HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-10-18 YPC MinutesCity of Yakima Planning Commission (YPC) City Hall Council Chambers
Meeting Minutes of October 10, 2018
Call to Order
Vice -Chair Al Rose called the meeting to order at 3:00 p.m.
Roll Call
YPC Members Present: Vice -Chair Al Rose, Jacob Liddicoat, Robert McCormick,
Leanne Hughes -Mickel, Philip Ostriem
YPC Members Absent: Chairwoman Patricia Byers, Bill Cook (both excused)
Staff Present: Joseph Calhoun, Planning Manager; Cliff Moore, City
Manager; Lisa Maxey, Planning Specialist
Council Liaison: Jason White, District 2 (absent)
Others: Sign -in sheet in file
Staff Announcements - Planning Manager Joseph Calhoun announced that City
Council will hold public hearings on the 2018 Comprehensive Plan Amendments on
November 6, 2018. He added that on October 16th, Council will set the date for a public
hearing on November 13th on the various text amendments the Planning Commission
recently made a recommendation on. The text amendments hearing will also
encompass the proposed text amendments from today's public hearing on hotels,
motels, and extended stay hotels/motels.
Audience Participation - None noted.
Approval of Meeting Minutes of September 26 2018 and Revised Minutes of August
8, 2018 - It was motioned by Commissioner Liddicoat and seconded by Commissioner
Hughes -Mickel to approve the meeting minutes of September 26, 2018 and the revised
minutes of August 8, 2018. The motion carried unanimously.
Public Hearing: Text Amendment on Hotels Motels and Extended Stay
Hotels/Motels TXT#003-18 & SEPA#025-18'' - Planning Manager Joseph Calhoun
presented staff's findings of fact, conclusions, and recommendation on this text
amendment proposal which includes amendments to Yakima Municipal Code Title 15
to define "Hotel, Motel, and Extended Stay' and identify what zoning districts to allow
the uses in and at what level of review. Calhoun explained that staff's recommendation
varies from what the Commission had last agreed on for the draft code changes. He
noted that making "Extended Stay Hotel/Motel" and "Motels and Hotels' the same
level of review in the same zoning districts could limit room availability for transient
visitors if existing hotels are converted to extended stay. He also emphasized the
importance of establishing in each of the three definitions a percentage of rooms
provided for short-term vs. long-term stays to further differentiate the uses.
John Cooper of Yakima Valley Tourism expressed his support for staff's
recommendation and highlighted the importance of the flexibility in the recommended
definitions to allow for a mixture of short-term and long-term stay rooms. Cooper
explained that the mention of kitchen facilities in the Yakima Valley Lodging
Association's suggested definition for "Extended Stay Hotel/ Motel" as stated in their
comment letter was a reflection of the Commission's earlier discussions and drafts in
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which it was suggested that the language "may include kitchen facilities" should be in
the definition.
It was motioned by Commissioner Hughes -Mickel and seconded by Commissioner
Liddicoat that the Planning Commission draft findings of fact and forward a
recommendation of approval of the City Staff's proposal (found under section 11.6 of the
staff report) to the Yakima City Council.
Other Business - Commissioner Hughes -Mickel stated that due to concerns surrounding
the topic of farmworker housing, it may be appropriate to consider recommending a
definition of farmworker housing as well as what zones that use would be appropriate in
and at what level of review. Commission members McCormick and Liddicoat voiced
support for this idea. Calhoun informed the Commission that City Council is working on
scheduling a discussion on this topic with other local jurisdictions. City Manager Cliff
Moore stated that the growers they have spoken to have recommended waiting until after
November to hold the discussion so it does not interfere with the harvest season. He also
told the Commission that there is an Ad Hoc Committee consisting of three Council
members (Mayor Coffey, Deputy Mayor Gutierrez, and Council Member Mendez) who
have met several times and are discussing details such as who will facilitate the meeting
and where it will take place. Moore clarified that the meeting will be open to the public.
Calhoun said that the Commission will be notified of the meeting and offered that the
Commission may want to hold off on making a recommendation until Council gives
direction on this issue after the aforementioned meeting takes place; the Commission
members concurred with this suggestion.
Adiour - A motion to adjourn to October 24, 2018 was passed with unanimous vote.
This meeting adjourned at 3:35 p.m.
Chairwol an Byers Date
This meeting was filmed by YPAC. Mitiutes for this meeting submitted by: Lisa Maxey, Planning Specialist
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