I finally received in writing from the City admission the North Shore Sub Area Plan is for show. In sum, the North Shore owners can develop their own land use map and have the rights within zoning to do so. The City cannot say no. Having put this in writing, and accepted the owner's map of land uses for appraisal purposes of the Rose parcel (which explains the high valuation), this means there’s no need for a sub area plan. It shows the “visioning” process was never transparent as the only vision that matters is that of the owners. Their map must be made public.
The North Shore should be handled by Design Review after the owners make their map public. Public discussion on the intensity of those uses can follow through an approval process.
Instead of using staff resources on an already determined future for the North Shore, those resources should be used to immediately start a Downtown sub area plan. More than ever, as Downtown businesses suffer from the Covid-19 realities, Downtown needs more housing and more intensity for its long-term survival.
I submitted the attached letter the Mayor and Council. One thing I'm curious about reaction to is suggesting since the City paid many millions of dollars for commercial development rights in part of the Rose property removed from the immediate lakefront, why not get some return for measured complimentary use instead of that land just becoming de facto mitigation for the urban conversion of the rest of the ownership? That future revenue stream can fund our open space, trails, facilities to make sure they remain available to us in an appropriate manner.
Moreover, and not in this letter, why are we taxpayers paying for this North Shore process that really just benefits a few major landowners who already have these rights? Let them submit their applications and pay to have the review one by the City and public like any other landowner in Camas.
Enough pretending we have "visioning" rights and a seat at this table. Let's use our energy where it is needed: Downtown.
But who's going to pay for the North Shore Blvd when they demolish Leadbetter to "complete the Legacy Lands walking path"? Who pays for the sewer and water and the 4 more roundabouts shown on the North Shore subarea plan map? Who is going to buy the new firehouse and school needed when the builders start with their new subdivisions?
That's what this is, Randall. It's not the end of the North Shore Subarea Plan. It's the beginning.
Great points Scott. It is all the more reason to treat this for what it is: a planning process for the remaining Legacy properties. Let the submit their plan with a nice application fee like the rest of us would do. As part of the review of their plan identify what needs to happen in terms of roads, fire protection, sewage, etc. This puts the burden where it belongs: the development creating the impact.
The City would have some participation as this road would serve the school, and City properties. All the more reason for the City to get some value out of the portion of the Rose property adjacent to the Johnston Dairy. But let the process identify the needs of specific development these owners plan on the North Shore.
That is transparency Scott. Transparency is not making this a part of a larger sub-area plan most of who's properties are small and have much more limited development potential. Making it part of this larger plan dilutes the impact of the Legacy lands an makes it easier to blend in City contributions.
I think we need to get the City to admit this whole effort is for and driven by the Legacy Land owners. They should pay for it, and make clear what, if any burdens this will place on future residents of Camas.
I kind of see it as calling their bluff. They say all this development by right will be good for the City. Let's find out. They do not have the right to burden Camas with impacts. This works best by limiting the program to only the Legacy Lands though.
I'm not sure I understand you, Randal. The legacy land owners aren't driving the North Shore development. The City and its consultants are. In fact, as of Monday, there are no more legacy land owners. We bought them all out. At prices anywhere between 200% and 1600% of their appraised value. The City of Camas is now the sole legacy land owner you describe.
We don't need a new road to access the legacy lands. But we would need a new road to develop 2000+ new residences right on the edge of the legacy lands. And we'd probably need a new firehouse and school too. And some more roundabouts for sure. And THAT is what North Shore is all about. It's about lining up projects that total hundreds of millions of dollars, one bite at a time.
Scott -- I thought Legacy Lands also including the Johnston Dairy and a couple of other owners. Those are what I was talking about. Yes, those few owners seeking that development are driving the sub area plan. My point is we don't need a sub area plan. Now that the City has admitted they by right can build all those things, subject to development review, why on earth are we taxpayers paying for this elaborate planning process that in the end will be what these owners want. Let's all it what it is, have them pay for it, and do a thorough assessment of the impacts. Use our City money to do the needed plan for Downtown. None of this pretend "visionary" input from the public!
I appreciate your consistent, patient, measured approach to all interactions with the city Randal, but Monday night was a clarity beyond reasonable doubt that there are no rules to this process by the city's playbook. The current plan they are executing preexists COVID-19, it preexists the pool bond, it preexists Former Mayor Turk. The majority of this council, and the consultants they keep on payroll through thick and thin are the only consistency.
The city of Camas Washington is a "consultant captured organization" according to the standard of a man you may have crossed paths with in your California work Randal, Ted Toppin, the Executive Director of Professional Engineers in California Government. Ted cites the work of a consultancy called WSP on the ill-fated California High Speed Rail project that's gone on for decades and sunk tens of BILLIONS of dollars into a perpetual quagmire there. He, along with the California State Auditor in a recent report, signaled to this issue and outlined a systematic takeover of an effort that once had a reasonable purpose, but has since become a machine that feeds middlemen.
There's a bigger problem in Camas than the idea of "moving on" to the next attempt suggests Randal. I hope you can see that and lend your experience towards a meaningful solution between now and the next election. As of now, this group is running against a clock, the new mayor is not exercising the power that the charter gives him and as the latest unanimous vote should solidify in any doubting minds, the Camas city council has nothing to lose as they obviously don't feign the slightest maneuver towards the appearance of integrity at this point.
Had you followed this story @randalfriedman?
“Consultant Captured Organization”.
Spot on, @Phil Williams. Unelected, unaccountable, in the shadows, and in control. #smh