Public hearing on proposed townhome subdivision at Oct. 16 council meeting

The Mountlake Terrace City Council will hold a public hearing during its Monday, Oct. 16 business meeting on a proposed fee simple unit lot subdivision for Park Lane Townhomes, an 18-unit townhome project at 21216 52nd Ave. W.

The council reviewed the subdivision proposal during its Oct. 12 work/study session, and the plan was also reviewed by the city’s planning commission, which recommended approving it.

During the Oct. 12 council meeting, the council heard a presentation from Shane Hope, the city’s former community and economic development director, who is working as a consultant. (She also serves as development services director for the City of Edmonds.) Hope noted that fee simple unit lot subdivision refer to having individual ownership — particularly of town homes — that allows each unit to be owned by a resident of the home in question. Fee simple lots can be located in any residential zone.

The approximately one-acre site, located just south of the 7-11 on 212th Street Southwest and 52nd Avenue West, “has been sitting vacant for quite a while,” Hope said.

The proposal includes four buildings, each with three to seven different townhomes, and a driveway that would access the center of the development coming off 52nd. Each unit would have parking for vehicles in the garage plus space for bicycle storage and three guest parking spaces.

The city has reviewed the project using the relevant criteria provided under city code, Hope said, and has determined that the preliminary plan complies with those. The city  also has identified the types of follow-up items that need to be completed as the plan is finalized.

If the council OKs the plan following the public hearing Monday night, that would allow the preliminary plat to proceed, so that improvements could be made prior to the time a final plat comes back for approval, she added.

As part of its consent agenda Monday night, the council is also expected to approve proposed fee adjustments for city Recreation and Parks programs during 2018-2022. The recommended adjustments were reviewed by the Recreation and Parks Advisory Commission at its regular meeting in September, and were also presented to the council during the Oct 12 work/study session.

Jeff Betz, the city’s Recreation and Parks Director, noted that the five-year fee schedule is reviewed annually to ensure that program fees — ranging from child care, to athletic fitness, to aquatics — “are in alignment with current market conditions.”  The information is provided to the council annually, so that councilmembers can review and approve any recommended adjustments.

Some highlights of the revised fee schedule:

– No changes are recommended to 2018 fees for the city’s aquatics program.

– There will be increases in some room rental fees, which reflect higher demand.

– Increases were scheduled to take place in 2018 for before and after care for summer camp programs, but staff recommended those fees stay the same based on their analysis of comparable programs elsewhere.

– The fee for summer basketball camps, one of Recreation and Parks most popular programs, will increase as scheduled due to increased costs for t-shirts and supplies.

– Fee increases for preschool and Junior Kids Crew after-school programs will go into effect as scheduled for 2018.

– The cost of gymnasium rentals will not increase as scheduled.

You can see the complete proposed fee schedule here.

The Oct. 16 business meeting will begin at 7 p.m. in Mountlake Terrace interim City Hall, 6100 219th St. S.W., 2nd Floor. You can see the complete agenda here.

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