11/05/2018 - Minutes
1
City of Port Orchard
Land Use Committee
Meeting Minutes – November 5, 2018
Committee Members Present: Scott Diener (chair), Fred Chang, Shawn Cucciardi
City Officials and Staff: Mayor Rob Putaansuu, Community Development Director Nick Bond, Public Works
Director Mark Dorsey, Police Chief Geoffrey Marti, Long Range Planner Keri Sallee
Guests: Scott Kirvan, Slaughter County Brewing; Robert Graham, Graham Consulting Group
Chair Diener called the meeting to order at 9:30 am.
1. Discussion: Sedgwick Multifamily Tax Abatement Request. The committee discussed a request by Snongrass
Freeman Associates to expand the City’s designated multifamily tax abatement areas to include a property
located adjacent to the east side of Fred Meyer, near the intersection of Bethel Rd SE and SE Sedgwick Rd. The
applicant is proposing to develop 113 apartments on the 8.27 acre site, and has indicated that obtaining tax
abatement relief may be critical to the project’s financial feasibility. The applicant would like to have the project
under construction by March 2019. Community Development Director Bond said the City of Bremerton has
designated all of their Comprehensive Plan “local centers” as tax abatement areas, and the City of Port Orchard
could consider doing the same. This would also be consistent with the PSRC’s centers objectives. Mayor
Putaansuu said that the City’s purpose for adopting tax abatement areas was to encourage affordable housing in
areas that need redevelopment and economic revitalization. If there is any expansion of the tax abatement
designation to undeveloped property in economically-healthy areas, justification and financial impact analysis
need to be provided, and the change should be made citywide instead of on a case-by-case basis. The City would
also need to consult with junior taxing districts, such as fire and library services, to discuss how limiting property
tax revenue could affect them. Bond said that impact fee revenue from the proposed project could help fund the
Bethel-Sedgwick corridor improvements. The committee requested Bond to review options for revising the tax
abatement area boundaries and participation requirements, and present findings to Council in January 2019.
2. Discussion: Lund Ave Bridge. Councilmember Diener said that there is a citizen petition for the City to make
structural modifications to the Lund Ave bridge that would physically deter suicide attempts. Public Works
Director Dorsey said that his research indicated that the cost of the modifications would be more than $1 million.
Police Chief Marti said that there have been two suicide jumps from the bridge in 11 years. The committee agreed
that modifying the bridge would not be financially feasible and would not significantly reduce local suicide
attempts.
3. Discussion: Potential Revisions to POMC 10.12 – Parking Code. Dorsey presented several requests for
modified City parking requirements and enforcement. The committee agreed with the request to establish a no-
parking area on Bay Street in front of Hall & Sons Car Sales, because of obstructed sight distance when turning left
from Dekalb Street. This change will require a revision to POMC 10.12 (Parking) and coordination with WSDOT.
The second request was for the City to allow parking spaces along the north-south boundary of Etta Turner Park,
adjacent to the west side of the Westbay Center property. Scott Kirvan, the owner of Slaughter County Brewing
located on the west side of Westbay Center, objected to not letting people park along Etta Turner Park. He said
that at night his customers don’t feel safe walking further out into the Westbay parking lot or on the east side of
the building to get to their cars. He also asked the City to trim shrubs and limb trees in the park to improve
visibility. Chief Marti said that allowing parking here would obstruct visibility of the park from Bay Street and the
Westbay parking lot, and would deter crime prevention and public safety efforts at that location. There are
ongoing crime issues including homeless camping and drug dealing in the park and the Westbay parking lot. Based
2
on Marti’s concerns, the committee will not recommend changes to allow parking along Etta Turner Park;
however, additional park vegetation trimming will be done. The committee recommended that Kirvan request the
Westbay Center owner to provide improved parking lot lighting.
The third request was to create a “no parking” zone along a portion of Tracy Ave N because of the narrowness of
the road with a drainage ditch on one side. This portion of the street is currently signed for 2-hour parking. The
committee requested Dorsey to review the full length of Tracy Ave and bring recommendations for any changes
back to the committee.
4. Discussion: Land Disturbing Activity Permit Process. Bond said that land disturbing activity permits (LDAPs)
are issued with conditions for erosion control and stormwater management according to best management
practices. For some projects, a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit from Ecology for
stormwater discharge quantity and quality is also required, with its own conditions. Each project is required to
have a Certified Erosion and Sediment Control Lead (CESCL) to implement these requirements. Because of liability
issues, the City does not provide direction to the CESCL, unless there is a failure or a violation of erosion control or
stormwater quality management conditions that must be corrected. The property owner is ultimately responsible
for any deficiencies or violations. A recent major problem on a residential project resulted from the developer and
his agents ignoring permit requirements to control erosion and secure the site for the rainy season.
Chair Diener adjourned the meeting at 10:16 a.m. Audio-only recording was successful.
Next Meeting/Location: December 3, 2018 in the 720 Prospect conference room.