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Development Commission

Wednesday, April 18, 2018

7:00 PM · 2h 17m · Council Chambers, 135 E. Sunset Way, Issaquah WA
Topic tracked across meetings:
"Our Issaquah", Strategic Plan Discussion, (I) 2/2
Section
1. CALL TO ORDER
1a
Commission Membership
packet pp.3
Staff report:
Development Commission About Staff Liaison Created in 1983, this commission reviews all land Christopher Wright, use actions requiring a Level 3 review. The Project Oversight Manager Commission further serves as an advisory board to Email the City Council on land use actions requiring council approval (Level 5 review). Regular Members 2018 – Jasmina Mihova The appearance of fairness doctrine prohibits 2018 – Raymond Leong Development Commission members and City 2018 – Richard Sowa Council members from discussing the merit of 2019 – Michael Brennan specific land use development applications outside 2019 – Randolph Harrison of the formal public meeting process. Citizens, 2020 – Melvin Morgan however, may discuss any issue with the City's 2020 – Kevin Price Development Services Department. Written comments are also welcome. Alternate Members 2018 – Robert Bakh Membership 2018 – Carl…
2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
2a
Minutes of April 4, 2018
packet pp.5–16
Staff report:
CITY OF ISSAQUAH Development Commission MINUTES April 4, 2018 City Hall South 135 E. Sunset Way Council Chambers Issaquah, WA 98027
3. AGENDA ITEMS
3a
Highmark Medical Center Signage
Discussion · Christopher Wright, Project Oversight Manager · packet pp.17–29
Staff report:
Development Services 1775 – 12th Ave. NW | P.O. Box 1307 Issaquah, WA 98027 425-837-3100 issaquahwa.gov
3b
"Our Issaquah", Strategic Plan Discussion, (I)
Christopher Wright, Project Oversight Manager
0:14 all right
0:17 welcome everybody it's good to see you
0:20 all and tonight we're going to be
0:24 discussing the high mark Medical Center
0:27 signage and our squash strategic plans
0:29 so we'll go through the high mark
0:30 Medical Center signage first and then
0:33 we'll take a short break and then we'll
0:34 probably move down and sit around the
0:36 table for a little more intimate or
0:38 informal discussion with the
0:40 commissioners and we have some business
0:43 to attend to we have some minutes from
0:45 April 4th that I would ask for
0:48 recommendations on approval or if you
0:51 have Corrections this chair I recommend
0:54 approval of the minutes as written or
0:56 the April 4th meeting thank you
1:02 second notes have been recommended for
1:06 approval and seconded any comments or
1:08 discussion all those in favor say aye
1:10 aye opposed
1:12 ok great job on the notes excellent
1:18 you're amazing as always
1:21 so let's go all right Thank You mr.
1:25 chair my name is Christopher Wright and
1:27 I'm with the city's development services
1:30 department and as Richard mentioned what
1:33 I'm presenting to you this evening is
1:34 it's an administrative adjustment of
1:37 standards application for the high mark
1:40 medical building signage and this
1:45 vicinity map shows they're in blue where
1:49 the building is located it has as SR 900
1:53 is immediately to the east about a block
1:56 north as Gilman Boulevard and then it
1:59 has mall Street to the north and Maple
2:01 Street to the south and the address is
2:04 1740 I'm sorry Christopher mm-hmm
2:08 mind if I make a disclosure sure that's
2:10 right go ahead yeah so the firm that I
2:15 work for we manage an investment fund
2:16 that owns the Maple Street office
2:18 building which is a few blocks from this
2:20 building it's a regular office building
2:23 not a medical dental office building
2:26 we're 100% occupied so
2:29 just I don't believe has any impact on
2:31 our fund or building or myself and I
2:36 feel that I can not be influenced by
2:39 that but wanted to say that in case
2:41 anybody has a concern about that right
2:44 if any members of the applicant team
2:46 wish to ask mr. Morgan to step down he
2:51 certainly can okay thank you and thank
2:54 you for asking
2:55 yeah thank you Thanks okay so this is a
2:59 site plan that shows kinda how the site
3:01 is oriented again this is at the bottom
3:04 of the page would be SR 900 with kind of
3:07 the boardwalk that goes along the front
3:09 and then here's the building itself and
3:12 the signs that we're talking about are
3:15 basically here and here and in 2009 the
3:21 city's development commission did review
3:24 and approve the site development permit
3:26 for this building there was at least
3:29 probably two of you that were on the
3:31 commission at that time and at that time
3:35 in the in the notice of decision and the
3:38 findings of fact and in the staff report
3:41 that was written there wasn't a whole
3:42 lot said about signage in those there
3:44 were certainly no conditions about it
3:46 but this was the elevation that was
3:49 approved at the time and it did show
3:51 these two spots here for tenant signs
3:56 and what the applicant has submitted to
3:59 us now is an administrative adjustment
4:02 of Sanders to allow tenant signs to be
4:04 located there for tenants that are not
4:08 on the third floor tenant spaces and
4:12 I'll explain that a little bit more in
4:13 just a minute and here's a picture of
4:19 the the building as it exists today and
4:22 then this also is a photo rendering that
4:26 shows the new signs placed on it
4:31 and this in a little bit more detail
4:35 shows what is proposed with regard to
4:38 one of the new signs
4:41 and the reason we are here and the
4:44 reason that an administrative adjustment
4:46 of standards is required is because this
4:49 this building is within central Issaquah
4:51 and the central Issaquah plan sign code
4:56 does state that signs shall be located
4:59 on the portion of a building's facade
5:02 associated with the business it is
5:04 advertising and that has has been a
5:14 regulation in the in our sign code for
5:17 many many years and but we are given a
5:23 the application is given the option of
5:26 applying for administrative adjustment
5:27 of standards to locate a sign on an
5:29 alternate frontage and I'll read that
5:31 sign code section in a minute but one
5:34 thing we did before we brought this
5:36 forward to you as we did talk to the
5:38 city attorney and basically said okay
5:40 well so what if the the Development
5:43 Commission in 2009 did specifically say
5:46 that you can have signs there for
5:48 tenants that they're not on the third
5:49 floor and basically what the the city
5:52 attorney said is land use approval like
5:55 the site development permit that was
5:56 approved is valid for three years and
5:58 after that period of time then whatever
6:01 comes in needs to meet the current codes
6:03 that are in place and so we're reviewing
6:05 it with the central Issaquah plan
6:08 standards with which as I said has that
6:10 statement with regard to sign location
6:15 and this this past year we received the
6:20 application to have those two new signs
6:22 put up and I will let the applicant in
6:25 just a minute
6:26 to explain their their their reason for
6:28 requesting that adjustment this is the
6:32 section of the the central Issaquah plan
6:34 that describes administrative
6:36 adjustments of standards and in
6:39 particular I wanted to point out the
6:40 approval criteria at the bottom because
6:42 your decision on whether to approve or
6:45 deny the administrative adjustment
6:46 should be based on these approval
6:48 criteria right here
6:50 but as I mentioned the adjustment of
6:52 standards is something that is in the
6:55 code to allow some flexibility when we
6:58 reviewing applications but also
7:00 maintaining consistency with the vision
7:03 and goals and policy while we're
7:05 allowing for some flexibility it talks
7:09 about scope as well there's a limit on
7:12 what we can do administrative
7:14 adjustments for and what we can't and
7:16 for example with regard to signs as you
7:19 see under K here we could not do an
7:23 administrative adjustment to increase
7:25 the number of signs of business can have
7:27 we could not do an administrative
7:29 adjustment to allow signs the types of
7:31 signs that are already prohibited and we
7:34 also cannot do it an administrative
7:36 adjustment to increase letter height
7:37 above the maximum allowed but to allow
7:41 signs on an alternate frontage is one of
7:43 the things we can do administrative
7:45 adjustments for and as you see at number
7:49 three it talks about the process that
7:50 administrative adjustment of standards
7:52 in central Issaquah most of them are
7:54 done through a level zero review process
7:57 which means it would just be through the
7:58 sign permit essentially that we
8:00 administrative Lea would make that
8:02 decision but we do have an option to
8:05 bump up the decision to a higher level
8:07 of review and that's what we've done
8:09 tonight is we even though we could
8:12 review and decide administrative Lea we
8:15 would like the Development Commission to
8:17 make the decision for a couple of
8:19 reasons one because like I said you
8:21 looked at this and approved the building
8:24 a few years ago and then also you know
8:27 as I'll talk about we're a little
8:28 concerned about precedence and so I
8:30 think it'd be good for the Commission to
8:33 make that decision and so as I mentioned
8:37 the these criteria is what the decisions
8:40 should be based on and I'll just read
8:42 through them real quick
8:44 the first is vision is the
8:46 administrative adjustment is the
8:48 proposed alternative is it equal or
8:50 superior to the central Issaquah plan
8:52 vision goals and policies the proposal
8:56 will not create negative impacts to the
8:58 abutting properties
9:02 - bee buzzing budding properties
9:04 rights-of-way dedicated tracks or
9:06 easements with regard to compatibility
9:09 the proposal is compatible with the
9:11 character of the surrounding properties
9:13 and their potential development under
9:15 the central Issaquah plan intense the
9:18 adjustment will be equal to or superior
9:20 and fulfilling the intent and purpose of
9:22 the original requirements safety the
9:26 proposal does not negatively impact any
9:28 safety features on the project nor
9:30 create any hazardous features and
9:31 finally services the proposal will not
9:33 create negative impacts to public
9:36 services and so finally as I mentioned
9:41 the the administration we are
9:43 recommending denial of the
9:45 administrative adjustment of standards
9:46 as I said we're most concerned about the
9:48 precedents that it's that as the the not
9:52 allowing signs on walls other than your
9:56 own as I said has been a long-standing
9:59 regulation we've had many many
10:02 discussion with applicants who who for
10:06 increased visibility wanted to locate
10:08 their sign on somebody else's tenant
10:10 space and so like I said we're a little
10:14 concerned if we open that door a little
10:16 bit the the precedents that it might say
10:19 and then there's also challenges that
10:21 would be involved if if we start to
10:24 allow this one of them would be how do
10:27 we calculate the size of the sign you
10:29 know what'll be based on where the sign
10:32 is located the wall that the sign is
10:33 located or would still be based on the
10:35 wall facade of that particular tenant
10:38 even though it's on a different space if
10:41 the owners change I know one of the the
10:44 things the applicants have mentioned is
10:46 that they you know they're only gonna
10:47 allow those those two signs there and
10:50 even though the the tenants that on the
10:52 third floor wouldn't be able to have
10:54 their signs there but as we know owners
10:56 change and we will always be held to the
11:00 sign code as far as what we can allow
11:01 and what we can't so we wouldn't be able
11:05 to necessarily enforce rules that just
11:07 apply to that particular building and
11:11 then I would just add if you do
11:13 support the application if you do a move
11:15 to approve the administrative adjustment
11:18 I would just ask that you be real
11:22 specific about what's unique about this
11:24 situation because again we would be
11:26 pointing to this decision when other
11:29 people ask and we'll have to see if
11:30 they're in a similar situation or not
11:32 and then also if this is something that
11:35 you know that you think the applicants
11:37 should have the ability to do and that
11:39 the development commission or the
11:41 administration should be able to approve
11:43 signs on somebody else's frontage again
11:46 mention that as well because that could
11:47 turn into say a sign code amendment so I
11:51 said I look forward to hearing what you
11:53 have to say about it and and I will now
11:55 turn it over to the applicant who I know
11:57 would like to make a presentation and
11:59 make their case so Bob if you want to
12:04 come on yeah and you can use the arrows
12:08 - yeah I'm Bob Patton I was the design
12:18 architect on the building in a very
12:19 familiar with how the sign system was
12:22 designed and how we set design standards
12:25 for the building the main thing about
12:28 this site and it was selected because it
12:31 was on a very high traffic highway and
12:35 directly across you need to excuse me
12:38 certainly need this a very high traffic
12:40 highway in fact a major arterial Street
12:43 not at all like what's in the central
12:46 business district other than the Main
12:48 Street coming through town and it was
12:51 across the street from the new transit
12:55 terminal to be built at that time so the
12:59 site had a series of challenges with it
13:01 that it still has today you can only
13:04 access this site from one of the streets
13:06 on the south and every property on this
13:10 Highway in this area has the same issue
13:12 so the frontage is on the side that's
13:16 unaccessible and in fact when you look
13:19 on through this you'll find that from a
13:21 pedestrian standpoint it's not really
13:24 viewable
13:27 so um you're all familiar with this road
13:30 and your and the different things around
13:34 it let's see what's gonna get us the
13:36 next one up Chris
13:37 down down okay so if we look at the site
13:41 a little bit more you'll see that there
13:44 are there is a vehicle entry on the back
13:47 side of the site on both mall and Lee
13:51 Street not least feet I'm sorry mall
13:54 Street and different projects maple
13:57 Maple Street and that both of those have
14:00 been improved to provide access into the
14:03 building both for vehicles and for cars
14:08 the other thing that's unique about this
14:11 site is that the tenancy in this
14:13 building the building's designed
14:15 specifically for a medical office use in
14:18 doing that it's got additional elevator
14:22 sizes in it it's got a special
14:26 air-conditioning system in it it's got
14:28 extra power it's got backup power and it
14:32 has to have an image that portrays a
14:36 practiced medical professional not a
14:40 Gordon airy office building not a strip
14:42 center it has a specific image that it
14:45 needs for those buildings to be
14:46 successful since the building was built
14:49 with those qualities to it it's
14:52 dedicated for that single use so this is
14:55 a unique situation here let's go down
15:00 right so the building now has existing
15:04 signage on it at two ends of it in the
15:06 middle the amount of signage on the
15:08 building right now is slightly less than
15:13 what's permitted by code so this change
15:16 in the signs on the existing building
15:19 which don't align with any tenant in
15:22 there and never have
15:23 we're only put on there as markers to
15:26 recognize special medical professionals
15:29 there is no intent was ever considered
15:32 in designing it and in this type of
15:34 building the way that
15:36 tenants find the building is by the
15:39 building name and that's very common in
15:44 a medical so this is the front side when
15:46 you're walking along you're sitting in
15:48 your car this is what you're looking at
15:50 a major marquee sign and two other
15:53 secondary signs if you go over on to
15:58 mall Avenue you're seeing basically the
16:01 car screened and nothing on the building
16:03 but there is a pedestrian entry off that
16:06 side that leads you to the front of the
16:08 building so wayfinding and on the
16:11 opposite side in amongst this there's
16:13 actually a sidewalk that we'll see in
16:15 another slide that leads you into the
16:17 building so the wayfinding system here
16:20 is the critical part of the design that
16:21 has always been there that leads people
16:25 successfully from the Transit Center in
16:27 there so the fact that there's no signs
16:30 on the front of the building is in
16:31 material in terms of functional of an
16:33 office building right when you cost the
16:38 intersection on from the bus depot I'm
16:42 sorry the Transit Center this is the
16:44 view you have from the sidewalk clearly
16:47 identifies the building so this is the
16:53 thing that Chris showed you before the
16:55 sign program had several elements in it
16:57 it had directory signs it had individual
17:01 signs so when you got on-site you know
17:02 specifically where to go and what to do
17:05 and it also has a part inside the
17:07 building where people can be dropped off
17:09 out of the rain that's a special
17:12 function this is a unique building so
17:16 the we got two different systems if you
17:20 look at the blue dots you can follow up
17:23 the pictures that I've taken of how you
17:25 get in the building
17:26 the wayfinding system
17:34 so this is this is in the wintertime
17:37 when the plants are back but you can see
17:39 the sidewalk that leads you through the
17:41 plants into there and that's a little
17:44 window that you can see through and
17:50 there's a sidewalk that actually runs
17:52 along the street and there's a sidewalk
17:56 that runs down across to get you to the
17:59 front so the design of the sign system
18:01 in the wayfinding replaces any need for
18:04 having any signage because largely
18:08 medical practitioners communicate not to
18:12 signage on the building but through
18:14 professional publications and their
18:17 webpage so here it's the front of the
18:20 building oh by the way this comes out
18:22 across the front at one time we tried
18:24 before it Chris worked at the city we he
18:27 tried to get a connection to the
18:29 boardwalk which we couldn't do which
18:30 would have provided direct access for
18:32 pedestrians into the building but they
18:34 would arrive at the main lobby and this
18:38 is the inside of the lobby the minute
18:40 you walk in it has an identification
18:41 system every foot on the board every
18:46 floor has an elevator that goes up and
18:52 at the end of the quarter there's
18:54 signage so that anybody coming into the
18:58 building has a clear direction of how to
18:59 get to the floor once they're inside the
19:02 building and they got two sets of stairs
19:04 and they turn right they have no idea
19:05 where the front of the building is so
19:11 the second system we had was the vehicle
19:15 process of getting into the building and
19:18 it's much the same sequence we've got a
19:22 driveway on one side that you can only
19:24 go in and out of we've got the central
19:28 side located where you can see it from a
19:31 car and then we inside the building we
19:35 even have signage that identifies where
19:37 the lobby is once you get inside the
19:39 parking garage
19:42 these are dimensional these are the
19:46 directory signs so if you come by
19:48 vehicle or you come as a pedestrian you
19:50 know where who's in the building these
19:53 are the directional signs that note that
19:55 they say picked up way say where
19:56 additional parking is more of us
19:59 wayfinding system we still going right
20:06 so our proposed sign plan is to replace
20:12 those two signs one on each end of the
20:14 building in the same location there's no
20:18 change in anything else on the site
20:20 there's no other units in there let's
20:23 see if we can get to the next thing
20:27 we're not to 35 are we
20:46 yeah Chris can we can you help me a
20:51 second can you look on the stick and see
20:56 if there's a another longer presentation
21:01 is your 35 slides in it yeah 35 okay so
21:14 we're missing some at the end okay okay
21:17 well I have to apologize because I'm
21:19 missing some of the signs at the end the
21:22 next set of slides have to do with home
21:24 pages on websites within the building
21:28 and let me give you a pass these out
21:43 having more copy so after this is
21:52 exhibit number four
22:14 we need another one going good everybody
22:20 get one now we're missing one if there's
22:22 one more there's one world thanks
22:39 so the first sheet of course is the is a
22:42 site plan showing where the different
22:44 signs are that we looked at on the
22:45 slides the next page is a floor plan of
22:49 the building on the first floor which is
22:52 the first level above parking so when
22:57 you look at that floor plan you'll see
22:59 that there are two tenets three tenets
23:05 on the first floor you begin on a
23:10 medical office building to try and put
23:13 signage on that based on where they're
23:15 at how are you going to do that if you
23:18 only have one visible sign ban on the
23:20 building which is the it's the top
23:22 signage area so on the building you only
23:25 have really one visible place that you
23:27 can see signs which is the top of the
23:29 building because of the nature of the
23:31 trail the viewpoints that you have the
23:34 speed of the traffic going by there so
23:37 we only have one area which is the top
23:39 of the building to put signage imagine
23:42 what that would look like if it had
23:43 signs stuck all over the building is
23:45 that good architecture is that what they
23:48 wanted to do they want clutter of signs
23:51 on buildings placed on a haphazard way
23:53 no I don't think that's the objective I
23:55 think this is superior to anything that
23:57 they have in the code but the biggest
24:01 issue is how do you figure out looking
24:04 on the first floor plan where you put
24:06 signs on the building for each tenant
24:13 and then if we go to the second floor
24:16 plan the second floor level we have the
24:19 same issue in the major the major
24:23 tenants in the building are over lake
24:26 clinic they occupy 35% of the building
24:30 then the other one is UW Medicine they
24:32 occupy 35% how do you figure out where
24:35 you put signs on a building and both of
24:38 them have space on the front some of
24:40 them have space on the back so by the
24:42 same code somebody has to figure out how
24:44 how everybody gets signs on the front if
24:47 you begin to allow more signs for each
24:50 business in the building so for a
24:52 medical office building it just that's
24:55 why we have adjustments because those
24:58 code is written is written for
25:00 commercial buildings that are not
25:03 especially and don't have special site
25:05 considerations any questions
25:16 that conclude does that conclude the
25:18 comments you wanted to make as far as
25:23 compliance to each one of the individual
25:25 elements in the code when you go down
25:29 the list the Chris presented and you ask
25:37 yourself is this better building going
25:40 to look better with more signs plastered
25:41 all over in a random way no so I would
25:46 say that it provides it meets the vision
25:49 of having an organized sign program and
25:51 we've met the requirement to provide
25:53 directions through alternate means which
25:58 we did originally on this project
26:00 because we knew that it would be
26:01 shielded and wouldn't be visible from
26:03 the street is there any impact of
26:08 negative properties from changing those
26:10 signs out to a different sign with a
26:12 different name and are these signs out
26:17 of character of any other signs in that
26:19 neighborhood no there surfing's is
26:25 extraordinary and unique to the use in
26:27 the building yes and does this empower
26:32 any safety of any element here more
26:36 sciences more traffic issues looking at
26:38 signs driving up and down the highway to
26:41 have them in a clearly visible location
26:44 on the building that we have them is the
26:47 most there's the safest way to deal with
26:49 a major highway running in front of the
26:51 building
27:02 I think any questions well I think there
27:06 will be some discussion if you're
27:08 concluded with your comments since
27:10 there's no public I'll open the
27:12 discussion and ask for Commissioners for
27:15 their pots
27:28 my name is Mark Robeson and I'm the
27:31 owner of the building high mark
27:33 investments
27:34 I appreciate the Commission's time than
27:36 I'd appreciate the staff working with us
27:38 this is miss patty Nelson who runs our
27:42 real estate group and specifically has
27:45 been working on this building since that
27:47 we constructed it and we appreciate Bob
27:51 who's been with this project from day
27:53 one ground up and we hope that you look
27:59 favorably on the things that Bob is
28:02 brought to the forefront this evening
28:04 and we could have a homogeneous looking
28:08 building with these wonderful clients
28:11 that I'm very excited about to tell you
28:13 that we're looking like we've filled the
28:15 final out space and a very wanted very
28:20 needed medical use out here and that'll
28:23 be Seattle Cancer Care Alliance so that
28:26 they can serve some of the Eastside
28:27 patients without that concludes our
28:31 program thank you thank you sorry I
28:35 overlooked you so comments first
28:41 question for questions first and then
28:44 copy its I'm sorry
28:45 how about questions I have a question
28:47 how many tenets are in the building and
28:51 how many what capacity does it have
28:57 okay can you please step to the
29:01 microphone sorry I should have asked you
29:02 to step back up yeah we can go backwards
29:04 and if you look on your little drawing I
29:08 gave you you'll see a vacant space on
29:10 the second floor and there's about 2900
29:16 square foot of space left for
29:19 potentially for somebody to expand
29:21 that's already in the building or for
29:23 another use so you're only asking for
29:25 permission for two signs we're asking
29:27 permission to replace two signs on the
29:30 building in the same location that they
29:33 have been unrelated to where the tenants
29:36 were from the day that the building was
29:38 built and so you never see a need for a
29:40 sign for each individual tenant that's
29:42 all provided by the wayfinding in the
29:44 law I did not design the building for
29:46 anything more than three sides okay okay
29:50 all right that's all I had thank you
29:51 very much mm-hmm other questions
29:58 I guess one other question I presume it
30:00 looked like there's a sign there now for
30:02 the UW medical clinic that's on the
30:05 second floor that would come off it's a
30:07 temporary banner yeah okay um I'm
30:11 Christopher I have a question for you
30:12 are you able to pull up the section nine
30:17 point seven six I was looking at the
30:20 administrative adjustment standards
30:26 and the development standards and it
30:29 seemed to be different than the one
30:30 that's in our package it's in my letter
30:33 comes from one plate one
30:44 okay well let me see so you want to go
30:56 to the central Issaquah plan standards
30:58 yeah the development standards of
31:00 section 9
31:23 so we're specially 9.7 six
31:36 nine point seven six seven six yeah and
31:40 a way down there
31:54 this was I was looking at this this is
31:57 the administrative adjustment of
31:59 standards approval criteria and it's
32:03 it's slightly different than the
32:07 administrative adjustments approval
32:09 criteria that's in our package section 1
32:11 1 and it looks like the two things
32:14 number one it didn't have it has the
32:17 five items but it doesn't have services
32:21 the six item in section 1.1 was services
32:26 that were not cricket of impact mm-hmm
32:29 and then it has a more detailed
32:32 discussion instead of compatibility I'm
32:36 sorry instead of intent to talks about
32:37 sufficient reason mm-hmm and then the
32:41 third thing was item a that conditions
32:45 can be imposed upon the grant of any
32:50 adjustment so in other words if we were
32:53 able if we were going to approve an
32:55 administrative adjustment standards we
32:57 can include a condition with that then
32:59 that's right yeah so these would be the
33:01 criteria that we will be using that
33:03 you'll be using in your decision now
33:05 it's in the memo but these would be the
33:07 criteria to use okay I'll keep this up
33:38 well--there's so when you look at item
33:41 four sufficient reason in the package
33:44 the approval criteria we have its intent
33:47 it says a equal to or superior and
33:51 fulfilling the intent of purpose
33:52 item four has a different kind of
33:55 wording I can bet extraordinary
34:00 circumstances and so forth and then the
34:02 conditions part that we can impose
34:05 conditions on our
34:11 that's correct thank you for pointing
34:13 that out you I guess one of the question
34:19 that would come up in my mind a question
34:21 for you would be if we had a condition
34:23 that said the only tenant signs can be
34:26 on the east side of the building could
34:28 be those two locations would that be
34:31 acceptable right so no other sign
34:36 locations right
34:45 couple of questions on the photo mock-up
34:49 that we saw the rendering I take it is
34:52 that one or two signs on the left side
34:54 University of Washington Medical Center
34:56 urgent care okay the one on the right
35:17 side is the one I think you're asking
35:20 about and there was two panels shown in
35:23 that sign I don't it does not have to be
35:26 two panels it can be one one tenant okay
35:30 so I'm looking at I guess stage right
35:33 but looking at the left side of the
35:35 building in our view right here the
35:36 University of Washington Medical Center
35:38 in urgent care sign that's what they
35:40 have in the building they have that in
35:42 the building both of those see they
35:45 occupied two tenant spaces in the
35:47 building they occupy 30 percent so it's
35:49 the University of Washington is the
35:52 tenant and that's a description of what
35:54 they also do in that right and I guess
35:57 I'm asking that as a single sign correct
35:59 yeah that's a single time yeah although
36:02 I perceive it at least in this rendering
36:04 as two different songs no yeah the way
36:06 that the sign is built it has a raceway
36:08 box and back of it and that one
36:11 continuous box and then acrylic letters
36:14 have pushed out in there backlit backlit
36:16 so they glow around the letter and
36:18 create the sign yeah and so that's a
36:20 little different
36:21 signage technology than is being used
36:23 here today is that right on the existing
36:26 ones not this one but the other ones the
36:28 technology that used today and that was
36:31 used originally he was never successful
36:33 I understand yeah and these are backlit
36:35 correct these are backlit yeah and the
36:38 original letters are backlit too but
36:40 they have their channel letters with
36:42 with a neon tube inside them which for a
36:45 practical sign for an individual tenant
36:48 is impossible to use right but
36:50 right different discussion and this this
36:53 rendering at least obviously these
36:55 colors are different from the signage on
36:58 the rest of the front of the building
36:59 correct we have brand colors here behind
37:02 University of Washington we have their
37:04 brand logo font and next to that we have
37:09 the red background for urgent care yeah
37:12 and then on the other side whatever sign
37:15 we end up putting up there is going to
37:17 be a single sign too and that might be a
37:21 different organization with different
37:22 brand colors different and so on right
37:25 and so I guess that raises a question in
37:27 my mind and I'm thinking about staffs
37:28 concern regarding precedent if let's say
37:32 there's another client who occupies 40%
37:35 of the building in the future and it's a
37:37 vibrant orange background color and logo
37:40 color do we permit that as well that's
37:42 the question this raises in my mind it
37:45 seems that we're addressing the idea of
37:47 placement of the sign visa vida code but
37:50 there are also other changes here in
37:52 regarding the perception of the number
37:54 of signs that's really occurring here as
37:56 well as the brand logo and background
37:58 colors the vibrancy of the colors that's
38:01 used so a question for staff Chris does
38:04 the architecture and urban design manual
38:06 I guess that's being incorporated as
38:08 chapter 18 of the SIDS is that right
38:13 my overall question is does that manual
38:16 and those standards apply the central
38:18 plan standards to apply here yes no so I
38:23 guess that would raise another question
38:25 to me would this be a Northwest
38:27 contemporary building in terms of those
38:30 standards and if so with those color
38:32 requirements apply though I don't know
38:36 that sign color is covered by building
38:39 color I'm gonna agree with you that I
38:44 don't believe the sign color really has
38:45 to go with the building color because if
38:46 as McDonald's
38:47 that's right colors are so heavy yellow
38:49 logo
38:53 I I guess my question I don't know if
39:02 it's even really basically irrelevant
39:04 but in this day and age of being guided
39:07 to your destination by a manufactured
39:12 voice I guess I don't really understand
39:16 if it's the high mark building and
39:18 they're clear there's a clear indication
39:23 of this is the high mark building at
39:26 this address I am not really clear about
39:31 why more signage is necessary I can
39:39 understand your question because you
39:42 know the question comes to me you give 1
39:44 do you allow any signage other than the
39:46 building and the answer to that really
39:50 is a prestigious client wants to be
39:53 recognized and that's what draws them to
39:55 the building so we in order to meet the
39:58 market demand of the practitioner a
40:00 major tenant is an expectation just like
40:04 they do on an office building of having
40:06 their name on it in addition to the
40:09 office building name but it's purely a
40:12 an expectation of the tenant in the
40:15 market market both so this isn't
40:17 primarily so people can find the
40:20 destination this is a client recognition
40:23 right yeah yeah because if once if you
40:27 look at those if you looked at the cuts
40:31 the homepage cuts how many of them have
40:33 a picture of the entry of the building
40:35 on I and if some of them have it almost
40:40 all of them have the name of the
40:41 building on it now the ones that don't
40:43 have the name have a number which is a
40:45 placed up high on the ends of the
40:47 building so you can see it coming from
40:49 either direction so Christopher the the
40:53 medical building on the north side of 90
40:57 at where the underpass is I'm not aware
41:01 of that having any external
41:03 practice signs on framing on these
41:07 hinderance you're right it did it says
41:09 this equal medical or right for the
41:11 building similar to the high mark
41:13 medical sign there but yeah I don't
41:15 think tenants have signage on the
41:17 exterior there thank you there is a
41:21 directory board sign in this building
41:23 right the list tenants I think I saw
41:25 that um oh there's a directory board
41:27 sign and then at each one of the
41:29 driveway entrances there's a directory
41:31 board sign too and then you get inside
41:34 the building and there's endless amount
41:36 of direction you know what the the hours
41:39 are of the urgent care operation pardon
41:42 you know what the hours are of the
41:44 urgent care operation handy sorry you
41:48 have to come to the microphone get you
41:51 on TV and introduce yourself please eww
41:55 medicines urgent care operations are
41:56 seven days a week they're there until
41:58 open to the public until 8 p.m. during
42:01 the week until 6 o'clock on Saturday and
42:04 from 8:00 to 5:00 on Sundays would you
42:07 state your name please
42:07 oh sorry patty Nelson okay anything else
42:11 so in terms of I guess one thought is in
42:14 terms of somebody needs to go to Urgent
42:17 Care on SR 900 see at 7 o'clock at night
42:22 and it's a dark to see a sign
42:25 this would be an illuminated sign they
42:26 would know yes being robbed here's where
42:29 I need to go yes speaking for UW that
42:32 was one of the objectives as they wanted
42:34 the the urgent care portion to be
42:36 extremely visible for wayfinding right
42:39 so I I have a question how long has the
42:43 Urgent Care been in the facility they've
42:47 been in there since January of 2017 as
42:50 UW Medicine Urgent Care opened their
42:52 doors that portion of their clinic in
42:54 July of 2017 yeah so are there I won't
43:02 say that
43:03 what what what services have not been
43:06 redeemed because there wasn't a sign
43:08 there today I don't have the answer to
43:11 that question I can't speak then
43:13 people are finding the urgent care place
43:15 somehow with what amount of ease I can't
43:17 speak to thank you
43:20 the question now a virgin care is quite
43:23 different from emergency services
43:25 correct would you characterize her
43:27 didn't care for us a little bit I would
43:28 call it a walk-in clinic not an
43:31 emergency room they have transported
43:37 patients to the emergency room I often
43:40 times will receive phone calls letting
43:41 me know there'll be a vehicle left in
43:42 the parking lot overnight because
43:44 they've had to have a patient
43:45 transported so I think it's realistic to
43:47 assume that just like any other Urgent
43:50 Care place it's it's one-step
43:52 potentially on the way to the emergency
43:54 a good example my wife hurt her finger a
43:59 few days ago the clinic couldn't take a
44:02 ran at Virginia Mason and so she went to
44:04 didn't want to go to the emergency room
44:07 it wasn't that bad but went to Urgent
44:09 Care to get an x-ray I think it's the
44:13 middle ground between just a walk-in
44:15 clinic and the emergency sorry I want to
44:23 say we also have other examples in the
44:25 area of other urgent cares that have
44:27 very large urgent care signs facing
44:29 major streets we've logged those in the
44:32 past right like that Overlake over by
44:36 Fred Myers this is where my wife went
44:38 yeah she knew I was there because of the
44:40 sign exactly who is our other major
44:42 tenant in the building as this relates
44:45 to find äj--
44:45 over Lake is
44:52 other questions just to reiterate these
45:01 will not be signs if they're approved
45:03 and they're illuminated they will go off
45:07 when the office closes they will not be
45:09 on all night is that correct
45:11 pop you have the answer to that as far
45:14 as the design of them goes yeah I've fed
45:20 back again the signs are on a separate
45:24 metered circuit on on the in the
45:28 electrical room with the timer on him
45:30 so they actually go on and off now that
45:32 you can't tell him but you can't tell
45:34 but the intent is that there they're not
45:37 illuminated at night they're only
45:38 illuminated at the times that businesses
45:41 are hoping it's I'm Christopher I'm not
45:45 familiar enough with it with the with
45:47 the SIDS code where do signings is that
45:50 a requirement as opposed to the goodwill
45:53 of the and in question it's not
45:56 something that we regulate as far as
45:59 there's nothing says signs have to be
46:01 turned off when the business is not in
46:03 business
46:08 I come back to the colors for a moment
46:11 sure I believe is it a requirement that
46:17 colors that are going to be used on
46:19 signs have to be specified in a permit
46:21 at Craigs right so do we have a clear
46:27 idea of how many colors could
46:29 potentially appear in the front of this
46:30 building in other words are these signs
46:35 that we're seeing here and considering
46:37 tonight the only colors that would be
46:40 used for secondary signs do we know what
46:42 colors were facing here I think it's
46:46 impossible this time to know in the
46:48 future what a color will be on on the
46:50 actual signboard right now you know the
46:55 UW has their signature colors Overlake
46:58 has their signature colors but what the
47:01 next tenant does and be subject to the
47:04 regulatory process of colors on sites
47:07 the building colors are fixed okay and
47:12 I'm wondering I guess how we as a
47:15 commission would address that typically
47:18 I mean on signs it's been signed collars
47:21 is specific the sign that comes in front
47:24 of us but we don't I don't think we've
47:27 ever made the limit sign color to a
47:33 limited palette of colors again because
47:37 it's large part branding for companies
47:39 and in Chris Berg I guess another
47:45 question are we just looking at the
47:47 approval of a sign location for this and
47:50 staff is doing this sign approval itself
47:53 yeah the administrative adjustment
47:54 standards is just for the sign location
47:57 subsequently then we will be reviewing
47:59 the actual sign permit application that
48:02 will include the installation details
48:04 the illumination the colors but you see
48:07 that's that's what will be next is we'll
48:10 review the sign permit application would
48:12 that be done at staff level it would be
48:13 like but there's no reason you couldn't
48:15 comment on
48:20 so I want to make sure I have it clear
48:22 in my head right now we're just looking
48:24 at the signs on the south side of the
48:28 building the UW and the urgent care or
48:31 the east side on the west side then
48:33 there could be two other signs for do
48:35 two different tenants the intent is to
48:46 have one tenant signage on each corner
48:49 so not multiple tenants on each corner I
48:53 believe he's a keep asking if there's
48:56 gonna be signage on the opposite side of
48:57 the building from this one we're looking
49:08 at East here the building looks at
49:09 what's supposed to be permanent open
49:11 space but right now it's a storage art
49:15 you know the website yeah so if we go
49:22 here the west
49:35 and so where is the directional sign the
49:39 direction you have to just go back here
49:42 let's see if we can get a different
49:43 window
49:43 are we on your self Chris I know well if
49:48 I said switch over to mind if we can go
49:50 down okay directional sign go back to
50:02 keep going
50:10 okay so the directional signs are where
50:14 they're shown on this site planned and
50:17 they're actually in place in the field
50:18 thereby where they're appropriate to
50:26 direct people in different places see if
50:30 we can get some pictures of them here so
50:32 that there's on pay a a one point three
50:38 there in the upper left there is a item
50:42 recognized it's called an entrance sign
50:44 and below it is the directional sign so
50:46 the entrance signs are there they
50:48 entrance to the parking lot on the let's
50:52 see the southwest corner and the north
50:57 west corner yes okay and and where is
51:19 the directional sign you're gonna have
51:23 to go internal showing on here the
51:27 directions it says patient drop-off
51:37 okay thank you see if I can
51:48 other questions yes the comments well
51:55 are we gonna deliberate on the potential
51:59 sure
52:00 first I'd like to I would I guess my
52:05 view is I take away from this now when
52:08 you're asking for an exception to the
52:11 rules gauged on screening it through
52:13 this criteria is that you have an
52:15 extraordinary circumstance and or I may
52:19 be adding my own words to this but what
52:24 is afforded to one should also be
52:26 afforded to another so I take I take
52:29 this building in particular is accessed
52:31 by a common lobby and all of the tenants
52:33 are accessed by a common lobby versus a
52:36 storefront configuration they Overlake
52:40 urgent medical has a storefront you go
52:43 in a storefront so so the sign being
52:48 right over the tenant makes sense so I
52:51 feel like if they have the potential to
52:55 be afforded signage shouldn't also a
52:59 comparable business be afforded the same
53:02 same rights and privileges therefore
53:05 they're extraordinary circumstances that
53:07 they just don't have a storefront
53:09 oriented building they have more of an
53:11 office lobby entrance type building with
53:14 multiple tenants within so if I look at
53:18 it in that context I feel like they
53:23 should have but I would like I was like
53:27 here what you guys think as well does
53:28 that make sense what I'm saying I think
53:30 I think it's the type of building and
53:32 and and so so if urgent care they should
53:35 have the the potential to advertise
53:37 their urgent care
53:39 I'll grant if they could go find another
53:41 place for their urgent care that's a
53:43 potential - but but I just feel like the
53:46 use is approved so shouldn't they then
53:49 be afforded the same privilege as
53:51 another that's my
53:56 Kristopher what is the city's
54:00 reservation about this request for an
54:03 AAS well as I said it would be the first
54:08 time that we would be approving a sign
54:10 on somebody else's tenant space the
54:16 Remax building we involved in that on
54:18 Front Street there's yeah there's been
54:21 there are a couple of examples when
54:23 there is shared common area like yeah
54:27 that was either a stairwell or bathrooms
54:32 that are shared by everybody in the
54:34 building that's about as stretched as
54:37 we've gotten on on that alternate
54:40 frontage but yeah those those are a
54:43 couple of examples again it wasn't
54:44 somebody else's tenant space it was
54:46 shared tenant space but it wasn't on
54:49 somebody else's wall well I agree with
54:54 my colleague here and his comments but
54:58 the thing that kind of found it's
55:00 causing a media giving me pause is that
55:03 the the indication that this is not or
55:08 clients patients rather to find where
55:13 they're going it's because the clients
55:17 want their name out there and frankly
55:23 I'm not sure that's grounds for an
55:28 adjustment of code I mean I think it's
55:32 legitimate for the client to want that
55:33 but I'm having a little trouble saying
55:38 yeah we ought to give an adjustment AAS
55:40 because one of the tenant or the tenants
55:43 are high prestige elements and they want
55:45 the Huskies sign and colors out there on
55:48 the building I'm just I'm not sure
55:51 that's a legitimate reason if I might
55:54 disclose that I made her up you didn't
55:55 arrest you but so this is this where I
56:00 disclosed them are proud UW graduate and
56:03 um well your shirt speaks for itself
56:08 I can see where you're coming away from
56:12 that however it is an urgent care and
56:15 sometimes people don't know exactly the
56:16 one that is when they need one and if
56:18 they're driving down the street it'd be
56:20 nice to have the signage there that they
56:21 could recognize that has a place they
56:23 can go at seven o'clock at night if they
56:25 have like you said their finger falling
56:26 off it's I think visibility is important
56:31 to them the business and the clientele
56:34 and the ability to track clientele for
56:36 that kind of business and you know it's
56:39 not I don't think it's just to get their
56:40 name on the board but also to advertise
56:43 what they're doing there so there is
56:45 some use there it's not just a medical
56:48 building with people's offices it's also
56:50 an urgent care which is a slightly
56:51 different use case than just you know um
56:54 optometrists agree I didn't know what
56:58 that building was until the banner went
56:59 up I had no idea you dumb medical is in
57:02 there and so for me it is helpful to
57:03 know where these things are just
57:06 creating a mental image of what's where
57:11 that's just how I get around but I I
57:14 guess another way to look at this too is
57:16 it isn't don't aren't they meeting the
57:20 spirit or the intent of the code and
57:22 that the the signage should be situated
57:29 where in the space the tenant is
57:32 occupying well it is there the tenants
57:34 in that building you know and and so if
57:37 you look at it as a building versus a
57:39 unit I think it meets the spirit of the
57:43 code it's it is where the tenant is
57:49 Christopher did you pull up on the
57:53 screen and said the shot could are pull
57:55 up the shot that shows the view from SR
57:57 900 the building especially the one that
58:00 shows the proposed sign
58:12 this I guess one way one way I would
58:16 look at this as when we go through the
58:21 criteria the vision the proposal terms
58:24 equal or superior to central and vision
58:27 goals and policies and I think in terms
58:29 of the attract the location of the sign
58:32 seems appropriate to not have multiple
58:36 signs all over the building to me seems
58:38 appropriate I think if we didn't know
58:42 who the tenant was if they were just
58:43 signs and there were just signs at those
58:45 locations I think it would fit with
58:47 architectural attractiveness it won't
58:51 impact the access and won't impact the
58:53 safety I think it's going to be
58:56 compatible with other buildings I don't
58:58 think there's anything that would be
59:00 incompatible with so it comes down to
59:02 sufficient reason in my mind and what
59:05 would strike me here is that a couple
59:07 things one because of the use because of
59:09 the urgent care but more importantly the
59:13 way the building is set back it's
59:15 designed in the precentral Issaquah plan
59:17 design standards where it's set back
59:20 fairly far from a fast-moving highway
59:24 with a boardwalk and then the
59:27 substantial amount of vegetation in
59:29 between and signs lower down on the
59:32 building and they're very unlikely to be
59:33 seen by anybody and when I look at the
59:36 sign code intent contribute to the
59:40 economic well-being of the community I
59:42 don't think signs that people don't see
59:44 are going to help and encourage signage
59:48 functional whimsical artful creative and
59:50 attractive I think it would be
59:51 attractive and I think it's more
59:52 functional at the table and I I guess
59:58 for that I would part of if this
1:00:00 building was being built under the new
1:00:02 central Issaquah code at the street then
1:00:06 I don't think we would have as much of
1:00:07 an issue because you could have a sign
1:00:09 in the middle of the building on the
1:00:11 second floor and it would be visible in
1:00:13 this case I don't think that's the case
1:00:16 I think that would the other thing I
1:00:18 would say my limitation would be
1:00:20 condition that the only signs other than
1:00:24 the building signed in the center on
1:00:25 this Assad would be the to sign
1:00:29 locations shown on the third floor so
1:00:33 that we don't get any more signs in
1:00:34 addition to this and so that would be I
1:00:38 would view as the exception that would I
1:00:42 know about precedents because I truly
1:00:45 understand the importance of that but I
1:00:47 can see given that this design of this
1:00:49 building precentral Issaquah plan the
1:00:52 location the visibility that we could
1:00:55 have this as a administrative adjustment
1:01:00 agree clarification and now the maximum
1:01:04 number of secondary signs that can be on
1:01:06 this building per code is two is that
1:01:08 right no so you're using term secondary
1:01:16 signs so each tenant could have a sign
1:01:19 on their tenant space if the if they
1:01:22 have more than one frontage throughout a
1:01:25 corner then that tenant could
1:01:27 potentially have to a primary sign of a
1:01:30 secondary sign we could end up with
1:01:33 signs on the first floor the second
1:01:35 floor and the third floor
1:01:36 yep or or we could condition we could
1:01:40 make conditions for the except for the
1:01:41 variance like we can make conditions and
1:01:44 that these would be the only sign yeah
1:01:47 yeah I may have misread this I thought
1:01:49 in 917 be it said that a maximum of two
1:01:52 primary and two secondary signs were
1:01:54 allowed on this type of thoroughfare
1:01:58 that's per tenant not per building
1:02:09 so are you saying the potential is for
1:02:11 10 primary and secondary signs here give
1:02:16 it to president how many tenants are on
1:02:17 the that facade because that's something
1:02:22 fine it perfe saw its per tenant space
1:02:26 facade area basically so these two
1:02:29 secondary signs were simply part of the
1:02:32 permit that was part of this building
1:02:35 originally right it was specific to this
1:02:38 building and their location because
1:02:44 they're not necessarily in on top of the
1:02:47 facade that correlates to the business
1:02:49 that's being done and we place a
1:02:52 condition that limits code potential
1:02:57 meaning we approve the variance or the
1:03:01 exception that's it you can't then ask
1:03:06 for additional signs except unless you
1:03:10 want yeah
1:03:14 what's the could you read the back
1:03:16 condition criteria again so let's see so
1:03:24 conditions may be imposed upon the grant
1:03:26 of any adjustment unless otherwise
1:03:28 specified the adjustment shall be
1:03:30 subject to all plans specifications and
1:03:32 conditions set forth in the application
1:03:41 so if they came back and said we want to
1:03:44 put another sign somewhere else in the
1:03:46 building even though there's a condition
1:03:49 that says we can't do it we would say
1:03:51 well you have a sign that's pretended
1:03:55 not in that location to have that be
1:03:58 allowed you can't do that other side
1:04:05 I'm honestly I'm not sure the answer or
1:04:07 that I'm the reason I hesitate is if we
1:04:13 put that condition on it again there's
1:04:14 the the three years that a land use
1:04:17 decision is valid for and what happens
1:04:20 after that and that was a way to consult
1:04:22 our city attorney about that even with
1:04:25 administrative adjustment well and then
1:04:29 it might depend on what the code that's
1:04:32 in place at the time you know if that
1:04:34 hasn't changed at all that would seem
1:04:39 strange that after three years that your
1:04:41 condition to your adjustment would go
1:04:43 away and that may be possible again then
1:04:47 it becomes a non-conforming sign sort of
1:04:56 seem to obviate the purpose of having
1:04:58 the condition
1:05:03 so summarize summarizing what I think
1:05:08 I've heard it sounds like there's
1:05:10 general general agreement that approval
1:05:13 of of this particular sign these
1:05:17 particular signs would be acceptable
1:05:20 there's concern about what may happen in
1:05:23 the future is that is that what I'm
1:05:25 hearing and my concerns are around as I
1:05:31 said collars number of competing brand
1:05:34 colors we could have on the front of the
1:05:35 building depending on how many secondary
1:05:37 signs are allowed yeah and so the the
1:05:45 sense would be that we would we could if
1:05:48 we were to approve it we we would be
1:05:50 inclined to condition it so that there
1:05:53 wouldn't be other competing signs put up
1:05:56 and then the issue is how long would
1:05:59 that stay in effect yeah yeah and I like
1:06:02 that I know the applicants are open to
1:06:05 enforcing that restriction themselves
1:06:08 but I'm stopping short of saying that
1:06:10 the city would be able to enforce
1:06:11 something above and beyond you know
1:06:14 that's more restrictive than what the
1:06:15 code allows the applicant certainly can
1:06:18 do that but I don't know if the city
1:06:20 could I mean if it's a even if it's a
1:06:27 condition to an administrative
1:06:29 adjustment
1:06:35 so what is the desire of the Commission
1:06:38 well can I ask one more question what if
1:06:40 what if what if can we explore the path
1:06:44 of not accepting the exception then what
1:06:49 is there I guess would be my question
1:06:52 because it is is it as it sounds none of
1:06:56 the tenant spaces correlate to the
1:07:00 facade that the signage is on so are we
1:07:04 suggesting that there would be no
1:07:07 signage as an alternative like like what
1:07:10 happens if we've declined the variance
1:07:11 or that Joseph the adjustment sorry
1:07:15 what I was suggesting do you have that
1:07:17 picture that shows that banner sign one
1:07:21 of the photos shows that so it's just
1:07:24 blank yeah there's one
1:07:35 I think that was in one of these you can
1:07:39 kind of see it in that one right there
1:07:42 right it's a little clearing one of the
1:07:45 further ones up excuse me it's a little
1:07:50 clear on one of the other pictures there
1:07:54 it is yeah
1:08:07 so if the adjustment was denied then
1:08:09 only the third-floor tenants that are in
1:08:13 those spaces up there would be able to
1:08:15 have their signs up there but we could
1:08:18 on the second floor they could have
1:08:19 additional the second-floor tenants give
1:08:21 up signs on that floor and first floor
1:08:23 tenants could have signs on the first
1:08:25 floor okay wait if the request for
1:08:31 adjustment is denied there could be more
1:08:33 signs right yeah they could do Lake
1:08:37 Washington vascular EPA doctor could you
1:08:53 restate that comment that you just made
1:08:54 about could there be more signs and I
1:08:57 would say yes there could be but we have
1:09:00 regulated our building to look like it
1:09:05 does professionally and asking that that
1:09:08 u-dub sign be placed where we're
1:09:13 proposing to places even though that's
1:09:15 not where they're currently located we
1:09:20 is the owner i as the owner are
1:09:22 regulated within our leases and our
1:09:24 proposals to everyone that's when that's
1:09:26 in the building when they can and can't
1:09:29 use that signage on top and that's the
1:09:32 only place that we propose to do that
1:09:34 except for standing monument signs I I
1:09:39 get I understand the larger overall city
1:09:42 question regarding the next guy the next
1:09:46 girl the next building were we were
1:09:50 looking at this as as we did the day we
1:09:53 started to lease the building the day we
1:09:55 designed it and put it up there and
1:09:59 that's all we're asking to do today you
1:10:04 know the the inner workings of how that
1:10:07 works within the city will certainly
1:10:09 leave that to the staff and if if I was
1:10:15 to start a new building across the
1:10:18 street well
1:10:19 up the street here I certainly
1:10:22 understand that there's standards today
1:10:25 that I would be handed that I would have
1:10:27 to develop under but I'm just trying to
1:10:29 stay in the same standards that I looked
1:10:32 at the same vision that we had when we
1:10:35 first offered this building up for
1:10:37 medical services we've actually turned
1:10:40 down a number of more retail type
1:10:44 businesses to get where we're at today
1:10:49 fully medical and frankly you know we
1:10:53 have some really great clients here in
1:10:56 Issaquah you dub of course over lake and
1:10:59 now Seattle Cancer Care is long along
1:11:02 with other you know dentists and so on
1:11:05 and so forth so I just want to make sure
1:11:08 that you know we're not trying to change
1:11:12 the world air we're trying to remain
1:11:13 within a vision that we had and an
1:11:18 acceptance at the original point of
1:11:20 development and when we first leased a
1:11:22 building oh thank you yes you're right
1:11:27 we could end up with the first floor a
1:11:31 sign that's at dr. Okimoto UW Medicine
1:11:36 and the second floor having EPA like
1:11:39 Washington bascule or a third floor and
1:11:42 all those facades are could be signed
1:11:52 more comments well I think right now by
1:11:56 statute they are allowed those signs
1:11:58 they're just asking we don't want to
1:12:00 have those signs we'd rather just have
1:12:01 these two that's what the right
1:12:04 applicants asking and can I ask a
1:12:11 question if they want to deviate from
1:12:12 that then would it be a level zero
1:12:17 review or would it go back to a level
1:12:19 two and it would come back before us if
1:12:22 they wanted to deviate from this
1:12:24 proposal beyond what we accept this
1:12:27 proposal should we accept this purpose
1:12:29 um it would be by coded be
1:12:33 administrative but like I said or just
1:12:35 like we did this time we would have the
1:12:37 option of bumping it up to the
1:12:38 Commission for review which I would
1:12:40 think would be likely if this was
1:12:42 something you've already heard okay
1:12:44 so what one of the questions it there
1:12:48 would be no review and they'll just be
1:12:49 administrative if they want to put signs
1:12:51 above every one of those windows that it
1:12:53 correlates to their tenants basement
1:12:56 that's right the only reason we're
1:12:57 reviewing is they don't want to do that
1:12:59 they'd rather only have to clean signs
1:13:00 on either side it's because they what
1:13:02 signs on tenant spaces other than those
1:13:06 tenants at it I think we end up with a
1:13:11 better-looking building
1:13:16 so more comments somebody have a notion
1:13:20 of a proposal or a motion that they feel
1:13:25 compelled to make that was really good
1:13:28 at that he's the master he already
1:13:31 hasn't written out mr. chair yeah yes
1:13:40 sir I move that we approve the
1:13:47 administrative adjustment of standards
1:13:49 for the Highmark Medical Center signage
1:13:53 filed number AAS one 7-0 0:09 based on
1:14:04 the if I pause for a second Susan
1:14:09 Christopher can being based do you want
1:14:11 the discussion about what it's based on
1:14:13 as part of that too or I think it would
1:14:17 be appropriate yes yeah
1:14:20 [Music]
1:14:22 based on the extraordinary conditions
1:14:26 regarding the building in terms of
1:14:29 tendency and setback from SR 900 and
1:14:34 visibility of signs and other locations
1:14:39 and as well as a condition that no other
1:14:44 signs would be allowed on the east side
1:14:46 of the building other than the two
1:14:49 locations proposed can we go one step
1:14:56 further and to say all locations or all
1:15:00 sides of the building versus Issa
1:15:05 we probably need a second first yeah
1:15:08 sure did it's 90 second okay the motion
1:15:13 has been seconded now comment for a
1:15:15 discussion
1:15:16 so the I guess my thought would be I'm
1:15:20 not sure if something else goes in
1:15:22 behind this building at some point I
1:15:24 don't know that I would want to limit
1:15:25 signage on the west side okay
1:15:30 they think we're only I guess we're only
1:15:33 approving the eastern facade I don't
1:15:37 know if we need to make that clear in
1:15:38 the approval bit I don't think you need
1:15:42 to know and see yeah no it's it's a
1:15:44 given okay that's fair I agree
1:15:53 commissioner Harrison you have something
1:15:55 to say no additional discussion but
1:16:05 we're ready one more I don't think we
1:16:07 ever really addressed negative press net
1:16:09 do we feel like we're sending a negative
1:16:11 president oh just ask that question
1:16:16 well I commissioner I it seems to me
1:16:20 that whether it's negative I mean the
1:16:23 very nature of what we're doing here is
1:16:25 setting a precedent I would just say
1:16:29 what I was going to say earlier and
1:16:31 decided not to but I'm going to go ahead
1:16:33 and say it anyways I hope that the
1:16:38 condition I think it is commissioner
1:16:40 Morgan but I to me the the unique
1:16:47 situation is that by specifying the two
1:16:53 locations that we're doing I'm not sure
1:16:56 that we said made it clear for people
1:17:02 looking at this in the future that the
1:17:04 alternative to denying the application
1:17:08 is the possibility of the facade being
1:17:11 covered with signs I'm not sure that's
1:17:14 would be clear
1:17:17 somebody four years from now looking
1:17:19 looking at this decision and I think
1:17:22 that that should be articulated and in
1:17:25 the condition or in the in the approval
1:17:28 process because if I vote for this it's
1:17:33 going to be because the alternative is a
1:17:36 facade covered with signs so this is the
1:17:39 development Commission's
1:17:40 ability to stop that from happening and
1:17:45 I think that needs to be so part of it
1:17:49 so if we were to modify the motion or
1:17:53 make an amendment to the motion to
1:17:54 include a sentence that in effect said
1:17:56 in lieu of the proliferation of signs
1:17:59 that maybe the potential proliferation
1:18:02 of signs this is avoiding that something
1:18:05 something
1:18:05 and saying something fancier than that
1:18:07 but well maybe I can propose an
1:18:12 amendment down so Susan I guess at the
1:18:15 end of the condition it said do you have
1:18:27 a star the extraordinary conditions
1:18:29 regarding the building in terms of
1:18:31 tenancy and setback from SR 900
1:18:33 visibility of signs from other locations
1:18:35 as well a condition as a condition that
1:18:38 no other signs would be allowed on the
1:18:40 east side of the building other than the
1:18:41 two locations proposed and so right
1:18:44 after that I guess a comma which would
1:18:52 or to prevent a polar pleura for let me
1:18:59 offer I would say instead of a comma
1:19:00 maybe a period and the the Development
1:19:04 Commission wishes to make clear for
1:19:06 purposes of future reference that the
1:19:09 uniqueness of this proposal is that
1:19:14 denial of the application of the request
1:19:17 for net an adjustment of standards could
1:19:20 result in a proliferation of signs on
1:19:23 the same facade which the Commission
1:19:26 finds to be unacceptable or worse that
1:19:31 effect or might I add that in the SIDS I
1:19:34 think we have wording that addresses
1:19:36 this recognize the role signs have in
1:19:37 creating a visually interesting and
1:19:39 attractive place dot while avoiding
1:19:41 visual distraction clutter and chaos and
1:19:44 that's really what we're doing here
1:19:45 probably in a positive frame yeah I
1:19:49 guess the back to your comment Randy in
1:19:52 terms of the saying the Commission the
1:19:54 multiple signs that we don't and want to
1:19:59 be careful because if it's something
1:20:01 that can be done by code and if we come
1:20:04 out and say we don't want to allow what
1:20:07 can be done by code yeah that could be a
1:20:10 problem I think the I'd want to put it
1:20:12 in terms of
1:20:15 a more positive light that it will
1:20:17 result in a more attractive building
1:20:19 that meets the vision of with a specific
1:20:23 limitation on the number of signs yeah
1:20:26 yeah the limitations specific limitation
1:20:29 on the number of signs as opposed to
1:20:30 just we don't do this as I understand it
1:20:33 again each client could request a sign
1:20:37 on yeah if it's not of the bill well I
1:20:38 think it says its limitation on the
1:20:40 number and the location yes yes yes or
1:20:43 another way to look at it would be that
1:20:45 one of the other things that's unique
1:20:47 about this application is that the
1:20:50 applicants are agreeing to the fact that
1:20:52 these are going to be the only two signs
1:20:54 on that elevation yes yeah I just want
1:21:00 to amend the specificity to include that
1:21:03 this is a shared use building with a
1:21:06 single lobby versus like a strip mall
1:21:08 may be considered a single building
1:21:10 because there's one long building and
1:21:12 someone may ask to put a sign in front
1:21:13 of it phone somebody else's frontage
1:21:15 where this is a completely different
1:21:17 concept of a building type right that
1:21:19 this decision is based on the fact that
1:21:22 is a shared office building rather than
1:21:24 a strip mall
1:21:29 yeah to say that this is part of where
1:21:31 the reason we're doing this is because
1:21:32 it's a multistory office building not a
1:21:37 single single story retail it's not a
1:21:41 multi-tenant multi-story office building
1:21:48 so it would be valuable to hear what the
1:21:54 report the proposal is with the
1:21:57 amendment okay so we have which what
1:22:06 Susan read to us before Susan I'm sorry
1:22:10 I can't hear it a lot on the east side
1:22:18 of the building other than the two
1:22:19 locations no other signs would be
1:22:22 allowed on the east side of the building
1:22:23 other than the two locations proposed
1:22:27 and then to put it your comment in a
1:22:30 more positive light would result in a
1:22:33 more attractive the building that still
1:22:35 meets the vision with a specific
1:22:37 limitation on the number and location of
1:22:39 signs allowed and then you said about it
1:22:47 being a shared use building with a
1:22:49 shared Lobby a multi-tenant building so
1:22:53 those three things yeah so maybe what we
1:22:55 could do for Roberts maybe in the in the
1:22:59 discussion of the uniqueness of it you
1:23:02 mentioned our ordinary circumstance mm
1:23:06 bur someone else mentioned there was a
1:23:07 pre SIDS building so is the pre the
1:23:09 current so I though things are all the
1:23:13 in and these are the require you know
1:23:14 that the hurdles that had to be believed
1:23:17 in order to get to this point where we
1:23:18 say yes it's fine for the science is
1:23:19 that has to be the priests is the
1:23:21 setback the visibility from the street
1:23:23 as well as a shared use multi-story
1:23:25 office bill that list of extraordinary
1:23:28 conditions
1:23:30 it's a multi-tenant multi-story office
1:23:33 building
1:23:35 that were yes so that fits in there and
1:23:39 then the add-on to the condition about
1:23:42 or a separate sentence you'd prefer
1:23:44 Randy yeah yeah I think just
1:23:47 grammatically it gets a little long to
1:23:49 have so yeah the separate sentence
1:24:02 and thinking about worrying so a unique
1:24:04 situation to avoid the plural
1:24:07 proliferation of potential some
1:24:09 additional signs on multiple floors but
1:24:14 it's also to limit the scope of this
1:24:17 decision to this type of building that's
1:24:20 the whole purpose of this is we want to
1:24:21 limit the scope for this type of
1:24:23 building and what the the reasoning as
1:24:26 to why we we think it's fine for the
1:24:27 science of video yeah so well I think
1:24:29 now we're just thinking about that
1:24:30 additional sentence and how to word that
1:24:32 in terms of the player liberation of
1:24:41 well the Development Commission believes
1:24:47 that the limitation of two signs at the
1:24:51 upper portion of the building will
1:24:53 result in a more attractive building in
1:24:56 line with the central is a flawed
1:24:58 visions sorry the upper portion of the
1:25:01 building will result in a more
1:25:02 attractive attractive building that is
1:25:08 in line with the central Issaquah
1:25:09 visions in comparison to the potential
1:25:15 flirtation of multiple signs on multiple
1:25:18 floors of the building that work at this
1:25:23 point it may sound like we're trying to
1:25:25 indemnify ourselves because the bottom
1:25:27 line is this will come up again
1:25:29 no I yeah mr. chair the the I'm going
1:25:34 back to the original guidance that we
1:25:36 got from staff and and the request from
1:25:40 him to is specific and as articulate as
1:25:44 we can be about why we have taken the
1:25:47 decision that we've done tonight I just
1:25:49 think we owe that to the whoever is on a
1:25:52 mission and in Christopher's position
1:25:55 five six eight years from now well we're
1:25:58 all gonna be right we have
1:26:02 that's right I agree cuz I think if they
1:26:07 come in and said here are six different
1:26:08 signs of the building and we want to
1:26:10 move just and the sign from here to
1:26:12 there
1:26:13 and we'd be less inclined in any
1:26:19 additional discussion are you ready for
1:26:23 a vote although are we ready for a vote
1:26:25 all those in favor approving the
1:26:28 administrative adjustment as the motion
1:26:32 indicated with the condition say aye aye
1:26:35 opposed looks like it's a deal
1:26:44 five-minute break only 45 minutes
1:26:48 assignment
1:32:51 that's a radius and you can you can do
1:32:53 this as well this is a different yeah
1:32:57 this is a kind of different format I'll
1:33:01 explain it in just a minute same
1:33:06 questions yeah okay so we're just gonna
1:33:16 change gears now after the formal part
1:33:19 of our meeting and what I'm presenting
1:33:21 to you now or what we're going to talk
1:33:24 about is the city has entered into a
1:33:26 strategic plan process and what we are
1:33:31 doing right now is we're trying to
1:33:32 gather as much public input as we can
1:33:34 from as many different places as we can
1:33:37 okay of doing a surge over the next
1:33:39 month month and a half or so and we're
1:33:43 visiting and getting an input from you
1:33:47 know easy targets like you guys who are
1:33:49 existing boards and commissions because
1:33:53 we know you're already very vested and
1:33:55 engaged in the community last week for
1:34:00 example I also met with like the Friends
1:34:01 of Lake Sammamish State Park where we're
1:34:05 also in addition to meeting with boards
1:34:07 and commissions were setting up what we
1:34:09 call a pop-up stands like at the library
1:34:13 and at the at the Pickering barn during
1:34:16 that open markets that and you know just
1:34:22 a central park during ball games and
1:34:24 we're just trying to be out there and
1:34:25 and just collect as much input and
1:34:28 direction for the strategic plan as we
1:34:30 can and so normally when I facilitate
1:34:34 these things I don't necessarily like
1:34:36 reading a script but for this I want to
1:34:38 make sure you guys get it now we're
1:34:40 televised but you're not you're not
1:34:45 representing the development
1:34:46 mission here so your answers are not
1:34:49 shouldn't be based on your Commission
1:34:52 perspective but instead on your
1:34:55 perspective as residents or people that
1:34:59 just live work and play here in the city
1:35:01 and so keep that in mind like I said you
1:35:04 take off your Commission hat and just be
1:35:07 an interested citizen so as I said today
1:35:12 we'll be participating in the city of
1:35:14 Issaquah strategic planning process this
1:35:17 is a structured exercise and it's an
1:35:20 opportunity for us to give input into
1:35:22 the vision and priorities we believe the
1:35:24 city should focus its resources on
1:35:27 achieving we will begin by describing
1:35:30 the strategic plan process afterwards we
1:35:33 will move into the questions there's
1:35:36 five questions which will give us an
1:35:39 opportunity to provide our input on this
1:35:41 akua's vision for the future and
1:35:43 priorities and I've routed to you
1:35:48 there's a sign-in sheet looks like I've
1:35:49 got that and also there's also a form
1:35:55 for you to fill out with regard to just
1:36:02 kind of your background okay so you've
1:36:05 got those okay and this is this exercise
1:36:09 is supposed to take about an hour or
1:36:11 about a half an hour but I've never seen
1:36:14 you guys only take a half an hour of
1:36:16 anything so we'll see okay so what is
1:36:20 this project about the city basic why
1:36:23 has launched work on a citywide
1:36:25 strategic plan to affirm a shared vision
1:36:28 for our community this planning process
1:36:30 will engage many people who live work
1:36:32 and play in this aquire to unite around
1:36:35 a common set of goals and priorities
1:36:37 your participation will help the city
1:36:39 align its resources with the activities
1:36:42 that have the most value for the public
1:36:44 what is a strategic plan a strategic
1:36:48 plan is a document used to help guide
1:36:50 the city's priorities goals and actions
1:36:54 it creates a road map used by the mayor
1:36:56 city council and staff to achieve
1:36:59 community-wide goals why are we a part
1:37:03 of this the city of Issaquah I would
1:37:05 like to engage with a broad
1:37:06 cross-section of people who as I said
1:37:08 live work and play in our community
1:37:11 understanding the vision and priorities
1:37:13 of community members will help us guide
1:37:16 the strategic plan and thus its goals
1:37:18 and actions in the near term as I
1:37:21 mentioned the city is taking steps to
1:37:23 encourage community members to provide
1:37:24 input including this what we call
1:37:27 meeting in a box that were tech kind of
1:37:29 taking as a roadshow to different
1:37:30 meetings community pop-up booths as I
1:37:33 mentioned and then just being at various
1:37:35 events and focus groups in the city and
1:37:38 as I mentioned there's the online survey
1:37:40 that you can take as well and those
1:37:42 people at home anybody watching I would
1:37:44 encourage you to take the online survey
1:37:49 okay so the second page of what I handed
1:37:52 out to you is this chart here that is
1:37:55 the strategic plan process and basically
1:37:59 this this graphic represents the process
1:38:02 aquire is currently undertaking to
1:38:04 develop the strategic plan and there are
1:38:07 three phases we are currently in phase
1:38:10 one in other words working in that box
1:38:12 over on the left-hand side and this
1:38:16 first phase includes a variety of
1:38:17 opportunities for community input as I
1:38:20 mentioned and the city will be obtaining
1:38:23 a clear understanding of the vision
1:38:24 mission and values of the community and
1:38:27 residents and then during phase 2 that
1:38:31 where we want to go phase the city staff
1:38:33 will stay staff workgroups will use
1:38:36 input from phase 1 to develop goals and
1:38:39 objectives and those goals will continue
1:38:42 to check in with the community as this
1:38:44 continues and then during phase 3 the
1:38:46 how we will get there implementation
1:38:49 workgroups will create action plans and
1:38:51 performance measures to evaluate the
1:38:53 progress on those actions at the
1:38:56 conclusion of this phase the
1:38:57 community-based strategic plan
1:38:59 we'll be reviewed and then ultimately
1:39:00 adopted by the City Council so as you
1:39:05 can see there are a lot of components
1:39:06 here and if you're interested in
1:39:09 learning more there's also there's the
1:39:12 page on the city's website and I can
1:39:14 answer any questions you may have as
1:39:16 well and if I can't answer them I can
1:39:18 point you to somebody who can so as I
1:39:22 mentioned there are five questions and
1:39:24 I'm gonna kind of walk you through those
1:39:26 and you've got a copy of what each of
1:39:28 those are and and like I said we'll
1:39:30 probably try to take five or so minutes
1:39:33 with each one so keep that in mind I do
1:39:35 want to hear from all of you so please
1:39:39 speak up and I will be just kind of
1:39:42 taking notes up here that I will then
1:39:44 convey on to the team that's collecting
1:39:47 all of this input so just so you know so
1:39:51 the first question is what do you
1:39:55 personally value about Issaquah anybody
1:40:07 [Music]
1:40:29 I mean for me as a father of young kids
1:40:32 I'd like that I have all the parks and
1:40:35 everything else here the activities
1:40:38 they're available to schools and 15
1:40:42 minutes of the ballpark they go watch a
1:40:44 Mariners game in 30 minutes ago to the
1:40:45 scheme I take my industry if you will
1:41:00 and then low-tech recreational walking
1:41:03 around in the woods you know there's
1:41:04 just a good mix of Exim amich access to
1:41:08 fishing active access to professional
1:41:11 baseball well so you said it's an
1:41:18 intersection an intersection of kind of
1:41:21 nature activities and an intersection
1:41:37 I value old devalue it with the year
1:41:44 without thee because old town is very
1:41:57 important to me and what I value because
1:42:00 it is legitimately old compared to other
1:42:04 communities it is real because it is a
1:42:07 pre car talent and we have managed to
1:42:12 keep the intersection pedestrian nature
1:42:16 with the library and the business is
1:42:19 there and I and so other towns around
1:42:21 this area are trying to create it you
1:42:23 know add water and we've got an actual
1:42:27 town so to me that that really is the
1:42:31 heart and the hatcheries there it's just
1:42:36 ok conclude the hatchery on Hoosier and
1:42:42 that's all within five minutes walk with
1:42:44 each other
1:42:49 okay everything else valued just quickly
1:42:53 ability for citizens to be involved be
1:43:04 involved and make a difference
1:43:17 they can often that close to that we get
1:43:20 the sense that people here are really
1:43:21 committed to preserving the natural
1:43:23 resources the whole natural setting so
1:43:25 it's starring the whole salmon habitat
1:43:29 and creeks
1:43:39 people committed to preservation to go
1:43:42 ahead something else preservation of our
1:43:46 great natural resource diversity is
1:43:51 better than resource problem
1:43:58 that's right resource is something we
1:44:01 use right okay before we move on to the
1:44:03 next question is there anything else we
1:44:05 want to mine is less of a physical
1:44:07 attribute that there seems to be a real
1:44:10 sense of community pride that seems to
1:44:13 span most of the citizens that I've
1:44:19 encountered it's really good
1:44:24 anything else okay back to what it was
1:44:39 mentioned I'm you know what the
1:44:42 characters his mother worked right yeah
1:44:44 I know I saw that clip that was really
1:44:46 funny I'm actually pronounced it pretty
1:44:49 well too which isn't always the case
1:44:50 when we're on national television okay
1:44:55 so the next question what aspirations do
1:44:59 you have for a saccade in the next 15 to
1:45:03 20 years
1:45:04 so by aspirations you know we're not
1:45:07 asking what do you think this requires
1:45:10 going to look like in 15 or 20 years but
1:45:13 if you got off of your time machine in
1:45:15 15 to 20 years what do you hope you
1:45:17 would see 15 to 20 years
1:45:23 personally value the same things when we
1:45:25 dis listed that means that they still
1:45:32 recognizable you even know the growth
1:45:36 will have taken place so basically see
1:45:41 that list yeah and hopefully they all
1:45:43 feel the same as I think my aspiration
1:45:49 is that the community at large feels
1:45:51 like they have a voice and what will
1:45:54 look like in their next 10 to 15 years
1:45:56 or the next 15 to 20 years the voice
1:45:58 will be heard and responded to so you
1:46:05 say the community will continue to have
1:46:06 a voice I would say the ability to
1:46:28 preserve and project our identity and
1:46:31 build upon our identity and project that
1:46:33 into the future identify preserve a lot
1:46:37 of a traditions
1:46:41 identify and preserve our identity okay
1:46:48 so I'm gonna follow up with that when
1:46:50 you say our identity is there particular
1:46:53 things that come to mind well like I say
1:46:56 see see the first list again I think the
1:47:00 idea is that it says it's those values
1:47:03 and and so how do we build on those
1:47:05 values so you know again I don't think
1:47:09 it's it's a physical thing so many
1:47:11 things in forming from the people to the
1:47:14 physical attributes so I think values I
1:47:18 would
1:47:19 on a physical note I'd like to see can I
1:47:22 have a expansion of our activities that
1:47:26 we have available the city like I didn't
1:47:28 I came to advocate for a fool with any
1:47:31 groups here I don't think the pool that
1:47:33 we have this very good and you know it'd
1:47:37 be nice instead building more ballparks
1:47:39 and soccer fields and everything else we
1:47:41 build one exceptional facility for the
1:47:44 kids as well the pool what was the
1:47:47 second one instead of building more you
1:47:50 know baseball and soccer to build a
1:47:52 exceptional aquatics facility
1:47:54 I guess I have another aspiration that
1:48:04 that centers around the architecture and
1:48:06 urban design manual and and to see that
1:48:09 that has route that really establishes a
1:48:11 signature for Issaquah that it that it
1:48:16 reflects what the citizenry wants but
1:48:20 develops a sense of place a better sense
1:48:23 of place the more consistent sense
1:48:24 implies taking off on that one
1:48:27 smart growth that preserves our
1:48:31 distinctive small-town character
1:48:43 I could I could I could could I give you
1:48:46 along so central Issaquah is a safe
1:48:53 clean and vibrant place for people to
1:48:58 live work play and learn
1:49:01 we had safe clean and vibrant and
1:49:06 vibrant place for people to live work
1:49:09 play and learn
1:49:21 okay so now I do want to kind of narrow
1:49:27 these down to just three to five because
1:49:31 the next questions we're gonna try to
1:49:33 focus on just kind of the key components
1:49:36 of this I think a couple of those are
1:49:38 actually we may we may have out of all
1:49:42 those I think we may have it certainly
1:49:45 five but we certainly I think we've got
1:49:47 three already
1:49:48 okay and you can summarize those what I
1:49:52 said what Kevin said you know I can't do
1:50:01 that I think it's already there I think
1:50:07 you've got a three okay you know I would
1:50:10 say that the design standard thing is is
1:50:18 significant in my opinion that's
1:50:20 significant enough to be a standalone
1:50:26 okay so well definitely will include the
1:50:29 architecture and design manual I think
1:50:32 kind of we're saying keep it green and
1:50:33 keep it clean and vibrant okay and also
1:50:46 well I'm really glad that Mel started
1:50:53 with the word safe I was gonna bring
1:50:57 that up but I we have on our street
1:51:01 thirty five houses and we've had nine
1:51:05 criminal episodes in the last couple of
1:51:09 years and it has changed the environment
1:51:12 on our street and that I mean people
1:51:19 don't talk about that
1:51:21 they talk about saving the trees and
1:51:23 keeping the forested hillsides
1:51:25 everything all of which are absolutely
1:51:26 critical but if people don't feel safe
1:51:29 to go out and walk their dogs after dark
1:51:31 we're dead okay so we've got the the
1:51:36 design manual we have basically Mel's
1:51:40 final statement here that encompasses
1:51:42 quite a bit so I think the third one is
1:51:44 more having to do with you know the
1:51:47 community engagement and involvement is
1:51:50 that you know maintaining the values and
1:51:52 the identity the fact that I mean we
1:52:05 mentioned I don't remember how I'm sorry
1:52:06 you mentioned this but that we will have
1:52:09 the citizens still have a voice was it
1:52:13 five five 15 to 20 years from now yeah
1:52:17 that that to me is absolutely almost
1:52:23 almost as important as safety as a
1:52:25 fundamental aspect but people can't if
1:52:27 if they're not cynical 15 to 20 years
1:52:30 from now about how they're governed that
1:52:33 will be a huge accomplishment
1:52:35 considering the growth it's going to
1:52:37 happen between now and then okay I think
1:52:40 I think that's good it like I said I can
1:52:41 I can summarize that I think pretty well
1:52:43 they're just kind of keep those in mind
1:52:45 as we move on to the next questions and
1:52:50 the next question is
1:52:52 why are these important why why are
1:52:57 these aspirations these things that you
1:52:59 focused on community involvement the
1:53:01 design manual keeping it a safe and
1:53:04 vibrant place why are those important to
1:53:07 you those are those are the building
1:53:09 blocks that are gonna carry us through
1:53:13 to the future
1:53:14 you know this Commissioner Harrison said
1:53:17 you know this place is gonna grow
1:53:19 tremendously and we have to hand this
1:53:22 community to a lot of new people they're
1:53:26 coming from a lot of different places
1:53:28 and so we need tools in building blocks
1:53:31 to do that and I think I would suggest
1:53:36 that people why is it important I think
1:53:39 it's important to people businesses and
1:53:41 residents come to Issaquah for the same
1:53:44 reason 15 20 years they're coming now
1:53:48 huge accomplishment think of it as
1:53:50 quality of life yeah yeah I mean these
1:53:54 are quality issues those are the reasons
1:53:57 that make us unique yeah yeah I'm not
1:54:00 quickly not don't get rare
1:54:12 so essentially as we continue to
1:54:14 accommodate more growth more residents
1:54:17 more businesses we want to ensure that
1:54:20 we're maintaining the quality of life
1:54:21 and also maintaining what is unique is
1:54:24 that one that the whole point of those
1:54:30 three aspirations the civic
1:54:34 participation I think is a big part of
1:54:35 it and I asked a question of my fellow
1:54:42 commissioners here since this was an
1:54:44 open discussion
1:54:45 I lived in a place that I'm aware of
1:55:02 that had the level of citizen
1:55:06 participation and demonstrable
1:55:12 results is visible you know I kind of
1:55:16 you know kind of thought about that for
1:55:17 I just I just want to know if that's
1:55:20 maybe it's partly a measure of magical
1:55:23 size - not too small not too enormous
1:55:25 not metro people feel like they're
1:55:28 engaged we can make it if lens is
1:55:29 Microsoft I'm the high tech yeah I I
1:55:35 agree I agree completely it's
1:55:38 approachable and it's the kind of place
1:55:42 you want you're compelled to contribute
1:55:45 to this really interesting and I've
1:55:50 lived in a much older top of this I
1:55:51 didn't San Juan Capistrano down in
1:55:53 Southern California and it's full town
1:55:55 was you know a couple buildings knocked
1:55:58 over in the Panda mission and that was
1:56:00 about it yes I would a number of small
1:56:04 towns myself and I think that the public
1:56:08 participation was more predicated on the
1:56:10 issues that were being dealt with in the
1:56:14 long term so all right I guess I I'm not
1:56:20 sure I sense that's it is that that we
1:56:27 lost some of our participation in some
1:56:29 of our meetings because people didn't
1:56:32 think they were
1:56:32 those changes I think that's change I
1:56:35 think I think it's changed but it's slow
1:56:37 that's it then that's hard role to hold
1:56:39 you have to get people to accept the
1:56:41 fact that they're having a direct impact
1:56:43 on and coming to these meetings that
1:56:45 sometimes aren't the most thrilling did
1:56:48 mister that to with comments and we
1:56:54 change and to your point Richard I would
1:56:58 say why is that important to you I mean
1:57:00 I I frequently point to the how the
1:57:06 central discipline plan came about I
1:57:08 mean when it came about it people
1:57:10 looking forward and that long ago to how
1:57:14 his supporter was going to handle the
1:57:16 growth that was coming how the city went
1:57:19 about doing that which if those of us
1:57:22 who didn't participate in it know how
1:57:26 brazen that think of us and now we just
1:57:31 had a moratorium on development to
1:57:35 address the concerns of the citizens and
1:57:38 it's it's you know that's the kind of
1:57:41 thing that that I point to and people
1:57:44 kind of go yeah no no that's right I
1:57:45 hadn't thought about that
1:57:46 but it's demonstrable I don't know I'm
1:57:52 not supposed to add stuff as facilitator
1:57:54 I will say hopefully we're taking this
1:57:56 community engagement and involvement to
1:57:58 a whole nother level now you know after
1:58:01 seeing that kind of waned a bit and like
1:58:04 I think this what we're doing this surge
1:58:06 of gathering as much community input as
1:58:09 we can over the next month and a half I
1:58:10 think is a good indication of things to
1:58:12 come as far as trying to amp up the
1:58:15 engagement and you know that's great
1:58:17 Christopher this thing on this when I
1:58:20 see what's going on in other large
1:58:22 communities adjacent to us in terms of
1:58:25 public participation seems to be shaking
1:58:30 fists and
1:58:31 and walking hallways and things like
1:58:34 that and I understand that that the fact
1:58:36 that we're dealing with essentially the
1:58:38 same issues of growth and things like
1:58:41 that and doing it in a respectful a
1:58:44 thank nature in this day and age to me
1:58:47 is very important and you need not
1:58:50 unique but Rick to all too rare ok so
1:59:00 just a couple things I've added based on
1:59:02 on that they said that this as you
1:59:05 mentioned this is one of the most
1:59:06 involved communities that you've ever
1:59:08 lived in we want to continue to make
1:59:12 sure that people are heard and then also
1:59:15 as I mentioned just now the respectful
1:59:17 participation I think is important to
1:59:19 capture as well I've got one more if you
1:59:22 don't mind enter the work part in it is
1:59:30 akua's important because I think we I
1:59:32 think that it's important because we
1:59:34 need to spend less time working to the
1:59:39 west and more time playing to the east
1:59:44 less work more play
1:59:46 let's work more play exactly but you
1:59:50 know if we don't have to get in cars and
1:59:52 buses and head to Bellevue in Seattle to
1:59:55 work and then work in Issaquah and then
1:59:59 more time
2:00:14 [Applause]
2:00:28 that's good okay so the next question
2:00:33 and I don't think you'll have any
2:00:35 trouble a through this what are the
2:00:37 challenges we face in reaching those
2:00:40 aspirations the challenges maintaining
2:00:45 credibility keeping up for that I mean
2:00:49 bottom line is I think that the only way
2:00:54 we're going to secure confidence with
2:00:58 the public is to be able to maintain the
2:01:01 reality that they have access and can
2:01:04 make changes and make help make
2:01:05 decisions
2:01:09 I would say growing responsibly and as a
2:01:13 city if we have lunch at growth I'm
2:01:16 gonna end up with less participation
2:01:18 less people to move here having access
2:01:22 to anything and I think that I mean
2:01:34 that's very succinctly I agree with it
2:01:37 but I think part of what are the
2:01:39 challenges is being able to say no and
2:01:42 and have it be legally sustainable and
2:01:47 you think that's the under growing
2:01:49 Jackson I think it's I think it's the
2:01:51 bombs I think it's just a almost a comma
2:01:53 two bombs point it's not separate it's
2:01:58 just a part of a part of a growing
2:01:59 responsibly to me is being able to say
2:02:02 I'm sorry that doesn't fit the code and
2:02:04 it's not relevant here and I'm you know
2:02:07 I'll come back if you want to but we're
2:02:09 not going to allow that and and I'm
2:02:13 having it being sustainable in court and
2:02:16 that kind of thing to me when that
2:02:19 happens reinforces the citizens belief
2:02:24 that the local government is working
2:02:27 they may not agree with all of the
2:02:30 decisions but that's the kind of thing
2:02:31 that people are afraid they're not going
2:02:33 to see in the future we're just here to
2:02:35 rubber-stamp challenge to our whole area
2:02:38 here is affordability for different
2:02:41 professions ages dangers of life
2:02:47 mobility when we're gonna get a light
2:02:49 rail here I'll be 91 and that's gonna
2:02:52 come through so here we gonna speed that
2:02:55 up just a little
2:03:04 and regional traffic I think there's a
2:03:13 an issue with some portion of the of the
2:03:17 community doesn't want to see any growth
2:03:19 at all
2:03:19 and so the there there's a conflict
2:03:25 between what's happening and what the
2:03:29 role of for instance the Development
2:03:31 Commission is is to try to facilitate
2:03:32 that growth in a responsible meaningful
2:03:35 way and other people that are saying we
2:03:37 have you know even be responsible all
2:03:39 you want we don't want it
2:03:39 we don't want it we don't want it here
2:03:41 the conflict between growth versus no
2:03:44 growth yeah yeah it's gonna be
2:03:47 affordability and growth
2:03:49 okay controller growth cuz if you
2:03:52 control growth you limit the supply this
2:03:54 is the demand face - the prices have to
2:03:57 be right there in the middle and it
2:04:00 seems to me it's almost so fundamental
2:04:02 it maybe shouldn't even be on here but
2:04:05 the challenges I think are going to be
2:04:07 keeping we've talked about affordability
2:04:09 but the challenge for the city is going
2:04:12 to be taking the available revenues and
2:04:18 matching them to two priorities and I
2:04:25 available revenues I'm talking about
2:04:27 everything from federal down to real
2:04:30 estate tax and levies and things like
2:04:34 that because if those continue in the
2:04:37 region the way they seem to be going
2:04:39 then fixed income and people that are
2:04:43 retired they're on you know they made
2:04:46 really good plans are gonna change their
2:04:49 opinion about living here so there are
2:04:53 two things there one is revenues the
2:04:55 challenges match
2:04:57 the revenues to the priorities but then
2:04:59 a whole nother one of just sources of
2:05:01 revenue how do you how do you spend most
2:05:07 efficiently what you're getting and
2:05:08 where does it come from
2:05:09 I think another challenge is a growing
2:05:17 distrust of people in authority I don't
2:05:22 know how to say that any other way for
2:05:23 instance we have a meeting and the
2:05:25 traffic engineer stands up and says
2:05:27 here's what the count is and somebody
2:05:29 somebody from the public will say well I
2:05:31 don't believe that I don't agree with
2:05:32 that or we'll look at a classification
2:05:34 of a stream somebody will say well I
2:05:36 don't believe that you know so there's a
2:05:37 willingness in the some portions of the
2:05:40 community to disregard what certified
2:05:43 experts are saying or recommending or I
2:05:49 think that's court TVs fault
2:05:52 everyone's got an expert they paid it
2:05:53 comes to do what they want to say
2:05:55 anybody will say anything yeah okay
2:05:58 anything else as far challenges before
2:06:00 we move on to the last question and and
2:06:03 I connect throw out something that would
2:06:05 be controversial misguided notion that
2:06:09 light rail will solve our transit
2:06:11 problem sure I think it actually came up
2:06:22 in one of the our meetings a couple of
2:06:25 years ago and I know I've talked as a
2:06:29 private citizen I've asked this of some
2:06:32 of our elected official one of our
2:06:33 elected officials but is there any
2:06:37 thought at this point about where a
2:06:40 terminal is going to be and I think it
2:06:43 even came up frankly with the consultant
2:06:45 who said it should be thought it was
2:06:47 Pickering yeah Mike Austin yeah is there
2:06:51 is there any I think the suggestions may
2:06:53 be happening at a really high level well
2:06:55 that is I remember that somebody said
2:06:58 bread bun for example has already said
2:06:59 we got it we bought the land
2:07:01 you know it's done this is where it's
2:07:03 gonna have we haven't gotten that far
2:07:04 now and it's al King
2:07:06 yeah the consultants I came in here to
2:07:08 give us the the design manual they came
2:07:10 up but they had two ideas of where it
2:07:12 could go in fact they said it was
2:07:13 supposed to have two hubs one was in the
2:07:15 highlands one was in the highlands one
2:07:17 was by Pickering and then one of them
2:07:19 also the transit this is also the bus
2:07:22 transit sidetrack yeah yeah okay so the
2:07:39 final question just don't railroad us
2:07:42 today what changes are needed to reach
2:07:47 those aspirations YRC making the
2:07:51 Development Commission I'm supposed to
2:07:58 write everything down yeah I think the
2:08:04 thing that we did was Crandall or anvil
2:08:06 I first came on board here was just
2:08:07 great we were bringing in experts big
2:08:12 change might be continue to be aware of
2:08:16 best practices lessons learned when this
2:08:20 has been faced before we're not the
2:08:21 first community facing growth right a
2:08:24 lot of the principles of smart growth or
2:08:26 been designed that came out of a
2:08:28 Crandall arambula thing I think was
2:08:29 really great I don't know how to spread
2:08:31 the word about that but I'd be great if
2:08:34 we could you know take a kind of
2:08:37 educational function maybe in the subway
2:08:40 and I same same subject but I would say
2:08:44 that the city asked to do a better job
2:08:47 of communicating with all of its
2:08:51 constituencies even to the point of
2:08:56 pushing the information out to them if
2:08:58 they I'm not just relying on them to go
2:09:00 to the website but
2:09:03 elected officials going out
2:09:05 participating more on local events
2:09:08 meetings whatever Communications is
2:09:13 going to be more critical as we face the
2:09:17 as the challenges grow Communications is
2:09:19 going to grow the need for effective
2:09:21 communications can go right with it and
2:09:24 if it's not there and we're gonna be in
2:09:27 trouble for a lot of different reasons
2:09:29 so I've been to a number of community
2:09:31 meetings and violence at that Blakely
2:09:33 hall that we have up there where the
2:09:34 city comes in with traffic engineers and
2:09:36 talks about the traffic I think even
2:09:38 with our design mains that there should
2:09:40 be like a presentation done on what that
2:09:42 means to a community like that in the
2:09:45 highlands down in the city and a couple
2:09:47 other places so yeah and don't just say
2:09:52 one thing on that that's I've mentioned
2:09:54 before not here but we will reach an
2:10:00 event I will have reached Nevada on this
2:10:02 subject when I can go on the city
2:10:04 website and click and within a couple
2:10:06 clicks find the city budget when I can
2:10:09 look in a couple of clicks and find the
2:10:13 crime record in my neighborhood right
2:10:18 now and I've asked people a lot more
2:10:21 illiterate than I am and it's not as
2:10:25 easy as it should be you said what was
2:10:31 the other thing that you mentioned
2:10:38 development projects projected where is
2:10:41 this going to go and we're still in this
2:10:43 thing with a 300 foot notification you
2:10:46 know that you get a notice if you're
2:10:49 within 300 foot of the development
2:10:51 that's prehistoric as far as I'm
2:10:53 concerned I mean we ought to be able to
2:10:55 push it and up to people so I wanted to
2:11:00 kind of capture make sure I'm getting it
2:11:02 so it has to do with pushing them for me
2:11:04 now let me make sure I'm getting this
2:11:07 right basically the city what you
2:11:09 appreciate and what something that
2:11:11 should change that the city should go to
2:11:13 the people rather than sitting up here
2:11:17 waiting trip them I think that I think
2:11:20 communications in and out has to be at
2:11:26 the same pace as the the challenge so is
2:11:30 if if traffic remains the challenge
2:11:33 citizens have to be able to access the
2:11:36 latest information definition whatever
2:11:39 and the city should not rely on people
2:11:42 just to do that there should be a
2:11:44 concomitant push effort so it's just
2:11:47 basically the communications needs to be
2:11:51 priority in crispr I agree with what you
2:11:55 read there that city going to the people
2:11:57 oh yeah yeah I think that's a good
2:12:04 example communication too and I don't
2:12:07 see the word well I guess you did right
2:12:09 education that's good
2:12:10 I think it's about educating why is what
2:12:14 the city is doing good and and and why
2:12:17 are we taking these measures you know so
2:12:20 I really just want to emphasize
2:12:20 education I think once you have
2:12:23 education it empowers people to share
2:12:27 the vision and build with momentum to a
2:12:33 common goal we're all going to have our
2:12:34 differences but if we have we have some
2:12:36 common ground which is our identity but
2:12:39 but how do we educate them on where
2:12:41 we're headed I'm getting a little
2:12:43 long-winded here you know I was on one
2:12:45 these next-door websites and somebody
2:12:47 was complaining about it it's a quad and
2:12:49 the growth and they said we should be
2:12:52 like red men what if we were like red
2:12:53 men have you been to Redmond lately have
2:12:55 you seen what they've done there and it
2:12:56 was all I could do to get on and saying
2:12:58 as a matter of fact
2:13:00 you know we're trying you know and so
2:13:04 that education is poor important I know
2:13:06 it's in its infancy and we're really not
2:13:07 gonna see the impacts of this for for a
2:13:09 while here but but I think educating
2:13:11 people on the ground floor
2:13:13 what's that amid ease in and
2:13:15 re-establish his confidence
2:13:25 I think that's a good
2:13:32 yeah there's kind of a cycle right the
2:13:34 more information the public has the more
2:13:36 comfortable they are they talked about
2:13:38 the agent involved yeah and we're not
2:13:40 just pulling out of the air there are
2:13:41 principles right that have been best
2:13:44 practices that have been used so if we
2:13:46 go out and explain to them why smaller
2:13:48 blocks why agree well we could talk
2:13:50 about that you know probably most feel
2:13:52 have no idea why you would want to chop
2:13:53 up central is it go on to a grid right
2:13:55 but there are principles behind it that
2:13:57 could be explained
2:13:59 all right before it closed up any less
2:14:02 okay I get well Morgan of course you do
2:14:04 of course I do
2:14:07 it Ben Sound Transit to change from
2:14:11 light rail to bus rapid transit for is
2:14:14 o'clock right there I think most I've
2:14:19 got a super say great I bet 90% of
2:14:21 people in this boat don't realize that
2:14:23 you won't be able to take a train from
2:14:24 Issaquah to Seattle you would take a
2:14:27 train to build a boat or switch to an
2:14:29 Orion train to go to sell I was
2:14:31 convinced Sound Transit to replace light
2:14:35 rail with with bus rapid transit I'd
2:14:39 rather that they go in right now and
2:14:41 start working on taking the center by 90
2:14:44 turn it into a bus rapid transit line
2:14:46 and just start running buses I think
2:14:52 that means up this gate 25 years a train
2:14:55 to Bellevue
2:15:01 no more puns okay so in conclusion the
2:15:07 city of Issaquah would like to thank you
2:15:09 all for participating and providing your
2:15:12 input and opinions and on behalf of the
2:15:14 city this choir would like to thank you
2:15:16 all for even more than that the
2:15:17 commitment you show here all the time
2:15:20 that we appreciate more than you know
2:15:22 your voices have been heard it will be
2:15:24 closely analyzed to create a vision for
2:15:27 Issaquah that represents the entire
2:15:29 community in order for the to help the
2:15:34 city understand the range of
2:15:35 participants in the meetings of box we
2:15:36 have the demographic survey that I hand
2:15:40 it out and then also the sign-in sheet
2:15:41 and then again I'll just remind you one
2:15:43 more time about the survey that you can
2:15:45 take online as well and that concludes
2:15:48 our strategic plan thank you meeting
2:15:58 adjourned meeting is adjourned all right
2:16:01 thank you

Attendance

Audience commenters (1)
Joint Discussion PRICE

Recommendations & actions (9)

Sentences extracted from the narrative containing words like recommended, requested, directed, moved, or approved. Best-effort — verify against the full minutes for context.

  • He explained the proposed signage plan, noting that no other changes to the size or the number of signs are being requested.
  • He asked staff to clarify that the Development Commission is being asked to review approval of sign location only tonight and that staff will be conducting the review and approval of the applicant’s sign permit…
  • He said he feels that the application for an AAS should be approved.
  • HARRISON asked staff to explain the City’s reservations about approving this request.
  • SANFORD clarified that, if the amendment is not approved, what would be the maximum number of signs that would be allowed.
  • Wright clarified that if this adjustment is denied, then potentially other tenants in the building could put up more signs, including on the first and second floors of the building where none exist today.
  • MORGAN clarified we could end up with multiple signs if this AAS is denied.
  • Recommendation MOVED BY MORGAN, SECONDED BY BAKH that the Development Commission approve an Administrative Adjustment of Standards, AAS17-00009, for the Highmark Medical Office Building, File No.
  • He suggested we make it clear, as Wright requested in his opening statements, why we are doing this; denying this AAS could result in a proliferation of signs, which the Commission finds unacceptable.