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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019-05-06 City Council Minutes Approved City Council Minutes—May 6,2019 Mayor Laurie Gere called to order the Anacortes City Council meeting of May 6,2019 at the advertised special time of 5:00 p.m. Councilmembers Eric Johnson,Anthony Young,Brad Adams, Carolyn Moulton, and Matt Miller were present. Councilmember Bruce McDougall participated in the meeting by telephone. Councilmember Ryan Walters was absent. The assembly joined in the Pledge of Allegiance. Mr. Walters joined the meeting at 5:01 p.m. Announcements and Committee Reports Department of Health Award to Anacortes Water System: Most Innovative Water System Project in the State for 2018: Bob James and Erica Lindsey of the Washington State Department of Health Drinking Water Program noted that this date was the first Monday of National Drinking Water Week, an occasion when DOH recognizes great work by water systems in Washington State. Mr. James advised that each January DOH seeks nominations for engineering projects or creative problem solving. He said this year the Anacortes"fiber in the pipe" technology was selected. Mr. James presented the award for Most Innovative Water System Project for 2018 to Mayor Gere,Public Works Director Fred Buckenmeyer and Water System Manager Jeff Mans. Mr. James then presented Mr. Marrs with a Treatment Plant Optimization award, for the third year in a row. Mr. Walters reported that the Anacortes High School Green Club had planted a new rain garden at 10th Street and H Avenue,the third demonstration garden installed by the group. He thanked the club for its efforts to promote and educate the public about means of improving stormwater management. Mr. Miller reported that he had spoken representing the city at opening day of boating season on Saturday, specifically regarding the Maritime Strategic Plan. He announced that the Anacortes Boat and Yacht Show would open May 13. Mr. Young reported from the South Asian cultural celebration at Skagit Valley College over the weekend. He said he had spoken on behalf of the city celebrating diverse cultures in the city and the county. Public Comment No one present wished to address the Council on any topic not already on the agenda. Consent Agenda Mr. Johnson moved, seconded by Mr. Miller,to approve the following Consent Agenda items. The motion carried unanimously by voice vote. a. Minutes of April 29,2019 b.Approval of Claims in the amount of: $719,779.26 c. Ordinance 3043:No Parking Beechwood Lane The following vouchers/checks were approved for payment: EFT numbers: 93098 through 93133 and 93165,total $678,175.66 Check numbers: 93097 and 93134 through 93164,total $65,607.99 Wire transfer numbers: 248805 through 249239,total $14,009.80 Anacortes City Council Minutes May 6,2019 1 PUBLIC HEARINGS 2019 CDBG Action Plan Review and Approval Planning Director Don Measamer opened the final of two required hearings to consider the proposed projects and the development of the CDBG 2019 Action Plan.He advised that the public comment period began March 18,2019 and concluded on April 16,2019. Mr. Measamer said the city did not receive any public comments on the development of the plan. He listed the proposed projects listed in the packet materials: Anacortes Family Center for public services, City of Anacortes Public Facilities for safe crosswalk at approximately 26th Street and R Avenue, City Hall Public Facilities for public service counter revisions in the Finance and Building departments, and M Avenue sidewalk access ramps.Mr. Measamer pointed out that the amount proposed for the counters was lower than previously presented as restroom renovations had been removed. Mr. Measamer displayed photographs of the Finance and Building department public service counters, pointing out the current lack of accessibility for mobility impaired patrons. Mayor Gere invited members of the audience to comment on this agenda item.No one present wished to address the Council. Mr. Young expressed appreciation for the city's efforts to make city services accessible to all citizens and challenged staff to continue along this path. Mr. Walters requested additional details about the R Avenue crosswalk project. Mr. Measamer,Public Works Director Fred Buckenmeyer, and CDBG Administrator Joann Stewart described the crosswalk with flashing beacon,walkway in the median, and sidewalk ramps adjacent to this low income residential area.Ms. Stewart said the improvements that would provide easier and safer access to the east side of R Avenue to reach transit,public trails, etc. Mr.Walters opined that the$50K requested for that project seemed reasonable but asked how retrofitting two existing service counters could possibly cost $25K. He suggested that sidewalk ramps and crossings would serve a greater number of people. Ms. Moulton inquired about allocating more funding to Skagit Community Action or other groups to provide direct food or rental assistance. Ms. Stewart explained the 15%cap on public service allocation of the city's CDBG funds. No one in the audience wishing to address City Council on the Action Plan, at approximately 5:20 p.m. the mayor closed the public hearing. Mr. Johnson moved, seconded by Mr.Adams,to accept the proposed projects and draft Action Plan for submittal to HUD. Mr. Walters moved to amend the Plan to cut the award for the counter project from$25K to $10K. The motion died for lack of a second. Councilmembers confirmed with Ms. Stewart that any funding allocated to the counter project that turned out to be more than the actual cost could be rolled into the sidewalk project, as long as the total change in allocation between projects did not exceed 10%of the city's total allocation or as long as the city filed an amendment to the Action Plan. Mr. Miller agreed with Mr. Walters that the cost for the counter project seemed high and supported rolling any excess funding into sidewalk ramps. Vote: Ayes -Young,Adams,Moulton,McDougall,Miller and Johnson.Nays-Walters. Motion carried. OTHER BUSINESS Contract Award: Library Main Floor Carpet Design &Installation 19-073-FAC-001 Mayor Gere prefaced this item by noting that directors were reviewing the process for capital projects, from budget through bidding and contracting. She advised that she would report back to Council in the near future on that topic. Anacortes City Council Minutes May 6,2019 2 Library Director Ruth Barefoot summarized the need for new carpet on the first floor of the library,referring to her slide presentation which was added to the packet materials for the meeting. In response to a question from Mr. Walters,Ms. Barefoot explained that the evident gaps in the carpet were due to replacing the Circulation and Reference desks with a single new desk to achieve more efficient staffing. Ms.Barefoot explained the components of the carpet project that account for its cost, including removal of super adhesive used to install the existing carpet and custom design wayfinding. She said carpet tiles would allow more cost effective maintenance and repair in the future. Ms. Barefoot emphasized the value of wayfinding carpet design to assist children and non-English speakers to navigate the library. Ms. Moulton asked if the wayfinding design was cost effective for the library. Ms. Barefoot indicated that the wayfinding was only$4K of the $74K project. Ms. Moulton inquired about the expected life of the new carpet tiles.Ms. Barefoot said easily 14 years,and noted that individual carpet tiles could be replaced as needed. Ms. Moulton observed that the current carpet had lasted 17 years. Mr. Walters asked why the useful life of the carpet was not specified in the scope of work. Ms. Barefoot said she would obtain more information about the expected life of the carpet and report back. Ms. Barefoot displayed a schematic of the planned color pattern for the carpet tiles and said this would help children navigate to the children's area. Mr. Young observed that the color pattern was beautiful but said he didn't see that it helped define a path for patrons to any particular area in the library. Mr.Walters asked if the contract included extra replacement carpet tiles. Ms. Barefoot said she believed the library would receive a couple extra boxes of each color of tile. Mr. Walters asked why extra tiles were not specified in the contract scope of work. Ms. Barefoot said she would have to investigate and report back on that. Ms. Barefoot then explained the project timing,noting that the library would have to close for two weeks while the carpet was installed due to the need to move all books and shelving. She said the library could close during the busy summer months so the project would now have to be scheduled for the fall, allowing time to give ample notice to the public. Mr. Miller emphasized the need to provide adequate,timely public notice of any service curtailment. In response to a question from Mayor Gere,Ms. Barefoot elaborated on safety reasons why the public could not enter the library during the carpet installation. She explained that limited service in the lobby was anticipated to allow the public to continue to return books and pick up held materials during the closure. Mr. Young asked how the project would impact the library's budget. Mr.Walters repeated his request from the April 29,2019 meeting that staff report on what other facilities projects were not being pursued due to the higher than budgeted cost of the carpet project. Ms.Moulton and Mr. Miller echoed that request. Mr. Buckenmeyer said he would report back on that question. Councilmembers considered approving the contract but opted to hold off on taking action until all their questions had been answered. Mayor Gere said staff would bring the contract back at the May 13,2019 meeting with answers to all of Council's questions. Councilmembers discussed better means of planning for capital projects. Mr. Johnson requested a position paper on each project ahead of time,outlining the overall concept,goal, costs, and spending impacts. He suggested a greater role for Council committees in reviewing such projects. Mr. Walters agreed that Council needed a better big picture plan for capital projects,which he said should be addressed during development of the budget and the capital facilities plan. Planning Commission Recommendation: Development Regulations and Zoning Map Amendments- Division 6,potentially Division 4 Senior Planner Libby Grage invited Council to continue review and discussion of the Development Regulations and Zoning Map Amendments, focusing on Division 6,Project Design. Ms. Grage presented the review schedule for subsequent weeks as outlined in the packet materials. She noted that additional public comment opportunities would be required. Councilmembers discussed the schedule with Mr. Measamer and Ms. Grage. Council expressed its desire to be able to advertise for public comment following the May 20,2019 City Council meeting, depending on progress at the next two sessions. Ms. Grage introduced Bob Bengford of MAKERS to lead the discussion of Division 6. Mr. Bengford's slides were added to the packet materials for the meeting. Mr. Bengford summarized the chapters of Divisions 6,the Anacortes City Council Minutes May 6,2019 3 largest of Title 19,then identified four discussion items identified by Council related to this Division. He explained the intended balance between predictability and flexibility for Division 6. Mr. Bengford then invited Council consideration and direction on each of the four discussion items in turn. 19.61 -block frontage designations and allowance of parking in front of buildings on South Commercial Avenue: Mr. Bengford explained the block frontage concept,referring to examples in his slide presentation, and responded to councilmember questions about block frontage designations in other jurisdictions. He described the block frontage designations proposed in the 2nd draft of the development regulations, intended to support Comprehensive Plan Policy LU-7.2(C) calling for pedestrian friendly features. Mr. Bengford then outlined the rationale behind the Planning Commission's recommendation to remove most of the designations south of 12th Street, generally to allow more flexibility. Mr. Walters urged establishing block frontage designations for south Commercial Avenue now,before the area was redeveloped,to avoid recreating College Way in Mount Vernon. Ms. Moulton and Mr. McDougall agreed. Mr. Miller noted the challenge of balancing economic vitality with pedestrian friendly design. Mr. Measamer requested direction from Council. He summarized the Council consensus to designate Commercial Avenue block frontages as mixed use from 12th to 19th Streets, storefront from 19th to 21st Streets, and mixed use from 21st to 34th Streets. Councilmembers explicitly concurred with that proposal. Mr. Measamer responded to questions from Mr. Johnson about how the current code would require handicapped parking and building accessibility for the mobility impaired. Council then considered block frontage designations for Q Avenue, discussing a number of options and the more residential focus of portions of that corridor. Ms. Moulton pointed out that Q Avenue is a designated bicycle greenway. She suggested consulting National Association of City Transportation Officials publications for guidance on design standards compatible with that designation. Ms. Moulton noted a conflict between the corner wrap language on Figure 19.61.150 on page 256 and the language of 19.61.150(B) on page 255. Mr. Bengford said staff would update the language in the figure to match that in the text. After additional discussion of options,Ms. Moulton and Mr.Walters both voiced support for reverting to the block frontage designations included in the 2nd draft of the development regulations and declining the changes recommended by the Planning Commission,with the exception of accepting the Planning Commission recommendation to leave the half block of Commercial Avenue immediately north of 12th Street undesignated. All councilmembers agreed. Mr. Measamer said staff would update the next draft accordingly. At approximately 7:00 p.m. Mayor Gere called a 10 minute recess.At 7:10 p.m. the mayor called the meeting back to order. 19.61.180 - framework development plans—better definition of"strategic large sites": Mr. Bengford reviewed the concept of framework development plans in some depth, focusing on the clauses in 19.20.230(A). Mr. Walters asked that"adjust the list of permitted uses"in that section specifically reference 19.43.010. Mr. Measamer agreed. After considerable discussion of what the draft language allowed and required, councilmembers agreed that no further changes were required to the April 18,2019 draft regulations in this regard. Mr. Measamer reminded that Council had previously requested an expiration date for framework development plans and said staff was working on that language now. Mr. Walters specifically asked that the regulations use citations to links,not footnotes. Mr. Bengford reviewed Section 19.62, Site Planning, for information only. Mr. Walters requested that the caption for the lower right image in Figure 19.62.040(B)(2) explicitly note that the boardwalk pictured was through a stormwater feature,not a wetland. Mr. Measamer agreed. Ms. Moulton asked what sort of departures would be allowed from the open space provisions in 19.62.040(B)(1)(b)(i). Mr. Bengford and Mr. Measamer provided examples. Mr. Measamer suggested that Council could review approved departures after a few years to evaluate the effectiveness of different types of departures and then perhaps alter the list. Anacortes City Council Minutes May 6,2019 4 19.63 -corporate architecture and consolidation of articulation standards: Mr. Bengford explained that the Planning Commission had recommended removing proposed new Section 19.63.030 prohibiting corporate architecture. He reviewed Comprehensive Plan Goal LU-2 bearing on that section and said that only one public comment had been received on the section, and that comment had opposed the section. Councilmembers discussed this provision briefly and all agreed that section 19.63.030 should be added back into the next draft of the development regulations. Mr. Measamer said staff would do so. Ms. Moulton asked why Departures were provided for 19.62.060(C)(1),Internal roadway design. Mr. Bengford and Mr. Measamer said that was intended to allow negotiated flexibility for non-public streets,noting that public streets would have to conform to street standards. Mr. Bengford then reviewed 19.63.030,Building massing and articulation. He explained the Planning Commission recommendation to combine the separate building massing and articulation standards for residential and commercial buildings into one provision. Mr. Bengford reviewed the non-residential and residential provisions from the 2nd draft of the development regulations,then displayed the combined regulations and discussed how the combined format would apply. Councilmembers did not request any alteration to this section from the Planning Commission recommended version. Mr. Bengford briefly reviewed sections 19.64—Parking and Section 19.65—Landscaping, sections about which Council had not expressed a need for further discussion of the Planning Commission recommendations. He then turned to the fourth discussion item. 19.66 -fencing, specifically along Oakes Avenue: Mr. Johnson noted the Comprehensive Plan value statement urging protection of water views and argued that full height fencing along Oakes Avenue created a canyon effect counter to that value. Mr.Adams supported preventing view-blocking fencing throughout the city and asked how new code would affect existing fencing. Mr. Measamer explained the existing non-conforming uses have to conform to new code if they are rebuilt. Councilmembers discussed opaque fencing, fence height, and whether landscaping in front of fencing or in place of fencing that still blocked views was effectively any different from an opaque fence. Mr. Bengford suggested possibly capturing Council's intent by adding language prohibiting opaque fences or hedges taller than 42"within a full 20' setback,regardless of through lot or not, along some designated portion of Oakes Avenue. He asked where the starting and ending points of such a prohibition might go into effect. Mr. Walters suggested west of D Avenue all the way to Ferry Terminal Road, on the north side of Oakes Avenue only. Mr. Measamer advised that staff would draft new language accordingly. Council then discussed fence types, specifically 19.66.070 prohibiting chain link fences in specified areas.Mr. Walters urged a complete prohibition on chain link fencing in residential zones. Council discussed various options. In response,Mr. Measamer summarized Council's intent not to allow chain link fences in the entire required front yard setback in residential zones. Councilmembers concurred. Council discussed Section 19.67—Signs, focusing mostly on temporary signs. Mr. Bengford noted that Section 19.67.080(B)(4)regulates sign size based on lot frontage and wondered if Council would prefer to use that same table for temporary signs as well. Councilmembers concurred. Mr. Measamer said staff would make sizing for non-commercial speech signs reference 19.67.080(B)(4), and would add a first line to the table specifying 16 SF of signage for less than 80 feet of frontage. Mr. Walters noted that the table only applied to monument signs,not all sign types. Mr. Measamer said staff would draft language to expand the sizing to other sign types. Councilmembers discussed other sections of the sign section but did not request any further changes to draft regulations in that section. Ms. Moulton called attention to 19.64.100—Bicycle parking requirements,which she said had shrunk progressively in each successive draft of the regulations.Ms. Moulton said the current language was not Anacortes City Council Minutes May 6,2019 5 consistent with Anacortes's designation as a bicycle friendly community nor even with current practice. She encouraged reference to the bicycle parking guidelines published by the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals referenced in 19.64.100(C)(1)to establish reasonable bicycle parking requirements. She noted that WSDOT uses those same guidelines. Mr.Measamer said staff would bring back more information on those guidelines. Executive Session At approximately 8:40 p.m. Mayor Gere announced that City Council and the City Attorney would convene in Executive Session per RCW 42.30.110 for approximately 20 minutes to discuss a potential real estate transaction and that following the executive session the regular meeting would adjourn with no action having been taken. There being no further business,at approximately 8:55 p.m. the Anacortes City Council meeting of May 6, 2019 was adjourned. Anacortes City Council Minutes May 6,2019 6