Celebrate the achievements of planning this October during the second annual National Community Planning Month. Each year APA and its members, chapters, divisions, and professional institute sponsor National Community Planning Month to raise the visibility of planning efforts in communities across the U.S., and throw a spotlight on the many residents, leaders, officials, and professionals who contribute to making great communities.

FROM THE PRESIDENT'S DESK

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
Joe Tovar, FAICP
jwtovar@comcast.net

At this writing, I have just returned from Lake Chelan, where I attended the annual joint conference of the Washington City Planning Directors (WCPDA) and the Washington State Association of County and Regional Planning Directors. As a past president of WCPDA (1988-1990), it was a bit of déjà vu for me, because a topic of discussion was the historic role of WCPDA and what that organization’s future role should be. On a panel with me were emeritus planning directors Brad Collins and Paul Roberts. We three recalled the active role that the planning directors organizations played in the late 1980’s framing and advocating for much of the planning law that subsequently was embodied in the Growth Management Act.

The product of the joint planning directors’ conference at Crescent Bar in 1989 was a report titled “Toward a Growth Strategy for Washington” (a copy of which is posted to the Chapter’s website.) At the time, the Washington Chapter of APA did not have the legislative presence in Olympia that we have today, and the energy (i.e., travel, training and time commitment) of most planning directors was focused almost exclusively on their peer organizations rather than the Washington Chapter of APA.

One of the major contrasts between 1989 and today is that many of the planning directors who were at Chelan this year are also active in Washington Chapter APA activities, including Vice-President Scott Greenberg, Immediate Past-President Steve Butler, Puget Sound Section President Hiller West, Southwest Section President Laura Hudson, Past-President Heather McCartney, past Vice-President Bill Trimm, past Vice-President Shane Hope and yours truly.

As the focus on the planning directors’ organizations has shifted in recent years to professional development, the mantle of active legislative outreach and advocacy has passed to Washington Chapter APA. I would expect that the city and county planning directors’ organizations will continue to provide input and feedback on legislative matters to their respective parent city and county organizations, however, I do not foresee a return to their organizational activism of the late 1980s, early 1990s.

Another interesting observation during the panel discussion at Chelan concerned the prominence of “sustainability” as an over-arching issue of the day, just as “growth management” was the issue of the day in the early 90’s. It was noted that AWC and several state agencies are sponsoring a conference on the subject of “sustainable communities” in late September, and that the Governor’s task force is due to file its report on this subject at the end of the year.

Not coincidentally, Washington APA has prepared a draft bill regarding “sustainable energy” as a component of GMA planning, and is discussing the matter with various organizations and stakeholder groups. Chapter members active in helping to shape the draft legislation include Anindita Mitra, Scott Greenberg, Keith Maw, and Steve Butler. If you would like to join the discussion, please contact Legislative Committee co-chairs Esther Larsen at esther.larsen@comcast.net or Josh Peters at jpeters@co.jefferson.wa.us.

Finally, I would like to thank the group of FAICP members who have been helping the Chapter solicit, evaluate, and select potential candidates to support for admission with the Class of 2008. My hat is off to Bob Cornish, Fred Hurand, Mike McCormick, Jill Sterrett, Fritz Wagner, and Roger Wagoner for their assistance. In a future newsletter, I will report on the success of the Chapter’s nominees for admission to the College of Fellows of AICP.

In next month’s President’s message, I will also report on the expected success of our annual conference in Tacoma as well as my attendance at this fall’s APA National Leadership Conference in Washington D.C. On the latter agenda will be discussion of the new Certification Maintenance requirement of AICP, APA’s National messaging and branding efforts, and federal legislation of interest to planners. More to come. Check back here next month!

PENINSULA SECTION ANNUAL CONFERENCE

The Peninsula Section of the Washington Chapter APA will hold its annual conference at the Shelton Civic Center on October 19 from 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM. Visit the Peninsula Section’s webpage www.washington-apa.org/sections/peninsula.shtml for agenda and registration information.

As a part of national community planning month the group will reflect on how community planning has evolved in Washington state over time. The event will include the CTED Short Course on Local Planning, a public outreach training for planners, and an expo for local jurisdictions and state agencies to display recent and ongoing planning work on the Olympic and Kitsap Peninsulas. The Shelton Civic Center is located at 525 West Cota Street in Shelton.

CTED REPORT

UPDATING GROWTH MANAGEMENT ADMINISTRATIVE GUIDELINES
David Andersen, AICP and Rita R. Robison, AICP

The administrative guidelines developed by the state Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development (CTED) in 1991 and 1992 are in the process of being reviewed and updated. The guidelines were developed to help local governments interpret and carry out the Growth Management Act (GMA).

The parts of the guidelines to be updated include:

• Procedural Criteria for Adopting Comprehensive Plans and Development Regulations.
• Minimum Guidelines to Classify Agriculture, Forest, and Mineral Lands and Critical Areas.

The review and update of the guidelines will be completed by June 2009. Local governments will be able to use the guidelines when undertaking the next scheduled review and update of their comprehensive plans and development regulations.

Why the review is being undertaken
The original growth management administrative guidelines were designed to assist with adoption of local governments’ first GMA plans and regulations. All local governments have completed this task. The guidelines need review to ensure they meet current planning needs.

Amendments to the GMA have been adopted in almost every legislative session since 1995. Most of these amendments haven’t been incorporated into the guidelines. Growth management hearings boards and the courts have also clarified portions of the GMA. The guidelines don’t reflect these interpretations and are, in some places, inconsistent with them.

What the guidelines cover
CTED’s administrative rules provide technical assistance to local government. They’re guidelines rather than requirements. They were developed to provide additional clarity and interpretation of the GMA. The guidelines have been helpful to local governments and state agencies by clarifying how a local government can meet its growth management responsibilities.

What’s being reviewed
The parts of the administrative guidelines that were adopted in 1991 and 1992 will be reviewed. They’re part of the Washington Administrative Code (WAC). This includes the Procedural Criteria for Adopting Comprehensive Plans and Development Regulations, WAC 365-195. It also includes the Minimum Guidelines to Classify Agriculture, Forest, and Mineral Lands and Critical Areas, WAC 365-190.

This process will not review Project Consistency, WAC 365-197, or the Best Available Science, WAC 365-195-900, adopted in 2000.

Project schedule
CTED plans to complete the process before jurisdictions begin work on the next round of comprehensive plan and development regulation updates, due in 2011.

CTED will conduct the process in three phases:

• Initial scoping will occur in 2007.
• CTED will adopt minor, housekeeping changes in 2008.
• A second phase consisting of more substantial changes will be adopted in early 2009.

As part of the initial scoping sessions, CTED is four listening session the week of October 15:

Sessions will run from 9:00 to noon.

What amendments are being considered

• Amendments to the GMA that haven’t been incorporated into the WAC.
• Incorporation of significant clarifications of the statute by the hearings boards and courts.
• Consideration of comments from stakeholders.

How to provide input or monitor the process
Contact:
Dave Andersen, AICP
Plan Review and Technical Assistance Manager
PO Box 42525
Olympia, WA 98504-2525
davida@cted.wa.gov
(360) 752-3052

Watch the Growth Management Web site at www.cted.wa.gov/growth for information on the project. Sing up for the project List Serve sign-up to receive on-going information.

EDUCATION OPPORTUNITY

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COURSE ON TRAIL DESIGN

The Initiative for Bicycle and Pedestrian Innovation (ibpi), a new program in Portland State University's Center for Transportation Studies, is sponsoring an upcoming professional development course on Trail Design. This is a highly interactive course that includes a classroom overview, field tour, and a design charrette for a specific missing trail segment along the Willamette River in NE Portland. The program is being taught by leading trail and bikeway designer George Hudson.

The course takes place on October 19, and is intended for urban and transportation planners, landscape architects, designers, engineers, advocates, and others involved with bicycle and pedestrian trail planning and design.

Click here for complete information about the course.

SHOW YOU'RE GREEN

RUNBERG ARCHITECTURE GROUP HONORED WITH PRESTIGIOUS AIA SHOW YOUR GREEN AWARD

Runberg Architecture Group PLLC of Seattle was recognized by the American Institute of Architects with one of eight “Show You’re Green” awards in the program for excellence in affordable green housing.

The award, for the Denny Park Apartments in Seattle, was presented during the AIA Housing and Custom Residential Knowledge Community awards ceremony. The event was part of the group’s national convention held in San Antonio in May.

The national award-winning project, located at 230 Eighth Avenue N, satisfies a growing need for affordable housing downtown near park space and promotes economic sustainability and livable neighborhoods. Among several sustainable design features, the project showcases storm water planters, the first to be built in Seattle for storm water detention. Altogether, the project satisfies 159 different items on the Seattle Built Green certification checklist for sustainable design.

The 50-unit complex has 20 units for households below 30 percent median income, 25 units for households below 50 percent median income and five units for households below 60 percent median income with a mix of studios, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments.

“Avoiding mimicry, the design recalls the industrial history of the neighborhood while evoking a residential nature,” said Michele Wang, a principal at Runberg Architecture and the project manager. Among examples, she noted a saw-tooth roof form is reinterpreted as dormers and silver corrugated metal siding emphasizes bay windows. The ground floor responds to the urban fabric with zero-lot line development and commercial uses, while the amassing of the upper residential floors sensitively avoids crowding the neighboring church by providing a courtyard as a buffer.

The project uses 50-year materials, including metal siding, standing seam metal roofing, fibercement siding and concrete. Durable concrete pavers were used for the raised courtyard and smaller balconies are of durable recycled plastic/wood composite decking.

Judges evaluated the “Show You’re Green” entries using AIA Affordable Green Housing Guidelines. Among criteria are site design, water conservation and management, energy efficiency, reduced and sustainable material use, recycling during construction and post-occupancy and other innovative design strategies.

The eight winning projects are showcased online in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Affordable Housing Design Advisor (www.designadvisor.org) to demonstrate diverse ways in which green practices are being integrated into exemplary affordable housing.

CHAPTER-ONLY MEMBERSHIP

REMINDER

Last year the board approved a new chapter-only group membership opportunity.

This membership is available to planning commissions, city councils and commissions, tribal councils, and board members of non-profit organizations and other professional associations.

Up to 10 members may be included in a group membership. The group rate is $150 and is administered by the chapter office.

To obtain a group membership form or learn more about the benefits of this membership, contact Anna Nelson, AICP, Membership Committee chair, at (206) 382-9540 or anelson@GordonDerr.com.

NEWSLETTER DEADLINE

MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

Have a project you want to highlight for planners across the state? An issue you think more planners need information on? Planning Northwest is always looking to highlight projects and research of our members. If you are interested in having an article published feel free to contact the editor.

The deadline for the newsletter is the fifteenth of every month, preceding the publication month. Please submit all newsletter articles to newsletter@washington-apa.org.