HomeMy WebLinkAboutPCD 2022-06-06 Item 1D - Briefing - 2024-2044 Comprehensive Plan UpdateCity of Tukwila
Allan Ekberg, Mayor
Department of Community Development - Nora Gierloff, AICP, Director
TO: Planning and Community Development Committee
FROM: Nora Gierloff, AICP, DCD Director
BY: Nancy Eklund, AICP
CC: Mayor Ekberg
DATE: May 31, 2022
SUBJECT: Tukwila 2024-2044 Comprehensive Plan Update Process - Briefing
ISSUE
This agenda item is to brief the City Council on the required Periodic Update of the
City's Comprehensive Plan, to be completed by the end of 2024.
Staff is requesting Council direction to begin work on the Tukwila Comprehensive Plan
Periodic Update.
BACKGROUND
The Washington State Growth Management Act (GMA) requires certain cities, towns,
and counties to develop comprehensive plans that plan for anticipated population
growth in a coordinated and intentional way, creating both regional and statewide
alignment. Comprehensive Planning provides cities with the opportunity to consider
how and where they want to distribute growth, accommodate new trends, and
coordinate municipal and community efforts to adapt to change over time.
The GMA requires that each jurisdiction, as part of an eight-year periodic review cycle
(RCW 36.70A.130)1, take legislative action to review and, if needed, revise their
comprehensive plan and associated development regulations to ensure that they
comply with the GMA. At a minimum, the review must include consideration of critical
area ordinances and provide an analysis of how the City will plan for population growth
expected over the next 20 years.
The review of the comprehensive plan and development regulations is required to
include a public participation program, and needs to address state laws identified
through Washington Department of Commerce GMA Periodic Review Checklist; align
with the Puget Sound Regional Council's Vision 2050 and Regional Growth Strategy;
respond to the King County Countywide Planning Policies (CPPs); and address any
This interval was amended to require plan updating every 10 years by the 2022 legislature.
Tukwila City Hall • 6200 Southcenter Boulevard • Tukwila, WA 98188 • 206-433-1800 • Website: TukwilaWA.gov
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planning issues identified as locally important. The City of Tukwila's periodic review and
necessary updates must be adopted by December 31, 2024.
Tukwila's Comprehensive Plan
A comprehensive plan is a broad statement of community goals and policies that direct
the orderly and coordinated physical development of a jurisdiction into the future. It
reflects the results of public involvement, technical analysis, and the judgment of
decision makers. The goals, policies, and maps of this Comprehensive Plan provide
the guide for designating the use of land, implementing regulations, investing in
infrastructure, and developing programs and services.
The City's first Comprehensive Plan under GMA was adopted in 1995. The Plan has
been kept current with specific annual updates, as well as through a more
comprehensive review in 2004 and in a phased review from 2011 through 2015. During
each update, the City reached out to City residents, employees, and property owners to
encourage them to participate in shaping the priorities that would be identified in the
Plan. A plan for how that outreach will occur for this coming update is being developed.
The City's current Comprehensive Plan includes the following elements (i.e., chapters):
Required Elements
Optional Elements
Land Use*
Natural Environment
Housing
Shoreline
Capital Facilities
Residential Neighborhoods
Utilities
Subarea plans
Transportation
Tukwila International Boulevard District
Economic Development
Tukwila South
Parks, Recreation and Open Space
Southcenter — Tukwila's Urban Center
Manufacturing / Industrial Center
Community Image and Identity
Roles and Responsibilities
*The City does not have a single Land Use element but has individual elements for the major
areas of the City.
Each element provides goals and policies, which are realized through the
implementation of the City's associated development regulations. At the time of the
adoption of the Comprehensive Plan, all implementing regulations must also be
adopted.
2024 Tukwila Comprehensive Plan Update
The 2024 update will integrate state, regional, and county requirements with community
feedback, the City Council's vision for the City, and guidance from City studies and
plans. The scope of the update includes:
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1. Confirming and updating the vision for growth and development in the City, including
expanding housing and employment capacity within the City, its identified Regional
Growth Centers, and targeted local centers, to be consistent with the growth targets
identified in the Countywide Planning Policies (CPPs);
2. Amending the Housing element section to be consistent with the revised Housing
section of the CPPB and addressing the need for more housing types and affordable
options for all;
3. Including policies that address and aim to correct the legacy of discrimination;
4. Employing consistent, equitable outreach and engagement with the full diversity of
the City's communities;
5. Including policies that address the causes and impacts of climate change and
enhance the resiliency of the built and natural environments;
6. Making policy changes in all the elements that reflect the City's priorities for the next
20 years;
7. Updating the Plan's implementation strategies to ensure local accountability for
implementing the plan, and enabling the City to comply with new requirements that
an implementation monitoring report be submitted within 5 years of the Plan
Update's adoption; and
8. Exploring opportunities to modify the format and presentation of the Plan and its
goals and policies to enhance the document's accessibility and utility to the City
Council, City departments and staff, and residential, commercial, and business
communities. This could mean reviewing existing policies to identify opportunities
for consolidating policy intent to help streamline the City's policy direction.
The update will include changes to numerous elements of the plan and, possibly, the
future land use map. Updates to the vision and policy direction of the plan may be
required as public outreach either confirms or revises the community vision. The level
of environmental review that will be needed for this update (per the State Environmental
Policy Act) will likely be an addendum to the existing environmental documents,
depending on the degree of "course correction" expressed during the public outreach.
DISCUSSION
The horizon year for the upcoming comprehensive plan update is 2044. To plan for
2044, the comprehensive plan will need edits to many sections. As guided by policy
direction from Vision 2050 and the CPPs, one significant focus of the update will be to
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evaluate and enhance the jobs and housing balance within the City. This balance is key
to supporting regional mobility, access to living -wage jobs, and affordable housing.
Housing and Jobs Targets
Housing and jobs targets are based on population forecasts done by the Washington
Office of Financial Management (OFM). Population is then allocated to counties by the
PSRC, and then to the regional geographies and individual cities by the County. In King
County, the Urban Growth Capacity Analysis (Buildable Lands) evaluates housing unit
and employment capacity in each city based on existing development, zoning, and
development projects in the pipeline. The capacity analysis informs the assignment of
housing and employment targets for each City, which are then adopted as part of the
King County Countywide Planning Policies (CPPs).
The CPPs define the growth targets for housing and jobs for each city within King
County. Based on forecasts, the population growth for the Puget Sound region for
2019-2044 period is anticipated to be approximately 1.3 million and job growth
projection is 884,450 jobs. King County is expected to take approximately 50 percent of
this growth. Tukwila is one of the 10 Core cities in King County, and collectively these
Core cities are expected to plan for 112,850 new housing units and 222,800 new jobs.
Tukwila's 2044 growth targets (in the blue column below) are as follows:
King County Growth Targets for the
Cit of Tukwila
Housing
Jobs
2021 Housing Units.'
(Estimated)
8,839
2020 Employment4
(Covered)
45,180
Existing Target2
(2015-2035
lannin..eriod
5,626 new units
Existing Target2
(2015-2035
plannin. period
20,358 new 'obs
New Target3
(2019-2044
planning period)4
6500 new units
New Target3
(2019-2044
planning period)
15,890 new jobs
1 Washington State Office of Financial Management, Forecasting and Research Division, Postcensal
Estimates of Housing Units, April 1, 2020 to April 1, 2021 (Revised)
2 King County, 2021 King County Urban Growth Capacity Report, June 2021, pages 32 and 42.
3 King County, 2021 King County Countywide Planning Policies, p. 23.
4 PSRC, 2020 Covered Employment Estimates by Jurisdiction, (based on the Washington State
Employment Security Department's (ESD) Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) series)
(Covered employment refers to a specific category of work that is protected by the United States labor
laws. These laws prohibit employers from discriminating against employees or applicants based on
certain characteristics, such as race, sex, or age. Covered employment also includes workers who are
eligible for overtime pay and other benefits.)
The Buildable Lands process indicated that Tukwila has both sufficient housing and job
capacity to absorb the targets for housing units and jobs for the 2044 horizon. Although
the City has capacity for this growth, the City's overall rate of growth has been well
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below that needed to achieve the targets. Between 2018 and 2020, a total of 846
housing units were constructed in Tukwila, a sharp rise from the 2006-2018 period
when a total of 130 new units were added. This reflects new multifamily developments
in the Tukwila Urban Center and the Tukwila International Blvd. corridor.
Affordable Housing
In addition, the 2021 Washington Legislature instructed local governments to "plan for
and accommodate" housing affordable to all income levels. These requirements include
an inventory and analysis of existing and projected housing needs for all economic
segments, as well as the need for permanent supportive housing, emergency housing,
and emergency shelters.
The requirements mandate that jurisdictions link their goals with overall County goals to
ensure that the comprehensive plan housing element goals are met. Commerce will be
providing these projections of affordable housing need to King County, and then the
County will work with its cities to project their individual housing need, broken out by
income levels (moderate, low, very low and extremely low income), as well as special
housing needs (emergency housing, emergency shelters and permanent supportive
housing). The County's Affordable Housing Committee of the Growth Management
Planning Council (GMPC) will identify the affordable housing need allocations by
November 2022, and will provide a recommendation to the GMPC for their action in
early 2023.
One of the largest challenges that Washington communities are facing is how to provide
"missing middle" housing. Missing Middle Housing is defined as a range of modestly
sized buildings with multiple units — compatible in scale and form with detached single
family homes — that are located within walkable neighborhoods. This housing can
include duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, cottage courts, multiplexes, and other small -
footprint homes, and is typically two to three stories in height. Because of the diversity
in unit footprint, this type of housing also provides a wider range of housing costs.
Tukwila has also prioritized greater housing development and options in the City's
Urban Center and those areas adjacent to the transit hubs.
Additional Focus Areas of the Update (based on direction CPPs and Vision 2050)
In addition to addressing the strategy for achieving the City's housing and job targets,
the Comprehensive Plan's update will also need to:
• embed race and social equity into the planning process and plan content;
• address the potential for displacement of residents and jobs;
• strengthen and preserve a strong sense of community in the face of environmental
and social changes;
• improve the quality of life for Tukwila residents; and
• consider how to support community resilience in response to disruptive
environmental, economic, and social events.
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The updated comprehensive plan will address these values and issues in a cohesive,
accessible document that expresses continuity in community vision, goals, policies,
strategies, and implementation actions.
Several ongoing parallel efforts may continue to shift the direction of Plan update work
over the next couple years. Ongoing legislative actions, particularly regarding potential
requirements for a new Climate and Resiliency Element, and additional provisions for
"missing middle" housing may continue to impact the baseline state requirements.
Rulemaking for the 2022 legislation will also guide the update. Staff will provide
additional detail at subsequent study sessions highlighting the schedule and potential
impacts for this ongoing work. A high-level draft schedule is included as an attachment
to this memo (Attachment A).
Community Engagement Strategy: Throughout the development of the plan, staff will
periodically check in with the Council regarding the plan's progress. The Tukwila
Planning Commission is tasked with reviewing proposed amendments, and conducting
public outreach and ultimately a public hearing, after which the plan is forwarded to the
Council (TMC 18.80). The Council will then review the recommendation, hold another
public hearing, and issue a decision. DCD staff will develop a public engagement plan
for the process that will be shared with the Council at a future meeting.
DCD is coordinating with other City departments to combine engagement efforts as they
work on related projects such as Public Works' Transportation Master Plan and the
Economic Development Plan. The intent of this coordination is to increase efficiency
and reduce outreach fatigue. We are also drawing on information from other efforts
such as Health Point's community engagement report.
Public engagement will be conducted through surveys, outreach to identified community
groups deemed relevant for revising each element, and through limited meetings with
the public. While a robust outreach is desirable, the staff will work within its available
resources, unless the Council wishes to have more public engagement than can be
reasonably conducted in-house. Staff will evaluate options and make a request of
council if appropriate. Phases of the public engagement plan are as follows:
• Phase 1: Vision Engagement — Prepares residents to participate by building
awareness of the Comprehensive Plan, gathering feedback on livability -related
issues, and building relationships with diverse community groups through
conversations about key data and trends.
• Phase 2: Policy Engagement — Engages public in discussions about policy
direction and growth strategy.
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• Phase 3: Revise and Refinement — Residents will be invited to respond to the
draft and contribute to refining policy changes. The timeline is integrated with the
overall timeline.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The process of reviewing, analyzing, and updating the City's Comprehensive Plan in
order to align with the new policy direction and other state and regional mandates will
require significant staff time and possible consultant assistance. Limited funding from
the Washington Department of Commerce has been made available for periodic update
work; "missing middle" housing planning as well as racial equity analysis and
development of anti -displacement policies; and development of an optional climate
action element. Staff are currently developing grant applications for some of that
funding. The department may provide a request for additional City funds to support the
effort as a part of the City's annual budget process.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that this item be forwarded to the City Council Committee of the
Whole on June 27th, 2022.
ATTACHMENTS
A. Project Schedule
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Attachment A
SCHEDULE
Page 8 of 10
Updating the Comprehensive Plan will be a two-year process to adequately address the
full scope of work.
The following phases will be informed by the input received from the City's elected and
appointed officials, staff, and various stakeholders, and the public.
• Phase 1: Project Kick-off and Vision Statement Update. The goals of this phase are
to refine and update the Vision in the Comprehensive Plan to align with the
community's and the Council's vision for the City. During this phase, we will initiate
the community engagement plan.
• Phase 2a: Analyze and Lay the Foundation. This is a technical exercise ensuring
that language and policies are consistent with the City Council direction and
priorities across elements. This effort will also provide data to the community about
the City's current environment and will seek feedback and input on local priorities in
order to build the foundation of understanding needed to develop a Plan for the
City's future.
• Phase 2b: Audit and Evaluate Plan Goals and Policy Foundation. Relative to
required Plan modifications necessary due to state, regional, and county policy
guidance, and City Council direction and priorities, and community input, assess the
degree of modification needed to comply with update requirements. The
Washington Department of Commerce checklist (expected to be released in
Summer 2022) will be used, along with the Puget Sound Regional Council
Certification Checklist.
• Phase 3: With an understanding of the breadth of regulatory requirements, and
community guidance, the city will develop any land use alternatives necessary,
which may require substantive environmental review. At this time, the City is
intending to use the ability to update the environmental review of the Plan with an
addendum. This phase will define whether greater environmental review (i.e., an
environmental impact statement) of alternatives is warranted, in which case,
additional city funding will be necessary.
• Phase 4: Revise and Refine. This phase includes the revision of the draft
update based on feedback from the Council, boards, and commissions
(including Planning Commission), and community.
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The state requires the Plan be adopted no later than December 2024. Staff's
timeline plans on discussing plan updates with the Planning Commission starting
in Summer 2022 and conducting public hearings on the various elements
between 2023 and 2024, with the Planning Commission holding final public
hearings on the full document in early 2024 and Council adopting the Plan in
Summer or fall 2024.
A high-level scope of work and schedule follows:
COMPREHENSIVE
PLAN UPDATE
PROGRAM
2022
2023
2024
Tasks
Initial Approach and
Discussion
• Review existing comp plan, subarea
plan(s) and development regulations
• Review requirements in WA Dept of
Commerce and PSRC Checklists,
and King County Countywide
Planning Policies, and recent
legislation
• Apply for grant funding
• Determine approach and extent of
update, work program, and schedule
Data Collection and
Ma in
pp 9
• Update relevant inventories,
demographics, and population
projections
•
• Housing Needs Assessment
• Capacity analysis
• GIS mapping
• Contract with consultant/s
Foundational Work and
Element Review
• Allocate King County Countywide
Planning Policy requirements to
Plan elements
• Allocate PSRC Vision 2050
Multicounty Planning Policy
requirements to Plan elements
• Address & Complete PSRC
Checklist analysis
• Coordinate with other departments
on Transportation, Utilities (Sewer
Water Plan, Stormwater Plan),
Economic Development, and Parks
Plans/Element revisions, and other
City departments (Finance, TIS,
Police, Fire)
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COMPREHENSIVE
PLAN UPDATE
PROGRAM
2022
2023
2024
Tasks
• Review all elements;
identify/complete potential plan
amendments and policy language
• Address specific area plans (SRO
Subarea?)
• Identify potential zoning
amendments
Prepare Draft
Comprehensive Plan
Amendments
• Draft goals, policies, maps, etc.
• Draft code and map changes
• City Council review of draft elements
at committee level.
SEPA Compliance and
Notice
• Informal Scoping - Determine if plan
update warrants SEPA EIS, or if
1995 and subsequent analysis
mitigates impacts
• Complete environmental checklist
• Publish notice of SEPA decision and
public hearing
• Provide information and notice to
interested parties
Draft and Final Plan
Review
* Planning Commission Review
* Planning Commission Public
Hearing and recommendation
* City Council preliminary review of
elements
* City Council review, revision, and
adoption
* Provide 60 -day notice to Department
of Commerce
Public Outreach
* Develop/implement public outreach
program
* Develop informational materials
* Continuous public involvement
events
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