HomeMy WebLinkAbout04/21/2009 04B Minutes 04-01-2009 Council Economic Development Committee T3
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Council Econom Deve&pment Committee
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
4:00 p.m.
Members present: Micah Cawley, Rick Ensey, Bill Lover
Staff: Dave Zabell, Bill Cook, Michael Morales, Max Linden, Bruce Benson
Proposed Washington Heights Annexation
The Washington Heights developer approached the City in 2008 about a phased annexation
of their property. Bill Cook mentioned the County's pending West Valley Neighborhood
Plan and the ongoing negotiations regarding development standards in the West Valley
area. He said that it might be time to consider if it is a good time to annex this property or if
the City should wait until some of the other considerations are resolved. Micah Cawley said
that he was not inclined to rush into the annexation due to the weight of the various service
issues such as fire, police and wastewater combined with the fact that the builder does not
have a set time frame. He added that the City is interested in annexation if it can support
itself and if it can be serviced with existing resources. Bill Cook stated that it would be very
difficult to plan this area before the north /south roads are laid out. Rick Ensey said that he
is hesitant to rush into a large development like this, not knowing absolutely that we can
support it. Bruce Benson asked for a clarification from the committee because developers
0 and property owners continue to request annexation. Micah said that direction on
annexation in general should come from the full Council and he would like to have that
discussion. As for the Washington Heights request, the Committee would like additional
information from the developer. The developer will be invited to attend a committee meeting
at their convenience. if it is not possible for them to attend in the near future, additional
information may be exchanged via correspondence.
Information regarding upcoming Capital Expenses for Wastewater Treatment Plant
Max Linden introduced Tom Coleman, a local engineering consultant that is assisting with
planning for a couple of very costly issues concerning the wastewater treatment facility. The
first issue is a gap to gap levee setback that will require relocation of and major design
modifications to the outfall to the Yakima River. One of the goals of the levee setback is to
reestablish a natural floodplain. When that occurs, the treatment plant is likely to lose the
current outfall mixing zone. It may be possible to mitigate the issue by using a site south of
the plant. Discussions are occurring with the Department of Ecology (DOE). That solution
may be the least expensive and potentially the only option. After viewing the possible
additional floodplain area (located west of the existing floodplain), Micah asked about the
Yakima Soccer Association plans. Dave Zabell reported that the City has been working with
the association on additional property options.
The second issue is regulatory. DOE plans to establish a Total Maximum Daily Load
(TMDL) requirement for the Yakima River which will result in more stringent criteria for
nitrogen, phosphorous and temperature levels. Staff is trying to position the City for
• effective input into the DOE process, believing the City's input will ultimately have a positive
effect on the cost. The levee setback and the TMDL requirement may merge because the
type of effluent disposal that the City has proposed may have a benefit in terms of the TMDL
process.
Citizen concern regarding zoning density •
A group of local businessmen addressed the Committee in regard to density and proximity
of convenience stores. They believe that continuing to allow new convenience stores in
certain neighborhoods will negatively impact existing businesses. Bill Cook told the
Committee that this is a Class 1 use, meaning that there is no public process for a
convenience store in the proper zoning area. Discussion continued around the fact that
current commercial zoning does not prohibit the number of businesses that can go into an
area, with the exception of the recent the adult business ordinance. The Committee
directed staff to send a letter to the business owner outlining exactly what the City can and
cannot do in regard to their request.
Discussion regarding City programs that benefit businesses
Micah stated that he is concerned about the financial stability of auto dealerships and other
businesses in our community due to the current economic climate, and he asked to review
the financial tools available through the City. Michael Morales talked about federal tax
incentive programs that the City has offered to businesses in the Renewal Community area.
They provide an incentive for the business's investment in capital facilities and hiring _
employees. The City has also offered accelerated depreciation for construction projects for
smaller businesses. Auto dealerships, hotels, restaurants and agriculture based businesses
have benefitted. A variety of other options exist depending on the circumstance, including
financial assistance, job training creation grants, the Yakima County SIED program,
technical assistance through the City's Permit Center, and complimentary walk - throughs of •
facilities that businesses might be considering for purchase or rent. In addition, Rural
Community Development Resources (RCDR) offers workshops for small businesses and
the Greater Yakima Chamber of Commerce and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce have
small business development centers. Micah stated that it is good that we have all these
options and good to get the word out about them to help businesses ride out these hard
times. -
The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Council Economic Development Committee will
be Wednesday, May 6, 2009, at 4:00 p.m.
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Micah Cawley, uriair Date