884 COMP PLAN AND MAPCITY OF YELM
ORDINANCE NO. 884
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE YELM COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, CHAPTERS 17.12 YMC AND
17.27 YMC ZONING, AND THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN MAP.
WHEREAS, The City of Yelm is required to plan under RCW 36.70A.040; and
WHEREAS, in compliance with the Washington State Growth management Act,
Chapter 36.70A RCW, the City of Yelm adopted a Comprehensive Plan in 1994, and
has amended the plan on several occasions since that time; and
WHEREAS, in accordance with Section 36.70A.130 RCW, an adopted Comprehensive
Plan shall be subject to continuing evaluation and review, and amendments to the
Comprehensive Plan shall be considered no more frequently than once every year; and
WHEREAS, the public review process for the proposed amendments included at least
ten (10) public meetings in front of the Yelm Planning Commission, Public Hearings
before the Yelm Planning Commission, Thurston County Planning Commission and the
Yelm City Council, official notices for written public comment, and posting information to
the City of Yelm website; and
WHEREAS, the public participation program included notification of interested
Departments of Washington State, notification the United States Army at Fort Lewis,
email distribution to any person expressing interest in the review and the posting of all
pertinent drafts, notices, staff reports and public comment on the City's web site, and
WHEREAS, the draft updates along with official notice were emailed on July 30, 2007,
to the following State and Federal Agencies:
/ Washington Department of Community, Trade, and Economic Development
/ Washington Department of Natural Resources
/ Washington department of Fish and Wildlife
/ Washington Department of Ecology
/ Washington Department of Health
/ Washington Department of Transportation
/ Washington Department of Social and Health Services
/ Washington State Parks
/ Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation
/ Washington Department of Corrections
/ Fort Lewis
/ Puget Sound Action Team; and
WHEREAS, comments were received from the Washington Department of Community,
Trade, and Economic Development, and the Washington State Department of
Transportation on the draft comprehensive plan update, and
WHEREAS, the Yelm Planning Commission held an open house to solicit comments on
the draft proposed amendments from interested parties in an informal setting with
background material, and
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission conducted review briefings and work sessions to
review the draft proposed amendments and public comment, and
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission held a duly advertised public hearing on the
revised draft of the proposed amendments on September 17, 2007, at which time
received written comments and oral testimony, and
WHEREAS, the Commission reviewed all comments on the proposed update and voted
unanimously to recommend that the Yelm City Council adopt the proposed
comprehensive plan amendments, and
WHEREAS, several of the amendments proposed will apply to both the City of Yelm
and areas not yet annexed to the City but that are included in the Yelm Urban Growth
Area; and
WHEREAS, as proposed amendments include changes to policies in the Yelm
Comprehensive Plan that relate to the Yelm Urban Growth Area which are joint policies
adopted by both the City of Yelm and Thurston County; and
WHEREAS, these joint plan amendments must be reviewed and adopted by both the
Yelm City Council and the Thurston County Board of Commissioners; and
WHEREAS, the Thurston County Planning Commission has held a public hearing on
the proposed amendments and have not recommended that the Thurston County Board
of Commissioners adopt the amendments as proposed; and
WHEREAS, the Yelm City Council considered the recommendation of the Yelm
Planning Commission, held a duly advertised public hearing on said recommendation
on November 13, 2007, and
WHEREAS, the Council finds it necessary and in the public interest that the Yelm
Comprehensive Plan including its maps be amended as indicated below; and
WHEREAS, Chapter 17.96 YMC requires a recommendation by the Yelm Planning
Commission to the Yelm City Council for amendments to the text or official zoning map
of that title; and
WHEREAS, the Yelm Planning Commission duly reviewed and received public
comment on the proposed text and zoning map amendment requests
NOW, THEREFORE, THE YELM CITY COUNCIL DOES ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The Yelm Comprehensive Plan is updated as identified in Attachment A to
this Ordinance.
Section 2. Title 17 YMC is updated as identified in attachment B to this Ordinance.
Section 3. Zoning Map Amendment as identified in attachment C to this Ordinance
Section 4. Severability. If any provisions of this Ordinance or its application to any
person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the Ordinance or the application
of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.
Section 4. The Ordinance shall be in full force and effect and after its passage,
approval, and publication as provided by law.
PASSED by the City Council of Yelm this 13th day of November, 2007.
d~
Ron Harding, Mayor
ATTEST:
Janine A. S nepf, City Clerk.
PUBLISHED: Nisqually Valley News, November 23, 2007
EFFECTIVE DATE: November 28, 2007
Attachment A
I. INTRODUCTION*
A. Intent
1. The Yelm Comprehensive Plan represents the vision of the City of Yelm for
development of the community over the next 20 to 25 years. This Plan also
serves as the Joint Plan between Yelm and Thurston County for Yelm's Urban
Growth Area (UGA). Sections of the Plan adopted by Thurston County are noted
in each chapter (see the sections of the plan marked with an *).
2. Sustainability -the Guiding Principle
A sustainable community thoughtfully provides for the needs of its residents with
efficiency and stewardship for the future. Consider how today's decisions will
affect the auality of life of a sustainable community and meet the needs of current
citizens without jeopardizing the quality of life or needs of future generations.
The goal is to establish ways of living that can be sustained indefinitely
3. The Plan is written in the context of the State Growth Management Act, which
mandates issues which must be dealt with in a comprehensive plan and County-
wide Planning Policies which identify how certain aspects of growth
management planning are to be met in Thurston County. Relevant County-Wide
Policies in place at the adoption of this plan are included at Tab 1.
4. The narrative portions of the Plan identify specific goals and objectives of the
City for the UGA which shall be considered policies for purposes of consistency.
5. The purpose of the Joint Comprehensive Plan (the "Plan") is to identify how
development is to occur over the next 20 to 25 years for the City area and for the
County area within the UGA which will eventually be served by City of Yelm
public facilities and utilities. The Plan is to be revisited not less than each seven
years to review population progress, the effectiveness of the existing plan, and
the need for change.
B. Content
The Plan is designed to incorporate and coordinate many of the Yelm planning
documents into a coordinated whole. For purposes of a complete picture, the
"Yelm Comprehensive Plan" consists of the following documents:
VOLUME 1 Comprehensive Plan Text Applicable
to Entire
City and
Chapter I
Introduction UGA
Chapter II
GMA Planning Parameters yes
Chapter III
Land Use yes
Chapter IV
Housing yes
Chapter V
Public Facilities & Utilities yes
Chapter VI
Transportation yes
Chapter VII
Parks/Open Space yes
Chapter VIII
Economic Development no
Chapter IX
Siting Essential Public Facilities no
Chapter X
Capital Facilities Plan yes
Chapter XI
Visioning no
Chapter XII
Environment no
Chapter XIII
Historic Preservation no
Chapter XIV
Miscellaneous Provisions no
Exhibit A
County-Wide Planning Policies (August 1993) no
es
Exhibit B Population Projections y
Exhibit C
Yelm Open Space Ordinance, amended 8/94 yes
no
Exhibit D Interim Yelm Critical Areas Resources Land Ordinance
,
9/92 no
Exhibit E Regional Transportation Improvement Program,
Exhibit F
Essential Public Facilities Comprehensive Plan no
Provisions (January 1994) yes
Map 1 Urban Growth Boundary
Map 2
Existing City Limits and Zoning yes
Map 3
Future Land Use no
Map 4
Critical Areas, Streams, Wildlife, Wetlands yes
yes
Map 5 Critical Areas, Geologic Hazard Areas
Map 6
Critical Areas, Frequently Flooded Areas yes
Map 7
East Planning Subarea yes
Map 8
South Planning Subarea yes
Map 9
Southwest Planning Subarea yes
Map 10
Northwest Planning Subarea yes
Yes
Mag 11 Trail/Bike Network
Mas 12 Transit Route Network
Maa 13 Rail Corridors
Maa 14 20 Year Transportation Plan (2001-2021)
Map 15 2005 P.M. Peak Traffic Volumes
Map 16 2030 P.M. Peak Traffic Volumes Without Thurston
Highlands
Map 17 2030 P.M. Peak Traffic Volumes With Thurston
Highlands
Comments made during the update process indicated confusion about level of service
standards for concurrency and planning purposes. Consequently, acknowledgement of
the Strategy Corridor designation should be included in order to clarify and further
explain the low level of service expected on a portion of Yelm Avenue. and to bring the
Yelm Transportation Plan into compliance with the Regional Transportation Plan.
Proposed amendments include:
/ Update Chapter I -Introduction to include a definition of Sustainable Community
to serve as a guiding principle of the Yelm Comprehensive Plan.
• In 2006, the City Council endorsed the definition of principles for
sustainable development for the review of the Thurston Highlands Master
Planned Community application, and suggested that the definition be
applied to city plans and actions. The Planning Commission recommends
adding the definition to the Introduction chapter of the Comprehensive
Plan.
/ Update Chapter Vt -Transportation to include moving existing goals and policies
from the Yelm Comprehensive Transportation Plan to the Comprehensive Plan,
clarify transit policies, update regional transportation maps, clarify state highway
designation, and acknowledge the existing strategy corridor designation to
comply with the Regional Transportation Plan.
/ Replace Chapter X -Capital Facilities Plan, to include goals and policies,
inventory of major existing City facilities, and anticipated capital facility needs.
Also included in the Comprehensive Plan Amendment process are three requests for
amendments to the City Zoning map or chapter. The requests and Commission
recommendations are:
/ Request for Rezone of 4 parcels from C1 to C2.
The Planning Commission recommended approval of the rezone to
include three adjacent properties, and to amend 17.27.020(1)(w) and(x)
YMC to include "provided they are not located within 500 feet of an urban
arterial".
/ Request for Text Amendment to 17.12.020(A)(1) "Single-family dwellings
ces on individual lots at a density of not more than four dwelling
units per gross acre, provided that on lots one acre in area or less duplexes are
allowed at a density of one duplex per gross one-third acre "
• The Planning Commission recommended approval of the proposed text
amendment to the Low Density Residential Zone.
/ Request to change Central Business District regulations to allow drive-through
windows.
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• The Planning Commission recommended that the present language not
be changed, and to deny the request to allow drive through's in the
Central Business District.
The Planning Commission formed three subcommittees to review the different portions
of the draft proposed updates and suggested additions and additional clarification to the
proposals. The full Planning Commission held a public open house and solicited
comments on this draft. The proposed amendment was distributed to all required State
Agency representatives, Fort Lewis, and all members of the public on any of the email
mailing lists maintained by the Washington State Department of Community Trade and
Economic Development. The proposed amendments and all notices and staff reports
have been posted on the Yelm web site.
The Yelm Planning Commission held a public hearing and responded to all comments
received both during and after the hearing, and unanimously recommended that the City
Council adopt the proposed amendments to the Yelm Comprehensive Plan.
The City of Yelm Comprehensive Plan is also a joint plan with Thurston County for
Yelm's Urban Growth Area (UGA). The Comprehensive Plan is intended to apply to the
entire UGA. Jurisdictionally, the Plan will be implemented in the City by the City of Yelm
within the City limits and in the unincorporated UGA by Thurston County. Thurston
County adopts sections or portions of sections as applicable. The Introduction and
portions of the Transportation chapters are sections that are adopted by Thurston
County.
The Thurston County Planning Commission (TCPC) held a public hearing on joint plan
amendments on Wednesday, October 10, 2007. At the hearing, the TCPC received
emails from Yelm UGA residents, and testimony by Keith Moxon, Attorney for JZ Knight,
and Steve Klein. All comments were related to traffic issues. After public testimony, the
TCPC asked questions of staff regarding LOS, the SR 510 Yelm Loop project, and
concurrency. It appeared by TCPC comments that they did not have a clear
understanding of what was presented to them. They voted to not recommend approval
of the Yelm Comprehensive Plan Transportation and Introduction update to the
Thurston County Board of Commissioners.
Current Situation
Before the City Council are proposed amendments to the Yelm Comprehensive Plan, a
rezone request and two zoning amendment requests.
The Yelm Planning Commission has reviewed the proposed amendments, has
undertaken a significant public participation program, and has recommended that the
Council adopt the proposed plan amendments as noted above. Staff concurs with this
recommendation.
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The Thurston County Planning Commission is not recommending approval of the
Transportation and Introduction Chapter update to the Board of Thurston County
Commissioners (BoCC). The Thurston County staff is recommending approval of both
requested joint plan amendments (sustainable community definition addition and
selected policies of the updated Transportation Chapter). The BCC will be briefed on
the joint plan amendments, hold a hearing and will make recommendations on
proposed joint plan amendments.
The BoCC will be notified of the Yelm City Council (YCC) action after the YCC hearing
and recommendations are made.
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