Planning Commission continues public hearing on Homeless Encampment at Thursday meeting

Camp United We Stand spent several months in a
Shoreline back yard while they were between church
sponsored locations.

Shoreline Planning Commission, Public Hearing (Continued from October 20, 2016), Thursday, December 15, 2016 at 7:00pm, Shoreline City Hall, 17500 Midvale Ave N.

Agenda Highlights - full agenda

• Public Hearing on Homeless Encampments Amendments, Continued from October 20th, 2016

The City of Shoreline is proposing changes to the Shoreline Development Code that apply citywide. The non-project action to amend the Development Code includes new and updated regulations related to Transitional Encampments.

The proposed amendments to the City’s Transitional Encampment Regulations include removing the use from the use tables and continuing to process Transitional Encampments under a Temporary Use Permit; add additional criteria under the Temporary Use Permit section for Transitional Encampments; including health, safety, and siting criteria; and clarifying the time limits and fee waiver.

The changes were designed to ease the bureaucratic processes for churches hosting homeless camps. Then the issue of backyard camps arose and the commission extended their process to fully consider what would be included in the amendments.

Planning Commission held a public hearing October 20, 2016 and listened to public comment regarding amendments proposed by staff. Much of the public comment at this time expressed concern that the proposed changes to the code, which included changing the permit type from a TUP to a Transitional Encampment Permit, would allow for encampments in back yards of single-family properties.

Other public comment was concerned that the code would deter encampments from Shoreline. While these were not the intent of the proposed changes, Planning Commission continued the public hearing and asked staff to respond to a number of concerns.

Based on these concerns, staff is now proposing to revise the original amendments so that transitional encampment applications will continue to be processed under a Temporary Use Permit, with specific added criteria that staff believes will preclude incompatible siting of such encampments, for example, on single-family properties.

Link to full Packet

Comment on Agenda items