Smart Growth Principles? - Kirkland, Washington2035/K2035+Comp+Plan... · 2013-09-13 · “Smart...
Transcript of Smart Growth Principles? - Kirkland, Washington2035/K2035+Comp+Plan... · 2013-09-13 · “Smart...
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CityofKirklandPlanningandCommunityDevelopmentDepartment September2013
OverthenexttwoyearsKirklandwillbeupdatingitsComprehensivePlantoreflecthowtheCityshouldaccommodategrowthoverthenexttwentyyears.ThispaperlooksatfuturetrendsthatmayaffectKirklandandhow“SmartGrowthPrinciples”canbeusedtorespondtothesetrendstohelpcreatethetypeofcommunitywemaywant.
WhatareSmartGrowthPrinciples?
LiketheState’sGrowthManagementAct,theterm“SmartGrowth”isanurbanplanningconceptthatadvocatesfocusinggrowthincompactlivablecommunitiestoavoidsprawl.
“SmartGrowthPrinciples”weredevelopedintheearly1990’sasanoutcomeoftheSmartGrowthNetworkfoundedbytheU.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency(EPA).TheNetworkismadeupofaconsortiumof30nationalorganizationsofgovernment,businessandcivicorganizationsthatpromotesmartgrowthandofferresourcestohelpcommunities.Formoreinformationandresources,seepage6ofthisdocument.
AccordingtotheSmartGrowthNetwork,“SmartGrowthPrinciplescanbeconsideredbestpracticesortoolsthatcommunitiescanusetogrowinwaysthatsupporteconomicdevelopmentandjobs;createstrongneighborhoodswitharangeofhousing,commercial,andtransportationoptions;andachievehealthycommunitiesthatprovidefamilieswithacleanenvironment.”
In2006,theSmartGrowthNetworklookedatthekeycharacteristicsthatmakesuccessfulcommunitiesanddevelopedthefollowing10basicprinciples:
1. Mixlandusestogether
2. Takeadvantageofcompactbuildingdesign
3. Createarangeofhousingopportunitiesandchoices
4. Createwalkableneighborhoods
5. Fosterdistinctive,attractivecommunitieswithastrongsenseofplace
6. Preserveopenspace,farmland,naturalbeauty,andcriticalenvironmentalareas
7. Strengthenanddirectdevelopmenttowardsexistingcommunities
8. Provideavarietyoftransportationchoices
9. Makedevelopmentdecisionspredictable,fair,andcosteffective
10. Encouragecommunityandstakeholdercollaborationindevelopmentdecisions
Smartgrowthisanalternativetourbansprawl,trafficcongestion,disconnectedneighborhoods,andurbandecay.Itsprincipleschallengeoldassumptionsinurbanplanning,suchaslowdensitydevelopment,automobilefocusandseparatinglanduses.
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TheSmartGrowthNetworkdevelopedaseriesofimplementationguidelines.TheseguidelinescanbeusedasachecklisttodeterminehowconsistentKirkland’sComprehensivePlangoals,policiesanddevelopmentstandardsmeasureuptotheseprinciples.
HowwillourgrowthtargetsandfuturetrendsaffectKirkland?
TheGrowthManagementAct(GMA)requiresthatcitiesplanforgrowthwithina20yearperiod.In2011Kirklandadded30,000peoplewiththeJuanita/FinnHill/Kingsgateannexation.TodayKirkland’spopulationis81,730.Byour“targetyear”of2035,Kirklandisexpectedtohave13,000newresidentsforatotalpopulationof94,000.Kirkland’sgrowthtargetsbetweentheyear2013and2035are8,361newhousingunitsand22,435newjobs.Thenewresidentswillneedhousingandaccesstotransportation,schools,shopsandservices,parksandentertainment.Howandwhereshouldweaccommodatethesenewhousingunitsandemployment?
HowcanKirklandimplementSmartGrowthPrinciplestorespondtothesechanges?
ThefollowingsummarizesthetrendswemayseeandhowtheCitycanapplySmartGrowthPrinciplesinplanningforKirkland’sfuture.
1. MIXLANDUSESTOGETHER
SmartGrowthPrinciplesencouragemixingusessuchasresidentialandretailinnewdevelopmentsorbuildingsonthesameproperty.Redevelopmentandnewgrowthshould
betargetedtoexistingcommercialareasthatareclosetotransitandtransportationhubs.AgoodexampleofthisisJuanitaVillagelocatedatNE116thSTand100thAvenueintheJuanitaNeighborhood.Asaresult,thefollowingbenefitstotheKirklandcommunitycanbeattained:
Resultsinmoreefficientuseofland Allowsavarietyofhousingtypesanddensities Reducesdistancesbetweenhousing,workplaces,retailbusinesses,andotherdestinations Encouragesmorecompactdevelopment Strengthensneighborhoodcharacter Promotespedestrianandbicyclefriendlyenvironments Providesopportunitiestowalktoservicesandjobs
ExistinggoalsandpoliciesintheKirklandComprehensivePlanreflectmanyofthesePrinciples,suchaspromotingmixed‐useresidentialandcommercialdevelopment,buildingsdesignedwiththepedestrianinmind(pedestrianorienteddevelopment),walkableneighborhoodsandcompletestreets.
Juanita Village Mixed‐ Use Development
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2. TAKEADVANTAGEOFCOMPACTBUILDINGDESIGN
AsKirklandgrowsweknowtherewillbeadecreaseinavailabilityofusable,undevelopedland.Thecostoflandwillcontinuetoincrease.Howthelandisusedmostefficientlywhilebalancingdevelopmentwithpreservationofopenspaceandnaturalareaswillbeachallenge.Planningforwelldesigned,compact,mixedusedevelopmentwillbeessentialinmakingthiswork.
Youngandoldersegmentsofourpopulationwillbeattractedtosmallerandmoreaffordablehousingoptionswithincloseproximitytoneighborhoodshoppingareasandtransit.Ayoung,educatedworkforceisattractedtolivingindenserurbanareaswithlivelycommercialdistricts,recreation,entertainmentandgoodtransitavailability.Thetrendisforcommunitiestobedesignedwhereallagescanwork,live,attendschool,shop,andplayinanareacompactenoughtoallowwalkingtomostdestinations.
Welldesigned,developmentwithamenitiesthatinclude“peopleplaces,”suchasopenspaceplazas,coffeeshops,theaters,publicartandvibrantcommercialcommunitiesprovideastrongsenseofplace.
Thereareeconomicdevelopmentadvantagestocompactdevelopment.Businessesdobetterinstrongbusinessdistrictsthatprovidegoodsandservicesdirectlytonearbyresidents.Refurbishedoutdatedmallsandcommercialcenterstoincorporateamixofusesandimprovewalkabilityshouldbeencouraged.
3. CREATEARANGEOFHOUSINGOPPORTUNITIESANDCHOICES
Lifeexpectancyisincreasing(byabouttwoyearsfrom2000to2009.)By2030,oneinfiveAmericanswillbeelderly.Agreaterproportionofseniorswillhavedifferentneedsfromyoungerresidentssuchasphysicallimitationsforgettingaroundtownanddesiresmallerhousingoptions.Thecostofhousingisincreasing,atthesametime,thesizeofhousingandhouseholdsizeisdecreasing.
Kirklandhasbecomemorediverse.Aspeopleofdifferentculturalbackgroundsandabroaderrangeofincomelevelsplayagreaterroleinourcommunity,thereisaneedfordiversehousingtypesandbothownershipandrentaloptions.KingCountyreflectsatrendacrosstheUStowardmorerentingandlesshomeownership.
Encouraginghousingchoicessuchmulti‐generationalhousing,extendedfamilyhousing,residentialsuites(verysmallapartments),backyardcottages,accessorydwellingunits,seniorhousing,andsmallerhousingwillbenecessaryaccommodatepeople’sneedsanddesires.
Cottage Housing Project
Mixed‐ Use Development in Downtown
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TorespondtothesetrendsandtoincreasetheamountofaffordablehousinginKirkland,ZoningCoderegulationsrequire10%ofresidentialunits(4ormore)tobeaffordableincommercialandmulti‐familyzones.TheCityalsoprovidesincentivesforbuildingadditionalunitsandallowsforavarietyofhousingtypessuchascottagehousing,smalllotsinglefamilyhomesandaccessorydwellingunits.
4. CREATEWALKABLENEIGHBORHOODS
Thenationwideincreaseinobesityratessuggestsaneedtoencouragehealthierlifestylesthatincludehealthyfood,exercise,andincreasedwalkingasaprimarymodeoftransportation.AstheCitygrowsitwillbeimportanttoprovidemanynon‐motorizedtransportationoptions,suchasbiketrails,pathwaysandsidewalks,andtoencouragedesignofdevelopmentsgearedtothepedestrianratherthanauto‐orientedplaces.
Addingpedestrianimprovementstocreatewalkableneighborhoodsreducestheuseofautomobiles,improvesairquality,reducesnoise,makesstreetssaferforpedestrians,andimprovessocialinteraction.KirklandhasbeenrecognizedasoneofthetoptenwalkablecommunitiesinthecountrybytheWallStreetJournal.
5. FOSTERDISTINCTIVE,ATTRACTIVECOMMUNITIESWITHASTRONGSENSEOFPLACE
Attractive,welldesignedcommunitieswithlivelyneighborhoodscreatedistinctiveuniqueplacesthatattractnewresidentsandbusinesses.InKirklandmanyoftheneighborhoodandbusinessdistrictsrequiredesignreviewtoensuredevelopmentiswelldesigned,containsopenspaces,hassuperiorlandscapingandreflectsthecharacterofthesurroundingneighborhood.
6. PRESERVEOPENSPACE,FARMLAND,NATURALBEAUTY,ANDCRITICALENVIRONMENTALAREAS
Globalclimatechangeisgeneratingmorefrequentextremeweather,damaginghuman‐builtstructuresandthenaturalenvironment.ThistrendcannotbeignoredasKirklandmayexperienceincreasedfloodingalongstreamsandintheroadwaysandwinddamagefromstorms.Finiteworldenergyresourcesandtheexpenseofdevelopingnewenergysourceswillincreasethecostofrunningbusinesses,homesandautomobiles.
Useofallsourcesofenergy,butespeciallynon‐renewablesources,negativelyimpactsourenvironment.Inthefuturetherewillbeagreateremphasisongreenbuildingdesignandsustainablestrategiestoreducegreenhousegasemissions.
Example of shoreline replacement of
bulkhead with soft shoreline
Lakeview Neighborhood Walk Route Sign
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Balancingnewdevelopmentwithprotectingandenhancingcriticalareasandshorelineareaswillbenecessarytoretainopenspace,surfacewatersystemsandhabitat.Lowimpactdevelopmenttechniqueswhererainwateriscollected,storedorrechargedon‐sitehelpsreducefloodingandimproveswaterquality.Itwillbenecessaryforustoconsiderhowournaturalenvironmentisconnectedasonesystemanddesignedintothebuiltenvironmentthroughsustainablebuildingpractices.
InKirklandwehaveadopteddevelopmentstandardsandimplementedprogramstoencouragesustainableandgreenbuildingpractices.TheCityisalsoexploringtheuseof“transferofdevelopmentrights”intheTotemLakeBusinessDistrictwherebyundevelopedlandinKingCountyispreservedwhileincreasingdevelopmentpotential.WeshouldcontinuetosupportshorelinerestorationandinitiativestoreturnKirkland’sLakeWashingtonshorelinetoamorenaturalstatethatcanmorereadilyhandleincreasedstressfromclimatechange.
7. STRENGTHENANDDIRECTDEVELOPMENTTOWARDSEXISTINGCOMMUNITIES
Smartgrowthpromotesdirectinggrowthtoareasalreadyservedbyinfrastructure,suchasroads,sewerandwater.Thisapproachismorecosteffectiveandmaintainsthevalueofpublicandprivateinvestment.Itisamoreefficientuseoflandandinfrastructure,canprovideastrongertaxbase,andpromotesopportunitiesforjobsclosetohousing.
8. PROVIDEAVARIETYOFTRANSPORTATIONCHOICES
GivenourregionalgrowthandKirkland’sattractionasaplacetoliveandgrowabusiness,andwitheasyaccesstoI‐405andSR520,trafficwillincrease.Congestionontheroadwaysdrivestheneedformorealternativestocartravel,aswellastheneedtoimprovetheefficiencyandsafetyoftheroadswehave.Travelinglongdistancestoworkandhomereducesthequalityoflife,addstothecostsoffuelandmakesitlesssustainablefortheenvironment.
ManaginggrowthinKirklandtokeepwork,home,shopping,andentertainmentclosetohomeshouldbeencouraged.OvertheyearswehaveseenexpansionoftheKirklandtransitcentersinDowntown,TotemLakeandattheSouthKirklandParkandRide,butwewillneedtolookatnewopportunities.
Alternativestoautomobiles,suchasbicyclepaths,pleasantandsafepedestriancorridors,andconvenienttransitcenterswillbenecessary.RecentacquisitionoftheCrossKirklandCorridor(oldrailroadtracks)givesKirklandagreatopportunitytocreateasignificantbicycle/pedestrianroutethroughthecityandtoconnectwithothercommunities.
Webber Thompson Architect’s illustration of future development at South Kirkland Park and Ride
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9. MAKEDEVELOPMENTDECISIONSPREDICTABLE,FAIR,ANDCOSTEFFECTIVE
BalancingthefiscalresourcesofoperatingacitywiththeservicesthatresidentsandbusinessesexpectwillrequiretheCitytocontinuetolookatgreaterefficiencies.Timeismoneyforbusinessesanddevelopment.TheCitystrivestoimprovepermitreviewprocesses,andtoaddresstimingandregulatoryamendmentstomakedevelopmentdecisionspredictable,fair,andcost‐effective.TheCitycanalsolookatcreatingincentivestoencourageuseofSmartGrowthPrinciplesinthedesignofprojects.ForexampletheCityhasanexpeditedpermitreviewprocessforprojectsforgreenbuildings.
10. ENCOURAGECOMMUNITYANDSTAKEHOLDERCOLLABORATIONINDEVELOPMENTDECISIONS
Publicengagementintheplanninganddevelopmentreviewprocessmakesforstrongercommunitiesbecauseitbringsavarietyofinterestsintothediscussionandpeopleareinvestedintheoutcome.EarlyengagementintheprocessisthebestwaytoinfluencethedecisionsthataremadebytheCityCouncil,BoardsandCommissions.ForexampletheCityencouragesdeveloperstomeetwithneighborspriortosubmittalofanapplicationandtolistenandincorporateresidentconcernsintoaproposal.
Inearly2013,theCitylaunchedanextensivecomprehensivepublicinvolvementcampaign,“Kirkland2035:YourVoice.Yourvision.YourFuture.”ThepurposeistoengagecommunitymembersintheupdateprocessoftheComprehensivePlanandtoinvolvetheminthedevelopmentandupdateofotherlong‐rangeplansliketheCrossKirklandCorridorMasterPlan,TransportationMasterPlanandParkMasterPlan.TheCitywillcontinuetoexploreinnovativeapproachestoinvolvethecommunityduetotheimportanceoftheseplansandensurethatparticipationismeaningful.
Sources Wikipediaentry:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_growth AmericanPlanningAssociation‐PlanningandCommunityHealthResearchCenter:
http://www.planning.org/nationalcenters/health/mixedusedevelopment.htm LivableNewYorkResourceManual.http://www.aging.ny.gov/LivableNY/ResourceManual/Index.cfm 1II.2.gPaulBeyer,DirectorofSmartGrowth·Governor'sSmartGrowthCabinet,Albany,NY
AdditionalResourcesForadditionalinformationaboutSmartGrowthseethefollowingwebsites:
AmericanPlanningAssociationwww.planning.org U.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgencywww.epa.gov SmartGrowthOrganizationwww.smartgrowth.org
Community Planning Day Summer 2013