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HomeMy WebLinkAboutC_Traffic Memo to City of Renton_20260328_V0 MEMORANDUM Via Email Date: November 27, 2024 To: City of Renton From: Stephen H. Roos Subject: Building Permit Application B24005246 This Memo is provided on behalf of the Applicant and building owner RVA CENTER LLC regarding the above-referenced building permit application. The City’s most recent round of comments on this application included comments that (1) a Land Use permit for a tenant space over 4,000 SF would be required, and (2) transportation impact fees would be required under RMC 4-1-190. As to the first comment, the tenant space in question is actually 3,975 SF derived from CAD drawings commissioned by RVA CENTER LLC. See ATTACHMENT 1. No Land Use Permit should be required. Regarding the second comment, we have reviewed applicable Code provision, RMC 4-1-190, and conclude that it does not require impact fees for this proposed use, as explained further below. BACKGROUND The proposal involves consolidating two tenant spaces previously occupied by two retail users into a single tenant space, and establishing a new restaurant within that space, as part of the larger Renton Village Shopping Center. The City of Renton Zoning Use Table (RMC 4-2-060) contains a section titled “RETAIL,” and then lists various type of retail uses. The list includes “retail sales” and “eating and drinking establishments.” Thus, the proposal involves going from one type of RETAIL use (retail sales) to a different type of RETAIL use (eating/drinking establishment). ANALYSIS This change in the type of RETAIL use does not trigger transportation impact fees. RMC 4-1-190(G)(3) makes it clear that not all changes of use are City of Renton November 27, 2024 Page 2 of 3 subject to impact fees. Specifically, that paragraph includes the following impact fee exception applicable here: Changes in use or tenancy, if consistent with the general character of the building or building aggregations (i.e., “industrial park,” or “specialty retail”) should not be considered a change in use that is subject to an impact fee. Further, minor changes in tenancies that are consistent with the general character of the included structure, building, or previous use should not be considered changes in use subject to an impact fee. Based on the two factors identified in this paragraph, there is no basis for an impact fee.  The restaurant is consistent with the general character of the retail building where it will be located, and with the surrounding building aggregations (i.e., the Renton Village Shopping Center) which includes a variety of eating and drinking establishments.  The change in tenancy is a minor change as it will simply entail going from one type of RETAIL use identified in the Zoning Code (retail sales) to another RETAIL use (eating/drinking establishment). There will be no changes to the exterior of the building, other than to signage, and the restaurant will be in keeping with the character of the building and previous use, including access, parking, and relationship to surrounding uses. This conclusion that the change of use does not trigger impact fees is confirmed by the categorization of uses in the ITE Trip Generation Handbook (11th Edition). Under the use definitions in the handbook, Renton Village is either a Shopping Plaza or a Shopping Center. See ATTACHMENT 2 (definitions of Shopping Plaza and Shopping Center). It could be considered a Shopping Plaza because the overall square footage is 131,071, and the definition of Shopping Plaza is commercial establishments between 40,000-150,000 SF. Alternatively, it could be viewed as a Shopping Center because although the overall square footage is less than 150,000 square feet, it includes a grocery store. In either case, however, the Shopping Plaza/Center is a use category that encompasses a wide variety of establishments including retail merchandizing, health clubs, movie theaters, recreational facilities, and restaurants. When a particular establishment or tenancy is located within a larger, aggregated Shopping Plaza/Center, the appropriate approach is to consider the tenancy as part of the overall Shopping Plaza/Center use rather than trying to differentiate between different tenancies. Thus, consistent with the above analysis of 4-190(G)(3), changes in tenancies within the Renton Village Shopping Plaza/Center should not be singled out and subject to additional City of Renton November 27, 2024 Page 3 of 3 impact fees when they are part of and consistent with the overall aggregated use of Shopping Plaza/Center. For the above reasons, traffic impact fees should not be assessed for the proposed restaurant that the applicant is eager to offer as a new destination and amenity within the larger Renton Village. ND: 21683.002 4894-1213-4142v2 ATTACHMENT 1 WTRV L K J RETAIL RETAIL RETAIL OFFICE OFFICE STRG. ASSUMED WALL THICKNESS (TYP.) ASSUMED WALL THICKNESS (TYP.) 71'-10"7'-8" 4'-10" 19'-2" 26'-1" 23'-8" 48'-3"18'-7"12'-3" 17'-3" 10'-11" 7'-1" 6'-0" 8'-6" 9'-3" 5'-11"5'-9" 9'-3" 12'-3"67'-4" 4'-6" 79'-11" 8'-0" 13'-0" 9'-9" 4'-8" 4'-1" 71'-1" 67'-0" Floor Plan Floor 10 Scale: 1/8" = 1'-0" 10 20 This drawing is an instrument of service and is the sole property of the client listed. Any alteration of this drawing without removal of references to 2-D As-Built Floor Plans, Inc. is prohibited. Drawing scale and dimensions are provided for reference only. Refer to CAD files for exact measurements. ©2010 2-D As-Built Floor Plans, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Date Action Client: Site: Project 2DFLOORPLANS.COM 371 NW Gilman Blvd. Suite 140 Issaquah, WA 98027 425-677-7511 Adjacent Suite Pa r k i n g L o t Adjacent Suite Pa r k i n g L o t RVA Center LLC 15 S Grady Way, Suite 520 Renton, WA 98057 Retail Suites 601 S Grady Way Renton, WA 98057 Project: C23-300 3/27/2023 C23-300 Initial site measure ATTACHMENT 2   197 Land Use: 821 Shopping Plaza (40-150k) Description A shopping plaza is an integrated group of commercial establishments that is planned, developed, owned, and managed as a unit. Each study site in this land use has between 40,000 and 150,000 square feet of gross leasable area (GLA). The term “plaza” in the land use name rather than “center” is simply a means of distinction between the different shopping center size ranges. Various other names are commonly used to categorize a shopping plaza within this size range, depending on its specific size and tenants, such as neighborhood center, community center, and fashion center. Its major tenant is often a supermarket but many sites are anchored by home improvement, discount, or other stores. A shopping plaza typically contains more than retail merchandising facilities. Office space, a movie theater, restaurants, a post office, banks, a health club, and recreational facilities are common tenants. A shopping plaza is almost always open-air and the GLA is the same as the gross floor area of the building. The 150,000 square feet GLA threshold value between shopping plaza and shopping center (Land Use 820) is based on an examination of trip generation data. For a shopping plaza that is smaller than the threshold value, the presence or absence of a supermarket within the plaza has a measurable effect on site trip generation. For a shopping center that is larger than the threshold value, the trips generated by its other major tenants mask any effects of the presence or absence of an on-site supermarket. The 40,000 square feet GFA threshold between shopping plaza and strip retail plaza (Land Use 822) was selected based on an examination of the overall shopping center/plaza database. No shopping plaza with a supermarket as its anchor is smaller than 40,000 square feet GLA. Shopping center (>150k) (Land Use 820), strip retail plaza (<40k) (Land Use 822), and factory outlet center (Land Use 823) are related uses. Land Use Subcategory The presence or absence of a supermarket in a shopping plaza has been determined to have a measurable effect on site trip generation. Therefore, data are presented for two subcategories for this land use: sites with a supermarket anchor and sites without a supermarket. Additional Data The technical appendices provide supporting information on time-of-day distributions for this land use. The appendices can be accessed through either the ITETripGen web app or the trip generation resource page on the ITE website (https://www.ite.org/technical-resources/topics/trip- and-parking-generation/). General Urban/Suburban and Rural (Land Uses 800–999) 175 Land Use: 820 Shopping Center (>150k) Description A shopping center is an integrated group of commercial establishments that is planned, developed, owned, and managed as a unit. Each study site in this land use has at least 150,000 square feet of gross leasable area (GLA). It often has more than one anchor store. Various names can be assigned to a shopping center within this size range, depending on its specific size and tenants, such as community center, regional center, superregional center, fashion center, and power center. A shopping center of this size typically contains more than retail merchandising facilities. Office space, a movie theater, restaurants, a post office, banks, a health club, and recreational facilities are common tenants. A shopping center of this size can be enclosed or open-air. The vehicle trips generated at a shopping center are based upon the total GLA of the center. In the case of a smaller center without an enclosed mall or peripheral buildings, the GLA is the same as the gross floor area of the building. The 150,000 square feet GLA threshold value between community/regional shopping center and shopping plaza (Land Use 821) is based on an examination of trip generation data. For a shopping plaza that is smaller than the threshold value, the presence or absence of a supermarket within the plaza has a measurable effect on site trip generation. For a shopping center that is larger than the threshold value, the trips generated by its other major tenants mask any effects of the presence or absence of an on-site supermarket. Shopping plaza (40-150k) (Land Use 821), strip retail plaza (<40k) (Land Use 822), and factory outlet center (Land Use 823) are related uses. Additional Data Many shopping centers—in addition to the integrated unit of shops in one building or enclosed around a mall—include outparcels (peripheral buildings or pads located on the perimeter of the center adjacent to the streets and major access points). These buildings are typically drive-in banks, retail stores, restaurants, or small offices. Although the data herein do not indicate which of the centers studied include peripheral buildings, it can be assumed that some of the data show their effect. The technical appendices provide supporting information on time-of-day distributions for this land use. The appendices can be accessed through either the ITETripGen web app or the trip generation resource page on the ITE website (https://www.ite.org/technical-resources/topics/trip- and-parking-generation/). The sites were surveyed in the 1980s, the 1990s, the 2000s, and the 2010s in Alberta (CAN), California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, General Urban/Suburban and Rural (Land Uses 800–999)