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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2007-04-10 Community Affairs and Parks Minutes 1� 1��ti City of Tukwila Or Z Community Affairs and Parks Committee a='. 1 11 1905 Community Affairs and Parks Committee Meeting Minutes April 10, 2007 5:00 p.m. PRESENT Councilmembers: Pam Linder, Chair; Pam Carter, Dennis Robertson Staff: Nora Gierloff, Katherine Kertzman, Steve Lancaster, Jack Pace, Derek Speck, Sandra Whiting Guests: Lynn Pederson CALL TO ORDER: Committee Chair Linder called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. I. PRESENTATIONS No presentations H. BUSINESS AGENDA a) Exnandina Seattle Southside brand to include regional economic development Derek Speck introduced the agenda item. The Southwest King County Economic Development Initiative (SKCEDI) is a collaboration of the cities of Burien, Des Moines, Normandy Park, SeaTac, and Tukwila plus King County, the Port of Seattle, and Highline Community College. SKCEDI will be jointly marketing the area to attract business and development and needs an identity to use for the printed marketing materials and website. The group is considering using the Seattle Southside brand and is seeking feedback on this approach from the Cities of Tukwila and SeaTac, since they own the brand. Tukwila and SeaTac city staff are checking with their respective lodging tax committees, administration, and elected officials. Staff is also checking with representatives from the business and development sectors. Katherine Kertzman described the genesis of the Seattle Southside brand and how it has been used for attracting tourists to our region. She explained that with the proper safeguards to protect the use of the brand, the Seattle Southside brand could be used for business attraction without harming the tourism efforts. Councilmember Robertson asked about the benefits to Seattle Southside, and the City of Tukwila and if it would distract from Seattle Southside's tourism efforts. Ms. Kertzman indicated that expansion of the brand's awareness will benefit the tourism efforts and that regional growth helps Tukwila, and she doesn't anticipate needing additional resources for this proposal. Councilmember Carter indicated she thought this was a good idea. Councilmember Linder commented that what helps neighboring cities helps Tukwila. INFORNIATION ONLY b) Tukwila Pond Water Oualitv Consultant Contract Sandra Whiting introduced the agenda item and described the process for soliciting and selecting a consultant to conduct a feasibility study and design for improving water quality in Tukwila Pond. An RFP was sent to five firms. Two proposals were received and a staff committee judged Tetra Tech, Inc. as the best proposal based on their experience, the technical proposal and the budget. Staff also checked references, which were all positive. Work would be complete by end of 2007. Ms. Whiting mentioned that the primary challenge will be controlling phosphorus levels in the water and the study will look at number of alternatives. She sees no conflicts between the water quality design work and the landscape design project being managed by Parks and Recreation and doesn't think it needs to wait until completion of the water quality study. In fact the two projects were designed to proceed concurrently and coordination between the two consultants is planned. Councilmember Robertson commented that with the City's vision for the Urban Center that encourages more development and residential activity that the water quality study Community Affairs and Parks Committee Meeting Minutes April 10, 2007 - Page 2 should not limit itself only to low-cost or "in-pond"solutions. He asked if we have looked at other potential problems besides phosphorous. Ms. Whiting said she has examined bacteria loads but has not found a problem. Also, she believes that the consultant will be looking at the best technical options for improving the pond water quality. Councilmember Carter expressed support for the study and the concept of the pond being a habitat rather than a place for people to swim. Mr. Pace offered to share the preliminary analysis in September before all of the analysis is completed. UNANIMOUS APPROVAL. FORWARD TO COW. As a related issue, the committee discussed the consultant selection for the Tukwila Pond Park design Phase I that was discussed at the April 9, 2007 Council meeting. UNANIMOUS APPROVAL. c) Code Amendments . SEPA Nora Gierloffintroduced this item. It would streamline the SEPA process and thresholds to eliminate review or shorten timelines for smaller projects when environmental impacts are unlikely. Ms. Gierloff referred to the table in the agenda report that compared Tukwila's thresholds to the State maximum and the proposed. Mr. Pace noted that most buildings would go through a design review process. Mr. Lancaster mentioned that with traffic concurrency and impact fee systems, we no longer rely on SEP A for mitigating traffic impacts like we once did. Councilmember Robertson asked if these changes would reduce our ability to control small infill developments on hillsides. Mr. Pace indicated that our sensitive areas ordinance addresses steep slope sites and tree permits and other regulations still apply. Councilmember Carter asked what would catch environmental issues like underground storage tanks? Mr. Pace and Ms. Whiting explained that owners have a responsibility to disclose and often the lenders require the analysis. Mr. Lancaster said that if an owner didn't disclose it, SEP A wouldn't have caught it anyway. Councilmember Robertson asked how these changes would have affected the City's process on a previous Fosterview development. Mr. Lancaster indicated that it would have had no effect on Fosterview, since that development included more than 9 dwelling units. He acknowledged it might eliminate a source of information that citizens are used to receiving on smaller residential developments (those between 4 and 9 units). He also noted that if any of the thresholds in the table are exceeded, SEPA is triggered, even if the proposed development is below any of the other thresholds.. Councilmember Robertson expressed support for the changes but also a desire to keep tools for the City to ensure the right kind of development. UNANIMOUS APPROVAL ON ALL CHANGES BUT KEEPING THE RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION THRESHOLD AT FOUR DWELLING UNITS INSTEAD OF THE PROPOSED NINE. FORWARD TO COW. . TOWNHOUSES Nora Gierloffintroduced this item. It would change the Zoning Code to allow for development of fee simple townhomes. Some changes, such as minimum lot area, average lot width, setbacks and landscaping, would be necessary to allow fee simple townhouses since our development standards are based on a multi- family garden apartment style. Other changes would be necessary to enable a development pattern and density closer to the style of townhouses being built in other cities. One question is how prescriptive does Tukwila want to be on open space, such as requiring decks or onsite playgrounds, etc. Another issue is how to treat setbacks. The City's current tiered set-back standards may make development offee simple economically infeasible. Council member Robertson expressed concern about the effects of eliminating the tiered set-back standards. Councilmember Carter emphasized that the design review process must address all sides of a building, not just the front. Ms. Gierloff discussed the current 50% development coverage limitation. Councilmember Robertson mentioned that using pervious surfaces (such as grasscrete) may be needed to ensure the development's environmental impact is not greater than development under today's standards. Councilmember Carter indicated this issue can be dealt with as the townhouse proposal goes through the approval process. She also expressed an interest in fence height being included in the design review process to minimize the amount of blank, high and solid walls facing the streets. FORWARD TO COW FOR DISCUSSION AND DIRECTION. . HOUSEKEEPING Nora Gierloff introduced this item on four amendments to the Zoning Code related to: permit processing, limitation on additions to homes that do not meet setbacks, retaining wall setbacks, and administrative variance for lot size. FORWARD TO PLANNING COMMISSION. Community Affairs and Parks Committee Meeting Minutes April 10, 2007 - Page 3 d) Building Heights - r Added to the Agenda 1 Committee Chair Linder introduced discussion related to the City Council's meeting on April 9, 2007. "Should the City change the way building heights are regulated?" NIr. Lancaster distributed two photos showing a multi-story house under construction near a single story house. One of the pictures was modified to show a five foot adjustment to the height of the house, based on measuring height from the lowest point next to the structure. Mr. Lancaster explained that this change will probably not make a dramatically noticable difference and it is likely the situation in which neighbors are unhappy with an adjacent house being built too big will still happen. Councilmember Carter asked if the change in how height is measured would cause any unintended consequences such as causing some lots to not be developed or redeveloped. Staff responded that it would make a marginal difference but it would not stop development. Some homes may be built with lower ceilings. The committee asked staff to prepare a memo on the pros and cons of changing the height rule to follow the Kent definition using a maximum of 30 feet as measured from the lowest grade near the structure. RETUR1~ TO CAP. III. ANNOUNCEMENTS Mr. Lancaster reminded the Committee that the Comprehensive Plan identifies a P AA in north Tukwila. Both the Cities of Seattle and Burien have included that P AA in their P AAs so there is an overlap. Seattle recently filed an appeal with the Growth Management Hearing Board against Burien's PAA. Tukwila filed a Request for Intervenor Status and has retained Mike Monroe of Johns, Monroe, Mitsunaga to represent us in this issue since the Kenyon Law Firm has a conflict as Burien's city attorney. IV. ~rrSCELLANEOUS None. Meeting adjourned at 7:20 p.m. Next meeting: Tuesday, April 24, 2007 at 5:00 p.m. in Conference Room #3 '" l -: J Committee Chair Approval Minutes by DCS.