Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-07-13 City Council Minutes Approved City Council Study Session Minutes—July 13, 2015 At approximately 6:00 p.m. Mayor Laurie Gere called the Anacortes City Council study session of July 13, 2015 to order. Roll call found present City Councilmembers Eric Johnson, Ryan Walters, Erica Pickett, Brad Adams, Liz Lovelett and John Archibald. Councilmember Matt Miller was absent. Fidalgo Bay Aquatic Reserve Citizen Stewardship Committee Update Wayne Huseby, member of the FBAR Citizen Stewardship Committee, provided an overview of the structure and activities of the Committee. Mr. Huseby described the Washington State Dept. of Natural Resources'Aquatic Reserve program for state-owned tidelands and bedlands and listed the seven reserves. He reported that the Fidalgo Bay reserve was designated in 2008. Mr. Huseby quoted the purpose of the reserves to"promote the preservation, restoration and enhancement of aquatic lands that are of special educational, scientific or environmental interests." He said that monitoring of aquatic reserves by local committee members enhances and protects the health of marine habitat. Mr. Huseby explained that reserve designation does not restrict public use of the public lands. Mr. Huseby then described the specific characteristics of the Fidalgo Bay Aquatic Reserve, the diverse habitats it includes and the fish and wildlife species that make use of them. Stewardship Committee member Pete Haase next described the Citizen Stewardship Committee program and the particular committee that has been monitoring the FBAR since 2012. He reported on some of the group's projects including intertidal beach monitoring, forage fish surveys, and public education efforts and technical work. Mr. Haase thanked City of Anacortes staff, Friends of Skagit Beaches, Anacortes High School, the Samish Indian Nation, Chandler's Square and the Coastal Volunteer Partnership at Padilla Bay for their contributions to the Committee's work. He advised that additional information and monitoring reports were available on the DNR website. Temporary Water Right Transfer Agreement with the Western Washington Agricultural Association Mayor Gere read a July 10, 2015 letter from Brandon Roozen of the WWAA thanking the city for its collaborative efforts to provide irrigation water to Skagit Valley farmers during the current drought conditions. The Mayor also read an excerpt from a letter from Skagitonians to Preserve Farmlands thanking the City for its efforts to secure irrigation water in support of family farms in Skagit County. Assistant City Attorney Darcy Swetnam recapped her July 6, 2015 report to Council on the city's work with other state, county and tribal agencies to provide 6 MGD of irrigation water to farmers in Skagit County Drainage and Irrigation Improvement District No. 15 and Skagit County Diking Improvement District No. 22. Ms. Swetnam advised that fully executed contracts with the districts had been secured earlier in the day and she described the diversion limitations, monitoring provisions and payment terms in the contracts. Ms. Swetnam said that city staff would be inspecting the pumping stations the following week. Mr. Walters asked what planning was being undertaken to avoid similar emergency steps in future years. Mayor Gere advised that WWAA was actively engaged in that effort and that the city would be participating. Conservation Easement Program Update Parks and Recreation Director Gary Robinson provided an overview of the history and mechanics of the Conservation Easement Program. Mr. Robinson reported that since the program began in 1998 it had raised approximately$1.6M for the Forest Endowment Fund and had generated nearly$400,000 in interest income to fund ACFL purposes. He displayed a map showing that nearly all the eligible forestland property is now protected by conservation easements. Mr. Robinson discussed the 160 acres that the ACFL purchased from the Sewer Fund in 2009 using quarry revenues. He recommended recording conservation easements on that 160 acres, which was not part of the acreage designated as available for the CEP in Resolution 1492, at a rate of$500/acre. He also recommended recording a conservation easement on the Udd property which was recently purchased using $170,000 of quarry revenues and $90,000 of donations. Councilmembers discussed Mr. Robinson's recommendations, the potential to add to the Forest Endowment Fund and the extent to which the endowment could fund ongoing maintenance expenses of the ACFL. Mr. Adams asked for a recommendation from the Forest Advisory Board. Anacortes City Council Study Session Minutes July 13, 2015 1 Andy Stewart, 3508 W 8th Place, president of Friends of the ACFL which collected the$90,000 in private donations to purchase the Udd property, said that the fundraising campaign clearly indicated that the property would join the ACFL protected by a conservation easement. Parks and Forestlands Manager Jonn Lunsford summarized the public outreach undertaken by staff in 2010 to arrive at an easement price of$500/acre for the 160 acres of formerly Sewer Fund land that had not been anticipated by the enabling legislation for the CEP. Mayor Gere advised that Mr. Robinson would bring the item back to Council for action at a future regular meeting. At approximately 7:25 p.m. Mayor Gere called a five minute break. At 7:30 p.m. the mayor called the meeting back to order. 2016 Comprehensive Plan Update -Continued Alternative Land Use Concepts Discussion and Public Comment Mr. Measamer recalled that at its June 22, 2015 and July 6, 2015 meetings Council had begun reviewing land use alternatives proposed as part of the 2016 Comprehensive Plan update. He invited Council to continue that review, referencing the Alternative Land Use Concepts and Recommendations document included in the Council packet for June 22, 2015. Mr. Measamer noted that the MJB 2013 proposed Comp Plan amendment was included in the evening's Council packet but he suggested postponing discussion of that item pending feedback from Western Washington University's Center for Economic& Business Research. He also noted the interplay of the land use alternatives with the transportation element of the Comprehensive Plan and said the transportation consultant's parking study and other components of the transportation element would come back before Council for consideration. CM2 and Industrial east of T Avenue, 22nd to 36th Streets Mr. Measamer advised that no changes had been proposed for this area but reported the Community Advisory Committee (CAC)and Planning Commission (PC) recommendations as reflected in the document. Mayor Gere invited members of the audience to comment on this topic. No one present wished to address the Council. Mayor Gere requested councilmember feedback on this area. Councilmembers generally agreed with the CAC recommendation to retain the existing zoning but stressed the need for design standards for the area and urged connected waterfront access. I: SR-20 Corridor(LM1) Mr. Measamer summarized the alternatives under consideration for this zone and reported the Community Advisory Committee (CAC)and Planning Commission (PC) recommendations and comments from the public as reflected in the document. Mayor Gere invited members of the audience to comment on this topic. Tom Glade, 210 Mansfield Court, asked about the apparent inclusion of Turner's Bay on the map for this area. Mr. Measamer indicated that inadvertent indication would be corrected. Cynthia Richardson, 315 V Avenue, CAC member, noted that the existing businesses and services in the area were necessary and would not be better located elsewhere in the city. She urged landscaping buffers including trees to improve the visual entrance to the city and supported more diversity of uses in the zone. Councilmembers spoke in turn and generally expressed support for Alternative 1. Several Anacortes City Council Study Session Minutes July 13, 2015 2 councilmembers supported the notion of creating a new zone designation for this area other than LM1. Three councilmembers indicated that they had less objection to siting a big or medium box store in this zone than to siting one downtown. Mr. Walters urged against allowing residential uses in this area and Mr. Johnson discouraged hotel/motel uses. Mr. Walters and Ms. Lovelett supported frontage roads for the area to improve traffic flow on SR-20. J: Sharpe's Corner Business Park Property Mr. Measamer summarized the alternatives under consideration for this zone and reported the Community Advisory Committee (CAC)and Planning Commission (PC) recommendations as reflected in the document. Councilmembers spoke in turn and most expressed support for Alternative 2 and for exploring different options for achieving affordable housing on the site. Ms. Lovelett restated her preference for siting recreational uses such as a zip line or disc golf course on the site rather than building housing so far from urban services. Several councilmembers supported the idea of allowing an educational campus on the site. Mr. Walters urged public use zoning for the western half of the site and flexible zoning for the eastern half that could allow for a developer agreement. Mayor Gere invited members of the audience to comment on this topic. Marilyn Derig, 1302 K Avenue, urged councilmembers to distinguish between affordable and low income housing, noting that low income housing in that area would require additional transportation and services. Several councilmembers clarified their interest in affordable rather than low income housing. K: Skyline Marina (CM) Mr. Measamer summarized the alternatives under consideration for this zone and reported the Community Advisory Committee (CAC)and Planning Commission (PC) recommendations as reflected in the document. Mr. Adams, Mr. Johnson and Ms. Pickett spoke in support of Alternative 1 to preserve the area for commercial marine use and require conditional use permitting for residential uses. Ms. Lovelett, Mr. Archibald and Mr. Walters spoke in favor of mixed use with more shops and small businesses and some sort of well planned residential use. Mr. Walters urged abolishing the CM zoning designation but supported defining a Marine Mixed Use zone that would achieve an urban village feel. Mayor Gere invited members of the audience to comment on this topic. Tom Glade noted prior proposals for a hotel in this area and inquired how a new Marine Mixed Use zone would address size and height limits for such a use. Ms. Lovelett and Mr. Walters inquired about flooding potential in the zone. Mr. Measamer advised that the FEMA coastal flood maps were currently under revision and that the NOAA website also had posted tidal surge projections due to climate change. N: CM Zone on Ferry Terminal Road: Mr. Measamer summarized the alternatives under consideration for this zone and reported the Community Advisory Committee (CAC)and Planning Commission (PC) recommendations as reflected in the document. Ms. Lovelett and Mr. Johnson spoke in support of Alternative 1, retaining the existing CM zoning. Ms. Lovelett suggested that additional ferry parking might be needed in this area with a shuttle service. Mr. Johnson suggested commercial/tourist services to serve Guemes Channel Trail users and agreed with the CAC recommendation to extend the CM zone all the way to the ferry terminal. He discouraged residential uses. Anacortes City Council Study Session Minutes July 13, 2015 3 Mr. Archibald and Mr. Walters spoke in support of Alternative 2. Cynthia Richardson noted that the CM zone allows residences as a conditional use and urged against residential development which would preclude development of a commercial node. Ms. Pickett urged that the definition of Marine Mixed Use separate commercial uses from residential uses. Mr. Adams supported commercial mixed use that would not necessarily be marine related. 0: CM Zone near Ship Harbor: Mr. Measamer summarized the alternatives under consideration for this zone and reported the Community Advisory Committee (CAC)and Planning Commission (PC) recommendations as reflected in the document. Councilmembers spoke in turn and most expressed support for Alternative 2 but urged providing additional parking for the Guemes Channel Trail. However, Mr. Johnson favored retaining the current CM zoning to preserve the area for trail parking. Ms. Pickett and Mr. Walters urged exploring a special residential designation that would address the challenges of residential uses adjacent to the public trail. Mr. Measamer observed that public parking had been and could continue to be required as part of residential development. Ms. Lovelett urged design guidelines calling for permeable asphalt in this shoreline area. Mayor Gere invited members of the audience to comment on this topic. No one present wished to address the Council. P: Island Hospital R4A/C Zone: Mr. Measamer summarized the alternatives under consideration for this zone and reported the Community Advisory Committee (CAC)and Planning Commission (PC) recommendations and comments from the public as reflected in the document. Mr. Johnson asked for clarification of the CAC recommendation. Cynthia Richardson explained that both hospital and medical uses are currently allowed anywhere in all of the R4 zones. She said that dilutes the purpose of the multi-family zone and makes it difficult to achieve affordable housing so the CAC Housing group recommended disallowing medical and hospital uses in the R4 and R4B zones. She said an overlay was not required and that medical uses could continue in the R4A zone excluding frontage on Commercial Avenue. Mr. Johnson and Ms. Pickett supported Alternative 2. Mr. Adams agreed but suggested that the overlay area could perhaps be smaller than proposed. Ms. Lovelett agreed but urged better access to the hospital from Commercial Avenue. Mr. Walters supported a hospital overlay, though possibly not extending as far south as proposed, and supported removing medical uses from the underlying R4 zone. He was undecided on extending the overlay to Commercial Avenue but did support better visibility and access to the hospital from Commercial Avenue. Mr. Archibald supported an overlay extended out to Commercial Avenue for the two blocks proposed but not as far north/south as proposed. Mayor Gere invited members of the audience to comment on this topic. No one present wished to address the Council. Councilmembers expressed concern about traffic and parking from medical uses. Ms. Lovelett suggested requiring multi-level parking in the overly. Mr. Measamer advised that additional information would be provided from Island Hospital regarding parking structures and traffic. S: CM Zone near Weaverling Spit Mr. Measamer summarized the alternatives under consideration for this zone and reported the Community Advisory Committee (CAC)and Planning Commission (PC) recommendations as reflected in the document. Anacortes City Council Study Session Minutes July 13, 2015 4 Mr. Walters spoke against further residential development in this area. Ms. Pickett supported the current zoning to retain conditional use permitting for residential and noted that there was really no access for further commercial marine development. Mr. Adams urged more study because rezoning to R2 could have unintended consequences on the current RV park property. Ms. Lovelett did not support either CM or R2 zoning for the area. Mr. Archibald favored retaining the existing zoning. Mr. Johnson suggested rezoning to Public but disallowing further residential or creating a new Conservancy zone. Mayor Gere invited members of the audience to comment on this topic. No one present wished to address the Council. Mayor Gere noted the late hour and extended duration of the meeting and suggested that the discussion of the remaining land use alternatives continue at the July 20, 2015 study session. At approximately 9:25 p.m. the Anacortes City Council study session of July 13, 2015 adjourned. Anacortes City Council Study Session Minutes July 13, 2015 5