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Legislative Committee Faces Brisk, Challenging Session
By the time you read this article, the Washington APA Legislative Committee will have just begun a tenuous 2010 agenda to achieve some sort of progress on the Sustainable Washington strategies it initiated during last year's session.
The Committee's weekly conference calls began January 14th and due to the short, 60-day session, priorities will be centered on two bills this year. Both bills support strategies contained in the chapter's "six principles to guide a smart growth strategy" and "10 recommendations for legislative action."
House Bill 2411 would allow subarea plans to be adopted more than once per year, provided they conform to other jurisdiction-wide comprehensive plan policies and address environmental impacts. House Bill 2412 would limit review of proposals to authorize new fully contained communities located outside urban growth areas to any county east of the crest of the Cascades.
If you blink, you might miss the rest of the session. With only three weeks for policy committees to read bills, successes may come from continuing to provide the legislature with GMA-related guidance, according to Esther Larsen, the Committee's Co-Chair.
"I can't predict what success the chapter will have in 2010," Larsen said, "because everything is going to be driven by the budget."
If the 2010 campaign is similar, or worse than 2009, bills with fiscal notes will likely fail, said chapter lobbyist Mike Shaw at the state APA conference in November.
"Bills over $50,000 that had a fiscal note got killed," Shaw said.
Only four of 26 climate change bills passed in 2009, for example, and they weren't significant, Shaw said.
One of the primary bills, House Bill 1490, attempted to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through land use and transportation requirements. But the budget's black cloud eventually extinguished the bill.
For 2010, it seems like the State Legislature is already on the bell lap. Facing a $2.6 billion deficit, this session won't likely enact major land use policy changes, Shaw wrote in the chapter's January Washington Planner article.
Federal stimulus money won't be available to rescue local budgets either due to maintenance of effort restrictions that limit what the State Legislature can cut this session, Shaw noted.
However, the governor and state legislators said they will work to help cities and counties save money by suspending some costly GMA requirements like comprehensive plan timelines. As of press time, those details had not been completed.
Neither House Bill 2411 or 2412 has a fiscal note or is likely to get one as the session progresses, said a Committee member with knowledge of the bills.
Other priorities:
These items will receive input from the chapter due to previous involvement:
- Delaying or restructuring GMA comprehensive plan timelines
- Consolidation of the GMA hearing boards.
- Clarifying issues involving critical areas as they are addressed in the GMA versus the Shoreline Management Act (SMA).
The Committee meets via telephone conference call every Thursday at noon during the legislative session. If you are interested in participating in the Committee, please contact one of the co-chairs:
Esther Larsen: 509-477-5709, elarsen@spokanecounty.org
Josh Peters: 360-385-9167, jpeters@co.jefferson.wa.us
Note that anyone interested in joining the Legislative Committee must be a dues paying member. In addition, you should review the chapter website to understand the quick turnaround times for reporting and taking action. Be ready to explain your interest in participating and what area or areas of expertise you are willing to take a lead role.
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President's Message
By Julia Park
We begin our New Year with a somber but cautiously optimistic outlook. The Puget Sound Section's Holiday Party, held at the new venue, Salty's on Alki, drew a record number of attendees. Given the economic climate, the sponsoring firms were especially generous in their unflinching support for this annual social event. Brown bag sessions held in 2009 received a record attendance levels as well. The bi-annual Planning Law conference organized by our section continues to be recognized as one of the "must-attend" events for planners and allied professionals throughout the region. The spring Planning Law conference also indicated stable attendance levels in spite of the economy and introduced emerging legal issues on topics such as sustainability and climate change.
Not all is good news - many of us experienced layoffs and face budget and work reductions. It is a stressful time for the planning profession while we await our economy's slow recovery.
Looking forward to the New Year, there are reasons for a cautious optimism. Growth management and Smart Growth strategies that enhance sustainability will continue to be an essential part of the way communities do business in our state and throughout the Puget Sound. This region has become a global leader for developing foresight and new ideas and taking bold actions to advance sustainability. As a section, we help guide these cutting-edge efforts. A certain amount of optimism propelled many of us to become planners, and I believe this deliberate optimism will continue to help us persevere in the field. Ultimately, our continued hard work and creativity will help our communities and environment become healthier, viable, and sustainable places to live, work, and play.
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PIERCE COUNTY REVAMPS ITS PERMITTING SYSTEM
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By Chuck Kleeberg, Pierce County Director of Planning and Land Services
There is no doubt that in Pierce County, like other Puget Sound counties, the building industry constitutes a critical part of the economic engine.
After a seven-year run at full throttle, that engine is at an idle these days. Industry employment is down, planning department layoffs are more the norm than the exception. With a new County Executive (Pat McCarthy) this is a good time for a tune-up. With her encouragement, the County has embarked on several new initiatives to make permitting easier and more seamless.
First, we began development of a joint strategic plan with three departments - Planning and Land Services, Public Works and Utilities, and Economic Development. We laid out a new, more efficient and effective direction for permitting. Other cities and counties were consulted for ideas.
Second, representatives from the building industry worked on their own list of strategies. The two plans were merged. Top ideas from this effort included more appointments, less drop in, and more focus on the paying customer. Figures from 2009, for example, indicate that information-seekers account for 58% of the development center's customer volume, which is substantial. Strategies also include improving predevelopment conferences and screening mechanisms, including call centers and web sites; the creation of a proficient customer program, and development of a common customer service training module for all permitting departments.
We also have spent some time on consolidating codes. The community councils that worked hard on developing local plans throughout the County did a great job. However, they came to different results on similar issues in some cases, which left us with a patchwork of different codes. Both applicants and County staff found the mix confusing. The first of the fixes, on landscaping, has reached the Pierce County Council. Traffic code streamlining solutions are to follow in 2010.
None of this will be easy. We begin 2010 with 75 fewer staff than we had budgeted at the beginning of 2008 (from 173 to 98). Some are on loan, some have taken jobs elsewhere, and some sit on the layoff bubble as we write this.
Still, our goal as we emerge from the recession is to be ready for whatever comes our way from applicants, and to help it happen. Together, we hope to help the economy start humming again.
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Tukwila attempts to move forward on ambitious Southcenter redevelopment
If implementation is the hardest part of a planning process, then Tukwila's vision to redevelop the large commercial district known as "Southcenter" will have to first withstand a barrage of hard questions heading into 2010.
For starters, the 1,000-acre subarea located adjacent to I-405 and I-5 must prove it can pencil-out at the demonstration level, which would likely include phasing in some type of mixed-use project on site. From there, the city would depend on a host of factors - including timing and market confidence - to instill the bigger pieces of the vision.
That vision would transform Southcenter from its large suburban footprint to a more urban setting highlighted by transit and pedestrian-oriented development patterns. Composed of 244 individual privately held properties, the northern portion of the plan area includes the Westfield Southcenter Mall, while the southern portion is primarily a warehouse and distribution center. The mix of uses proposed in the Tukwila Urban Center Plan (TUC) would help Tukwila remain competitive as a regional retail and employment center.
"The vision is great, but the stumbling block is how you get there" said Nora Gierloff, Tukwila's Deputy Community Development Director.
One of the central challenges contained in the public review draft, which debuted in February 2009, is the TUC's attempt to integrate form-based codes in the subarea's urban design. Developed by the San Francisco-based planning firm, Freedman Tung and Bottomley, the codes regulate physical form (i.e. size, scale and bulk of buildings and places) rather than separating uses like conventional zoning.
Pioneered in private developments, such as the Florida resort town of Seaside in 1982, they have gained recent popularity at both the city and county levels. Sonoma, California's adoption of a citywide form-based code in 2003 set a precedent for West Coast communities to experiment with the myriad of mixed development potential and pedestrian scale design made possible by the regulations. The Form-Based Code Institute's web site (www.formbasedcodes.org) provides more information on the topic.
But these codes also add implementation challenges and Tukwila is one of the first Puget Sound municipalities to give them a try. Altering existing fire codes and street widths, for example, could add significant costs for developers and create headaches for emergency services.
"It looks so different and that alarms people," Gierloff said. "But we can make the rules work for us."
The TUC's array of use, scale, and design guidelines can be fine-tuned to meet the specific needs of the community. For example, a "special height limit" can be applied to certain district within the plan, such as the Urban Core, but the city's community development director is given flexibility to permit specific standards within the plan's general framework.
Gierloff also noted that some of the proposed regulations in the draft plan don't fit the mall's needs. The TUC's underlying vision to create pedestrian-scale spaces, for example, would utilize some of the mall's existing surface area parking to construct various infill development.
Change won't come easily
Given the area's existing development pattern, Gierloff noted the region is over-retailed and discussed the need for more housing and office space.
"We can't build enough parking to meet the demand of the business community, so it's sort of 'do we let you build a huge parking lot,' or are we seen as development unfriendly?" Gierloff said.
Surface parking lots in the northern portion of the proposed Tukwila Urban Center could be redeveloped in favor of a more urban form | Tukwila Senior Planner Lynn Miranda agreed. She has been involved with the planning effort since 2002, when the city received a $1.5 million grant to begin drafting its vision. "Complying with codes is tricky," she said. "At what point do you have to comply?"
The bottom line for many business stakeholders in the subarea is that the proposed codes require expensive improvements, according to focus group interviews conducted during the planning process.
That sticking point - among others - prompted the city to seek economic guidance during the preparation of the draft TUC plan. Tukwila contracted ECONorthwest (ECO) to conduct technical research on market and demographic forces that will shape plan implementation. ECO presented its findings at a December 10th Planning Commission meeting.
Short-term recommendations (1-2 years) identified in ECO's "public sector redevelopment toolkit" range from providing low-interest loans for leveraging private investment, to issuing revenue bonds, to purchasing land and re-selling at below-market prices to qualified developers. The idea of "rebranding" Tukwila's image was also proposed.
Another suggestion involves securing highly competitive LIFT funds to pay for a publicly owned parking garage. But building infrastructure at that scale may fall into the "intermediate" or two-years plus timeframe, according to Abe Farkas, ECO's Director of Development Services who presented to the Planning Commission.
"You have a good starting point and now you can go from a plan, to a strategy, to an implementation point," Farkas told the commission. "But don't be shy about starting with smaller projects. You don't need to load up on megaprojects here."
Making initial investments
As Farkas stressed the need to move forward one piece at a time, the Planning Commission had mixed reactions.
Commission Chair George Malina said his greatest fear is that the project could go "belly up". He reiterated consistent themes from stakeholders, saying they liked the overall perception of the plan, but were afraid that most projects won't be feasible.
Commissioner Chuck Parrish also questioned the city's ability to spur short-term investments, but recognized the intensive planning efforts to date and noted Tukwila has "one urban center" and it remains the best place to focus redevelopment efforts.
Stakeholder feedback also struck at the necessity to maintain Tukwila's competitiveness as a commercial powerhouse.
"Focus groups are also asking 'are we going to be intimidated by Renton's mall, by the Alderwood Mall?" Malina said.
Commissioner Allan Ekberg questioned if market forces might be the best driver of development.
"Maybe add a policy statement (in the plan) that requires you build projects with some housing element," Ekberg said.
Farkas replied that new housing would build resiliency and generate a great deal of business in the subarea, but wouldn't center the plan's success on market forces alone.
Especially regarding parking issues.
"I'm not a believer in 'no parking', but the last thing you want is a lot of surface parking," Farkas said.
That's the classic type of chicken or the egg scenario the TUC presents. Will the development of a large public parking structure entice private development? Does the city encourage the development of a high density housing market and assume that the right balance of commercial uses will follow suit? Can the city afford to build any significant structures without potential development agreements lined up first?
"It's very hard to go from the environment you have right now and change it," Farkas said.
He suggested Tukwila could initiate a public-private partnership and phase in structured parking over time. He noted that simply building a large structure makes little sense if development doesn't occur concurrently.
Moving forward in 2010
It appears Tukwila's vision for redevelopment will have to rely on the merits of the planning effort itself.
"We're the face of the plan now," said Gierloff, who, along with planning staff and Community Development Director Jack Pace, hope to refresh the vision in 2010. "Our big lesson on this plan is don't lose the momentum."
The department will develop a significant public process to recalibrate that vision with stakeholders early this year.
With the city's vision more firmly rooted, and as the TUC redevelopment strategies begin to take shape, the subarea will present new lifestyle options in the Tukwila area.
Those too, may require some calibration.
"You're not going to be hauling around a flat screen TV using public transit," said Farkas contrasting the subarea's transition with its present character. "If you still want to drive your car, great, but you'll have options."
In the subarea's future build out, shoppers may simply request retailers to set up installation of large appliances for them - take public transit and leave the car at home.
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Sound Transit's Kate Lichtenstein links convenience and access in breakthrough community/transportation project
Evolving from a Master of Urban Planning concept at the University of Washington to investigate how places surrounding transit affect individuals' ability and willingness to ride transit, my efforts are now being implemented to improve access to transit. Now a planner in Sound Transit's Office of Planning & Development, I am beginning to move these ideas forward - to help communities become better connected to transit as well as lively, walkable, safe, attractive, and people-oriented places.
I want to thank the Washington Chapter of APA and Planning Association of Washington (PAW) for awarding me the 2009 Student Project Award at the annual state conference in November. At the risk of excluding many influential individuals, specific "thanks" go to the APA/PAW awards committee, Sound Transit, and Professor Donald Miller, my project advisor in the Department of Urban Design & Planning, College of Built Environments at the University of Washington. Professor Miller was instrumental in shaping my thinking and product for the project "Planning for Access to Transit: A Proposed Multi-Criteria Evaluation Matrix for Sound Transit."
My project tackled this topic by focusing on a piece of a new Sound Transit program called the System Access Program. The System Access Program was authorized as part of the Sound Transit 2 (ST2) transit expansion measure passed by the voters of the Central Puget Sound region in November 2008. The Federal Transit Administration has stated that, on average, more than half of transit riders cite community livability as a reason for using transit. At some point nearly all transit riders are pedestrians. Neighborhoods make the most of transit when they have land use patterns that make it easy to reach bus and rail stops by walking, reducing the need for motor vehicle trips.
Establishment of the System Access Program acknowledged that "convenient and efficient access for customers using the system is critical to the effectiveness of the regional transit system and for expanding system ridership." The program envisions promoting development of facilities that improve connections between surrounding communities and stations, transit centers and other customer boarding locations. Partnerships are typically required for constructing facilities beyond the boundaries of a transit facility. Therefore, the program intends to leverage existing or planned improvements at or near Sound Transit facilities by entering into funding partnerships, some of which could be awarded through a competitive process.
Here are a few examples of projects the program could fund:
- New sidewalks or other pedestrian amenities that improve walking safety and accessibility
- Bicycle amenities, such as additional bicycle parking at or near stations, bicycle trails or lanes that connect a station to the regional trail system
- Additional bus bays for expanding connecting bus service
- Transit signal priority or similar capital improvements
- Improved passenger drop-off/pick-up facilities at stations
- Signage to enhance visibility and improve connections between communities and transit boarding locations
The project is supported by a multi-criteria evaluation matrix that will lay the groundwork for a process, which is informed by research-based literature and professional practice. It is a process by which future projects in the Sound Transit District throughout King, Pierce and Snohomish counties could be evaluated, prioritized, and selected to meet the policy intent of the System Access Program. The Agency anticipates further developing the program and awarding its first round of projects in 2010.
I am excited that the System Access Program is being established at a time when opportunities to promote community livability through partnerships are increasing in an unprecedented way. In 2010, several new federal programs will provide funding to improve the range of transportation choices available to Americans. One of the major programs is the Livability Initiative, a joint venture among the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
I am thankful for the foundation I've built, but admit that it is only a starting point. As with any new program, the keys to success will be learned through experience - through the challenges and accomplishments of implementation.
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PUGET SOUND SECTION 2010 ELECTION
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The Puget Sound Section will be holding an election this Spring for the following positions on the Board:
- President-Elect (1 year term, with subsequent terms as President and Past President)
- King County Representative (2 year term)
- Pierce County Representative (2 year term)
- Treasurer (2 year term)
- Secretary (2 year term)
We are actively seeking nominations for these board positions. Serving on the Puget Sound Section Board is a great way to get more involved in the activities and functions the Board organizes in service to our Section membership, over 900 planners in the region.
If you have questions about these positions or serving on the Board in general, please contact Kent Hale, Secretary, at PugetSoundSectionAPA@gmail.com. Nominations (self-nominations are welcome!) can be directed to the same address. We ask that nominations be accompanied by a brief candidate statement that will be published with the election ballot. We also ask that all nominations and candidate statements are submitted no later than Monday, March 22nd. Thanks for your interest and look for additional details on the election in the months ahead.
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WINTER 2010 BROWN BAG SERIES
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Winter Brown Bags packed with new topics, CM credit opportunities
The Brown Bag Series of Continuing Education is a free noon-time program, presented by the Puget Sound Section of the Washington APA chapter. Winter 2010 topics will be held Wednesdays between January 27th and March 3rd. You don't need to be an APA member to attend but due to rising prices, APA-subsidized lunches are now $5.
Please RSVP to Stan May before 9:00 a.m. Monday morning each week at stan.may@bhcconsultants.com. Note that the Brown Bag Program needs volunteers to run lunches, write recaps and develop topics. Please reply if you can help.
Topic |
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Speakers! |
Manufactured housing community preservation: the tight-wire act
Newly adopted plan and code amendments in Snohomish Co. strive to balance the interests of landowners and homeowners, as well as achieve GMA goals of urban infill, affordable housing, property rights, and vital residential neighborhoods.
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Noon to 1:15, Wed., Jan 27
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Lynnwood Fire Station, 18800 44th Ave. W. |
Mike Stanger, Snohomish County
David Killingstad, Snohomish County |
The Hearing Examiner System
Legal basis and authority; how to prepare for hearings; the perfect staff report; common issues. |
Noon to 1:15, Wed., Feb 3 |
Mercer Island City Council Chambers,
9611 SE 36th St. |
Phil Olbrechts, Ogden Murphy Wallace |
* Planning in the Vicinity of Transmission Pipelines
This session will present information concerning a broad range of “recommended practices” for land development near major energy pipelines, including zoning, permitting procedures and the need to adopt a risk informed approach that reflects the unique risks of transmission pipelines.
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Noon to 1:15, Wed., Feb 17 |
Renton City Hall, 1055 S. Grady, 7th floor |
Jim Doherty, MRSC
Carl Weimer, Pipeline Safety Trust |
* Greening of Non-profit
A view through the lens of the State of Washington Evergreen Sustainable Development Standard. Discussion will include ways that city and county jurisdictions can encourage sustainable development in affordable housing through the use of various incentives and waivers in the development and permitting process. Habitat for Humanity will discuss the philosophy for choosing green products and house features, including the associated benefits of improving the indoor environment and promoting energy-efficiency. Discussion will touch on the agencies and funding sources which support Habitat for Humanity projects, and their mandates for compliance with standards for sustainability.
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Noon to 1:15, Wed., Feb 24 |
Mercer Island City Council Chambers,
9611 SE 36th St. |
Kate Stineback, Capitol Hill Housing
Tom Gaylord, Habitat for Humanity
Kelly Morgan, Habitat for Humanity
Jonathon Wright, Habitat for Humanity |
* Planning and Food Policy
This brown bag will focus on how to incorporate food systems policy into local planning processes. The panel presentation will include background on food security and access issues in King County and the City of Seattle, as well as research and case studies for neighborhood development programs that have increased the supply of healthy food in traditionally underserved neighborhoods.
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Noon to 1:15, Wed., Mar 3 |
Mercer Island City Council Chambers,
9611 SE 36th St. |
Andrea Petzel and
Laura Raymond, City of Seattle
Branden Born, University of Washington
Kara Martin, Martin and Sanders Consulting |
*AICP CM Credits Pending for these sessions
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