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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSGM ComplianceSwanson Gardner Meyers Conditions of Approval CO Zone Develop Standards and Analysis Compliance Condition Staff Comment Notes: Complete A Landscape Plan (Exhibit 4} prepared by Karen Keist Landscape Architects was submitted with the project application. Per RMC 4-4-0708.1.d, conversion of vacant land (e.g., to parking or storage lots) triggers compliance with the landscaping regulations for the entire site. The project involves the conversion of vacant land to surface parking; therefore, compliance with landscaping regulations for the entire site is required. However, there is an exception, per RMC 4-4-0l0C.2.e, for alterations or small additions determined by the Community and Economic Development Administrator not to warrant improvements to the entire site. During review of the application, staff determined that factors including the small size of the site and location of the existing access off of Talbot Rd S may necessitate relief from some of the landscape standards, particularly the parking lot perimeter landscaping. See below for additional analysis. The proposal would require perimeter parking lot landscaping, with a minimum width of ten {10'} feet, around both the existing and proposed stalls. The perimeter parking lot landscaping is required to have a mixture of trees, shrubs, and groundcover per RMC 4-4-0l0H.4. Per the proposed landscape plan (Exhibit 4), an existing 10-foot wide perimeter landscape strip was installed per a condition of the original site plan review decision (Exhibit 2} along Talbot Rd S. The landscape strip was installed across the entire west side of the property, including the portions not adjacent to the existing parking lot, and as such would meet the perimeter landscape requirement along that section after construction of the new stalls. The existing landscape strip includes a mix of trees, shrubs, and ground cover such as Red crape myrtle, Dense yew, Spirea, Sala/, and others. A 10- foot wide landscape strip is also proposed on the south side of the site, approximately half of which was installed as part of the Weatherly Inn development on the property to the south. In order to allow the Weatherly Inn developer to use a portion of the applicant's sitefor an access road, the applicant granted a twenty-foot {20'}-wide reciprocal access easement on the south side of the property (Exhibit 6). Within the access easement, a five {5'} foot wide landscape strip was installed by the Weatherly Inn developer. The applicant has proposed an additional five {5'} foot wide strip outside of the easement directly adjacent to the existing landscape strip with a similar mix of trees, shrubs, and groundcover as planted in the other landscaped areas. Therefore, the total ten feet {10'} of combined perimeter landscaping complies with the parking lot perimeter landscape requirement on the south side of the site. In order to construct the new twenty {20'}-foot wide driveway to provide a cross-site connection to the parcel to the south of the property, the applicant has proposed the removal of vegetation within the easement installed as part of the Weatherly Inn development. Vegetation proposed for removal includes one Southern magnolia tree and approximately four (4) Mexican shrubs. In order to ensure adequate coordination with the owners of the Weatherly Inn, staff recommends as a condition of approval, the applicant shall provide proof of coordination with the property owner to the south with respect to the removal of the landscaping installed as part of the Weatherly Inn project. The proof provided shall be in the form of a letter, memorandum of understanding, or similar documentation and shall be submitted with the Civil Construction Permit Landscaping: The City's landscape regulations {RMC 4-4-070) require a 10-foot landscape strip along all public street frontages. Minimum planting strip widths between the curb and sidewalk are established according to the street development standards of RMC 4-6-060. Street trees and, at a minimum, groundcover shall be planted within planting strips pursuant to the following standards, provided there shall be a minimum of one street tree planted per lot. a. Trees shall be selected from the City's Approved Street Tree List based on the width of the planting strip and the presence or lack of overhead power lines; provided, the Administrator and City arborist shall each retain the right to reject any proposed cultivar regardless of whether or not the cultivar is on the City's Approved Street Tree List. b. Street trees shall have a minimum caliper of two inches {2"), and be planted pursuant to the standards promulgated by the City, which may require root barriers, structured soils, or other measures to help prevent tree roots from damaging infrastructure. c. Street trees shall be planted in the center of the planting strip between the curb and the sidewalk at the following intervals; provided, that, where right­ of-way is constrained, irregular intervals and slight increases or decreases may be permitted or required. Additionally, trees shall be planted in locations that meet required spacing distances from facilities located in the right-of-way including, but not limited to, underground utilities, street lights, utility poles, traffic signs, fire hydrants, and driveways; such spacing standards are identified in the City's Approved Tree List. Generally, the following spacing is required: i. Small-sized maturing trees: thirty feet (30') on center; ii. Medium-sized maturing trees: forty feet {40') on center; and iii. Large-sized maturing trees: fifty feet {SO') on center. All parking lots shall have perimeter landscaping as follows: Such landscaping shall be at least ten feet {10') in width as measured from the street right-of-way. Standards for planting shall be as follows: a. Trees shall be two inches (2") in diameter at breast height (dbh) for multi­ family, commercial, and industrial uses at an average minimum rate of one tree per thirty (30) lineal feet of street frontage. b. Shrubs at the minimum rate of one per twenty (20) square feet of landscaped area. Up to fifty percent (50%) of shrubs may be deciduous. c. Ground cover in sufficient quantities to provide at least ninety percent (90%) coverage of the landscaped area within three (3) years of installation. Surface parking lots with more than fourteen (14) stalls shall be landscaped as follows: Surface parking lots with between 15 and 50 spaces shall provide 15 sf of landscaping per parking space, 51 and 99 spaces shall provide 25 sf of landscaping per parking space, and 100 or more spaces shall provide 35 sf of landscaping per parking space. Any interior parking lot landscaping area shall be sized to dimensions of at least eight feet (8') by Compliant if conditions of approval are met Complete Site Plan Criteria and Analysis Compliance Condition Staff Comment Notes Complete Application for review and approval by the Current Planning Project Manager.An existing five {5') foot-wide perimeter landscape strip is located on the north side of the site between the parking lot entrance and the adjacent property to the north. As part of the original site plan review decision {LUA19-000169), a reduction was approved pursuant to RMC 4-4-070C.2.e due to the substantial burden full compliance with the standard would create based on the limited space on site. Therefore, staff recommends allowing for a reduced five {5') foot landscape strip parking lot landscaping along the north side of the property, pursuant to RMC 4-4-070C.2.e and as approved under the original land use decision (Exhibit 2).Based on a total of 17 parking spaces, the applicant is required to provide a minimum of 255 sq. ft. of interior parking lot landscaping {15 sq. ft. x 17 spaces) with minimum dimensions of 8 feet {8') by 12 feet {12'). The applicant has proposed a total of 633 sq. ft. across two (2) interior landscape islands, including one which includes a stormwater bioretention swale, and both of which meet the minimum dimensional requirements. Therefore, the proposal complies with the interior parking landscape requirements. twelve feet (12'). Landscaping shall be dispersed throughout the parking area and shall include a mixture of trees, shrubs, and groundcover as follows: a. Trees shall be two inches (2") in diameter at breast height (dbh) for multi­ family, commercial, and industrial uses. At least one tree for every six (6) parking spaces within the lot interior shall be planted. b. Shrubs at the minimum rate of one per twenty (20) square feet of landscaped area shall be planted. Up to fifty percent (50%) of shrubs may be deciduous. c. Ground cover shall be planted in sufficient quantities to provide at least ninety percent (90%) coverage of the landscaped area within three (3) years of installation. d. There shall be no more than fifty feet (SO') between parking stalls and an interior parking lot landscape area. All of the landscaped area that is not planted with trees and shrubs or covered with a tree grate must be planted in ground cover plants, which may include grasses. Mulch must be confined to areas underneath plants and is not a substitute for ground cover plants. Ground cover plants, other than grasses, must be at least the four-inch (4") pot size, provided such plants have well- developed roots and are not root bound or J-rooted; alternative standards may be applied pursuant to RMC 4-4-070C. Area planted in ground cover plants, other than grass seed or sod, must be planted in triangular spacing. Ground cover plants must be planted at a density that will cover the entire area within three (3) years. All shrubs must be of sufficient size and number to meet the required standards within three (3) years of planting. Shrubs must be at least a two (2) gallon container size at planting. Shrubs shall be in beds that include a layer of mulch at least two inches (2") in depth. Broadleaf trees must be a minimum of two-inch (2") caliper. Conifer trees at the time of planting must be fully branched and a minimum of six feet (6') in height. Except for trees with a tree grate, trees shall include a mulch ring that has a depth of at least three inches (3") and is at least three feet (3') in radius around the tree. When a Commercial Zoned Lot or Use Is Abutting a Residential Zone, a fifteen-foot (15') wide partially sight-obscuring landscaped visual barrier, or ten-foot (10') wide fully sight-obscuring landscaped visual barrier, is required along the common property line. A permanent built-in irrigation system with an automatic controller shall be installed, used, and maintained in working order in all landscaped areas. Parking: Parking regulations require that a minimum of 2.0 parking spaces per 1,000 square feet of net floor area and a maximum of 4.5 parking spaces per 1,000 square feet of net floor area be provided for general office uses. Standard parking stall dimensions are 9 feet by 20 feet, compact stall dimensions are 8 ½ feet by 16 feet. Compact parking spaces shall not to exceed thirty percent (30%) of onsite parking. Compliant if conditions of approval are met The site currently has 13 parking stalls, as approved under the original site plan review (Exhibit 2}. The applicant proposes to restripe the existing parking lot and add four (4) new stalls on the south side of parcel. For general office uses, Renton Municipal Code requires a minimum of 2.0 parking spaces per 1,000 square feet of net floor area and a maximum of 4.5 parking spaces per 1,000 square feet of net floor area. The netfloor area of the office use was not provided by the applicant; however the total gross floor area of the use is approximately 6,082 square feet, which would require a minimum of 12 parking spaces and a maximum of 27 parking stalls. The applicant's proposal meets parking space requirements. The provided site plan (Exhibit 3} does not provide proposed parking lot stall dimensions for all stalls and it is unclear whether the proposal complies with minimum stall dimensions standards or maximum compact parking space requirements based on the provided scale. Therefore, staff recommends as a condition of approval, the applicant shall submit a revised site plan with the civil construction permit application that demonstrates compliance with minimum parking stall dimensional requirements and maximum compact parking stall requirements or submit a formal modification and receive approval for a modified parking stall standards prior to civil construction permit submittal. Compliant if conditions of approval are met b. Zoning Compliance and Consistency. See discussion under FOF 16, Zoning Development Standard Compliance. Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete Complete Compliant if conditions of approval are met e. Off-site Impacts. Structures: Restricting overscale structures and overconcentration of development on a particular portion of the site. The one-story office addition approved as part of the original site plan review (Exhibit 2) is smaller than most other buildings in the surrounding area, including the new Weatherly Inn development to east and south. The newly-proposed parking lot expansion adds less than 4,000 sq. ft of new impervious surface and would not result in overconcentration of development on a specific portion of the site. It is not anticipated that the proposal would be out of scale or impactful to other properties in the vicinity. Compliant if conditions of approval are met Circulation: Providing desirable transitions and linkages between uses, streets, walkways and adjacent properties. The pedestrian connection constructed from the building entrance to the sidewalk as part of the original site plan review (Exhibit 2) creates a desirable transition between this use and adjacent properties. The existing building and parking lot have frontage along Talbot Rd S. As part of the parking lot expansion, the applicant has proposed a cross-site connection to the Weatherly Inn property to the south of the site. The cross-site connection would allow employees or visitors to applicants site to utilize the driveway on the Weatherly Inn site with access to Talbot Rd S. The addition of a second ingress/egress to the site would greatly improve vehicular circulation and maneuverability on the small site. The proposed second vehicular entrance, in conjunction with the street frontage improvements and pedestrian connection constructed under the originally approved project (Exhibit 2}, will provide desirable transitions and linkages between surrounding uses. Compliant if conditions of approval are met Utilities, Loading and Storage Areas: Locating, designing and screening storage areas, utilities, rooftop equipment, loading areas, and refuse and recyclables to minimize views from surrounding properties. Locate utilities underground consistent with RMC 4-6-090. See FOF 16, Zoning Development Standard: Screening. Compliant if conditions of approval are met Views: Recognizing the public benefit and desirability of maintaining visual accessibility to attractive natural features. The original proposal included tenant improvements and an addition to an existing building and was not anticipated that views would be impacted as a result of the project proposal. The parking lot expansion proposed as part of the major site plan modification would also not impact any views or natural features. Compliant if conditions of approval are met Landscaping: Using landscaping to provide transitions between development and surrounding properties to reduce noise and glare, maintain privacy, and generally enhance the appearance of the project. As shown in the submitted landscape plan (Exhibit 4), the new landscaping is expected to enhance the appearance of the project, especially along the south side of the site and near the front of the building where a bioswale is proposed. See discussion under FOF 16, Zoning Development Standard: Landscaping. Compliant if conditions of approval are met Lighting: Designing and/or placing exterior lighting and glazing in order to avoid excessive brightness or glare to adjacent properties and streets. A lighting plan was submitted with the original Civil Construction Permit and approved by staff However, due to the parking lot expansion, additional lighting is anticipated. An updated lighting plan was not provided with the project application; therefore, staff recommends as a condition of approval that, if additional exterior lighting is proposed, the applicant shall submit a lighting plan at the time of Civil Construction Permit review that demonstrates compliance with RMC 4-4-075. f.On-site Impacts. Structure Placement: Provisions for privacy and noise reduction by building placement, spacing and orientation. Compliant if conditions of approval are met See the original site plan review staff report and decision for analysis related to the addition (Exhibit 2), which found that no significant impacts to privacy or ambient noise levels were anticipated. The proposed location of the additional parking spaces is between an existing parking lot and a drive aisle on the neighboring property. Noise impacts from the vehicles utilizing the lot are not anticipated to exceed noise associated with a typical commercial development. Structure Scale: Consideration of the scale of proposed structures in relation to natural characteristics, views and vistas, site amenities, sunlight, prevailing winds, and pedestrian and vehicle needs. Compliant if conditions of approval are met See the original site plan review staff report and decision for analysis related to the addition (Exhibit 2}. The proposed site plan modification does include the construction of any new structures. Compliant if Natural Features: Protection of the natural landscape by retaining existing vegetation and soils, using topography to While the proposed parking lot expansion would result in additional impervious surface on the site and removal of three {3} on-site trees, the highly- developed site does not contain any significant natural features If approved the applicant would be installing 25 new trees as part of the addition Complete Complete conditions of approval are met Natural Features: Protection of the natural landscape by retaining existing vegetation and soils, using topography to reduce undue cutting and filling, and limiting impervious surfaces. developed site does not contain any significant natural features. If approved, the applicant would be installing 25 new trees as part of the addition and parking lot expansion projects, which represents a significant increase over the number of trees previously on the site and will result in an improved natural environment on the site. Compliant if conditions of approval are met Reducing Parking Impervious Areas: Design parking areas to minimize impervious surfaces, including but not limited to: (1) breaking up parking areas and directing stormwater flows to multiple low impact development features such as bioretention areas; (2) locating parking near trees to provide storm water uptake; (3) retaining or adding vegetation to parking areas; (4) placing existing parking that exceeds maximum parking ratios in permeable pavement designed consistent with the Surface Water Design Manual in RMC 4-6-030; and (5) using other low impact development techniques consistent with RMC 4-6-030 As part of the major site plan modification, the applicant has proposed the installation of four (4) additional parking spaces resulting in approximately 3,500 sq. ft. of new impervious surface area. The parking proposed is significantly less than the maximum parking allowance for the site and includes the installation of other features beneficially for stormwater uptake including a variety of new trees, shrubs, and ground cover located in the perimeter and interior parking lot landscaping, as well as a bioretention swale near the center of the parking lot adjacent to the building. Compliant if conditions of approval are met Landscaping: Use of landscaping to soften the appearance of parking areas, to provide shade and privacy where needed, to define and enhance open spaces, and generally to enhance the appearance of the project. Landscaping also includes the design and protection of planting areas so that they are less susceptible to damage from vehicles or pedestrian movements. See FOF 16, Zoning Development Standard: Landscaping.