Tonight’s Planning Commission Meeting on Renton Highlands

For those of you citizens that have inquired, yesterday I requested clarification on tonight’s Planning Commission meeting agenda. The information I recieved is provided in the email below.

In addition, the city Planning department shows the following dates on their schedule.

Sept 7, Sept 21 Planning and Development Committee (P&DC) briefing

Oct 4 CPA and Highlands Committee Report to Julia for P&DC

Oct 5 P&DC Action CPAs

Oct 6 Highlands Committee Report for COW to Julia

Oct 7 Highlands COW– don’t know if this will still be needed

Thanks,

Randy

(Note: For clarification, The Planning Commision is an appointed body which makes land use recommendations to city council, and the Planning and Development Committee is a working subcomittee of Renton City Council…current members are Terry Briere, Dan Clawson, and Marci Palmer.)

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From: Rebecca Lind [mailto:RHlind@ci.renton.wa.us]
Sent: Tuesday, August 01, 2006 11:41 AM
To: Corman, Randy; Julia Medzegian; Judith Subia
Cc: Alexander Pietsch
Subject: Re: Hi Julia! Would you please cooridinate with PlanningCommision to respond to this concern…

The meeting at the Planning Commission is a first briefing on map amendments adding the area north of 16th into the Center Village, and taking the area south and west of SR900 out of the Center Village, and change an area south from Medium Density residential to Single family. There are also a small number of text amendments in the Center Village text language. We will explain the proposed map amendments and the proposed text amendments and take questions from the Commission. There will be no action, and no recommendation. The Commissioners just got this information and will be hearing the briefing for the first time. This issue was included in the original referral of Comp Plan Amendments as a Highland Comp Plan item. This briefing has been on the schedule for many months. It is not a public hearing. The hearing will occur on September 20th I will call Inez and try to explain this to her.

>>> Judith Subia 08/01/06 11:22 AM >>>

Good Morning,

Rebecca will call Inez today.

Thanks,
Judith

>>> “Corman, Randy” <randy.corman@boeing.com> 08/01/06 11:13 AM >>>

Perhaps a Planning Commision representative could email Inez (and anyone else with the same concern) with a clarification of their plans for the Aug 2 meeting and their follow-on process steps.

Thanks,

Randy

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From: Inez Somerville Petersen [mailto:webgirl@seanet.com]
Sent: Monday, July 31, 2006 8:46 PM
To: City Council President Randy Corman; DLaw@ci.renton.wa.us; Tnelson@ci.renton.wa.us; Dpersson@ci.renton.wa.us; MPalmer@ci.renton.wa.us; tbriere@ci.renton.wa.us; dclawson
Subject: Re: Renton Planning Commission Aug 2nd Agenda – Highlands “CenterVillage” Planning Concept

Dear City Council President Randy Corman and city council members:

I thought the City Council wanted community involvement with regard to the Highlands Redevelopment. If so, why is.. moving ahead with his same old “top down” planning approach by presenting his Highlands zoning and land use elements for the “Center Village” concept at Wednesay’s Planning Commission meeting? And with only 48 hours notice, we do not have enough time to mobilize the community to appear to speak AGAIN for the 5th time.

If the Community opposed the “Center Village” concept before, why would the Community now be happy with the “Center Village” concept? This is the same “top down” planning process which provides the basis for the mayor’s “vision for an urban village.”

We HCA board members were under the impression that Community members and the HCA would be working with the City on a joint effort to come up with a workable plan for Highlands zoning and text amendments. Is this not what the Council wants?

If so, then it matters not that the agenda says “DELIBERATION/RECOMMENDATION: None.” These two presentations should be put on hold until real community involvement can occur. And any meetings which provide for auidence comment should be planned so that adequate notice can be provided to the citizens.

What is the opinion of Council members about this agenda announcement for the Aug 2nd Planning Commission meeting? And does the SEPA Appeal have no influence on the project–it just moves ahead like there is no litigation pending and no Community protest?

Sincerely,
Inez Somerville Petersen