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Metaline Neighborhood Plan 1 METALINE NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN Introduction The first neighborhood planning effort by the Community Planning Department is in an area located north and south of W. Metaline Avenue between N. Edison Street and N. Kellogg Street. The 58.24-acre area is bounded on the north by a portion of W. Quinault Avenue and on the south by the Northern Pacific Railroad right-of-way and train tracks. The neighborhood contains single-family homes, multi-family homes, residential trailer parks, one school and several commercial sites. There are several reasons for proceeding with a neighborhood plan for this area. Some of these issues are: • Non-conforming land use and zoning (commercial use in residential zones), • Mixed land use (commercial, public facility, residential trailer parks, and single-family residential), • Access, • Circulation (railroad, no sidewalks, cut through traffic), • Physical characteristics (vacant buildings and disinvestment), • Lot size and ownership (absentee owners, underutilized & deep lots), History of Development Much of the property within the study area on the north and south sides of W. Metaline Avenue and between N. Kellogg Street and N. Edison Street was developed prior to annexation to the City of Kennewick, which occurred from 1975 to 1982. Benton County Assessor records additionally indicate that many properties were developed prior to 1969, which is the approximate date of the earliest building records kept by the city. The Tri-Tech building, 5929 W. Metaline Avenue, owned by the Kennewick School District, was begun in 1979 and completed in 1980. The storage units at 5629 W. Metaline Avenue were built in 1990. The nursery building and grounds, 5405 W. Metaline Avenue at the corner of N. Edison Street was in existence in 1984, and county assessor records indicate it was built in 1960. Several of the single-family residences in the area were built prior to 1969, with maintenance and new structures being added yearly. The newest single-family residence in the area was built in 1991. Some of the earliest residences in the area were built as early as 1960. Annexations Five annexations occurred over a period of seven years (1975 to 1982) to create this contiguous neighborhood. The following table lists the year of annexation, the annexation number, the Ordinance adopted by City Council, the zoning assigned to the area upon annexation, and any later changes-of-zone. ---PAGE BREAK--- Metaline Neighborhood Plan 2 Year AZ No. Ordinance No. Zoning upon annexation * Later COZ Current zoning 1. 1975 #75-01 Ord.# 1808 RS COZ # 78- 04 (RS to RTP) RTP 2. 1976 #76-19 Ord. # 1983 PR COZ # 86- 46 (PR to PF) PF 3. 1978 #77-06 Ord. # 2165 AG COZ # 02- 05 (AG to RL) RL 4. 1981 #81-01 Ord. # 2604 AG COZ # 02- 05 (AG to RL) RL 5. 1982 # 82-04 Ord. # 2703 AG & RS COZ # 83- 12 (RS to RTP) & COZ # 02- 05 (AG to RL) & COZ # 03- 04 (RL to CC) RTP, RL, CC *Several of these annexations included land beyond this neighborhood area of study, and the additional zoning designations for those portions are not included in this table. Zoning Each parcel in the neighborhood study area has been rezoned at least once since annexation occurred. One parcel has been rezoned two times. At the time of the annexations, the zoning designations included Agriculture (AG), single family zoning of Residential-Suburban (RS), and Public Reserve (PR). The character of the neighborhood would have remained primarily residential except for the gradual inclusion of the school facility at 5929 W. Metaline, the nursery at 5405 W. Metaline, the storage units at 5629 W. Metaline, the community building known as Shuffler Shanty at 717 N. Irving, and the new nursery at 5803 W. Metaline. ---PAGE BREAK--- Metaline Neighborhood Plan 3 With Change-of-Zone # 03-04 from Residential, Low (RL) to Commercial, Community (CC) for the nursery at 5803 W. Metaline, zoning is beginning to reflect actual land use in the neighborhood. Inquiries by other property owners have been made regarding additional zoning changes from residential zoning to commercial zoning. It is these inquiries and the number of previous zone changes that have prompted the City to initiate a neighborhood study in the area. Zoned Land Use There are 30 parcels of land in the neighborhood study area of 58.24 acres. Four specific zoning districts are represented in the study area of 58.24 acres. Total parcels by zoning Percentage Commercial, Community (CC) 1 3.3% Residential Trailer Park (RTP) 2 6.7% Public Facility (PF) 2 6.7% Single family residential (RL) 25 83.3% Total 30 100.0% Actual Land Use Total parcels by land use Percentage Commercial 4 13.3% Residential Trailer Park 2 6.7% Public Facility 3 10.0% Single family residential 17 56.7% Multi-family residential 4 13.3 % Total 30 100.0% Assessed Values The assessed values of each of the properties in the neighborhood are determined by the Benton County Assessor’s Office. There are four existing zoning designations currently used in the study area; commercial (CC at 5803 W. Metaline Avenue), trailer park (RTP at 5707 W. Quinault Ave. and 5625 W. Metaline Ave.), public facility (PF-Tri- Tech at 5929 W. Metaline Ave.) and single-family homes (RL). The total assessed value of all properties in the 58.24-acre study area is $4,757,840. The following table shows the assessments by land use category (actual use on the site) and by zoning. The percentage of each is also listed. ---PAGE BREAK--- Metaline Neighborhood Plan 4 Parcels by Land Use Actual Land Use Value Percentage by Assessed Value - Actual Land Use Parcels by Zoning Zoned Land Value Percentage by Assessed Value - Zoned Land Commercial 4 $1,520,980 32.0% 1 $ 644,600 14% Trailer Park 2 $ 399,620 8.4% 2 $ 399,620 8% Public Facility 2 $ 730,640 15.3% 2 $ 730,640 15% Single- Family Residential 18 $1,477,730 31.1% 25 $2,982,980 62% Multi-family Residential 4 $ 628,870 13.2% 0 0 0 Total 30 $4,757,840 100% 30 $4,757,840 100% Transportation Access to the area is available from four city streets. W. Metaline Avenue runs through the middle of the neighborhood area and is classified as a collector street. N. Edison Street on the eastern side of the neighborhood is a minor arterial, as is N. Kellogg Street on the western side of the neighborhood. On the northern side of the area, W. Quinault Avenue provides access to the trailer park addressed as 5707 W. Quinault Avenue. It is classified as a collector street. Collector streets such as W. Metaline Avenue and W. Quinault Avenue are streets designed to collect and distribute traffic between the local street systems and the arterial street systems. They provide for land access and inter-neighborhood traffic flows. Their speed limits are from 25 to 30 mph and have low to moderate traffic volumes of 500 to 5,000 vehicles per day. On-street parking is limited. The traffic count for W. Metaline Avenue between N. Edison Street and N. Kellogg Street is not available. The posted speed limit is 25 mph. The traffic count for W. Quinault Avenue linking W. Canal Drive to N. Kellogg Avenue was 3,388 vehicles per day in 2003. Minor arterials such as N. Kellogg and N. Edison are streets that provide primarily for traffic movement and secondarily, for land access. Minor arterials generally include speeds from 30 to 40 mph and moderate to high traffic volumes from 1,500 to 16,000 vehicles per day. The 2003 traffic count for N. Kellogg Avenue from Deschutes to Quinault is 8,994 vehicles per day. Traffic counts for N. Edison at this location are not available. On street parking on minor arterials is generally prohibited, there is controlled driveway spacing, and some restrictions apply to traffic movement. Utilities ---PAGE BREAK--- Metaline Neighborhood Plan 5 City water is available to this neighborhood area with 6” lines located on the south side of W. Metaline Avenue running east and west from N. Kellogg Street to N. Edison Street, with a southern extension to N. Irving Street. The water line on Metaline Avenue connects to north-south water lines on N. Kellogg Street and N. Edison Street. The trailer park at 5707 W. Quinault Avenue connects to city water on the south side of W. Quinault Avenue in a 16” water main that ends at the intersection of N. Irving Place. City sewer service is not provided to the majority of this neighborhood area. The nearest sewer main is located in N. Kellogg Street, which turns east onto W. Quinault Avenue for approximately 320 linear feet before turning north to the ball fields. Another sewer line of 10” is located on W. Quinault Avenue, ending at the intersection of N. Irving Place and W. Quinault Avenue. A private sewer line from the street has been provided to the residents of the trailer park at 5707 W. Quinault Avenue. Public Participation There are 30 properties located within the Metaline planning area. Each of the property owners was identified using Benton County assessor records and a mailing list was prepared with each of their names and current mailing addresses, in addition to the property addresses. Several people own more than one parcel of land in the area so the complete owner mailing list shows less than 30 names. An accompanying, second mailing list was created for contiguous property owners to the planning area. These adjacent property owners have been sent correspondence from the City in the belief that any proposed changes in the planning area has the potential to impact the adjacent areas. Open House An Open House was held on Thursday, May 26, 2004, with City staff, property owners, and other residents. The Open House was held at the Tri-Tech facility, located at 5929 W. Metaline Avenue, and also within the planning area to facilitate attendance. Approximately 25 property owners attended. Prior to letters of invitation being sent to each property owner on May 7, 2004, phone calls were placed to individual property owners on May 6 and May 7 to alert them to the upcoming letter regarding the Open House. At the Open House there were no specific proposals identified or presented by staff for future land use changes. Staff needed detailed and specific input from the residents prior to considering and proposing any specific ideas for their consideration. A questionnaire was available at the Open House to elicit responses from the property owners to 3 major questions: “What do you like about your neighborhood?” “Do you have future plans for your property?”, and “Are there problems in your neighborhood?”. A letter reviewing the responses from that questionnaire was prepared and mailed to the property owners on June 11, 2004. ---PAGE BREAK--- Metaline Neighborhood Plan 6 At the Open House on May 26, staff indicated to the property owners that ideas regarding comprehensive plan amendments, zoning, and other possible land use changes would be drafted by staff and sent to them. After review of existing conditions in the area, responses from property owners through the questionnaires and conversations, staff developed three alternative land use plans. On July 1, a letter was sent to the property owners with the three proposed alternative land use plans. Second meeting On September 2, 2004, a second meeting was held with the property owners to discuss the three proposed alternatives. The meeting was held at the Tri-Tech facility at 5929 W. Metaline Avenue, and approximately 21 property owners and staff attended. A letter inviting them to the meeting was sent on August 19, 2004. Adjacent property owners beyond the neighborhood area were included on the mailing list if they had attended the May 26 Open House. An additional topic at the meeting was a discussion about forming a Neighborhood Association within the identified planning area. Possible benefits noted were early notification by the City of proposed projects within the area, forming a liaison with the City through one staff member, an increased opportunity for input on neighborhood planning proposals, additional awareness to facilitate area needs with the City, and a neighborhood watch program. The responsibility to further pursue this idea rests with the property owners and residents within the planning area. Alternatives Three alternatives were identified in a letter sent to the property owners on July 1, 2004. These were presented and discussed at the second meeting on September 2. The proposed three alternatives are listed below. Alternative 1 – No Action The first alternative acknowledges that while there are identified problems in this neighborhood, no immediate changes would be recommended for consideration in a neighborhood plan. Three properties that are used for commercial use but zoned Residential, Low (RL) would remain with that zoning, and the multi-unit residential parcels zoned for single family residential use would remain that way. The parcel owned by the Kennewick School District would also retain Residential, Low (RL) zoning. No access issues or other long-range issues would be recommended. Alternative 2 – Correct Land Use Inconsistencies The second alternative would address and correct the non-conforming land use issues identified in the No-Action alternative. The City would initiate the needed comprehensive plan amendments and accompanying changes of zone for the three commercial properties and the four multi-family properties, in addition to the school ---PAGE BREAK--- Metaline Neighborhood Plan 7 facility located south of the nursery. These changes could be included in the 2004 Comprehensive Plan amendments and Changes-of-Zone. Address Current Land Use Current Zoning Proposed Zoning 5929 W. Metaline School bus parking RL PF 5629 W. Metaline Mini-storage units RL CC 717 N. Irving Community Hall RL CC 5405 W. Metaline Nursery RL CC 800 N. Irving 1 4-plex (4 units) RL RM-4 5812-5822 W. Metaline 2 duplexes (4 units) RL RM-4 5804 W. Metaline 1 duplex (2 units) RL RM-4 5625 W. Metaline 1 duplex (2 units) RL RM-4 Alternative 3 – Long-Range Plan The third alternative would recommend changing the non-conforming land use issues identified in Alternative 2, in addition to being pro-active in anticipating and planning for long-range future land division and redevelopment by designating a future road right-of- way. As in Alternative 2, the City would initiate the needed comprehensive plan amendments and accompanying changes of zone for the three commercial properties, the four multi-family properties, and the school facility. Additionally, a proposed road right-of-way will be included in the neighborhood draft plan for consideration. This conceptual plan regarding roads would be held in reserve as a vision of future access for future development as it is proposed. Since the third alternative involved long-range plans that could impact individual property owners with the projected layout of a future road, each of the property owners involved were contacted by staff by telephone prior to the July 1 letter mailing. Five property owners were contacted and advised of this possible alternative. Recommended Alternative Staff will recommend adoption of one of the three alternatives to the Planning Commission and City Council for inclusion in the 2004 Comprehensive Plan as a part of the Metaline Neighborhood Plan. The three alternatives are not weighed equally because Alternative 1, No Action, cannot be realistically considered a viable option by staff due to the identification of non-conforming land uses within the planning area that could be corrected with comprehensive plan amendments and changes of zone. Alternative 2, Correct Land Use Inconsistencies, establishes the basic skeletal framework for a neighborhood plan. Eight established and developed properties, including commercial, residential, and public facility land uses, have been identified that are inconsistent with the existing Comprehensive Plan land use designations as well as inconsistent zoning designations. The City will assumed the financial responsibility to correct these land use inconsistencies. ---PAGE BREAK--- Metaline Neighborhood Plan 8 Alternative 3, Long-Range Plan, includes not only the correction of the identified land use inconsistencies, but also the identification of future road locations to be used in the years ahead if property owners choose to subdivide their parcels. Several property owners in the neighborhood area have indicated such plans. Including proposed road layouts for future development fulfills goal No. 1 of the Transportation Element of the 2003 Comprehensive Plan, which identifies the City’s responsibility to plan a transportation system to serve the planned land use of the Urban Growth Area. As future subdivision is proposed within an already developed area, the proposed layout most be internally consistent with the existing roads and create links between what is proposed and the existing land use. It is the responsibility of city staff to plan for anticipated infill development, and as a result, Alternative 3 is the recommended choice for adoption within the Metaline Neighborhood Plan. Exhibits 1. Map of Alternative 2 - Correct Land Use Inconsistencies 2. Map of Alternative 3 - Long-Range Plan .