Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutJ_KC Renton Shop Parking Lot Landscaping Variance Request_190426_v1Renton Shop – Interior Parking Lot Landscaping Modification Request 1 King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks, Parks and Recreation Division King County Parks – Renton Shop Conditional Use Permit Variance Request – Interior Parking Lot Landscaping The Renton Shop will be the headquarters for operations and maintenance staff where parks administration, crew dispatch, fleet vehicle and large equipment maintenance and storage, warehouse and inventory storage will all take place. The new facility will greatly improve the function and space for shop operations, enhance vehicle and pedestrian safety with in the facility with better site circulation and flow, and provide needed office space, meeting rooms, storage and shop space to support planned growth. King County Parks is requesting a modification from the City of Renton Code pertaining to interior parking lot landscaping for those stalls located within the rear storage yard area as part of their Renton Shop Conditional Use Permit application package (PRE 18-000552). Code Requirement City of Renton Municipal Code (RMC) Section 4-4-070 Landscaping, requires that all new developments apply landscaping to the entire site and/or all parking areas. Areas requiring landscaping include parking lot perimeters as well as interior parking lot landscaping. Section 4-4- 070.F.6.b requires developments proposing 100 or more parking stalls to provide a minimum of 35 square feet of interior landscape area per parking space. Pursuant to RMC 4-4-070.R deviations from the landscape code provisions are subject to the variance criteria provided in RMC 4-9-250.B.5. Proposal The front parking area located on the east end of the property and main lobby/visitor entrance is separated from the shops, storage areas, and fleet/staff parking areas by an 8-foot-tall sliding gate and fence across the drive aisle, similar in appearance to the 8-foot-tall perimeter fence. After the parks maintenance crews have departed the site to their assigned park location for the day, the gates are intended to revert to a secured access scenario for safety and security purposes, unless a scheduled delivery or pickup necessitates that the gates be opened for a brief period. When crews are returning at the end of the day the gates will be opened to allow efficient vehicle movement. Once the crews are back, the gates will revert to a secured access scenario. The front parking area contains 95 parking stalls for visitors and staff. King County is proposing to meet the RMC requirements for interior parking lot landscaping and trees for the front parking area. In the rear storage yard, another 39 parking stalls for staff are identified. No interior parking lot landscaping is proposed in this rear storage yard. Pursuant to RMC 3-3-070, the 39 parking stalls proposed in the rear storage yard would typically require 1,365 square feet of interior parking lot Renton Shop – Interior Parking Lot Landscaping Modification Request 2 King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks, Parks and Recreation Division landscaping (35 square feet per stall) and 7 trees (1 for every 6 stalls). To offset the lack of interior parking lot landscaping in the rear storage yard, an additional 1,871 square feet of interior parking lot landscaping and 2 additional trees over the minimum number required in the RMC is proposed to occur in the front parking area. The parking stalls designated for staff parking against Buildings CA and SH not landscaped in keeping with the outdoor storage nature of this rear storage yard area and maximizing the space for fleet vehicle, large delivery truck maneuverability and equipment parking. It is anticipated that the movements of large work vehicles would result in a high likelihood of plant and tree damage occurring in the rear yard. This will also allow for future flexibility to relocate or reassign the stalls to other storage uses as the needs of the space changes over time. Modification Decision Criteria RMC Section 4-9-250.B.5 identifies the decision criteria to be complied with in order for a variance to be approved. a. That the applicant suffers practical difficulties and unnecessary hardship and the variance is necessary because of special circumstances applicable to subject property, including size, shape, topography, location or surroundings of the subject property, and the strict application of the Zoning Code is found to deprive subject property owner of rights and privileges enjoyed by other property owners in the vicinity and under identical zone classification; Response: King County would like to preserve the highest level of flexibility for outdoor storage, maneuverability space for delivery trucks, trailers, and construction equipment, as well as the general operations of the rear yard as staffing and responsibilities shift over time. Landscape islands and trees would pose hazards to movements and compromise the ability to fully function as a storage yard. The County is proposing to apply an additional 1,871 square feet of landscaping treatment over and above what is required by the RMC to the front parking area where it could be seen by visitors and users of Jefferson Avenue. b. That the granting of the variance will not be materially detrimental to the public welfare or injurious to the property or improvements in the vicinity and zone in which subject property is situated; Response: The lack of interior parking lot landscaping will not be materially detrimental to the public welfare or injurious to the property or improvement in the vicinity. The general public is not allowed in the rear yard area and visitors anticipated are delivery drivers and trash haulers, and the occasional group of pedestrians in a County guided tour to highlight the sustainable design aspects of the project (as may be required by King County Green Building Program or Living Building Challenge).The parking stalls would be primarily used by staff who benefit from close proximity to the administration Renton Shop – Interior Parking Lot Landscaping Modification Request 3 King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks, Parks and Recreation Division or shop space towards the west side of the property. No adjacent properties would have direct visibility of the rear yard parking area and for the most part would not expect to see landscaping of any kind in space. Landscaping for aesthetics and beautification are not necessary in the industrial area of this development. c. That approval shall not constitute a grant of special privilege inconsistent with the limitation upon uses of other properties in the vicinity and zone in which the subject property is situated. Response: The Renton Shop will be an unusual operation in that the site experiences an influx of staff for the first few hours of their workday and the last hour or so in the late afternoon. The parking needs at the Renton Shop are also seasonal with temporary staff hires during the spring and summer months to handle the increased workload and special events held at County venues. As operational flows of the new facility become better known, the unused parking spaces may be utilized by staff for other storage or fleet vehicle or equipment use. The industrial nature and need for flexible outdoor storage space and maneuverability for large vehicles and equipment would not benefit for accommodating parking lot landscaping. d. That the approval is a minimum variance that will accomplish the desired purpose. Response: The variance is only necessary for the rear yard storage area. The more public facing parking area from the King County owned private drive known as Jefferson Avenue NE will meet and exceed the perimeter and interior parking lot landscaping per the RMC.