HomeMy WebLinkAbout5. 230116 Conditional Use Permit Project Narrative55 South Atlantic Street, Suite 301 • Seattle, WA 98134 • (206) 682.7525
January 16th, 2023
City of Renton
Department of Community & Economic Development
Planning Division
1055 South Grady Way, 6th Floor
Renton, WA 98057
RE: Conditional Use Permit – Project Narrative & Justification
Address: 720 Rainier Avenue S
Project Name: ARB Flagship Store – Tenant Improvement & Change of Use
PROJECT NARRATIVE
ARB is an established and well-known retail brand of 4x4 accessories, headquartered in Australia. ARB is
looking to open its first US location in Renton at 720 Rainier Avenue South. The lot size of this site is
approximately 37,702 SF (0.87 acres) per KC Assessor and located on parcel #1923059053. This flagship
store will sell 4x4 accessories (equipment for offroading, such as bumpers, racks, and interior storage) and
offer incidental installation of these accessories onsite. The primary use of the building will be retail sales.
Zoning designation of the site and adjacent properties are located within the located in the Commercial
Arterial (CA) zoning classification, Auto Mall Area B, Urban Design District D, and Commercial Mixed
Use comprehensive plan designation (per pre-application meeting 9/30/21). The existing building is 1-
story with a mezzanine, type VB construction, and a building area summary of 9,570 SF per Cushman &
Wakefield sales sheet.
The building was constructed in 1965, with existing improvements which include a garage addition
constructed in 1986, and most recently housed Walker’s Renton Mazda. In 2014, the building was
remodeled from a showroom / service facility to an auto sales / dealership / showroom facility as the
current use of the site.
The site has no special features such as wetlands, water bodies, or steep slopes. The site is almost entirely
paved with asphalt and is accessed by a concrete curb cut from Rainier Avenue South. There are no trees
within our property lines per Surveyor & Geotech Reports. And we do acknowledge the 7” DEC. tree
outside of our property line located on the existing sidewalk per Surveyor. There is a water main along SE
property line & on property, serves adjacent property to south. Sewer service is provided by the City of
Renton. 2. Existing City record and side sewer drawings do not definitively show the existing side sewer
and how it connects to City sewer, however, based on preliminary research, the side sewer appears to
follow the looped water main and connect to the City’s main located on the 192305-9035 parcel. (per
pre-application meeting 9/30/21).
55 South Atlantic Street, Suite 301 • Seattle, WA 98134 • (206) 682.7525
Per City of Renton Development Engineering requirements: The street section in this area for Rainier Ave S
will be based on the existing curb line and the existing driveway width and relocation will need to be
maintained. There will be no new additional cuts into the curb line concrete or pavement on Rainier/167.
Behind the existing curb will be a 5’ landscaping strip (matching the improvements north and south of the
property), 8’ sidewalk and 1’ clear space behind the sidewalk. This will result in a varying width right-of-
way dedication along the frontage but appears to average approximately 5’ or so. The sidewalks and
planter strips will be tied in to match the north and south properties (which utilized this same cross
section).
Also per Development Engineering requirements & discussion the frontage will align with the north and
south properties. A new pedestrian scale light will be installed between the two (2) existing pedestrian
lights per Michael Sippo’s recommendation. Existing three (3) private lights along west property line to be
removed as part of ROW frontage improvements. Existing vaults on the north side will need to be
modified to be ADA compliant and non-slip. Michael Sippo is aware & confirm we are relocating our
curb entrance to the property.
The existing exterior parking lot to accommodate and propose 31 stalls (30 required) by zoning code
(RMC 10-10-13 & 4-4-080, accessed 8/20/21). Access to the site is proposed to remain via a relocated
driveway curb cut-off of Rainier Ave S.
According to the City of Renton’s GIS mapping (accessed 8/20/21), the site is in a high seismic hazard
area and wellhead protection area zone 2.
Use of the property and scope of the development proposes to remodel the existing building for ARB, with
limited façade improvements (primarily signage), new main entry addition (213 SF), new training room
addition (650 SF), and new 1-story addition (6,332 SF). The existing 498 SF mezzanine will be used for
storage. The existing 9,570 SF building will be the proposed ARB Flagship store that would include on-site
retail sales of vehicle accessories. The 1-story addition to be used for the onsite vehicle accessories
installation and garage storage. Access to the site is proposed to remain via relocated driveway curb cut
off Rainier Ave S.
There is no change to building height. The existing lot coverage is 25 percent, and proposed lot coverage
is 47.7 percent well under the maximum of 65 percent. The proposed development is within Setback
requirements per Development Standards (RMC 4-2-120A & 4-3-040, accessed 8/20/21). There is no
existing landscaping or trees.
Total Estimate construction cost for proposed development to be $550,000. The estimated ICC valuation is
$332,000. The current King County assessed property value is $1,600,500 (including $1,215,800 for land
and $384,700 for improvements).
The only fill / excavation would be associated with the new foundations, approximately 55 cy of structural
fill material and potentially 120 cy of crushed rock below the new slab.
Proposed measures to reduce or control environmental health hazards and manage hazardous materials
include temporary erosion and sediment control and perimeter flow control will be established prior to
grading.