HomeMy WebLinkAboutD_Southport_Office_Helipad_Final_Decision_180525Denis Law Mayor
City Clerk-Jason A.Seth,CMC
May 25, 2018
David Ketchum
Airsafe
P.O. Box 287
Greenbank, WA 98253
Subject: Hearing Examiner's Final Decision
RE: Southport Office Helipad Conditional Use Permit (LUA-18-000115)
Dear Mr. Ketchum
Enclosed please find the Hearing Examiner's Final Decision dated May 24, 2018. This
document is immediately available online at:
https://bit.ly/2KtHQDt This link goes directly to our Hearing Examiner's
Decisions. The Decisions are filed by year and then alphabetical order by project
name.
If you have any further questions, please contact Jason Seth, City Clerk, at (425) 430-
6510 or jseth@rentonwa.gov.
Sincerely,
Megan Gregor, CMC
Deputy City Clerk
cc: Hearing Examiner
Clark Close,Senior Planner
Jennifer Henning, Planning Director
Brianne Bannwarth, Development Engineering Manager
Craig Burnell, Building Official
Kyle Wunderlin, Planning Technician
Julia Medzegian, City Council Liaison
Parties of Record(2)
1055 South Grady Way,Renton,WA 98057 • (425)430-6510/Fax (425)430-6516 • rentonwa.gov
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8 BEFORE THE HEARING EXAMINER FOR THE CITY OF RENTON
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RE: Southport Office Helipad
FINAL DECISION
11 Conditional Use Permit
12 LUA18-000115, CU-H
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15 Summary
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The applicant has applied for a conditional use permit to construct a rooftop helipad near the south
17 end of Tower 2 at the Southport Office Complex. The application is approved subject to conditions.
18 Testimony
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Clark Close, Senior Planner, summarized the staff report. In response to examiner questions, Mr.
20 Clark noted that no decibel levels were investigated. Staff didn't feel that was necessary given the
ambient noises of the project site, including the Boeing manufacturing plant, the Renton Airport, I-
21 405 and sea plane noise from Lake Washington. Helicopter noise would be less than these ambient
22 noise levels. Helicopter noise is within the decibel levels authorized by the City's noise code during
construction hours. Use of the helipad is limited to construction hours per the SEPA mitigation
23 measures.
24 David Ketchum, Applicant, noted he's been a heliport planner for forty years. He appreciates staffs
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work and noted their review process is a model for doing it well. In response to examiner questions,
he noted that helicopters create spikes of noise of limited duration, which is why they generally
26 comply with noise ordinances. He noted that use of the helipad is limited to light turbine helicopters.
CONDITIONAL USE - 1
1 Of the three classes of helicopters, the light turbine models are the quietest to operate. Helicopter
operators will be required to shut the engines off as soon as it's safe to do so. Helicopter use will
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likely be limited to occupants of the building upon which the helipad is located, but there's no
3 restriction to that effect.
4 Exhibits
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Exhibits 1-9 identified at Page 2 of the May 8, 2018 staff report were admitted into the record during
6 the hearing. The following exhibits were also admitted during the hearing:
7 Exhibit 10: Staff PowerPoint
Exhibit 11: City of Renton COR maps
8 Exhibit 12: Google Earth of project site
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10 FINDINGS OF FACT
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Procedural:
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1. Applicant. David Ketchum, Airsafe/PO Box 287 Greenbank, WA 98253.
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2. Hearing. A hearing was held on the applications on May 8, 2018 in the City of Renton
14 Council Chambers.
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3. Project Description. The Applicant has applied for conditional use permit to construct a
16 rooftop helipad near the south end of Tower 2 at the Southport Office Complex located at 1101 Lake
Washington Blvd N Renton, WA 98056. The structure on which the helipad is proposed is part of a
17 three-structure office complex that has been permitted separately and is currently under construction.
Tower 2 is located in the Urban Center (UC) zoning district on a 245,086 square feet (5.63 acres)
18 parcel. The 9-story Southport Office Building 2 has been designed to support a thickened concrete
19 helipad slab measuring 30 feet x 30 feet(900 square feet) in size. The helipad would be classified as a
private-use"helipad for light-turbine helicopters, classified as H-1.
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4. Surrounding Uses. Immediately to the north is the Southport Hotel, Bristol Apartments to the
21 east, Puget Sound Energy facilities to the south and the Renton Boeing manufacturing plant to the
22 west. The surrounding landmarks include Renton Municipal Airport to the west, 1-405 Freeway to the
east and Lake Washington approximately 650 feet to the north.
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5. Adverse Impacts. There are no significant adverse impacts associated with the proposal.
24 Pertinent impacts are more specifically addressed as follows;
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A. Noise. The noise of the helipad will ultimately be subject to the City's noise ordinance,
26 which sets decibel levels for helipad operation. Staff have imposed a SEPA condition
CONDITIONAL USE -2
1 limiting helipad operation to construction hours. As mitigated, staff anticipates that the
helipad will operate within the noise levels set by the City's noise ordinance. SEPA
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mitigation measures further reduce noise impacts by requiring the helicopter engines to be
3 shut down as soon as it's safe to do so; requiring "fly neighborly" practices set by the
Helicopter Association International; restricting helicopter use to light-turbine models and
4 generally limiting flights to 12 operations per week. Also, the short-term noise generated
by the proposal will be equal to or less than the ambient noises of the surrounding area,
5 which include the Boeing plant and its associated air traffic and manufacturing operations,
6 the nearby Renton Airport and 1-405 and sea plane and boat noise from Lake Washington.
For all these reasons, noise impacts are not found to be significant.
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B. Compatibility. The proposed use is compatible with the scale and character of the
8 neighborhood. The helipad itself, a thickened concrete slab limited to 900 square feet in
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area, will not significantly add to the bulk or scale of the Southport complex. Beyond
noise impacts addressed above, the proposal will not be significantly noticeable to
10 adjoining properties and thus is fully compatible with the surrounding area.
11 C. Light. The proposal would not create any significant lighting impacts. During evening a
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lighted wind indicator would be visible to those within the line of sight. According to the
applicant, the helipad perimeter lights would not be visible to the public nor would they
13 create high levels of glare due to LED technology. The structural support area of the
helipad would be defined by eight (8) perimeter lights that are flush with the concrete
14 landing surface. Each of the perimeter lights would have eight (8) watts of power.
According to the applicant, the perimeter lights and lighted wind indicator would be
15 activated within a few minutes of landing and would be turned off shortly after helicopter
16 departure. No flood lights would be used to illuminate the helipad. The goal of the helipad
lighting would be to use only the number of lights and cumulative light intensity sufficient
17 to safely identify a helipad's structural support area. Light intensity above safety levels
would be undesirable as it would serve to reduce the pilots' night vision.
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A helicopter emits two (2) sources of light. One source is navigation lights. These lights
are on at all times that helicopters are operation. They are similar to fixed-wing aircraft
20 navigation lights as there is a red light on one side and a blue light on the other side. There
is also a flashing red or white light. The other source of light from helicopters are landing
21 lights. Most helicopters have a single light used to illuminate a landing area during
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approach. Generally landing lights are turned on a minute or two before landing.
Helicopter landing lights would be similar to fixed-wing aircraft landing lights use to
23 approach Renton Municipal Airport. The applicant contends that no glare impacts are
anticipated by the project.
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A lighting plan was not provided with the helipad Conditional Use Permit application;
therefore, a condition of approval requires that a lighting plan that adequately provides for
26 helicopter safety be provided by the applicant.
CONDITIONAL USE - 3
D. Critical Areas and Natural Features. Since the helipad will be placed atop a building that
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has already been reviewed and approved, no adverse impacts to critical areas or natural
3 features are anticipated. Staff determined that the added weight of the pad did not
necessitate any further geotechnical review for the building.
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E. Parking. The City's parking regulations do not require any additional parking for the
5 helipad. There are 2,120 parking spaces associated with the Southport Office Complex
6 and no significant additional need for parking is anticipated from the limited (12 times per
week max) use of the helipad.
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F. Vehicular and Pedestrian Circulation. The proposal will have no impact on vehicular and
8 pedestrian circulation.
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G. Landscaping. City regulations do not require any landscaping for rooftop helipads.
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11 Conclusions of Law
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1. Authority. Hearing examiner conditional use permits qualify as Type III review pursuant to
13 RMC 4-8-080(G). As outlined in RMC 4-8-080(G), the hearing examiner is authorized to hold
hearings and issue final decisions on Type III applications subject to closed record appeal to the
14 Renton City Council.
15 2. Zoning/Comprehensive Plan Designations. The subject property is within the Commercial
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Mixed Use Comprehensive Plan land use designation and the Urban Center (UC) zoning
classification.
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3. Review Criteria/Street Modification. RMC 4-2-060 requires a hearing examiner conditional
18 use permit for helipads in the UC zone. Conditional use criteria are governed by RMC 4-9-030(D).
Applicable standards are quoted below in italics and applied through corresponding conclusions of
19 law. The proposal satisfies all quoted standards as conditioned for the reasons identified in the
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conclusions of law.
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Conditional Use
22 The Administrator or designee or the Hearing Examiner shall consider, as applicable, the following
factors for all applications:
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RMC 4-9-030(D)(1): Consistency with Plans and Regulations: The proposed use shall be
24 compatible with the general goals, objectives, policies and standards of the Comprehensive Plan, the
zoning regulations and any other plans,programs, maps or ordinances of the City of Renton.
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CONDITIONAL USE -4
1 4. As conditioned, the proposal is consistent with all applicable comprehensive plan policies and
development standards as outlined in Findings of Fact No. 14 and 15 of the staff report, adopted by
2 this reference as if set forth in full.
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RMC 4-9-030(D)(2): Appropriate Location: The proposed location shall not result in the
4 detrimental overconcentration of a particular use within the City or within the immediate area of the
proposed use. The proposed location shall be suited for the proposed use.
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5. There do not appear to be any other helipads in the immediate vicinity of the project site, so
its authorization would not result in an overconcentration of use. Given the focus on air travel of the
7 Boeing plant, the Renton airport and the sea planes utilizing Lake Washington, the helipad is a
suitable addition to the air transportation options of the area.
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RMC 4-9-030(D)(3): Effect on Adjacent Properties: The proposed use at the proposed location
9 shall not result in substantial or undue adverse effects on adjacent property.
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6. As determined in Finding of Fact No. 5, as conditioned, there are no adverse impacts
11 associated with the proposal, so it will not result in substantial or undue adverse effects on adjacent
property.
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RMC 4-9-030(D)(4): Compatibility: The proposed use shall be compatible with the scale and
13 character of the neighborhood.
14 7. As determined in Finding of Fact No. 5, the proposed use is compatible with the scale and
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character of the neighborhood.
16 RMC 4-9-030(D)(5): Parking:Adequate parking is, or will be made, available.
17 8. No parking is required by City regulations or necessary for use of the helipad as determined in
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Finding of Fact No. 5.
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RMC 4-9-030(C)(6): Traffic: The use shall ensure safe movement for vehicles and pedestrians and
shall mitigate potential effects on the surrounding area.
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9. No impacts to traffic are anticipated.
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RMC 4-9-030(D)(7): Noise, Light and Glare: Potential noise, light and glare impacts from the
22 proposed use shall be evaluated and mitigated.
23 10. As determined in Finding of Fact No. 5, the proposal will not result in any adverse light, noise
24 or glare impacts.
25 RMC 4-9-030(D)(8): Landscaping: Landscaping shall be provided in all areas not occupied by
buildings, paving, or critical areas. Additional landscaping may be required to buffer adjacent
26 properties from potentially adverse effects of the proposed use.
CONDITIONAL USE - 5
1 11. No landscaping is required or necessary for the helipad as it is located on top of an existing
2 building with a previously approved landscaping plan.
3 DECISION
4 As conditioned below, the conditional use permit application satisfies all applicable permitting
criteria for the reasons identified in the findings and conclusions of this decision and is approved
5 subject to the following conditions:
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1. The applicant shall comply with all six (6) mitigation measures issued as part of the
7 reconsideration for SEPA Determination of Nonsignificance-Mitigated (DNS-M), dated April 12,
2018 (Exhibit 9).
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2. The applicant shall provide a lighting plan that adequately provides for helicopter safety and
minimizes adverse light impacts. The lighting plan shall be submitted with the construction permit
10 application to be reviewed and approved by the Current Planning Project Manager prior to
construction permit approval.
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DATED this
24th day of May 2018.
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Phi A.Olbrechts
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City of Renton Hearing Examiner
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Appeal Right and Valuation Notices
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19 As consolidated, RMC 4-8-080(G) classifies the application(s) subject to this decision as Type III
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application(s) subject to closed record appeal to the City of Renton City Council. Appeals of the
hearing examiner's decision must be filed within fourteen (14) calendar days from the date of the
21 decision. A request for reconsideration to the hearing examiner may also be filed within this 14-
day appeal period.
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Affected property owners may request a change in valuation for property tax purposes23
notwithstanding any program of revaluation.
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CONDITIONAL USE - 6
CITY OF RENTON
DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
REPORT TO THE HEARING EXAMINER
EXHIBITS
Project Name:
Southport Office Helipad
Project Number:
LUA18-000115, ECF, CU-H
Date of Permit Issuance
May 8, 2018
Staff Contact
Clark H. Close
Senior Planner
Project Contact
David Ketchum,
Airsafe PO Box 287
Greenbank, WA 98253
Project Location
1101 Lake Washington
Blvd N Renton, WA
98056
The following exhibits are included with the Hearing Examiner Decision:
Exhibit 1-6 As shown in the Environmental Review Committee (ERC) Report
Exhibit 1-9 As shown in the Staff Report to the Hearing Examiner
Exhibit 10 Staff Powerpoint
Exhibit 11 COR Maps, http://rp.rentonwa.gov/Html5Public/Index.html?viewer=CORMaps
Exhibit 12 Google Earth, https://www.google.com/earth/
Southport Office Helipad
(LUA18-000115)
HEX Public Hearing
Clark Close, Senior Planner
May 8, 2018
Presentation Outline
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•Project Location
•Proposal
•Process to Date
•Renton Municipal
Code Analysis
•Staff
Recommendation
Location
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Proposal
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1
Proposed Helipad
Southport Office Complex
2 3
Proposal
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Process to Date
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Acceptance Environmental
‘SEPA’ Review
Public
Comment Staff Analysis
•Comprehensive Plan
Compliance
•Zoning Compliance
•Critical Area
•Conditional Use Permit
Renton Municipal Code Analysis
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Staff recommends approval of the Southport Office
Helipad, File No. LUA18-000115, as depicted in Exhibit 3,
subject to 2 conditions of approval.
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Recommendation
East Elevation Tower 2