Zoning change debate runs late

Published 10:12 am Saturday, April 26, 2008

POULSBO — It was a discussion as much about wireless cell towers as it was about downtown parking and subdivision lot sizes Nov. 14 in the city council chambers — one that sent two major issues back to the drawing board.

The council debated the passing of a 13-amendment package to the city’s Zoning and Subdivision Ordinances, and despite a two-hour work through, ultimately determined passage of the package in its entirety premature.

Consulting planner Karla Boughton presented the amendments, most of which were housekeeping additions developed by the city’s planning department in an attempt to clarify issues that have arisen in the past.

Four substantial changes sat on the table, however, changes to medium and high residential zoning regulations, including a decrease in minimum lot size standards; a regulation affecting the need for parking provided by downtown commercial builders or redevelopers; a rewrite of the entire Wireless Communications Facilities section; and new provisions to the Binding Site Plan making it more consistent with state law.

Both the Binding Site Plan adjustments and medium and high density zoning changes were passed, along with the other basic amendments. Minimum lot sizes for single-family detached lots were reduced from 6,000 square feet to 4,000 square feet, and multi-family developments now have no minimum proposed lot size. Developers wanting to go smaller than 4,000 square feet can still build according to the city’s Planned Residential Development codes, through which they can have an adjusted 3,750-square-foot lot size minimum.

Boughton said the amendments stem from a changing market.

“The main purpose for changing this is to simplify development standards,” she said.

Though public comments encouraged the city not to make growth incentive based or cater to condominium dwellings, most debate revolved around the two remaining amendments — possible changes to wireless tower and downtown parking regulations, both of which were eventually deemed in need of additional staff and council attention.

The city’s planning commission recommended passing the amendments in a 4-2-1 vote after just one meeting devoted to the topic. Commission member and councilwoman-elect Linda Berry-Maraist urged the council to take more time before making the changes.

The downtown parking ordinance amendment was created in response to an emergency ordinance established in February, which requires new development within the downtown commercial core to provide off-street parking, as the Anderson Parkway and King Olav lots are filled to maximum capacity. The council had several choices on their hands, including to force only new builders to provide more parking or require parking additions from new builders and those adding a certain amount of floor space to their structures.

Councilman Ed Stern said he didn’t want any rushed ordinance to “trigger unintended consequences,” adding, “What we don’t want to do is stifle the activity.”

Berry-Mariast called for more leeway for the downtown area, and said back-out parking spaces could potentially be a good solution.

“The downtown parking situation is not the same as other areas in the city of Poulsbo,” she said. “I think we need to be more flexible in what that parking looks like.”

The council shelved the issue for the night along with the re-written cell towner guidelines, which would create locational priorities for the towers of which neighborhoods would be least acceptable, but would allow companies to build in those zones if they can prove no other areas are suitable. Setbacks, landscaping, co-locating and visual requirements would also be expanded.

Amy Hoffman, a neighborhood activist who spoke out against a cell tower planned for the Vinland neighborhood, said she hoped the council would take a stand for the sake of the city’s neighborhoods.

“My main, main concern is to keep towers out of residential areas,” she said, pointing out several examples of cities that have both used concealing technologies for cell devices and outlawed large towers within towns. “It’s normative.”

She agreed with councilwoman-elect Becky Erickson, who said towers built in Poulsbo should be a necessity designed to specifically serve its residents.

“If we’re going to build wireless towers in Poulsbo, they should service the residents in Poulsbo,” she said, calling for a “statement of necessity” from companies wanting to implement the structures.

The two items will be addressed by the council at a later date, the parking amendment no later than Feb. 14, 2008, as the 2007 emergency parking ordinance will expire.