OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Shoreline Planning Commission Public Hearing on Transfer of Development Rights Program - July 20, 2023

Planning Commission — Thursday, July 20, 2023
BodyShoreline, Washington
SessionPlanning Commission
DateThursday, July 20, 2023
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 32:37

Transcript — Verbatim
0:03

Recording in progress.

0:09

Thank you for being here.

0:10

I am Carla Hooksima, the clerk of the Planning Commission.

0:15

And I would like to call this public hearing of the Planning Commission to order.

0:20

The first thing I will call the role.

0:23

Commissioner Brinson.

0:25

Here.

0:26

Commissioner Callahan.

0:28

Here.

0:29

Commissioner Lynn.

0:30

Present.

0:32

Commissioner Mosier.

0:33

Yeah.

0:34

Thank you.

0:35

Commissioner Galuska and Vice Chair Wama Shonja and Chair Sager are not present with notice.

0:47

So since both our chair and vice chair are absent, we will elect a chair pro tem for this meeting.

0:56

And I'm opening up the election for nominations.

1:06

Okay, we have a nomination for Commissioner Callahan.

1:09

Any other nominations?

1:12

No?

1:13

Okay.

1:14

Then I will vote.

1:18

And I think we can do a since we don't have anyone online.

1:23

Let's just say all let's see.

1:26

All in favor, raise your hand.

1:31

Okay.

1:31

Thank you.

1:32

All opposed, we don't have any.

1:34

So Commissioner Callahan, you are our chair pro tem today.

1:39

And if you wouldn't mind moving to the middle, well, you know what?

1:42

You're probably close enough.

1:45

Okay.

1:47

So uh we have approval of the agenda.

1:50

Are there any changes to the agenda?

1:52

No.

1:53

Uh next we have approval of the minutes from July 6th.

1:57

Are there any changes to the draft minutes?

2:02

Uh next we have general public comment.

2:04

Is there anyone signed up for general public comment?

2:10

There is no one tonight.

2:12

Thank you.

2:13

Okay.

2:14

Then tonight's public hearing is regarding the transfer of development rights program, development code amendment.

2:21

The purpose for the hearing is to obtain public testimony and for the commission to develop a recommendation to forward to the city council on this topic.

2:30

Once staff has presented, the commission will be given an opportunity to ask clarifying questions.

2:35

Then a motion must be made and seconded in order to uh uh prior to discussion.

2:40

A mandatory motions may be made after the main motion and seconded.

2:47

Mr.

2:48

Zapper.

2:49

Thank you.

2:51

And um Steve Zaffron, senior planner with Shoreline, and this is our third or fourth time discussing transfer of development rights.

3:02

So uh we've made it to the public hearing tonight.

3:04

Um so just to remind the commission that we're talking about transfer development right or a TDR, which is a unit of development in the urban area that is built in the urban area instead of taking up those prime fire farm and forest lands in our uh rural counties.

3:27

And um the purpose of this program is to further the cities and regional climate goals and to provide funding for public um infrastructure in these more dense urban areas.

3:43

Um so why the TDR program that the city has had goals and policies in the comprehensive plan basically since the incorporation of the city in 1995, land use um policy number 58, um states the support for regional and state uh TDR programs uh where infrastructure is needed and where additional density height and bulk standards can be accommodated.

4:16

Um again, also the comprehensive plan looks at regional climate goals, um why TDR now with the timing of the light rail station sub-areas is developing a lot of um new multifamily units which do need uh greater parks and public land and infrastructure improvements to accommodate those densities and also development in other key areas of the city like Aurora and North City.

4:50

Um what the TDR program is is a set of development code regulations.

5:00

Um they describe the incentives, it establishes a TDR price for uh certain incentives, um, which we'll look at in a minute, and it allows the city to use King County's portion of property taxes to uh accommodate those um public those um infrastructure improvements.

5:20

So you've seen this map before.

5:22

This is the recommended area of where the uh TDR units would apply.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Land Use Planning█████████████████████████████████████████████66%
Procedural████████████18%
Public Engagement███████10%
Affordable Housing███4%
Transportation Safety█2%
Summary of Proceedings

Shoreline Planning Commission Public Hearing on Transfer of Development Rights Program - July 20, 2023

The Shoreline Planning Commission held a public hearing on July 20, 2023, to consider a proposed Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) program development code amendment. The commission heard public testimony, deliberated, and voted 4-0 to recommend approval of the program as presented in the staff report, with a request for further clarification on combining incentives.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Michael Murphy (King County, Department of Natural Resources): Expressed strong support for the TDR program, emphasizing its role in regional conservation and infrastructure funding. He highlighted King County's partnership with Shoreline and the mutual benefits for developers, the city, and the county.
  • Christy England (Forterra, Chief Governance and Policy Innovations Officer): Expressed support for the proposed amendments, noting Forterra's involvement from the beginning. She encouraged the commission to endorse the amendments in their current form or with revisions consistent with the city's feasibility study.
  • Tom McCormick (Shoreline resident): Opposed the adoption of the TDR program at this time. He argued that the city is already on pace to easily meet its 2044 housing targets, making additional incentives unnecessary. He stated the projected property tax revenue ($200,000–$500,000 per year) is insignificant compared to the city's $160 million budget, and that existing incentives (five pages listed) are already working too well. He urged the commission to vote against the program.

Discussion Items

  • Staff Presentation: Senior Planner Steve Zaffron presented the TDR program overview, including height and parking incentives, the recommended implementation area (light rail station sub-areas and other key zones), and three options for the commission: adopt as written (attachment A), not adopt, or revise and recommend. Staff recommended adoption as written and asked the commission for direction on whether TDR incentives could be combined with existing development code incentives.
  • Commissioner Deliberation: Commissioners expressed mixed feelings but ultimately supported the motion. Key points included:
    • Support for regional conservation (lack of other mechanisms to preserve farm/forest land).
    • Belief that faster housing development would help achieve economic development and other city goals.
    • The capital improvement funding opportunity, though small, could be matched with other grants.
    • Agreement that the program adds complexity but provides a mechanism for developers to use if it makes sense for them.
  • The commission did not provide explicit direction on combining incentives, leaving that for council discussion.

Key Outcomes

  • Motion and Vote: Commissioner Brinson moved to recommend approval of the TDR program as shown in attachment A, seconded by Commissioner Mosier. The motion passed 4-0 (Commissioners Lynn, Mosier, Brinson, and Pro Tem Chair Callahan voting aye).
  • Other Announcements:
    • The city council adopted a six-month moratorium on transit bus bases and individual taxi services, with a study session planned for October 2023.
    • The Washington State Supreme Court denied the Point Wells development application, effectively ending the urban center proposal. The area remains subject to current zoning, with Woodway likely to annex first.
    • The annual planning commission retreat is scheduled for September 7, 2023, with an early start time of 5:30 PM.
    • The next regular meeting will discuss middle housing.

Meeting Transcript

Recording in progress. Thank you for being here. I am Carla Hooksima, the clerk of the Planning Commission. And I would like to call this public hearing of the Planning Commission to order. The first thing I will call the role. Commissioner Brinson. Here. Commissioner Callahan. Here. Commissioner Lynn. Present. Commissioner Mosier. Yeah. Thank you. Commissioner Galuska and Vice Chair Wama Shonja and Chair Sager are not present with notice. So since both our chair and vice chair are absent, we will elect a chair pro tem for this meeting. And I'm opening up the election for nominations. Okay, we have a nomination for Commissioner Callahan. Any other nominations? No? Okay. Then I will vote. And I think we can do a since we don't have anyone online. Let's just say all let's see. All in favor, raise your hand. Okay. Thank you. All opposed, we don't have any. So Commissioner Callahan, you are our chair pro tem today. And if you wouldn't mind moving to the middle, well, you know what? You're probably close enough. Okay. So uh we have approval of the agenda. Are there any changes to the agenda? No. Uh next we have approval of the minutes from July 6th. Are there any changes to the draft minutes? Uh next we have general public comment. Is there anyone signed up for general public comment? There is no one tonight. Thank you. Okay. Then tonight's public hearing is regarding the transfer of development rights program, development code amendment. The purpose for the hearing is to obtain public testimony and for the commission to develop a recommendation to forward to the city council on this topic. Once staff has presented, the commission will be given an opportunity to ask clarifying questions. Then a motion must be made and seconded in order to uh uh prior to discussion. A mandatory motions may be made after the main motion and seconded. Mr. Zapper. Thank you.

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