Aug. 15, 2022

Planners' Update Newsletter

Periodic update ? PSRC Workshop Series

The Puget Sound Regional Council began its series of comprehensive plan workshops in June.

The series continues with the following topics and dates:

Additional upcoming workshop subjects include: Coordination with tribes, Critical Areas and Elected Officials.

You can register for the workshops by clicking on the registration link and scrolling to the appropriate workshop on the PSRC Passport to 2044 webpage.

CESA update

GIS mapping added to coordinate renewable energy projects with the military

Commerce hosts a prototype mapping tool contributing to Washington?s ongoing efforts to develop renewable energy facilities. The Compatible Energy Siting Assessment (CESA) tool promotes early and ongoing civilian-military consultation between energy developers and permit reviewers. Early coordination with the military is an essential part of siting new energy projects. It reduces delays or mitigates adverse impacts to service personnel. As a prototype, the CESA map tool demonstrates how interactive mapping can identify site-specific consultation needs and facilitate early coordination. This prototype is a consultation support tool based on nationwide best practices in compatible energy siting. Map tools are sometimes used to assess or guide development patterns. The CESA project addresses unique layers for each individual project the central role of consultation. The CESA prototype user?s guide and tutorial are online and capable of generating site-specific consultation reports based on a user's selection on the interactive map. Review the user guidance online and test out the new CESA map tool.

The CESA project will conclude this summer with a final report with three sections:

1. Needs assessment to identify military/energy consultation needs and renewable energy market trends.
2. Policy and procedural review with recommendations from best practices for consultation in energy siting.
3. Mapping needs assessment and development strategy documenting outreach findings and application design needs.

The CESA map tool and supporting documents reflect a partnership between Washington State Department of Commerce, the Washington State Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council (EFSEC) and the Timmons Group, Inc. (consultant). Grant funding is provided by the Department of Defense, Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation.

HB 1220 ? Racially Disparate Impacts

Coming early September: Public review draft of racially disparate impacts and displacement guidance

House Bill 1220 (HB 1220) added new requirements for housing plans for fully planning jurisdictions. Local governments are now to review and identify housing policies and regulations that have resulted in racially disparate impacts, displacement and exclusion, and identify and implement policies to begin to undo these impacts. These jurisdictions must also identify areas that may be at a higher risk of displacement and develop anti-displacement policies to avoid these effects. The updates are to be completed during the next periodic update cycle.

In early September, Commerce will be publishing draft guidance on these topics for public review based on feedback provided by an advisory work group of county and city planners from across the state. The guidance will be available for 30 days for public comment. During the public comment period, Commerce will host an open house to answer questions and hear feedback and input on the draft guidance. This open house will be 2-3 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 15. Meeting details will be provided on the project website when the public draft is posted.

More details on this project are available on the project website. You may also sign up for updates on the project, including when public draft materials will be available, by entering your email under the ?Subscribe? heading on the right hand side of the project webpage.

Meet the new Middle Housing Team

A new Middle Housing Team has been created in Growth Management Services to help cities encourage new moderate-density housing options. Such housing is sometimes called ?missing middle? or ?middle-scale?, and refers to housing that is in-between the scale of single-family houses and high-density multifamily buildings. Examples include duplexes, triplexes and low-rise courtyard apartments.

Planning for moderate density housing can lead to increased housing supplies and diversity, something our state has been working hard to improve. While this type of housing is common in older cities, it has seen little development in recent years.

Join us in welcoming the new team, from left to right: Dave Osaki, Shane Hope and Joe Tovar.

Dave Osaki has been involved in local planning for 35 years and was a community development director for Fife, Monroe and Mukilteo. He is responsible for leading the development and review of addressing disparate impacts (e.g., racial impacts of current housing patterns). Shane Hope was a planning and community development director for two cities and a former managing director of Growth Management Services at Commerce. Her role will lead the communication efforts on middle housing. Joe Tovar has been a planning director for four cities, including Kirkland and Shoreline, and has been an affiliate planning professor and consultant. He will lead the development of local code amendment options. All three professionals have had long careers covering many topics and will spend the next year getting the ball rolling on planning for housing. To start, the team will assist the 25 cities in central Puget Sound that were awarded Middle Housing grants this summer. The grants and technical support will aid these communities in updating their comprehensive plans and codes for the 2024 updates. In addition to providing hands-on assistance to grantee communities, the team will develop best practices, templates and communications materials that can be used for current and future middle housing planning in communities across the entire state. Communities can contact the new Middle Housing Technical Team by email: Disparate impacts lead Dave Osaki: [email protected] Communications lead Shane Hope: [email protected] Technical guidance lead Joe Tovar: [email protected]

Middle Housing assistance?

The grants and technical assistance support new requirements in comprehensive planning to consider moderate density housing options and to include a review of past racial discrimination, exclusion and displacement in housing. All communities planning under the Growth Management Act must address these new requirements as they complete the periodic update of plans and regulations between 2024 and 2027.

While middle housing is not the solution to all housing needs, it can help increase the overall supply, reduce costs and bend the curve on climate change. Middle housing, along with higher-density housing, generally has less environmental impacts per person and household than large-lot single-family houses. It also gives people options for housing at a moderate scale and more attainable price point.

Commerce still has funds available for any communities in King, Kitsap, Pierce or Snohomish counties that are interested in grants funds and technical assistance from the Middle Housing Team.

For more information on housing issues and programs for Growth Management Services, visit the unit?s Planning for Housing webpage. ?

WSDOT Complete Streets

As part of the 2022 Move Ahead Washington package, the Washington State Legislature passed a new Complete Streets requirement for state transportation projects. It directs that ?in order to improve the safety, mobility and accessibility of state highways, it is the intent of the Legislature that the department must incorporate the principles of complete streets with facilities that provide street access with all users in mind, including pedestrians, bicyclists and public transportation users.? This new requirement is now in effect, impacting all state transportation projects that start the design phase on or after July 1, 2022 and cost $500,000 or more. ? WSDOT?s policies for implementation of the new requirement can be found in the Complete Streets Project Delivery Memo and more information is available on their Complete Streets web page.

Community partnership

WSDOT will be partnering with communities across the state to plan, design, and construct Complete Streets as part of state transportation projects. You can help get your community ready by answering the following questions and beginning to plan for Complete Streets solutions that cost-effectively invite people to walk, bicycle, roll, and access public transportation.

• What is your community's vision for the future form of state transportation facilities in your jurisdiction?
• Is there interest in calming traffic and providing for the needs of all users by redesigning how your current facility functions?
• Or is there interest in maintaining high speeds for vehicle traffic to travel between places while adding separated facilities for people walking and bicycling next to the roadway?
• How do the state transportation facilities fit into the larger multimodal network?

The state Active Transportation Plan provides background on network connectivity, route directness, level of traffic stress, and other concepts WSDOT will be applying.

Short course on local planning

The Short Course on local planning offers an overview of land use planning laws in Washington, an introduction to comprehensive planning and plan implementation under the Growth Management Act (GMA), and a review of roles in planning and mandatory training on the Open Public Meetings Act for local government officials. All courses are online, free and open to the public.

Ask about local presentations

Commerce also offers e-visits to local planning commissions or other meetings. Contact your regional planner to request a presentation. Topics include, but are not limited to, comprehensive plan basics and roles in the planning process.

Upcoming Planners? Forums dates

The Planners? Forums are quarterly events held regionally across Washington state in partnership with both the Washington APA and the Planners Association of Washington. Each one features guest speakers discussing planning related topics in association with the guidelines set down by the American Planning Association. The forums are on Zoom.

• SW Planners? Forum
  Thursday, Sept. 15
  9 to 11:30 a.m.
  Register
• Eastern Planners? Forum?
  Wednesday, Oct. 26
  9 to 11:30 a.m.
  Registration coming soon

Remember, folks needing American Planning Association (AICP) credits will receive credits for attending based on topics covered. Learn more about Commerce?s regional forums at the Growth Management Planners' Forum webpage.

About Commerce

Commerce works with local governments, businesses, community-based organizations and tribes to strengthen communities. The department?s diverse portfolio of more than 100 programs and effective public and private partnerships promote sustainable community and economic development to help all Washingtonians thrive. For more information, visit http://www.commerce.wa.gov. For information on locating or expanding a business in Washington, visit choosewashingtonstate.com.

Update your subscriptions, modify your password or email address, or stop subscriptions at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page. You will need to use your email address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please visit subscriberhelp.govdelivery.com.

This service is provided to you at no charge by Washington Department of Commerce.

Subscribe | Manage Preferences | Unsubscribe All | Help | Contact us