HomeMy WebLinkAboutD_Reconsideration_Decision_180703.pdf
July 3, 2018
Robert McNeill
Barghausen Consulting Engineers, Inc.
18215 72nd Ave S
Kent, WA 98032
SUBJECT: Reconsideration of the 800 SW 16th Street Parking Lot Expansion approval for
the Administrative Conditional Use Permit (LUA18-000242, CU-A)
Dear Mr. McNeill:
We received your timely request for reconsideration of the following frontage landscaping
condition of approval regarding 800 SW 16th Street Parking Lot Expansion for the
Administrative Conditional Use Permit (CUP):
2. The applicant shall install a minimum three foot (3’) sight-obscuring landscape perimeter
berm with a maximum slope of 3:1 between the back of sidewalk running along SW 16th St and
the proposed on-site parking spaces. If necessary, the perimeter landscape width may need to
be widened beyond the minimum 10-foot (10’) wide strip in order to achieve the overall height
and maximum slope of the identified landscape berm along SW 16th St above the finished grade
of the public sidewalk.
Your request for reconsideration asked that a shorter berm (approximately one-and-one-half
feet (1½) in height), preserving the 3:1 slope ratio, topped with a dense screen of arborvitae
plantings, would address design concerns. Your request stated that the arborvitae would
feature four-foot (4’) high plants for the majority of the frontage, descending to short (three-
foot (3’) or less) plants in areas immediately adjacent to driveway to preserve the sight distance
triangle for vehicular and pedestrian safety. The new result would produce a five-and-one-half-
foot (5½’) landscape berm/barrier, supplemented with additional landscaping on the parking lot
side. Your request for reconsideration included an alternative illustration to highlight the
specifics associated with the request (Exhibit A). You also mentioned that Barghausen engineers
investigated design requirements to achieve full compliance with this condition and determined
that the perimeter landscape/berm width would need to be widened from 10 feet (10’) to 21
feet (21’) in order to meet the maximum slope of 3:1.
DocuSign Envelope ID: 2D015AA0-F94B-4704-8F66-68E1761FA429
Staff has reviewed the request and agrees with the provided justification, provided the
enhanced landscape treatment is provided. Within the Administrative CUP decision, staff
determined that the minimum berm height would ensure that the proposed use was
compatible with the surrounding community and meet the intent of the scree ning and
landscape regulations. After review of the requested reconsideration, staff agrees with the
applicant’s justification that a shorter one-and-one-half-foot (1½’) high berm with dense
vegetation screening would also provide adequate perimeter and screening landscaping along
SW 16th St. Due to the combined factors of additional dense evergreen landscaping and a
grade change between SW 16th St and the parking lot surface, the screening provided would be
sufficient for the proposed storage lot to be compatible with the surrounding community.
Please note that RMC 4-4-070H requires that all parking lots have perimeter landscaping at
least ten feet (10’) in width as measured from the street right-of-way. For clarification
purposes, the illustration (Exhibit A) only shows a portion of the required 10-foot (10’)
perimeter landscaping beyond the street right-of-way. In order to reduce or deviate from
landscaping code requirements, the applicant would be required to apply for a variance from
the City’s landscaping regulations, RMC 4-4-070. RMC 4-4-070F.2 requires that any additional
undeveloped right-of-way areas shall be landscaped unless otherwise determined by the
Administrator. In addition, the City code places a higher value on the compliance with the
landscaping provisions than it does with meeting re quired parking minimum amounts. If there
are practical difficulties involved in complying with the minimum parking stall dimensions and
drive aisle width standards of the code, the applicant may apply for a modification from RMC 4-
4-080F.
Decision: Therefore, the reconsideration request for a shorter berm from a minimum three foot
(3’) to a one-and-one-half-foot (1½’) under the second condition of approval, as referenced
above, for the 800 SW 16th Street Parking Lot Expansion Administrative Conditional Use Permit,
LUA17-000871, CU-A, is approved and the new condition shall read as follows:
2. The applicant shall install a minimum one-and-one-half-foot (1½’) sight-obscuring landscape
perimeter berm with a maximum slope of 3:1 between the back of sidewalk running along SW
16th St and the proposed on-site parking spaces. If necessary, the perimeter landscape width
may need to be widened beyond the minimum 10-foot (10’) wide strip in order to achieve the
overall height and maximum slope of the identified landscape berm along SW 16th St above the
finished grade of the public sidewalk.
This decision to reconsider the original Administrative Conditional Use Permit Decision is
subject to a 14-day appeal period. The above decision will become final if not appealed in
writing together with the required fee to: Hearing Examiner, City of Renton, 1055 South Grady
Way, Renton, WA 98057 by 5:00 pm on Thursday, July 17, 2018. RMC 4-8-110 governs appeals
to the Hearing Examiner and additional information regarding the appeal process may be
obtained from the City Clerk’s Office, Renton City Hall - 7th Floor, (425) 430-6510.
DocuSign Envelope ID: 2D015AA0-F94B-4704-8F66-68E1761FA429
Sincerely,
Jennifer Henning, AICP
Planning Director
Enclosure Exhibit A: Illustration – Planter Section – SW 16th Street
cc: C.E. “Chip” Vincent, CED Administrator
Brianne Bannwarth, Development Engineering Manager
Vanessa Dolbee, Current Planning Manager
Clark Close, Senior Planner
OB Renton Properties, LLC / Owner(s)
Parties of Record
DocuSign Envelope ID: 2D015AA0-F94B-4704-8F66-68E1761FA429
RECEIVED
06/25/18 cclose
PLANNING DIVISION
EXHIBIT A