CITY INCHES CLOSER TO FINAL SUB-AREA PLAN

The Sequim of tomorrow: green buildings, electric cars and solar panels

by Anna Lillian Moser
Staff writer

What will Sequim look like in 20, 30, even 40 years? Will it retain its quaint sleepiness or bustle with an urban edge or maybe just hang somewhere in between? For Sequim’s planning commission and city council, the recommendations and decisions they make today could be the successes or mistakes of tomorrow.

One such project weighing especially heavily over their heads is the Town Center Sub-Area Plan. Like the city’s comprehensive plan, the sub-area plan, if adopted by the city council, will serve as a sort of blueprint for Sequim’s downtown. The general sense of the plan is to create a pedestrian friendly town center, largely retaining the current look of Sequim’s town center with small, independently owned businesses lining the main corridors.

At the same time, the plan proposes to increase commercial and residential opportunities as well as open space in the form of plazas and promenades. The way of accomplishing the majority of the plan’s goals is by new zoning districts. This includes town center-commercial (TC-C), which would allow for mixed-use parcels such as a building with a store on the first floor, office space on the second and apartments located on the third. The second proposed zoning district would be town center higher density residential (TC-HDN). Solely residential, the new zoning would offer shared parking, provide for “inclusionary zoning” (which means offering housing opportunities for different income brackets on one parcel), and would connect to the surrounding TC-C zoning via open space. This all might sound well and good, but some members of the planning commission and public have a problem with the issue of higher density. Buildings in the TC-C zone would be allowed a maximum height of 65 feet, while residential units in the TC-HDN zone would be a maximum height of 50 feet. In other words, Sequim potentially could have five-story apartment complexes in its future.

“The thought of an apartment building being built across from me or my house being turned into apartments makes me shudder,” said resident Ruth Marcus during the Dec. 4 meeting of the planning commission. Planning commissioner and councilwoman-elect Susan Lorenzen concurred with Marcus.

“I don’t think we need four- or five-story buildings anywhere,” said Lorenzen. “That’s not how Sequim has evolved, and that’s not who Sequim is! You don’t need five stories.”

“I’ll think that you’ll find that you do,” countered chairman Larry Freedman, who also heads the city’s affordable housing sub-committee. “Most of us started out feeling the way that you do, and I understand the feeling of having what is and not wanting to change it, but we don’t want to become Port Angeles,” Freedman continued, referring the neighboring city’s increasing bout with suburban sprawl.

The planning commission met Dec. 4 to further discuss 16 issues they’d found with the sub-area plan’s draft during the Nov. 20 meeting. Most of the issues centered on certain passages needing to be better explained or expanded upon within the plan, such as developer incentives.

If a developer for example, offers to provide the city with park space, what would the city provide to the developer?
"If he offers those things, what are we going to offer that developer in return?" asked commissioner Dick Foster. "We need to offer incentives to create what we want to increase."

"We're working toward it, but we're not there yet," answered Capital Projects manager Frank Needham, who added that if the commission members had any ideas on what exactly the incentives should be, they should present their ideas to him.
Commissioners asked that the plan's discussion of open space be elaborated upon as well. As commissioner Mark Ozias pointed out, when Sequim residents think of "open space" the first image that springs to mind are open pastures, whereas downtown and urban open space is something very different.

Rooftop gardens, certified green buildings and pocket parks all can be defined as downtown open spaces. "The more descriptive you can be in terms of open space, helps us to better understand it," said Ozias.

The commissioners also asked that discussion of putting utilities underground in proposed alleyways, plazas and promenades be added to the plan. "It's the 21st century! Come on, let's get the utilities underground!" said Lorenzen.

Commissioner Barbara Richmond added that any future underground utilities should be easily accessed, perhaps equipped with removal covers so roadways and alleyways don't have to be repeatedly excavated then paved again. The commissioners also asked that parking alternatives such as shared parking agreements and below-grade parking solutions (underground parking), as well as "vehicle free" zones be discussed in the plan.

Needham agreed that the language could be added but warned that below-grade parking, in particular, can take up more space than it's worth.

Lastly, the commissioners asked that an entire "Alternative Energy" chapter be added to the plan. Freeman and Lorenzen both asked that certain areas be limited to electric vehicles only or that electric cars be given preferential treatment.

"We're the sun capital of the peninsula, so I think we should at least look into solar energy," said commissioner Theodore Miller. The sub-area plan, Needham tried to stress, isn't going to go into effect tomorrow.

This is a plan that looks at Sequim 20 to 40 years in the future, so residents don't have to worry about a Trump Towers being erected on Hammond Street or "Hybrids Only" signs being posted along Washington Street anytime soon.

There also is the chance that on Jan. 28, the city council will choose not to approve the plan's final draft. Lorenzen, for example, would like the city council to have a GMA congruency ordinance approved first. Needham is planning a number of presentations and public meetings on the sub-area plan for January and welcomes ongoing input from Sequim residents.

"Call me, e-mail the heck out of me! We need this feedback," said Needham. He can be reached at 638-4908 or fneedham@ci.sequim.wa.us.
             

Upcoming Town Center sub-area presentations:   
• Noon, Jan. 8 — Chamber of commerce, Elks Lodge, Port Williams Road.
• 6 p.m., Jan. 8 — Final draft presentation, planning commission, Transit Center.
• 2 p.m., Jan. 9 — First public forum, Elks Lodge   
• 10 a.m., Jan. 10 — Second public forum, Dominion Terrace, South Third Avenue
• 6 p.m., Jan. 14 — City council public hearing, Transit Center   
• 6 p.m., 28 — Projected city council adoption, Transit Center.