Shoreline Planning Commission Public Hearing – October 19, 2023

The Shoreline Planning Commission held a public hearing on October 19, 2023, to consider transportation concurrency development code amendments, discuss ground floor commercial development code amendments, and review transit bus base and individual transportation/taxi facility code amendments. The commission voted unanimously to recommend adoption of the multimodal concurrency program changes and provided direction to staff on the other two items.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the agenda as presented.
• Approved the minutes from the October 5, 2023, meeting.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No members of the public signed up for general public comment.
• During the public hearing on concurrency, no public testimony was offered.

Discussion Items

Transportation Concurrency Development Code Amendments

• Staff presented a proposal to shift from a vehicle-based level of service to a multimodal concurrency system, aligning with the state's House Bill 1181 and the city's updated transportation element.
• The new system would track person-trip capacity from funded projects (supply) against person-trip demand from new development (demand) on a pass-fail basis.
• Commissioners asked clarifying questions about prioritization of modes, the use of ITE trip generation data, the relationship between concurrency and impact fees, and what happens if the city falls out of concurrency (a moratorium on permitting).
• A motion was made and seconded to recommend city council approve the concurrency program changes in Ordinance 997 as written in the staff report. The commission voted unanimously in favor.

Ground Floor Commercial Development Code Amendments

• Staff and consultant Patrick Doherty reviewed feedback from the September 21, 2024, study session, survey results (655 respondents), and stakeholder meetings.
• Key proposals: create primary and secondary commercial corridors based on arterial classification, require 75% ground-floor non-residential on primary corridors and 60% on secondary corridors, allow up to 50% of the required space on secondary corridors to be live-work for five years, reduce minimum floor-to-floor height from 18 to 15 feet, exempt ground-floor commercial from parking requirements, and provide a 5-foot height bonus for compliance.
• Commissioners discussed whether collector arterials should be included in the primary corridor designation. There was confusion about the maps; staff clarified that the maps inadvertently included collector arterials as primary. The commission indicated they would like collector arterials to be considered primary corridors.
• Other topics: requiring restaurant-ready provisions, allowing through-block connections to reduce frontage requirements on high-traffic streets, and clarifying that the five-year live-work allowance applies to building permits issued within five years, not occupancy.
• Staff was directed to refine the code amendments, including the collector arterial issue, and bring them back for a public hearing on November 2, 2023.

Transit Bus Bases and Individual Transportation & Taxi Facilities Development Code Amendments

• Planner Kate Lee presented recommendations from a moratorium adopted July 17, 2023, to address incompatibility of these uses with the city's vision.
• Staff proposed replacing the old definitions with “fleet base major” (vehicles ≥30 feet) and “fleet base minor” (vehicles <30 feet), allowing them only in specific zones: Mixed Business (M B), Community Business (C B) with frontage on a state highway, and R4–R48 zones with minimum acreage and access to a limited-access highway.
• Approval processes: fleet base major as a special use, fleet base minor as a conditional use. Additional decision criteria would address odor, noise, and other impacts.
• Commissioners expressed concerns about the impact on Aurora Avenue revitalization, the need for odor mitigation, and the potential loss of the Access Van service if the current site cannot be replaced. Staff noted ongoing coordination with King County Metro.
• The commission agreed to bring the item back for a public hearing on November 16, 2023, with draft code amendments.

Key Outcomes

• Vote on Concurrency (Ordinance 997): The commission voted 7-0 to recommend city council approval. (Commissioners Brinson, Callahan, Galuska, Lin, Mosier, Vice Chair Ramashanji, and Chair Sagar all voted yes.)
• Ground Floor Commercial Amendments: Staff to revise the code to include collector arterials as primary corridors and present final draft for public hearing on November 2, 2023. The commission expects to forward a recommendation to council.
• Transit Bus Base and Taxi Facility Amendments: Staff to prepare draft code amendments based on commission feedback and return for a public hearing on November 16, 2023.