Showing posts with label development. Show all posts
Showing posts with label development. Show all posts

TRäD Apartments open for preliminary tours in North City

Friday, March 12, 2021

TRäD apartments in North City
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

The City of Shoreline will soon welcome its newest residential community, TRäD, bringing 124 new apartment homes to the North City business district on 15th NE just north of NE 175th St. 

Hard hat tours are now available for those interested in a sneak peek at floor plan options and amenity spaces.


TRäD blends minimalist Scandinavian design, popular urban amenities and a cozy sense of community, where residents will be able to participate in activities like neighborhood cleanup events or group day hikes if they choose to. 

Committed to adding value to the Shoreline community, TRäD will also actively work to reduce waste on-site and incentivize residents to give back.

Drawing shows entire length of building
Located on the site of a former residence and a gas station, developers (Evergreen Point Group) invested in cleaning up the site and removing all oil contamination, replacing it with a residential space that focuses on green building.

Apartments range in size from modest studios to spacious two-bedroom floor plans. All feature clean, contemporary finishes including a choice of interior color schemes (birch and ash), quartz kitchen countertops, stainless steel appliances, full-sized washer/dryer and Gigabit fiber internet connectivity. 

Select homes also offer city/mountain views, walk-in closets, kitchen islands and/or breakfast bars, and Juliet balconies.


Residents at TRäD will enjoy modern amenity spaces more commonly found in buildings closer to Downtown Seattle, like a rooftop deck offering spectacular skyline and Cascade mountain views and a 1,000-square-foot, top-of-the-line fitness center.

Located within a mile of the future Shoreline Light Rail stop at 185th, TRäD is equidistant from Seattle and Everett, offering quick connection to either from one central home base.


The community’s leasing team is working to build connections with Shoreline businesses and will serve as a neighborhood concierge, helping residents to find local dining, shopping and activities.

Affordable (MFTE) homes are available for residents meeting the City of Shoreline’s income requirements, and offer all of the same brand new features as market rate homes.

Interested residents can learn more or schedule a tour online at tradapartments.com, or call 206-274-0061.



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LFP Council holding Town Center and multifamily tax-exemption program Public Hearings February 25

Tuesday, February 23, 2021

LFP City Council to hold two public hearing at its Thursday council meeting

At its regular meeting on Thursday, February 25, 2021, the Lake Forest Park City Council is holding two public hearings as part of the Town Center Code and Design Guidelines update.

The meeting begins at 7:00pm and will be held virtually, via Zoom. Click here for the agenda and Zoom participation information. Public hearings are held at the beginning of the meeting, very close to the 7:00pm meeting start time.

The first public hearing is to consider proposed amendments to the Lake Forest Park Municipal Code (LFPMC) and Design Guidelines Pertaining to the Town Center Zone (Ord. 1217) and Related Regulations in the LFPMC for Development Agreements (Ord. 1218), Off-street Parking (Ord. 1219), Screening and Landscaping (Ord. 1220), and Multifamily Tax Exemption (Ord. 1221).

The second public hearing concerns a proposed designation of Residential Targeted Areas for a Multifamily Tax Exemption (MFTE) program (see Ord. 1221) within the City limits.

The Council has been working on the Town Center code and design guidelines update in response to the Sound Transit 3 project, and is approaching the end of the process, with a plan to approve the update before the current moratorium on Town Center development expires on March 31, 2021.

Under state law, cities are allowed to provide for exemptions from value-based property taxes, on the qualified multifamily housing developments in order to stimulate the construction of new, rehabilitated, or converted multifamily housing within “Residential Targeted Areas.” 

These are known as Multi-family Tax Exemption (MFTE) programs

As part of the Town Center code and design guidelines process, the Council is considering the adoption of such a program within the City, designating four areas as “Residential Targeted Areas”: Town Center, Southern Gateway—Corridor, RM-900 Residential Multifamily, and RM-1800 zones. 

Owners of property within areas designated as Residential Targeted Areas would be able to apply for the MFTE.

Members of the public are encouraged to attend the public hearings and provide comments to the Council.

If you would like to sign up to speak at the meeting ahead of time or find out how to submit written comments for the public hearings, click here. There will also be an opportunity during the hearings for attendees to use the “raise a hand” feature in Zoom and get in the speakers’ queues for these hearings.


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LFP Council COW continues review of Town Center codes Tuesday

Saturday, February 13, 2021

City of Lake Forest Park, Council Committee of the Whole (COW) Special Meeting Tuesday February 16, 2021 at 6:00pm.

Agenda:
Town Center Code and Design Guidelines Update – Proposed Amendments to the Lake Forest Park Municipal Code (LFPMC) and Design Guidelines Pertaining to the Town Center Zone (Ord. 1217) and Related Regulations in the LFPMC for Development Agreements (Ord. 1218), Off-street Parking (Ord. 1219), Screening and Landscaping (Ord. 1220), and Multifamily Tax Exemption (Ord. 1221)

Citizen Comments (Each speaker has three minutes to comment)

Click on the following link for information about how to provide oral Citizen Comments: https://www.cityoflfp.com/615/Virtual-Meetings-during-COVID-19
Because the City has implemented oral comments, written comments are no longer read under Citizen Comments.

Future schedule
  • Thursday, February 18, 2021 City Council Budget & Finance Committee Meeting
  • 6 pm – virtual meeting
  • Monday, February 22, 2021 City Council Committee of the Whole Meeting 6 pm – virtual meeting
  • Thursday, February 25, 2021 City Council Regular Business Meeting 7 pm – virtual meeting
Instructions for participating in this meeting virtually:
  • When: Feb 16, 2021 06:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
  • Topic: Council Committee of the Whole Special Meeting 2/16/2021 Please click the link to join the webinar: https://zoom.us/j/99890575813
  • Or iPhone one-tap :
    • US: +12532158782,,99890575813# or +16699006833,,99890575813#
  • Or Telephone:
    • Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
    • US:+12532158782 or+16699006833 or+13462487799 or+14086380968 or+16468769923 or+13017158592 or+13126266799
Webinar ID: 998 9057 5813
International numbers available: https://zoom.us/u/abbJkXkPi



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LFP Officials defend proposed Town Center zoning changes

Monday, February 8, 2021

Town Center photo by Steven H. Robinson

By Tracy Furutani

City leaders in Lake Forest Park strongly defended proposed Town Center zoning changes against a strongly-worded letter from the Town Center owner critical of those changes.

“We listen very carefully to what the citizens say,” said LFP Deputy Mayor and councilmember Phillippa Kassover. “I think what [zoning code changes] you’ll see is all based on what we heard from the community.”

“We recognize the extensive effort that has gone into the preparation of these code changes,” said Jamas Gwilliam, vice-president of development at MerloneGeier Partners, the owner of the Town Center property, in the letter dated January 14, 

“but continue to believe that the City has either chosen to ignore our comments calling for a balanced set of development standards for the Town Center, or has knowingly adopted a position that is fundamentally at odds with our ownership interests.”

“The Council's first priority is to protect the interest of Lake Forest Park citizens and the current draft code reflects that,” said Planning Director Stephen Bennett. 

“The current draft also creates many opportunities for MerloneGeier to obtain some flexibility through the negotiation of a development agreement with LFP. MerloneGeier has done that for their project in the Shoreline and they may need to consider taking that approach in Lake Forest Park as well.”

On MerloneGeier’s Town Center blog, they state, “The incorporation of housing (affordable and market rate), open space, enhanced sustainability measures and all of the associated public benefits, will not come to fruition based on the code that has resulted from this process.”

Mayor Jeff Johnson was disappointed by the potential loss of public benefit, including environmental mitigation. “It was really a bummer… we had an opportunity to work together on wastewater runoff and stream quality,” he said.

“The city’s finances have never been a driving factor in this,” said Kassover, commenting on the fiscal effect of non-development. 

“It just simply isn’t an issue for us at all. We don’t make decisions about development based on finances, but based on what’s good for our community.”

MerloneGeier did not respond to requests for clarification about their plans for Town Center.

The City Council will have a work session at 6pm Thursday, in which Bennett and the city planning staff will present the final draft of the zoning code changes. This session will be followed by the regular council meeting at 7pm.

There will be a further Committee of the Whole (COW) meeting on Tuesday, February 16, followed by another COW meeting on Monday, February 22

The city council plans to hold a final public hearing on Thursday, February 25, before adopting the zoning code changes in time to meet the deadline of the moratorium on Town Center development expiring in March.

Kassover was pleased that the proposed zoning code changes were not just about Town Center. 

“I’m really glad that the council was addressing affordable housing in the plan,” she said. “I’m really excited the multifamily tax exemption chapter will affect other areas other than Town Center,” such as areas along Bothell Way near Southern Gateway, and along Ballinger Way.

She struck a final conciliatory note: “I very much hope that, when we have a final document, MerloneGeier will feel as excited about the future of Town Center and its possibilities and potential for a really forward-looking exquisitely environmentally sensitively designed commercial and residential space.”

Updated 2-9-21 to correct Kassover quote


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Track changes to the Town Center code-related ordinances

Saturday, February 6, 2021

As the Lake Forest Park City Council continues consideration of the Town Center Code Update, the Planning Department has posted to the City’s website a “track changes” copy of the five Town Center Code-related ordinances. 

Click here to review the document.

The City Council will be reviewing and discussing this latest draft of the Code Update at its Work Session meeting on February 11, 2021, beginning at 6:00pm.

The item will also be discussed at the Regular Business meeting, which begins at 7:00pm on February 11. Zoom information for attending the meeting will be posted on the agendas.

Interested parties are asked to note the following:
  • The changes tracked in the posted draft ordinances contain only the edits made to the ordinances since the December 24, 2020 drafts were posted and distributed.
  • The final ordinances will show, in track changes, all edits made from the current Lake Forest Park Municipal Code (LFPMC). 
  • A public hearing will be held on February 25, 2021, beginning at 7:00 p.m., to consider all changes made since December 24, 2020.


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LFP Town Center Code Work nearing completion

Thursday, February 4, 2021

Phillippa Kassover
By Phillippa Kassover, Deputy Mayor and Chair of the Council,
City of Lake Forest Park

During January, the Lake Forest Park city council held six meetings, including an all-day meeting on Saturday January 9, 2021 to review the 12/24/20 draft of chapters in the Municipal Code revising the regulations for the potential redevelopment of our Town Center zone, as well as for a planned Sound Transit commuter parking garage.

Council has discussed the draft, including updated rules to include more trees and plantings in parking lots, better protection for Lyon Creek, good setbacks for surrounding neighborhoods, and improved landscaping that is appropriate for our local ecosystem. 

Council has also discussed capping the number of residential units on the site to 275, including incentives and directives for affordable housing, setting limits on building heights, and improving pedestrian walkways through the area.

Council has heard and received public comment from citizens at all our meetings and the recent Public Hearing at a City Council Special Meeting on January 21st. Council has also received written comments from the property owner and Sound Transit. All of council’s discussions, as well as the comments we have received, will inform the next draft of the regulations. 

This draft will be the subject of council’s discussions at upcoming meetings on February 11th, 16th and 22nd. This final draft will be the subject of a Public Hearing, now scheduled for the agenda of council’s Regular Business Meeting on February 25th.

I want to thank all the citizens who have followed along as council has methodically worked through the many pages of code and made thoughtful comments for council to consider. I also want to thank my council colleagues for their diligence and focus as we have tackled this work virtually under the strain of a global pandemic and unrest in our country. 

I look forward to a positive outcome that reflects our community values and positions our city for an environmentally sustainable and equitable future.

Please keep up-to-date by checking the city website and signing up for meeting notices here:
Lake Forest Park, WA - Official Website (cityoflfp.com)



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LFP Council continues opportunities for comments on Town Center at special meeting Monday

Monday, January 11, 2021


LFP City Hall 
Photo by Steven H. Robinson
City of Lake Forest Park Council Committee of the Whole will hold a special (virtual) meeting on Monday, January 11, 2021 at 6pm to review 

Town Center Design Guidelines Update – Review of Draft Design Guidelines Pertaining to All Redevelopment

Citizens will be given three minutes each to comment

Click on the following link for information about how to provide oral Citizen Comments: https://www.cityoflfp.com/615/Virtual-Meetings-during-COVID-19

Because the City has implemented oral comments, written comments are no longer read under Citizen Comments.

Instructions for participating in this meeting virtually:

When: Jan 11, 2021 06:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Topic: Committee of the Whole Special Meeting 1/11/2021 

Click the link  to join the webinar: https://zoom.us/j/95099515155

Or iPhone one-tap :
US: +12532158782,,95099515155# or +13462487799,,95099515155#

Or Telephone:
Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):

US: +1 253 215 8782 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 408 638 0968 or +1 669 900 6833 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 646 876 9923

Webinar ID: 950 9951 5155
International numbers available: https://zoom.us/u/abRIYYLicr



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Construction underway on Aurora for 300 unit apartment building

Friday, January 8, 2021

Site of former Drager's building south of 192nd Park n Ride on Aurora
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

The pandemic put a lot of building projects on hold, but this one on Aurora is proceeding. It's at the site of the former Drager's building immediately south of the 192nd park n ride.

The project is s 7-story, 315-unit multifamily residential development with 289 parking stalls in an underground structured garage at 18815 Aurora Avenue N.

According to public records, the project purchase was finalized on December 12, 2019 for $9,500,000. 



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Lake Forest Park council schedules all day CoW meeting Saturday for residents to comment on Town Center Code and Design Guidelines Update

Lake Forest Park City Hall (closed)
Photo by Steven H. Robinson
City of Lake Forest Park

COUNCIL COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE SPECIAL MEETING
Saturday, January 9, 2021 at 9:00am

Meeting to be Held Virtually

Citizen Comments (Each speaker has three minutes to comment)
Click on the following link for information about how to provide oral Citizen Comments:
https://www.cityoflfp.com/615/Virtual-Meetings-during-COVID-19
Because the City has implemented oral comments, written comments are no longer read under Citizen Comments.

Town Center Code and Design Guidelines Update – Review of Draft Regulations and Design Guidelines Pertaining to All Redevelopment

Documents are available on the meeting agenda here 

Instructions for participating in this meeting virtually:

When: Jan 9, 2021 09:00 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada) Topic: Special Committee of the Whole - 1/9/2021

Link to join the webinar: https://zoom.us/j/96849890958

Or iPhone one-tap :US: +12532158782,,96849890958# or +13462487799,,96849890958# Or Telephone:

Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location): US:+12532158782 or+13462487799 or+14086380968 or+16699006833
or+13017158592 or+13126266799 or+16468769923 Webinar ID: 968 4989 0958

International numbers available: https://zoom.us/u/acLPwVJIpR



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Notes from Shoreline council meeting January 4, 2021

Pam Cross, reporter
Shoreline City Council Meeting
January 4, 2021

Notes by Pam Cross

The meeting was held remotely on Zoom.

Mayor Hall called the meeting to order at 7:00pm. 

All Councilmembers were present.

Report of the City Manager, Debbie Tarry

A reminder that the statewide restrictions remain in effect through January 11, 2021.

  • Outdoor Sports
    • The City worked for several weeks trying to get mask-wearing compliance by adding increased signage and communicating directly with users of the pickle ball and tennis courts.
    • Because users did not follow the mask-wearing requirement, Shoreline has reluctantly locked the facilities.
  • A look at the King County case trends shows the importance of working together as a community to bring these numbers down.


    • Shoreline trends follow the same pattern as King County.
    • The King County average over the past 14 days was 279 new cases per 100,000 residents. Remember that the target is 25 per 100,000. Hospitalizations continue to increase and hospitals are at 86% of capacity. Some have stopped performing non-emergency procedures. 
  • Please continue to protect our community by taking the following prevention measures:
    • Wear a face covering, especially indoors in public settings regardless of the distance between people.
    • Wash or sanitize your hands regularly.
    • Maintain six (6) feet of distance, indoors and outdoors.
    • Gather ONLY outdoors with a limit of five (5) people.
    • Get tested at the first sign of illness. And then stay home! Do not go to work or to stores if you’re not feeling well.
    • Additional information  shorelinewa.gov/covid
Public Reminders
  • The Planning Commission meeting for Jan 7 was cancelled.
  • The Hearing Examiner will hold an appeal hearing on Friday Jan 8 at 9:30am. The public may observe or listen, however only the appellant, City, and witnesses may participate. This Appeal Hearing is for SNAPPS (Shoreline Neighbors for Appropriate Placement of Shelters)
  • More information at shorelinewa.gov/calendar
Council Reports
  • None
  • Mayor Hall has agreed to requests from Councilmembers McGlashan and McConnell to trade positions on the SeaShore Transportation Forum for 2021: CM McGlashan will be the designated member and CM McConnell will be the designated alternate.
  • The Mayor also asked to hear from Councilmembers who would like to review the applications and conduct interviews for potential openings on the Parks Board.
Public Comment 
  • Jackie Kurle, Shoreline, spoke about safety measures protecting the neighborhood adjacent to the new enhanced shelter and requested more frequent monitoring at the beginning of its operation.
Approval of the Agenda 
  • Agenda adopted by unanimous consent.
Approval of the Consent Calendar
  • Consent Calendar approved unanimously by roll call vote. 
Study Items:

8(a) Discussing the Light Rail Station Subareas Parking Study 2020 Update.
Kendra Dedinsky, City Traffic Engineer, made the presentation

We last discussed this in October 2019. The purpose of the study is to prepare for increased parking demand due to light rail stations and increased density within the light rail subareas. 

The first study set the groundwork by looking at the on-street parking capacity and utilization, then made on-street parking demand projections. Near-term, mid-term, and long-term strategies to manage parking demand were recommended.


The data was collected prior to COVID-19 impact. Complete details are available in the staff report.




RPZ (Restricted Parking Zones) are created to help ease parking congestion in residential areas

Near-Term Recommendations (2021-2025)
  • We will continue to collect parking data and work with Sound Transit on mitigation as the stations open. We will consider updating the Transportation Master Plan policies around parking specific to land use context. We will also start looking at grouping subarea parking utilization into smaller analysis zones. That way high demand zones can be addressed as they develop.
Mid-Term Recommendations (2026-2031)
  • Plans are to evaluate the need for special use zones, establish basic real time parking information technology, and perform feasibility analysis of metered parking in key locations.
Long-Term Recommendations (2032+)
  • At this point we may implement metered parking in key locations. We will expand real time parking information and technology, and continue to build upon and refine existing parking management strategies and resources.
DISCUSSION

Is the study done over a time period or is it just a single snapshot?
  • Reply: we do it over a period of days in the first quarter and at two different time periods 

We’ve seen a lot of growth in the 185th area. Was there a change in street parking? It will be interesting to see what impact will come from commuter or park & ride traffic as opposed to townhouses/apartments.
  • Reply: We are collecting the data so we can identify the impacts you mention. The larger apartment buildings generally make a bigger impact than townhomes, but we have to see what happens with the larger townhome project going in on 185th.

We are under constant pressure to reduce parking requirements. Will any data collected here help us with those decisions?
  • Reply: All departments are working together to address that type of question. But during COVID restrictions, it is very difficult to organize people and to cover this amount of material in a video meeting. One suggestion has been unbundling the charge for parking (parking fee charged separately from rent).
Kirkland recently bundled parking for the same reason we did - to keep people from parking on the street to avoid the parking fee. We’ll have to see how things develop in Kirkland.

In Shoreline we had one large apartment building unbundle parking and as a result there was very little street parking available in this largely residential neighborhood. Unbundling would have to be very carefully addressed. We can’t say that only owners of single family homes can park on a public street. Right now most people in Shoreline own cars. On the other hand, some don’t own cars and forcing them to pay for a parking space seems unfair too. This is a difficult issue to address.

Thanks for the update and close monitoring so we can stay ahead of future parking problems.

8(b) Discussing the Arterial Speed Limit Study. 

The complete study is available as an attachment to the meeting agenda.

Kendra Dedinsky, City Traffic Engineer made the presentation and introduced 
Brian Chandler, Transportation Engineer, and National Director of Transportation Safety for DKS, a consultant hired for this study. He will be available to answer any questions.

Recent shifts in research and practices urge local governments to utilize new speed limit setting methods that consider pedestrians, bicyclists, collision history, and land use as significant and relevant factors.

The Target Zero plan represents a bold vision: zero deaths and serious injuries on Washington’s roadways by 2030. It is more important now than ever. Data show that Shoreline’s traffic fatality and serious injury trend is going in the wrong direction.



Sensitive speed limit setting can reduce serious and fatal injury collisions. In the past, speed limits were set using the 85th percentile speed - that is, the speed 85% of the vehicles were traveling at or below. New methods consider traffic volume, crash history, adjacent land use, and history of resident requests to study the speed limit. This was last done in 2007.

Based on this, six key arterial corridors have been analyzed for possible speed limit reductions.
Corridor selection guiding factors were that it have an existing speed limit of 35 mph, and that it not be a State Route. A State Route requires a lot of coordination and significant process with Washington State and their speed limit guidelines are currently being updated.

1. Greenwood Ave N, from N 145th St to N 160th St.
2. Meridian Ave N, from N 145th St to NE 205th St.
3. NW Richmond Beach Rd, from Fremont Ave N to 3rd Ave NW.
4. 15th Ave NE, from NE 180th St to NE 196th St.

The first 4 corridors were selected by the City.

5. N 175th St, from Aurora Ave N to 15th Ave NE.
  • Highest crash rate of all corridors studied. The upcoming capital project could be a good opportunity to readdress the posted speed limit.
6. 15th Ave NE, from NE 145th St to NE 175th St.
  • High collision frequency and crash rate. Planned rezoning provides an opportunity to reassess the posted speed limit.


NCHRP is the National Cooperative Highway Research Program

This is the tool selected by the City. Based on inputs, it is recommended that the 35 mph limit be reduced to 30 mph with 15th Ave NE, from NE 180th St to NE 196th St. to remain unchanged.

There are other streets that will be studied in the future.

DISCUSSION  

I’m in favor of reducing the speed limits. Why wouldn’t we include 15th north of 180th? There will be more pedestrian traffic as we proceed with light rail. Speeding on this route is already noticeable. 
  • Reply: The analysis recommended no change but we can take another look before our next meeting with Council.
  • Reply Brian Chandler: This new NCHRP tool still starts with the existing speeds but also incorporates the long list of additional inputs (shown above). Actually, if we just used existing speeds, the 85th percentile is 39 mph. So we have used the additional inputs to get to 35 mph as it is currently posted. But again, they will take another look.
When we rechanneled Richmond Beach Road, we found that people were driving 42 mph when the posted speed limit was 35. Now it has been reduced to 30 and people are traveling 37- 38. People appear to choose the speed they want to travel. Where’s the data that shows that a speed limit change actually reduces speeds? Since we only pull over an occasional driver, are we really accomplishing anything? 
  • Reply: That is one of the reasons we still use the operating speed when we do these studies. Some of the roadways have seen pretty significant land use or other changes that suggest a lower speed is fitting. Seattle has seen general speed come down as they have lowered their speed limits across the board. Just changing a sign might change some people’s behavior.
  • Brian: I agree that posting a sign doesn’t change speed. But by tweaking a little bit (5-10 mph) we do see speeds reduce. The latest look at Richmond Beach Road shows an 85th percentile speed of 34 but on average, people are driving lower than 30. 

We should keep our arterials consistent (at 30) - so drivers know what to expect especially if they’re not familiar with the area. I would like to see 15th consistent as well (rather than not reducing the limit on one end).
  • Reply: thank you. That’s useful information and consistency makes a lot of sense, especially along a single roadway.
A 5mph difference in speed makes a significant difference to a person involved in an accident. It can reduce recovery time or even be life saving.

Lower speeds reduce fatalities but nobody wants to drive 5mph everywhere. Speeds need to be a balance. Where do mobility and economy come into the decision making process?
  • Reply: They are not directly factored in the tool itself. But we do look at what difference in total time results from a lowered speed limit. Most time is spent at traffic signals and we need to work to coordinate the signals to smooth out the flow of traffic.
  • Brian: right now since we don’t leave our houses there is much less risk. We can all stay home all of the time and there won’t be any accidents. (Laughing). As a society we are willing to take movement as a risk. To balance mobility and safety we look at speed and safe vehicles. But, trade offs are made. A truly “safe” vehicle would be unaffordable. We don’t talk much about the cost of traffic crashes to the individual, their family, their business, or society as a whole.

We understand that, but it doesn’t appear that mobility and economy are built into the model. They all have to do with traffic safety and crashes.
  • Brian: We are talking about the difference between 30 and 35mph - not 60 and 80. There is a negligible effect on actual travel time and economic impact in the real world at these lower limits. 
  • Reply: we can provide some examples and try to quantify some of those trade-offs. 
You provide us with the safety data and is it up to us to apply the economic impact to that safety data, correct?
  • Reply: yes, that’s accurate. Every tool starts with the current operating speed. Then we incorporate different factors and we come up with a suggested speed limit based on speed, drivers, other research, pedestrians, bikers, and other drivers. Freeways don’t have to consider pedestrians and people on bicycles. We are recognizing the differences between freeways and urban areas that need to have a stronger emphasis on safety.

8(c) Discussing Ordinance No. 914 - Amending Shoreline Municipal Code Chapter 15.05 Construction and Building Codes to Provide Amendments to the International Building Code, International Residential Code, and International Fire Code

The presentation was made by
Ray Allshouse, Building Official and 
Derek LaFontaine, Fire Marshal

Under the current provisions of Shoreline Municipal Code (SMC) Chapter 15.05, the updated Washington State Building Code is effective in the City by reference upon approval by the Washington State Building Code Council (WASBCC) through their rulemaking authority.

The Shoreline Fire Department (King County Fire Protection District #4) is seeking to expand fire sprinkler installation coverage to include all new single family and duplex projects constructed in the City as part of this code update. This was discussed with the City Council on December 7, 2020. 

A significant majority of the proposed local amendments are intended to maintain consistency of applicable Fire Code provisions among King County Zone One Fire Districts.


Emergency Responder radio coverage is important and Zone 1 Fire Marshals are working closely with King County as we go through a change out of radios. 

We want to make sure that the policies and requirements are consistent. These radios need to work within buildings to protect the firefighters and get the fire under control. The system is not cheap. 

We also need to make sure the fire flow is available because minutes count. (Fire flow is the quantity of water available for fire-protection in excess of the required for other purposes.) 

This is why sprinklers are such an important element in new building construction. Private hydrants have to be available and working where public hydrants do not exist. Protection of fire lanes not only make access easier for fire trucks but also for aid cars. 80% of fire department calls are medical aid calls.

DISCUSSION

The cost of new sprinkler systems has come down. And it makes sense for a new single family home. But would this amendment apply to an ADU (accessory dwelling unit)? Would it still make good economic sense for a smaller building?
  • Reply: If the ADU is part of an existing dwelling, it does not have to be sprinklered. So this is an alternative if they are cost conscious. 

I would like to hear from the Master Builders Association. You have done a good job of answering their concerns but I would like to give them the opportunity to explain their objections.
  • Reply: I think because we don’t have a lot of new subdivisions the Master Builders Association has expressed their opinion by letter rather than in person or by phone-in to a Zoom meeting. We’re at an impasse. We are hearing the same objections they’ve had the entire time. Yes, there are added costs but the systems have become more affordable. And we have lightened up our demand on additions. Current codes consider an addition of 500sf makes the structure a brand new home per the fire code. If you don’t meet fire flow, you would have to retroactively sprinkler your entire house. We don’t want to require anybody to retroactively sprinkler a home. 

When we talk about economics, affordable housing (multi-family) is required to be sprinklered. Those people pay more in rent because the cost of construction includes the cost of the sprinklers. Why then should we be exempting our wealthier residents from the cost of sprinklers if we consider it an important safety measure?

The letter from the Master Builders Association addresses several issues, but it does not address people with mobility issues, especially if the fire is in the room you are occupying. 
A smoke detector can alert you to a fire, but it cannot remove you from the room. So maybe ADU’s should not be exempt from sprinkler requirements.

New rules call for parking 3’ from a fire hydrant instead of 15’. Why is this change being made?
  • Reply: we need three feet in all directions to spin the hydrant wrench. Actually the 15’ code also refers to the 3’ code and it’s contradictory so we are trying to align the two codes.

This will come back on the Consent Calendar January 25, 2021.

Meeting adjourned.



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Revised: LFP Council calendar focused on code changes for Town Center development

Saturday, December 19, 2020

Deputy Mayor Phillippa M. Kassover
From Deputy Mayor Phillippa M. Kassover

Following recent council meetings and consultation with City staff, we have revised the upcoming council calendar.

This will allow more time for both council and the public to review the proposed revisions to the municipal code regulating development of new buildings, or redevelopment of existing buildings, at the LFP Town Center site.

In 2019, the Lake Forest Park City Council voted to institute a moratorium on accepting permit applications for any new buildings, or redevelopment of existing buildings, at the LFP Town Center site. The moratorium will expire on March 10, 2021.

The revised meeting schedule meets both the State-mandated deadlines for holding a Public Hearing on the proposed revisions, and allows council and the public significant time to review the draft code.
  • Thursday 1/7 6:00 p.m. Special Committee of the Whole – Proposed new code chapter re: Affordable Housing
  • Saturday 1/9 9:00 a.m. Special Committee of the Whole – Line-by-Line review of the draft code and Design Guidelines for the Town Center (potential all-day session – public comment at beginning and end of session)
  • Thursday 1/14 6:00 p.m. Council Work Session -continued discussion of TC code if needed
  • Thursday 1/14 7:00 p.m. City Council Regular Business Meeting
  • Thursday 1/21 7:00 p.m. PUBLIC HEARING on the proposed Town Center code revisions
  • Monday 1/25 6:00 p.m. Committee of the Whole – review public comments re: TC code
  • Thursday 1/28 7:00 p.m. City Council Regular Business Meeting (potential Town Center discussion)
  • Thursday 2/11 6:00 p.m. Council Work Session – Staff presentation re: final code revisions
  • Thursday 2/11 7:00 p.m. City Council Regular Business Meeting (potential Town Center discussion)
  • Monday 2/22 6:00 p.m. Committee of the Whole – Final TC code discussions
  • Thursday 2/25 7:00 p.m. Council Business Meeting – Adopt Town Center Code and Design Guideline revisions
  • (Thursday 3/4 7:00 p.m. Potential Special Council Meeting – if required to adopt TC Code and Design Guidelines)
  • 3/10 Moratorium expires

Members of the community are invited and welcome to attend every meeting to learn more about the proposed changes to the code. Community members can submit written comments at any time, or make live comments during the time reserved for Public Comment at all these virtual meetings, except the Work Sessions.

Instructions for submitting written comments, or making live comments, can be found on the city website and in the agendas for each meeting. Please know that the Council considers public input vitally important as it helps the Council adopt policies that reflect our community values.

You can sign up for meeting notices here.



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Public comment welcome at LFP Council CoW on Monday

Monday, December 14, 2020

City Hall Lake Forest Park
Photo by Steven H. Robinson


City of Lake Forest Park
COUNCIL COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE SPECIAL MEETING
MONDAY, December 14, 2020 5:30pm

Meeting to be Held Virtually

Click the link to join the webinar: https://zoom.us/j/97778375513
Or iPhone one-tap :
US: +12532158782

Agenda

Town Center Code and Design Guidelines Update – Review and Discussion of issues and questions related to Height, Setbacks, Architectural Design, Creek Protections, Landscaping, Pedestrian Infrastructure, Site Planning, Land Coverage, and Commercial Building Size

Attachment 1 – Outline of issues and questions for Council related to Height, Setbacks, Architectural pp 3-7 https://www.cityoflfp.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_12142020-526

Design, Creek Protections, Landscaping, Pedestrian Infrastructure, Site Planning, Land Coverage, and Commercial Building Size

7:50pm Citizen Comments (Each speaker has three minutes to comment)

Click on the following link for information about how to provide oral Citizen Comments:

https://www.cityoflfp.com/615/Virtual-Meetings-during-COVID-19
Because the City has implemented oral comments, written comments are no longer read under Citizen Comments.

8:00pm Adjourn



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LFP Town Center Redevelopment Regulations - Council meeting schedule and opportunities for citizen feedback

Thursday, December 10, 2020

UPDATE: The council schedule has been updated. See revised schedule HERE

Original article:

In 2019, the Lake Forest Park City Council voted to institute a moratorium on accepting permit applications for any new buildings, or redevelopment of existing buildings, at the LFP Town Center site.
 
This has given the Planning Commission and Council more time to review the existing municipal code and develop revisions. 

The moratorium will expire on March 10, 2021.

To meet the State-mandated deadlines for holding a Public Hearing on the proposed revisions, the City Council proposes the following timeline.

These regular and special (additional) virtual meetings will give the Council time to complete our work on the revisions recommended to Council by the Planning Commission. 

We are deeply grateful to our Planning Commissioners, who are community volunteers, for all their hard work on the Town Center code.

Schedule:
  • 12/10 5:30pm Council Work Session
  • 12/14 5:30pm Special Committee of the Whole
  • 1/7 6:00pm Special Committee of the Whole
  • 1/14 6:00pm Council Work Session
  • 1/14 7:00pm PUBLIC HEARING on the proposed Town Center code revisions
  • 1/25 6:00pm Committee of the Whole
  • 1/28 7:00pm Council Business Meeting (potential Town Center discussion)
  • 2/11 6:00pm Council Work Session
  • 2/22 6:00pm Committee of the Whole
  • 2/25 7:00pm Council Business Meeting – Adopt Town Center Code revisions
  • 3/10 Moratorium expires

Members of the community are invited and welcome to attend every meeting to learn more about the proposed changes to the code.

Community members can submit written comments at any time, or make live comments during the time reserved for Public Comment at all these virtual meetings, except the Work Sessions.

Instructions for submitting written comments, or making live comments, can be found on the City website and in the agendas for each meeting.

Please know that the Council considers public input vitally important as it helps the Council adopt policies that reflect our community values.

You can sign up for meeting notices and the City e-newsletter here: https://www.cityoflfp.com/list.aspx 

--Deputy Mayor Phillippa M. Kassover



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LFP City Council takes cautious approach to parking garage zoning code changes

Tuesday, December 8, 2020

A large one-story building with a railing along the roof line. The entire facade of the building is covered with greenery.
The facade of the Bellevue Public Library parking structure displays a "green wall" similar to that which might become a requirement of the Lake Forest Park city zoning code for the Town Center parking structure. Photo courtesy Johnston Architects


By Tracy Furutani

The Lake Forest Park City Council signaled that they would not be offering major incentives for the proposed Town Center parking structure to provide community benefits beyond parking, in a Committee-of-the-Whole meeting of the Council Monday, November 23, 2020 attended by a dozen community members.

The meeting discussion topic was the proposed changes to the city zoning code to accommodate the parking structure that is slated to be built just to the west of City Hall on the Town Center property.

“We have to assume that Sound Transit is paying for it, [so] they have committed to a 300-stall parking structure and they’re intent on delivering that as cheaply as possible,” said Councilmember John Wright. 
“I don’t know that this is some place that we want to try and work on incentives; I think we want to work more on ‘these are requirements for a parking structure.’ Sound Transit is delivering on a political commitment and very little else, so I don’t think they’re going to provide [any extra amenities] unless they have to.”

Councilmember John Resha agreed. “If it’s not in the base [code], Sound Transit is not likely to do it, that’s the simple math.”


Garage plan of the view looking down onto the structure, with north (and Ballinger Way) at the top. Drawing courtesy Sound Transit

The incentives, also known as bonuses, are provisions in the code that allow variances seen as benefiting the developer, in exchange for community benefits.

Deputy Mayor and Councilmember Phillippa Kassover reflected the ambivalence of the Council on the incentive provisions, stating she was “struggling a bit with now figuring out whether or not there is any real reason to expect that Sound Transit would ever want a bonus height and whether it makes any sense for us to even work through what the public benefits that we would ask for in response to their need for a bonus height.”

City Planning Director Stephen Bennett emphasized that the proposed changes, without the incentives, would have to be precisely what the Council wanted. 

“If you don’t have the bonus provision then you really have to decide you’re going to try and get everything right, in terms of what you’re going to require,” he said, adding later that the Planning Commission’s approach was to make the zoning code changes “to make sure that there was some discussion of a development agreement,” which is a development-specific agreement between the property developer and the city that may vary from code requirements.

Councilmember Lorri Bodi agreed, cautioning the Council to not try and anticipate a developer’s goals, “I don’t want us to negotiate against ourselves here by assuming Sound Transit is going to say X,Y and Z,” and, as a result, scale back with the city wants.

In the end, the Council asked the Planning Department and the City Attorney’s office to leave in the height incentive provision, which allows greater height in the parking structure in return for “public benefits,” such as a community meeting space or the use of “green (living) walls,” and to require a set square footage of the structure be for “commercial, public or other active use,” with the exact distribution of that space to be determined.

“[I] also believe most of this is going to end up in a development agreement, and I think we’re going to have another opportunity to have this kind of discussion,” said Councilmember Semra Riddle. “Putting more [requirements] into the base code … will encourage that development agreement which will help us get what we want in a way that might actually happen.”

The Council is required to send proposed zoning code changes for the Town Center area to the state Department of Commerce sixty days before a Council vote on the adoption of the code changes.

Since the Council’s moratorium on changes to the Town Center expires on March 10 of next year, the proposed changes need to be sent to the state by January 10, 2021. The proposed changes sent to the state will include different options, not all of which will be approved by the Council in its final vote on the zoning code changes in late February or early March.

The next discussion on the proposed Town Center zoning code changes will be a Council Work Session this Thursday at 5:30pm on the Zoom platform. 

This session will be followed by the regular business meeting of the City Council at 7pm.

There will not be a public comment period in the City Council Work Session on Thursday at 5:30pm. However, there will be the usual Citizens Comment period near the beginning of the regular City Council Business Meeting at 7pm.

A public hearing of the proposed zoning code changes to the Town Center area not related to the parking garage is scheduled for January 25, 2021. 

Jamas Gwilliam, Vice-President of Development for the Town Center owner Merlone Geier Partners, sent a letter to the Planning Department and the City Council dated November 12, 2020 in which he states the company’s position: 

“…it appears that there is still considerable work that needs to be done on this document [the proposed zoning code changes]…we have provided many comments in the past urging the Planning Commission and City Council to avoid placing overly restrictive provisions in the code as it relates to our property.”

Both public comment speakers at the November 23 meeting emphasized the urgency of giving the community a 21-day notice of the January public hearing.


CORRECTION: There will not be a public comment period in the City Council Work Session on Thursday at 5:30pm.



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Comment on Point Wells by midnight November 24, 2020

Friday, November 20, 2020

Point Wells
Google Earth

What is Point Wells?

BSRE is the owner of Point Wells, which is a 64-acre property located on the shore of Puget Sound in the extreme southwestern corner of Snohomish County, immediately north of the City of Shoreline. Point Wells has been used as an asphalt refinery and light petroleum products and lube oil distribution terminal for over a century. The only road into Point Wells goes through Shoreline.

The BNSF train runs through Point Wells. The only road is a narrow two lane road in Shoreline.
Photo courtesy Brightwater


Update from the Sno-King Environmental Protection Coalition

The Snohomish County Hearing Examiner held a public hearing during the last two weeks on BSRE's revised application for a large development at Point Wells. The Snohomish County Planning and Development Services department again recommended denial of the revised application because it still does not address several of the issues that caused BSRE's original application to be denied. While the county and BSRE have completed their presentations, there's still time for you to enter your comments about the proposal. More on that below...

A narrow road leads to Point Wells
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

Some history

Here's an extremely brief history to make sure everyone is up to date. BSRE submitted their original application in 2011. The county sent BSRE a letter in 2013 identifying a large number of problems with the application, such as missing data or design elements that did not follow the county plans, codes, or regulations. BSRE provided minimal response to the letter, so in 2017 the county sent a follow up letter indicating the problems had not yet been resolved and that BSRE had until January 2018 to submit the missed data or corrected plans.

BSRE did manage to submit some additional material by the January 2018 deadline, but after reviewing the application the county identified numerous instances where the plans were still in substantial conflict with county plans, codes, or regulations, so the county recommended that the application be denied.

A landslide from the Town of Woodway, which is on the hill above Point Wells.
This photo was possibly just north of Point Wells. Photo courtesy MOHAI

 
After a public hearing before the Hearing Examiner, the Examiner agreed with the county's recommendation and denied the application. The County Council upheld the denial, but BSRE filed suit to try to overturn the decision. They were unsuccessful, but they did convince the court that a decision to deny the application came with the right to submit a revised application. BSRE submitted a revised application in December 2019; it is this revised application that the Hearing Examiner is now considering.

Still no attempt to resolve the main issues

The two main issues with the January 2018 application were lack of access to high capacity transit (which if present would allow buildings taller than 90 feet) and placing buildings in a landslide hazard area.

Instead of resolving these issues in the December 2019 application, BSRE took the approach of asking the county to grant a variance to allow them to ignore those rules so they could construct the tall buildings without access to transit, and could build in the hazard area. The county reviewed the variance requests and found they did not meet the requirements to allow them to be granted. Without the variances, the county found the application still in substantial conflict with provisions of the county code or regulations, hence the recommendation for denial again.

A coal train passes. Point Wells is in the background
Photo by Steven H. Robinson


Your chance to comment

You still have until midnight on November 24, 2020 to submit your comments about the project. You can submit them via email by sending them to hearing.examiner@snoco.org or you can join a remote Zoom session at 10am on the 24th to read your statement into the record (use the link shown below).

November 24, 2020 @ 10 am Zoom link:
https://zoom.us/j/98527133238?pwd=UFh5dGJvaEtsT0JWSUpyVDRXRHA4Zz09

Here are some potential topics you can comment on. You do not need to be technical, the Hearing Examiner is interested in hearing how local residents feel about the proposal.
  • Building height (proposing towers that are up to 180 feet tall).
  • View corridors (the towers block the views of RB and Woodway residents who live near the site).
  • Landslide risk (proposing to place buildings within a landslide hazard area that had a major slide within the last 100 years).
  • Second access road (unapproved design, lack of land rights needed to build the road, and lack of landslide mitigation).
  • Undesirable and maxed out traffic for the Richmond Beach Road corridor, especially now that much of RB Road is only 3 lanes.
  • A Traffic Corridor Study started in 2014 that has yet to be completed (probably because it will show that RB Road can't handle the projected traffic from the site).
  • Lack of public transportation to the site.
  • Density and number of residences (still over 2800 units in the latest plan).
  • Environmental distress for the shoreline other critical areas.
  • 10 years of non-compliance and lack of responsiveness to the County Planners (the original plans were submitted in 2011 and the county identified a list of problems in 2013 that were not addressed until the end of 2017, and even then some of the issues were still ignored).
  • 10 years of wasting millions of taxpayer dollars of Snohomish County, Shoreline, and Woodway staff time, participation in court appeals, lawsuits, high priced consultants (BSRE has had multiple opportunities to get this right and has failed every time).
Now is the time

If you ever thought about commenting on the project but never quite got around to it, or if you have commented in the past but want just one more time to let the Examiner know how you feel, now is the time to do it.

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Lake Forest Park Town Center process gears up for final push

Friday, November 6, 2020

A conceptual map shows potential open space distribution
in a Town Center redevelopment, taken from a draft Town
Center Framework Design Guidelines Update, dated May 5


By Tracy Furutani

After passing two moratoriums to allow thorough consideration by city staff and the Planning Commission and to accommodate pandemic-related delays, the Lake Forest Park City Council is poised to take action in November on beginning the process of implementing changes to city zoning code to allow applications for work on the Sound Transit parking garage and the redevelopment of the Town Center.

Though City Council votes on finalizing these code changes will not take place until next February, the city is required to submit proposed code changes to the state Department of Commerce 60 days in advance of adopting any of the changes, according to city Planning Director Stephen Bennett, which means in order to beat the latest moratorium expiration date, they must be forwarded to the state by January 10, 2021. 

However, the proposal may include different options of those code changes, though the final code revisions must be drawn from those options.

According to city’s schedule, at a special Committee of the Whole city council meeting at 6pm on Monday, November 9, a Sound Transit representative is making a presentation about the parking garage and Sound Transit’s sustainability policy, such as green building practices. 

“I would like them to come talk about how deep these policies go,” said Deputy Mayor and Councilmember Phillippa Kassover, “so we can match city code with their policies,” adding that she would like to hold Sound Transit accountable to their own sustainability policy.

The next evening at 7pm, the Planning Commission will decide on its final recommendations about “Phase 2,” the part of the Town Center zoning code revisions not related to the parking garage, including issues of housing density (the number of residential units on the property) and open space requirements. 

Those recommendations will be presented by the City Planning Department at a city council work session at 6pm on Thursday, November 12, just before the regularly scheduled City Council meeting.

Though a public comment period is part of every city meeting, there will be two specific City Council regular business meetings dedicated to public comment: the first, at 7pm on Thursday, November 12, will be for the proposed parking garage code revisions, and the second, scheduled for Thursday, January 14, for the proposed “Phase 2” changes.

The Planning Commission’s parking garage code revision recommendations were presented to the City Council in June. The city council is tentatively scheduled to meet as the Committee of the Whole on Monday, November 23 to review the Parking Garage code revision recommendations.

When asked what she thought were the most significant changes in the proposed code revision, Kassover said, “Just the fact that there’s a garage, the inclusion of a park and ride at Town Center.” 

She added that she had posed questions to the Planning Commission, such as how much housing density in the Town Center was desirable and what provisions for open space were possible. “Open space is a climate change issue,” she said, emphasizing the zoning code connection to other city priorities.

“I think the most significant change we are recommending to the council… is the addition of language that defines and guides development of a parking structure in Town Center,” said Maddy Larson, the chair of the Planning Commission. 
“We have also made recommendations for the administration of any development application; however, I feel those recommendations depend on the council's thorough vetting of them since we did not resolve a few concerns a few commissioners had about the recommendations.” 
She hopes “the community is invested in any proposed changes to our Town Center code. Doing so ensures we end up with code that reflects our values.”

City council vice-chair Tom French, who is the council liaison to the Planning Commission, said that the Council was transitioning from deliberating over parking garage code revisions to considering the rest of the Town Center zoning code revisions. 

“I do not believe there will be wholesale changes to the code,” he said, because “the community has said that there don’t need to be such changes.” 
Beyond that, though, he hoped that what modifications made to the code would bring “benefits and considerations to the community is a whole,” such as having better standards than state and federal rules on pollution, thinking about a community gathering space beyond Third Place Commons, and providing more opportunities for green space.

Due to the state’s “Safer at Home” pandemic policies, all of these meetings will be held on the Zoom platform. 

To provide a comment on any of these topics to the city council, go to the city events calendar at https://www.cityoflfp.com/calendar.aspx?CID=14 and select the meeting for which you’d like to provide a comment, then click on the agenda pdf for the meeting, and there will be specific instructions about submitting a comment, and attending the meeting.

The code revisions are located under the Planning Commission Meeting documents, located at https://www.cityoflfp.com/593/Town-Center-Process (scroll down and find documents with the phrases “code updates” or “design guidelines”).




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LFP Council COW to discuss parking structure design concepts and draft revisions to code update at Monday meeting

Sunday, October 18, 2020

City of Lake Forest Park 
Council Committee of the Whole
MONDAY, October 19, 2020
6:00pm - 8pm

Meeting to be Held Virtually
Join the meeting at this link: https://zoom.us/j/91296969501

Discussion Topics
  • Presentation and Discussion of Parking Structure Design Concepts for Town Center
  • Review of Draft Revisions to Planning Commission 4/14/2020 recommended Town Center Code Update in response to Council discussion at recent Work Sessions and Committee of the Whole meetings 

Citizen Comments (Each speaker has three minutes to comment)

Click on the following link for information about how to provide oral Citizen Comments: https://www.cityoflfp.com/615/Virtual-Meetings-during-COVID-19

Because the City has implemented oral comments, written comments are no longer accepted under Citizen Comments.



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