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Planning Commission Regular Meeting Minutes August 20, 2019 Page 4 the proposed use is appropriate for the subject site. As part of the Preliminary Plan review, 1 various conditions of approval are typically imposed. The Preliminary Plan is subject to a public 2 hearing, review and recommendation by the Planning Commission and approval by the City 3 Council. 4 5 The second stage is the Final PUD Plan which basically serves to implement the various 6 conditions of Preliminary Plan approval and ensure that such conditions have been satisfied. The 7 Final Plan will be subject to review and approval by the City Council. No public hearing is 8 required for Final Plan. 9 10 City Planner Grittman noted in May of 2019, an Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) 11 was completed for the redevelopment project under consideration by the City. The purpose of the 12 EAW process is to disclose information about potential environmental impacts of a project. 13 Information disclosed in the EAW process is intended to determine whether a more detailed 14 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is needed and to indicate how the project can be modified 15 to lessen its environmental impacts. The EAW review considers the potential environmental 16 impacts associated with the apartment building project, including issues associated with the 17 demolition of the existing Walmart facilities. After receiving comments, the City Council 18 adopted a resolution (Resolution 19-058) of “negative declaration” regarding the potential for 19 significant environmental impacts. This action includes a series of mitigation steps that will be 20 factored into project approval, and finds that no EIS is necessary. 21 22 City Planner Grittman stated the City’s draft 2040 Comprehensive Plan identifies the former 23 Walmart site as a priority redevelopment opportunity. The City is expected to accommodate an 24 increase in population and that little to no vacant land presently exists, redevelopment of 25 previously developed sites is considered the primary means of achieving the City’s residential 26 density objectives. The proposed redevelopment project is considered consistent with the City’s 27 2040 Comprehensive Plan. Regarding land use compatibility multi-family residential uses and a 28 park border the subject site on the west, the proposed multi-family housing project will be 29 contiguous to similar uses and therefore is considered generally compatible with surrounding 30 uses (and not an isolated use). 31 32 City Planner Grittman explained that primary access to the subject site is to be provided from the 33 east via Silver Lake Road. The access previously utilized by Walmart is to be retained. Access to 34 a surface parking lot in the northwest corner of the site is to be provided indirectly from 39th 35 Avenue NE through an abutting commercial property. As a condition of the Final PUD approval, 36 an assurance should be made that an access easement is in place to accommodate the northerly 37 access to the subject site. Proof of such access easement should be provided to the City. Access-38 related issues should be subject to further comment and recommendation by the City Engineer. 39 40 City Planner Grittman stated the site and building layout are considered well-conceived and 41 respectful of the site’s context. The two proposed apartment buildings are situated in a manner 42 which creates an internal court area which is provided a connection to the existing park and 43 multi-family residential uses to the west. The proposed apartment buildings serve to buffer the 44 interior court area from higher intensity commercial uses which exist to the north and east of the 45 site and the fail line located to the south. 46