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Home My WebLink About2014-09-08 City Council Minutes Approved City Council Study Session Minutes—September 8, 2014 At approximately 7:10 p.m. Mayor Laurie Gere called the regularly scheduled Anacortes City Council study session of September 8, 2014 to order. Roll call found present City Councilmembers Eric Johnson, Ryan Walters, Erica Pickett, Brad Adams, Liz Lovelett and John Archibald. Matt Miller was absent. Member of the Anacortes Planning Commission and the Community Advisory Committee were also present for this joint session. Joint Planning Commission/City Council Workshop: 2016 Comprehensive Plan Update Draft Issues & Concepts Senior Planner Libby Grage welcomed all present to the first of two joint Planning Commission/City Council sessions in the month of September and thanked the members of the Community Advisory Committee (CAC)for their considerable work to date. She explained the extensive Council packet materials and advised that those materials and more were available on the City website. Ms. Grage provided an overview of the CAC's process and objectives, the work of its three study groups to date, and upcoming activities and meetings. She thanked the CAC's Administrative Support Volunteer Kirk Kennedy for his valuable contributions including preparing the evening's PowerPoint presentation. CAC member Cynthia Richardson reported from the Housing and Transportation Study Group. She referred to and highlighted sections from the Council packet materials. Addressing Housing issues first, Ms. Richardson displayed maps used by the group to determine parcels with development potential in both Residential and Commercial and Commercial Business District zones and where multifamily residences are currently in place. Noting that the planning target for Anacortes is 2600 new housing units in the next 20 years, she reported staff findings that Anacortes can accommodate such growth with its existing zoning but to do so would have to replace existing single family residences and businesses in areas zoned for higher density. She said the group noted that small town character is at the top of what people like about Anacortes and suggested exploring ways to preserve that character at higher densities such as with infill construction of various types which would also address the challenge of providing a greater variety of housing sizes, types, and prices. Ms. Richardson then highlighted Transportation issues identified by the group. She said the overriding concern is to reduce the reliance on single-occupancy vehicles. She also discussed the need for diverse transportation solutions including good public transportation options of some kind and the need to provide appropriate parking for various uses. CAC member Nick Rennis reported from the Land Use, Economic Development and Tourism Study Group. Mr. Rennis circulated a large format map reflecting marine uses. He reported on meetings the group had with prominent land owners, local business owners, and retail groups. Feedback from those meetings included: a common desire to provide jobs and housing, objection to a retail store in the urban renewal zone, support for a haul out ramp for bigger vessels, a need to focus on all prominent landowners including the Port rather than just MJB, support for mixed use north of 22nd Street, the need for more buildings to house large and small businesses, and the possibility of enlarging the UGA. Mr. Rennis highlighted issues and concepts developed by the group relating to Land Use and presented in the Council packet including expanding the UGA, developing the SR20 corridor, relocating City Hall and redeveloping the site for other uses, and a medical overlay district. He then highlighted issues and concepts relating to Economic Development including a heavy boat lift, business incubators, a locally owned dry goods store, mixed use development both in CBD and in neighborhoods, and formula business restrictions. Turning to Tourism, Mr. Rennis shared the group's suggestion of a park and ride downtown with an improved reservation system and the group's notion that Anacortes should be a year round tourist destination that is useful to its year round residents as well. He closed with several non- specific issues including how to plan an economy that may not include the refineries forever and the need for fiber optic infrastructure. CAC member Gary Christensen reported from the Community Design/Sustainability/ Infrastructure Study Group. Regarding Community Design, Mr. Christensen summarized the four issues identified by the group and elaborated on how public/private partnerships can create mixed use development including public parking spaces or structures. He discussed the group's ideas for creating cohesiveness and connectivity between the central business district, old town and the waterfront and supporting higher Anacortes City Council Study Session Minutes September 8, 2014 1 density residential development and "small box" retail. Mr. Christensen elaborated on the group's ideas regarding developing and implementing design standards. Turning to Sustainability, Mr. Christensen emphasized that Anacortes is an island with natural carrying capacity limitations and discussed the group's extensive list of responses to the need to protect critical community resources and the local economy from the impacts of climate change and from the natural hazards to which the region is susceptible. CAC member Bruce McDougal the reported then four issues identified by the group regarding Infrastructure. He elaborated on the group's suggestions for developing high speed Internet infrastructure as a critical public utility. He concluded with a discussion of the group's ideas for attracting and retaining human capital which he characterized as critical infrastructure in a knowledge based economy. CAC member Walt Guterbock from the Land Use, Economic Development and Tourism Study Group commented on the importance of maintaining the local center of excellence in marine technology and the need for a better small boat launch near Cap Sante. Mr. Guterbock also commented on how parking requirements in the current code inhibit development downtown. Mayor Gere thanked the presenters and all the CAC members for their efforts. She reminded that a follow up session was scheduled for September 22, 2014. Discussion of City Council Meeting Time Mayor Gere invited continued councilmember discussion about the start time of City Council meetings. She reminded that in September 2011 the Council had voted to change the meeting start time from 7:30 p.m. to its current time of 7:00 p.m. Mr. Johnson asked for staff input about the potential impact of an earlier start time on Council committee meetings but said other than that he did not mind an earlier start time. Mayor Gere advised that several of the department heads had remarked that a 6:30 start time would be workable with committee meetings starting at 5:30 but that a Council meeting start time earlier than 6:30 would not allow ample time for committee meetings prior to Council meetings. Mr. Adams said he had liked the 6:00 start tried earlier in the summer, suggested that the Planning Commission meeting start time match the City Council meeting start time, and said a 6:30 start time would make sense with committee meetings starting at 5:30. Ms. Lovelett said that a 6:30 start would be better than a 6:00 start for those with families and that it was important not to cut into the work time of the committees. Mr. Archibald said that he preferred 6:00 but was fine with 6:30. Ms. Pickett said she didn't have a preference for herself but that folks with jobs or families might object to an earlier start time although the public had not yet voiced such an objection. Mr. Walters said either 6:00 or 6:30 was okay with him and observed that committee meetings could begin at 5:00 as the Council Finance Committee already does. He suggested introducing the idea of changing to a 6:30 start time at the present meeting and then taking action on the proposal at the next regular meeting. Mayor Gere invited comments from the audience. Planning Commissioner Christina Hansen said that as a person with a family 7:00 was easier than 6:30 but she could make either one work. CAC Member Cynthia Richardson observed that if Council wanted to be more available to the community it needed to make its meetings convenient for the people it was trying to encourage to attend. Mr. Walters said he was more concerned that public hearings be advertised to begin at a specific time so those who wanted to be heard during a Council meeting could attend only the necessary portion of the meeting. Mayor Gere summarized that the topic would be added to the next regular meeting agenda for discussion and possible action. There being no further business, at approximately 8:30 p.m. the regularly scheduled Anacortes City Council study session of September 8, 2014 adjourned. Anacortes City Council Study Session Minutes September 8, 2014 2