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HomeMy WebLinkAbout3 Port Hadlock-Irondale UGA staff report - Final1 JEFFERSON COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION TO: Honorable Chair and Members of the Planning Commission FROM: Brent A. Butler, AICP, Chief Strategy Officer DATE: July 17, 2024 RE: Port Hadlock/Irondale Urban Growth Area STATEMENT OF ISSUE: Over the past year, County staff has completed extensive outreach to stakeholders, and prepares this preliminary list of proposed amendments to incentivize housing within the Port Hadlock UGA. While some of the Planning Commissioners attended one or more of the public workshops, others may not have so this is an opportunity to provide further input in advance of the more formal comprehensive plan amendment process. Among other notable omissions, the Port Hadlock Urban Growth Area does not have a mixed- use zone, which would permit the types of land use activities desired by many community members. Notably, mixed-use is a combination of housing with other uses and dates back to the country’s founding. It is not advanced in the current zoning. A significant amendment is proposed to address this oversight. This zoning district often includes such classic designs as shops where persons live above the commercial establishments, in the upper stories of structures. Additionally, the commercial zone already has a significant share of housing that would become non-conforming. To address these two critical issues, several changes are proposed. One of these uses the eight-minute walking distance (walk shed) from critically important destinations such as QFC to identify parcels that would better serve the community as mixed-use. A graphic map 1 shares this analysis. We use this to identify parcels best included in a new zoning district, hereinafter referred to as “Mixed-Use” and more fully set forth in the analysis section of this staff report. Staff proposes amending the following: (1) 2018 Comprehensive Plan, (2) Zoning Map, and the (3) Jefferson County Municipal Code (JCMC) in accordance with community input received in a community charrette, workshops, and planning commission meetings in the spring and summer of 2024. This outreach culminated with a July 15, 2024 bicycle tour of priority development sites to which county staff invited numerous stakeholders including the tribes, the military and local property owners. 2 BACKGROUND: Affordable housing developers have identified numerous barriers to the construction of affordable housing. These amendments propose solutions to these identified barriers, and enables the Planning Commission to recommend remove of those barriers over which the county may exercise its municipal police power. In conclusion, this effort will implement numerous comprehensive plan policies, as outlined in this report, and achieve a greater range of housing so that the community providers for all of the county’s income groups. ANALYSIS: Working with consultants, county staff confirm that the failure to implement the new state middle housing requirements, as referenced below, may constitute an ongoing impediment to housing development, especially multifamily housing that may provide housing for a range of incomes . TABLE 1: New State Requirements for Middle Housing New Statutes and Requirements Applicable Areas/ Code Sections to Update House Bill (HB) 1110 – Middle Housing New middle housing requirements for some Washington jurisdictions. Under the middle housing regulations, communities must allow middle housing types and at least two dwelling units per lot in residential zones, with some exceptions. ESSB 5963 – Grant support for middle housing Irondale/Port Hadlock UGA JCC 18.18.050 Table 3A-2 - Allow 2 du/ lot (duplexes) (add exceptions - does not apply to lots after subdivision below 1,000 square feet unless the there is a smaller allowable lot size in the zone.) JCC 18.18.040, Table 3A1 – Allow other middle housing type triplexes, fourplexes, fiveplexes, sixplexes, townhouses, stacked flats, courtyard apartments, and cottage housing (Optional for tier 3) Dimensional standards and permit process cannot be more restrictive than single-family Administrative design review JCC 18.30.100 Table 6-2 – modify parking requirements for duplexes and Multifamily residential (3+ units) on lots 6000 square feet or less – maximum one off-street parking JCC 18.18.080, 18.30.100 Parking – For middle housing, no off-street parking shall be required within one-half mile walking distance of a major transit stop JCC 18.10 - Update/ add definitions – middle housing, duplex, zero lot lines 3 New Statutes and Requirements Applicable Areas/ Code Sections to Update HB 1337 – ADU At least two ADUs (both attached, both detached, or one attached and one detached) per lot must be allowed in residential zones in urban growth areas (UGAs) within all zones in urban growth areas where single family homes are permitted. Irondale/Port Hadlock UGA JCC 18.30.020 - Allow two ADUs per lot. JCC 18.20.020 (2)(a) May not establish a maximum gross floor area requirement for ADUs that is less than 1,000 sf (Already in compliance 1250 sf) JCC 18.20.020 (2)(b) - Not to require owner occupancy. JCC 18.30.100 Table 6-2 – clarify ADU off-street parking requirements No on-site parking standards may be applied to ADUs located within a half-mile of a major transit stop JCC 18.18.050 - Not to impose setback requirements, yard coverage limits, tree retention mandates, or restrictions on entry door location that are more restrictive than those required for the principal unit JCC 18.18.050 – not to impose height limits less than 24 ft JCC Article 18.35 - Not to prohibit condominium sale (also see unit lot development SB 5258) Should not require more than 50% of impact fees charged for the principal unit Not to assess impact fees on the construction of accessory dwelling units that are greater than 50 percent of the impact fees that would be imposed on the principal unit Senate Bill (SB) 5258 – Unit Lot Subdivision This requires cities, towns and counties (RCW 58.17.060(3)) to allow unit lot subdivisions in their short plat regulations, to facilitate townhome and condominium development. Irondale/Port Hadlock UGA/ Countywide JCC Article 18.35, Land Divisions – include unit lot subdivisions ESHB 1293 – Design Review May not impose aesthetic standards or requirements for design review that are more restrictive for ADUs than those for principal units. Irondale/Port Hadlock UGA JCC 18.18.110 SB 6015 – Parking Standards New rules for residential parking standards that cities must enforce. Irondale/Port Hadlock UGA JCC 18.30.100 Table 6-2 - clarify ADU off-street parking requirements HB 1998 – Co-Living1 Requires communities to allow co-living on any lot located within an urban growth area that allows at least six multifamily residential units, including mixed use zoning. Irondale/Port Hadlock UGA JCC 18.18 and 18.30.020 – allow co-living JCC 18.10 - update definitions to add co-living HB 1220 – Housing and Equity Requires communities to plan for and accommodate housing affordable to all economic segments of the population of this state. Jefferson County Comprehensive Plan and Development Regulations JCC code – various sections for consistency 4 While, adoption of these amendments would implement those key comprehensive plan policies copied and pasted below, they will also require modification of many of the existing policies, some of which appear below prefaced by the word modify.: ❖ Policy LU-P-32.9 Consider developing an affordable housing incentives program for the Port Hadlock / Irondale Urban Growth Area per RCW 36.70a.540; ❖ Policy LU-P-32.16 Facilitate non-motorized transportation and reduce the need for automobile parking in pedestrian use areas through development regulations in the Irondale / Port Hadlock Urban Growth Area. ❖ Policy LU-P-32.28 Provide for on-going review and evaluation of the Port Hadlock / Irondale Unincorporated Urban Growth Area to monitor the rate of development, land supply and availability, market conditions, infrastructure implementation and costs in order to identify constraints to growth in the Urban Growth Area and recommend corrective actions, where appropriate; ❖ Policy LU-P-33.6 In addition to the LOS adopted for public facilities in the Capital Facilities and Utilities Element of this Comprehensive Plan, adopt Urban LOS standards for the following capital facilities and public services in the Port Hadlock / Irondale Unincorporated Urban Growth Area: o Modify the transportation subsection so that non-motorized levels of service in the walkable downtown core are established and achieved, which may require amending the vehicular LOS, as stated on page 1-129, and set forth as: “Transportation: Maintain Level of Service standard “D” or better on all road facilities within Urban Areas (Urban Growth Areas) as established by the Peninsula Regional Transportation Planning Organization (PRTPO), based upon Average Annual Daily Trips.” ❖ Policy LU-P-35.2 Require that subdivision and commercial project designs address the following issues: a. Cost effective transit and delivery of emergency services; b. Provisions for all transportation modes, including electric vehicle infrastructure; c. Dedication of rights of way for existing and future transportation needs; d. Motorized and nonmotorized access; e. Sidewalks and bicycle pathways; f. Compatibility between motorized vehicles, pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit users g. Inclusion of transit and bicycle friendly design elements h. Adequate parking for non-peak period; and i. Modify Municipal Coded sections governing: Frontage improvements and roadway features to meet urban design standards within the Irondale-Port Hadlock Urban Growth Area. j. Freight access and mobility ❖ Policy HS-P-2.6 Consider development standards that would provide bonus densities in return for providing a percentage of low or moderate-income housing units for multi-unit residences in the Irondale/Port Hadlock Urban Growth Area and Rural Village Centers. (Note: this proposal recommends zoning text amendments that will 5 implement a program similar to the City of Burien’s, which is codified as Ordinace 718, and is accessible online at: https://burienwa.civicweb.net/filepro/documents/?preview=31044.) The City of Burien program generates higher densities if project applicants meet the following requirements; a. the applicant can demonstrate experience in providing affordable housing. Notwithstanding this requirement, an applicant who can demonstrate experience in providing housing and a mission statement of its intent to use that experience toward achieving the goal of providing permanently affordable housing may be deemed to have met this requirement. b. The applicant can demonstrate the ability to employ a mechanism to retain all of the units as affordable for a minimum 50-year period for applicable income levels. c. The applicant can demonstrate an ability and commitment to submit an annual report to the city documenting the status of all residential units. ❖ Policy HS-P-2.4 In response to the critical lack of affordable housing, work with stakeholders to initiate housing developments in the Port Hadlock Urban Growth Area and other established rural employment areas allowing higher residential density to be served by more inexpensive wastewater treatment options than a traditional public sanitary sewer facility. (See below) ❖ Policy HS-P-2.9 enables use of alternative, inexpensive wastewater system while acknowledging that the system’s sustainability requires users to eventually connect to it by stating: “In the Port Hadlock/Irondale UGA, allow some development activity on alternative community wastewater treatment systems that do not preclude future hook- up to traditional sewer.” ❖ Policy HS-P-2.10 In the Port Hadlock/Irondale UGA, offer incentives and fee waivers, as funding is available, for infill housing such as ADUs and for lot consolidation. ❖ Based on best available science modify the Irondale/Port Hadlock Urban Growth Area discussion on page 6-16 because the proficiency of roads as described by their 'Level Of Service' (LOS) criteria defined in the Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) (A to E) reflect only the ability of roads to accommodate motor vehicle traffic, where 'A' is free- flowing and 'E' is heavily congested. This traditional analysis does nothing to measure or preserve levels of access for pedestrians, bicycles or transit. To reflect the value of pedestrians, bicyclists and transit the evaluation of 'level of service' needs to be revised. Currently the section says: “Individual intersections were only analyzed within the County’s Tri-Area focused on the Port Hadlock/Irondale UGA. Existing intersection level of service results show that five of the twelve study intersections currently operate at LOS E and LOS F.”Identified housing barriers include: 6 Critical Barrier – Stormwater Affordable Housing Developers, including Peninsula Housing Authority and the Bayside Housing Services identified compliance with stormwater regulations as a barrier. Staff believes stormwater compliance is a widespread concern that reduces project viability. To the degree that county staff is able to implement the seven policies listed below, a major impediment to development, shall be addressed . Table 2: Stormwater Policies Policy Description Policy LU-P-34.3 Develop and implement an Irondale and Port Hadlock Urban Growth Area Stormwater Management Program. Policy LU-P-34.4 Increase the public’s knowledge of stormwater runoff issues and support public involvement in stormwater management by developing and implementing a Stormwater Management Public Education component of the Irondale and Port Hadlock Stormwater Management Program. Policy LU-P-34.5 Ensure the continued operation of stormwater management facilities by developing and implementing a Stormwater Management Facility Operation and Maintenance component of the Irondale and Port Hadlock Stormwater Management Program. Policy LU-P-34.6 Ensure that stormwater management activities are effective by developing and implementing a Water Quality Monitoring and Stream Gauging component of the Irondale and Port Hadlock Stormwater Management Program. Policy LU-P-34.7 Develop a stable and equitable revenue source to fund a Port Hadlock/Irondale Urban Growth Area Stormwater Management Program. Policy LU-P-34.8 Maintain an inventory of public and private stormwater management facilities within the Urban Growth Area. Policy LU-P-34.9 Join with State and local agencies and private landowners to plan, finance, and construct regional stormwater management facilities and to remediate existing stormwater management deficiencies. 7 Critical Barrier – Existing Zoning Based on a 2021 study, Outdoor Walking Speeds of Apparently Health Adults: A System Review and Meta-analysis, we developed a (walk shed) map delineating the distance a person would be able to walk in eight minutes and superimposed the results onto a map which places the QFC grocery store as the center (see, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7806575/). Since most of the zoning district currently designated as UGA Commercial (UGA-C) in the phase 1 sewer boundaries are within this walk shed, we propose rezoning this to a new zoning district to be identified as Mixed-Use. We then identified the degree to which existing zoning could accommodate the nine typologies outlined in the www.missingmiddlehousing.com website, and provide a summary in tabular 8 form below. We used properties that are identified by the accessor’s office as vacant land or an improvement value of less than $10,000. Excluded from analysis are the following: (1) the library, and (2) the Mason Street Project sponsored by Habitat for Humanity. TABLE 3: Middle Housing Potential Typology Number of Parcels in Phase 1 sewer area with minimum density Number of acres # of sites based on acres (1) Side by Side Duplex 95 parcels >= 5,000 sq ft 91.0 acres 792 sites @ 5,000 sq ft (2) Duplex Stacked 48 parcels >= 11,300 sq ft 100 parcels >= 4,000 sq ft 83.1 acres 91.5 acres 320 sites @ 11,300 sq ft 996 sites @ 4,000 sq ft (3) Fourplex Stacked 78 parcels >= 6,000 sq ft 88.8 acres 645 sites @ 6,000 sq ft (4) Courtyard Building 56 parcels >= 9,350 sq ft 85.0 acres 395 sites @ 9,350 sq ft (5) Cottage Court 26 parcels >= 24,000 sq ft 53 parcels >= 10,000 sq ft 74.8 acres 84.3 acres 135 sites @ 24,000 sq ft 367 sites @ 10,000 sq ft (6) Live-Work 101 parcels >= 3,000 sq ft 91.6 acres 1,330 sites @ 3,000 sq ft (7) Multiplex 34 parcels >= 18,000 sq ft 78.4 acres 189 sites @ 18,000 sq ft (8) Townhouses 103 parcels >= 1,530 sq ft 101 parcels >= 3,000 sq ft 91.7 acres 91.6 acres 2,611 sites @ 1,530 sq ft 1,330 sites @ 3,000 sq ft (9) Stacked Triplex 100 parcels >= 3,400 sq ft 91.5 acres 1172 sites @ 3,400 sq ft Source: these typologies originate in the analysis publicly available online at: middlehousing.com Consequently, staff recommends amending the 2018 Comprehensive Plan sections regarding Land use and zoning designations, as more fully set forth on page 1-121, and EXHIBIT 1-22 Irondale & Port Hadlock Urban Zoning ▶ The Urban Low Density Residential (UGA-LDR) zone will allow housing density from four (4) to six (6) dwelling units per acre. Moderate Density Residential (UGA-MDR) zoning will allow housing at a density of 7-12 units per acre. The High Density Residential (UGA- HDR) zone will allow housing at a density of 13-18 dwelling units per acre. 9 ▶ The Urban Commercial (UGA-UC) zone covers both the existing and planned future commercial development in the Port Hadlock core area and along Rhody Drive from Ness” Corner along the commercial strip fronting SR 19. The Visitor-Oriented Commercial (UGA- VOC) zone is applied to the tourism-oriented potential development area around the Old Alcohol Plant. ▶ The Urban Light Industrial (UGA-LI) zone in the UGA applies to a largely developed industrial area: all but 5 acres are already in light industrial use. These uses are in the southwest corner of the UGA well buffered from the bulk of the residential neighborhoods in the community. ▶ Public facilities (UGA-P) comprise 80 acres, including public park and open space areas, the Library and Chimacum Creek Elementary School, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and Jail, Jefferson County Public Works Department Maintenance Yard, and the JPUD’s Sparling Well facility along Rhody Drive and the Kivley Well in Port Hadlock. RECOMMENDATION: After listening to a presentation, provide county staff direction regarding the approaches discussed. 10 11 ATTACHMENT 1 – Draft Amendments ❖ Modify multiple exhibits in the Land Use Section including exhibits 1-9, 1-10, and 1- 15. ❖ EXHIBIT 1-15 entitled the Port Hadlock/Irondale Urban Growth Area Land Use & Zoning Designations is recommended to include a new mixed-use designation with densities that correspond to the typologies reflecting community input. We modeled a walking distance based on the speed of 3.1 miles per hour from QFC, and capped the time to 7.3 minutes distance Properties currently zoned UGA Commercial that are within the phase 1 Sewer boundaries would be designated mixed-use. Land Use Designatio n Description of Zoning Districts & Location Principa l Land Use Mixed Use The Mixed-Use Zone will allow housing that incorporates other uses in the same structure, parcel or footprint such work (live/work), offices with housing, stores with housing, etc. and will be approved at densities XXXXXXXXX. Housing and other compatible uses Urban Residential The Urban Low Density Residential (UGA-LDR) zone will allow housing density from four (4) to six (6) dwelling units per acre. Moderate Density Residential (UGA-MDR) zoning will allow housing at a density of 7-12 units per acre. The High Density Residential (UGA-HDR) zone will allow housing at a density of 13-18 dwelling units per acre. Residential dwellings detached and attached. Urban Commercial The Urban Commercial (UGA-UC) zone covers both the existing and planned future commercial development in the Port Hadlock core area and along Rhody Drive from Ness” Corner following the commercial strip along SR 19. The Visitor-Oriented Commercial (UGA-VOC) zone is applied to the tourism-oriented potential development area around the Old Alcohol Plant and marina. Commercia l retail, services, tourism, and other similar uses Urban Industrial The Urban Light Industrial (UGA-LI) zone in the UGA applies to a largely developed industrial area: all but 5 acres are already in light industrial use. These uses are in the southwest corner of the UGA well buffered from the bulk of the residential neighborhoods in the community. Light industrial Public Facilities Public facilities (UGA-P) comprise 80 acres, including public park and open space areas, the Library and Chimacum Creek Elementary School, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and Jail, Jefferson County Public Works Department Maintenance Yard, and the Public Utility District #1 of Jefferson County’s (JPUD) Sparling Well facility along Rhody Drive and the Kivley Well in Port Hadlock. Public and institutiona l Comprehensive plan language as set forth below, and copied from CP page 3.3 need updating to reflect the new wastewater system. Example 1: (new language underlined) Housing development at higher densities in the County’s unincorporated areas are possible in the Port Hadlock/Irondale UGA. Urban housing densities, however, are stymied by a lack of municipal wastewater treatment. Substantial work has been completed to develop this 12 infrastructure. A sewer facility plan was prepared in 2008 and received state review and approvals along with site design, engineering, and a financing plan. Construction of the Port Hadlock/Irondale UGA wastewater treatment project has not begun; however, the property was purchased. The project is construction-ready when funding is available and the County is actively pursuing available sources. For the 2018 periodic update, consideration is given to options that help in the planning and development of housing in the Port Hadlock/Irondale UGA while funding and resources continue to be sought for a sewer system. The City of Port Townsend, phase 1 service area of the Port Hadlock Irondale Urban Growth Area, and Port Ludlow are presently the only three two communities that have level of service standards that would accommodate the density, services, and other criteria for locating multi-family residential housing. The Port Hadlock/Irondale UGA is planning for a sewer service area that will meet requirements for higher density housing.