Summer reading list

What's on your nightstand?  

Maybe it's just my imagination, but it seems that major code changes and land use plans tend to get revved up in the summer - right when city councilors, citizens, and board and commission members cancel meetings and go on vacation.  The work doesn't stop at City Hall though - plans continue to roll out, and public hearings are held.

It takes some very committed people to take on the task of reading staff reports, researching the issues, watching the calendar for important meetings, and testifying at hearings.  This song is dedicated to those determined souls:

Tune from "Summer Nights" from Grease

Summer coding, had me a blast
Summer coding, happenin' so fast

Summer days, driftin' away, to uh-oh those summer nights

Comp plan's so crazy, so hard to read
Codes are so hazy, what can they mean?

Uh, well-a well-a well-a huh
Tell me more, tell me more

Spent the days readin'

Tell me more, tell me more

The nights at more meetings

Uh-huh uh-huh uh-huh uh-huh

Summer readin' don't mean a thing, but uh-oh those summer nights

Summer Reading List 

Comprehensive Plan Audit / Community Development Code Audit - Assess current development codes (Chapter 50) for consistency with current Comp Plan.  Look for items where code does not match the intent of the comp plan, and how the code(s) might be better written.  Written comments should be sent in by 12:00 Noon, July 8 to be distributed to the Planning Commission prior to their July 13 work session so they can review and act on citizen suggestions.
Read the report, and then do your research.  This issue is critical!

Southwest Employment Area Plan (SWEA) - Stakeholder Advisory Meetings are ongoing.  The last meeting was an open session designed to get citizen input prior refining plan options.  The SAC meeting at the end of the public session was rather confused wrangling over what kinds of development should be there and where.  After a SAC member threw out ideas for a hotel and a grocery store on Boones Ferry Rd., an event center  (like Big Al's), mixed use housing, and a food cart pod, the meeting seemed to go off script until the chair brought it back to the core emphasis of employment.  It was emphasized that any retail or food options would be limited and in service to the employees in the district only and should not be a draw on the Lake Grove business district.  It will be interesting to see what the planning consultant comes back with.  Hold onto your seats and keep thinking JOBS - quantity and quality - and retaining an industrial base.

Lake Grove Village Center Parking Management Plan - the Plan should have been compleed by now but ran into a brick wall.  It seems the consultants and technical team in general had a different plan for Lake Grove than did the citizens on the advisory committee, and the consultants were leading the parade.  Not good.  This project has become the model for how not to involve citizens in the planning of their own town - which can be marginal in the best of times.  Hopefully things have been turned around and the revised plans will reflect something relating to a suburban, strip commercial area rather than an idealized "walkable, compact, town center."  Sheesh!  Read the plan and attend the next SAC meeting - request to be informed about the next meeting date in July.  (BTW - what ARE the parking problems in Lake Grove that Need solutions other than one block on Oakridge and the Starbucks...)

Summer days, driftin' away,  uh-oh!