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COUNCILDATE
8/05/08
AGENDA ITEM
6B
CITY COUNCIL MEETING
Olympia, WashingtonAugust 5, 2008
Protocols for September 16 Public Hearing on Waterfront Rezone Proposal __________________________________________________________________
CITY MANAGER’SRECOMMENDATION: Conduct a Public Hearing on September 16, 2008 at The WashingtonCenter for the Performing Arts. Provide guidance on meetingagenda and protocols so that interested community members willknow what to expect and staff can make advance arrangements.STAFF CONTACT
ORIGINATED BY
: Mayor and staff
PRESENTERS ANDOTHERS NOTIFIED
: None
ATTACHMENTS
BUDGET IMPACT/SOURCE OF FUNDS
: Washington Center costs will be paid from the special account forcommunication and community relations
PRIOR COUNCIL/COMMITTEE REVIEW
: General Government briefly discussed the public hearing protocols atits July 22 meeting.The Mayor and staff met on July 25 to review and discuss the protocolrecommendations contained in this report.
BACKGROUND:
One of the seven (7) proposed Comprehensive Plan amendments on theCity’s docket this year is a proposal to:
o
Rezone nine parcels from Urban Waterfront (UW) to UrbanWaterfront-Housing (UW-H); the total area covered by theproposal is approximately five (5) acres on the isthmus indowntown Olympia between Budd Inlet and Capitol Lake;
o
Modify the maximum allowable building height in the proposedarea from 35 feet to between 65 and 90 feet;
o
Amend Volume Two, Chapter 1, West Bay Waterfront section of the Comprehensive Plan text to indicate that the area between4
th
and 5
th
Avenues west of Sylvester Street should beencouraged to develop in mid-rise (rather than low-rise)projects;
o
Amend the Shoreline Master Program for Thurston Region tospecify maximum allowable heights within newly rezonedsections of the UW-H district.
In keeping with City practice, the Council confirmed this year’scomprehensive plan amendment proposal docket in January andreferred it to the Planning Commission for a public hearing andCommission review, deliberation and recommendation.To accommodate community interest in the waterfront rezone andamendment proposal, the Planning Commission held a public hearing onthe proposal separate from the public hearing on the other six (6)amendment proposals. The Planning Commission public hearing was onJune 24, 2008. It was held at The Olympia Center to accommodate anaudience that was anticipated to be too large for the Olympia CityCouncil Chambers where the Planning Commission usually meets. About220 people signed in to testify. A total of 63 people providedtestimony over a three hour period beginning at approximately 7:15p.m. and 10:15 p.m.In addition to the public hearing conducted by the PlanningCommission, the Olympia City Council traditionally holds a secondpublic hearing on comprehensive plan amendments.Because of public interest and to allow time for more testimony thanreceived at the hearing held by the Olympia Planning Commission, aCity Council public hearing has been scheduled specifically on thewaterfront amendment and rezone proposal. The hearing date isTuesday, September 16, 2008. Staff recommends that it be held at TheWashington Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Olympia,which is the largest seating venue of any City of Olympia building.If held at The Washington Center and barring technical difficulties, thepublic hearing will be televised live on TCTV, Olympia Cable Channel 3,beginning at 6:00 p.m., and will be replayed Friday, September 19 atNoon. If available from TCTV, a tape of the public hearing will beposted for internet viewing on the City’s video streaming service by thesame Friday.The City Council will hold a separate public hearing at Olympia CityHall the following Tuesday, September 23, on the other six (6)comprehensive plan amendment proposals. Testimony will not beaccepted on September 23 about the urban waterfront rezone/amendment proposal.
Protocol Recommendations
Hold the hearing at a large venue with capability for live telecast
Accommodate more speakers than the June hearing, within areasonable time
Make the most of the available time
Minimize confusion about public hearing protocols/procedures withadvance publicity
Reduce congestion in the lobby
Hear from a variety of and/or differing perspectives
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For overall process consistency, keep format similar to thefollowing week’s hearing on other comprehensive plan amendmentproposals.Staff recommends that the City Council convene at 6:00 p.m. onSeptember 16 to receive recommendations, presentations andinformation from the applicant, Planning Commission, and staff prior toopening the public hearing at about 7:00 p.m.To allow for more testimony than was received at the PlanningCommission hearing, staff recommends that the City Council acceptabout four (4) hours of oral public testimony on September 16, fromabout 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., with approximately a 15 minute breakat about 9:00 p.m. Staff also recommended that up to three (3)minutes per person of oral testimony be allowed, which is the Council’susual practice.Testimony seating will be provided only on the main floor (Orchestrasection) of The Washington Center (Attachment #1). Upper levels of seating will be available for general audience.Two hundred fifty seven (257) seats will be reserved on the main floorfor testimony seating (about one-half reserved for individuals generallyopposed to a rezone/amendment change; and about one-half reservedfor individuals generally supporting a rezone/amendment change).Persons who do not wish to testify will be asked to sit in the generalaudience area on the upper floors.At three minutes per person with a 15 minute break, about 75individuals can testify if each uses three minutes. If individualsvoluntary testify for less than three minutes, more people will have anopportunity to speak.Written comments may be left that evening in designated boxes thatwill be located throughout The Washington Center. To be included inthe record for this issue, written comments to the Olympia City Councilmust be received by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, September 26, 2008 asfollows:
o
o
postal mail to City of Olympia, Attn: Jan Weydemeyer, PO Box1967, Olympia, WA 98507-1967;
o
hand delivery to Olympia City Hall – City Council office, 900Plum Street SE, Olympia.Please note that all written correspondence to the City, includingemail, is a public record potentially eligible for release upon request.
Proposed Date, Time and Venue:
[Olympia City Council Meeting and Public Hearing on the proposedrezone of five acres on the Isthmus in downtown Olympia andassociated Comprehensive Plan and Shoreline Master Programamendments]
Date: Tuesday, September 16, 2008
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