Scope and Schedule for 1st Reading Action on draft Land Development Code revision
Posted: Thu Oct 17, 2019 1:12 pm
Colleagues,
I wish to thank staff for their hard work in identifying a schedule for Council deliberations on the draft land development code revision that works with the Planning Commission timing and all our busy schedules. The draft schedule circulated by staff last week seems to work well for the task we have in front of us. I remain committed to moving forward in a manner that ensures we get this right, while recognizing the many years of work by the community, our staff and consultants, and this Council that have already gone into the development of this draft code, and the urgency to make progress in addressing affordability, mobility, flood risk, and climate change.
Looking forward to the Council action on 1st reading, I think it would be valuable to see if a majority of the Council could agree to a process and scope for Council’s action on 1st reading that would make the most efficient use of our time.
Similar to our normal practice on significant code amendments, I suggest Council try to limit the scope of its actions at 1st reading to:
- approving relatively minor or technical code text and map changes identified in the supplemental staff report, or similar minor changes recommended by the Planning Commission that may be necessary for the new code to achieve the intent of our May 2nd Policy Direction to the Manager and on which our staff are in agreement
- providing clarification on items from the May 2nd Council Policy Direction where staff or the Planning Commission have indicated further clarity from Council is needed
- providing additional or new policy direction in areas where the Council determines additional direction is needed
Any such changes or additional direction, if approved at 1st reading, would be reflected in the revised code text and zoning map to be brought back to us by staff for 2nd reading.
I believe it may be best at 1st reading for Council to refrain from line by line amendments to the code text or parcel by parcel changes to the zoning map, as even minor changes to a particular section of the code text would likely impact other sections of the code, and minor map changes may impact housing capacity and other goals we have set for this process. If there are code text changes or map changes the Council wishes to make, I suggest we try to translate those into higher level policy direction so that we do not get bogged down on code language and on-the-fly housing capacity analysis. Waiting until later readings for specific mapping changes would also allow the community more time to work on their own proposals for how to achieve the goals of Council’s policy direction within their own neighborhoods.
I would further suggest that our Planning Commission consider prioritizing its review of the draft land development code revision on any minor or technical changes necessary for the new code to achieve the intent of Council’s May 2nd policy direction to the Manager, and on identifying topics that may require further clarity or additional policy direction from Council.
Regarding our schedule…
The schedule as laid out by staff last week has us holding Monday, November 18th for a Council work session on the draft land development code revision. I suggest at that time, staff could present the Planning Commission’s report to the Council and advise us of staff’s concurrence or not with those recommendations. This meeting could also be staff’s deadline for flagging topics that need further policy direction from Council. If Council has not yet agreed on a procedure or scope for 1st reading action by that time, it could also be discussed at this work session, along with time for questions of staff by Council.
We would then take up the code discussion again in work sessions December 3rd and 4th. During these work sessions, if Councilmembers have proposed policy direction for code text and map changes for us to consider on 1st reading, they could be laid out and discussed at that time (if not laid out on the message board earlier). In any case, I suggest we all agree to post any proposed amendments and policy direction to the bulletin board by noon on December 6th. This deadline will allow Council and the public enough time to read and understand proposed new policy direction and other amendments prior to the Public hearing on December the 7th. If Councilmembers want to offer amendments and policy direction after the 6th, I suggest those be only be taken up after the items posted by the deadline.
We will conduct our public hearing on Saturday, December 7th, where our community will have an opportunity to address the full Council.
Finally, Council will be posted for action on 1st reading December 9th. Our expectation is to also allow the public to speak to Council on the 9th, however I suggest that those who previously spoke to Council at the December 7th public hearing be limited to 1 minute of testimony on the 9th.
I appreciate hearing your thoughts on these suggestions on the bulletin board, or perhaps at a future work session.
-s
I wish to thank staff for their hard work in identifying a schedule for Council deliberations on the draft land development code revision that works with the Planning Commission timing and all our busy schedules. The draft schedule circulated by staff last week seems to work well for the task we have in front of us. I remain committed to moving forward in a manner that ensures we get this right, while recognizing the many years of work by the community, our staff and consultants, and this Council that have already gone into the development of this draft code, and the urgency to make progress in addressing affordability, mobility, flood risk, and climate change.
Looking forward to the Council action on 1st reading, I think it would be valuable to see if a majority of the Council could agree to a process and scope for Council’s action on 1st reading that would make the most efficient use of our time.
Similar to our normal practice on significant code amendments, I suggest Council try to limit the scope of its actions at 1st reading to:
- approving relatively minor or technical code text and map changes identified in the supplemental staff report, or similar minor changes recommended by the Planning Commission that may be necessary for the new code to achieve the intent of our May 2nd Policy Direction to the Manager and on which our staff are in agreement
- providing clarification on items from the May 2nd Council Policy Direction where staff or the Planning Commission have indicated further clarity from Council is needed
- providing additional or new policy direction in areas where the Council determines additional direction is needed
Any such changes or additional direction, if approved at 1st reading, would be reflected in the revised code text and zoning map to be brought back to us by staff for 2nd reading.
I believe it may be best at 1st reading for Council to refrain from line by line amendments to the code text or parcel by parcel changes to the zoning map, as even minor changes to a particular section of the code text would likely impact other sections of the code, and minor map changes may impact housing capacity and other goals we have set for this process. If there are code text changes or map changes the Council wishes to make, I suggest we try to translate those into higher level policy direction so that we do not get bogged down on code language and on-the-fly housing capacity analysis. Waiting until later readings for specific mapping changes would also allow the community more time to work on their own proposals for how to achieve the goals of Council’s policy direction within their own neighborhoods.
I would further suggest that our Planning Commission consider prioritizing its review of the draft land development code revision on any minor or technical changes necessary for the new code to achieve the intent of Council’s May 2nd policy direction to the Manager, and on identifying topics that may require further clarity or additional policy direction from Council.
Regarding our schedule…
The schedule as laid out by staff last week has us holding Monday, November 18th for a Council work session on the draft land development code revision. I suggest at that time, staff could present the Planning Commission’s report to the Council and advise us of staff’s concurrence or not with those recommendations. This meeting could also be staff’s deadline for flagging topics that need further policy direction from Council. If Council has not yet agreed on a procedure or scope for 1st reading action by that time, it could also be discussed at this work session, along with time for questions of staff by Council.
We would then take up the code discussion again in work sessions December 3rd and 4th. During these work sessions, if Councilmembers have proposed policy direction for code text and map changes for us to consider on 1st reading, they could be laid out and discussed at that time (if not laid out on the message board earlier). In any case, I suggest we all agree to post any proposed amendments and policy direction to the bulletin board by noon on December 6th. This deadline will allow Council and the public enough time to read and understand proposed new policy direction and other amendments prior to the Public hearing on December the 7th. If Councilmembers want to offer amendments and policy direction after the 6th, I suggest those be only be taken up after the items posted by the deadline.
We will conduct our public hearing on Saturday, December 7th, where our community will have an opportunity to address the full Council.
Finally, Council will be posted for action on 1st reading December 9th. Our expectation is to also allow the public to speak to Council on the 9th, however I suggest that those who previously spoke to Council at the December 7th public hearing be limited to 1 minute of testimony on the 9th.
I appreciate hearing your thoughts on these suggestions on the bulletin board, or perhaps at a future work session.
-s