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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03 - Minutes March 5, 2024CITY OF PORT ORCHARD Planning Commission Minutes 216 Prospect Street, Port Orchard, WA 98366 Phone: (360) 874-5533 • Fax: (360) 8'76-4980 Planning Commission Meeting Minutes March 5, 2024 Zoom Teleconference COMMISSIONERS: Present: Joe Morrison (acting chair), Annette Stewart, Louis Ta, Wayne Wright. Absent: Bek Ashby, Tyler McClosky, Stephanie Bailey 0 STAFF: Community Development Director Nick Bond (attending remotely), Principal Planner Jim Fisk, Associate Planner Shaun Raja, Planning Intern Paul Fontenot. 1. CALL TO ORDER: Commissioner Morrison called the meeting to order at 6:06 p.m. and led the Pledge of Allegiance. 2. PUBLIC COMMENTS: There were no members of the public present in the chamber, and the remote attendee did not request the floor. Consequently, there were no comments regarding issues not on the agenda. 3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM JANUARY 17, 2024: As Commissioner Stewart was not present for the February meeting, she abstained from the vote approving the minutes from that meeting. Commissioner Morrison asked if the other commissioners had a chance to review the minutes from the February 2024 meeting and if anyone had any issues or proposed amendments. Seeing none, a motion was entertained to approve the minutes. Commissioner Wright moved to approve the minutes with Commissioner Ta as a second. The motion passed unanimously with one abstention. 4. BUSINESS ITEMS A. ELECTION OF CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR. Item postponed to the April 2024 Planning Commission meeting. B. STAFF REPORT: 2024 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN PERIODIC UPDATE: NATURAL SYSTEMS, PARKS AND RECREATION, AND TRANSPORTATION ELEMENTS. Principal Planner Fisk introduced to the Commission Alex Campbell of AHBL to provide an overview of the proposed amendments to the natural systems, parks and recreation, and transportation elements of the comprehensive plan, which had been provided to the commissioners in the meeting packet. The Commission's comments and feedback were requested. Mr. Campbell, as in the previous Planning Commission meeting emphasized that the focus of the current amendments was to ensure that the City's comprehensive plan was consistent with Kitsap County and Puget Sound Regional Council planning policies and requested feedback from the commission regarding these amendments to the periodic update. He added however, that some flexibility is allowed given the guidelines of the policies. Mr. Campbell mentioned that the content contained in the draft of this section of the Comprehensive Plan would was denser than the one presented in the previous meeting and more time would be given to review and comment on as the month continued. He then asked for any feedback The Commission might have. Commissioner Morrison commented in agreement with Mr. Campbell's mention of the amount of content. He then asked if any other members of the Commission had any comments. Commissioner Wright commented that he reviewed most of the amendments. He addressed his concern over the transportation element mentions of cycling and walking and suggested cycling and bicycling may not be practical for the City's elderly population. He also questioned the efficacy of these alternative transportation proposals given the propensity of rain in the region. Commissioner Wright expressed concern that much in the plan might have been added unnecessarily given potential laws or policy goals already in place within the City's previous plans. Commissioner Wright also addressed the plan's inclusion of policy goals regarding equity and his concern that it would lead to segregation of the various groups throughout Port Orchard. Commissioner Wright commented that the plan should be more specific about Port Orchard's needs rather than consistent with the requirements of the Growth Management Act. Commissioner Ta asked about the transportation element specifically referring to the Growth Management Act and that perhaps a reference to it could be made earlier on to make the reader more aware of what the GMA is. Mr. Campbell responded that the GMA does specifically require the transportation element and the reason it's included in that element of the plan to both reference the GMA's requirements and to connect all the plan's elements to a central scope of the regional council policies and the GMA. Commissioner Ta then asked where questions and comments could be directed. Senior Planner Fisk responded that all questions and comments could be emailed to department staff directly. Director Bond mentioned that the reference to the GMA in the Transportation Element was most likely because of the Public Works Department having in the past hired their own independent consultants and consequently were developing a plan independently. The reference might have been deemed necessary to keep them apprised of the GMA and its requirement. Director Bond agreed that the reference could potentially be moved or removed for the sake of clarity. Commissioner Morrison commented that he would be providing more comments later. He mentioned that the plan be focused on assuring that the City's facilities and infrastructure be open to all the citizens of the City. C. DISCUSSION: DIRECTOR'S REPORT Page 2 of 3 would be leaving the Planning Commission en on the Common. Being short a member, he Director Bond reported that would a po ition op Ashby n the necessity to finish the and consequently there be a p presentation to the City stressed that attendance at upcoming meetings be considered given a Comprehensive also mentioned that and if any of the Commissioners wished Plan. Director Bond ents around the City he g Council regarding current deve p to see it, they could find the recording of it on the City's website. �outt�: Commissioner Morrison adjourned the meeting at 6:24 AD r/ A Director Nick Bond, Community Development page 3 of 3