2010/05/19 Council Agenda Packet

1• characteristics of available land may not precisely match the requirements of the market at a particular time). 7. the South Everett Industrial Land Analysis includes the following recommendations: • 1. Given the City's recognition in the Comprehensive Plan of the importance of industrial lands as an economic resource, the City should not, as a policy, allow for - conversion of industrial designated lands except in special circumstances related to the suitability of specific sites for industrial use. - 2. The current standard expressed in the Comprehensive Plan Policy that conversion of lands be discouraged unless industrial development is not feasible, should be reconsidered. An alternative condition might be that "industrial lands cannot be converted to other uses unless it can be demonstrated that the characteristics of the site do not match requirements for size, shape, topography, access, an4 context.°' - ----- --- - - -- -- ----- - - - - 3. Industrial designations under the City zoning code generally can accommodate the type of industrial development that would likely occur. However, the three industrial zones are quite similar in terms of what is allowed. The differences between M-1 Office and Industrial Park and M-2 Heavy Industry differ somewhat in terms of allowable uses (with M-2 allowing certain lower compatibility uses), but few differences in terms of development standards. An office and industrial park zone that encourages office and R&D uses by providing for greater landscape standards and building requirements, will accommodate users seeking a higher quality of life environment, attract higher wage employment, and accelerate development of a new generation of buildings. The City should seek to accommodate the,large industrial and warehouse distribution uses, while providing an alternative opportunity for the higher wage jobs and higher quality of life environment. The M-1 zone responds to the first objective, but not the latter. A new office and industrial park zoning designation that limits large warehouse/distribution centers, and provides more restrictive site and building standards, could supplement the M-1 zone and attract the higher wage uses. 8. the Planning Commission held a Public Hearing on December 15,2009,to consider the relevancy of the Comprehensive Plan Industrial Land Use policies as they pertain to the CEMEX application and to make a recommendation to the City Council; and 9. the Planning Commission packet for the December 15,2009 public hearing included a draft resolution recommending that the City Council deny the CEMEX application based upon findings and conclusion related to the relevant industrial land use policies; and 10. at the end of the Planning Commission public hearing on December 15,2009, CEMEX stated verbally that they were withdrawing their application; and 3