first you're gonna do the minutes though
good evening and welcome to the April 26
meeting of the Planning Policy
Commission and I we are going to have a
public hearing on the proposed
amendments to the transfer of
development rights Issaquah Highlands
and then a discussion on old town plan
but first I need a motion to approve the
minutes of April the 12th I'd like to
make a motion to approve the minutes of
April 12th 2018 second any discussion
changes all those in favor say aye
all right those motion carried
so with that I'm going to turn now turn
the microphone over to Trish and that's
about development right this is one of
those interesting projects that you've
seen before this is part of the end of
the Highlands development
agreement that you saw in September and
council finally adopted the replacement
regulations just recently in March and
part of what the regulations they
adopted said was there were changes in
Issaquah highlands part of the transfer
of development rights and so because
they didn't want to do that then they
sent it back to us to say it's not
completely a rubber stamp but it's sort
of like the cleanup that we do like
cleanup picture at the end of the game
that so it's a very narrow amendment and
that's to make sure that the end of
development agreement regulations
matches with the transfer of development
rights regulations and so with that I'm
going to give you a super fast history
of transfer of development rights
because they're fascinating they started
before 2006 when the county asked if we
would take some from Mitchell Hill and
put him in the highlands and we did and
we thought it was so fascinating that we
wanted our own internal transfer of
development rights program not just
taking him from the county to take him
internally so we built our own in 2006
you can see from the map that all the
red areas are receiving sites meaning
they could take
development rights and be more dense or
more tall or more impervious surface or
and the green areas are those that were
sending them they were usually either
critical area land that had critical
area near it or there were other issues
with it that we were trying to
incentivize them not trying to build on
them but letting them have some value to
not develop and so then in 2015 we did
some amendments lakeside development
agreement was coming in and so there was
a change with lakeside coming in and
talus coming out in 2015 and then this
would be the third set of amendments to
narrow it even further to not have all
of its aqua Highlands be an a receiving
site but only the very small area by the
retail area so that's the history and
this is what the new proposed map would
look like in a big way not just squishy
but I just thought it was important to
see what the comparison was with all of
them and the actual changes and this is
the part that made me sort of laugh is
the amendments are that they can have no
additional residential density they can
have no additional building height and
they can have no additional impervious
surface so my question and I'm sure your
question is what do they get then what's
the big deal well that's a good question
the big deal is that next year they were
told Highlands was told that they're
going to do neighborhood visions I know
kind of as exciting isn't it we're going
to vision again and if they if the
parcels are on this map sort of this pre
visions map those would be the most
likely parcels that would be able to
have perhaps a higher zoning or higher
density when they go through that
process next year but at this point they
don't get anything special other than
there's sort of a leg up for the
discussions next year so it's that
narrow of an amendment so right now how
many TDRs are out there that have been
have been not used I couldn't say I know
that couple hundred or mmm the ones for
Park Point were used by Bellevue college
and so I don't know okay I'm not the one
that that does the bank but if I'm if
I'm a developer own CD arse I basically
just can't I just won't be able to use
them for like a year or two if this
passes and then we're waiting for only
if you're in the highlands in the
highlands you already have all your
zoning cap you of all your entitlement
you don't at this point you don't need
any TD heirs to do anything but so but
you can still use your TDRs in central
as a clock right but if you were in any
of the other red areas there's still
code on the books that tells you exactly
how to use them but I did so so so so
I'd go forward to the that side so the
no additional density height and
impervious service is that for just the
highlands only silence okay so in the
yellow that's the part that we added
that last category if it's urban village
SF urban village MF urban village
community that whole last line is for
Issaquah highlands because it used to
say other zones could have up to 36
dwelling units extra per acre and so we
this amendment says that no you don't
get anything extra go through the
process next year so I can still get all
this all these benefits at the central
Issaquah receive sites okay that's not
going away
yeah there's no changes to that and so
the other charts that are also as
explicit they can have no the building
heights is on the one side they don't
get any additional building heights and
they don't get any additional impervious
because they're already allowed a
hundred percent so the only real change
other than clarifying that they don't
get anything yet is the map is the map
is a lot smaller it's a rather odd
amendment but it's one of those cleanups
that are necessary are there additional
questions
what allows them to do anything in a
year then what's the mechanism if they
don't get anything now then what
triggers some a year from now well now
this is the map that was approved in the
new regulations to end the development
agreement and this is called the the
zoning cap map and all the numbers in
there that I know they're tricky to see
on my screen they already have all that
entitlement already so changing the map
wasn't taking anything away from them
because they already got it in these
regulations the only thing the map does
is that when they do when we and they do
them visions visioning next year that
there might be a chance that the zoning
that they might be able to increase the
zoning capacity next year is what when
the council was talking to the
neighborhood's that that process this is
sort of like a bookmark saying when we
talked about this we thought this little
area by the retail center might be
should maybe qualify for up zoning but
we're not going to do that now we're
gonna do everything just the same as
what they have and then do that in
another process it's just just tentative
for the zone waiting on zoning
potentially right it's like a bookmark
because it took two years to close out
the development agreement they didn't
want to start talking about up zones or
different actual entitlement because it
was already pretty complex just a new
development agreement so Trish how does
this affect the lakeside industries
matter because they have a development
agreement correct and they're now
they're listed they're listed as an area
that could be a TDR receiving site yes
they are because they have they have
required they have a requirement in
their development agreement that in one
of their future phases they need to use
TDRs they need to consume some okay
that's separate than the Highlands
they're a totally separate development
agreement okay so this is listed as a
red receiving site only because that's
in their development agreement it's
already yeah they are technically not
going to be
by these changes right they were not
touched during they weren't that they're
not affected at all by these changes
proposed changes right any other
questions do you want to open up the
public Here I am going to open the
public hearing that it's 45 and ask if
anybody is seeing nobody I'm going to
close the public hearing yes thanks 46
and go on to the next discussion which
is old town okay we're opening
discussion we need a motion to approve
the amendment and then I may be a motion
from a 1 2 3 4
you're an alternate tonight I'm sorry
okay we'll be making a motion to approve
the TDRs or Highlands or the Highlands
was looking for additional verbage but
as there isn't so I'd like to make a
motion to approve the TDRs for the
Highlands Jacqueline
any other discussion all those in favor
say aye
hi now you can go to the next of the TV
arts as written error has changed as
amended yeah in the packet and yours I
just call that Barney okay hello so just
for discussion tonight there were a few
things we presented this last week and
there are a few things that you all
asked us to do so we'd like to sort of
do a little housekeeping make sure that
we've taken care of things that you all
wanted us to do before we bring it back
for public hearings see if there's
anything else that we need to do to
clean up the plan for that first thing
you asked us to do was to bring back the
downtown Street scapes conceptual plan
and the phases so that you could talk
could include that in the action plan
and look at what's proposed and see if
there any changes that you wanted to
make to that so I'm gonna go over it how
it's written in the plan and then you
guys can discuss it when I'm done so
phase one is to complete the front
Street Street Street scape from sunset
to Alder so they did stormwater
improvements a while ago on
three-quarters of that section they
didn't do half of the west side of the
street they pulled out all the trees
they put in new stormwater they put a
new sidewalks widen the sidewalks where
they could and that was it so the first
part is to the first proposed part was
to replace the street trees add new
plantings benches receptacles and bike
racks replace the sidewalk on the west
part that they didn't do and replace the
trees there as well and then do a
feasibility study for a pedestrian
scramble at front and sunset so what is
currently going to happen as part of
phase 1 that is in the 2018 budget is
that only the trees that were removed
during the stormwater were a few years
ago
are going to
be replaced along with some benches and
receptacles and that is done that's
being done because of money the funding
so that's that's what's actually gonna
happen
phase two is doing the altar festivals
yes I go back please
so so so phase one there's four bullets
on what we wanted to do and phase two is
what we're doing
yes so the two things to do so the two
things that got dropped the feasibility
study and doing redoing the sidewalks
and stormwater on the west northwest
portion of Front Street okay are those
being just pushed to Phase two being
pushed a face I don't know if I think
the phases are probably going to change
a little bit now okay you want to help
with that sure because I was just saying
I didn't I didn't see the feasibility
study on the next page yeah I didn't put
it in anywhere so okay so you didn't you
didn't I was doing you are what or what
are the what the phases that were
adopted but I just wanted to show you
this change because this is what's
actually being done which leaves some of
phase one still do we discussed that
makes sense yes okay so phase two is the
alder Festival Street which means
acquisition of some right away which is
where the sidewalks are on private
property so we'd have to acquire that it
means adding some Street trees and some
festival lighting and that's at creating
of creating a festival street it would
be opened to the public it would be used
for you could drive on it most of the
time it will just be closed for
festivals for parties phase three is the
front street streetscape improvements
doing the same thing that was done
between sunset and alder only between
alder and dogwood so those three phases
are phases that were looked at
financially so there is a budget or a
proposed budget attached to each of
those
lastly other future phases these are
other things that were discussed in the
plan that could be done don't have any
budgeting attached to them but that
doesn't mean that they couldn't
potentially be moved up as part of the
front folds to Old Town plan so the
actual implementation of the of the
Scramble if it's feasible make front
Street Street scape improvements from
dogwood all the way to Gilman
have public-private partnerships to
install parklets create a Creek over
look at dairy cold which would
definitely be a private-public
partnership and street improvements at
the hatchery which are involved trees
and seating and that kind of thing also
public private Oh private or public
public public public public it's owned
by the state but it's not us it's not
all of us so that was what was intended
by that so I if you all want to ask
questions and talk about this part now I
do have a question as far as the street
streetscapes with the landscaping and
the trees mean that we are gonna be
hitting this at multiple phases we asked
if the public would be interesting and
donating to a tree if they would be
interested in donating a tree donating a
tree or like a charity type Drive where
people can purchase a tree for a cause
we have not know it might be something
we could use or help raise revenue for
maybe a local charity food bank or like
that
what is the funding source for this just
the general CIP usually I don't know
what it is for if it for phase one for
what's being done this year I don't know
if it's both grants and City money the
usually a grant grants pay for the bulk
of it okay so the so my second question
is like what was the intended funding
for all three phases grant funded grant
funding and then we give what we can
impact yeah all of these plans look
wonderful with lots of trees and stuff
is or any of the trees impacting the
flow of traffic the any of the proposed
trees or any of the existing trees yeah
not that was discussed during the
planning process no
at park but parking will be parking will
be slightly impacted because there are
some additional bull ballots or places
for pedestrians / to do safer crosswalks
so some of that is impacted not much I
think it's two spaces along the entire
front street for those people who can't
find a parking plan eliminating any
parking this is problematic yeah we
gotta get him to walk yeah so in the
plan there's a few ways that they were
going to handle enhanced crossing so
that there were treatments on the ground
particularly at older Street for the
festival Street is that still heard of
one of those faces that is still mm-hmm
okay I think it's a phase I think it's
face to may be face one oh it would be
part of Phase two I think I'd have to
look at the detailed budget but I think
it's part of Phase two
so was that included in one of those
bullet points so well I didn't get into
the details of exactly yeah I was just
trying to outline for you all it's in
the packets okay but I'm sure it's in
here somewhere I probably have read it
but what when is phase one two and three
what year is it phase one was initially
going to be 2018 but it was proposed to
be the full phase 1 2018 19 and like I
said only part of that's being done and
the rest of those I think Keith's that
last time have now been pushed out to
six years plus
for the rest of phase 1 & 2 & 3 that's
as far as I change yes okay when he said
the rest I assumed all yes
so why pushed out so far I mean I know
you're saying funding but it sounds like
we we came into this with the
expectation we had funding and then what
happened
I don't know that you go into it every
time with the expectation that you have
funding I think you planned something
and work for the funding and the the
City Council because those trees had
been taken out and the businesses and
the residents wanted it the trees back
they said let's get that piece done this
year let's be sure they have their trees
back this year so is this something that
needs to be brought up with counsel as
far as your marking and creating the
urgency for the budget is this something
that we have any power on well that was
as I understood it the purpose of this
discussion was that if you all wanted to
see something moved up and the action
plans we move it up this goes to Council
and it can be discussed there I'd like
to see it all moved up and die I think
one thing is also presumably a lot of
money in time and effort was put
together to put in a lot of design
detail and so I think it's important to
not you know let this go stale and then
create a new plan five years from now
that requires the same amount of money
agreed I don't as i'm thumbing through
it I see no reason to meddle with all
the great design work it's just a
question of trying to find the financial
bandwidth so knocking some of these
things out right and this wasn't to
discuss the design work or what was done
and you know do we really want those
trees here or the festival street it's
looking at the proposed phases and
looking at the future phases as well
that I included in there to see if
there's anything that you all would like
to see even though it's six years and
six years out say no this is a smaller
piece maybe the parklets you know those
are pushed out they're a public-private
partnership they cost less money they
can be temporary maybe you say let's
push that into 2019 and get that done so
christen this printout it's organized by
section is there is there a part of the
part of the printout that has the has
the phasing doctor written it's in the
back it's it's in the back let me see
so page 47 of our pocket I know it
doesn't really have 620 has the
estimated design and construction cost
that shows the phases okay that's that's
what you walked us through this yeah 6.0
is the implementation and then after
that the two or three pages after that
break it down into budget budget and
what's in each of those budgets this
evenness isn't as detailed as what I
have but yeah breaks it down a little
bit there is the side thought is the
Overlook at Derry gold is that in the
park plan not that I'm aware of no
because parks at parks is more concerned
with parks focuses on public spaces and
that's on a private property
because what was talked about during the
plan is doing it in their parking lot so
those would be improvements made by the
city and dairy gold with you know dairy
gold grants access I think back to
number one phase one
yeah phase one oops
hey so the tree I'm looking at the trees
okay and then go to phase two so unless
you had a thought I see on Phase two
we're also adding more trees so is it a
issue what's the issue with the trees
why couldn't all the trees be done in
phase one I think those are just on
alder Street as part of the festival
Street right phase two okay so they need
to do the demolition on the festival
Street before they consider putting in
the trees
takes time more than just planting the
trees actually infrastructure right you
get the sidewalk you'd build the
sidewalks out and it looks like it's
gonna be more of a I've just lost the
word but one of those roads without
without sidewalks there's construction
involved owner yeah it's like um what's
the street in downtown Seattle that they
tried to do it Pike Place has it but
Bell Street Bell Street Street is
probably the most modern version we have
it kind of works
the idea is you Blair the one in the
highlands right by the movie theater
right yeah so my idea of actually maybe
raising revenue for the trees may not
work but we still might be able to use
that idea to help raise funds for
charity sure speaking of speaking of
funding mechanism so on page 48
whatever the page we're all looking at
the 1616 so it specifically calls that
so those that there's federal grants and
state grants and then there's a lid
mm-hmm we want to talk about a lid that
was that considered in prior years
because I look at this and this is this
is a lot of these are a lot of nice
things but it's a lot of quality of life
which tells me that something like a lid
makes sense because what you're doing is
you're really in guys yeah yeah you're
at you're adding a lot of value to the
local neighborhood in terms of property
value right and like it's nice for the
rest the community but this seems like
something that that's very conducive for
a local improvement
and something else that needs to be done
and the reason this was in here is that
a fiscal study needs to be done to see
find out what some of the best funding
mechanisms are so a lid there they would
look at a lid and talk to property
owners and see if that's one of their
best options this was just a list of
possibilities okay what seems like if
you're talking with the pull for it he's
like that would be the right thing to do
first is to identify a permanent source
of funding okay and similarly the step
seven a collaboration with the DIA
mmm-hmm I'm surprised nobody from di is
here today to talk about something that
could make a big difference to the
downtown right well I think they're
hoping that the faces go ahead as
planned I'm not sure yes and if they
were here they could discuss that and
put more pressure on it which might get
that to move forward right I'm looking
for community engagement so thoughts on
the phasing my general thought is in
this may be contrary to what others
think but I guess just like at a high
level I I would probably prefer to
prioritize the streetscaping stuff like
the left the stuff we haven't done in
phase one and what's mentioned in phase
three over the festival Street okay this
is a general thought I mean I'm excited
about the festival street but we were
pretty good at festivals already shut
down the street and have a festival so I
think the street scape improvements are
a higher priority for me I mean but I
want it all to happen Mike I'm starting
with Phase three is that it's 2.3
million dollars to do the front Street
between older and dogwood and I feel
like that's gonna be difficult to
propose whereas perhaps the 1.3 with the
festival Street could get some of the
Downtown Association behind it and you
could really get it done yeah get
something done here what makes all the
other dogwood so expensive
this is just a longer stretch of road I
think it's a longer stretch of road and
at the same time while we've adjusted
the stormwater here between sunset and
alder it hasn't been done between alder
and dogwood so everything that's already
been done will have to be tacked on to
this project ok so there's some
additional additional yes
you know bread and butter touch and
there's no irrigate you know they put in
the I can't think of words they not the
irrigation but they put in like the
valves and conduits they put in the
conduits for the irrigation in this
piece which they don't have already up
there so there's additional work is
there anything in here that is safety
really anything in here that city fees
safety Oh safe if you looking at
priority anything here that would
enhance safety the crosswalks help to
build up safety
I think pulling those forward makes more
sense than things that are more
facilitating comfort ok I'm gonna do
that without the center wise wouldn't
you can put in a crosswalk without
improving the neighboring sidewalk you
can but the you only want to try and
disturb things once and if you go in and
I'm not an engineer but if you go in and
you do a crosswalk but the intent is to
invention widen those sidewalks you'd
like to widen the sidewalks and do the
crosswalks at the same time so that
you're not doing it twice ok and you're
probably right but for notes I think if
there's anything if there's anything
safety related that can be pulled
forward in a safety for an inch possible
yeah in a reasonable way then okay we
don't yet know I hear what you're saying
it doesn't make sense to pull some of
these projects apart you could do the
crosswalks in the phase one area up to
Alder potentially and just make sure
that that those treatments are done
there that would be a part of it yes a
phase one okay timeline we're looking at
phase 1 2018 so does that mean phase 2 B
2019 and then Tory or just win that was
originally proposed but now they've been
pushed out six years plus but you can
recommend yeah exactly that's and that's
what this is you want to see any pieces
of this and
cluding the future phases that don't
have budgets attached to them pushed up
like parklets or work with fishery Fish
Hatchery any of those you can propose to
move those up okay reason I'm suggesting
issues with the years is because I'm
foreseen that we will likely have a
economic decline soon
in which case funds may be come
restricted these projects will get
pushed out I'm saying that because we're
a cyclical market and right now the
economy is humming along but in two to
three years from now we might start
seeing a downturn which would be
reasonable and if these projects are
getting pushed out three to six years
that's probably going to be in that that
downturn which means they may get pushed
out in definitely so do you see anything
on the phases that you would like to
push up for the six years I would like
to push up the Gilman gateway welcome to
Issaquah sign at the front I think that
has a high impact and it's something
that many many people have said they
want to see however I would like to
comment for that that it should be
positioned to acknowledge the fact that
the entrance to old town has now moved I
well that's where it is it's the corner
if you look if you look at the way it's
positioned on the Don this might just be
updating the diagram but it looks like
the entrance is turning onto Front
Street and it should be positioned to
acknowledge that old route 10 is also
part of yeah Old Town now I think it's
on that corner welcoming people as
they're coming off of the freeway term I
think it's gonna go in where it's
feasible for site and safety so anything
you don't like oh sorry
Karl go ahead you're on a roll I was
gonna say like I agree that that seemed
like something that was distinct that
could be done okay on its own okay I
think the takeaway is we all want it all
done so I think looking at funding it's
probably more important than trying to
and then they have Venice sequencing
okay you know I think that the people
who you who put this plan together
actually looked at the process of what
can be done when it can be done what it
should be done in what order so I don't
I don't see anything that besides a sign
that you can just whip out and and do
I'm not for we doing I think it's a
waste of money to to redo some some of
this stuff so my only thing is I don't
want it put in a drawer and forgotten
I want it somehow to make sure that it
is top shelf and if money is available
before six years that the council looks
at it and and processes higher than six
years from now I'm gonna support what
she says like I agree but I would
actually like to make it a step forward
and actually put your commitments on
here and say 2018 2019 2020 or something
of that sort so we actually have a we're
specifying some sort of timeline
otherwise I'm afraid that this these
things won't contain just in the action
part of the plan you can say for example
that from 2018 to 2019 all of phase 1
maybe the next year all of phase two and
three it can be as simple as that to to
place them on your action items for Old
Town and I don't I don't know how useful
it is if it's not funded I think it's a
good idea to put it on there right and
understanding it maybe a little bit of
an empty gesture and then I would also
add on to phase one the
feasibility Rowlett the well not even
the feasibility study on that particular
area but figuring out the funding
because now you know putting that as a
priority rather than just saying this is
when we think it should be done so the I
haven't seen it yet I haven't taken a
look but the TI p is coming to you in
the next month or so this is a good time
to have a discussion with Public Works
when they come as well
and talk about priorities on the TI p in
the front street streetscape and plan
I'm making a recommendation their two
sons one of Carl did yet did you want to
say something oh I did that's all right
no no that's okay oh okay well I'll say
something I I think realistically we
can't go
you know phase one in a year phase two
and yeah I would say if we spread it out
over six years and kind of say two years
so 2019 to 2020 for phase one 2021 to
2022 and Karia like that just knowing
that it takes time to you know to figure
out the funding in and to actually
implement anything you can't do it that
even that in two years probably but so
I'd say as a bit of a me meet them
halfway kind of a gesture that if
everything was pushed out six years
maybe we could say well let's try to
accomplish it within six years and you
know two years per phase okay Kristen
have has the city done anything in
regards to establishing a lid or BIA no
what's the price not interesting what's
the process to do that does the city
initiate that the city even initially
has to be done because seems to me
that's where you're gonna get your money
from again we're relying on grants and
stuff I don't put a lot of faith in that
that's a crapshoot mm-hmm at the lid or
a business improvement area is one way
that you've got to you can get the money
mm-hmm that seems to me the city should
be doing something to initiate that
process
I'm not sure what the mechanism is to do
that do you write the city would do the
research to find out how much of an
increase for all the properties it would
be and and you could say to do that to
start the lid process at least in 1819
do you do that by going out to the
businesses with a letter initiating and
saying hey we're looking at doing this
right that hasn't been done or who has
to initiate know we would initiate that
right because yeah this is just a DAP in
what last year this was adopted and yes
last year April of last year so we're
just getting started
are there any existing lids for those
properties that they're already paying
on know there has been a lid in the past
but just yeah but this one it ended not
in like a couple of years ago a few
years ago for then are we considering I
know there's some conversation of a
parking structure right that we're going
to address sometime in the future
supposed to parking solution sure yeah
yes parking solution thank you yes that
would possibly include a lid so do we
have any concerns that if we talk about
a lid for a front street streetscape
plan that it would cause problems with
getting the parking handled well maybe I
had not heard that there was talk of a
lid with the parking structure until you
just told it to me but you know just the
idea that we're gonna have to find
funding for that as well and whether or
not that comes from the capital
improvement or CIP or you know something
it's all competing dollars right right
right
parking solutions but I had heard
obviously because this one's in the
adapted plan I think it's important to
keep them separate because I think this
is you know it's a million or two this
is pretty cheap relative to building
parking the parking would be a big
investment that would probably involved
much more in than Old Town mm-hmm
whereas this I feel like it's just old
town it's enough dollars that if you
spread it over a couple years it's a
pretty small lid I don't I don't I feel
like parking is a big yeah citywide
discussion not and this we can kind of
keep in just the neighborhood so how
about if in the
18 20 19 action plan we include include
we include begin discussions about a lid
you know or begin research on cost
estimates for a lid and what that would
be and work with you know if feasible
then work with the property owners there
are better words can can it be I did
it's something can be a little bit
bigger but also a little more aggressive
to say identify no I didn't identify a
permanent source of funding that can be
the action is to is identify funding and
it doesn't matter if it's we put it into
the CIP or we decided to roll with
grants already put in the lid I know I
don't want to just be discuss a lid for
two years and then we don't actually get
to implementing it until 2020 in 2021
I would love to see in in an 1819
timeframe the city decide how we want to
fund this and you are just talking about
phase one are you talking about phase
two I would like to see accomplished in
phase one how we're going to fund all
the phases all the phases okay and and
the decision might be that we funded via
the CIP process and it takes eight years
that that's fine but I would love to
determine how we're going to fund it we
decided what we want to do and how and
how we're gonna do it
execution-wise now we have to decide how
we're gonna do it from a funding
standpoint and we should we should
decide that now so that we can have this
not become stale okay what I didn't like
when you said begin the process of
discussion that that doesn't hold you
know there has to be a end mm-hmm okay
the decide more action-oriented yeah but
I you know this is a big process your is
creating this lid you're asking
businesses to partake and pay money for
this so it's gonna be a long process
you've got to work about well how much
is it gonna hurt business oh you know do
we want businesses in town or not so all
of that has that's a long discussion
there are things that have to be done
surely if staff and the men the mayor
and whatnot think'll it is worth
pursuing surely we can go through that
public process within the
months mm-hmm I've never done it but I
would have 18 months sure oh I have
another concern that I was thinking
about and that is if we go through phase
1 2 & 3 and they are all they will all
affect Front Street even phase 2 that's
a lot of construction people are going
to get upset because it's long
construction cycles would there be a net
savings if we did everything at the same
time and if we don't have the money to
start the process this year wait a year
or two years until we do a lid or and we
just hit it one shot because we have all
the construction vehicles there we have
everything locked off we're doing it all
at the same time again I'm not an
engineer but there's got to be a reason
they didn't propose to do it all at once
and my guess is that it's funding right
which which i think is is Ron's point is
if we go with the lid that you can bond
against does it make more sense to just
to do it all yeah do do all the front
strangers to all at once that's worth
looking at when the consultant looks at
how much it's gonna cost you know
looking at combining phases or breaking
up phases that's something that the
consultant can look at okay because
whether there would be a savings there
or not I don't know well what that would
do was to make people find a different
way to go through front street for
traffic they would have to go 18 they
would have to find another way and then
you could open up Front Street and
Africa would be normal we start tomorrow
you just make it 10 year process not on
the record so at the end of the funding
mechanisms section it says the economic
development department staff will need
to perform a financial study to explore
these funding mechanisms more thoroughly
and recommend a funding path right so it
sounds like that portion is really what
we want brought into phase one and put a
focus on figuring out which of these
options and
I don't know about you guys but I think
all of the funding options that they
mentioned the federal funding the wash
dot or the Improvement District or area
I think are all valid and reasonable and
should be considered so I have here for
2018-2019 identify funding sources for
all phases now when we expanded on but
that's okay okay
can the Commission recommend we look
into a lid as like our official initial
position or is that premature I would
suggest having whoever does this we're
gonna have a consultant anyway look at
all of it to see what really is the most
reasonable and the most accountable so
we didn't so the consultants who put
this together did not scope in know I
mean I might strengthen that statement
to ask the staff to perform the
financial study what's the difference
well she just said consider I'm just
saying can we let the financial study on
the docket to make sure that we are
specifically asking for that not just a
conversation about it
2018-2019 perform a financial study to
identify funding for all phases all
right thank you okay we good can we move
on any more backing out all right oops
so moving on to some of the edits that
came up last time this one was actually
ours we were looking at the last section
that said parting thoughts and we
thought you know this really belongs
upfront so so we moved out of the
streetscape and old I just did yeah is
that okay you Jerry do you have more
it's like that
no I just I just wanted to make sure I
should be flipping like Akamai and so we
just looked at it and thought this was
our edit we thought parting thoughts
belonged up at the top so we moved part
of it to quality of life and part of it
to plan framework because it says this
plan creates a roadmap so and thank you
for changing threats to quality of life
that was another one
again for a long time yeah when I went
through the plan you have you're not
consistent with the e on ah
we thought we'd cut them off okay well
we thought we got them all yeah I don't
know where it is right now but though
isn't the understanding to take it off
no the understanding is to leave it in
there bad good yeah yeah okay the next
one what came up one thing that came up
last time and we did this on your
quality of life as to define cut through
traffic
we had one sentence we've put it into
two because there's sort of different
things so vehicular traffic passing
through old town and this is just kind
of explaining the threats or what's
affecting the quality of life via killer
traffic passing through old town without
stopping or without at least an origin
or destination within the area also
known as cut through traffic is worse
than it has ever been and then we
separated out regional traffic caused by
growth outside of Issaquah increases
congestion on front and sunset there's
fallacy in that they are stopping and
going and stopping and going that's a
different kind of stopping I know
comments on that one you good okay I was
quick okay plan and it's there were
several things that you asked us to do
here one was to work with the different
transit agencies and other providers to
add routes increase frequency of service
and increased service options that was
down in later years and we moved it up
to short-term prepare an inventory of
missing pedestrian and bicycle
facilities also moved up and begin
implementing recommendations from the
downtown streetscape plan has been added
so there is something about their
streetscape plan in the first one but
it's not implement so 2021 is
implementing it says begin implementing
oh yeah mm-hmm here let's see
continue implementing continued
implementation of the wreck of the
downtown street okay here's a question
so we're looking at two different years
2018 2019 2020 and 2021 and what was the
intention are we really looking at 2018
2019 for the phase one oh you you have
continued implementing in the printout
short-term dua and I just changed it
here okay
which makes more sense yeah you have
began in 1819 and then 2020 you have
continued okay all right so it's right
in what ice cave you yeah I just messed
it up here okay all right well then that
kind of negates the question okay can
you have a calm after Sound Transit
absolutely thank you
oh wait what did you just say can I add
a comma after after San transit oh yes
Oxford comma okay got that all right
a couple of others create and adopt the
neighborhood redevelopment infill to
quit we just decided we need to create
it first ensure support and review
improvements to Internet connectivity
and cell service we clarified this and
we moved it up based on a discussion
last time and then create an old town
community garden that was in the last in
the long term so we moved that up as
well to short term where where was
number 10 in the short term where it was
the community garden it was in the long
term longer term section where oh I
don't know we have to figure it out okay
don't know any area that's wet anyway no
questions short term 2020 21 and long
term 2020 2021
that's right in the printout it's 2022
to 2025 in the preneur I think that was
a cut and paste error on my part
yeah okay that's okay so longer term
which is beyond 2021 increased mobility
options such as the trolley shopping
shuttle out of area parking to improve
mobility options for Old Town landed
that is that Charlie ready yeah it works
this was just an expansion it doesn't
how often it runs yeah exactly it
doesn't run regularly but it works and
they would like to increase the amount
of time they don't have been part of
that yeah okay so there are things that
we talked about that we recognized that
we haven't addressed yet one is that we
need to add Maps this plan does not have
a map in it so we need to put the maps
back in or a map to give a shout out to
confluence and ties to central Issaquah
in other areas like the trail trail
heads and so forth we know that that has
to be in here if you all want to discuss
any potential policies for that tonight
let us know if you have any ideas but we
can work on that too and bring it back
next time address individual gateways
was one that came up last time it was in
the original draft that we brought here
but they were taken out and so we have
some policies that are written we can
put those back in the streets Kate has
some nice gateway pictures look at page
49 okay
I'm saying if you want to if you want to
reuse that diagram got a West Gate Way
north gate way if we're gonna if we're
if if the streetscape guide design or
whatever that seems called downtown
street shape concept plan and still
valid we should just take those gateways
and then just incorporate this in the
plan okay
this one this one came up discussed
which when it's somebody from the public
brought it up discuss which we use to
protect we have two existing policies in
there one is required building setbacks
to preserve views of the hillsides for
mid 16th Street corridors and the other
improved public accessing to and views
of Issaquah Creek in the East Fork of
Issaquah Creek with in Old Town so those
are both existing is there something
else that you all would like to change
or add or clarify or make stronger yes
okay I think three two is fine but it's
not that's not about preserving of you
that's about preserving just use in
general can't ensuring that your general
visibility I think the idea is that
there are specific views that we want
protected and we want that articulated
similar to access some use of his cook
week and Creek in that east for I think
the one that keep that keeps in mind is
the viewer veneer okay and so I think
having that in the plan to make sure
that a structure say along Front Street
does not block the view of Renier from
Rainier Street okay urban air Rainier in
front I think I see it from both so I
think that's the one I did so the
comment I brought this up a couple means
and as it keeps coming up is specifying
which views we want to protect so I like
I like that three threes in there I
didn't realize that I think that's kind
of language we're looking for I think
the view of Mount Ranier is one I'd like
to add what other specific views not the
general we want to be able to see green
because I'm but that's not you can't
point the three point to and say we
can't you can't do this development you
use three point two to say okay I want
my zoning to have a certain setback you
don't use it you you don't use it to
defend a specific view I think I'm
looking for more specific views okay any
other view I would say as you're going
self down Front Street is that self
going toward squawk Mountain being able
to see squawk Mountain on the street
when you're driving through Front Street
okay and that's just looking at
particularly south of sunset whether or
not there would be building heights at
that point that would affect the ability
to see okay yes I just hope that if you
don't initiate illuminate all of the
possible views individually some of
they're going to get lost because of
they're not in there well then they're
not important views is there something
else you want to add no okay and we by
doing that I'm afraid that you take away
that the rest of it I mean I think if
you think about this really say for
example the the view of squawk Mountain
from South Front Street and the view of
Mount Rainier from Renier Boulevard we
can call those though because the only
ones the city can really protect her the
views from public areas we can't protect
them from someone's house or from you
know it has to be like from a public
park or a public street we can try to
protect those because we are in control
of what happens on the site but so
there's really only four view corridors
because there's only four streets of
significance Renier front sunset and
then hold about ten I think as you
mentally tick through it we've covered
we're near in front on sunset and over
out 10:00 as you stand on those streets
is there a specific view that's right
protecting well you might want to
protect Tiger Mountain from Memorial
Field and squawk as well if your own
sense that it's from any public the note
that that's why I messed that question
I'm prompting you guys think
specifically about those four main
streets mm-hmm I think your point about
the field and when Newports not covered
in this great downtown oh yeah I I can't
think of any more but I think he thought
we'd spend other-- minute on no I think
since it curves enough that I wouldn't
say that you necessarily need a few yeah
those are good questions okay yeah I
think if you add ririn squawk to section
3 that'd be a good addition okay so I
think the problem with talking about
Tiger in relationship to the downtown
area is whether or not there is a
specific view corridor from a specific
Street but I was just throwing that out
there that it's not just Street
corridors where you can see the outsides
it can be services you see pupu point
from you an old town or do you gotta get
over for the south let's see it yeah
let's hear from all front street that
might be one from front street the
entire view of Front Street you can see
the point
most of them squawk most of tiger and
definitely arena
this does presuppose it's a nice day
Billy you can see people point from mosa
front I'll check it out say that's all
walking to her yeah the other thing to
look at is from any particular parks
whether or not there are views and so
looking within that area you've got
confluence park which could have a view
particularly across the bridge I don't
know if there's a view in that direction
don't think there's particularly a view
from Memorial Park do we have a walking
tour schedule
we haven't driving to our scheduled tour
huh 24 24 mm-hmm
we maybe just add that to the agenda to
not only talk about neighborhoods
excretes capes but well added to our
stops and yeah see if you can see the
exactly yeah pens it'll be daylight it
will be here in the tour okay
that's a great idea police night raid
arms okay but another option Lindsey
along with what you were saying is that
you well I don't know good I did during
that period of time to stop at those
parks and see if there are any
particular views that we would want to
protect right okay all right and then
moving on it was requested that we call
out treasures in the plan we currently
say forma formally recognized the
abundant Issaquah treasures located and
is in Old Town that's a policy in there
all of the treasures are listed in the
comprehensive plan they are potentially
getting revamped soon but as I mentioned
last time most of those are located at
least two-thirds of those are located in
Old Town but I don't know if that's if
what is here currently is enough to call
out the treasures or if you all are
looking for more now I would look for
them listed or at least a section that
discusses the abundance of them okay
so you want it more than just mentioning
him you want him called out not as an
action item just as a or do you want it
in the plan and appendix would make
sense it was after we had him in the
original but let me I'm not sure if I
agree cuz I don't because one of the
things we want to avoid doing is having
a list of things show up in multiple
documents right it's already in the
appendix of the conflict yeah I think I
disagree with you is this something
changes you got to make sure it changes
in both places yeah man and just so that
you're consistent I mean do we want to
say as per their whatever comp plans
people know to look there
sure okay add that to the only I would
include a link as well since we are in
the digital age hey AJ for isn't for the
clouds yes you could see him okay okay
alright there anything else that are in
the policies or can you spell it can you
spell it what a to you is I know it got
dropped out yes sir yeah I didn't five
two five three okay yes
do we need to all right phrase this
question is there anything so now that
we're adding old route 10 there's
anything that needs to change I think
everything's raised a vaguely enough
that and everything everything that
would apply to front and science I think
you could add something in the goal a
place making that discusses that as a
special place I might recommend to that
we're doing the tour next time and then
we open the public hearing and you'd
have discussion then too after you've
seen it it might help to go out there
and instead of seeing in the context of
central Issaquah seeing in a context of
Old Town mm-hm and working on a policy
after that anything else
okay speaking and boundaries so I don't
I don't think our intention was to
discuss this tonight really but to throw
it up here that's in your packet see if
you have any thoughts on that part of
the tour is for you all to think about
the boundaries and what fits within your
idea of Oldtown and what doesn't and so
we can talk about these tonight if you'd
like to and that was the reason for an
aerial view and the zoning and that the
labels respond idea of why things might
be in the locations they were in and we
have big ones here too if you wanted to
unroll those for any reason and I think
one of the questions that we had kind of
brought up was the north eastern portion
of rent north of Gilman whether or not
it that makes as much sense in this
portion so you're talking about old
route 10 yes no I
well you in the northwest you all had
decided to keep I think the only thing
was the oh I guess we did we did here
right mm-hmm I had questions about the
ones that were facing rent straight
right by the inner changed their whether
or not they fit the character but I
think we want to make sure that if they
make changes that they go toward the
character so okay the only the only one
that I think is still is the ones on
Front Street south of Clark
[Applause]
I don't even need to say about that now
but that's definitely one for the tour -
yeah
you put them in there early as I think
yeah it really depends on where you want
your entrance to old town do you want it
down we're second in front meet which is
where it is now or is it really at Clark
/ Newport is that the entrance okay
those could mean two very different
things well when we drive mm-hmm we can
make those decisions they look at it
real time yep
okay the tour is the 20 no no thank you
look at that May 24th yeah it's also in
your packet on one of the last pages we
try to put those in is the two open to
the public I think so
it depends as to how many people are in
the band sure well but do an agenda that
shows where we where we are gonna stop
like we did for central that you know
whatever time we'll hope to stop here
wherever so people are protesting they
can they can follow us around I think
that's a little complicated about
setting up time the discussion might go
right but for public public since it's a
public meeting when you guys are all
together we have to have a public agenda
in places where they can find us
generally like we did for central yeah
we had to do that for central that's
fine so that's all I have so we will
make changes that we talked about
tonight put things in here that we
didn't get a chance to put in here last
time and bring it back for the public
hearing at the next meeting I had one
question about the boundary last time we
talked about the southern corner or
southern pocket that's kind of cut out
of it and why was that why did we decide
to have that little notch in there the
reason why I'm bringing it up is because
the outer boundary actually follows a
Rainier Trail mm-hmm and then it stops
as it goes through
well it doesn't stop but the Rainier
trail goes right through that little
boundary area and I'm just thinking it
doesn't does it make sense to have a
like
Trish way back away we're weighing the
Wayback Machine we were Charlie before
the dinosaurs were gone we were trying
to get all of the school and the bus
barn in the old town because they were
part of the community facilities that we
had you can change you could stop it at
Clarke if you wanted and have all of
this southern part be not in all town I
mean it's totally up to you all what you
think should belong but back in the day
we wanted all of the community
facilities that were in that area to be
an old town I think there was also a
discussion whether or not those had
sewer access mm-hmm somebody yes right
there was on our tour we definitely want
to go down and look at that right see if
they got sewer that was what they said
at the last meeting right I remember cuz
that used that used to be an issue on
whatever the street south of that was
always Lois Lane City versus County in
offense County it can be Sur but if it
city has to be mandated at Sun oh it's
all City yeah that's all fitting this is
this is just neighborhoods right there
so we have little pockets that don't
have sewer yet and the situation didn't
had that area banana x2 the time oh yeah
yes I can hurt point heavy well part
yeah Park Point had him such a pert
that's in there okay okay so look at
that sometime look at that all yeah but
we should make him know cuz that would
be Bob might know which would be Bob
that's exciting
Trish actually to that other caller the
other question about that those three
properties would it make sense for the
city for the district to actually
purchase that land with what money
mmm-hmm what district yeah
school districts purchased the land
purchase the land right next to the
baseball field and the football fuel
seems like that would be a which
direction are you going the bus furnace
know if you go down towards that little
at the southern boundary mark and you
would have to ask them they would have
to buy up all the little pieces or do
eminent domain on all the little pieces
you can go to school board meeting run
yeah all night no you check I'll sign
now they didn't do that it's a very
cheery it isn't it do you like that
doesn't it just get invigorating just do
it to a jeffers to me I'm not sure about
the palm trees yes but when you think of
Issaquah do you think of palm trees no
my backyard you will see palm trees
cozier down at the tables to do the
visioning I know you'd do visioning in
your sleep now but if you wanted to you
could do visioning down here or if you
wanted to stay up here you can also do
visioning up here depends we're supposed
to put you in a very comfortable
facilitating the sea you guys came you
got his cookies this is actually David's
part that I'm still experiencing I can
find here I think aren't we always
visioning yes we really are that's why I
wanted to be sure you guys got a shot at
the strategic plan so do you want us
just be cozy where you are do you want
to be cozy down in the other seats
that's fine it's fine give me your okay
up here do you go over just a little bit
about how the community has the
opportunity to do this I have tons of
information up here yeah okay yes I will
- so there's just gonna be all sorts of
excitement going on I think I sent you
all the email that opened that started
out the strategic plan
it's my question to my fellow counsel
Michener's is whether or not you've all
filled out the survey the survey well
there's still time there's still time
and what I'm supposed to read to you all
now is this structured exercise is an
opportunity for you to give input into
the vision and priorities you believe
the city should focus its resources on
achieving we will begin by describing
the strategic planning process and
afterwards we will move into questions
which will give you an opportunity to
provide your input on its akua's vision
for the future and its priorities I
didn't write this
but we were told that this is the
direction we're supposed to give you
ground rules I thought this was
important with this bunch treat everyone
respectfully do not interject or speak
over people Ron and AJ and the rest
let's peek over AJ others are speaking
no side conversations everyone's
comments are valued it is important to
hear from everyone Ron we're going to
merits please be mindful of the time we
have do not speak for extensive periods
of time can we all do that yes we can so
what what and why which sounds a little
bit like a wrinkle in time but it's not
exactly the reason we're doing this is
to have a shared vision for multiple
years that will engage as many people
who live work and play here as possible
to unite around a common set of goals
and priorities your participation will
help with this of course you guys are
all had at visioning and goals and
priorities so it was important to me to
make sure that we made the time to do
this what is a strategic plan
it's a document it's used to help us
with our priorities goals and actions
I'm hoping there's also a funding
mechanism so that when we have something
that we really want to do that the
strategic plan helps us to make sure
that the funding is available for the
hard-working plans that we've all put
together as you all talked about with
the streetscape plan I think that's a
big a big part of what the strategic
plan could be and why are we a part of
this is I think pretty obvious because
you guys live here you work here you are
part of it you've already volunteered a
lot of your time for it you know how
important these sorts of things are to
have outreach and there's also something
on the website that you can encourage
all of your neighbors and co-workers and
folks that you know to go on the website
and also do the surveys they also
there's a place this is called you are
participating in a meeting in a box and
there's information that LM your
homeowners association or your neighbors
or your book club or your Zumba class
you can get people together and do this
meeting in the box a very similar thing
and turn in all your results to the city
and that would be super great so this is
the graphic of where we're going the
first part is who we are and that's what
we're working on now and then this ends
I think in the middle of May we have to
have all our results in and then we work
on where we want to go and then we check
back in with the community to make sure
that they can't they captured what you
all were talking about and then at the
end is how we get there so those are the
three phases and I believe we're
supposed to be done with this by the end
of the year although I don't see
anything called out date wise but that's
always been my thought that we're
supposed to be done by the end of the
year so with that are you ready for the
first question
I need a scribe please
they decided not to be cozy in the table
before you start with these questions
how many people are you looking at to do
this we have 15,000 people in this that
we're going at 15,000 different answers
75% will say traffic is terrible I want
you to fix it
we've been trying to do that for I've
been on 17 years and we've been trying
to do it for 17 years we're trying
something new and you're gonna be able
to put that in one of the questions and
one of the answers is initiated by City
Council no the City Council but when
they get the results the City Council's
going to sit down and look at us well
it's not what we want
well they might do a meeting in the box
- are you suggesting that we we qualify
these questions by saying we understand
that traffic is a number-one concern
move on to a different type of you know
tell us something other than traffic
what we already know as the facilitator
I need you to stick to the protocol and
answer the questions even though you
guys are rock stars and this is old hat
for you I still need you to follow the
protocol we can't think of five
different questions to ask you can
certainly take the survey and write in
or you can give us more information
after we've done the five questions but
we can't completely change around the
meeting in the box we can't think
outside the box you can at the end you
have to do the five first though you
have to eat your vegetables first and
then you can go for dessert if you want
okay so the first one I want you all to
take a little moment and tell us what do
you personally value about is what you
guys start with Carl you gonna start
with Joan in the next question then I'm
gonna go the opposite way
yeah I valued that it's it's unique it's
different than any other city around
here and it offers a lot of
opportunities for making biking
environmental abilities to enjoy the
environment EQ of excellent first answer
Ron
dude oh these are hard questions hurt
and it's hard to put the answer in words
access to an over access to an abundant
access to abundant outdoor recreational
opportunities excellent
Lyndsey family-friendly safe community
excellent
try I've not let her catch up community
I didn't put that as just you know
describing Issaquah I believe the idea
yes yeah I agree with the community part
I would say it's a like small-town feel
but access to city you guys are good at
this I think I would also add in that
what I put on there is also is in
addition to and should rien ffice eyes
other things like access and outdoor
recreation things like that right all
right I think same I'm glad I went forth
because I like o accessed outdoor
recreation family-friendly community the
small I was gonna say oh it's almost
like smallness but like in a good sense
so that the city I feel like operates a
lot smaller than it actually is another
thing I'd add is affordability relative
to some of our okay neighbors nice
Carl
nothing to add I I digress I can say all
these nice things this reminds me a lot
of total quality management I remember
that
which was a failed experiment in my
opinion but I don't know what else to
add to this
it's a we moved here because we could
afford a house here when we moved it was
a good little community at all the
access to the Seattle but a small town
atmosphere I'm not sure if that exists
anymore because it's now too big with
traffic and everything else okay that
comes that you're good to start with the
next question
I think that's the next question so is
there anything on this list that anyone
disagrees with it sounds like everyone
likes all of them from what I heard I
would also add on there one of the
things that I like about Issaquah versus
other areas like Sammamish or North Bend
is that we're not just a bedroom
community that we have retail and nine
mercial which means that I can get a lot
more done in town yes exactly
not not a not just a bedroom community
yeah not just a bedroom community she
gets to add I want to add free canopy
views of tree canopy and views of the
Alps mountains okay
use of our mountains or helps the quad
and Lake Sammamish thanks Manish I was
gonna say generally the parks I think we
have an excellent set of parks and maybe
I'm biased because I'm up in the
highlands and yeah walk without tripping
over a park but I have a microphone i
think wes is gonna turn it on
if you speak into it does it make up hi
thank you thank you
Kenny's men I'm a resident of a co-op
and Talas and I I would echo all that it
seems to me like Issaquah has a unique
small-town charm
that's probably missing from a lot of
the communities in the Puget Sound and
special things that we have here are
worth going out of our way to protect
the Ithaca Alps Old Town all of the
salmon days and fenders on Front Street
and the activities there is something
very special about Issaquah and I I say
that after raising my family and living
in Bellevue for 25 years
don't make this Bellevue I see that
other cities have functions like salmon
days and stuff that our functions seem
to be more family-oriented close earnest
people know each other it's smaller it's
not broadcasting to the world it's it's
a clock it's less commercial yeah are
you ready for the next question home
ready for the next one
back to winter what aspirations do you
have for us ik wha in the next 15 to 20
years Earl you get to start it
and think of all the things we've hadn't
just just to cue you up the in the last
10 when the first old town was written
the old town plan we've gotten out of
the library we've got improvements to
the fish hatchery we've got confluence
park we've got the community center
where we moved the skateboard park to a
better location we've got the police
station and the City Hall we've done
tons of things just in 10 years and so
this is 10 to 15 what are things that
you you want us to have done it could be
the streetscape we just talked about it
could be sky's the limit
somehow controlling traffic right now
that's the biggest issue and it will be
that may be cross through traffic good
maybe I know I don't know rolling
traffic good fun it's an aspiration no
that's a good aspiration AJ what do you
have I'm trying to figure out a phrases
in a bullet that central a Sequoia is
has is successful smart growth so that
it's not only said that centrally that
has grown the way we went into but also
that it's it's a vibrant and it's grown
in a smart panel manner great Troy I
don't know I think
[Music]
Hey
I have a hard time not saying something
about traffic even though I I don't want
to but I think I think underlining
traffic is is the most important thing
that I mean it's already the thing that
has the potential to impact and make
people not want to come to it's a claw
on a daily basis and I think that if we
don't in and I in when I say that I mean
I think we if we don't engage with the
region because it's a regional traffic
issue and figure that out collectively
then the anisa quo will I think be
doomed in some ways so I'll say that but
then maybe I'll say this I am really
excited about the in all of the sort of
visioning and planning that we've been
the idea of having a lot more sort of
outdoor gathering spaces and kind of
connected walkways and just outdoor
sitting in not just standard parks but
sort of what's like the ideas around
mall Street and just having people meet
outside more in the rain but nonetheless
outside so it's more out it's more
outdoor gathering spaces for people
great
good answer Lindsay I've got two one
figuring out our public transportation
both inside the city and more
connectivity to other areas we've seen
that Seattle has gotten great use of
their public transport I'd like to see
us move forward in that and particularly
around our sound transit planning and
then the other aspiration I have is that
we get caught up on our school planning
and building because that to me is one
of those areas where if we continue to
have the congestion in schools that's
going to affect people wanting to move
here and house prices
things like that great really good Ron
let's see I'm gonna say no through
traffic what does that mean no help me
understand that one no through traffic
would be traffic going from the freeway
coming to and from the freeway to Maple
Valley black diamond Auburn Ken okay or
no through traffic that would normally
take 18 shouldn't take 80 okay not
really so much in the city but west
access to Tiger Mountain for mountain
bikes st3 okay and who achieved the a
world-class leaders status in pedestrian
bike mobility and public transit nice
big I like that one John wait we'll wait
for Kristin
you'll be pondering kind of following on
what what you said
aspirational I would like to see a new
road prevent or to take off that the
through traffic it's aspirational I want
a new road that came out here you're not
raised in the old question are over the
city I just you know this is
aspirational I don't know where it goes
but that's what I would like okay and
the second one would be that Issaquah
would be a world renowned destination
more recreational activities nice I
second that
what about the green necklace no one
mentioned completing the green necklace
is that something we want to have done
in 15-20 years oh nine to conjoin guy to
considered saying that so I think
not only I think if we're talking
aspirationally I think that we are known
for our green necklace the aspiration is
15 to 20 years from now I'm assuming the
green X looks it's gonna be done
definitely in 15 the early part how
about excellent and is there any enough
Oh keep going I'm sorry more
connectivity between north and south of
the 90 so whether that is accomplished
with a lid on the freeway or an
underpass or more walking paths yes flip
I know you have more aspirations on what
permit yes I like that I 94 permeable
north-south okay okay minimize a noise
from high 90 okay
I what something Joan said sparked an
idea in my head and I think I was
thinking about that this question
originally in a different way but from
an image standpoint I think if it's ago
I was known as the Gateway to the
Cascades I mean I think a lot of us
think of it that way that's why that's
why I moved here well it could have been
any mountain range but the fact that
it's Cascades is fine but if it were we
were known for that nice ken do you have
anything to add I think we need to
protect what makes it special while
managing the necessary growth so that we
get what we want out of the head of the
growth and I would also echo we need
more connectivity between the north and
south parts of the quad there's a huge
barrier there called Interstate 90 right
now super and is there anything up there
that anyone disagrees with it sounded
also like you all are in agreement with
what everybody said this is great you're
such a good group for this ready for the
next question
Kristin's ready no why are these things
important to you we're back to Jones
starting out because I want it all I
want easy access I want pretty trees and
parks I want the ability to hike and
bike so it's all of those things axon
that works Ron
the outdoor gateway and better
connectivity to the trails will improve
our will connect people to nature and
improve
quality of life and actor ends he will
improve our leisure lifestyle and hang
courage a better quality of life nice
well done are you doing that's okay
we can transfer here Lindsay are you
ready are you ready I'm gonna get crisp
in a moment okay because you can tell
where she is I can just see her a hand
go inside are not that close she know
you're doing fabulous okay so this is
important to me because I'm here for the
long haul and I want people who are
raising families here to be able to see
themselves as empty nesters here and
enjoying the community at the different
stages of their life nice nice as
different things are important to them
you're very determined look on your face
you have a very determined looking for
things okay Troy are you ready ready
yeah I think I mean I think quality of
life really sums it up well but what I
mean by that is you it's important to me
because I'd like to be able to engage
with Issaquah in lots of different ways
and like not have to just go somewhere
else for stuff you know like it's a it's
a really it's not big it's not a big
city but it has everything that so
anyway in shooting it's self-contained
yeah it can be self-contained so I think
that's important to maintain the
fullness of the city that it does all
things work load play
excellent I think for mine that
supported me because I want to be
welcoming to our neighbors who have not
yet moved here I point back to my number
one I want to I want to make sure this
is a city that you don't have to write
this all down Kristen but okay but I
make sure it's a city that is able to
absorb more people in a way that is
healthy and vibrant for the people that
are here and people that are coming Carl
quality of life I guess I repeat it
again okay I'm not sure how we
interconnect quality of life with more
people coming into town which is limited
in the capacity we already have a whole
variety of people in a town upset about
Gateway mass development I 90 that
certainly isn't very welcoming is the
people that may live there then when
they get on Newports way and try to
drive into town they're gonna be not
very happy
oh the whole idea that why is it
important all those things of partners
to quality of life the people living in
Israel mm-hmm
emphasizing quality of life as it
relates to traffic and can get
congestion I want people to be able to
get home quicker and I want your people
to be idling in town contributing to add
air quality and so I think those are two
things why the traffic mitigation is
important to me
can did you have something to add yes I
I see it as a quality of life issue and
I think the goal of this is to maintain
and improve the quality of life of
living in Issaquah and conversely I have
every expectation that if we don't try
and do that we're all going to be
disappointed as growth goes unmanaged
and and will probably ruin a good thing
that we have here so it's worth fighting
for
anything up there that anyone disagrees
with okay so you ready for the next
question Carl it's good we're starting
with you on this one what are the
challenges we face in reaching these
aspirations you got some challenges for
us what are the challenges
to many people moving into the area got
enough money to get the things done that
we want to do when we want to do them as
we've said many times you can't build
enough roads to solve traffic so you got
to figure out other ways to do it that's
good three of them right there a good
trifecta right there it's good reiterate
I'm saying them a different way
you can't build enough roads to do the
to fix the congestion thank you
it's all oh so they have to figure out
our eatery but rephrase all three of
those I think for the first one it's not
those too many people it's a way of
congestion fishing our roads suggestion
our buses if congestion in our schools
so they're all solvable problems they
just require a significant investment in
infrastructure to solve them
it's indicates that the second one is
making sure we have the financial
resources and I think also the speed at
which I think are two separate problems
to put in the public infrastructure to
absorb the growth that we have so yeah
so I think for Kristen yeah so it's
people they have that the the time the
time and money to build out public
infrastructure to absorb the growth and
that's Roads transit parks schools are
keen a lot of different things there and
I think the last one I
I think I'll put it a good way it's just
the geometric limits of the city the way
the way they were tightly bound the Alps
and then and then particularly the quoi
Hobart Road bottleneck it's very much a
unique is it is a very unique challenge
that faces us I think I would call out
Issaquah Hobart as a standalone ok I
think that fact that that's outside the
city and the traffic a lot of the
traffic on that road is a regional issue
but it's the road that would be
incredibly difficult to widen I think
it's a very unique challenge that faces
us I just say maybe add a layer to the I
think it's funding early but what I
really think it is is the main challenge
is how just how long it takes to do
anything right so and mostly that's
because of funding cycles and how long
it takes to raise money to do certain
things but you know the whole st3 thing
is a great example where you know we're
gonna be building 1970s technology in 20
20 25 or whatever did 2040 2040 1 and
then I mean tonight we were talking
about just doing streetscape
improvements and pushing him out past
six years so it just takes so long to do
everything and then we just never yeah
we got we fell behind 20 years ago and
we just said we're never gonna catch up
so I think that's we just don't have
time and we don't have a time machine
not yet
I think well I think the extent of that
it's not only that we have so much to do
is that we're already behind and
somebody that's some of the issues and
they already behind can apply to schools
they can reply to traffic oops yeah so
I'm gonna take a slightly different
approach to this and be a little bit
more specific I believe one of our
funding problems is that the current
council and administration is too strict
and controlling with the budget that
they already have I believe that we have
some funding that can be used toward
things and they're hesitant to make a
move either with their funding or with
their decision making I think the
current council likes to plan and likes
to discuss without necessarily moving
forward on important decisions and at a
certain point we are going to face big
issues from being hesitant
and so that to me is one very strong
[Music]
challenge that we face the other
challenge I would put out there is that
even though we're trying to create a
plan we either don't have a lot of
public engagement or we have lost some
of the public trust to believe that
we're going to be able to act and so I
think right now you're they're asking
for public engagement and I'm not sure
the public necessarily wants to engage
right
ah first step City Council needs to
approve the funding of the DMO DMO the
destination marketing organization
washed-out funding of 18 and under john
desire also like to I would like to put
a threat and that is a temptation to
leverage easy money that that's a threat
that would be a threat because we can
over leverage okay I just want to
understand what you were saying and I
with interest rates I think that could
be possibility people say oh great let's
go ahead and do these great things and
we're going to leverage debt instead of
raising taxes or something that sort and
then we have any economic downturn and
pay the debt and we crash our credit
score then we end up paying higher
interest rates and everything else ours
fall apart okay Joan so I agree with all
that I have a hard time with reinventing
things that have already been decided on
before they're actually done which is I
mean it's been called out before but
that I think that's my my biggest
problem is it's not following up just
spending too much time thinking about
thinking about the little things if it's
about instead of it if for its the
concept that has to be accomplished not
just how it's written
can do you have anything yes
yes three things that I see as
challenges to unmanage growth
development doesn't pay its own way for
the infrastructure and our little
ability to address the regional cut
through traffic problem that will only
get worse over time as South King County
gets developed
I would say the last bullet point there
is really that it's a regional issue
it's an issue that we can't solve
directly internally yeah we need to work
with the other cities anything up there
that you don't agree with add one more
thing okay I think we're scared to go
bold and think outside the box
her point we needle things and to John's
point we needle things to death we don't
take the leap of faith and go bold if we
don't go bold and we'll be just like
everyone else I think we get set in our
ways of how things are done and we we
don't think out of the box we think that
it always has to be done a certain way
and we need to stop doing that because
we'll always get what we have now not
what we actually want Lindsey did you
have another one I disagree with Ron's
idea that we have a temp that eight
challenges the the temptation to
leverage easy money which could hurt our
bond rating we have a triple-a bond
rating we have been very conservative
as a city in making sure that we have we
we keep our money without spending it I
don't think that's it
I don't think it challenges that we are
necessarily going to over leverage
ourselves I think the challenge is that
we don't leverage what we have you can
we can you can under leverage so yeah I
think that's I think that'd be up
something that we would disagree on
well I'm referring to overload I know
and I think Lindsay and I are saying we
think the city is under leverage given
where it is in its growth cycle wouldn't
it yeah no I wouldn't want to see us Oh
like get over leverage but I don't think
that is a challenge that we face in
reaching those aspirations okay so are
we ready for the last one what changes
are needed so this is phrasing a
different way what changes are needed to
reach these aspirations so we can look
at each one of the changes the
challenges and think about how we can
change it to make it better to make it
in our favor
you need to change the process
and by the process you mean like
decision-making or funding what it takes
to environmental study away the
environmental studies but making it
faster so the projects don't cost as
much mm-hmm and can be done faster okay
on your own okay so - we need
infrastructure to support non vehicle
mobility options improve personal safety
I can repeat that you didn't structure
to support non vehicle mobility options
and improve personal safety okay and
tighter enforcement of our tree canopy
regulations personal safety where
personal safety for pedestrians and
bicyclists okay so the same related to
the same comment okay that's a leading
fear the white people don't want bike in
town it's because they feel like they're
gonna get hit by a car right Lindsay he
had a second oh yeah another one oh yeah
tighter enforcement of our tree canopy
Stanners okay
so I think the idea we proposed in the
last one of not being willing to make
bold moves I think we need to consider
bold mousse so what changes we need to
be able to make decisions and make bold
decisions similarly we need to
substantially increase communication and
the way that the public interacts with
the city either staff or council or
Middies so that it isn't all about the
public coming to the council
we need the council and the decision
makers go to the public along those
lines we need communication between the
city and the school district and the
city and business owners
no you're doing your hand getting tired
yet yeah I said something about you can
either photograph that or retype it out
into their form I'm just sending them I
think okay Troy so I have a tactical one
that we have no control over but I think
it would be a huge benefit and that is
just to completely rethink the way that
we fund transportation and really what I
mean by that is you know I live just
south of town and I don't pay I'm not
paying for st3 like I don't I don't I
come and use the park and ride I'm sorry
I parked for free every day and I ride
the bus in and not my car tabs like I
don't I didn't vote on it because I'm
outside of the regional transit area so
which is in that means so is everybody
in black diamond and everybody else
south I mean we all drive in and park
for free at the parking right and I love
it but I think it's comical that I don't
really pay for that service so just and
that's not anything that the city of
Issaquah can do but it's um just we need
to where I think we're running on a an
old funding model for our transportation
and people are living in just totally
different places than they used to and
so completely expanding the reach of who
pays for a regional public
transportation I think is important and
roadways for that matter too but I
really like to see that go to public
transportation and then when I think in
terms of I think we do a really good job
this kind of gets to it wouldn't in do
the same but I think we do a really good
job of like fostering a sense of
community in Issaquah around like you
know our festivals of salmon days and
you know that has an inner even the
farmers market I think it has a much
more community feel than if you go
somewhere else to another festival as
somebody else was saying but if we could
somehow take that same spirit of
community and build it into all the sub
stuff all this other stuff that we do
all of our strategic planning and our
visioning and because I think that
people
that's the one that's one of the reasons
why people love living in Issaquah and
coming to a soak law but somehow there's
there is a disconnect between like that
sense of community which is really
interesting and then a gap in people's
willingness to engage in where the city
is gonna go you know if people people
can step back and complain about that
building doesn't look the way I want it
to look or whatever but there it's
harder to get them to engage so finding
creative ways to get them to engage and
whereas the city gonna be in 20 years
would be that's with that not expecting
citizens to engage in the same way as
that they haven't been but coming up
with a different plan for that
think I'll echo two points one I think
city and public school coordination can
be better have to be frustrated with a
lot of the school conversations if
they're council the two relevant
relevant councils aren't on the same
page and then funding I think
identifying permanent permanent sources
of funding is important order that
permanent dedicated sources of funding
whether it be lids or the transportation
levy that failed things like that I
think are critical to build out the
infrastructure we need I think the last
one is a city leadership on regional
traffic issues I think the mayor is also
city staff but really the mayor really
needs to drive the conversation at the
county level and at the state level
they'll improve our regional traffic
issues it's not something the city can
fix but it's something that the mayor
can get County Council to fix look at
something that wash dot effects via
engagement with the relevant legislators
I think it's something that the mayor
and city staff need to figure out how to
how to play that game better
what France
we were done a side conversation sorry
about that that that's against the rules
anything else from AJ no I I disagree
with Lindsay and the communication one
but I don't I don't have anything
specific to say but I feel like the
volume of communication from the city is
adequate I know I don't feel as the
volume coming from the city to the
citizens is adequate yeah my problem is
that the citizens aren't talking to the
community where the citizens aren't
talking to the city not necessarily I do
agree I think the city does a good job
communicating outward the N word but
they don't provide ample opportunities
for citizens to engage with them because
they expect it all to happen in this
council chamber and if you look at our
audience right now hundreds of people
are sitting here we are on TV so Carl
what you got it's very simple we need to
increase time and find an unlimited
budget okay that would solve all the
problems because we had unlimited budget
we'd have to be able to pay more for
staff to do the work if we had more time
that would solve all the problems with
planning and communication stuff like
that I don't know how you do that I
think back I've been waiting for maybe
15 years to see that intersection at
Providence point completed right to have
a traffic light actually we had it on
the tip for at least 15 years
doesn't seem to get any higher on the
list this sort of sits there a pile of
money 20 years down no it's almost 20
years it's still not done and I don't
know how you can do that unless you have
unlimited funds they have to increase
funding I don't know how you do that
well it would solve all our problems if
we found that pot of gold at the end of
the rainbow okay one way I'm getting
extra funding is for the city to work
with the legislature to settle the condo
issue so that we have condos here in
Issaquah with people who are paying
property tax
and I'd like to I think add to Carl's
point the city needs to look at its
levels of staffing and possibly hire
more people to help Trish I would third
that I think right now in many cases we
are understaffed and that causes a
problem and being able to get to not
only our aspirational goals but just
meet any kind of a level of service now
we need to move faster and have better
follow-through yeah and I think I
believe City Council was supposed to
look at hiring and kind of do a survey
of why we're having problems hiring or
maintaining staff along those lines I
know we have just hired some people
right some people but ours decided not
to come yeah oh yeah again so we need to
have this is the first one we've lost
yeah we need to have a survey or some
kind of question that's coming up why
somebody's bailing out at that point or
is it money yeah we all call them yeah
understand and Ken did you have one for
this last one I have several changes
that are needed we've got and some of
these are repeats we've got to work
outside the city on the regional traffic
problem and unfortunately that sounds
like a platitude that we hear all the
time we got to get serious we got to be
the squeaky wheel and as others have
said it's not just having a little
powwow with a couple of cities down
south and saying that was a good job I
mean we got to work not only with the
county but the state because the
solution is really the state roads it's
it's a state road 18 is probably our
most realistic solution
higher development fees I'll submit to
you the Providence point problem was
caused by development if we had asked
them when they developed to design an
intersection correctly we wouldn't have
to fix it with taxpayer money so war
fees and more stringent oversight
stricter zoning update you use coop
Municipal Code to reflect the
comprehensive plan vision nine second
that one more post-mortem sorry update
the Issaquah Municipal Code to reflect
the comprehensive plan vision
more post-mortems on the projects that
don't go well that was gateway how did
that happen
how do we not make it happen again I
guess I would leave with the thought
that you know we really are in the
driver's seat here in Issaquah this is
where people developers want to develop
it give their right arms to be able to
develop in Issaquah you have no you know
loss of interest here so when you have a
leverage you ought to get what you want
you shouldn't just concede for mediocre
you ought to expect the highest
standards and the things that we all
want as residents also said don't
concede I like that idea so is there
anything up there that anyone disagrees
with I'd like to add the more she's done
to his point tougher negotiation stance
with developers
now you're making faces
really are dropping letters aren't you
worried though I try that guy there's
there's no way to see what they look
like because I can't see them okay so
are we done with the five thank you
there's one more thing if you would like
to do an anonymous survey I put it in
your packet so you would have a fair
warning it's just for demographics and
then I will secretly put them in this
envelope so I won't know any of your
answers if you would like to do that
also there's the city website has more
information about this process and if
you want to be in I did I went ahead and
put your own your names on the signup
sheet but I didn't put anyone who's
emails on if you want to stay tuned to
this process you probably will be anyway
just because I always send you stuff you
probably have me on that your spam
filter but I just always send you things
that I think you ought you ought to know
about because you guys are so good um
but you're welcome to put your email
address on here if you would like to
stay tuned other than that is there
anything else anybody wants to add to
this
what neighborhood do I live in
on my Newports way but all the way to
Lake month then Newport yeah that's not
think their questions on here that
shouldn't be answered in small groups
that means I'm not anonymous what kind
of time frame are you looking on this
exercise
[Music]
how long may 8th or 9th beginning of
something like that yes that's why I get
okay so I got everybody's into my secret
spot thank you all very much and I think
we're done
well I say on the agenda there's time
for audience comments but I'm assuming
that the audience has already commented
oh no no this has been what I've been
waiting for okay my opportunity my five
minutes of glory thank you I'm going to
come out to my will yes okay
Kenny's been resident of Talas and it's
a quoi so thank you for being so kind as
to let me participate in that last
exercise that was interesting and
entertaining thank you so I was quite
interested in earlier parts of the
meeting where you talked about viewsheds
and you talked about the use of squawk
and Tiger and you probably meant to say
cougar as well that would be all of our
scalps so I'd like to make some comments
tonight on the comprehensive plan and
the development of the Bergsma parcel
for those that don't know where that is
that's on Northeast Cougar Mountain
Newport Way and pretty close to State
Route nine hundred forty some odd acres
up on the steep slopes going through
permitting right now you see the same
Cougar Mountain signs all around that's
what that's all about
that's about 700 Issaquah residents and
growing who have signed a petition that
says that we're not interested in that
being developed like the city to buy
that land so developing bird snow will
clear-cut 21 acres of that 40 acres
mature forest going to bulldoze the land
reshape it into flat areas huge
retaining walls and a road that will go
from Newport way all the way to the top
of that hill cut through those steep
slopes put a huge scar on Northeast
Cougar Mountain our gateway in Issaquah
you look at the scar over in the Aqua
Highlands that's what you're going to
see on Cougar and these slopes are
steeper than the hill slide parcel and
talus which is right around the corner
so the comprehensive plan says that in
the land use vision on page eye 5 as
part of our fundamental value and
identity of forested character tree
cutting will be minimized outside
central Issaquah through stronger
protection of the forested hillsides
protection of our remaining forested
hillsides in tree canopy enhancement on
developed hillsides will ensure that the
escapes will provide forested transition
from adjacent natural areas outside
their urban growth boundary and if
that's not Bergsma i don't know what is
so the comprehensive plan is lengthy
it's over 200 pages there's policies and
goals that support that vision I can
quote all kinds of sections in there and
I'm sure you all know that comprehensive
plan because I believe you wrote it and
I'm sure you've worked hard on it but it
appears as though it's nothing more than
an aspirational document because it has
no teeth so my rhetorical question to
you is if the comprehensive plan says
that we're going to protect these
forested hillsides why is the city
working with the parcel owner to develop
bergson why is it allowed why does it
take hundreds of residents on safe with
SAV Cougar Mountain signs signing
petitions to save that parcel from
development so that's a rhetorical
question when you ask city staff while
they're working on permitting they'll
tell you that the comprehensive plan
isn't what they use they use it's a
qualm municipal code and there's nothing
in that code that says you can't
bulldoze that hillside put huge scars on
it build on steep slopes and put huge
retaining walls up there which is why
they're working with them on it and I
have every confidence that if city staff
had the tools in the Municipal Code that
said that wasn't allowed they wouldn't
be working on it so that's my challenge
to you and my real question is when will
this commission start to work too
translate that municipal I'm sorry the
comprehensive plan into real teeth into
the Issaquah Municipal Code so thank you
for your time now I know what those
signs are for 840 excellent thank you
thank you and we'll be working on a
forum for a tense
sounds like mate f is a tricky day
you
you
you
you
you
you
you