Shoreline Planning Commission Meeting - October 5, 2023
Shoreline Planning Commission Meeting - October 5, 2023
The Shoreline Planning Commission met on Thursday, October 5, 2023, to discuss the 2024 Comprehensive Plan update, including the vision statement, racial equity analysis, and phase two public engagement. Commissioners provided feedback on proposed vision alternatives, reviewed findings of the draft racial equity analysis, and discussed outreach strategies for underrepresented communities. No formal votes were taken; staff received direction to refine the vision statement and continue engagement efforts.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of the minutes from the September 24, 2023 draft meeting was assumed; no public comment was registered.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comments were made. One individual had signed up but was not in attendance; the chair noted they could be added later if they arrived.
Discussion Items
- Vision Statement Update: Staff presented three alternatives for the comprehensive plan vision statement, based on public feedback from an online open house. 85% of online open house participants agreed or somewhat agreed that the 2012 vision is still relevant, though many felt additions were needed. Recurring themes included housing affordability, safety, nature/environment, and community feel. Commissioners expressed strong support for a more concise, memorable vision statement, preferring a shorter format with bullet points and key themes. Some suggested combining elements of alternatives two and three, and noted the importance of highlighting what differentiates Shoreline. No formal direction was given, but staff indicated they would refine the vision based on feedback.
- Racial Equity Analysis: Staff presented a draft analysis of racially disparate impacts in housing, required by recent Growth Management Act changes. Key findings: Shoreline is 42.6% white (median age 42), with 29% of the population having limited English proficiency. 57% of housing stock was built between 1950 and 1980, and 80% of zoned land is for detached residential. Historical racial covenants were found in 26 plats, affecting 2,376 properties. Current disparities show lower homeownership and higher housing cost burden for BIPOC households, with white households generally experiencing less cost burden. Property values and zoning are the main drivers of racial segregation, with western areas being whiter and wealthier. Displacement risk is highest in the Echo Lake, Hillwood, and Meridian Park neighborhoods, concentrated along Aurora Avenue. Policy approaches discussed include increasing affordable housing production, preserving existing affordable housing, stabilizing at-risk homes, and ensuring equitable distribution of development benefits. Commissioners raised concerns about balancing development with displacement, the need for capital spending equity analysis, and the importance of tracking short-term rentals. Staff noted coordination with human services and future housing policy discussions.
- Phase Two Engagement and Next Steps: Staff outlined the second phase of public engagement, targeting underrepresented groups: youth, BIPOC communities, and renters. Activities include an online open house (launch early November), an in-person open house on November 15, a Chamber of Commerce workshop on November 16, interviews with community-based organizations, and partnerships with Shoreline School District and Shoreline Community College. Commissioners praised the effort but suggested further outreach through schools and offering incentives for participation. Staff confirmed that compensation for time was used for a recent community consultant workshop and was effective in securing quality participation. Next steps include a city council update on October 23, issuance of a determination of significance under SEPA for environmental impact statement scoping, and policy development in early 2024.
Key Outcomes
- No formal votes or binding decisions were made. The commission provided staff with clear direction to:
- Develop a shorter, more concise vision statement (potentially a combination of alternatives two and three) with bullet points and key themes.
- Continue refining the racial equity analysis and integrate findings into future housing policy discussions.
- Proceed with phase two engagement as outlined, with emphasis on reaching youth, BIPOC communities, and renters, and consider using schools and incentives to boost participation.
- Staff will present the vision statement alternatives and equity analysis to the city council on October 23, 2023.
- The next commission meeting will include a public hearing on concurrency updates and study items on transit base development code amendments and non-residential ground floor uses.
Meeting Transcript
Okay, I can I yes can you hear me? Okay, I mean thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Recording in progress. I'll repeat. Sorry about that. I'd like to call to order the planning commission meeting for Thursday, October 5th. Ms. Hoxma roll call. Commissioner Brenson. Present. Commissioner Callahan. Here. Commissioner Gluska. Present. Commissioner Lin. Here. Vice Chair Wama Shonjay. Present. Thank you. Commissioner Mosier and Chair Sager are absent with it with notice. Thank you. Approval of the minutes from uh September 24th. The draft meeting. Ms. Oxma, do we have uh anyone or general public comments registered? I did have someone. Oops, I did have someone sign up, but they are not in attendance at the moment. So I asked maybe if later if they attend, if we could add them in, but at this time I have no one. Okay, thank you. Uh then we move to our next item, which uh is the study items. Uh the 2024 comprehensive plan. Thank you. Uh Andrew and Elise and I are here to present um we haven't been here in a while, so uh update you on uh comprehensive plan work, specifically around updating the vision, um the racial equity analysis and the uh phase two outreach and the next steps with uh public engagement. Um so we're gonna go basically three parts if that's okay. Um I'll start with the vision, and we have some discussion questions where we can stop and um look at that, and then Elise will follow that up with the racial equity analysis, and we'll have uh discussion around that topic, and then um Andrew will finish up with the um phase two engagement and then um that should be it. Um so looking uh with at the vision first. So when um staff began looking at updating the vision um that was drafted in 2012 that was went out um to get feedback from the public. Um so ask about the vision established as as part of the plan in 2012. 85 percent of those online um open house participants agreed or somewhat agreed that the vision is still relevant. Um though there was a slight majority of respondents who felt that uh more needed to be added to the current vision. So several several themes reflecting respondents' values, priorities, and concerns consistently appeared in the survey questions, right? In responses and the idea wall that we had on the online open house, and those recurring themes generally uh fell within the themes there on the screen of housing, safety, nature or the environment, and the structure or feel of the community. Um first we'll look at the first theme of housing. Um although several open house survey respondents indicated that they did not have any challenges with housing, the the cost of housing and affordability were clearly primary concerns. Um this came across in multiple responses about the ability to purchase or rent, especially for those in the middle or lower um incomes, as well as the financial capacity to remain in in home ownership in the future. Respondents expressed concerns around the ability to age in place and the risk of displacement if they wouldn't be able to continue to live in their current homes. Uh some other recurring themes around housing included housing diversity and uh more availability of a smaller scale housing options, though those respondents also preferred um a single family home, just smaller, and then um also the proximity to amenities and services, including housing located near parks, uh transit shopping, and uh safe and uh walkable access through through those neighborhoods. And then also the proximity to amenities and services, including housing located near parks, transit shopping, and safe and walkable access through through those neighborhoods.
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