HomeMy WebLinkAboutM_Modifcation_Request_1_191029_v1 55 South Atlantic Street • Suite 301 • Seattle, WA 98134 • 206.682.7525 / Fax. 206.682.7529
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
City of Renton
Dept. of Community and Economic Development
1050 S. Grady Way
Renton, WA 98057
RE: Modification Request to Street Standards for Landscape Strip on NE 17th St.
Site: 1625 Duvall Ave NE KC Parcel #: 516970-0129
Permit #: PRE 17-000639
Project Name: 1625 DUVALL AVE NE OFFICE BUILDING
Current Requirements: Per RMC 4-6-060, half street improvements shall include a 0.5-foot curb, an 8-
foot planting strip, a 5-foot sidewalk, street trees, and storm drainage requirements.
Proposed Modifications: Reduce the landscape strip along NE 17th street to 5-feet and relocate the
remaining 3-feet of landscaping to the back of the sidewalk.
Decision Criteria: Whenever there are practical difficulties involved in carrying out the provisions of this
Title, the Department Administrator may grant modifications for individual cases provided they shall first
find that a specific reason makes the strict letter of the Code impractical, that the intent and purpose of the
governing land use designation of the Comprehensive Plan is met and that the modification is in
conformity with the intent and purpose of this Code, and that such modification:
a.) Substantially implements the policy direction of the policies and objectives of the Comprehensive
Plan Land Use Element and the Community Design Element and the proposed modification is the
minimum adjustment necessary to implement these policies and objectives;
The proposed modification is consistent with Land Use Policy L-57, which calls for planter strips
between and the sidewalk in order to provide separation between cars and pedestrians.
b.) Will meet the objectives and safety, function, appearance, environmental protection and
maintainability intended by the Code requirements, based upon sound engineering judgment;
Safety: The proposal continues to provide a landscaped buffer between cars and pedestrians.
Appearance: The proposal provides a 5-foot landscape strip with the same plantings as what is
required for an 8-foot strip. The proposal is further enhanced by the 3-foot strip along the face of
the building.
Environmental: The 5 + 3 foot landscape strips provides the same area of landscaping as a single
8’-foot strip.
55 South Atlantic Street • Suite 301 • Seattle, WA 98134 • 206.682.7525 / Fax. 206.682.7529
2
Maintenance: Proposed conditions require similar maintenance conditions as with the base code
condition.
c.) Will not be injurious to other property(ies) in the vicinity;
No foreseen impacts.
d.) Conforms to the intent and purpose of the Code;
Landscaping and walkways are provided, consistent with the intent of the code. NE 17th St is a
Residential Access Road per RMC 4-6-060 seeking a 0.5’ curb, an 8-foot planting strip, a 5-foot
sidewalk, street trees, and storm drainage requirements. This proposal only modifies the relative
location of the sidewalk, moving it away from the building to allow for better screening of the
building.
e.) Can be shown to be justified and required for the use and situation intended; and
With a small portion of the building near the property line, it is beneficial to provide a small
landscape strip to screen the wall visually but to also deter graffiti and/or other abuse of the
building.
f.) Will not create adverse impacts to other property(ies) in the vicinity.
The proposed condition will not create adverse impacts on neighboring properties. We believe
that with 2 landscaping strips between the curb and building rather than just one, the proposed
condition is much better than the code minimums.