Tacoma City Council Meeting - July 28th, 2009

Given the record breaking heat and the inability for our region to install air conditioning, we’ve been a bit slow turning around our notes from last night’s rather long City Council meeting. It was a bit epic … but worth it if you’ve been following the mixed use center debate and/or the Elks Building saga. So what happened?

REGULAR AGENDA

APPOINTMENTS
Resolution No. 37832 appoints Woodrow Jones Jr. to the Public Utility Board for a term to expire on June 20, 2014.

RESOLUTIONS
Resolution No. 37836 authorizes the execution of a Letter of Intent with the Elks on Broadway, LLC, and the Elks Temple Properties LLC, to lay the foundation for a development agreement with both parties for the Elks Building rehabilitation and adjacent mixed-use development project. A number of people came forward during public comment to express their support for this resolution including Mike McMenamin himself. The Mayor noted this project could change the neighborhood like Union Station changed its corner of downtown. “We’re making history here. We’re moving the City forward.” Previously on Exit133: The Elks Project: A Few More Drawings

Resolution No. 37834 authorizes the execution of an agreement with the Tacoma-Pierce County Employment and Training Consortium, in the amount of $325,105 for the implementation of the Youth Building Tacoma comprehensive job-training and pre-apprenticeship program for 2009.

Resolution No. 37835 requests the Planning Commission to develop and recommend a definition for mixed-use center master plans and the process for developing said plans and transmit said recommendations to the City Council by October 30, 2009. This resolution will allow the planning commission and staff to look at a more detailed approach to each district.

Resolution No. 37837 endorses and supports Tacoma Power’s application to the United States Department of Energy Smart Grid Investment Grant Program to implement smart grid technology and committing support for the budget amendments and financing plans to enable Tacoma Power to raise the required match of 50 percent of the project costs. Smart Grid technologies allow for further automation for better controls and data for business and homeowner decisions.

FINAL READING OF ORDINANCES
Ordinance No. 27818 amends Title 13 of the Municipal Code, relating to the Land Use Regulatory Code, by modifying the development regulations pertaining to mixed-use centers, including, but not limited to, increasing height limits and reducing parking requirements, modifying building design and development standards, adding new townhouse standards, establishing new mixed-use zoning classifications, and rezoning properties within 16 designated mixed-use centers to mixed-use zoning districts.

It sounds so easy …

(For a discussion on most of the amendments that follow, see our notes from two weeks ago)

Amendment 1 (Talbert)
This amendment would modfiy the proposed height limit in the URX zone at the northern end of the McKinley Mixed Use Center from 45 feet to 35 feet. Passed unanimously.

Amendment 2 (Fey)
This amendment would change the method of defining the area where parking requirements would not apply. The current languages defines the parking exemption area as 200 feet measured from the centerline of the core pedestrian street in the NCX zoning district. The amendment would apply the parking exemption to buildings located within 10 feet of the core pedestrian street. It, in effect, focuses on the parking exemption on those projects closest to the mixed use core – those on the street. Passed unanimously.

Amendment 3 (Anderson)
This amendment would enable developers to achieve bonus heights through the purchase of credits through a transfer of development rights program. TDR is often used to shift development from agricultural or open space land to designated growth zones. This would not become effective until the Council actually adopts the legislation needed to establish a TDR program. Passed unanimously.

Amendment 4 (Ladenburg)
This amendment would eliminate the concept of concentrating height increases to just the core areas of the mixed-use centers and would expand the areas where height can be increased. The problem for those already concerned about tall buildings next to residential homes is that instances of new taller buildings directly abutting single family homes will increase. Councilmembers Anderson and Lonergan voted Nay. Passes 7 to 2.

Amendment to Amendment 4 (Walker)
This amendment to the amendment strikes the change for MLK and returns it to the original planning commission recommendation. Councilmembers Lonergan, Strickland, and Ladenburg voted Nay. Passes 6 to 3.

Amendment 5 (Walker)
This amendment provides a third option for developers to achieve the maximum height of 85 feet by contributing dollars to the City’s Housing Trust Fund. This money would then be made available in loans or grants to developers for the creation of additional affordable housing. This only applies in three mixed use centers: MLK, Stadium, and 56th & South Tacoma Way. Passed unanimously.

Amendment to Amendment 5 (Walker)
This is a simple change to move Amendment 5 from the level 2 of the bonus pallet to level 1 and changing the number of bonus points from 20 to 10. It was determined to be a better place for it … don’t worry about it. Passed unanimously.

Amendment 6 (Talbert)
The least controversial of all the amendments … The Champions Center church was proposed to be changed into three zoning districts (CCX, RCX, and URX). The amendment would rezone the church into a single zoning classification of CCX. Everybody seems to agree that this is the right step and an oversight. Passed unanimously.

Amendmentment 7 (Staff)
This last minute amendment changes the effective date to August 31st, 2009 from August 24th, 2009 to update maps, provide training, and make other changes before code changes take effect. Passed unanimously.

Once all the amendments had been presented and voted on, it moved to final comments and a vote on the resolution (as amended). Every councilmember had their say, justified their world view, and reconciled the competing interests in their head and to the public still in attendance.

The final vote was 9 to 0 – a unanimous pass in favor of the changes.

Ordinance No. 27821 amends Chapter 1.12 of the Municipal Code, relating to the Compensation Plan, to allow for the payment of standby pay for non-represented, overtime-exempt employees based a on documented, critical business need.

Ordinance No. 27822 amends Chapter 11.60 of the Municipal Code, relating to Automatic Traffic Camera Systems, to implement a pilot program for the use of one automated traffic camera system to detect speed violations, as authorized by the Washington State Legislature.

FIRST READING OF ORDINANCES
Ordinance No. 27824 amends Chapter 1.46 of the Municipal Code, relating to the Code of Ethics, to allow the Board of Ethics to make recommendations to the City Manager and the City Council for amendments and other legislation affecting this chapter, and deleting references regarding the alternate member.

Four hours and 20 minutes later … It’s time for a break.