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02/25/2019 - Minutes 1 City of Port Orchard Land Use Committee Meeting Minutes – February 25, 2019 Committee Members Present: Scott Diener (chair), Fred Chang City Officials and Staff: Mayor Rob Putaansuu, Community Development Director Nick Bond, Public Works Director Mark Dorsey, Long Range Planner Keri Sallee Chair Diener called the meeting to order at 9:32 am. 1. Discussion: Homeless Camps – City Property and Blackjack Creek. Public Works Director Dorsey said that the City received a letter from the Kitsap Public Health District requesting cleanup of homeless camps and other trash on properties in the Blackjack Creek corridor. Dorsey said the City would need to work with multiple property owners for access, would likely have to contract out the cleanup services, and would need to follow up with fencing and/or other ongoing security measures to prevent reoccurrence. The City could explore donation of the City’s properties in this area to the Great Peninsula Conservancy, with an easement for a future trail. Councilmember Chang said that he had walked through several properties in the area with the Point In Time homeless count team, and took a number of campsite photos. Mayor Putaansuu requested that Public Works do a site inspection of the City’s properties and unopened rights-of-way to confirm the location and extent of camping and trash problems, assess potential liability issues, and identify cleanup steps. Dorsey said that the bridge in the Kendall St right-of-way along the City’s water line should be removed to prevent access into the adjoining woods. Putaansuu said that private property owners may need to be notified that if they don’t clean up and secure their properties, they could face code enforcement issues. Community Development Director Bond said that when the City updates its Parks Plan, it could include a plan to consolidate properties in the Blackjack Creek corridor under a future permanent open space designation, to be protected with fencing. 2. Discussion: Public Art. Bond said that he received an email from a citizen, Julie Benson, who wants to install public art on the traffic signal boxes at intersections. The art would be on a vinyl transfer wrap glued to the boxes. This will not be an acceptable means to affix public art, because of potential difficulties with maintenance (graffiti, etc) and removing and replacing the glued wraps. Putaansuu said that the City may consider setting aside funds for public art during the mid-year budget review, but if funding is made available it should be awarded in a competitive public process based on City-established design criteria. 3. Discussion: Updates to Development Regulations. Bond gave a summary of the Zoning Code and Zoning Map update that is on the Council’s agenda for review and adoption on March 12. He confirmed that new self-storage facilities will be required to be at least two stories in height and must comply with the City’s design requirements, in addition to being limited to certain mapped areas. Self-storage facilities must also provide an analysis showing that extra storage capacity is needed to serve the residents of Port Orchard. Putaansuu said the City will continue to encourage the future development of a neighborhood-size grocery store in the downtown area, and the new downtown zoning regulations will support this effort. Chang said that he continues to be concerned about public perception that insufficient parking is available downtown for business employees and customers. Community Development is working on a proposal to revise the City’s short plat threshold from 4 lots to 9 lots, consistent with RCW 58.17.020(6). Bond noted that the local development community had requested this change when the City’s subdivision ordinance was updated in 2017. This will encourage infill development and reduce permit costs and processing time for smaller residential developers. Community Development is also working on code language to require onsite passive and active recreation and open space areas in new subdivisions. Chair Diener said that these areas should be centrally located and suitable for the intended use; developers should not 2 be allowed to just designate the least developable part of their property as a recreation area. Bond discussed potential changes to the draft significant tree regulations (Chapter 20.129) in the updated Zoning Code, to provide more flexibility for significant tree replacement and encourage an overall sustainable tree canopy, instead of focusing on retention of individual trees. These changes will be brought forward as a revision to the updated Zoning Code after its adoption. Bond said that the owners of the China Sun Buffet restaurant at 4331 Bethel Rd may request a change to their property’s proposed zoning on the updated Zoning Map, from Commercial Heavy (CH) to Commercial Mixed Use (CMU). If the owners submit the request, it will be presented to City Council with a staff recommendation when the full Zoning Code and Zoning Map are reviewed on March 12. In the future, Council may want to consider the pros and cons of rezoning a larger area along Bethel from CH to CMU. The Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) is revising its main planning document, VISION 2040, for the 2050 horizon. The City recently received the draft alternatives for VISION 2050’s approach to shaping future regional growth. At the March work-study meeting, Bond will ask City Council to review the alternatives and associated draft policies, and provide feedback for a City response to the PSRC. 4. Discussion: Proposed 2019 Comprehensive Plan Amendment Docket. Bond presented the proposed 2019 Comprehensive Plan amendment docket that he will ask the City Council to approve on February 26. The City has included several text changes to reference adoption of the City’s updated Transportation Improvement Program and the Bethel and Sedgwick corridor plan and appendices, and to revise the descriptions and map of the City’s local centers for consistency with the PSRC’s requirements. The committee approved sending the docket forward for full Council approval. Chair Diener adjourned the meeting at 10:45 a.m. Next Meeting/Location: March 25, 2019 at 9:30 am in the 720 Prospect conference room.