31.04.310 City of Port Angeles urban growth area

31.04.310 City of Port Angeles urban growth area.

(1) A Vision of the Port Angeles Urban Growth Area in 2014. The Port Angeles urban growth area in the year 2014 is known for its livable neighborhoods which express their own unique character, high quality of life, pedestrian orientation and superior design. Many residential areas have been separated from the hustle and bustle of commercial activities near Highway 101 by allowing public uses such as schools, parks and public golf courses as commercial to residential buffers. Commercial business areas adjacent to neighborhoods provide goods and services to neighborhood residents while many businesses have residences located on upper stories. The Highway 101 corridor is now a tree-lined boulevard with landscaped medians as it passes through the urban area and businesses all along this corridor have upgraded their landscaping and physical appearance.

Most moderate density, low-cost housing has been infilled into moderate density neighborhoods located just off Highway 101 in urban growth areas where easy access to transit and job opportunities is available. Well designed and landscaped manufactured home parks and multifamily developments provide an attractive low-cost living environment. Visitors to our area note the distinct open space boundaries between neighborhoods which make use of the steep-sided creek ravines which are left in the natural state. Within the Port Angeles urban growth area, neighborhood population centers are linked to the waterfront trail system through trails located in the stream ravines, allowing for efficient nonmotorized transportation options for reaching work or for recreation.

Businesses which provide regional services have been grouped at convenient locations at intersections of major collector or arterial roads with SR101 within the urban growth area and conform to visually pleasing landscape and building design standards. Regional service center sites have been identified both within the City of Port Angeles and within the unincorporated urban growth area. Developers seeking to build a regional business facility are directed to these community approved sites which have been thoroughly evaluated for environmental constraints. All neighborhood and regional business centers are linked by an efficient local transit system. A new arterial paralleling Highway 101 but located farther to the south provides an alternate east side, cross-town route for local access to Port Angeles. Tribal business centers have also grown to become major employers within Clallam County.

Most new manufacturing and industrial concerns are located at the expanded Airport Industrial Park. Several value-added wood product firms operate on industrial lands just outside of the urban growth area where rural densities of the surrounding area limit conflict which could occur if this type of use where sited in an urban area.

Nine (9) streams flow through the Port Angeles urban growth area providing unique opportunities for urban residents to enjoy a riverine environment. The last twenty (20) years have seen a renewal of these streams in terms of water quality, water quantity, stream restoration, stream enhancement for fish and wildlife, public access to stream corridors and development of opportunities for environmental education.

The urban area of Port Angeles provides a mixture of employment, residential, commercial, cultural and recreational opportunities. Much of the new development and redevelopment which occurred after 1995 took place within the existing urban growth area of Port Angeles where infrastructure was in place or could be easily extended. Today, there is still ample room for development within that original urban growth area. Port Angeles is the ultimate supplier of services within the incorporated urban growth area. The City and the PUD provide water, power and sewer services within the unincorporated urban growth area.

The Port Angeles region enjoys a healthy and stable economy, emphasizing diversity in the range of goods produced and services provided. Businesses continue to locate in the urban growth area because of the high quality of life, provision of business infrastructure, the emphasis on superior schools, and the ability of a tightly knit community to provide a safe living environment for all. Residents and business interests trust their local governments to follow through on solutions because the plans and promises made to manage growth in 1995 have been followed and changes to the original plan occur as a result of demonstrated community need. Change is accepted and proceeds in an orderly fashion based on the growth management plan.

(2) Urban Growth Area General Land Use Issues. Urban residential land uses are well established within the Port Angeles urban growth area. Neighborhoods such as Gales Addition, Lee’s Creek and Four Seasons are largely built out with only a few moderate sized areas available for development. Average density in Gales Addition, Four Seasons, View Ridge and Cedar Ridge neighborhoods would be three (3) to four (4) housing units per acre. These areas will support infill development at these densities. Other neighborhoods such as Lee’s Creek and portions of Monroe Road neighborhood are characterized by two (2) unit per acre densities due to environmental constraints such as wetlands, stormwater impacts from Highway 101 and its associated impervious surfaces and poorly perking soils. Neighborhoods with these types of environmental constraints may not be able to support much more density than they currently experience and consideration should be given to maintaining the prevalent two (2) unit per acre urban densities. Wetlands and other natural means of storing or transporting stormwater should be maintained intact in these neighborhoods. Densities of up to fifteen (15) units per acre would be feasible in the residential areas south of the Highway 101 commercial strip near Mt. Pleasant Road.

The commercial strip development which has occurred on the east side of Port Angeles has not created a healthy environment for business as witnessed by the continual turnover of many businesses in this area. A more stable pattern of business location would group regional businesses at K-Mart Drive and Deer Park intersections with Highway 101. Encouraging a transition to business growth in regional centers located at K-Mart Drive and Deer Park would relieve the well-developed neighborhoods on the north and south side of the commercial strip from pressure to widen the strip at intermediate locations by rezoning of vacant residential areas near the strip. In simple terms, the existing commercial strip should only bulge at these two (2) identified intersections and commercial areas between regional sites should remain at minimal width from the highway. The neighborhood serving commercial areas between the K-Mart Plaza regional commercial center and the City limits ought to be opened up to allow multifamily residential development on commercially zoned properties lacking highway frontage and on the second floors of businesses. This change would provide apartment dwellers easy access to transit and will encourage interaction between businesses and multifamily uses which would stabilize the business sector in this area.

Urban residential land uses are mixed with industrial and commercial land uses in the western unincorporated urban growth area. The area east of Reddick Road contains some subdivisions at urban density and other areas with more rural type densities. Urban density development of this area has been hindered by its industrial zoning and the poor perking ability of its soils.

The 1982 Clallam County Comprehensive Plan designated large areas west of Port Angeles for industrial uses in anticipation of industrial growth. Many of the lands so designated contained single-family residences on rural sized lots with a few smaller parcels located in subdivisions. Very little of this land has seen industrial development in the last twelve (12) years and most of this area is not served with the necessary infrastructure which would encourage industrial development. Industrial use in the area has actually diminished in this period as logging activity has declined. Property owners have been limited in their ability to construct additional homes as residential uses are only allowed in industrial zones as an accessory use to an industrial use. Many of these property owners have participated in development of the Port Angeles Regional Plan and are requesting changes to the industrial designation of the 1982 Plan. This Plan recommends removal of the industrial designation from that portion of the urban growth area located between Reddick Road and Airport Road which is not in actual industrial land use.

The Highway 101 corridor on the west side of Port Angeles has not developed in the “strip commercial” pattern prevalent on the east side of Port Angeles. Many homes and several multifamily developments are located on Highway 101 but are set well back from the roadway to limit problems with road noise. This pattern of limited urban neighborhood commercial development intermixed with homes set well back off the highway should be retained.

The Port Angeles urban growth area was established to meet the area required to contain the projected 20-year population growth of the urban area plus those neighborhoods that were already urban in nature. It is expected the City will annex all of the urban growth area in the next 20 years. Although some annexations may happen in the near future, the farthest edges of the urban growth area may not be annexed until the end of the planning period. The urban growth area should develop utilizing City development standards. This plan requires new subdivisions to meet City development standards for all improvements.

Grant funding and public/private partnerships should be utilized to upgrade the landscaping and building facades within the urban growth area fronting Highway 101. Many area residents completing questionnaires on transportation issues compared the present appearance of the commercial strip to that of Aurora Avenue in Seattle. Area residents desire to see the Highway 101 urban streetscape upgraded to include street trees along both sides of Highway 101, landscaped median islands in the center of the Highway and improvements to several building facades. Upgrading the appearance of the urban commercial area would blend this area into the bordering neighborhoods and encourage residents as well as visitors to stop and enjoy visually appealing commercial attractions. (These issues are addressed by the policies below and those contained in the individual neighborhood sections.)

(a) [Policy No. 1] The interim urban growth area boundary adopted in October 19, 1993, should be modified to include several additional industrial parcels located in the vicinity of the Shotwell and Lakeside Industries properties west of Port Angeles and to delete the area east of the west rim of the Morse Creek canyon. The physical boundaries of the urban growth area should be the west rim of the Morse Creek canyon to the east, Reddick Road and the City limits to the west, the BPA powerline and the adopted line near the City limits to the south, and the Strait to the north.

(b) [Policy No. 2] In order to provide stability to where urban growth and services will occur, the urban growth area should not be expanded in size any sooner than 10 years from the date the Clallam County Comprehensive Plan is adopted.

(a) [Policy No. 3] Urban areas should provide for a balance between commercial growth, employment centers and residential development that ensures livability, preservation of environmental quality, open spaces, variety of housing, provision for high-quality public services at least cost and orderly transitions between land uses within the urban areas.

(b) [Policy No. 4] All new residential development within the urban growth area should be at urban densities or be designed to have the capability of being converted to urban densities.

(c) [Policy No. 5] Land use designations in the Port Angeles urban growth area have been established to encourage an increase in net densities from their present levels of less than four units per acre to a level of greater than four units per acre. Although densities will vary from neighborhood to neighborhood depending on the carrying capacity of the land, it is desirable to see an overall increase in density within the urban area.

(d) [Policy No. 6] Commercial, industrial and high-density residential development make intensive use of land and should be located in areas where sewer and water facilities are already located or can be extended and where critical areas do not limit development.

(e) [Policy No. 7] A transfer of development rights (TDR) program should be established with the City of Port Angeles. Under the TDR program, rural areas near the city experiencing downzoning, rural areas where less density would be preferable or areas designated as open spaces to be protected would become TDR sending zones where development rights could be bought from property owners. TDR receiving zones would be established inside the urban growth area including the area inside the City where the development rights could be utilized. Property owners or developers would utilize development rights to increase the density of development inside the UGA above those allowed without transfer rights.

(f) [Policy No. 8] The City of Port Angeles should be the primary commercial and service center for the Port Angeles region. Commercial development should be concentrated in the core of the City and in specified regional centers. Further strip development of Highway 101 west of the City should not be allowed in order to reduce congestion on Highway 101 and other arterials of regional significance.

(g) [Policy No. 9] The City should attempt to site industrial activities within the Airport Industrial Park or within the greater urban growth area in order to provide economic opportunities (see Economic Development Policies).

(h) [Policy No. 10] The City’s Comprehensive Plan should be modified to add a very low density urban residential designation so that annexing areas with development limitations may retain urban densities appropriate to the natural carrying capacities of the land.

(i) [Policy No. 11] Multifamily and manufactured home park development should be located within or near urban neighborhood commercial designations in the urban growth area in order to provide efficient access to urban services and to serve as a buffer between commercial development and less dense residential development.

(j) [Policy No. 12] A range of housing opportunities should be available throughout the urban growth area. The percentage of multifamily housing and manufactured home parks in the unincorporated urban growth area should increase from the present level of 30 percent of the existing housing stock in the unincorporated urban growth area to a goal percentage of at least 35 percent to foster affordable housing opportunities.

(a) [Policy No. 13] The creeks flowing through the Port Angeles urban growth area should be preserved and enhanced as critical habitat for freshwater and saltwater species of fish. The bottoms and steep-sided ravines associated with each creek should be preserved in a natural state whenever possible to protect the geologically unstable ravine sidewalls and to maintain the filtering properties of the natural vegetation buffering the streams.

(b) [Policy No. 14] Preserve the value and functions of critical areas such as steep-sided creek ravines, bluffs, narrow creek bottoms, wetlands and natural drainage ways by identifying such sites with an open space overlay designation and enacting programs to further protect such critical areas.

(i) Property in critical areas identified in an open space overlay designation would be targeted for public acquisition through voter approval of a general obligation bond or the enactment of conservation futures tax or the enactment of an additional one percent real estate tax on transfer of property.

(ii) Property owners of critical areas identified in an open space overlay designation should be able to qualify for open space taxation regardless of the size of their property.

(iii) Property owners of critical areas identified in an open space overlay designation should be allocated development rights which could be utilized in receiving zones within the urban growth area.

(c) [Policy No. 15] Implementation of the urban growth area should include specific measures to protect the water quality and resources of the creeks flowing through the Port Angeles urban growth area.

(d) [Policy No. 16] Wetlands in the urban growth area serve important functions in the urban area including indirect stormwater storage, filtering water prior to its entry into the Strait and in provision of wildlife habitat and should be protected and retained.

(e) [Policy No. 17] Groundwater resources should be protected through city/county adoption of stormwater and erosion control measures, water quality education programs, and other best management practices which avoid or minimize impacts to groundwater.

(a) [Policy No. 18] Site development, including roads, highways, and bridges, should protect the natural integrity of waterbodies and natural drainage systems.

City of Port Angeles

(i) Avoid conversion, to the extent practicable, of areas that are susceptible to erosion and sediment loss;

(ii) Preserve areas that provide important water quality benefits and/or are necessary to maintain riparian and aquatic habitat;

(iii) Plan, design, and develop sites to limit impervious areas;

(iv) Limit land disturbance activities such as clearing and grading, and cut and fill;

(v) Limit disturbance of natural drainage features and vegetation; and

(vi) Guidance on appropriate pollution prevention practices should be incorporated into site development and use.

(b) [Policy No. 19] Where feasible, identify failing residential on-site sewage disposal systems within the City limits, and provide sewer service consistent with the City’s Urban Services Ordinance.

City of Port Angeles

(i) Repealed by Ord. 584 , 1996.

(c) [Policy No. 20] Develop and implement a commercial source control program (e.g., “Business for Clean Water”) which offers pollution prevention assessments, reduction strategies, and training materials for the workplace. The program should provide incentives and rewards for businesses which implement new practices to improve pollution prevention associated with their operation.

City of Port Angeles

(d) [Policy No. 21] Manage stream corridors in the urban areas as greenways.

City of Port Angeles

(i) Establish soft trails which connect to the waterfront trail, providing a water-oriented recreational amenity which also focuses on interpretation and protection of local natural resources within the urban environment.

(ii) The City, Port, Elwha S’Klallam Tribe, and County should work cooperatively to educate landowners, fund acquisition of property, and develop amenities while maintaining the natural state of the corridor.

(7) Valley Creek. [Policy No. 22] Conduct general habitat improvements, such as revegetation, restoration of channel configuration, and placement of instream structures. Continue rehabilitation of estuarine habitat. Replace or improve culverts to correct fish passage problems.

WA Department of Fish and Wildlife, Port of Port Angeles, City of Port Angeles, Clallam County, Elwha S’Klallam Tribe

(a) [Policy No. 23] Target this stream for activities which will improve the ecosystem functions of its lower stretches and complement the good quality found upstream.

City of Port Angeles, Clallam County Elwha S’Klallam Tribe

(b) [Policy No. 24] Use the stream to enhance watershed awareness among urban residents and tourists. Develop enhancement projects which, while not necessarily improving salmon production, could serve multiple objectives related to water quality education, resident fish and wildlife habitat, stormwater management, and recreation and aesthetics.

WA Department of Fish and Wildlife, Elwha S’Klallam Tribe, City of Port Angeles

(c) [Policy No. 25] Improve fish access to upstream habitat by eliminating blockage under 5th Street and Park Avenue. Create off-channel rearing at Peabody and 5th to improve habitat potential.

WA Department of Fish and Wildlife, Elwha S’Klallam Tribe, City of Port Angeles

(d) [Policy No. 26] Undertake projects and conduct activities to improve the salmon productivity of this stream.

WA Department of Fish and Wildlife, Elwha S’Klallam Tribe, City of Port Angeles

(9) Ennis Creek. [Policy No. 27] Revegetate riparian corridors and buffers in residential areas.

City of Port Angeles, Clallam Conservation District

(10) Transportation. [Policy No. 28] Improve circulation patterns around the Port Angeles urban growth area (see Figure 10):

(a) Improve east-west circulation patterns in the eastern urban growth area by developing a new east-west local access road to be located south of Highway 101 within the urban growth area. This roadway would provide local residents an alternate means of accessing the urban area from the east, would provide an emergency route around the sole eastern access point of Highway 101 and would take local traffic off of Highway 101 during congested periods.

(b) Encourage improvements to the circulation patterns within the City, including rerouting of truck traffic from Front and 1st Streets.

(11) Open Space and Greenbelts. [Policy No. 29] The City shall designate greenbelts within the urban growth area. Areas that should be considered include all of the creek ravines. (See Figure 22 for critical habitat corridors.)

(a) [Policy No. 30] The City, Public Utility District, and the County should agree on water service boundaries and identification of service providers within the urban growth area. Individual or private community water within the UGA should be prohibited for new land divisions. All urban services should be provided by the City of Port Angeles; however, water and electric service may be provided by the Public Utility District pursuant to a UGA Urban Services and Development Agreement with the City until annexation occurs.

(b) [Policy No. 31] All new subdivisions within the urban growth area shall be connected to the City’s sewer system; provided, however, that the interceptor facilities may be provided by the PUD pursuant to a UGA Urban Services and Development Agreement with the City until annexation occurs.

(c) [Policy No. 32] All new subdivisions and other developments within the urban growth area shall be provided with improvements constructed to City of Port Angeles standards. The city development standards should include roads, sidewalks, water, sewer, lot area, lot shape, setbacks, and land uses.

(d) [Policy No. 33] The County and City should prohibit development within the urban growth area if it is not built to urban standards, including the prohibition of rural density subdivisions with individual wells.

(e) [Policy No. 34] New or expanding commercial and industrial development should conform to newly developed landscaping and design requirements to enhance the appearance and traffic access characteristics of commercial and industrial sites inside the urban growth area. The City and the County should work together to develop landscaping and design guidelines which would provide consistent guidelines to developers along the Highway 101 corridor. Grant funding and public/private cooperation should be sought to assist in upgrading landscaping, building facade improvements, improving roadside landscaping, and to provide vegetative screening of the industrial areas bordering Highway 101.

(f) [Policy No. 35] New stoplights utilized for access to commercial developments should only be located at intersections of Highway 101 and major arterials in order to allow Highway 101 to be an efficient conveyor of traffic.

(g) [Policy No. 36] Public parkland dedications or fees in lieu of dedication should be required for new development within the urban growth area to provide recreational parkland for residents of such development.

(a) [Policy No. 37] Regional serving, large scale, commercial development in the unincorporated Port Angeles urban area should be located at regional commercial center development sites clustered around the traffic light near the existing K-Mart Plaza Highway 101 and other appropriate areas along Highway 101 as may be approved by the County through required land use decision-making processes.

(i) Urban regional commercial centers may extend up to 1,000 feet in depth from the highway in order to facilitate the location of businesses requiring large sites and are located at the intersections of major arterials or existing traffic lights to facilitate traffic entering and exiting the development. Urban regional commercial centers would contain businesses serving the entire County. Uses would include major regional malls, grocery superstores, large scale auto malls, cinemas, motels, hotels, and large scale restaurants.

(ii) Upon establishment of urban regional commercial centers, subdivision of such sites should be limited either to binding site plans or to parcels sizes greater than 20 acres in order to retain large parcels for future development of region-serving commercial enterprises. Land uses of limited duration which would allow developers to retain property in large parcels while receiving revenues in the short term should be allowed to encourage retention of sites in large parcel size.

(b) [Policy No. 38] Commercial land uses supplying neighborhood and subregional needs in the watershed will continue to be found on both sides of Highway 101 between the City limits and the K-Mart Plaza urban regional commercial center. These areas will be designated for urban neighborhood commercial land use recognizing the continued viability of existing, well-established residential neighborhoods to the north and south of Highway 101 and avoiding the creation of a large continuous strip of intense commercial development which would heavily impact neighborhoods and diminish the viability of Highway 101 as an efficient conveyor of traffic. The existing strip commercial nature of these areas will be reduced through the following methods:

•Allowing for commercial land uses which support and are compatible with the adjacent residential neighborhoods; and

•Allowing mixed uses including multifamily residential development of commercial properties which do not front on Highway 101; and

•Allowing second story residential apartments over commercial uses; and

•Encouraging the use of a native materials and consistent architectural styles within neighborhood commercial districts; and

•Enhancing the natural stream ravines of Lee’s Creek and Ennis Creek as greenway buffers between neighborhood business districts and for use as waterfront trail access points to encourage the use of alternative modes of travel to access the commercial core of Port Angeles.

(c) [Policy No. 39] The character of structures in urban neighborhood commercial categories of land use should be small scale (less than 10,000 square feet per building) in order to fit in with associated residential land uses. Land uses directed from neighborhood commercial sites to regional commercial or industrial sites would include hotels, motels, superstore-sized grocery centers, large scale retail, large scale wholesale, manufacturing, mineral extraction, wrecking yards, salvage and crushing operations. Land uses in neighborhood commercial areas should be limited to those which serve the needs of the associated neighborhoods and would include the following:

•Small scale restaurants, gift shops, antique stores, gas stations and vehicle repair;

•Local community services such as professional offices, barbers, taverns;

•Small scale retail uses serving the local population such as convenience grocery, etc.;

•Fully screened mini-storage;

•Second story apartments and off-highway multifamily housing;

•Small scale employment centers and public buildings.

(d) [Policy No. 40] The existing strip development of Highway 101 in the eastern portion of the Port Angeles urban growth area should not extend more than 600 feet to the north or south of the highway in order to limit the impacts of this development on adjacent, well established, residential neighborhoods.

(e) [Policy No. 41] Undeveloped portions of Highway 101 in the western portion of the urban growth area should be carefully planned to prevent the establishment of a narrow strip commercial development pattern. When commercial land use demand increases in the western urban growth area, consideration should be given to the establishment of an urban regional commercial center at an arterial intersection with Highway 101.

(a) [Policy No. 42] The City of Port Angeles and Clallam County jointly developed the plan for the urban growth area. City representatives served on every committee which developed the various elements of the plan. The City and County should review their comprehensive plans and coordinate future amendments so that the plans are, and continue to be, consistent with each other.

(b) [Policy No. 43] The City and County shall develop and agree upon a phased annexation plan consistent with the extension of urban services to the annexed areas prior to the approval of any urban growth within the Port Angeles urban growth area that requires extension of sewer or water facilities. A further condition of urban growth within the unincorporated Port Angeles growth area shall be the development and execution of UGA Urban Services and Development Agreements for sewer and/or water facilities by the City of Port Angeles and Clallam County PUD.