031-14 - Resolution - Relating to the Comprehensive PlanIntroduced by: Development Director
Drafted by: Development Director
Reviewed by: City Attorney
Introduced: November 25, 2014
Public Hearing: November 4, 2014
Adopted: November 25, 2014
RESOLUTION NO. 031-14
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PORT
ORCHARD, WASHINGTON, RELATING TO THE COMPREHENSIVE
PLAN UNDER THE GROWTH MANAGEMENT ACT; DENYING
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AMENDMENTS FOR LAND USE
DESIGNATIONS AND ZONING MAP DESIGNATIONS SUBMITTED BY
DAVE VOGEL AND BETHEL ROAD LLC AND DENYING THE PARKS
PLAN TEXT AMENDMENTS SUBMITTED BY THE MAYOR.
WHEREAS, the City of Port Orchard plans under the Growth Management Act (chapter
36.70A RCW), which requires that the City adopt a Comprehensive Plan (RCW 36.70A.040);
and
WHEREAS, the City may annually adopt amendments to the City's Comprehensive Plan
(RCW 36.70A.470 and 36.70A.106); and
WHEREAS, the City's deadline for submission of applications for amendments to the
~
Comprehensive Plan for the year 2014 was June 16, 2014; and
WHEREAS, the City received seven applications for amendments to the Comprehensive
Plan and the City's Development Regulations before the deadline; and
WHEREAS, the SEP A Responsible Official performed SEP A on the applications and
issued a Determination ofNonsignificance (DNS) on November 7, 2014; and
WHEREAS, on September 15, 2014, the Planning Commission held a public hearing on
the applications and after hearing public testimony, deliberated and issued their
recommendations; and
Resolution No. 031-14
Page 2 of6
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission's recommendation was delivered to the City
Council, and the City Council considered the recommendation during a public hearing held by
the City Council on November 4, 2014; and
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PORT ORCHARD, WASHINGTON,
RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The City Council considered the comprehensive plan amendments and the
Planning Commission's recommendations on each of the following applications:
A. Vogel Amendment.
1. Description. The amendment as described in the Dave Vogel application
consisted of Comprehensive Plan Map Land Use designation and Zoning Map changes to
parcel352401-4-013-2003. It is proposed that the western portions of the ten acre parcel
be granted a zoning change from Greenbelt as shown on the City's Official Zoning Map
to the Commercial Zone, and a change of the Comprehensive Plan Land Use Designation
for the property from Greenbelt to Commercial on the Comprehensive Plan Land Use
Map.
2. Findings. The Greenbelt Comprehensive Plan Land Use Designation was
created to ensure that lower densities occur in the close proximity of critical and
environmentally sensitive areas. Representatives of the Suquamish Tribe provided a
letter expressing opposition to the proposal. Testimony was offered at a Public Hearing
before the Planning Commission on September 15,2014 from neighbors surrounding the
property subject to this amendment who indicated an opposition to the proposal due to
reasons including a lack of suitable commercial access to the property which was the
subject of the application. Testimony was offered at a Public Hearing before the
Planning Commission on September 15, 2014 from the applicant as a proponent of the
proposal.
3. Staff Recommendation: City staff has recommended denial of the
proposed Vogel Amendment.
4. Planning Commission Recommendation: The Planning Commission
recommended a modified approval of the proposed Vogel Amendment.
5. Council Conclusions: The City Council concludes that the proposed
zoning map amendment and comprehensive plan land use map amendment would likely
result in impacts to adjacent property owners which cannot be mitigated due to
commercial access limitations to the site from Lund Ave and Sidney Ave. The applicant
did not demonstrate that a viable option for commercial access to the site from Lund Ave
or Sidney A venue existed. In the absence of viable commercial access from Lund Ave
Resolution No. 031-14
Page 3 of6
and Sidney A venue, residents of the residential access street "Bill Ave" would potentially
be impacted by commercial traffic accessing this site. In addition, this proposal would
introduce commercial land use and zoning designations to an area of the city which is
currently designated Residential and Community Facilities (Lundberg Park and VanZee
Park). A Commercial designation at this location is seen as incompatible with the
surrounding residential uses. The City Council concludes that the proposal does not meet
the criteria for granting approval as found in POMC 16.05.040.
B. Bethel Road LLC Amendment.
1. Description. The amendment as described in the Bethel Road LLC
application consisted of Comprehensive Plan Land Use Map and Zoning Map changes to
parcel352401-1-002-2002. It is proposed that the eastern portions of this parcel be
granted a zoning change from Greenbelt as shown on the City's Official Zoning Map to
the Commercial Zone, and a change from the Comprehensive Plan Map Designation for
the property from Greenbelt to Commercial on the Comprehensive Plan Land Use Map.
The exact boundaries of the change were shown on a site plan submitted with the
application.
2. Findings. The Greenbelt Comprehensive Plan Designation was created to
ensure that lower densities occur in the close proximity of critical and environmentally
sensitive areas. Representatives of the Suquamish Tribe provided a letter expressing
opposition to the proposal. Public testimony was not offered on the proposal at a Public
Hearing before the Planning Commission on September 15, 2014 or at the Public Hearing
before the City Council on November 4, 2014 including from the applicant. State
Department of Natural Resources maps indicate that areas proposed for commercial
designation in this proposal as shown on the site plan submitted by the applicant are a
"geohazard area of concern."
The Blackjack Creek Management Plan applies to this property and identifies the
need to address "the area surrounding the creek, particularly the area between the creek
and the bluff of the ravine on each side of the creek, should be addressed by either zoning
or policy guidelines which will promote or limit the types of development which will be
consistent with other s~ctions of this report. Three alternative approaches which might be
utilized for that area outside of the shoreline designations, but still within the ravine are
as follows:
a. Create a new zoning classification for the Blackjack Creek area.
Presently the area which roughly corresponds to the Shoreline Master
Program, i.e. 200 feet on each side of the creek, is designated as Greenbelt
under the City's current zoning. This allows for 8,000 square foot lots and
residential development of this area. Most of the remaining area between
the creek and the edge of the bluff is presently zoned Residential Low,
which would allow for one unit per every 10,000 square feet. These
designations allow development densities which are both impractical and
undesirable along Blackjack Creek given the topography, soils stability
hazards, and access problems.
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A new zoning for Blackjack Creek would very specifically define
the uses which the City would allow in the Blackjack Creek ravine and
along the creek, including setbacks from the edge of bluff, setbacks from
the creek itself, open space requirements and the types of environmental
analysis which would be required in order to develop under the new zone.
b. Utilize existing zoning.
The City has an existing zoning designation which would be more
consistent with the Natural shoreline designation and more realistic given
the constraints of the area on each side of Blackjack Creek. This zone is
the Open Space zone which allows one unit for two and one half acres as
opposed to one unit for 8,000 square feet of the Greenbelt zone. Under the
Open Space zoning, single family homes on lots adjacent to and within the
Blackjack Creek ravine would still be allowed. However, this would
increase the acreage of lots in order to address issues such as landslides,
drainage, and aesthetics.
c. Policies and Development Standards.
This third alternative would be to develop an overlay of policies
and development standards which would apply to a defined area of
Blackjack Creek. An example of how these policies and development
standards could be applied to Blackjack Creek follows .... " (See Pages 37
and 38 of the Blackjack Creek Management Plan)
3. Staff Recommendation: City staffhas recommended denial ofthe
proposed Bethel Road LLC Amendment.
4. Planning Commission Recommendation: The Planning Commission
recommended a denial of the proposed Bethel Road LLC Amendment.
5. Council Conclusions-Rezones: The City Council concludes that this
proposal is not consistent with the Blackjack Creek Management Plan (incorporated into
the City's Comprehensive Plan by reference in Appendix G) because it designates areas
located below the top of the Blackjack Creek ravine for Commercial use. The Council
further concludes that it would not be prudent to designate areas identified in Department
of Natural Resource maps as "Geohazard Areas of Concern" for Commercial use. The
City Council concludes that the proposal does not meet the criteria for granting approval
as found in POMC 16.05.040.
C. The Parks Plan Amendment.
1. Description. The Parks Plan amendment consists of 3 separate issues; (1)
Renaming Central Park as Clayton Park, (2) Designating Lundberg Park as a barrier free
ADA accessible park, and (3) designating a portion ofthe Park identified in the Parks
Plan as "Bethel South Property" as an off-leash dog park.
2. Findings. At the June 12, 1972 Port Orchard City Council meeting as
reflected in meeting minutes, Mayor Powers reported on the dedication of the Clayton
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Memorial Park. Clayton Memorial Park is currently identified in the City's Parks plan as
"Central Park." The City ofPort Orchard has not identified any of its parks as "Barrier
Free ADA Accessible." The City does not have any designated offleash dog areas
within the city limits. The "Bethel South Property" is located on Bethel Ave and this
particular section of Bethel A venue is classified as a minor arterial.
3. Staff Recommendation: City staff has recommended approval of the Parks
Plan Amendments.
4. Planning Commission Recommendation: The Planning Commission
recommended approval of Parks Plan Amendments 1 and 3.
5. Council Conclusions -Text Amendment: The City Council concludes that
in 1972, improvements at Central Park coincided with a rededication of the park
as Clayton Park but that any official name change should be part of a broader
public process. The Council concludes that specific plans for Lundberg Park
should be developed through a broad public process. The City Council concludes
that there is insufficient public support for designating a portion of "Bethel South
Property" as an off-leash dog park at this time. The Council also concludes that
traffic volumes on Bethel Road adjacent to the Bethel South Property are
incompatible with designating this site as on off-leash dog park in the absence of
plans detailing how to ensure the safety of dogs and dog owners at this location.
Section 2. Applications Denied. The 2014 applications to amend the Port Orchard
Comprehensive Plan listed as follows are hereby denied:
A. The Vogel Amendment.
B. The Bethel Road LLC Amendment
C. The Parks Plan Text Amendments
Section 3. Severability. If any section, sentence, clause or phrase of this Resolution
should be held to be unconstitutional by a court of competent jurisdiction, such invalidity or
unconstitutionality shall not affect the validity or constitutionality of any other section, sentence,
clause or phrase of this Resolution.
PASS ED by the Council and approved by the Mayor of the City of Port Orchard, this 25th
day ofNovember, 2014.
ATTEST/ AUTHENTICATED:
Bran y Rinearson, CMC , C1ty Clerk
Resolution No. 031-14
Page 6 of6
J4!<~~ t'/Mz~
Timothy C. atthes, Mayor