2/8/07, Public notice improvements & land-use review advocacy - council review

7/07NEW PUBLIC NOTICE LAND-USE POLICY!! href= "http://www.redmond.gov/insidecityhall/citycouncil/20070717pdfs/VII1.pdf
THANK YOU JOHN RESHA - AND YOUR COMMITTEE (ALLEN,VACHE,COLE,MCCORMICK) AND MR. ODLE. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------3/13 UPDATE - AT BOTTOM-------------------Regarding: Citizen Land Use Advocate:Credit goes to Sue Stewart for the idea of "citizen advocate" to facilitate land use reviews and represent citizens during reviews. Sue is an Education Hill neighbor and Chair of Redmond Parks Board. Praise goes to Council member John Resha for acting on the idea. John is holding a meeting this Thursday 2/22, 4:30 at Council chambers to consider implementing the concept. John changed the date from 2/21 a day before the meeting. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------from Kimberly Allen, Redmond Council member, 2/8/2007 [Kimberly's comments are posted in the "Notable Comments & Quotes..." blog]Hi Bob, "Congratulations again! I am very excited about the land use review process getting official Council attention and wider exposure through the Reporter. I have been raising this issue since I was a Planning Commissioner--we can do a much better job with our public outreach in land use. Mr. Resha has some innovative ideas around the need for neighborhood advocates in the Planning process and I have long concurred with that need. So, while I was not appointed to the Council's Planning and Public Works Committee, I will indeed be participating in the conversation on the 21st where I will raise the additional problems of public access to planning documents as well as the City's responsibility to educate the public on this often befuddling and obscure process. Kirkland's website is an excellent model for us--no need to reinvent the wheel to get this job done."Looking forward to your column.Kim--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Sue Stewart, 7/4/2005 - "In the same way the Real Estate industry has adopted the practice of Buyer and Seller Agents, how can we in all fairness, expect a City Project Manager to meet the needs of both the developer and the community without sacrificing one over the other. We need to have a staff position that is a neighborhood advocate, educating and guiding the neighborhood in a comprehensive review of the process and all of the next steps and appeals available to them. Ethically, no matter how well intentioned anyone tries to be/wants to be, it can't be done and serve both sides appropriately. BUT, let me quickly stipulate that I am not casting any dispersions on Staff. Staff was professional. As an alternative to a Resident Advocate, at minimum, the City should provide community groups a comprehensive, written, step-by-step process with references and footnotes to the technical requirements and file this document online." [full speech to Council is found on ED HILL Group - front page of this site.]----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------City of Kirkland's helpful permit web site is: http://www.kirklandpermits.net/tm_web/This site is used by 11 local cities: http://www.mybuildingpermit.com/home/default.asp---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------3/13/07 UPDATEThe Council Planning a Public Works Committee meeting was impressive and well attended by staff and council and 5 citizens, though not much was accomplished. John Resha did not attend owing to work commitments. Rob Odle, Director of Planning and Development, ran the meeting and presented overheads on two approved projects -- Tyler Creek and Hampton. Two citizens living next to Tyler Creek complained of lack of parking, loss of trees, traffic, inequities of the comprehensive zoning process of 1993 when densities were changed from R-1 to R-4 with little public knowledge.-I complained about the destruction of a neighborhood view corridor by the Hampton short plat project. Mr. Resha's house and neighborhood is only 10 feet away (plus a detention pond) from the Hampton project . The towering houses are totally incompatible with Resha's neighborhood. The project was built on a steep slope. EMS services and parking will be compromised. -Mr. Odle addressed the absence of Neighborhood Meetings for short plats suggesting he may even change the code to require neighborhood meetings. I'll believe it when I see it. More likely, staff will request developers to hold meetings. Currently, only one Neighborhood Meeting is being held for Preliminary Plats and PRD's e.g. Shaughnessy.Individual citizen comments at the Shaughnessy plat meeting were not recorded --- other than "some notes", per Fischer. -Staff attending: Almond (transportation), Franklin (Development), Fischer (Development), Files (clerk), Black (Development), Odle (Planning & Development Director), and Ives, an others. Council attending: Vache, McCormick, Allen, Cole. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------5/6/07 UPDATE: re: the 3rd meeting. No decisions made in writing about Neighborhood meetings. Only talk about requiring one neighborhood meeting for short plats the size of 3-9 lots; and requiring neighborhood meetings for "critical areas". No talk about requiring Neighborhood Meetings for TYPE III preliminary plats...much more common land use. Only one other citizen showed up (Stewart) and two boy scouts. We started out with an aggregate of over 8 citizens; bureacratic process has worn every citizen down and out.! This is not a process to encourage creative participation by citizens! Resha's statement at the dais, 5/5, totally eliminated my desire for further participation. He's sending our record onto the PC. I've been there, done that! Not again! I recommended they use the City of Kirkland notices of application and hearing as a template for redesigning our notices. Kirkland gives notice under the same state laws as we do and they don't cut off comments to 14 days. The layperson can reead them with understanding. In conclusion, citizen Focus Groups with one staff member and one elected & possible one commissioner would get these citizen jobs done with much less citizen attrition and more effectiveness. 7/17/07 -- Mr. Resha presented his finished product on public notice improvements to council and it was accepted 7-0. Some follow-up will be required by the PC and staff. Key points: NOA will be sent to all residents (not just owners), Legibility of Vicinity and site plan maps improved, Neighborhood meetings for short plats, CLARIFY "COMMENTS DUE DATE" to reflect that staff will accept comments until decision or hearing date! Better use of web links. Tree preservation Plan included with NOA. THANK YOU JOHN RESHA!! and Mr. Odle.