HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-11-15 YPC MinutesCity of Yakima Planning Commission (YPC) City Hall Council Chambers
Meeting Minutes of February 11, 2015
Call to Order
Chairman Dave Fonfara called the meeting to order at 3:30 p.m.
Roll Call
YPC Members Present: Chairman Dave Fonfara, Al Rose, Patricia Byers, Ron
Anderson
YPC Members Absent: Vice -Chair Scott Clark, Bill Cook, Paul Stelzer,
Staff Present: Jeff Peters, Supervising Planner; Valerie Smith, Senior
Planner; Robbie Aaron, Assistant Planner; Mark Kunkler,
Senior Assistant City Attorney; Joan Davenport, Community
Development/ Planning Director
Other:
Staff Announcements
Jeff Peters, Supervising Planner, provided the Planning Commission with all of the
Planning Commission meeting minutes from 2014. He explained that it is staff's
intentions to have the Commission review these minutes between now and the next
meeting and approve these minutes at the next meeting. Chairman Dave Fonfara
requested for the approval of the 2014 minutes to be an agenda item on the next
Planning Commission meeting agenda.
Peters also provided the Commission with hearing examiner's zoning interpretations to
go along with item 6 on the agenda, Report of Previous Interpretations Issued.
Audience Participation
No audience participation noted.
Opening of 2015 Comprehensive Plan Amendment Process
Valerie Smith, Senior Planner, described the Comprehensive Plan Amendment Process
for the year 2015 which opens February 11, 2015 and closes April 30, 2015.
Valerie reminded the commission that the Yakima Urban Area Comprehensive Plan
2025 will be updated and will be complete in June of 2017. Comprehensive Plan
Amendments received in the years 2016 and 2017 will be incorporated into this state
mandated update. Valerie informed the commission that there have been news releases
display ads, and legal notice for the opening of the 2015 Comprehensive Plan
Amendment process. Another display ad will run this weekend and again when the
deadline is approaching. Ron Anderson asked about additional notice to groups or
organizations that could be affected by this process. Smith added that the staff
maintains an interested parties list and has established a website specifically for this
comprehensive plan update in which people can be notified of this process. Dave
Fonfara mentioned that realtors and homebuilders may also be interested in this
process. Joan Davenport included that anyone with any questions about the
Comprehensive Plan updated can call the Planning Department. Peters stated that this
is the last opportunity for individual property owners to have their applications
considered and go through the formal process. Patricia Byers contributed the idea to
have information about the process on the Council of Chambers website.
Report of Previous Interpretations Issued.
Jeff Peters notified the Commission that he put together a report on zoning
interpretations conducted by the hearing examiner to determine which interpretations
have been incorporated into the City Zoning Ordinance or other parts of the Municipal
Code and which have not been incorporated. Jeff provided the Commission with
interpretations that have not been incorporated or there is some question on. These
interpretations range from 1986 to 2010. Jeff then proceeded to briefly go over each
interpretation and staff's recommendation on each. Dave Fonfara articulated his
concerns over the strict definition of Children's Outdoor Recreational Center.
Other Business
Status Update - on Moratorium Issues in the SCC Zones
Mark Kunkler reintroduced this topic to the Commission and explained a few paths
that can be taken including taking the interpretation to the Hearing Examiner,
proposing a new use definition to the Commission, or codifying the hearing examiner's
decision from 1992 and 1995 and amending Table 4-1 in the Code to establish a mission
as a Class 2 use CBD, M-1, and GC zone. A definition of the term mission would be
added to the Code as well. The proposed definition for "mission' comes from the
hearing examiner's decision in 1992.
Al Rose expressed his concern of the definition of mission being too narrow.
Joan Davenport clarified that in order to resolve this issue by the moratorium deadline
in May the Planning Commission needs to hold a public hearing in March.
Patricia Byers suggested that for some the common definition and understanding of the
term mission may be faith -based.
Other Business
Jeff Peters made it known to the Commission that Robbie Aaron is available to answer
any further questions about the Airport Safety Overlay.
Joan announced that the City Council is scheduled to adopt the Airport Master Plan on
Tuesday, February 17, 2015. She added that the Planning staff is trying to organize a
study session for the Planning Commission on March 18, 2015 extending an invitation
to the Union Gap Planning Commission and the Yakima County Planning Commission
to attend. The plan is to have the WSDOT Aviation planner, Carter Timmerman, come
to speak at this study session and to have Rob Peterson, Airport Manager, and member
from URS attend.
Al Rose asked if the Airport Master Plan that was passed by City Council on March 3,
2015 included a transportation plan for roadways. He added that there will be a need
for a traffic analysis when the airport expands. Al added that if there's no
transportation plan in place and the airport expands rapidly, there may not be adequate
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access to the airport in the future. Jeff Peters stated that Airport Manager Rob Peterson
had mentioned to himself and Robbie Aaron that the Airport Master Plan supports a
737 aircraft at the largest. Jeff also added that there isn't a big demand for large flights
straight out of Yakima, which is why the Airport Master Plan doesn't require a bigger
expansion of the airport runways.
Joan informed Chairman Dave Fonfara that he needs to attend the City Council meeting
on February 17, 2015 for the quarterly update.
Chairman Dave Fonfara stressed the need for the Council to consider a replacement for
Paul Stelzer in an appropriate time frame so that he may step down as he has requested
and fill the void that has been left it Stelzer's absence. Ron Anderson added that a new
member would provide more input and diversity to the Commission.
Joan included that the City Council will be adopting the Sign Ordinance on February
17, 2015 as well.
A motion to adjourn to February 25, 2015 was passed with unanimous vote. This
meeting adjourned at 4:42 p.m.
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This meeting was filmed by YPAC. Minutes for this meeting submitted by: Lisa Maxey, Department Assistant II
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