2/17/07, Neighborhood Meetings - short plat review

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During Neighborhood Meetings the developer typically holds the meetings and invites neighbors within 500 feet. City staff facilitates the meetings and passes around sign-in sheets. citizens who attend may become a Party of Record qualifying them for mailing & appeal privledges. The meeting gives the applicant an excellent opportunity to "sell" his project and gauge the public. The public offers ideas and feedback which could help the applicant and city. Unplanned consequences may surface during the meeting, giving both parties opportunity to improve the project.

Eliminating Neighborhood Meetings from short subdivisions ( 9 or fewer lots-"short plats" ) is a huge mistake. Short plats are now one of the most common permits issued in our city. Often lots must be clustered with PRD permits owing to critical areas, utilities, and other constraints. Avondale Crest SP and SpiritBrook Manor SP are examples.
When reviewing the SpiritBrook Manor file this week I noticed "Neighborhood Meetings" were not held for this small subdivision project, yet they were for Avondale Crest SP. This is inconsisistent & unfair for all.
Neighborhood meetings are authorized by Mr. Odle, Code Administrator, hopefully after review by the Planning Commission. Selective elimination of Neighborhood Meetings from short plat Review process is wrong and another example of where the city is going to limit public participation in land use. Neighborhood/Community Meetings should be required for ALL short plats (9 or fewer lots)...not just on a "hit and miss" basis.
Last year the Planning Commission deliberated on Public Notice, commissioners consolidated the PC's recommendations and submitted them in writing to Judd Black, Development Manager. Is the absence of Neighborhood Meetings from short subdivisions the intention of the PC? I doubt it. We'll see.
APPLICANT/PUBLIC "NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS" should be required for ALL short plats, not selectively and at the whim of project planners and deevelopers.
UPDATE: 4/5/07 - Two meetings with Councilmember John Resha's Planning and Public Works Committee has yeilded the possiblity of a 1 meeting requirement for short plats 3 -9 lots in size. Still, no decision. It may have been decided that the presence of any Critical areas would require a neighborhood meeting; tho nothing in writing. The process is starting to wear down the participating citizens. Only 2 showed up at the last meeting. We started with over 6.
7/07 http://www.redmond.gov/insidecityhall/citycouncil/20070717pdfs/VII1.pdf NEW PUBLIC NOTICE POLICY c/o JOHN RESHA'S PLANNING COMMITTEE !