HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning 2013-04-25 ITEM 5 - COMPREHENSIVE PLAN - STAFF REPORTCity of Tukwila
Jim Haggerton, Mayor
Department of Community Development Jack Pace, Director
STAFF REPORT TO
THE PLANNING COMMISSION
Prepared April 16, 2013
HEARING DATE: April 25, 2013
FILE NUMBERS:
PL12- 037 -2015 Comprehensive Plan Update
L12- 037 — Capital Facilities
L12- 048 — Utilities
APPLICANT: City of Tukwila
REQUEST:
2015 Comprehensive Plan Update —The Planning Commission will hold
a public hearing on proposed amendments to the Capital Facilities and
Utilities Elements of the Comprehensive Plan. This is part of the periodic
review and update of the Comprehensive Plan that the Washington
Growth Management Act requires.
LOCATION: Policies apply throughout the City of Tukwila
NOTIFICATION: Hearing Notice was published in the Seattle Times on April 11, 2013,
and posted on the City of Tukwila website on April 19, 2013.
SEPA DETERMINATION:
Addendum to L92 -0053, Final EIS for the 1995 Tukwila Comprehensive
Plan, addressing 2015 Update to the Comprehensive Plan (E13 -004)
issued March 27, 2013
STAFF: Rebecca Fox, Senior Planner
ATTACHMENTS:
A. Utilities
1. Proposed Utilities Element (Formatted)
2. Proposed Utilities Element (Strikeout /Underline version)
3. Utilities Background Report
B. Capital Facilities
1. Proposed Capital Facilities Element (Formatted)
2. Proposed Capital Facilities Element (Strikeout /Underline
version)
3. Capital Facilities Background Report
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W:\Long Range Projects \2014 CompPlanUpdate\PC \STAFF REPORT - 4.25.13— IiEARING.docx
6300 Southcenter Boulevard, Suite #100 • Tukwila, Washington 98188 • Phone 206- 431 -3670 • Fax: 206- 431 -3665
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BACKGROUND
The City of Tukwila's Comprehensive Plan, adopted in 1995, establishes goals and policies that guide the
community as it grows and changes over time. Its policies and land use map lay out the community's
long range vision. The Comprehensive Plan has been amended periodically to keep up with changing
requirements, and in response to amendment applications from the public.
The Washington State Growth Management Act (GMA) gives Tukwila the opportunity to amend the
Comprehensive Plan once a year, unless it is an emergency. Applications for amendments are due by
December 31, and are reviewed during the following year, with the potential for two separate reviews
by the City Council, and one by the Planning Commission. There are opportunities for public comment at
each stage.
In addition to these regular amendments, the state Growth Management Act (GMA) requires counties
and cities to periodically conduct a thorough review of their plan and development regulations to bring
them up to date with any relevant changes in the GMA and to respond to changes in land use and
population growth. Although the basic structure of the GMA has remained intact over the years, the
state legislature has amended it frequently. The last required systematic review and update was
completed in 2004.
At its meeting on February 25, 2013, the Planning Commission was briefed on the Growth Management
Act, and the requirement for periodic review and update to the Comprehensive Plan and development
regulations completed by June 30, 2015. The Comprehensive Plan elements are being considered in
phases, and Tukwila is undertaking the required update effort over several years. To date, update work
has been completed on the Manufacturing /Industrial Center element (6/11), and the goals and policies
in the Shoreline element (8/11).
On March 18, 2013, the City Council adopted a general schedule, work plan and public participation
program to guide the Comprehensive Plan update work over the next two years, and referred the
update to the Planning Commission. The public participation and work programs include a general
sequence and schedule of steps in the update process to ensure that public is aware of the process and
knows how they can participate. Public participation activities will not be uniform, but instead will be
tailored to the characteristics of individual elements.
On March 27, 2013 a public open house was held to share the Comprehensive Plan update process and
key background issues with the community, and to learn specific concerns or interests.
REVIEW PROCESS
A work session on proposed changes to the Capital Facilities and Utilities elements will be held on April
23, 2013. At that time, staff will review the proposed elements with the Commission, concentrating on
changes. There will be a public hearing on April 25, 2013 to receive comments from the community. The
Commissioners will have an opportunity to consider public input carefully and propose further changes,
if desired. After the hearing, the Planning Commission will be asked to make a recommendation that will
be forwarded to the City Council for consideration, a public hearing and adoption.
During the course of the update work, it is expected that the type of materials provided will be
consistent for each individual element. The review for each element will include a work session and a
public hearing. The City Council will hold its review and take action only after it receives the Planning
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Commission's recommendations for all the elements, because the Growth Management Act allows the
Comprehensive Plan to be amended no more than once each year unless there is an emergency. The
remaining elements will be reviewed during 2014, and adopted before the June 30, 2015 deadline.
The Comprehensive Plan update includes the following assumptions:
• Primary goals and objectives remain relevant and will be maintained from the current Plan;
• Updates will focus on elements that require revision per changes to the Washington Growth
Management Act, and Countywide Planning Policies;
• Tukwila Strategic Plan's vision and goals will be reflected and incorporated in the
Comprehensive Plan;
• Policies and descriptions will be updated, simplified and edited to increase clarity and
consistency throughout the document;
• The format will be updated to improve on -line functionality and attractiveness;
• The document's elements may be reorganized or consolidated for greater readability and
conciseness
SUMMARY OF PROPOSED CHANGES
Capital Facilities Element:
The proposed policies and implementation strategies clarify priorities for capital facilities expenditures,
and align them more closely with adopted regional growth targets, and Tukwila's goals and priorities.
Policy changes include:
• Move and consolidate Capital Improvement Program policies with Comprehensive Plan policies.
• Modify and add policies to include regional priorities, as well as the priorities that residents
expressed in Tukwila's Strategic Plan (2012).
• Use a decision matrix that selects projects that implement Comprehensive Plan Goals.
• Establish the following order of priorities for the City's capital facilities:
1. Regular inspection of systems for evaluation and to ensure conformity with current safety
standards;
2. Prioritizing projects when making improvements if the public health and safety is at risk;
3. Preventive maintenance and cost effective replacement of aging elements; and
4. Planning for the orderly extension and upgrading of capital systems
• Link growth targets and level of service standards with facility planning.
Utilities Element:
The proposed changes primarily update, reorganize, consolidate and /or clarify existing policies and
implementation strategies. Issue statements have been updated to add discussion of neighborhood and
subarea vitality, systems maintenance, and sustainability.
Policy changes include:
• Modify or change policy wording to further regional priorities for environmental sustainability
and compact development, and /or incorporate the priorities that residents expressed in
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Tukwila's Strategic Plan (2012).
• Relocate flood management policies that are now found in the Utilities element to the Capital
Facilities, Natural Environment and Roles and Responsibilities elements where they are more
appropriate, and to avoid duplication.
• Clarify requirements to place electric and telecommunication utilities underground, rather than
overhead by specifying that :
1. All new electrical and communication utilities shall be undergrounded unless the City
Council determines that it is not financially practical; and
2. Utility relocations that are necessitated by a public works project shall be underground
unless it is not in the best public interest.
• Provide guidance for careful trimming of vegetation near electric utilities
MATERIALS AND FORMAT
The packet contains:
1. A "clean," newly- formatted version of the element that shows all the proposed additions and
deletions from the strikeout /underline version. This version reflects the appearance of the
updated Comprehensive Plan;
2. A complete strikeout /underline version of the proposed element with all language that has been
added to and /or deleted from the "base" of the current Comprehensive Plan element. This
version shows the rationale for proposed changes, and lets the reader follow the revision
process. New language is shown in blue, and deleted wording is shown in green /grey:
3. A Background Report that provides additional supporting information for the element and
policies.
These materials are intended to encourage discussion and provide background.
REQUESTED ACTION
The Planning Commission is asked to hold a hearing on the proposed changes to the Capital Facilities
and Utilities Elements, develop PC recommended versions of the elements and forward them to the City
Council for final action.
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