting, discus- sion was held on the possibility of forming an LID to improve the area. Mr. Aden Odel, 14040 Interurban Ave. So., said that the idea was to form an LID so that all of the property owners would upgrade at one time rather than piecemeal. We want to see a uniform appearance down the corridor. Councilman Bohrer explained that the profile of Interurban Avenue in the study has local tree plantings, a sidewalk on the west side and a barrier with a wider sidewalk on the east side. Mr. Haggard cautioned about any type of an obstruction in the middle of Interurban Avenue. Because of the heavy truck traffic, the exhaust, the noise and the danger, Interurban Avenue is not susceptible to residential living. Councilman Harris said that a boulevard concept would slow the traffic down. It should not be a freeway through town. Mr. Haggard said that slowing down the traffic will not reduce the amount of traffic; it will cause more of a bottle neck. Councilman Harris said it would make it easier to get on and off the street. 3 Lisa Mr. Paul Haggard, 14000 Interurban Ave. So., said that they are all here because they want to see the community improved. They hope their input has a bearing on Council decision. Our group has been consistent over the past four years as to our feelings over Interurban Avenue and what they felt was good for the com- munity as a whole. They do want to see Interurban Avenue beautified but they don't like the plan of putting a boulevard down the middle. This could be dangerous from the traffic stand- point. Having a row of trees lining the street is a simple, inexpensive way of getting beauty into the area. Mr. Richard Aramburu, Attorney at 505 Madison Street, Seattle, said he represents 8 property owners east of Interuban. He urged Council and staff to look at all of the means that are available to control land uses. The City has a Shoreline Master TUKWILA CITY COUNCIL, C.O.W. October 5 Page 3 DISCUSSION Cont. Interurban Avenue Program and the shoreline permits are required for all activity Zoning alternatives within 200 feet of the river. This affects a number of the (cont.) properties in the corridor. It is ample control over these properties. He asked when Council would get to the formal hearing process. Mr. Collins said the current schedule has Council holding public hearings sometime in December. RECESS 9:20 p.m. Mr. Mark Bateman, 5415 4th South, Seattle, said he represents some property owners on the east side. Several of the lots are vacant so the comment that the vacant property owners are not represented is not true. Mr. Robert Thorpe, 815 Seattle Tower, said they have been working with some property owners east of Interurban. Their figures show that 56% of the area is manufacturing, 30% is vacant, 13% is single family, and less than 1% is commercial. The action to make the zoning other than M -1 would make a number of the land uses incompatible. The industrial uses in the area are well established. The City has cascading zoning; if commercial and office demand exist these uses could be established in the M -1. If you change from the M -1 to C -1, you make a large portion of these properties nonconforming and it has a tremendous economic impact. Goals for the area might be accomplished through design standards. Councilman Bohrer said that over -all design is just one of Council's concerns. They have no desire to make major parts of the City nonconforming. The problem is how to accomplish some of the objectives Council has and still not make the properties nonconforming. Mr. Harvey Locke, 14225 Interurban Avenue South, said he is concerned about the errors in the analysis of the questionnaire. The consistent factor in the questionnaire is that the people who responded were opposed to C -1 zoning and C -M zoning. There is a consistency; the owners are opposed to the proposals. C -1 is very restrictive; if you want a community oriented business base, it will not work. C -2 is more practical. MOVED BY HARRIS, SECONDED BY BOHRER, THAT COUNCIL TAKE A FIVE MINUTE BREAK. MOTION CARRIED. Council President Van Dusen called the Committee of the Whole Meeting back to order at 9:30 p.m. Council President Van Dusen reviewed the six proposals before Council and asked them to make a decision. MOVED BY HARRIS, SECONDED BY PHELPS, THAT COUNCIL EXCLUDE ALTERNATE 1. REZONE ENTIRE AREA TO C -1. MOTION CARRIED. Councilman Bohrer suggested that Council accept the Planning Commission's recommendation for the area excluding the area south of the Riverside and north of the Village Green. Councilman Harris said she has no problem with C -2 on the west side. Councilman Phelps concurred. MOVED BY HILL, SECONDED BY PHELPS, THAT ALL OF THE LAND ON THE WEST SIDE OF INTERURBAN BE ZONED C -2 FROM 405 TO I -5.* Councilman Hill clarified this would be just on the west side to the base of the hill. Councilman Harris said she favors this because it would make none of the buildings nonconforming. Councilman Bohrer said that much of the west side of Interurban has been recently changed to C -1 or is compatible with that use. There is no point in making these properties C -2. *MOTION CARRIED WITH BOHRER VOTING NO. 3 VS_3 TUKWILA CITY COUNCIL, C.O.W. October 5, 1981 Page 4 DISCUSSION Cont. Interurban Avenue MOVED BY BOHRER, SECONDED BY HARRIS, THAT THE EAST SIDE, EX- Zoning alternatives CLUDING THE AREA SOUTH OF THE RIVERSIDE AND NORTH OF THE VILLAGE (cont.) GREEN, BE THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATION.* The Commission's recommendation called for C -2 zoning at the major interchanges with I -5 and I -405; C -1 zoning on both sides of Interurban on "interior" properties, and industrial use east of Maule Avenue between South 139th and South 147th. Mr. Collins noted that the Planning Commission's recommendation for C -1 on the east side is a very narrow strip. If you have C -2 on the west side, it would be more appropriate to have a consistency between the east and west sides. MOVED BY PHELPS, SECONDED BY HILL, THAT THE MOTION BE AMENDED TO DESIGNATE THE C -1 PROPERTIES C -2, CONSISTENT WITH THE WEST SIDE OF INTERURBAN. Councilman Phelps clarified that her motion addresses the property south of the Village Green and north of 58th Avenue South. *MOTION CARRIED. Councilman Harris noted that the area from the Riverside Inn to the Golf Course is still zoned M -1. *ORIGINAL MOTION CARRIED AS AMENDED. MOVED BY BOHRER, SECONDED BY HARRIS, THAT THE AREA WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES ILLUSTRATED BY HIM ON THE MAP (closest to Interurban including the area between Interurban and Maule Avenue) BE C -M AND THE AREA EAST OF THAT, CLOSEST TO THE RIVER, REMAIN M -1.* Most of the property within the boundary is either vacant or single family. It leaves the bulk of the developed properties M -1. This is an attempt to reach a balance between Council's primary goals (1. Foster people oriented uses, and 2. Cause something to happen, which the past M -1 zone hasn't done) and the current developing trend. Councilman Phelps said she cannot support dividing up the area into two different types of zoning designations but would prefer to adopt one with special consid- erations. Mr. Knudson commented that this proposal makes his property non- conforming. This would put them out of business. He asked Council to consider this fact. Councilman Bohrer said, if this is so, it needs amending, it is not his intent to make property nonconforming. Mr. Knudson pointed out the area that would be nonconforming. He reminded Council that a petition from the residents of the area was presented to them requesting the zoning of the area to remain M -1. Mr. Collins said that none of the uses in this area would be- come nonconforming under C -M zoning; a number of the structures would become nonconforming. *MOTION FAILED: 3 NO; 2 YES. MOVED BY HILL, SECONDED BY PHELPS, THAT COUNCIL GO ALONG WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATION AND MAKE THE AREA IN QUESTION M -1 AS SHOWN ON THE MAP.* Councilman Hill clarified that the C -2 would be on the Puget Power right -of -way. 3VSy TUKWILA CITY COUNCIL, C.O.W. October 5, 1981 Page 5 DISCUSSION Cont. Interurban Avenue Zoning alternatives (cont.) 10:15 p.m. ADJOURNMENT: 10:30 P.M. Councilman Phelps said that within this particular area some of the uses allowed could be conditional uses. Make the area relate more to pedestrian and office types of uses, maybe mixed development uses, not so much heavy industrial and manufacturing, and some modification of landscaping and setback requirements. She said she would like to see a set of guidelines adopted. Councilman Bohrer suggested staff be directed to make a pro- posal on Special Use District consideration on this area with M -1 zoning. MOVED BY HILL, SECONDED BY HARRIS, THAT THE MOTION BE AMENDED TO DIRECT STAFF TO DRAW A PROPOSAL FOR A SPECIAL REVIEW DISTRICT UNDER THE M -1 ZONING. Councilman Phelps said that if this motion is adopted as amended, the subject deserves one more meeting of the Council to go through the M -1 zoning and review it to see which types of applications are really viable and which are not and what can be done about the physical restrictions on M -1 zoning re- lated to setbacks and landscaping. Councilman Bohrer said he felt staff should be looking to try to implement the two concerns expressed by Council. The in- tent was to foster, in this particular area, uses that were more people oriented and to change the zoning to try to make something happen. *MOTION CARRIED. Council President Van Dusen left the meeting. MOVED BY BOHRER, SECONDED BY PHELPS, THAT PARCELS 82, 83 AND 84 BE DESIGNATED AS C -2. MOTION CARRIED WITH HILL VOTING NO. *ORIGINAL MOTION CARRIED AS AMENDED. MOVED BY BOHRER, SECONDED BY HARRIS, THAT THE TUKWILA CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING ADJOURN. MOTION CARRIED. Cowl President Van Dusk City C4'erk 3 vs