CALL TO ORDER: The regular meeting of the Planning Commission was called to order by Nick Zaferatos, Chairperson.
ROLL CALL:
Commission Members: Carol Salisbury, Fred Wagner, Judith Wiseman, Mary Passmore, Michael Kohl, Nick Zaferatos, Travis Holland
Commission Members Absent: [None]
Planning Staff Members
Greg Aucutt, Senior Planner
Jackie Lynch, Planner
Patricia Decker, Director
Susan Larssen, Recording Secretary
1. Continuation from March 20, 1997, the consideration of WWU Neighborhood Plan Update.
STAFF PRESENTATION
Patricia Decker commented about the progress of tonight's process. She said that we are still sorting out how to process neighborhood updates and how that will relate to WWU. The Planning Commission has asked what, of all aspects of WWU's Master Plan, is the purview of the city and what portions should be reflected and adopted in our neighborhood plan and how this relates to future zoning. There is also a question of an institutional master plan for WWU. This is all still being sorted. The WWU Neighborhood Plan needs to deal with the requirements of the institution and the interface between the institution and the needs of the community. The WWU Master Plan is the institution's vision for itself with a primary focus on the needs of the institution. The issue the Planning Commission is dealing with is what aspects of WWU's Master Plan have affects off campus? The present issue is one of process and communication. Not enough people affected by the plan know enough about it. WWU's answer is to hold neighborhood meetings. There have been some meetings, with others scheduled. WWU's process folds into our process and creates a two-way communication. Those issues we should focus on as a commission in our recommendation to Council should be off campus impact, both measurable and in perception. Another concern of the city is how does the community deal with property acquired by WWU that is next door? We need to develop a memo of staff recommendations on those pieces of the process before the June 5th meeting. This will be the focus of the June 5th meeting. Long term and short term issues will be sorted, discussed and delivered to the commission and the public prior to this meeting. This should allow WWU to hold their neighborhood meetings.
Nick Zaferatos asked about the framing of the issues being available to the public.
Patricia Decker responded that she would work with staff to decide the best approach. It will be available Friday, May 23.
The audience was encouraged to sign in if they want notification.
George Pierce, WWU. Announced the next neighborhood meeting would be Thursday, May 15, 1997. Mr. Pierce discussed a few of the concerns expressed during their neighborhood meetings. These included: Where do you locate buildings? How do you provide parking with no State funds? How do you expand limited space and capture green space? How do you provide sufficient access to a campus that is landlocked and allow people to easily circumvent campus if they have no interest on-campus? How do we develop a plan that anticipates an increasing number of students. All these questions need to be answered within the confines of a beautiful campus. An important issue brought to the Commissioners is previously purchased properties, including property along Bill McDonald Parkway, property on 24th street (a house with a small lot behind for a future child care center), lot west of physical plant (to hopefully acquire entire block for offices, shops and storage), and the property east of the physical plant (used for compost and transported elsewhere). WWU's interest is just west of the physical plant area. The Chestnut Medical building is another facility they are attempting to purchase and two properties on 20th Street, to allow the bypass road to occur. If they had resources to purchase to Knox they would reveal specifics. The vacant property WWU owns is in its present state because of the lead paint and the clean up costs. Regarding issues of the growth of the institution and their growth to the south, the community to the south is concerned. WWU wants to respond as best they can. We want to come up with a process that serves us all well.
PUBLIC HEARING CONTINUED
Rod Del Poso, 1900 Knox, gave a slide presentation to show the character of the neighborhood that WWU is proposing to acquire and the encroaching parking lots servicing WWU.
Dunham Gooding, 1212 24th Street, questioned the proposal of WWU and his belief that the university could develop elsewhere instead of in its present location. A larger footprint is not always possible. He suggested WWU grow upward, not outward. There is an imbalance of what the community gets from the university compared to what the students get from the forests, open spaces and clean air. It is naive to believe that something of this scope can be accomplished properly with only noticing people within a 300-foot radius. He feels the city did not respond to the community's outcry of what would happen to their neighborhoods. Most citizens are having a difficult time figuring out what the issues are. It is out of sequence to give WWU any indication that a rezone for properties they may purchase in the Happy Valley neighborhood is possible or likely. He read an article regarding the proposed street changes for widening and extension and the consequential loss of wildlife and sense of community and history. These are not being addressed by WWU. The idealism of the university is not the only issue at stake.
Paul deArmond, 1334 Humbolt Street, is an investigative researcher hired by and speaking for the community that requested his services. He submitted an article he created called "The Castle at the Top of the Hill" with a list of requested action by the city and the planning commission. He is also concerned about GMA-mandated participatory planning process and SEPA scoping of WWU's EIS.
Caleb Swift, 417-B Buchanan Towers. The wetlands labeled for protection are being encroached upon by WWU's proposed housing. There are better areas more suitable than destroying wetlands. The visitor center proposed along 21st Street is inappropriate and 21st should not become an arterial. More appropriate would be 25th Street because it is already owned by the university. The noise also needs to be addressed to those buildings that are to remain for academic purposes.
Tom Chisholm, 2618 Mill Street. In the past five years there has been an increase in traffic and student housing that is already causing an impact of their personal lives. The houses that WWU is proposing to tear down have historical value. These would be better restored than destroyed. Happy Valley has absolutely the highest quality of life of any neighborhood in the city with open spaces, wetlands and trails. He would like to see not only what WWU has planned for in their area, but what WWU wants. Also he would like to see more specifics for the possible uses for the land WWU proposes to buy. Do not come down to Knox.
Blake Allen, 1710 22nd Street. Mr. Allen questioned whose idea it was to put 21st Street through. He also questions the creation of more parking when that space can be used for other things.
Darrel Stribe, 1427 Grand Street. He is concerned about the traffic and the land grab by the university and wonders why he was never notified.
Hugh Beatty, 2104 McKenzie. Suggested WWU buy Samish drive-in and build a parking facility with a shuttle.
Wendy Scherrer, 1905 Larrabee Avenue. The impact on the existing housing stock has not been addressed adequately. There are hundreds of housing units affected by WWU's expansion proposal. The life of a neighborhood is reflected in its neighborhood. We need to look at the social impact of student housing, low income housing, and limited income housing that will be eliminated with this expansion. Where are these people to go if this plan is carried out? There are some historic preservation houses in this area. The city and the university should work together to decide the housing impact. Suggested quality housing, integrated with neighborhood needs be built by WWU instead of low quality.
Daniel Kirkpatrick, 1020 21st Street. He attended a "landlocked" university in St. Paul, MN. It was surrounded by housing, small businesses and parks. It was pedestrian friendly. He would like to see the university as a good neighbor. It would be good to see the community and university mingle in a friendly manner. He appeals to the Planning Commission for help in dealing with WWU. He would like the Planning Commission to encourage WWU to work with the neighbors in a due process and ask that we do not allow the expansion of WWU to the south neighborhood. WWU answers directly to the State. As a member of the community we have only the City to speak for us. He has witnessed WWU build housing, parking lots to excess, eliminate wooded areas, discount public comment and public interest. WWU has not acted in the communities interest nor have they explained why they need land in Happy Valley. They are not making a pedestrian friendly neighborhood. They are not looking for eliminating the need for cars; they are looking at how to adapt to cars. We do not need a visitors center of this size. WWU is not making a pedestrian friendly campus. Half of his walk north to Red Square is by parking lot. We need to plan for what we want it to be, then make it that way.
Skip Johnson, 2719 Donovan. The time span on WWU's expansion is excessively long and poorly planned. There are no specifics to WWU's plan. Circulation and transportation are the only issues so far addressed. They are still difficult to reconcile with the neighborhood plans. He raised issues of the intent of WWU to not maintain their existing expansion property. Suggest we pull the plug on this plan and send it back to WWU for more details. Who is in the driver's seat on this? The City, WWU or the community? The community should be given more consideration and say in what goes on in their neighborhood. People need to know what they are going to live next to so they can react rationally. How will WWU help the City meet the CHAP housing goals?
John Hadden, 1133 23rd Street. The university has displayed shortsightedness in dealing with the community. There are enough parking lots. If WWU would better use their existing space they would not need to expand south of Bill McDonald Parkway.
John Servais, 1609 Mill Avenue. This is the fifth meeting that the Happy Valley community has been involved. They have a strong interest in their neighborhood. WWU is neglecting their existing property to run down the property value of those citizens unwilling to sell. We do not want to hurt WWU. We also do not want to negotiate with WWU where the boundaries will be. We want a plan that we can participate in. WWU has not offered any means to modify their plan. We only express our concerns, WWU soothes our concerns but there are no ways to influence changes. WWU is driven to take on more students. Is this self driven or State driven? He suggests more time between staff suggestions and the June 5 meeting. The community needs time to study the recommendations. Expansion to Knox will put pressure on rezones. He would like to see the probability to delete 21st Street north of Bill McDonald Parkway. Possibly build parking structures under the playing fields. Central Campus Way goes nowhere. It eats up land. The visitors center at 21st and Bill McDonald Parkway is an office center. There is no drive thru facilities. This shows what we are dealing with here. There are no details in this plan. At the December 6th Board of Trustees meeting a presentation was made of the Master Plan and it was given a green light to present to the city. These comments were made: Happy Valley is nice but it has a rural setting. They will get squeezed out. This is a city problem. Complaints have come from some neighbors but that is the city's problem. WWU has a straight forward habit of pushing forth their plan.
Jay Tabor, 1212 Raymond. He encourages WWU to sit with city administration and work on how they might revamp this process. Abuse of the Growth Management Act (GMA) does not speed up the process.
John Fraizer, 2706 Mill Avenue. There are two large areas represented here. He suggests that there be a stipulation that the two be required to plan together. WWU should get a process to let the neighbors become involved. WWU says they want the land down to Knox. Knox is well into Happy Valley. What will become of their neighborhood, when it becomes part of WWU. Funneling vehicle traffic to 21st will cause a big impact on their neighborhood. The unforeseen results of bringing traffic up 21st into their neighborhood is awful.
Joe Deeny, 2104 Wilson Avenue. The meetings taking place now with WWU should have been done before it was presented to the city. He asked about details of the proposed plan with respect to parking, traffic and student population. Budget money cannot be used for parking. It has to be self supporting. Could the university float a bond to deal with parking rather than push it down to the neighborhood? His house would be removed if 21st Street came down to the parkway. With a continued blockage, traffic will dispense through the neighborhood. We would be paid but what happens to the neighborhood. This might be better than living in limbo.
Wendy Borjeston, 2202 Mill Avenue. She asked how long public comment will stay open.
Nick Zaferatos said it will remain open. There is no set date at this time.
Dunham Gooding, 1212 24th Street. The university can tax itself and collect fees from the community. These could be used for parking expansion.
Following tonight's meeting was a discussion regarding the scheduling of Happy Valley Neighborhood Plan Update and how it fits with WWU Neighborhood Plan Update.
Nick Zaferatos asked if Dawn Sturwold could be present at the upcoming meetings because of the legal issues raised tonight.
Judith Wiseman expressed interest in what other institutions throughout the country have done about parking.
Carol Salisbury commented that this is an issue that has not been dealt with by WWU. She mentioned that the Forest RPZ will push parking into Happy Valley.
Mary Passmore asked to know how WWU sponsored the existing parking.
Patricia Decker commented on Durham Gooding's comment on the university adopting a fee and if they did it would have to be applied across the board. It could be done as a student fee. Everyone pays a bus fee whether they use it or not.
Carol Salisbury asked about the easterly property ownership.
Jackie Lynch said it was the Arboretum, jointly owned and managed by the City and WWU.
Travis Holland asked about traffic flow and trip generation along 21st Street.
A discussion followed about the circulation of 21st Street.
Judith Wiseman asked about the ultimate course of traffic along Chuckanut Ridge.
Patricia Decker said we can bring forth a master plan on 24th Street going across to Chuckanut Ridge. However, the city is split on the issue. The Planning Department will not be making a recommendation on this issue.
Judith Wiseman asked for a broader view of the traffic issue in these neighborhoods.
Patricia Decker said they can show this from the comp. plan. She is not sure that they should take this issue and put it in such a broad, unknown context.
Mary Passmore said regardless, if Chuckanut comes up 24th or 12th it will be going to the freeway.
Carol Salisbury commented on the street improvement on West Campus Way. When classes let out, the traffic is impossible. You cannot get across the street because of the students. A way to get around would be desirable.
Mary Passmore suggested a tunnel or an overpass across Bill McDonald Parkway to separate pedestrians and traffic.
Nick Zaferatos asked for information on GMA policy questions and the effect of a state enclave on the city. The question of infill, which is not driven by population growth, as the city is. He also asked about the effect of dealing with boundary changes and the GMA. He asked about the timing of Happy Valley Neighborhood. Preserving and protecting neighborhoods may be lost with the proposed action. He would like to see an inventory taken of the housing stock. Would WWU provide a diversity of housing? Is this a potential conflict of WWU and the GMA?
Carol Salisbury commented that the reason WWU chose the boundary to the south was because it was RM.
Jackie Lynch responded that the 3/20 packet gives the zoning in the south.
Judith Wiseman asked about the statistics of student growth at WWU and its' affect on housing, traffic and classrooms.
Carol Salisbury said the previous expansion statistics never happened.
A discussion ensued over accommodations of student growth at WWU.
Travis Holland said the university is trying to lay groundwork to offer education at a lower cost.
Michael Kohl commented on the cost per square foot per student.
The issues of WWU were tabled and the Planning Commissioners moved on to CPTED. [omitted]
APPROVAL OF MINUTES - FEBRUARY 20, 1997 AND MARCH 20, 1997.
MOTION BY CAROL SALISBURY TO APPROVE MARCH 20, 1997 MINUTES AS AMENDED,
SECONDED BY JUDITH WISEMAN. MOTION BY TRAVIS HOLLAND TO APPROVE FEBRUARY 20,1997 AS AMENDED, SECONDED BY FRED WAGNER.
ADJOURN: 10:00 P.M.
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