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HomeMy WebLinkAbout052708 Planning Board MinutesMINUTES CITY OF BOZEMAN PLANNING BOARD, TUESDAY, MAY 27, 2008 ITEM 1. CALL TO ORDER AND ATTENDANCE President JP Pomnichowski called the regular meeting of the Planning Board to order at 1:05 p.m. and directed the secretary to take attendance. Members Present: JP Pomnichowski, President Chris Mehl Bill Quinn Cathy Costakis Sean Becker Randy Carpenter Brian Caldwell Donna Swarthout Members Absent: Erik Henyon (excused) Staff Present: Chris Saunders, Assistant Director of Planning Shoni Dykstra, Planning Secretary Guests Present: Kath Williams Amy Frykman Scott Bischke Hattie Baker ITEM 2. PUBLIC COMMENT (0-15 MINUTES) {Limited to any public matter within the jurisdiction of the Planning Board and not scheduled on this agenda. Three-minute time limit per speaker.} Seeing there was none, President Pomnichowski closed this portion of the meeting. ITEM 3. AMY FRYKMAN, communications consultant, Resource Media, on communicating good design and addressing community concerns regarding higher density development and clustered homesites. Amy Frykman of Resource Media introduced herself and how Resource Media has interacted in the West with regard to land use planning issues. She shared the methodology Resource Media had used to review who was saying what in terms of land use. She stated government speakers were the most likely to be talking about land use issues, but their messages did not connect with the core values. She stated core values were scarce in pro-planning messages. She noted when Resource Media reviewed the pro-property rights statements which compromised 7% of the statements; they were strongly oriented in core values. She stated the general public had practical ideas about growth and generally share the core values behind planning, such as: fairness, convenience, affordability, access, preservation, open space, choice, reuse, and community space. Ms. Frykman encouraged the Board to shape how a planning story is told, sharpen the message and support the storytellers as ways to connect to core values. She noted the story could be shaped by setting the context with changing community articles. She encouraged utilizing more than just a public hearing notice and to find ways of connecting and engaging with the public in ways that are interesting to them. She stated that grounding communication in values based messages and including the vision rather than just the plan are ways to sharpen the message. She noted balancing competing rights in land uses disputes and championing the idea of embracing the change while preserving the community through growth. She noted supporting the storytellers could be done by being accessible, providing context, and encouraging them to engage as a stakeholder in the community. She noted the government beat could be bypassed in some cases to connect the public through a feature article about the same subject from a different angle. Ms. Frykman shared the preliminary results of steps taken by Ravalli County after hiring Resource Media. She noted the importance of connecting people to the benefits of having zoning and regulations is important. She then opened the presentation to Board discussion. Ms. Costakis sought clarification on how to broach fairness issues with large land owners. Ms. Frykman responded the lack of zoning in Ravalli County was also a threat to large land owners. She also noted the approach to zoning affected the response and interaction from the public. Mr. Carpenter shared density is an important planning issue in Bozeman. He stated achieving minimum density is a good thing. Ms. Frykman noted most people associate more land with more safety. She also noted on a community scale it was easy for them to visualize as long as it was not their own land in question. Mr. Mehl noted density allows for many positive aspects such as walkability, proximity to schools, and community oriented neighborhoods. President Pomnichowski sought further input on ways to engage the public in the process. Ms. Frykman responded that the structure of public hearings did not cater to the silent majority. She encouraged the attendance of other meetings such as neighborhood associations, PTA meetings, and bringing the values questions to other venues. Mr. Caldwell sought clarification on the transition from planning lingo to general English and the occasions to use both. Ms. Frykman responded there were appropriate times to use planning lingo, but urged Board members to practice using value based messages. Planner Saunders stated points of connection could also be sharing “community information trivia” based on facts. Ms. Swarthout noted she liked the idea of going into the community to solicit more public comment. She stated the Board has a tendency to be detailed and technical in its discussions with regard to the 2020 Update, and she would like to reconsider the public hearing portion of the meetings. President Pomnichowski agreed that communicating the broader values is important. Mr. Caldwell noted the frustration of the compartmentalization of the discussions and fact that few people would want to come to more than one public meeting to comment. Mr. Mehl encouraged the Board to be realistic in their goals of public interaction. Ms. Frykman encouraged the Board to prioritize the public in respect to the constituents and to garner their support and comments. Mr. Mehl sought clarification on the viability of a survey included with the water/sewer bills. Mr. Caldwell suggested a review of any changes to the goals or goals from the current plan that are unmet as a way to sharpen the message of the board. He noted inclusion of deficient policy issues would provide a tool to flush things out and garner public involvement. President Pomnichowski noted the current structure was supposed to be facilitating those discussions. Ms. Costakis suggested looking at the entire Growth Policy in terms of the core values. Planner Saunders stated a summary could be utilized to tie in the core values. Mr. Caldwell stated density in residential districts is being shaped, but commercial developments do not have adequate standards. Mr. Quinn noted preserving downtown Bozeman would counteract the goal of added density in commercial districts. ITEM 4. KATH WILLIAMS, US Green Building Council, on community sustainability, a primer on LEED ND, and how LEED ND can be used as a tool by the City to help address its (stated) sustainability goals. Kath Williams of the US Green Building Council introduced herself and how her career had begun and developed. She noted implementing short-term solutions does not get the best development. She stated Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) was not a political issue, and Green Building referenced the actual construction and the efficiency of the building rather than a place. She noted Green Building placed emphasis on conservation values, hard work, local materials and expertise, no waste, respect for the land, respect for water, care for creatures, future vision, family, and community. She referenced sustainability as a three-legged stool comprised of environmental, economic, and social benefits and that every project had appeal through one of those legs. Ms. Williams stated LEED is focused on the top 25% of the market and noted LEED’s standards were based on a percentage of other building codes to avoid reinventing the wheel. She stated LEED should not be mandated; it is non-profit, consensus-based, and voluntary. She also noted NHAB and the greater Yellowstone Framework were programs similar to LEED with slightly different emphasis. She noted that 11 pilot projects were currently underway in three states for the Greater Yellowstone Framework. Ms. Williams noted each of the following were required to meet the sustainability goals of the different programs: collaboration to find creative solutions to very complex challenges; leadership by example; greening codes; carrots and sticks; research; data gathering and analysis; and on-going education. She recommended reading Mid Course Correction by Ray Anderson, CEO of Interface Carpet. In the book, Mr. Anderson revealed what the company had not done, what they had done well, and what they were missing. He changed the industry and is now doing better than other companies. She encouraged the technique as a way to engage the public in areas that need to be addressed and as a leadership opportunity. Mr. Caldwell sought clarification on how to incorporate “carrots and sticks” in the Update. Ms. Williams presented examples of incentives such as a shortened review process and lower or no cost reviews. She also noted a bond was necessary for each of the certification submittals. She also responded incorporating “greener” codes to enforce would bring up the standard. Mr. Carpenter stated it would take leadership from the top. Scott Bischke sought clarification on how monitoring and verification were taking place on LEED buildings. Ms. Williams noted there was not a good program for monitoring at this point in the process. Mr. Bischke sought further clarification on conversion of existing buildings. Ms. Williams noted the process had recently been implemented. Mr. Caldwell sought clarification on energy monitoring systems such as the Energy Miser. Ms. Williams responded she had not interacted with any similar monitoring systems to date. President Pomnichowski sought clarification on the initial cost of building versus the long term costs. Ms. Williams responded that different factors go into cost. She stated the bidding climate has an effect on cost. She stated LEED Projects were generally completed without change orders due to the organization and planning before beginning the process. Ms. Williams restated the City should not implement LEED as a regulatory mandate, but rather encourage and offer incentives for going through the process. Mr. Quinn sought clarification on how long LEED certification took. Ms. Williams stated the training and testing was a two and a half day event and the cost was $595 per person. President Pomnichowski noted the State had passed the gray water systems in the last term. Ms. Costakis wondered if LEED certification included reducing the number of vehicle miles traveled. Mr. Carpenter sought clarification on how LEED ND or the Greater Yellowstone Framework could be incorporated. Planner Saunders noted he and Allyson Bristor had been on the development committee for the Greater Yellowstone Framework checklist, and he noted certification of city codes had been discussed. Mr. Caldwell sought clarification on the expense of certification for a building. Ms. Williams noted the goal was below $1,000 for a residence and approximately $35,000 for commercial buildings. The Planning Board took a break from 4:05 to 4:16 p.m. ITEM 5. SCOTT BISCHKE, chair of the Climate Change Task Force, on the City Commission’s initiative re climate change and incorporating it into the 2020 Plan. Hattie Baker and Scott Bischke introduced themselves and the history of the Mayors’ Climate Change Task Force. Ms. Baker noted Bozeman had the charge to reduce municipal Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions 15% below the 2000 levels by 2020. Mr. Melh sought clarification of what GHG emissions were included and how they were measured. Mr. Bischke noted all emissions were included and were converted to a common CO2 unit of measure. He also stated there was not a penalty for not meeting the goal. Ms. Baker noted the Task Force had broken down into three subcommittees Planning, Building and Energy; Transportation and Land Use; and Waste Water and Water. Mr. Mehl sought clarification on what steps could be taken to continue the momentum of the Climate Change Task Force. Ms. Baker noted certain policy goals could be adopted for regulating how business is conducted within the City. Mr. Mehl stated that accountability and documentation would be a key factor. Mr. Carpenter sought clarification on how the municipality compared to State of Montana usage. Mr. Bischke stated different baselines made it difficult to compare. He noted emissions were not measured per capita, and there was an absolute number to be working towards. He stated 40 recommendations had been included in the Bozeman Climate Action Plan as recommended by the task force. Ms. Baker recommended a member of the Planning Board be appointed to the community task force when it was developed. Planner Saunders clarified sustainability would be the term utilized in the Update rather than climate protection or global warming. President Pomnichowski sought clarification on what implementation policies could be included directly. Mr. Carpenter noted he would like a goal of enacting the Mayor’s Climate Protection Agreement. Ms. Costakis noted sustainability, like public health, is an overarching goal even though it could be a separate chapter and sustainability is the same way. President Pomnichowski noted the vision should put forward sustainability. Mr. Carpenter noted the sustainability chapter could incorporate economic, environmental and social benefits. Ms. Baker sought clarification on the CAP being too specific for inclusion in the 2020 Update. President Pomnichowski noted the CAP would be referenced, but it would not be directly copied into the Update. Mr. Bischke noted sustainability is a process rather than an end goal. Mr. Mehl sought clarification on the task force and its ability to continue to move forward. Ms. Baker responded the task force had been disbanded, but it was important to get the community task force started and moving forward. Mr. Caldwell mentioned sustainability might be an evaluation tool to include with the annexation process. Mr. Carpenter noted there were value messages behind which required public involvement and engagement in the process. He also stated being bold in the statements and goals regarding sustainability would engage people. Ms. Swarthout stated the discussion about including sustainability had already taken place at a previous Planning Board meeting. She stated a shell document would be helpful to mark the agreements that have already been made. President Pomnichowski suggested members bringing their copy of the 2020 plan and highlighting to help record decisions. President Pomnichowski responded to Mr. Mehl’s earlier concern of the continuation of the task force and noted referencing the CAP in the Growth Policy Update insured it would be reviewed after five years. Ms. Costakis stated the CAP only addressed the municipality at this time. Ms. Baker noted the community plan could be noted as an ongoing project within the Update. Planner Saunders sought clarification on what further discussion the Board would like regarding housing and what materials should be available. Mr. Quinn noted most of the discussion had centered on trailer parks in the previous meeting. Mr. Caldwell noted the Wagon Wheel Court is not zoned and sought clarification on steps to preserve it. Mr. Quinn noted he thought a cap on the elimination of courts in the City could be an objective or implementation, but should not be a goal. President Pomnichowski stated a possible goal could be something like, “In five years, we would like to provide a variety of accessible and affordable housing.” Mr. Carpenter noted the Board appeared to be agreeing with the goals, but the implementation strategies was where the disagreements were coming up. Ms. Swarthout noted she would like to have an updated list of the goals of each topic and then discuss the implementation strategies and objectives in a more linear manner. Mr. Caldwell stated that the development of policy issues and how they were implemented was frustrating to discuss. Ms. Swarthout noted she would like to have a revised vision and values statements to utilize in the subject by subject discussions. Mr. Quinn stated he would like to use statements similar to Ray Anderson’s with regard to what areas we are not doing well in, and incorporate a plan to mitigate those goals not being met. President Pomnichowski noted the reasoning behind the specific chapter topics was to guide the conversation and help with noticing. She noted the seven different objectives and the list of implementation policies for the housing chapter could guide the next meeting discussion. Mr. Mehl noted the Board should have a framework and principles that provide continuity through the 2020 Plan. Mr. Quinn added the Board should be including ideas of how proposed projects fit into the Growth Policy. He stated he would like to see a 100 page Growth Policy. Mr. Caldwell referenced Ms. Frykman’s stress on the need to clearly articulate the issues that need to be accomplished. Mr. Caldwell stated he would like to address the following issues: the future urban zoning designation, commercial development with minimum standards to implement infill, and parking concerns. President Pomnichowski noted policy discussions could take place with staff determining the best fit and then making a recommendation of the best implementation. President Pomnichowski noted she would like to see genuine neighborhood centers. Planner Saunders noted after the adoption of the current Growth Policy, Staff took substantive changes to the zoning and subdivision codes and established a priority list for the City Commission. Planner Saunders noted he had read through Mr. Caldwell’s sheet regarding parking. President Pomnichowski noted the Planning Board should keep the topics/chapter formatting until the completion of the Land Use chapter due to noticing that had already happened. She suggested an overview of each objective along with suggestions. Mr. Mehl noted the Chronicle was willing to do an op-ed before every meeting and he wondered if someone else would like to write. He also noted the June 5 meeting with the editorial board at 10:30. President Pomnichowski, Mr. Henyon, Mr. Quinn, Ms. Swarthout, Mr. Caldwell and Mr. Mehl expressed interest in attending. Ms. Swarthout noted the Board should have a revised vision statement along with key principles couched in value based statements. Planner Saunders stated Staff had pulled together the projections for housing which could be utilized in the discussion. He noted sustainability could also be highlighted. President Pomnichowski noted utilizing bold statements about why Bozeman is on the way to being the best and reminding people good communities do not happen by accident and they do not continue by accident. She noted a good vision casting statement should be the beginning and ending of the Plan. Ms. Costakis noted all of the applications they had seen had complied with the Growth Policy. Planner Saunders noted some of those requirements were due to state legislature requirements. ITEM 6. ADJOURNMENT Seeing there were no further issues before the Board, President Pomnichowski adjourned the meeting 6:21 p.m. __________________________________ __________________________________ JP Pomnichowski, President Chris Saunders, Assistant Director Planning Board Planning & Community Development City of Bozeman City of Bozeman