HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning 2021-06-10 Minutes - Tukwila South Overlay District Residential DevelopmentCity of Tukwila
Allan Ekberg, Mayor
Department of Community Development - Jack Pace, Director
CITY OF TUKWILA
PLANNING COIMIMISSION
PUBLIC HEARING MINUTES
Date: June 10, 2021
Time: 6:30 PM
Location: Virtual meeting via Microsoft Teams
Present: Chair Louise Strander; Commissioners Dennis Martinez, Sharon Mann, Dixie Stark, Andrea
Reay and Apneet Sidhu
Excused
Absence: Vice Chair Karen Simmons
Staff: Department of Community Development (DCD): Acting Planning Supervisor Nancy Eklund,
Senior Planner Max Baker; Business Relations Manager Brandon Miles; and Planning
Commission (PC) Secretary Wynetta Bivens
Protocols: Nancy Eklund, Acting Planning Supervisor, DCD, went over the virtual meeting protocols.
Quorum: PC Secretary confirmed that a quorum of PC members was present.
Adopt Commissioner Mann moved to adopt the 5/27/21 minutes.
Minutes: Commissioner Martinez seconded the motion. Motion passed.
PUBLIC HEARING
Chair Strander opened the public hearing for:
CASE NUMBERS:
PURPOSE:
LOCATION:
L19-0115
Adoption of design standards and guidelines
for residential development in the Tukwila
South Overlay (TSO) District.
TSO District; north of S 204th St, west of Duwamish River, south of S 180th, east of
Orillia Rd/I-5
A comment letter was received from Mike Pruett, for the applicant, on 6/7/21 and forwarded to the PC. At the
4/22/21 public hearing, the PC directed staff and the applicant to work together on unresolved issues. The
applicant noted in their comment letter that staff resolved most of the concerns they raised. But they were
directed by staff to submit a comment letter to the PC attention to address the following two remaining
unresolved issues: (Comment # 6) The size threshold for larger off-site recreation areas; and (Comment # 11)
The maximum allowable block perimeter. These comments were in the staff report in the 6/10/21 PC packet and
were also included in the 4/21/21 public comment letter.
Tukwila City Hall • 6200 Southcenter Boulevard = Tukwila, WA 98188 • 206-433-1800 • Website: TukwilaWA.gov
PC Public Hearing
6/10/21
Page 2
Max Baker, Senior Planner, DCD, gave the presentation for staff. He provided a recap of the project. Utilizing
a PowerPoint presentation, he walked through staff's responses to the comments in the applicant's comment
letters, submitted on 4/21/21 and 6/7/21.
Following are the applicant's comments/requests to the proposed Development Standards and Design
Guidelines, along with Staff's responses:
Comment 1: Existing TSO recreation space requirements should not be used for the rest of Tukwila
South.
Staff's response: Staff agrees.
Comment 2:
Staff's response:
Senior citizens recreation space to be onsite or offsite, with a 50/50 indoor/outdoor ratio.
Staff agrees — but recommended a 40/60 indoor/outdoor ratio.
Comment 3: Applicant does not support the last sentence of note #4, "As part of any proposal to
allow off-site recreation area to be constructed on-site, the applicant shall demonstrate
why off-site recreation space is impractical to be provided, due to geography,
accessibility, or costs." Applicant believes this would only make it more burdensome to
locate recreation space onsite/close to a residential project. And suggested removal of
the sentence.
Staff's response: Staff agrees.
Comment 4: The point of measurement for the one-quarter to one-half mile offsite recreation area
determination be revised to read, "closest perimeter of the residential project."
Staff's response: Staff proposed revised language: "Off-site recreation area must be accessible within
one-quarter mile for a children's play area, replacing the onsite requirement to one-half
mile for other offsite recreation area as measured from the closest structure containing
residential units."
Comment 5: Relocation of this section.
Staff's response: Staff accepts relocation.
Comment 6: Decrease from 2.5 acres to 2.0 acres to better correspond to actual planned park area...
Staff's response: Staff recommends the 2.5 -acre standard for delayed recreation space banking remain,
which was a collaborative recommendation by Parks and Recreation.
Comment 7: The applicant was unclear what constitutes a steep slope and what is measured as offsite
recreation.
Staff's response: Staff provided clarifying language to read, "Only the area of improvement, within a
sensitive area tract would count toward the recreation space requirement, not the entire
tract."
Comment 8: The applicant noted that the one-quarter mile measurement is for a child's play area.
Staff's response: Staff concurred.
Comment 9: Applicant suggested redlined language may be easier to measure as the perimeter is easy
to find, as opposed to 50% of the proposed units.
Staff's response: Staff recommended language to read, "The closest structure containing residential units
must be located within one-quarter mile... (accessory buildings excluded)."
Phone: 206-433-1800 • Email: Mayor@TukwilaWA.gov • Website: TukwilaWA.gov
PC Public Hearing
6/10/21
Page 3
Comment 10:
Staff's response:
Comment 11:
Staff's response:
Connectivity and circulation language should be a guideline and not a standard.
Staff recommended connectivity requirements are incorporated as part of the Tukwila
Municipal Code (TMC) 18.41 (Regulations for connectivity are typically located within
the TMC, making them "standards.")
The applicant is concerned that this requirement is too restrictive and at odds with other
design standards and guidelines. They are requesting to maintain the current language
but increase the maximum block perimeter from 1,800 feet to 2,000 feet.
Staff recommends the maximum block perimeter of 1,800 feet remain.
Mike Pruett, for the applicant, provided clarification on the issues associated with the request to reduce
(comment # 6) from 2.5 acres to 2 acres. He stated the trigger to delay timing of offsite recreation space to a later
date is more important than the size threshold. He emphasized that the time is triggered by the acreage. He said
an outcome of 2.5 acres will not help this site and that he would not build the park with a 2.5 acreage. Therefore,
anything for offsite recreation would not get developed. He stated that means 696 residential units will not get
built because he would be concerned with future impacts to their project after it is finished. He reiterated that
they are asking for the flexibility of extra time. In response to a PC question, the applicant stated that their
request is specific to the site location, because King County has been working on a levy setback project adjacent
to their property.
He also provided explanation on why it is important to have some flexibility on the block perimeter (comment #
11). He said the increase from 1,800 feet to 2,000 feet would mean less expense per unit for the development,
which would potentially make the units more affordable for the community. He said he appreciates the
Director's ability to make modifications but developers from outside the area would view it as uncertainty and
take their capital to other jurisdictions.
PC inquired as to the reasoning behind the recommendation for 700 -foot maximum block face length and why
blocks in the Tukwila Urban Center appear to be 1,000 feet in length or greater. Staff stated that their
recommendation was based on best practice findings, such as the American Planning Associations (APA)
recommendation that street blocks be no longer than 600 -feet in length and that a block perimeter be no larger
than 2,000 feet in circumference for residential projects. Staff also noted the Tukwila Urban Center chapter of
the TMC contains regulations aimed at reducing the historically large block face lengths in the district. The
applicant provided additional clarification of their objective as well.
PC walked through each of the 11 comments.
PC Recommendations:
Comment #1:
Comment #2:
Comment #3:
Comment #4:
Comment #5:
Comment #6:
Comment #7:
Comment #8:
The PC were in consensus with staff's recommendation.
The PC were in consensus with staff's recommendation.
The PC were in consensus with staff's recommendation.
The PC were in consensus with staff's recommendation.
The PC were in consensus with staff's recommendation.
The PC were not in consensus with staff's recommendation for the 2.5 -acre standard to
remain. The PC recommended that the applicant's preferred standard of 2.0 acres for
delayed recreation space banking be approved.
The PC were in consensus with staff's recommendation.
The PC were in consensus with staff's recommendation.
Phone: 206-433-1800 • Email: Mayor@TukwilaWA.gov • Website: TukwilaWA.gov
PC Public Hearing
6/10/21
Page 4
Comment #9:
Comment #10:
Comment #11:
The PC were in consensus with staff's recommendation.
The PC were in consensus with staff's recommendation.
The PC did not agree with staff, and recommended approval of the applicant's request to
increase the block perimeter to 2,000 feet.
Public Testimony:
There were no public comments. The public hearing was closed.
PC Deliberation:
The PC asked clarifying questions on comment number 6. To obtain additional clarification Chair Strander re-
opened the public hearing and the PC asked additional clarifying questions. The public hearing was re -closed.
Motions:
Commissioner Mann moved to approve Case Number L19-0115 for comment numbers 1-5, and comment
numbers 7-10, with staff's recommendations and forward them to the City Council for their review, excluding
comment numbers 6 and 11. Commissioner Martinez seconded the motion. All were in favor. Motion passed.
Commissioner Reay moved to approve Case Number L19-0115 for comment number 11 for the block perimeter
as amended from 1,800 feet to 2,000 feet and forward to the City Council for their review. Commissioner
Martinez seconded the motion. Motion passed.
Commissioner Stark moved to approve Case Number L19-0115 for comment number 6 as amended from 2.5
acres to 2.0 acres. Commissioner Martinez seconded the motion. Motion passed. Commissioner Mann
opposed.
DIRECTOR'S REPORT
Staff asked the PC to provide feedback on the feasibility of having an additional meeting in August and/or
September, as well as October, or whether it was preferable to address multiple items during the scheduled
meetings.
- Staff will determine specific dates as soon as possible and poll the Commission on availability and to
determine quorum for additional meetings.
Adjourned: 9:35 p.m.
Submitted by: Wynetta Bivens
Planning Commission Secretary
Adopted: 6/24/21
Phone: 206-433-1800 • Email: Mayor@TukwilaWA.gov • Website: TukwilaWA.gov