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Home My WebLink About02 Prelim Docket Admin Memo AMW comments 003 NA_EB Edits (002)JEFFERSON COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT 621 Sheridan Street | Port Townsend, WA 98368 360-379-4450 | email: dcd@co.jefferson.wa.us http://www.co.jefferson.wa.us/260/Community-Development Page 1 of 4 Department of Community Development’s Review and Recommendation on the 2019 Comprehensive Plan Amendment Preliminary Docket TO: Jefferson County Board of Commissioners, County Administrator, Planning Commission, and Interested Parties FROM: Department of Community Development DATE: March 27, 2019 Under Chapter 18.45 of the Jefferson County Code (JCC), the Jefferson County Department of Community Development (DCD) annually accepts applications for formal site-specific Comprehensive Plan amendments (re- zones) and suggested text amendments to the Jefferson County Comprehensive Plan and Unified Development Code (UDC) for inclusion in the annual Comprehensive Plan amendment preliminary docket. DCD accepts applications for each cycle’s docket until March 1st. DCD received one formal site-specific amendment from a property owner and four suggested text amendments from the Jefferson County Planning Commission. All proposals were placed on the annual amendment cycle’s preliminary docket. Formal site-specific amendments are automatically included in the final docket. Chapter 18.45 of the JCC requires that the preliminary docket be reviewed by DCD, the Planning Commission, and the Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) prior to adoption of the final docket. During this process DCD reviews and recommends whether a suggested text amendment should be included in the final docket. Under JCC 18.45.060, DCD’s review and recommendation includes the following factors: a) Need; b) Urgency; c) Appropriateness; d) DCD staff capacity to substantively review and manage the suggested text amendments; and e) Anticipated DCD cost and budget for processing the suggested amendments. DCD’s review and recommendations are presented to the Planning Commission for their review of the preliminary docket and recommendation on the final docket, after a public hearing, to the Board of County Commissioners. If the Board of County Commissioners decides to adopt a final docket differing from the Planning Commission’s recommended final docket, the BoCC is required to hold a separate public hearing prior to the adoption of the final docket. Please see Figure 1 for a timeline of the preliminary to final docket. During this process, DCD continually reviews and recommends whether items should be placed on the final docket using the analysis above under JCC 18.45.060. Page 2 of 4 Figure 1 - Process and Proposed Timeline for Preliminary Docket to Final Docket Date Activity March 27, 2019 Staff distributes the Department of Community Development’s review and recommendation on the 2019 Comprehensive Plan amendment preliminary docket. April 3, 2019 Staff reviews preliminary docket with the Planning Commission. April 17, 2019 Planning Commission holds public hearing on suggested text amendments on the preliminary docket. May 1, 2019 Planning Commission prepares a report and recommendation to the BoCC on the preliminary docket. May 13, 2019* BoCC considers the preliminary docket, including the Staff’s and Planning Commission’s report and recommendations by the second regular BoCC meeting in May. July 1, 2019* Possible BoCC hearing on the preliminary docket if BoCC decides to modify the Planning Commission’s recommended preliminary docket. Hearing to be held no later than the first BoCC meeting in July. July 2019 BoCC adopts final docket consisting of suggested text amendments which the BoCC elects to consider and all formal site-specific amendments. *Scheduled as required by Chapter 18.45 JCC 2019 Formal Site-Specific Amendment (Automatically Included in the Final Docket) 1. MLA19-00013. Andrew and Sarah Wilke, 240 Sand Road, Parcel #00184004. Requests a rezone of their approximately 11-acre parcel from Rural Residential 1 dwelling per 10 acres (RR1:10) to Rural Residential 1 dwelling per 5 acres (RR1:5). 2019 Suggested Text Amendments 1. MLA19-00018. Jefferson County Planning Commission suggests an amendment to the Comprehensive Plan and UDC to rescind provisions of the Forest Transition Overlay (FTO). • Need: o This suggestion is not needed. Jefferson County must maintain the ability to grow in a sustainable manner. The existing FTO permits forest land in a highly limited manner to be converted to rural residential providing needed housing within Jefferson County. • Urgency: o The FTO has never been used. This proposal is likely not urgent. • Appropriateness: o This suggestion was identified as an action item in the Comprehensive Plan’s Natural Resource Element Action Plan. However, the FTO may permit additional residential lots within the county and act as a transition between forest lands and higher intensity uses. • DCD Staff Capacity: o DCD staff lacks the capacity to efficiently process this suggested amendment. • Cost: o Estimated level of effort: 20 hours o Estimated cost: $1,980.00 (20 hours @ $94 per hour and $100 in prorated administrative costs, such as printing and legal ads) Page 3 of 4 2. MLA19-00019. Jefferson County Planning Commission suggests a review and amendment of JCC 18.20.295 Recreational Marijuana addressing community concerns regarding land use issues experienced with recreational marijuana production in rural residential zones. • Need: o Review of these code sections is needed to address community concern over implementation of marijuana grow, production, and processing in rural residential zones. • Urgency: o This an urgent suggestion. This topic was identified during the periodic review and update of the Comprehensive Plan and Unified Development Code. Further, this topic has been raised by several community organizations and citizens. • Appropriateness: o This suggested amendment provides specific code updates; however, the proposed code updates may be limiting in nature. Multiple policy options exist to address community concerns not suggested by this amendment. The proposal requires substantial DCD staff time and resources. • DCD Staff Capacity: o DCD staff lacks the capacity to efficiently process this suggested amendment. • Cost: o Estimated level of effort: 72 hours o Estimated cost: $7,168.00 (72 hours @ $94 per hour and $400 in prorated administrative costs, such as printing and legal ads) 3. MLA19-00020. Jefferson County Planning Commission suggests development of new regulations using “Eco-ADU” as a method for permitting multiple Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) per parcel. The suggestion would allow the existing square footage of ADUs to be allotted over multiple ADUs per parcel when certain “eco” performance standards are met. • Need: o Innovative affordable housing options are needed to address housing affordability and homelessness within Jefferson County. • Urgency: o This an urgent suggestion. However, substantial compliance issues are noted. • Appropriateness: o This proposal touches on existing broad Comprehensive Plan goals. However, substantial compliance issues with Washington’s Growth Management Act are present. The suggestion, as drafted, has high implementation and monitoring costs, including a review board and appeal processes outside of existing code procedures. The suggestion requires substantial staff time and resources. • DCD Staff Capacity: o DCD staff lacks the capacity to efficiently process this suggested amendment. Page 4 of 4 • Cost: o Estimated level of effort: 184 hours o Estimated cost: $17,696.00 (184 hours @ $94 per hour and $400 in prorated administrative costs, such as printing and legal ads) 4. MLA19-00023. Jefferson County Planning Commission suggests an amendment to the Comprehensive Plan adding a priority work item to the Housing Element’s Action Plan to “convene a panel of citizens knowledgeable in the innovative technologies listed in Policy HS-P-2.3 to research and recommend a set of performance measures upon which to build a set of opt-in, very-low-impact and/or impact-positive standards for Jefferson County.” • Need: o Innovative affordable housing options are needed to address housing affordability and homelessness within Jefferson County. • Urgency: o This suggestion is not of high urgency as it does not substantively address identifiable policy issues relating to housing. • Appropriateness: o If docketed and implemented this suggestion likely involves DCD and outside agencies involvement to ensure compliance with complex laws and regulations, such as Washington’s Growth Management Act. There are more appropriate methods of increasing housing within Jefferson County. • DCD Staff Capacity: o DCD staff lacks the capacity to efficiently process this suggested amendment and lacks capacity to convene and manage an additional citizen panel. • Cost: o Estimated level of effort: 22 hours o Estimated cost: $2,168.00 (22 hours @ $94 per hour and $100 in prorated administrative costs, such as printing and legal ads) Department of Community Development Final Docket Recommendation DCD has extremely limited staff capacity for any additional suggested text amendments beyond the on-going and planned 2018 code updates including: Critical Areas Ordinance, Shoreline Master Program, Regulatory Reform updates, and Code Enforcement. Placement of any suggested text amendments on the final docket will likely result in significant increases in land use and building permitting processing times. If any suggested text amendments are docketed on the final docket, DCD requests supplemental budget authority to support the docket work. DCD estimates that the preliminary docket requires 298 staff hours and a supplemental budget of $29,012. As DCD relies on a combination of on-going general fund, project specific general fund, and grant dollars to support all long-range planning work, DCD’s existing budget cannot support any suggested text amendments without supplemental budget authority. DCD recommends against placing any suggested text amendments on the final docket.