HomeMy WebLinkAbout07/12/2005 Adjourned Meeting 192
ADJOURNED MEETING
JULY 12, 2005 — 7:30 A.M. — 9:00 A.M.
COUNCIL CHAMBERS — YAKIMA CITY HALL
1. RoII CaII
Present:
Council: Mayor Paul George, presiding, Council Members Ron Bonlender,
Neil McClure, and Mary Place
Absent: Council Members Dave Edler, Bernie Sims and Susan Whitman
Staff: City Manager Zais, City Clerk Roberts, City Attorney Paolella, Bill
Cook, Director of Community and Economic Development; Doug
Maples, Code Enforcement and Planning Manager; Doug Mayo,
Wastewater Manager; and Bruce Benson, Planning Supervisor
Others: Union Gap Mayor Aubrey Reeves, County Commissioner Mike Leita,
County Administrator Doug Cochran, Union Gap City Attorney Phil
Lamb
2. Study Session to review options updating the City of Yakima urban growth area
(UGA) boundaries.
Bill Cook, Director of Commuhity and Economic Development, explained that we are
responding to a letter from the County asking for recommendations on proposed
expansions of the urban growth areas. They are in a ten -year process of reviewing all
boundaries and require responses by August.
Doug Maples, Code Enforcement and Planning Manager, noted that ubrban growth
boundaries are controlled and dictated by the Growth Management Act. Each county in
the state is required to review their expansions every ten years and Yakima County
started their review in May. The expansion goal is to ensure that each city has sufficient
land designated to support urban growth projected to occur in the next 20 years.
Boundaries should be selected to provide sufficient land suitable for development
needed for housing and employment growth projections. Mr. Maples presented a map
with five selected areas.
• Proposed areas
A. SR -24. In cooperation with the City of Moxee, the City of Yakima has established
this boundary in relationship to Moxee's urban growth expansion. There currently is
construction of the SR -24 interchange as well as some utility expansions along Riverside
Road. The majority of this area, from Riverside Road east to Moxee would be desirable
for industrial type development. Because of the flood plain, the west side of Riverside
Road is not as desirable for development.
B. Meadowbrook. The Cities of Yakima and Union Gap have a desire to put a pathway
along Ahtanum Creek which would be a desirable thing to do in an open plan. There are
properties along Ahtanum Creek identified for conservancy areas. It is a flood plain and
we are not proposing any higher density than is already there.
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ADJOURNED MEETING — JULY 12, 2005
C. Dazet — We have met with the County on this r roperty. The Gilbert family owns a
large portion of the property; it is designated agricultural, and they believe it will remain
so. We will meet with the Gilbert family who wanted to pursue being in the urban growth
boundary. This area provides opportunity for additional residential development.
D. Cowiche. Bureau of Land Management owns a significant portion of the land. This
area provides opportunities for open space. The County put in a road from Scenic Ridge
to a parking lot allowing access to the BLM land.
E. Gleed. If the Greenway wanted to expand this would be a good opportunity. Also
provides a good opportunity for further open space and park activity. This would add
industrial land to the growth area. The River Road sewer line would have the capacity to
serve this area when it is put in and we are already providing water.
The next step is to meet with the County staff and submit proposals. If Council has
changes to any proposal, or gives direction, we would then contact the property owners
of the areas to make any necessary adjustments.
• Process
The evolution of the urban growth area is to provide controlled growth, preventing sprawl
outside the UGA, and to review population increase needs. The City of Yakima has
unique characteristics; because of the ridges it will be growing east and west in a linear
fashion. The process is, the state requires meeting with the County and they will review
the expansions. Each proposal will go to the County Planning Commission. They will
hear testimony from staff, Council, and the public. The County Planning Commission
would then make a recommendation to the Commissioners. We are currently looking at
doing that in October.
• Challenges
Ensure the correct growth areas have been identified.
Ensure services can be provided in each area.
Ensure that the areas have the correct future land use map designation.
Once the expansion has been approved, then an area -wide rezone for the expanded
area(s) would need to be done. If the Comprehensive Plan hasn't been completed, we
would have to do a Comprehensive Plan amendment before the 2006 update.
• Who is involved?
Yakima County
Each jurisdiction in the county
Citizens within each jurisdiction
Property owners;
The Planning Commission of each jurisdiction
Elected officials of each jurisdiction, and
County Commissioners
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ADJOURNED MEETING — JULY 12, 2005
• Discussion
•
With regard to questions about our ability to serve the Cowiche Canyon area with sewer,
Doug Mayo, Wastewater Manager, clarified that one of the proposed pipe maps shows
the need to build a line along the Cowiche Canyon which will open up the whole back
side of Scenic for development. Mr. Mayo also commented that if Union Gap wants to
serve any of these areas we have no problem with that.
Council Member McClure wrestled with the idea of the GMA trying to contain urban
sprawl and this boundary expansion encouraging development. He asked if reviews
could be done more frequently than the ten -year cycle. It was explained the process is
very arduous and labor intensive. Shorter time periods are not practical due to staff
limitations.
Mr. Maples recommended submitting the proposed areas to the County. He commented
that the Economic Development Committee has reviewed them.
Bill Cook related an exciting new venture with County Planning and Central Washington
Home Builders. In the West Valley Neighborhood Plan there has been discussion about
higher density residential. We have been building six or seven lots per acre. As the
mindset begins to change, we can cluster and have higher density. Then we may begin
to see a slowing of pressure to expand the urban growth areas. He said they will also
meet with Union Gap and talk about that boundary.
3. Discussion of proposed interlocal cooperative agreement between the City of
Yakima, Yakima County, Moxee and Terrace Heights
City Manager Zais explained that a cooperative agreement has been under
consideration for a number of months and there has been dialogue about options for
delivery of wastewater services for the expanded needs identified by the City of Moxee.
Yakima County Development Association (YCDA) has played the lead role in the
coordination efforts. As this has evolved and been reviewed by the parties, it has also
been examined in connection with the underlying Four -Party Wastewater Agreement
from 1976. There have been major changes in Growth Management laws since that
time. There was a moratorium put into place for the expansion of sewer services that
was relieved by the Four Party Agreement. The City's position, at that time and now, is
the outside utility policy that the extension of services carries with it a commitment to
annex. In the original formation of the Four -Party Agreement there was a compromise
for Terrace Heights. They would get services without the requirement of OUAs. After
legal consultation, it is our opinion that the Four -Party Agreement was conditioned on
the extension of bonds put in place in 1978. They were put in a 30 -year time frame for
eventual satisfaction of outstanding debt obligations. The bonds will be substantially
satisfied or retired in 2008 opening up the possibility of a whole new examination of the
relationship of the City of Yakima and its partners. This has a bearing on the issue of
how far we take the current provisions of the Four -Party Agreement insofar as it applies
to the extension of outside utilities and the limits it places on us for growth in Terrace
Heights. This proposed interlocal agreement has gone through a very careful review. It
is what is recommended to you but has not gone through all parties at this time because
of the need to have a collective discussion with the entire Council.
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ADJOURNED MEETING — JULY 12, 2005
Bill Cook, Director of Community and Economic Development, said that providing
access by Moxee to our wastewater treatment plant down Highway 24 does great things
for our community. This corridor is well suited for significant economic development for
the future. Also needing to be discussed is the Four -Party Agreement and how
modifications play against other considerations. The ten year update of the urban
growth area boundaries need to be kept in mind. We need a continuous urban growth
area in this corridor from the City of Yakima all the way to Moxee. He noted there has
been discussion about bringing the two urban growth areas together at Birchfield Road.
Because of the upcoming expiration /renegotiation of the Four -Party Agreement, 2008 is
a critical time for all to talk about the first thirty years and where to go next in terms of
access and capacity. Finally, the city's 40 -year policy of using utility expansion to
support urban growth into the City of Yakima is a consideration. The City's role is to
provide urban services and infrastructure to attract new businesses. Our political clout is
improved as we show ourselves as a growing and robust community. Our access to
both state and federal per capita entitlement funds can only increase as our city grows in
size. The City plays a leadership role in protecting our economy.
Mr. Cook pointed out that page 3 subparagraphs C and D, are the most critical additions
the City has added to the agreement. There are three different variations on how the
Yakima urban growth area might expand.
Council Member Place commented that we've taken flak over the Four -Party Agreement
for years with many wanting it amended. Wastewater Manager, Doug Mayo, responded
that the 1997 settlement agreement was an amendment and a few aspects were
clarified at that time.
Council asked whether the question of who would be providing sewer service to Moxee
has been determined yet and emphasized the urgency of their need. Also questioned
was the issue of whether the Four -Party Agreement would truly expire. Council Member
McClure recommended keeping the urban area as small as possible until we deal with
the other issues.
Bill Huibregtse, Huibregtse Louman and Associates, said they are representing City of
Moxee as consultants on SR 24. They were hoping this would be a formalization and
signing of this interlocal agreement. He continued that from the City of Moxee's
perspective and Terrace Heights, they were surprised and disappointed in this staff
report. They felt they were further down the road for putting into action wastewater
service for this corridor and Moxee. The real driver in the SR 24 study was that the
service of sewer coincided with the planning of Moxee's future needs. He said he met
with the Council's Economic Development Committee and presented the sewer service
area. He is surprised to see an option in here for Yakima service because they talked
about service through Terrace Heights and worked on an interlocal agreement. Moxee
and Terrace Heights have entered into serious discussion to implement that service and
both entities have applied for Public Works Trust Fund grants expanding the Terrace
Heights facility and conveyance pipeline.
Mayor George suggested a summit meeting be held with all parties. Mr. Huibregtse
commented that this has been under discussion for a year and a half and this is the first
time the expiration date of the Four -Party Agreement was raised. County Commissioner
Leita expressed reservations about Sections C and D.
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ADJOURNED MEETING - JULY 12, 2005
Lyle Brulotte from Moxee, owns about 67 acres on the west side of Birchfield Road and
south of Bell Road. With the growth management extending to Bell Road, he would like
consideration of extending the boundaries to include all of his property.
It was the consensus of Council to refer this subject back to the Economic
Development Committee. City Attorney Paolella clarified that the Four -Party
Agreement contemplates a term that coincides with the timing of the water /sewer bond
done in 1978 that was for 30 years. It also says there would be a renegotiation process
to update and continue in some form or another based on new circumstances. There
have been major changes in the law since that time. GMA is a big change and the I/
OUAs were upheld. City Manager Zais commented that we could continue on as is until
the agreement can be renegotiated.
4. Audience Comments (8:45 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.)
Comments included above.
5. Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 9:08 a.m.
READ AND CERTIFIED ACCURATE BY i n (fs-/04
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CITY CLERK PAUL P. GEORGE, MAYOR
Minutes prepared by Karen Roberts. An audio and video tape of this meeting are available in the City
Clerk's Office
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