Planning Department

Forrest Cotten, Director

Goals

Introduction

As Departmental goals are formulated for the next two years, it is important to reflect upon progress that was made during FY 06. This helps sets the stage for a logical progression of work efforts that will help ensure that the Planning Department is focusing its energies appropriately and striking that balance that is so critical in any Planning Department which is the balance between current (Zoning Ordinance) planning and long-range (Future Land Use Plan) planning.

Current Work and Schedule

The FY 05 and 06 goals and work program of the Planning Department focused largely on bringing the on-going Triennial Review process, and the changes to the Zoning Ordinance and Subdivision Regulations emanating from that process, to fruition. This effort was largely successful as significant changes were effectuated in August 2005, May 2006, and a final round of changes is anticipated to be scheduled for Council's consideration in August/September 2006.

With the anticipated completion of this process by the end of FY 06, the Planning Department has set forth the following list of activities to move our planning efforts forward during FY 07 and FY08.

Population Forecasting and Formulation of an Interactive Growth Model for the City of Auburn.

A current development model will be constructed that can be updated annually. Detailed inventories will be conducted for current development such as housing unit by type, population by age groups, retail space by gross area, etc. A demographic forecasting model will be developed as well as models for other uses that will provide guidance for future land use allocations. Finally, the Auburn Interactive Growth Model (AIGM) will be developed that forecasts the spatial distribution of the population over time and the apportionment of land uses necessary to meet the needs of the population.

• Complete population forecast by September 30, 2007.
• Complete Auburn's Interactive Growth Model by September 30, 2007.

In order to implement the anticipated results of the AIGM, map and text amendments will be necessitated to the Future Land Use Plan which will, in turn, provide guidance for future zoning decisions.

• Complete necessary text amendments to the Future Land Use Plan by September 30, 2008.
• Complete necessary map amendments to the Future Land Use Plan by September 30, 2008.

The Acting City manager has established an internal Task Force comprised of the Directors of Economic Development, Information Technology, Planning, Public Works, and Water Resource Management to review the City's entire development process from start to finish. The Task Force is charged with identifying opportunities for improving the process and helping to set realistic expectations for developers, citizens, City staff, Planning Commission members, and elected officials.

• Participate in the Development Review Task Force with the goal of producing a set of recommendations on improving the development process by January 31, 2007.

The City of Auburn is currently operating under a policy that guides annexation decisions that was approved in 1995. There is a need to revisit this policy with possible refinements in mind that would provide additional criteria in order to guide future annexation decisions.

• Complete research necessary to formulate recommendations for policy change by March 31, 2007.
• Effectuate changes to the City's Annexation Policy (Resolution 95-171) by September 30, 2007.

Changes to the Table of Permitted Uses effectuated during the FY 05-06 Triennial Review process resulted in a trend toward more uses being classified as conditional, than had previously been the case. A large part of the reason for this lies in the fact that there are no "foundational" development standards/ requirements for many of these uses identified in the Table. As a result, these standards need to be developed and adopted as part of the Zoning Ordinance.

• Develop proposed standards and present to Planning Commission by April 30, 2007.
• Adopt special development standards as part of the COA Zoning Ordinance by July 31, 2007.

Much of the emphasis within the existing Future Land Use Plan is on the "village concept" which is an embodiment of New Urbanism. To date, zoning regulations have not been effectuated to implement this concept, if so desired, by the private sector. Therefore, zoning regulations need to be created and adopted to enable this concept to be realized.

• Develop draft zoning regulations for village concept implementation by December 31, 2006.
• Adopt zoning regulations for village concept implementation by April 30, 2007.

Staff responsibility for this Commission is beginning to transition from the Economic Development Department to the Planning Department.

• Planning Department to assume full staffing responsibility for Historic Preservation Commission by January 1, 2007.