HomeMy WebLinkAbout01/07/2014 09 2014 Comprehensive Plan Amendment Process; Planning Division's Strategic PrioritiesBUSINESS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
YAKIMA, WASHINGTON
AGENDA STATEMENT
Item No.
For Meeting of: 1/7/2014
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ITEM TITLE: Consideration of opening of the 2014 Comprehensive Plan
Amendment process and evaluating Planning Division's
strategic priorities.
SUBMITTED BY: Steve Osguthorpe, Community Development Director, AICP
SUMMARY EXPLANATION:
As required by Chapter 36.70A RCW, First Class Cities are required to plan under the
Washington State Growth Management Act providing a comprehensive land use plan, map,
goals and policies, and accompanying development regulations. Additionally, to facilitate
potential requests to amend the City's comprehensive plan, YMC 16.10.030 requires the
Yakima City Council to consider annually whether to open or forego the comprehensive plan
amendment process.
The Council will recall that YMC Section 16.10.030 was amended last year to make it clear that
the City is not required to open the comp plan process annually. The only requirement under
State law is to review the Comp Plan by 2017 to ensure it is compliant with the Growth
Management Act. The Council is nonetheless at liberty to allow amendments before that time
provided that they occur no more than once every year.
The Council should therefore determine whether there are known or compelling reasons to
open the comp plan amendment process in 2014 and allow submittal of comp plan amendment
proposals. If so, the Council should consider available resources and whether other Council
priorities may need to be adjusted to allow staff to focus on the amendment process. Some of
the larger projects under Council priorities that require Planning staff's involvement include the
following:
1. Completing the scopes of work under the three moratoriums currently in place, including
marijuana, billboards and digital signs. These are on tract to be completed by May 2014, so
these should not conflict with the comp plan process because we don't begin even
docketing proposed amendments until April and May.
2. Complete subdivision and enforcement chapters as part of the Model Code Update.
The consulting attorney working on this has completed drafts of these two chapters. They just
need to be sent through the normal review process, e.g., SEPA, Planning Commission review,
and Council action.
3. Continue North 1st Street Improvement Project. Staff presented to the Council a North 1st
Street Action plan early this year that included a stakeholder outreach component along with
development of a zoning overlay to address signage and landscaping. However, most of the
focus has been on the downtown master plan and we haven't yet been able to implement the
No.1 st Street Action Plan.
4. Downtown Master Plan development and implementation. The development standard
component of the Master Plan will require Planning Staff assistance. This process will more
fully get underway as we get the various downtown committees up and running.
In terms of staff availability, we are in the process of filling two planner positions, including an
Associate Planner and a Senior Planner. The filing date has closed on these positions and we
received several applications for the Associate Planner position. Evaluation of those
applications will begin immediately. However, no applications were submitted for Senior
Planner, so we will need to reevaluate our recruitment strategy for that position.
Resolution: Ordinance:
Other (Specify): Agenda Statement
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APPROVED FOR
SUBMITTAL:
RECOMMENDATION:
Improve the Built Environment
City Manager
The City of Yakima Planning Division recommends that Council consider opening or foregoing
the 2014 comprehensive plan amendment process, review/reorder the Planning Division's
strategic priorities, and direct staff to prepare a resolution declaring the Council's
motion/decision.
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