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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPC Agenda 05-07-2014 Workshop, City of PT Memo Memo To: Planning Commission From: Judy Surber, Senior Planner/Planning Manager Date: May 1, 2014 Meeting Date: May 7, 2014 RE: Background Materials for the Education, Economic Development and Local Food Sustainability Workshop Ed McMahon, Urban Land Institute planning and land use analyst, recently delivered a presentation on the changing model of economic development at the Northern New England APA Conference. The evidence, McMahon said, shows a major shift in economic development and retail — a shift fostered by changing demographics…… According to McMahon, the single most important factor today, is having a highly educated population. “College grads are clustering in certain cities and regions,” and we’re starting to understand that “the most important infrastructure today is not roads, it’s education.” Read More: What’s the Market Telling Us? http://plannersweb.com/2012/10/whats-the-market- telling-us/ EXCERPTS FROM CITY OF PORT TOWNSEND COMPREHENSIVE PLAN EDUCATION Vision: “…A regional center of culture and learning. Port Townsend provides its citizens with quality elementary and secondary instruction, as well as career training and college education needed for success and personal enrichment.” Training & Education Goal 2: To recognize the value of education as an important economic development tool and to train the workforce to develop skills for new technologies and family-wage jobs. Policy 2.1. Seek to expand programs of Peninsula College, Magnet Career Center, Western Washington University Long Distance Learning, Washington State University Cooperative Extension, and attract or found new institutions sufficient to provide local access to comprehensive vocational training and certification programs. Policy 2.2. Encourage the Port Townsend School District to attain the highest standards of academic and vocational excellence to ensure that graduates are well prepared for the workplace. Policy 2.3. Actively work to establish a four year college or other educational institution in Port Townsend: 6/7/2013 2.3.1 Ensure that decisions regarding capital facilities improvements (e.g., transportation network improvements) factor consideration of potential college campus sites. 2.3.2 Consider providing tax incentives to attract a private four year college. 2.3.3 Communicate and coordinate with the Port Townsend School District and other relevant public entities when identifying potential campus sites for acquisition. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Staff recommends you review All of Chapter VIII. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ELEMENT following is only an excerpt: Summary of the Major Economic Development Issues Facing Port Townsend The challenge of this element is to achieve the economic development goals outlined in the Community Direction Statement (see Chapter III of this Plan), in a way which maintains and enhances Port Townsend's special character and small town atmosphere. Major economic development issues facing Port Townsend include: 1. What is Port Townsend's economic image? 2. Why is economic diversity important? 3. What role should the marine trades play m our economic future? 4. Is there enough commercial and manufacturing land designated to meet the community's economic objectives? 5. In the future, what criteria should be used to identify commercial and manufacturing lands? 6. What steps can local government take to add greater certainty to the land use permitting process, ensuring that projects which conform to the plan will be allowed? 7. Have sufficient capital facilities and services been provided to maintain existing economic activities and attract new businesses, entrepreneurs and manufacturing to the area? 8. What transportation network improvements are necessary to promote economic activities? 9. What utilities will be necessary to promote and support economic activities within the community? 10. Is the community providing the right mix of housing to support its economic objectives? 11. How can the community find a balance between environmental quality and economic growth? 12. How will the future urban growth area boundaries affect the economic health of the City? Specifically, what role should the Glen Cove area play in the City's economic future? 13. Does Port Townsend have a good location? 14. What sectors of the economy should Port Townsend target for further development? Should the City try to attract new economic sectors? 6/7/2013 15. How does education relate to economic development in Port Townsend? 16. Should the City actively seek to attract a four year college to Port Townsend? 17. Given the relatively high number of seniors in our population, should providing quality health care be an economic priority? 18. What role do the City's historic resources play in economic development and how can these resources be managed in a manner that protects the resource, while maintaining Port Townsend's quality of life and economic development potential? IX. Consistency with the GMA Goals & the County-Wide Planning Policy Goal #5 - Economic Development. Encourage economic development throughout the state that is consistent with adopted Comprehensive Plans; promote economic opportunity for all citizens of this state, especially for unemployed and for disadvantaged persons; and encourage growth, all within the capacities of the state's natural resources, public services, and public facilities. The Plan designates significant areas within the City limits for commercial and manufacturing development. Many of these areas are already provided with a full range of urban services to facilitate development, or would be provided with these facilities within the 20 year planning horizon. One of the major emphases of the Plan is to address the current "jobs/housing imbalance" in Port Townsend and provide more "family-wage" jobs. An Economic Development Element has been included (see Chapter VIII) within the Plan to facilitate economic growth and development consistent with community and environmental values. The Economic Development Strategy stresses the importance of promoting our local training and education capabilities, and encouraging specific sectors of the local economy including: marine trades; small business and diversified, environmentally friendly manufacturing; and sustainable, year-round tourism. The Strategy also seeks to revitalize Port Townsend's Commercial Historic District and upgrade the City's telecommunications infrastructure for the jobs of tomorrow. The overall goal of the Plan is to facilitate the provision of at least 2,700 more "family wage" jobs during the 20 year planning horizon. [Ord. No, 2879, § 1.10, (February 7, 2005); Ord. No. 2825, § 3.3, (January 6, 2003)]. AGRICULTURE Definitions: Natural Resource Lands: Natural resource lands are agricultural, forest, and mineral resource lands which have long-term commercial significance. Prime Agricultural Land: Soils with little or ho limitations or hazards for crop production. IV. Land Use Element Residential Designations R-I - Low Density Single-Family: This designation accommodates single-family residences (including duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes) at a density of up to 4 dwelling units per acre (i.e., 10,000 square foot minimum lot size, or approximately 4 dwelling units within one block of platted land). This land use designation has been applied only within drainage basins 4a and 4b 6/7/2013 in the northwestern portion of the City, because of stormwater-related development constraints. The designation accommodates single-family development at densities that maintain and promote the "small town" character of Port Townsend, while ensuring that the environmental quality (particularly as it relates to stormwater control) of the area is not adversely impacted. Higher densities could be permitted in these areas through approval of a Planned Unit Development (R-PUD) overlay designation. The designation also provides for a wide range of agricultural uses. [Ord. No. 2670, § 1.1, (December 7, 1998)]. R-II - Medium Density Single-Family: This designation accommodates single-family dwellings (including duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes) at a density of up to 8 units per acre (i.e., 5,000 square foot minimum lot size, or approximately 8 dwelling units within one block of platted land). The R-II designation corresponds closely to those areas of town that are currently platted to 8 lots a block, include few development limitations, and which are in proximity to existing pubic facilities and services. Selected forms of agriculture are also allowed. [Ord. No. 2670, § 1.2, (December 7, 1998)]. Natural Resource Lands & Environmentally Sensitive Areas Natural Resource Lands & Environmentally Sensitive Areas Goal 2: To protect, sustain and manage Port Townsend's natural resource lands and environmentally sensitive areas for present and future generations. Policy 2.3: Protect natural resource lands, archaeological properties, and environmentally sensitive areas through public and private initiatives, such as: open space tax incentives; cluster development; PUDs; transfer or purchase of development rights; public land acquisition; dedication of City owned tracts and street rights of way; conservation easements; landowner compacts; soliciting donations of land; downzoning; limiting the amount of lot coverage; and best management practices in development. 2.3.1 Work with the County Assessor and Jefferson Land Trust to educate property owners about tax reduction programs and conservation easement options available for preserving natural resource lands and environmentally sensitive areas. Policy 2.4: Continue to encourage agricultural uses in the least developed portions of town by allowing certain agricultural uses outright in low density residential areas. Specify allowable agricultural uses in revisions to the zoning code. 2.4.1 Consider the need to adopt and implement a right to farm ordinance in order to protect agricultural uses in certain residential zones. Policy 14.5: Discourage the establishment of individual private wells, except for agricultural irrigation purposes. Provide potable drinking water only through the City's water utility. IX. Consistency with the GMA Goals & the County-Wide Planning Policy 6/7/2013 Goal #8 - Natural Resource Industries. Maintain and enhance natural resource-based industries, including productive timber, agricultural, and fisheries industries. Encourage the conservation of productive forest lands and productive agricultural lands, and discourage incompatible uses. Because of Port Townsend's status as an urban growth area under the GMA, no agricultural, mineral, or forest ''lands of long term commercial significance have been identified or designated within the City. Only a small portion of the City's current land base is currently devoted to agricultural or forestry industries (approximately 75 acres of the City's total land base are considered "current use agriculture," while fewer than 6 acres are considered "current use timberlands"). Very few areas within the City contain "prime" agricultural soils suitable for fanning. Consequently, the Plan directs that natural resource lands be protected through a combination of public and private initiatives ranging from open space tax incentives to voluntary conservation easements. The Plan allows and encourages agricultural uses in the least developed portions of town, and directs that lower density residential areas allow certain agricultural uses "outright." Chapter IV - "The Land Use Element," instructs the City to consider adopting a "right to farm" ordinance to protect agricultural uses in these areas. The Land Use Element also contains policies which would allow mineral resource extraction and timber harvesting within the City limits, subject to certain conditions. Finally, the Plan recommends that the Port Townsend Paper Mill should be left outside of the City's UGA, and zoned for "resource-related" manufacturing uses. The Plan suggests that compatible light manufacturing and accessory commercial uses be located in the area west of the Glen Cove Mill site, inside the unincorporated Glen Cove LAMIRD. [Ord. No. 2825, § 3.3, (January 6, 2003)]. Goal #9 - Open Space & Recreation. Encourage the retention of open space and development of recreational opportunities, conserve fish and wildlife habitat, increase access to natural resource lands and water, and develop parks. One of the organizing principles of the Plan is a City-wide system of interconnected open spaces and trails. When developed, this system would compliment many of Port Townsend's existing parks, green spaces and beaches, and provide a wide range of benefits including:  Opportunities for rest, views and contemplation and enjoyment of the natural environment;  Linking key wildlife habitat areas;  Helping to control surface water runoff and contributing to the City's "natural drainage systems" approach to stormwater management; and  Preserving community character. The system seeks to build upon the existing sections of the Waterfront Waterwalk, connecting the waterfront with a larger network of trails that lead to surrounding neighborhoods. Chapter IV - "The Land Use Element" provides policy direction for the creation of an Open Spaces and Trails Master Plan and a Parks and Recreation Master Plan. These functional plans would add detail to the concepts outlined In this Comprehensive Plan, including funding options and level of service standards. 6/7/2013 PT MUNICIPAL CODE Residential Designations - See Use Table 17.16.020 http://www.codepublishing.com/wa/porttownsend.html Links for more information: https://www.mrsc.org/subjects/planning/farmland.aspx https://www.awcnet.org/ResourcesResearch/GMACompPlanConversationStarters.aspx http://plannersweb.com/2013/10/jobs/ Could your community or local businesses benefit from passionate, smart, and well-educated workers who are willing to work long hours for somewhat lower pay than their equally skilled peers? Attracting young adults is a challenge for any community and citizen planners face what may seem like a chicken and egg question related to getting more young people to live in their communities. The question is, “Should we invest in creating jobs or in quality of life to encourage young people to move to our community?” In reality, communities need to invest in both.