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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-11-1999 - MinutesMEDINA CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING MINUTES January 11, 1999 Medina City Hall 7:00 PM 501 Evergreen Point Rd. CALL TO ORDER The regular meeting of the Medina City Council was called to order at 7:02 PM by Mayor Becker. He apologized for not having a larger venue for the meeting, explaining that other possible meeting places in Medina were not available, due to long-term commitments. The meeting was recorded on audio tape. ROLL CALL Present: Councilmembers Suzanne Cohen, Paul Demitriades, Thomas Morgan, Susan Potts, Steve Preston, Grahame Ross and Mayor Daniel Becker. Staff Present: City Manager Doug Schulze, City Attorney Kirk Wines, Police Chief Michael Knapp, City Building Official Lowell Erickson and City Clerk Kristen Finnigan. ANNOUNCEMENTS Mayor Becker presented Councilmember Demitriades with a Certificate of Appreciation for six years of service on the Medina Civil Service Commission. Mayor Becker announced that on January 12, 1999, the consultant for the Trans Lake Study Committee would be at the Clyde Hill City Council Meeting, at 7:00 p.m., to review some of the solutions that they have been proposing in recent months, and that the Medina City Council should be looking at in months ahead. CONSENT AGENDA Councilmember Ross moved the approval of the consent agenda as follows: A. The minutes from the Special Council Meeting of December 11, 1998 Medina City Council Minutes January 11, 1999 Page 2 B. The minutes from the Special Council Meeting of December 14, 1998 C. The minutes from the Regular Council Meeting of December 14, 1998 D. The minutes from Council Workshop Special Meeting of January 4, 1999 E.. Approval and acceptance of December 1998 Warrants/Treasurer's Report including: December warrants #10643 - 10644, 11930 - 12027, 12029 - 12034 and-- $250,399.17 December personnel warrants #16370 - 16410 $ 60,059.86 Councilmember Morgan seconded the motion. Approval was unanimous. AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION No member of the audience chose to address the Council at this time. REPORTS PUBLIC SAFETY REPORTS Police Chief Knapp explained that he is providing the council with a new report format. In an effort to spot any trends, he has started to report the statistics for crime and traffic, both by current month and by an annualized figure. From this report, Police Chief Knapp reported nothing in terms of trends that would be alarming, with figures staying relatively stable throughout 1997and1998. He reported that the numbers for traffic infractions have remained fairly consistent. PUBLIC HEARING ORDINANCE NO. 614 - AN ORDINANCE AMENDING MEDINA MUNICIPAL CODE SECTION 17.24.010 AND 17.28.010 TO ADD NEW PROVISIONS REQUIRING INCREASED SIDE YARD SETBACKS FOR LARGER LOTS IN ALL ZONES AND REDUCING HEIGHT LIMITS FOR STRUCTURES IN R-20 AND R-30 ZONES Mayor Becker explained that this would be a hearing on Ordinance No. 614 and that a possible moratorium, discussed earlier, had been put aside. He stated that this ordinance deals with house sizes in the R-20 and R-30 zones only at this time. He explained that this is an ordinance that has been in development for over five years and that the first concept that was studied redefined remodeling and reconstruction and was adopted in December, 1998. The second concept moves setbacks and reduces building impacts on neighbors. Medina City Council Minutes January 11, 1999 Page 3 There was discussion relative to the issue of vesting and Mayor Becker stated that this will be considered and addressed in the final ordinance. He invited attendees to view a chart, drawing a comparison to what the current Medina City Code is in relation to the proposed changes of Ordinance No. 614. Mayor Becker announced that there would be a Workshop scheduled for the first week in February, where all comments would be considered. Depending upon the outcome of this Workshop, a second hearing on the redraft of the ordinance may take place at the regular City Council Meeting on February 8, 1999. Mayor Becker stated that speakers would be given a three minute time limit and that forms were also available for written comments. It was announced that the Council was not planning to take action on the ordinance at this night's meeting. Jack Reynolds, 2206 Evergreen Pt. Road, stated that he thought that the proposed ordinance looked good to him. He expressed his feeling that some buildings are being constructed in Medina that are too large to be called a home. Mariette Patterson, 3302 78th PI. NE, explained that there has been construction going on for the last ten years on her street and that it will be continuing for years to come, with projects that are planned. Henry Paulman, 1415 80th Ave. NE, expressed the hope that those going through the building pe-mit process now should be allowed to finish building with ordinances as they are now. Miles Adam, 8424 NE 10th St., explained that he had tried to measure things last week- end as he walked around the area and he wondered if, with the new restrictions, would it be possible to build a three-story house. After discussion, it was clarified that, in some cases, it would not be possible to do so. Mary Wheeler, 3248 78th PI. NE, stated her concerns regarding property values if there are limits imposed, particularly on height restriction. She said that she feels that buildings could lose their architectural integrity with new height restrictions. Norman Cotter, 544 Upland Road, expressed a desire that the R-16 zone be examined at some future time. Carolyn Riis, 1885 77th Ave. NE, commented that she believes that people who also need to be accommodated should this ordinance be passed are those who have purchased property based upon what they could do with the property. She stated her feeling that people live in Medina for a number of different reasons, in addition to its charm. Howard Meister, 1012 Evergreen Pt. Rd., said that he feels that restrictions are good, but that it makes sense to allow some people more flexibility in certain areas and that Medina City Council Minutes January 11, 1999 Page 4 possibly someone with a good design and architecture may build a little bit larger home than the average person may want. Mayor Becker explained that this ordinance will not preclude anyone from taking a proposal to the Board of Adjustment. Bill Blakely, 3444 78th PI. NE, remarked that his family had property in Medina since 1933 and that the home built in front of him now blocks his view. The proposed ordinance would eliminate any chance he may have to build up and see the lake again. He wondered if he would be eligible for an exemption, due to his location. He stated that it would be unfair to restrict him now after he has paid high taxes because of the neighboring megahouses. Bill Baum, 8300 Overlake Dr. W., explained that he had been a resident, on and off, for 52 years and that he feels that we need to maintain some sort of ratio between lot size and building size. He feels that there should be some sort of a limit. Maryel Duzan, 2227 Evergreen Pt. Rd., stated that she served on the Planning Commission from 1992-1995, and that she feels that Medina has very liberal building rules and that there needs to be some control. She feels that property values will not be lowered because what is precious is valued more. Skip Voorhees, 3430 Evergreen Pt. Rd., said that he has lived in Medina for 40 years. He stated that he is delighted to see this ordinance proposed and that it will not affect property values in a negative way. Ron Santi, 7842 NE 8th, stated that he feels that the ordinance would be unfair to R-16, as it is written and that he is concerned about property values. Mayor Becker said that the proposed ordinance only applies to R-20 and R-30 and that the language will be clarified. Mark Nelson, 1233 Evergreen Pt. Rd., stated that he moved to this area for the character and that new homes around him have been sensitively designed to fit into the neighborhood, maintaining its original character and integrity. He said that he would like to see this continue and at the same time, allow for those who have spent a great deal of money for a piece of property to be able to develop that land in a way that is sensitive and caring to their neighbors and in keeping to the rest of the neighborhood. George Reynolds, 1255 Evergreen Pt. Rd., explained that he purchased his property at the end of June, reviewing at the time what could be done according to Medina building codes. He said that they consulted most of their neighbors, with their concern to be sensitive to the neighborhood. Mr. Reynolds stated that their home would not be built to the maximum of the envelope allowed and that it would be painful and disruptive for them to have to change their plans at this point. He said that the proposed ordinance does balance lot coverage and height. He also stated that he would provide written comments regarding his thoughts on the pros and cons of the current ordinance. He also said that they would abide by what the community decides but he asked that the Medina City Council Minutes January 11, 1999 Page 5 implementation of any ordinance be done with sensitivity to those in the middle of the process. Paul Saad, 7644 NE 8th, stated that he thought that there should at least a six month time period for the ordinance to be phased in. He also said that he had not yet heard it clearly defined as to what the problem is and that until that time he did not see how a solution could be derived. He expressed his concern that the proposed ordinance would be too great a change. Carib Nelson, 7650 NE 10th, told the audience that he had noticed two huge construction cranes on Evergreen Point Road, and said that he thought that this was indicative of what the discussion was about. He stated that the character has changed in Medina recently, with historic waterfront homes disappearing as well as trees and that he supports the proposed ordinance. He said that he would also support an architectural review procedure. Dick Hansen, 443 86th Ave. NE, explained that he had worked on the preservation of Medina homes for sixteen years and supports the proposed ordinance and noted that he would like to see a 25' height limit. Rod Bindon, 8424 NE 6th, a resident off and on since 1950, submitted a letter from Medina residents, supporting the proposed ordinance and stating that Medina deserves carefully crafted zoning regulations in order to preserve the views and property values of existing homeowners. Reliance Ricketts, 3245 78th PI. NE, expressed her favor for the proposed ordinance, stating that she sees it as rational and reasonable. Raymond Lee, 1259 Evergreen Point Road, stated that he had attended several council meetings in the past few months. He said that view/character preservation is very important to the residents of Medina and has been for many years. Mr. Lee submitted a six page petition of signatures of those supporting the proposed ordinance, for the record. Janie Lee, 1259 Evergreen Point Road, explained that she felt no ill will toward those who desire to build a home in front of them and wanted to express her feelings that she would hope that everyone could achieve the goal of living peaceably, with all sharing the views. She stated that they had moved to Medina ten years ago for the aesthetics of the view of the lake and the enjoyment of the community. She stated that they bought a view property and it has always been assessed as such. Yusuf Yoler, 2841 Evergreen Point Road, stated his feeling that the proposed ordinance is too late, due to the fact that most of Medina is now developed and he feels that some will have vested advantages that will not be available to others. Nancy Burgoyne, 7801 NE 12th, related that she had recently moved here from New England. She stated her concern that the height restrictions may lead to squatty, non- traditional looking homes being built. Medina City Council Minutes January 11, 1999 Page 6 Jeff Vernon, 494 Overlake Drive E., commented that he had closed on the purchase of a lot in September, 1998 and they are in the process of designing a home within the rules that currently exist for R-20. He stated that the proposed ordinance will eliminate the possibility of building a three-story house. He requested that the difference between flat lots versus sloped lots be explored and that consideration be given those in the process of development. Bob Koch, 3200 100th NE., Bellevue, Anderson, Smith, & Koch Architects, said that he had prepared two illustration boards which he intends to bring to the upcoming Workshop. He expressed his views that the proposed ordinance will force people to design flat roofs, thus creating more of an urban character. Colleen Gilbert, 1364 91 st Avenue, NE, Bellevue, said that she is in the process of purchasing a piece of property and has investigated the possibilities for its' development. She stated that the proposed changes would affect her building a traditional home and could impact the resale value. Don Bender, 205 Lake Street S., Kirkland, said that he is a builder and expressed his feeling that there is a great deal of nice architecture in Medina. He stated that a lot of Medina is flat and views may not be affected. Mr. Bender explained his thoughts that some of the proposed changes could affect the architectural integrity. Rick Leavitt, 9252 Points Drive, Yarrow Point, said that he has been building in Medina for twenty-four years. He stated his belief that if the height is restricted to 25' in R-20 and R-30, there will be a lot of flat roofs. Mr. Leavitt said that the client dictates the style of home that they desire but when the restrictions are increased it will eliminate traditional -style homes. He expressed his concerns for people who are in the process of developing their property. Mayor Becker asked Mr. Leavitt and Mr. Bender if they had built in Clyde Hill, where there is a 25' height limit and 15' setbacks. Mr. Leavitt explained that Clyde Hill is more liberal in that it is 25' from original grade, not from the lowest point where the house meets the lot and that is a great difference. He encouraged Medina to look at Clyde Hill's ordinance. Laurie Hambling, 2108 92nd NE, Clyde Hill, explained that she and her husband have purchased a house on 10th street and they are in the process of developing their plans. She stated that she is in favor of the ordinance and would be willing to abide by it in their home design in order to retain the integrity of the area. Mayor Becker stated that the comments from this meeting will be studied and the City Manager was asked to locate another venue for the first week in February for a Workshop. He stated if that was not possible, the Workshop would be at City Hall, at 7:00 PM on February 1, 1999. He also said that a planner would be in attendance at the Workshop and that there would be an opportunity then for more of a free exchange. He invited those in the Medina City Council Minutes January 11, 1999 Page 7 industry to provide materials to the city before the meeting and that the planner would address them at that time. Councilmember Morgan asked for comments in writing from the audience in addressing the fairest svay to set a time line regarding vesting. The Public Hearing ended at 8:40 PM. After an eight minute recess, the council reconvened at 8:48 PM. DISCUSSION City Manager Schulze stated that there was no new information relative to the Agreement for Service Provision by the Bellevue Recreation Department. After discussion, it was decided that a planner and technical assistance should be involved in the process, at the upcoming workshop and council meeting. ADJOURNMENT The Council concluded their regular meeting at 8:59 PM, on a motion by Councilmember Potts and a second by Councilmember Ross. All were in favor. Daniel F. Becker, Mayor Attest: 4 risten Finnigan' City Clerk