all right
welcome everybody it's good to see you
all and tonight we're going to be
discussing the high mark Medical Center
signage and our squash strategic plans
so we'll go through the high mark
Medical Center signage first and then
we'll take a short break and then we'll
probably move down and sit around the
table for a little more intimate or
informal discussion with the
commissioners and we have some business
to attend to we have some minutes from
April 4th that I would ask for
recommendations on approval or if you
have Corrections this chair I recommend
approval of the minutes as written or
the April 4th meeting thank you
second notes have been recommended for
approval and seconded any comments or
discussion all those in favor say aye
aye opposed
ok great job on the notes excellent
you're amazing as always
so let's go all right Thank You mr.
chair my name is Christopher Wright and
I'm with the city's development services
department and as Richard mentioned what
I'm presenting to you this evening is
it's an administrative adjustment of
standards application for the high mark
medical building signage and this
vicinity map shows they're in blue where
the building is located it has as SR 900
is immediately to the east about a block
north as Gilman Boulevard and then it
has mall Street to the north and Maple
Street to the south and the address is
1740 I'm sorry Christopher mm-hmm
mind if I make a disclosure sure that's
right go ahead yeah so the firm that I
work for we manage an investment fund
that owns the Maple Street office
building which is a few blocks from this
building it's a regular office building
not a medical dental office building
we're 100% occupied so
just I don't believe has any impact on
our fund or building or myself and I
feel that I can not be influenced by
that but wanted to say that in case
anybody has a concern about that right
if any members of the applicant team
wish to ask mr. Morgan to step down he
certainly can okay thank you and thank
you for asking
yeah thank you Thanks okay so this is a
site plan that shows kinda how the site
is oriented again this is at the bottom
of the page would be SR 900 with kind of
the boardwalk that goes along the front
and then here's the building itself and
the signs that we're talking about are
basically here and here and in 2009 the
city's development commission did review
and approve the site development permit
for this building there was at least
probably two of you that were on the
commission at that time and at that time
in the in the notice of decision and the
findings of fact and in the staff report
that was written there wasn't a whole
lot said about signage in those there
were certainly no conditions about it
but this was the elevation that was
approved at the time and it did show
these two spots here for tenant signs
and what the applicant has submitted to
us now is an administrative adjustment
of Sanders to allow tenant signs to be
located there for tenants that are not
on the third floor tenant spaces and
I'll explain that a little bit more in
just a minute and here's a picture of
the the building as it exists today and
then this also is a photo rendering that
shows the new signs placed on it
and this in a little bit more detail
shows what is proposed with regard to
one of the new signs
and the reason we are here and the
reason that an administrative adjustment
of standards is required is because this
this building is within central Issaquah
and the central Issaquah plan sign code
does state that signs shall be located
on the portion of a building's facade
associated with the business it is
advertising and that has has been a
regulation in the in our sign code for
many many years and but we are given a
the application is given the option of
applying for administrative adjustment
of standards to locate a sign on an
alternate frontage and I'll read that
sign code section in a minute but one
thing we did before we brought this
forward to you as we did talk to the
city attorney and basically said okay
well so what if the the Development
Commission in 2009 did specifically say
that you can have signs there for
tenants that they're not on the third
floor and basically what the the city
attorney said is land use approval like
the site development permit that was
approved is valid for three years and
after that period of time then whatever
comes in needs to meet the current codes
that are in place and so we're reviewing
it with the central Issaquah plan
standards with which as I said has that
statement with regard to sign location
and this this past year we received the
application to have those two new signs
put up and I will let the applicant in
just a minute
to explain their their their reason for
requesting that adjustment this is the
section of the the central Issaquah plan
that describes administrative
adjustments of standards and in
particular I wanted to point out the
approval criteria at the bottom because
your decision on whether to approve or
deny the administrative adjustment
should be based on these approval
criteria right here
but as I mentioned the adjustment of
standards is something that is in the
code to allow some flexibility when we
reviewing applications but also
maintaining consistency with the vision
and goals and policy while we're
allowing for some flexibility it talks
about scope as well there's a limit on
what we can do administrative
adjustments for and what we can't and
for example with regard to signs as you
see under K here we could not do an
administrative adjustment to increase
the number of signs of business can have
we could not do an administrative
adjustment to allow signs the types of
signs that are already prohibited and we
also cannot do it an administrative
adjustment to increase letter height
above the maximum allowed but to allow
signs on an alternate frontage is one of
the things we can do administrative
adjustments for and as you see at number
three it talks about the process that
administrative adjustment of standards
in central Issaquah most of them are
done through a level zero review process
which means it would just be through the
sign permit essentially that we
administrative Lea would make that
decision but we do have an option to
bump up the decision to a higher level
of review and that's what we've done
tonight is we even though we could
review and decide administrative Lea we
would like the Development Commission to
make the decision for a couple of
reasons one because like I said you
looked at this and approved the building
a few years ago and then also you know
as I'll talk about we're a little
concerned about precedence and so I
think it'd be good for the Commission to
make that decision and so as I mentioned
the these criteria is what the decisions
should be based on and I'll just read
through them real quick
the first is vision is the
administrative adjustment is the
proposed alternative is it equal or
superior to the central Issaquah plan
vision goals and policies the proposal
will not create negative impacts to the
abutting properties
- bee buzzing budding properties
rights-of-way dedicated tracks or
easements with regard to compatibility
the proposal is compatible with the
character of the surrounding properties
and their potential development under
the central Issaquah plan intense the
adjustment will be equal to or superior
and fulfilling the intent and purpose of
the original requirements safety the
proposal does not negatively impact any
safety features on the project nor
create any hazardous features and
finally services the proposal will not
create negative impacts to public
services and so finally as I mentioned
the the administration we are
recommending denial of the
administrative adjustment of standards
as I said we're most concerned about the
precedents that it's that as the the not
allowing signs on walls other than your
own as I said has been a long-standing
regulation we've had many many
discussion with applicants who who for
increased visibility wanted to locate
their sign on somebody else's tenant
space and so like I said we're a little
concerned if we open that door a little
bit the the precedents that it might say
and then there's also challenges that
would be involved if if we start to
allow this one of them would be how do
we calculate the size of the sign you
know what'll be based on where the sign
is located the wall that the sign is
located or would still be based on the
wall facade of that particular tenant
even though it's on a different space if
the owners change I know one of the the
things the applicants have mentioned is
that they you know they're only gonna
allow those those two signs there and
even though the the tenants that on the
third floor wouldn't be able to have
their signs there but as we know owners
change and we will always be held to the
sign code as far as what we can allow
and what we can't so we wouldn't be able
to necessarily enforce rules that just
apply to that particular building and
then I would just add if you do
support the application if you do a move
to approve the administrative adjustment
I would just ask that you be real
specific about what's unique about this
situation because again we would be
pointing to this decision when other
people ask and we'll have to see if
they're in a similar situation or not
and then also if this is something that
you know that you think the applicants
should have the ability to do and that
the development commission or the
administration should be able to approve
signs on somebody else's frontage again
mention that as well because that could
turn into say a sign code amendment so I
said I look forward to hearing what you
have to say about it and and I will now
turn it over to the applicant who I know
would like to make a presentation and
make their case so Bob if you want to
come on yeah and you can use the arrows
- yeah I'm Bob Patton I was the design
architect on the building in a very
familiar with how the sign system was
designed and how we set design standards
for the building the main thing about
this site and it was selected because it
was on a very high traffic highway and
directly across you need to excuse me
certainly need this a very high traffic
highway in fact a major arterial Street
not at all like what's in the central
business district other than the Main
Street coming through town and it was
across the street from the new transit
terminal to be built at that time so the
site had a series of challenges with it
that it still has today you can only
access this site from one of the streets
on the south and every property on this
Highway in this area has the same issue
so the frontage is on the side that's
unaccessible and in fact when you look
on through this you'll find that from a
pedestrian standpoint it's not really
viewable
so um you're all familiar with this road
and your and the different things around
it let's see what's gonna get us the
next one up Chris
down down okay so if we look at the site
a little bit more you'll see that there
are there is a vehicle entry on the back
side of the site on both mall and Lee
Street not least feet I'm sorry mall
Street and different projects maple
Maple Street and that both of those have
been improved to provide access into the
building both for vehicles and for cars
the other thing that's unique about this
site is that the tenancy in this
building the building's designed
specifically for a medical office use in
doing that it's got additional elevator
sizes in it it's got a special
air-conditioning system in it it's got
extra power it's got backup power and it
has to have an image that portrays a
practiced medical professional not a
Gordon airy office building not a strip
center it has a specific image that it
needs for those buildings to be
successful since the building was built
with those qualities to it it's
dedicated for that single use so this is
a unique situation here let's go down
right so the building now has existing
signage on it at two ends of it in the
middle the amount of signage on the
building right now is slightly less than
what's permitted by code so this change
in the signs on the existing building
which don't align with any tenant in
there and never have
we're only put on there as markers to
recognize special medical professionals
there is no intent was ever considered
in designing it and in this type of
building the way that
tenants find the building is by the
building name and that's very common in
a medical so this is the front side when
you're walking along you're sitting in
your car this is what you're looking at
a major marquee sign and two other
secondary signs if you go over on to
mall Avenue you're seeing basically the
car screened and nothing on the building
but there is a pedestrian entry off that
side that leads you to the front of the
building so wayfinding and on the
opposite side in amongst this there's
actually a sidewalk that we'll see in
another slide that leads you into the
building so the wayfinding system here
is the critical part of the design that
has always been there that leads people
successfully from the Transit Center in
there so the fact that there's no signs
on the front of the building is in
material in terms of functional of an
office building right when you cost the
intersection on from the bus depot I'm
sorry the Transit Center this is the
view you have from the sidewalk clearly
identifies the building so this is the
thing that Chris showed you before the
sign program had several elements in it
it had directory signs it had individual
signs so when you got on-site you know
specifically where to go and what to do
and it also has a part inside the
building where people can be dropped off
out of the rain that's a special
function this is a unique building so
the we got two different systems if you
look at the blue dots you can follow up
the pictures that I've taken of how you
get in the building
the wayfinding system
so this is this is in the wintertime
when the plants are back but you can see
the sidewalk that leads you through the
plants into there and that's a little
window that you can see through and
there's a sidewalk that actually runs
along the street and there's a sidewalk
that runs down across to get you to the
front so the design of the sign system
in the wayfinding replaces any need for
having any signage because largely
medical practitioners communicate not to
signage on the building but through
professional publications and their
webpage so here it's the front of the
building oh by the way this comes out
across the front at one time we tried
before it Chris worked at the city we he
tried to get a connection to the
boardwalk which we couldn't do which
would have provided direct access for
pedestrians into the building but they
would arrive at the main lobby and this
is the inside of the lobby the minute
you walk in it has an identification
system every foot on the board every
floor has an elevator that goes up and
at the end of the quarter there's
signage so that anybody coming into the
building has a clear direction of how to
get to the floor once they're inside the
building and they got two sets of stairs
and they turn right they have no idea
where the front of the building is so
the second system we had was the vehicle
process of getting into the building and
it's much the same sequence we've got a
driveway on one side that you can only
go in and out of we've got the central
side located where you can see it from a
car and then we inside the building we
even have signage that identifies where
the lobby is once you get inside the
parking garage
these are dimensional these are the
directory signs so if you come by
vehicle or you come as a pedestrian you
know where who's in the building these
are the directional signs that note that
they say picked up way say where
additional parking is more of us
wayfinding system we still going right
so our proposed sign plan is to replace
those two signs one on each end of the
building in the same location there's no
change in anything else on the site
there's no other units in there let's
see if we can get to the next thing
we're not to 35 are we
yeah Chris can we can you help me a
second can you look on the stick and see
if there's a another longer presentation
is your 35 slides in it yeah 35 okay so
we're missing some at the end okay okay
well I have to apologize because I'm
missing some of the signs at the end the
next set of slides have to do with home
pages on websites within the building
and let me give you a pass these out
having more copy so after this is
exhibit number four
we need another one going good everybody
get one now we're missing one if there's
one more there's one world thanks
so the first sheet of course is the is a
site plan showing where the different
signs are that we looked at on the
slides the next page is a floor plan of
the building on the first floor which is
the first level above parking so when
you look at that floor plan you'll see
that there are two tenets three tenets
on the first floor you begin on a
medical office building to try and put
signage on that based on where they're
at how are you going to do that if you
only have one visible sign ban on the
building which is the it's the top
signage area so on the building you only
have really one visible place that you
can see signs which is the top of the
building because of the nature of the
trail the viewpoints that you have the
speed of the traffic going by there so
we only have one area which is the top
of the building to put signage imagine
what that would look like if it had
signs stuck all over the building is
that good architecture is that what they
wanted to do they want clutter of signs
on buildings placed on a haphazard way
no I don't think that's the objective I
think this is superior to anything that
they have in the code but the biggest
issue is how do you figure out looking
on the first floor plan where you put
signs on the building for each tenant
and then if we go to the second floor
plan the second floor level we have the
same issue in the major the major
tenants in the building are over lake
clinic they occupy 35% of the building
then the other one is UW Medicine they
occupy 35% how do you figure out where
you put signs on a building and both of
them have space on the front some of
them have space on the back so by the
same code somebody has to figure out how
how everybody gets signs on the front if
you begin to allow more signs for each
business in the building so for a
medical office building it just that's
why we have adjustments because those
code is written is written for
commercial buildings that are not
especially and don't have special site
considerations any questions
that conclude does that conclude the
comments you wanted to make as far as
compliance to each one of the individual
elements in the code when you go down
the list the Chris presented and you ask
yourself is this better building going
to look better with more signs plastered
all over in a random way no so I would
say that it provides it meets the vision
of having an organized sign program and
we've met the requirement to provide
directions through alternate means which
we did originally on this project
because we knew that it would be
shielded and wouldn't be visible from
the street is there any impact of
negative properties from changing those
signs out to a different sign with a
different name and are these signs out
of character of any other signs in that
neighborhood no there surfing's is
extraordinary and unique to the use in
the building yes and does this empower
any safety of any element here more
sciences more traffic issues looking at
signs driving up and down the highway to
have them in a clearly visible location
on the building that we have them is the
most there's the safest way to deal with
a major highway running in front of the
building
I think any questions well I think there
will be some discussion if you're
concluded with your comments since
there's no public I'll open the
discussion and ask for Commissioners for
their pots
my name is Mark Robeson and I'm the
owner of the building high mark
investments
I appreciate the Commission's time than
I'd appreciate the staff working with us
this is miss patty Nelson who runs our
real estate group and specifically has
been working on this building since that
we constructed it and we appreciate Bob
who's been with this project from day
one ground up and we hope that you look
favorably on the things that Bob is
brought to the forefront this evening
and we could have a homogeneous looking
building with these wonderful clients
that I'm very excited about to tell you
that we're looking like we've filled the
final out space and a very wanted very
needed medical use out here and that'll
be Seattle Cancer Care Alliance so that
they can serve some of the Eastside
patients without that concludes our
program thank you thank you sorry I
overlooked you so comments first
question for questions first and then
copy its I'm sorry
how about questions I have a question
how many tenets are in the building and
how many what capacity does it have
okay can you please step to the
microphone sorry I should have asked you
to step back up yeah we can go backwards
and if you look on your little drawing I
gave you you'll see a vacant space on
the second floor and there's about 2900
square foot of space left for
potentially for somebody to expand
that's already in the building or for
another use so you're only asking for
permission for two signs we're asking
permission to replace two signs on the
building in the same location that they
have been unrelated to where the tenants
were from the day that the building was
built and so you never see a need for a
sign for each individual tenant that's
all provided by the wayfinding in the
law I did not design the building for
anything more than three sides okay okay
all right that's all I had thank you
very much mm-hmm other questions
I guess one other question I presume it
looked like there's a sign there now for
the UW medical clinic that's on the
second floor that would come off it's a
temporary banner yeah okay um I'm
Christopher I have a question for you
are you able to pull up the section nine
point seven six I was looking at the
administrative adjustment standards
and the development standards and it
seemed to be different than the one
that's in our package it's in my letter
comes from one plate one
okay well let me see so you want to go
to the central Issaquah plan standards
yeah the development standards of
section 9
so we're specially 9.7 six
nine point seven six seven six yeah and
a way down there
this was I was looking at this this is
the administrative adjustment of
standards approval criteria and it's
it's slightly different than the
administrative adjustments approval
criteria that's in our package section 1
1 and it looks like the two things
number one it didn't have it has the
five items but it doesn't have services
the six item in section 1.1 was services
that were not cricket of impact mm-hmm
and then it has a more detailed
discussion instead of compatibility I'm
sorry instead of intent to talks about
sufficient reason mm-hmm and then the
third thing was item a that conditions
can be imposed upon the grant of any
adjustment so in other words if we were
able if we were going to approve an
administrative adjustment standards we
can include a condition with that then
that's right yeah so these would be the
criteria that we will be using that
you'll be using in your decision now
it's in the memo but these would be the
criteria to use okay I'll keep this up
well--there's so when you look at item
four sufficient reason in the package
the approval criteria we have its intent
it says a equal to or superior and
fulfilling the intent of purpose
item four has a different kind of
wording I can bet extraordinary
circumstances and so forth and then the
conditions part that we can impose
conditions on our
that's correct thank you for pointing
that out you I guess one of the question
that would come up in my mind a question
for you would be if we had a condition
that said the only tenant signs can be
on the east side of the building could
be those two locations would that be
acceptable right so no other sign
locations right
couple of questions on the photo mock-up
that we saw the rendering I take it is
that one or two signs on the left side
University of Washington Medical Center
urgent care okay the one on the right
side is the one I think you're asking
about and there was two panels shown in
that sign I don't it does not have to be
two panels it can be one one tenant okay
so I'm looking at I guess stage right
but looking at the left side of the
building in our view right here the
University of Washington Medical Center
in urgent care sign that's what they
have in the building they have that in
the building both of those see they
occupied two tenant spaces in the
building they occupy 30 percent so it's
the University of Washington is the
tenant and that's a description of what
they also do in that right and I guess
I'm asking that as a single sign correct
yeah that's a single time yeah although
I perceive it at least in this rendering
as two different songs no yeah the way
that the sign is built it has a raceway
box and back of it and that one
continuous box and then acrylic letters
have pushed out in there backlit backlit
so they glow around the letter and
create the sign yeah and so that's a
little different
signage technology than is being used
here today is that right on the existing
ones not this one but the other ones the
technology that used today and that was
used originally he was never successful
I understand yeah and these are backlit
correct these are backlit yeah and the
original letters are backlit too but
they have their channel letters with
with a neon tube inside them which for a
practical sign for an individual tenant
is impossible to use right but
right different discussion and this this
rendering at least obviously these
colors are different from the signage on
the rest of the front of the building
correct we have brand colors here behind
University of Washington we have their
brand logo font and next to that we have
the red background for urgent care yeah
and then on the other side whatever sign
we end up putting up there is going to
be a single sign too and that might be a
different organization with different
brand colors different and so on right
and so I guess that raises a question in
my mind and I'm thinking about staffs
concern regarding precedent if let's say
there's another client who occupies 40%
of the building in the future and it's a
vibrant orange background color and logo
color do we permit that as well that's
the question this raises in my mind it
seems that we're addressing the idea of
placement of the sign visa vida code but
there are also other changes here in
regarding the perception of the number
of signs that's really occurring here as
well as the brand logo and background
colors the vibrancy of the colors that's
used so a question for staff Chris does
the architecture and urban design manual
I guess that's being incorporated as
chapter 18 of the SIDS is that right
my overall question is does that manual
and those standards apply the central
plan standards to apply here yes no so I
guess that would raise another question
to me would this be a Northwest
contemporary building in terms of those
standards and if so with those color
requirements apply though I don't know
that sign color is covered by building
color I'm gonna agree with you that I
don't believe the sign color really has
to go with the building color because if
as McDonald's
that's right colors are so heavy yellow
logo
I I guess my question I don't know if
it's even really basically irrelevant
but in this day and age of being guided
to your destination by a manufactured
voice I guess I don't really understand
if it's the high mark building and
they're clear there's a clear indication
of this is the high mark building at
this address I am not really clear about
why more signage is necessary I can
understand your question because you
know the question comes to me you give 1
do you allow any signage other than the
building and the answer to that really
is a prestigious client wants to be
recognized and that's what draws them to
the building so we in order to meet the
market demand of the practitioner a
major tenant is an expectation just like
they do on an office building of having
their name on it in addition to the
office building name but it's purely a
an expectation of the tenant in the
market market both so this isn't
primarily so people can find the
destination this is a client recognition
right yeah yeah because if once if you
look at those if you looked at the cuts
the homepage cuts how many of them have
a picture of the entry of the building
on I and if some of them have it almost
all of them have the name of the
building on it now the ones that don't
have the name have a number which is a
placed up high on the ends of the
building so you can see it coming from
either direction so Christopher the the
medical building on the north side of 90
at where the underpass is I'm not aware
of that having any external
practice signs on framing on these
hinderance you're right it did it says
this equal medical or right for the
building similar to the high mark
medical sign there but yeah I don't
think tenants have signage on the
exterior there thank you there is a
directory board sign in this building
right the list tenants I think I saw
that um oh there's a directory board
sign and then at each one of the
driveway entrances there's a directory
board sign too and then you get inside
the building and there's endless amount
of direction you know what the the hours
are of the urgent care operation pardon
you know what the hours are of the
urgent care operation handy sorry you
have to come to the microphone get you
on TV and introduce yourself please eww
medicines urgent care operations are
seven days a week they're there until
open to the public until 8 p.m. during
the week until 6 o'clock on Saturday and
from 8:00 to 5:00 on Sundays would you
state your name please
oh sorry patty Nelson okay anything else
so in terms of I guess one thought is in
terms of somebody needs to go to Urgent
Care on SR 900 see at 7 o'clock at night
and it's a dark to see a sign
this would be an illuminated sign they
would know yes being robbed here's where
I need to go yes speaking for UW that
was one of the objectives as they wanted
the the urgent care portion to be
extremely visible for wayfinding right
so I I have a question how long has the
Urgent Care been in the facility they've
been in there since January of 2017 as
UW Medicine Urgent Care opened their
doors that portion of their clinic in
July of 2017 yeah so are there I won't
say that
what what what services have not been
redeemed because there wasn't a sign
there today I don't have the answer to
that question I can't speak then
people are finding the urgent care place
somehow with what amount of ease I can't
speak to thank you
the question now a virgin care is quite
different from emergency services
correct would you characterize her
didn't care for us a little bit I would
call it a walk-in clinic not an
emergency room they have transported
patients to the emergency room I often
times will receive phone calls letting
me know there'll be a vehicle left in
the parking lot overnight because
they've had to have a patient
transported so I think it's realistic to
assume that just like any other Urgent
Care place it's it's one-step
potentially on the way to the emergency
a good example my wife hurt her finger a
few days ago the clinic couldn't take a
ran at Virginia Mason and so she went to
didn't want to go to the emergency room
it wasn't that bad but went to Urgent
Care to get an x-ray I think it's the
middle ground between just a walk-in
clinic and the emergency sorry I want to
say we also have other examples in the
area of other urgent cares that have
very large urgent care signs facing
major streets we've logged those in the
past right like that Overlake over by
Fred Myers this is where my wife went
yeah she knew I was there because of the
sign exactly who is our other major
tenant in the building as this relates
to find äj--
over Lake is
other questions just to reiterate these
will not be signs if they're approved
and they're illuminated they will go off
when the office closes they will not be
on all night is that correct
pop you have the answer to that as far
as the design of them goes yeah I've fed
back again the signs are on a separate
metered circuit on on the in the
electrical room with the timer on him
so they actually go on and off now that
you can't tell him but you can't tell
but the intent is that there they're not
illuminated at night they're only
illuminated at the times that businesses
are hoping it's I'm Christopher I'm not
familiar enough with it with the with
the SIDS code where do signings is that
a requirement as opposed to the goodwill
of the and in question it's not
something that we regulate as far as
there's nothing says signs have to be
turned off when the business is not in
business
I come back to the colors for a moment
sure I believe is it a requirement that
colors that are going to be used on
signs have to be specified in a permit
at Craigs right so do we have a clear
idea of how many colors could
potentially appear in the front of this
building in other words are these signs
that we're seeing here and considering
tonight the only colors that would be
used for secondary signs do we know what
colors were facing here I think it's
impossible this time to know in the
future what a color will be on on the
actual signboard right now you know the
UW has their signature colors Overlake
has their signature colors but what the
next tenant does and be subject to the
regulatory process of colors on sites
the building colors are fixed okay and
I'm wondering I guess how we as a
commission would address that typically
I mean on signs it's been signed collars
is specific the sign that comes in front
of us but we don't I don't think we've
ever made the limit sign color to a
limited palette of colors again because
it's large part branding for companies
and in Chris Berg I guess another
question are we just looking at the
approval of a sign location for this and
staff is doing this sign approval itself
yeah the administrative adjustment
standards is just for the sign location
subsequently then we will be reviewing
the actual sign permit application that
will include the installation details
the illumination the colors but you see
that's that's what will be next is we'll
review the sign permit application would
that be done at staff level it would be
like but there's no reason you couldn't
comment on
so I want to make sure I have it clear
in my head right now we're just looking
at the signs on the south side of the
building the UW and the urgent care or
the east side on the west side then
there could be two other signs for do
two different tenants the intent is to
have one tenant signage on each corner
so not multiple tenants on each corner I
believe he's a keep asking if there's
gonna be signage on the opposite side of
the building from this one we're looking
at East here the building looks at
what's supposed to be permanent open
space but right now it's a storage art
you know the website yeah so if we go
here the west
and so where is the directional sign the
direction you have to just go back here
let's see if we can get a different
window
are we on your self Chris I know well if
I said switch over to mind if we can go
down okay directional sign go back to
keep going
okay so the directional signs are where
they're shown on this site planned and
they're actually in place in the field
thereby where they're appropriate to
direct people in different places see if
we can get some pictures of them here so
that there's on pay a a one point three
there in the upper left there is a item
recognized it's called an entrance sign
and below it is the directional sign so
the entrance signs are there they
entrance to the parking lot on the let's
see the southwest corner and the north
west corner yes okay and and where is
the directional sign you're gonna have
to go internal showing on here the
directions it says patient drop-off
okay thank you see if I can
other questions yes the comments well
are we gonna deliberate on the potential
sure
first I'd like to I would I guess my
view is I take away from this now when
you're asking for an exception to the
rules gauged on screening it through
this criteria is that you have an
extraordinary circumstance and or I may
be adding my own words to this but what
is afforded to one should also be
afforded to another so I take I take
this building in particular is accessed
by a common lobby and all of the tenants
are accessed by a common lobby versus a
storefront configuration they Overlake
urgent medical has a storefront you go
in a storefront so so the sign being
right over the tenant makes sense so I
feel like if they have the potential to
be afforded signage shouldn't also a
comparable business be afforded the same
same rights and privileges therefore
they're extraordinary circumstances that
they just don't have a storefront
oriented building they have more of an
office lobby entrance type building with
multiple tenants within so if I look at
it in that context I feel like they
should have but I would like I was like
here what you guys think as well does
that make sense what I'm saying I think
I think it's the type of building and
and and so so if urgent care they should
have the the potential to advertise
their urgent care
I'll grant if they could go find another
place for their urgent care that's a
potential - but but I just feel like the
use is approved so shouldn't they then
be afforded the same privilege as
another that's my
Kristopher what is the city's
reservation about this request for an
AAS well as I said it would be the first
time that we would be approving a sign
on somebody else's tenant space the
Remax building we involved in that on
Front Street there's yeah there's been
there are a couple of examples when
there is shared common area like yeah
that was either a stairwell or bathrooms
that are shared by everybody in the
building that's about as stretched as
we've gotten on on that alternate
frontage but yeah those those are a
couple of examples again it wasn't
somebody else's tenant space it was
shared tenant space but it wasn't on
somebody else's wall well I agree with
my colleague here and his comments but
the thing that kind of found it's
causing a media giving me pause is that
the the indication that this is not or
clients patients rather to find where
they're going it's because the clients
want their name out there and frankly
I'm not sure that's grounds for an
adjustment of code I mean I think it's
legitimate for the client to want that
but I'm having a little trouble saying
yeah we ought to give an adjustment AAS
because one of the tenant or the tenants
are high prestige elements and they want
the Huskies sign and colors out there on
the building I'm just I'm not sure
that's a legitimate reason if I might
disclose that I made her up you didn't
arrest you but so this is this where I
disclosed them are proud UW graduate and
um well your shirt speaks for itself
I can see where you're coming away from
that however it is an urgent care and
sometimes people don't know exactly the
one that is when they need one and if
they're driving down the street it'd be
nice to have the signage there that they
could recognize that has a place they
can go at seven o'clock at night if they
have like you said their finger falling
off it's I think visibility is important
to them the business and the clientele
and the ability to track clientele for
that kind of business and you know it's
not I don't think it's just to get their
name on the board but also to advertise
what they're doing there so there is
some use there it's not just a medical
building with people's offices it's also
an urgent care which is a slightly
different use case than just you know um
optometrists agree I didn't know what
that building was until the banner went
up I had no idea you dumb medical is in
there and so for me it is helpful to
know where these things are just
creating a mental image of what's where
that's just how I get around but I I
guess another way to look at this too is
it isn't don't aren't they meeting the
spirit or the intent of the code and
that the the signage should be situated
where in the space the tenant is
occupying well it is there the tenants
in that building you know and and so if
you look at it as a building versus a
unit I think it meets the spirit of the
code it's it is where the tenant is
Christopher did you pull up on the
screen and said the shot could are pull
up the shot that shows the view from SR
900 the building especially the one that
shows the proposed sign
this I guess one way one way I would
look at this as when we go through the
criteria the vision the proposal terms
equal or superior to central and vision
goals and policies and I think in terms
of the attract the location of the sign
seems appropriate to not have multiple
signs all over the building to me seems
appropriate I think if we didn't know
who the tenant was if they were just
signs and there were just signs at those
locations I think it would fit with
architectural attractiveness it won't
impact the access and won't impact the
safety I think it's going to be
compatible with other buildings I don't
think there's anything that would be
incompatible with so it comes down to
sufficient reason in my mind and what
would strike me here is that a couple
things one because of the use because of
the urgent care but more importantly the
way the building is set back it's
designed in the precentral Issaquah plan
design standards where it's set back
fairly far from a fast-moving highway
with a boardwalk and then the
substantial amount of vegetation in
between and signs lower down on the
building and they're very unlikely to be
seen by anybody and when I look at the
sign code intent contribute to the
economic well-being of the community I
don't think signs that people don't see
are going to help and encourage signage
functional whimsical artful creative and
attractive I think it would be
attractive and I think it's more
functional at the table and I I guess
for that I would part of if this
building was being built under the new
central Issaquah code at the street then
I don't think we would have as much of
an issue because you could have a sign
in the middle of the building on the
second floor and it would be visible in
this case I don't think that's the case
I think that would the other thing I
would say my limitation would be
condition that the only signs other than
the building signed in the center on
this Assad would be the to sign
locations shown on the third floor so
that we don't get any more signs in
addition to this and so that would be I
would view as the exception that would I
know about precedents because I truly
understand the importance of that but I
can see given that this design of this
building precentral Issaquah plan the
location the visibility that we could
have this as a administrative adjustment
agree clarification and now the maximum
number of secondary signs that can be on
this building per code is two is that
right no so you're using term secondary
signs so each tenant could have a sign
on their tenant space if the if they
have more than one frontage throughout a
corner then that tenant could
potentially have to a primary sign of a
secondary sign we could end up with
signs on the first floor the second
floor and the third floor
yep or or we could condition we could
make conditions for the except for the
variance like we can make conditions and
that these would be the only sign yeah
yeah I may have misread this I thought
in 917 be it said that a maximum of two
primary and two secondary signs were
allowed on this type of thoroughfare
that's per tenant not per building
so are you saying the potential is for
10 primary and secondary signs here give
it to president how many tenants are on
the that facade because that's something
fine it perfe saw its per tenant space
facade area basically so these two
secondary signs were simply part of the
permit that was part of this building
originally right it was specific to this
building and their location because
they're not necessarily in on top of the
facade that correlates to the business
that's being done and we place a
condition that limits code potential
meaning we approve the variance or the
exception that's it you can't then ask
for additional signs except unless you
want yeah
what's the could you read the back
condition criteria again so let's see so
conditions may be imposed upon the grant
of any adjustment unless otherwise
specified the adjustment shall be
subject to all plans specifications and
conditions set forth in the application
so if they came back and said we want to
put another sign somewhere else in the
building even though there's a condition
that says we can't do it we would say
well you have a sign that's pretended
not in that location to have that be
allowed you can't do that other side
yeah
I'm honestly I'm not sure the answer or
that I'm the reason I hesitate is if we
put that condition on it again there's
the the three years that a land use
decision is valid for and what happens
after that and that was a way to consult
our city attorney about that even with
administrative adjustment well and then
it might depend on what the code that's
in place at the time you know if that
hasn't changed at all that would seem
strange that after three years that your
condition to your adjustment would go
away and that may be possible again then
it becomes a non-conforming sign sort of
seem to obviate the purpose of having
the condition
so summarize summarizing what I think
I've heard it sounds like there's
general general agreement that approval
of of this particular sign these
particular signs would be acceptable
there's concern about what may happen in
the future is that is that what I'm
hearing and my concerns are around as I
said collars number of competing brand
colors we could have on the front of the
building depending on how many secondary
signs are allowed yeah and so the the
sense would be that we would we could if
we were to approve it we we would be
inclined to condition it so that there
wouldn't be other competing signs put up
and then the issue is how long would
that stay in effect yeah yeah and I like
that I know the applicants are open to
enforcing that restriction themselves
but I'm stopping short of saying that
the city would be able to enforce
something above and beyond you know
that's more restrictive than what the
code allows the applicant certainly can
do that but I don't know if the city
could I mean if it's a even if it's a
condition to an administrative
adjustment
so what is the desire of the Commission
well can I ask one more question what if
what if what if can we explore the path
of not accepting the exception then what
is there I guess would be my question
because it is is it as it sounds none of
the tenant spaces correlate to the
facade that the signage is on so are we
suggesting that there would be no
signage as an alternative like like what
happens if we've declined the variance
or that Joseph the adjustment sorry
what I was suggesting do you have that
picture that shows that banner sign one
of the photos shows that so it's just
blank yeah there's one
I think that was in one of these you can
kind of see it in that one right there
right it's a little clearing one of the
further ones up excuse me it's a little
clear on one of the other pictures there
it is yeah
so if the adjustment was denied then
only the third-floor tenants that are in
those spaces up there would be able to
have their signs up there but we could
on the second floor they could have
additional the second-floor tenants give
up signs on that floor and first floor
tenants could have signs on the first
floor okay wait if the request for
adjustment is denied there could be more
signs right yeah they could do Lake
Washington vascular EPA doctor could you
restate that comment that you just made
about could there be more signs and I
would say yes there could be but we have
regulated our building to look like it
does professionally and asking that that
u-dub sign be placed where we're
proposing to places even though that's
not where they're currently located we
is the owner i as the owner are
regulated within our leases and our
proposals to everyone that's when that's
in the building when they can and can't
use that signage on top and that's the
only place that we propose to do that
except for standing monument signs I I
get I understand the larger overall city
question regarding the next guy the next
girl the next building were we were
looking at this as as we did the day we
started to lease the building the day we
designed it and put it up there and
that's all we're asking to do today you
know the the inner workings of how that
works within the city will certainly
leave that to the staff and if if I was
to start a new building across the
street well
up the street here I certainly
understand that there's standards today
that I would be handed that I would have
to develop under but I'm just trying to
stay in the same standards that I looked
at the same vision that we had when we
first offered this building up for
medical services we've actually turned
down a number of more retail type
businesses to get where we're at today
fully medical and frankly you know we
have some really great clients here in
Issaquah you dub of course over lake and
now Seattle Cancer Care is long along
with other you know dentists and so on
and so forth so I just want to make sure
that you know we're not trying to change
the world air we're trying to remain
within a vision that we had and an
acceptance at the original point of
development and when we first leased a
building oh thank you yes you're right
we could end up with the first floor a
sign that's at dr. Okimoto UW Medicine
and the second floor having EPA like
Washington bascule or a third floor and
all those facades are could be signed
more comments well I think right now by
statute they are allowed those signs
they're just asking we don't want to
have those signs we'd rather just have
these two that's what the right
applicants asking and can I ask a
question if they want to deviate from
that then would it be a level zero
review or would it go back to a level
two and it would come back before us if
they wanted to deviate from this
proposal beyond what we accept this
proposal should we accept this purpose
um it would be by coded be
administrative but like I said or just
like we did this time we would have the
option of bumping it up to the
Commission for review which I would
think would be likely if this was
something you've already heard okay
so what one of the questions it there
would be no review and they'll just be
administrative if they want to put signs
above every one of those windows that it
correlates to their tenants basement
that's right the only reason we're
reviewing is they don't want to do that
they'd rather only have to clean signs
on either side it's because they what
signs on tenant spaces other than those
tenants at it I think we end up with a
better-looking building
so more comments somebody have a notion
of a proposal or a motion that they feel
compelled to make that was really good
at that he's the master he already
hasn't written out mr. chair yeah yes
sir I move that we approve the
administrative adjustment of standards
for the Highmark Medical Center signage
filed number AAS one 7-0 0:09 based on
the if I pause for a second Susan
Christopher can being based do you want
the discussion about what it's based on
as part of that too or I think it would
be appropriate yes yeah
[Music]
based on the extraordinary conditions
regarding the building in terms of
tendency and setback from SR 900 and
visibility of signs and other locations
and as well as a condition that no other
signs would be allowed on the east side
of the building other than the two
locations proposed can we go one step
further and to say all locations or all
sides of the building versus Issa
we probably need a second first yeah
sure did it's 90 second okay the motion
has been seconded now comment for a
discussion
so the I guess my thought would be I'm
not sure if something else goes in
behind this building at some point I
don't know that I would want to limit
signage on the west side okay
they think we're only I guess we're only
approving the eastern facade I don't
know if we need to make that clear in
the approval bit I don't think you need
to know and see yeah no it's it's a
given okay that's fair I agree
commissioner Harrison you have something
to say no additional discussion but
we're ready one more I don't think we
ever really addressed negative press net
do we feel like we're sending a negative
president oh just ask that question
well I commissioner I it seems to me
that whether it's negative I mean the
very nature of what we're doing here is
setting a precedent I would just say
what I was going to say earlier and
decided not to but I'm going to go ahead
and say it anyways I hope that the
condition I think it is commissioner
Morgan but I to me the the unique
situation is that by specifying the two
locations that we're doing I'm not sure
that we said made it clear for people
looking at this in the future that the
alternative to denying the application
is the possibility of the facade being
covered with signs I'm not sure that's
would be clear
somebody four years from now looking
looking at this decision and I think
that that should be articulated and in
the condition or in the in the approval
process because if I vote for this it's
going to be because the alternative is a
facade covered with signs so this is the
development Commission's
ability to stop that from happening and
I think that needs to be so part of it
so if we were to modify the motion or
make an amendment to the motion to
include a sentence that in effect said
in lieu of the proliferation of signs
that maybe the potential proliferation
of signs this is avoiding that something
something
and saying something fancier than that
but well maybe I can propose an
amendment down so Susan I guess at the
end of the condition it said do you have
a star the extraordinary conditions
regarding the building in terms of
tenancy and setback from SR 900
visibility of signs from other locations
as well a condition as a condition that
no other signs would be allowed on the
east side of the building other than the
two locations proposed and so right
after that I guess a comma which would
or to prevent a polar pleura for let me
offer I would say instead of a comma
maybe a period and the the Development
Commission wishes to make clear for
purposes of future reference that the
uniqueness of this proposal is that
denial of the application of the request
for net an adjustment of standards could
result in a proliferation of signs on
the same facade which the Commission
finds to be unacceptable or worse that
effect or might I add that in the SIDS I
think we have wording that addresses
this recognize the role signs have in
creating a visually interesting and
attractive place dot while avoiding
visual distraction clutter and chaos and
that's really what we're doing here
probably in a positive frame yeah I
guess the back to your comment Randy in
terms of the saying the Commission the
multiple signs that we don't and want to
be careful because if it's something
that can be done by code and if we come
out and say we don't want to allow what
can be done by code yeah that could be a
problem I think the I'd want to put it
in terms of
a more positive light that it will
result in a more attractive building
that meets the vision of with a specific
limitation on the number of signs yeah
yeah the limitations specific limitation
on the number of signs as opposed to
just we don't do this as I understand it
again each client could request a sign
on yeah if it's not of the bill well I
think it says its limitation on the
number and the location yes yes yes or
another way to look at it would be that
one of the other things that's unique
about this application is that the
applicants are agreeing to the fact that
these are going to be the only two signs
on that elevation yes yeah I just want
to amend the specificity to include that
this is a shared use building with a
single lobby versus like a strip mall
may be considered a single building
because there's one long building and
someone may ask to put a sign in front
of it phone somebody else's frontage
where this is a completely different
concept of a building type right that
this decision is based on the fact that
is a shared office building rather than
a strip mall
yeah to say that this is part of where
the reason we're doing this is because
it's a multistory office building not a
single single story retail it's not a
multi-tenant multi-story office building
so it would be valuable to hear what the
report the proposal is with the
amendment okay so we have which what
Susan read to us before Susan I'm sorry
I can't hear it a lot on the east side
of the building other than the two
locations no other signs would be
allowed on the east side of the building
other than the two locations proposed
and then to put it your comment in a
more positive light would result in a
more attractive the building that still
meets the vision with a specific
limitation on the number and location of
signs allowed and then you said about it
being a shared use building with a
shared Lobby a multi-tenant building so
those three things yeah so maybe what we
could do for Roberts maybe in the in the
discussion of the uniqueness of it you
mentioned our ordinary circumstance mm
bur someone else mentioned there was a
pre SIDS building so is the pre the
current so I though things are all the
in and these are the require you know
that the hurdles that had to be believed
in order to get to this point where we
say yes it's fine for the science is
that has to be the priests is the
setback the visibility from the street
as well as a shared use multi-story
office bill that list of extraordinary
conditions
it's a multi-tenant multi-story office
building
that were yes so that fits in there and
then the add-on to the condition about
or a separate sentence you'd prefer
Randy yeah yeah I think just
grammatically it gets a little long to
have so yeah the separate sentence
and thinking about worrying so a unique
situation to avoid the plural
proliferation of potential some
additional signs on multiple floors but
it's also to limit the scope of this
decision to this type of building that's
the whole purpose of this is we want to
limit the scope for this type of
building and what the the reasoning as
to why we we think it's fine for the
science of video yeah so well I think
now we're just thinking about that
additional sentence and how to word that
in terms of the player liberation of
sign
well the Development Commission believes
that the limitation of two signs at the
upper portion of the building will
result in a more attractive building in
line with the central is a flawed
visions sorry the upper portion of the
building will result in a more
attractive attractive building that is
in line with the central Issaquah
visions in comparison to the potential
flirtation of multiple signs on multiple
floors of the building that work at this
point it may sound like we're trying to
indemnify ourselves because the bottom
line is this will come up again
no I yeah mr. chair the the I'm going
back to the original guidance that we
got from staff and and the request from
him to is specific and as articulate as
we can be about why we have taken the
decision that we've done tonight I just
think we owe that to the whoever is on a
mission and in Christopher's position
five six eight years from now well we're
all gonna be right we have
that's right I agree cuz I think if they
come in and said here are six different
signs of the building and we want to
move just and the sign from here to
there
and we'd be less inclined in any
additional discussion are you ready for
a vote although are we ready for a vote
all those in favor approving the
administrative adjustment as the motion
indicated with the condition say aye aye
opposed looks like it's a deal
five-minute break only 45 minutes
assignment
you
that's a radius and you can you can do
this as well this is a different yeah
this is a kind of different format I'll
explain it in just a minute same
questions yeah okay so we're just gonna
change gears now after the formal part
of our meeting and what I'm presenting
to you now or what we're going to talk
about is the city has entered into a
strategic plan process and what we are
doing right now is we're trying to
gather as much public input as we can
from as many different places as we can
okay of doing a surge over the next
month month and a half or so and we're
visiting and getting an input from you
know easy targets like you guys who are
existing boards and commissions because
we know you're already very vested and
engaged in the community last week for
example I also met with like the Friends
of Lake Sammamish State Park where we're
also in addition to meeting with boards
and commissions were setting up what we
call a pop-up stands like at the library
and at the at the Pickering barn during
that open markets that and you know just
a central park during ball games and
we're just trying to be out there and
and just collect as much input and
direction for the strategic plan as we
can and so normally when I facilitate
these things I don't necessarily like
reading a script but for this I want to
make sure you guys get it now we're
televised but you're not you're not
representing the development
mission here so your answers are not
shouldn't be based on your Commission
perspective but instead on your
perspective as residents or people that
just live work and play here in the city
and so keep that in mind like I said you
take off your Commission hat and just be
an interested citizen so as I said today
we'll be participating in the city of
Issaquah strategic planning process this
is a structured exercise and it's an
opportunity for us to give input into
the vision and priorities we believe the
city should focus its resources on
achieving we will begin by describing
the strategic plan process afterwards we
will move into the questions there's
five questions which will give us an
opportunity to provide our input on this
akua's vision for the future and
priorities and I've routed to you
there's a sign-in sheet looks like I've
got that and also there's also a form
for you to fill out with regard to just
kind of your background okay so you've
got those okay and this is this exercise
is supposed to take about an hour or
about a half an hour but I've never seen
you guys only take a half an hour of
anything so we'll see okay so what is
this project about the city basic why
has launched work on a citywide
strategic plan to affirm a shared vision
for our community this planning process
will engage many people who live work
and play in this aquire to unite around
a common set of goals and priorities
your participation will help the city
align its resources with the activities
that have the most value for the public
what is a strategic plan a strategic
plan is a document used to help guide
the city's priorities goals and actions
it creates a road map used by the mayor
city council and staff to achieve
community-wide goals why are we a part
of this the city of Issaquah I would
like to engage with a broad
cross-section of people who as I said
live work and play in our community
understanding the vision and priorities
of community members will help us guide
the strategic plan and thus its goals
and actions in the near term as I
mentioned the city is taking steps to
encourage community members to provide
input including this what we call
meeting in a box that were tech kind of
taking as a roadshow to different
meetings community pop-up booths as I
mentioned and then just being at various
events and focus groups in the city and
as I mentioned there's the online survey
that you can take as well and those
people at home anybody watching I would
encourage you to take the online survey
okay so the second page of what I handed
out to you is this chart here that is
the strategic plan process and basically
this this graphic represents the process
aquire is currently undertaking to
develop the strategic plan and there are
three phases we are currently in phase
one in other words working in that box
over on the left-hand side and this
first phase includes a variety of
opportunities for community input as I
mentioned and the city will be obtaining
a clear understanding of the vision
mission and values of the community and
residents and then during phase 2 that
where we want to go phase the city staff
will stay staff workgroups will use
input from phase 1 to develop goals and
objectives and those goals will continue
to check in with the community as this
continues and then during phase 3 the
how we will get there implementation
workgroups will create action plans and
performance measures to evaluate the
progress on those actions at the
conclusion of this phase the
community-based strategic plan
we'll be reviewed and then ultimately
adopted by the City Council so as you
can see there are a lot of components
here and if you're interested in
learning more there's also there's the
page on the city's website and I can
answer any questions you may have as
well and if I can't answer them I can
point you to somebody who can so as I
mentioned there are five questions and
I'm gonna kind of walk you through those
and you've got a copy of what each of
those are and and like I said we'll
probably try to take five or so minutes
with each one so keep that in mind I do
want to hear from all of you so please
speak up and I will be just kind of
taking notes up here that I will then
convey on to the team that's collecting
all of this input so just so you know so
the first question is what do you
personally value about Issaquah anybody
[Music]
jobs
okay
I mean for me as a father of young kids
I'd like that I have all the parks and
everything else here the activities
they're available to schools and 15
minutes of the ballpark they go watch a
Mariners game in 30 minutes ago to the
scheme I take my industry if you will
and then low-tech recreational walking
around in the woods you know there's
just a good mix of Exim amich access to
fishing active access to professional
baseball well so you said it's an
intersection an intersection of kind of
nature activities and an intersection
I value old devalue it with the year
without thee because old town is very
important to me and what I value because
it is legitimately old compared to other
communities it is real because it is a
pre car talent and we have managed to
keep the intersection pedestrian nature
with the library and the business is
there and I and so other towns around
this area are trying to create it you
know add water and we've got an actual
town so to me that that really is the
heart and the hatcheries there it's just
ok conclude the hatchery on Hoosier and
that's all within five minutes walk with
each other
okay everything else valued just quickly
ability for citizens to be involved be
involved and make a difference
they can often that close to that we get
the sense that people here are really
committed to preserving the natural
resources the whole natural setting so
it's starring the whole salmon habitat
and creeks
people committed to preservation to go
ahead something else preservation of our
great natural resource diversity is
better than resource problem
that's right resource is something we
use right okay before we move on to the
next question is there anything else we
want to mine is less of a physical
attribute that there seems to be a real
sense of community pride that seems to
span most of the citizens that I've
encountered it's really good
anything else okay back to what it was
mentioned I'm you know what the
characters his mother worked right yeah
I know I saw that clip that was really
funny I'm actually pronounced it pretty
well too which isn't always the case
when we're on national television okay
so the next question what aspirations do
you have for a saccade in the next 15 to
20 years
so by aspirations you know we're not
asking what do you think this requires
going to look like in 15 or 20 years but
if you got off of your time machine in
15 to 20 years what do you hope you
would see 15 to 20 years
personally value the same things when we
dis listed that means that they still
recognizable you even know the growth
will have taken place so basically see
that list yeah and hopefully they all
feel the same as I think my aspiration
is that the community at large feels
like they have a voice and what will
look like in their next 10 to 15 years
or the next 15 to 20 years the voice
will be heard and responded to so you
say the community will continue to have
a voice I would say the ability to
preserve and project our identity and
build upon our identity and project that
into the future identify preserve a lot
of a traditions
identify and preserve our identity okay
so I'm gonna follow up with that when
you say our identity is there particular
things that come to mind well like I say
see see the first list again I think the
idea is that it says it's those values
and and so how do we build on those
values so you know again I don't think
it's it's a physical thing so many
things in forming from the people to the
physical attributes so I think values I
would
on a physical note I'd like to see can I
have a expansion of our activities that
we have available the city like I didn't
I came to advocate for a fool with any
groups here I don't think the pool that
we have this very good and you know it'd
be nice instead building more ballparks
and soccer fields and everything else we
build one exceptional facility for the
kids as well the pool what was the
second one instead of building more you
know baseball and soccer to build a
exceptional aquatics facility
I guess I have another aspiration that
that centers around the architecture and
urban design manual and and to see that
that has route that really establishes a
signature for Issaquah that it that it
reflects what the citizenry wants but
develops a sense of place a better sense
of place the more consistent sense
implies taking off on that one
smart growth that preserves our
distinctive small-town character
I could I could I could could I give you
along so central Issaquah is a safe
clean and vibrant place for people to
live work play and learn
we had safe clean and vibrant and
vibrant place for people to live work
play and learn
okay so now I do want to kind of narrow
these down to just three to five because
the next questions we're gonna try to
focus on just kind of the key components
of this I think a couple of those are
actually we may we may have out of all
those I think we may have it certainly
five but we certainly I think we've got
three already
okay and you can summarize those what I
said what Kevin said you know I can't do
that I think it's already there I think
you've got a three okay you know I would
say that the design standard thing is is
significant in my opinion that's
significant enough to be a standalone
okay so well definitely will include the
architecture and design manual I think
kind of we're saying keep it green and
keep it clean and vibrant okay and also
well I'm really glad that Mel started
with the word safe I was gonna bring
that up but I we have on our street
thirty five houses and we've had nine
criminal episodes in the last couple of
years and it has changed the environment
on our street and that I mean people
don't talk about that
they talk about saving the trees and
keeping the forested hillsides
everything all of which are absolutely
critical but if people don't feel safe
to go out and walk their dogs after dark
we're dead okay so we've got the the
design manual we have basically Mel's
final statement here that encompasses
quite a bit so I think the third one is
more having to do with you know the
community engagement and involvement is
that you know maintaining the values and
the identity the fact that I mean we
mentioned I don't remember how I'm sorry
you mentioned this but that we will have
the citizens still have a voice was it
five five 15 to 20 years from now yeah
that that to me is absolutely almost
almost as important as safety as a
fundamental aspect but people can't if
if they're not cynical 15 to 20 years
from now about how they're governed that
will be a huge accomplishment
considering the growth it's going to
happen between now and then okay I think
I think that's good it like I said I can
I can summarize that I think pretty well
they're just kind of keep those in mind
as we move on to the next questions and
the next question is
why are these important why why are
these aspirations these things that you
focused on community involvement the
design manual keeping it a safe and
vibrant place why are those important to
you those are those are the building
blocks that are gonna carry us through
to the future
you know this Commissioner Harrison said
you know this place is gonna grow
tremendously and we have to hand this
community to a lot of new people they're
coming from a lot of different places
and so we need tools in building blocks
to do that and I think I would suggest
that people why is it important I think
it's important to people businesses and
residents come to Issaquah for the same
reason 15 20 years they're coming now
huge accomplishment think of it as
quality of life yeah yeah I mean these
are quality issues those are the reasons
that make us unique yeah yeah I'm not
quickly not don't get rare
so essentially as we continue to
accommodate more growth more residents
more businesses we want to ensure that
we're maintaining the quality of life
and also maintaining what is unique is
that one that the whole point of those
three aspirations the civic
participation I think is a big part of
it and I asked a question of my fellow
commissioners here since this was an
open discussion
I lived in a place that I'm aware of
that had the level of citizen
participation and demonstrable
results is visible you know I kind of
you know kind of thought about that for
I just I just want to know if that's
maybe it's partly a measure of magical
size - not too small not too enormous
not metro people feel like they're
engaged we can make it if lens is
Microsoft I'm the high tech yeah I I
agree I agree completely it's
approachable and it's the kind of place
you want you're compelled to contribute
to this really interesting and I've
lived in a much older top of this I
didn't San Juan Capistrano down in
Southern California and it's full town
was you know a couple buildings knocked
over in the Panda mission and that was
about it yes I would a number of small
towns myself and I think that the public
participation was more predicated on the
issues that were being dealt with in the
long term so all right I guess I I'm not
sure I sense that's it is that that we
lost some of our participation in some
of our meetings because people didn't
think they were
those changes I think that's change I
think I think it's changed but it's slow
that's it then that's hard role to hold
you have to get people to accept the
fact that they're having a direct impact
on and coming to these meetings that
sometimes aren't the most thrilling did
mister that to with comments and we
change and to your point Richard I would
say why is that important to you I mean
I I frequently point to the how the
central discipline plan came about I
mean when it came about it people
looking forward and that long ago to how
his supporter was going to handle the
growth that was coming how the city went
about doing that which if those of us
who didn't participate in it know how
brazen that think of us and now we just
had a moratorium on development to
address the concerns of the citizens and
it's it's you know that's the kind of
thing that that I point to and people
kind of go yeah no no that's right I
hadn't thought about that
but it's demonstrable I don't know I'm
not supposed to add stuff as facilitator
I will say hopefully we're taking this
community engagement and involvement to
a whole nother level now you know after
seeing that kind of waned a bit and like
I think this what we're doing this surge
of gathering as much community input as
we can over the next month and a half I
think is a good indication of things to
come as far as trying to amp up the
engagement and you know that's great
Christopher this thing on this when I
see what's going on in other large
communities adjacent to us in terms of
public participation seems to be shaking
fists and
and walking hallways and things like
that and I understand that that the fact
that we're dealing with essentially the
same issues of growth and things like
that and doing it in a respectful a
thank nature in this day and age to me
is very important and you need not
unique but Rick to all too rare ok so
just a couple things I've added based on
on that they said that this as you
mentioned this is one of the most
involved communities that you've ever
lived in we want to continue to make
sure that people are heard and then also
as I mentioned just now the respectful
participation I think is important to
capture as well I've got one more if you
don't mind enter the work part in it is
akua's important because I think we I
think that it's important because we
need to spend less time working to the
west and more time playing to the east
less work more play
let's work more play exactly but you
know if we don't have to get in cars and
buses and head to Bellevue in Seattle to
work and then work in Issaquah and then
more time
[Applause]
that's good okay so the next question
and I don't think you'll have any
trouble a through this what are the
challenges we face in reaching those
aspirations the challenges maintaining
credibility keeping up for that I mean
bottom line is I think that the only way
we're going to secure confidence with
the public is to be able to maintain the
reality that they have access and can
make changes and make help make
decisions
I would say growing responsibly and as a
city if we have lunch at growth I'm
gonna end up with less participation
less people to move here having access
to anything and I think that I mean
that's very succinctly I agree with it
but I think part of what are the
challenges is being able to say no and
and have it be legally sustainable and
you think that's the under growing
Jackson I think it's I think it's the
bombs I think it's just a almost a comma
two bombs point it's not separate it's
just a part of a part of a growing
responsibly to me is being able to say
I'm sorry that doesn't fit the code and
it's not relevant here and I'm you know
I'll come back if you want to but we're
not going to allow that and and I'm
having it being sustainable in court and
that kind of thing to me when that
happens reinforces the citizens belief
that the local government is working
they may not agree with all of the
decisions but that's the kind of thing
that people are afraid they're not going
to see in the future we're just here to
rubber-stamp challenge to our whole area
here is affordability for different
professions ages dangers of life
mobility when we're gonna get a light
rail here I'll be 91 and that's gonna
come through so here we gonna speed that
up just a little
and regional traffic I think there's a
an issue with some portion of the of the
community doesn't want to see any growth
at all
and so the there there's a conflict
between what's happening and what the
role of for instance the Development
Commission is is to try to facilitate
that growth in a responsible meaningful
way and other people that are saying we
have you know even be responsible all
you want we don't want it
we don't want it we don't want it here
the conflict between growth versus no
growth yeah yeah it's gonna be
affordability and growth
okay controller growth cuz if you
control growth you limit the supply this
is the demand face - the prices have to
be right there in the middle and it
seems to me it's almost so fundamental
it maybe shouldn't even be on here but
the challenges I think are going to be
keeping we've talked about affordability
but the challenge for the city is going
to be taking the available revenues and
matching them to two priorities and I
available revenues I'm talking about
everything from federal down to real
estate tax and levies and things like
that because if those continue in the
region the way they seem to be going
then fixed income and people that are
retired they're on you know they made
really good plans are gonna change their
opinion about living here so there are
two things there one is revenues the
challenges match
the revenues to the priorities but then
a whole nother one of just sources of
revenue how do you how do you spend most
efficiently what you're getting and
where does it come from
I think another challenge is a growing
distrust of people in authority I don't
know how to say that any other way for
instance we have a meeting and the
traffic engineer stands up and says
here's what the count is and somebody
somebody from the public will say well I
don't believe that I don't agree with
that or we'll look at a classification
of a stream somebody will say well I
don't believe that you know so there's a
willingness in the some portions of the
community to disregard what certified
experts are saying or recommending or I
think that's court TVs fault
everyone's got an expert they paid it
comes to do what they want to say
anybody will say anything yeah okay
anything else as far challenges before
we move on to the last question and and
I connect throw out something that would
be controversial misguided notion that
light rail will solve our transit
problem sure I think it actually came up
in one of the our meetings a couple of
years ago and I know I've talked as a
private citizen I've asked this of some
of our elected official one of our
elected officials but is there any
thought at this point about where a
terminal is going to be and I think it
even came up frankly with the consultant
who said it should be thought it was
Pickering yeah Mike Austin yeah is there
is there any I think the suggestions may
be happening at a really high level well
that is I remember that somebody said
bread bun for example has already said
we got it we bought the land
you know it's done this is where it's
gonna have we haven't gotten that far
now and it's al King
yeah the consultants I came in here to
give us the the design manual they came
up but they had two ideas of where it
could go in fact they said it was
supposed to have two hubs one was in the
highlands one was in the highlands one
was by Pickering and then one of them
also the transit this is also the bus
transit sidetrack yeah yeah okay so the
final question just don't railroad us
today what changes are needed to reach
those aspirations YRC making the
Development Commission I'm supposed to
write everything down yeah I think the
thing that we did was Crandall or anvil
I first came on board here was just
great we were bringing in experts big
change might be continue to be aware of
best practices lessons learned when this
has been faced before we're not the
first community facing growth right a
lot of the principles of smart growth or
been designed that came out of a
Crandall arambula thing I think was
really great I don't know how to spread
the word about that but I'd be great if
we could you know take a kind of
educational function maybe in the subway
and I same same subject but I would say
that the city asked to do a better job
of communicating with all of its
constituencies even to the point of
pushing the information out to them if
they I'm not just relying on them to go
to the website but
elected officials going out
participating more on local events
meetings whatever Communications is
going to be more critical as we face the
as the challenges grow Communications is
going to grow the need for effective
communications can go right with it and
if it's not there and we're gonna be in
trouble for a lot of different reasons
so I've been to a number of community
meetings and violence at that Blakely
hall that we have up there where the
city comes in with traffic engineers and
talks about the traffic I think even
with our design mains that there should
be like a presentation done on what that
means to a community like that in the
highlands down in the city and a couple
other places so yeah and don't just say
one thing on that that's I've mentioned
before not here but we will reach an
event I will have reached Nevada on this
subject when I can go on the city
website and click and within a couple
clicks find the city budget when I can
look in a couple of clicks and find the
crime record in my neighborhood right
now and I've asked people a lot more
illiterate than I am and it's not as
easy as it should be you said what was
the other thing that you mentioned
development projects projected where is
this going to go and we're still in this
thing with a 300 foot notification you
know that you get a notice if you're
within 300 foot of the development
that's prehistoric as far as I'm
concerned I mean we ought to be able to
push it and up to people so I wanted to
kind of capture make sure I'm getting it
so it has to do with pushing them for me
now let me make sure I'm getting this
right basically the city what you
appreciate and what something that
should change that the city should go to
the people rather than sitting up here
waiting trip them I think that I think
communications in and out has to be at
the same pace as the the challenge so is
if if traffic remains the challenge
citizens have to be able to access the
latest information definition whatever
and the city should not rely on people
just to do that there should be a
concomitant push effort so it's just
basically the communications needs to be
priority in crispr I agree with what you
read there that city going to the people
oh yeah yeah I think that's a good
example communication too and I don't
see the word well I guess you did right
education that's good
I think it's about educating why is what
the city is doing good and and and why
are we taking these measures you know so
I really just want to emphasize
education I think once you have
education it empowers people to share
the vision and build with momentum to a
common goal we're all going to have our
differences but if we have we have some
common ground which is our identity but
but how do we educate them on where
we're headed I'm getting a little
long-winded here you know I was on one
these next-door websites and somebody
was complaining about it it's a quad and
the growth and they said we should be
like red men what if we were like red
men have you been to Redmond lately have
you seen what they've done there and it
was all I could do to get on and saying
as a matter of fact
you know we're trying you know and so
that education is poor important I know
it's in its infancy and we're really not
gonna see the impacts of this for for a
while here but but I think educating
people on the ground floor
what's that amid ease in and
re-establish his confidence
I think that's a good
yeah there's kind of a cycle right the
more information the public has the more
comfortable they are they talked about
the agent involved yeah and we're not
just pulling out of the air there are
principles right that have been best
practices that have been used so if we
go out and explain to them why smaller
blocks why agree well we could talk
about that you know probably most feel
have no idea why you would want to chop
up central is it go on to a grid right
but there are principles behind it that
could be explained
all right before it closed up any less
okay I get well Morgan of course you do
of course I do
it Ben Sound Transit to change from
light rail to bus rapid transit for is
o'clock right there I think most I've
got a super say great I bet 90% of
people in this boat don't realize that
you won't be able to take a train from
Issaquah to Seattle you would take a
train to build a boat or switch to an
Orion train to go to sell I was
convinced Sound Transit to replace light
rail with with bus rapid transit I'd
rather that they go in right now and
start working on taking the center by 90
turn it into a bus rapid transit line
and just start running buses I think
that means up this gate 25 years a train
to Bellevue
no more puns okay so in conclusion the
city of Issaquah would like to thank you
all for participating and providing your
input and opinions and on behalf of the
city this choir would like to thank you
all for even more than that the
commitment you show here all the time
that we appreciate more than you know
your voices have been heard it will be
closely analyzed to create a vision for
Issaquah that represents the entire
community in order for the to help the
city understand the range of
participants in the meetings of box we
have the demographic survey that I hand
it out and then also the sign-in sheet
and then again I'll just remind you one
more time about the survey that you can
take online as well and that concludes
our strategic plan thank you meeting
adjourned meeting is adjourned all right
thank you
you