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HomeMy WebLinkAboutD_VMC_Emergency_Service_Tower_070806Minutes OWNER! APPLICANT: CONTACT: LOCATION: SUMMARY OF REQUEST: SUMMARY OF ACTION: OFFICE OF THE HEARING EXAMINER CITY OF RENTON Valley Medical Center 400 S 43'd Street Renton, W A 98055 James R. Hobbs NBBJ 223 Yale Avenue N Seattle, W A 98109 August 6, 2007 Valley Medical Center Emergency Services Tower File No.: LUA 07-045, SA-H, ECF 400 S 43 cd Street Applicant requested Site Plan approval for the construction of a 7-story (111' tall) 146,000 square foot Emergency Services Tower on the south side of the Valley Medical Center main hospital. Development Services Recommendation: Approve with conditions DEVELOPMENT SERVICES REPORT: The Development Services Report was received by the Examiner on June 26, 2007 PUBLIC HEARING: After reviewing the Development Services Report, examining available information on file with the application, field checking the property and surrounding area; the Examiner conducted a public hearing on the subject as follows: MINUTES Thefollowing minutes are a summary of the July 3,2007 hearing. The legal record is recorded on CD. The hearing opened on Tuesday, July 3, 2007, at 9:03 a.m. in the Council Chambers on the seventh floor of the Renton City Hall. Parties wishing to testifY were affirmed by the Examiner. The following exhibits were entered into the record: Exhibit No.1: Yellow file containing the original Exhibit No.2: Neighborhood Map application, proof of posting, proof of publication and other documentation pertinent to this request. Exhibit No.3: Site Plan Exhibit No.4: South, East and West Elevations VMC Emergency Services Tower Site Approval File No.: LUA-07-04S, SA-A, ECF August 6, 2007 Page 2 Exhibit No.5: North Elevation Exhibit No.7: Landscape Plan Sheet LS.lI Exhibit No.9: Zoning Map Exhibit No.6: Landscape Plan Sheet LS.IO Exhibit No.8: Landscape Plan Sheet LS.12 Exhibit No. 10: ERC Mitigation Measures The hearing opened with a presentation of the staff report by Ji11 Ding. Senior Planner, Development Services, City of Renton, lOSS S Grady Way, Renton, Washington 98055. The project site is located at the northwest intersection of South 43'd Street and Talbot Road South, it is also east of the Valley Freeway (SR 167). The site is zoned Commercial Office-Public and is located within the Commercial Corridor Comprehensive Plan Designation. The Valley Medical Center Hospital is currently on the site and the proposed project would be a 7- story addition to the south end of the existing campus. The existing hospital is a 3-story building and the proposed addition would add seven floors to the south side of the building, it would include under building parking for a total of 140 cars, the second floor would include parking for liS cars, third floor would be the ER Department as well a parking deck for 50 cars, fourth floor would be the new Intensive Care Unit with 30 patient rooms. The fifth, sixth and seventh floors would be designed for 30 patient rooms that would be finished at a later date. There is an existing helipad on the project site, which would be relocated to the roof of the new addition. The Development Services Director has issued an interpretation of the Conditional Use requirements, which state that if the use has previously been established, the use may be relocated without applying for a new Conditional Use Permit. The Environmental Review Committee issued a Determination of Non-Significance -Mitigated with 4 mitigation measures. An Appeal was filed and subsequently withdrawn. There was an error in the staff report on the traffic and fire mitigation fees. Those have been corrected. This project was consistent with the Commercial Corridor Land Use Element of the Comprehensive Plan. The project further meets or exceeds the Land Use Regulations for lot coverage, setbacks, landscaping, and building height. The project site is currently surrounded on the east and north by existing office buildings, on the west by SR 167. It is not anticipated that the proposed addition would have adverse impacts to the surrounding properties. The addition would update the look of the existing hospital and the additional landscaping would serve to further buffer it from the surrounding properties. A Traffic Mitigation fee was placed on this project. Access would remain in its current configuration off of Talbot Road S and South 43'd Street. Some adjustments were proposed to allow vehicles to safely travel around the perimeter of the proposed addition as well as access the parking structure. Ambulance access would be relocated to the south side of the fayade. All lighting would be directed to the ground or onto the building. Any new lighting cannot extend beyond the property lines. The project would be required to comply with the 1990 King County Surface Water Manual and water detention would not be required. The Examiner inquired about the lighting that would be located on the top of the new addition. VMC Emergency Services Tower 01te Approval File No.: LUA-07-045, SA-A, ECF August 6, 2007 Page 3 James Hobbs, 4220 SW 109 th Street, Seattle, WA 98146 stated that due to the condition of the site, the building sits on a sloped site and the main entrance to the hospital is on the third floor. The loading dock is on the first floor as the land slopes to the west. The two levels of parking are underneath the building and there would be a circular drop offfor the Emergency entrance at the east side of the building. A parking study was done four or five years ago by Walker Parking, they confirmed that the parking is adequate for the whole site. There is a parking garage on the north side of the campus, however it is so far away that it is not convenient for patients or visitors. This new parking would allow for more parking where it is actually needed, adjacent to the surgery and emergency drop off areas. Warren Pugh, 9516 S 204'h Street, Kent, WA 98031stated that he was the project manager for this project. The grade around the east and south sides to where the ambulance entrances are located are all at the third floor level. All the parking is not visible from the east or south side of the project, it is completely underground. There is some minor accent lighting of the building along the top-level facia underneath the overhang soffit that is indirect lighting that glows in the dark. Some of the windows are visible from the street and would have light emitting from them. On the northeast comer of the building, visible from the main entrance but not readily from the street, is a glass element heater located in a patient-waiting lobby. It is not intended to be a bright, shining landmark from the air. Kayren Kittrick, Development Services stated that the mitigation fees are always an estimate based on whatever the final design may be as well as the fact that they are open to more detailed analysis for review. Fire fee is definitely negotiable. The Valley Medical Center is a high impact hospital, there are people there 24 hours a day. It is often difficult trying to find how to get in, it is not easy, she was glad to see these changes, they make a lot of sense. Life safety issues with emergency access are available. The parking is configured to minimize the illegal parking in fire and emergency accesses. It is sufficient and better. The Examiner called for further testimony regarding this project. There was no one else wishing to speak, and no further comments from staff. The hearing closed at 9:47 am. FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS & RECOMMENDATION Having reviewed the record in this matter, the Examiner now makes and enters the following: FINDINGS: I. The applicant, Valley Medical Center, filed a request for a Site Plan approval for a 7 -story addition to the existing hospital complex. In addition, the applicant has sought a Modification to allow more than the code maximum for parking on the campus. 2. The yellow file containing the staff report, the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) documentation and other pertinent materials was entered into the record as Exhibit #1. 3. The Environmental Review Committee (ERC), the City's responsible official issued a Determination of Non-Significance -Mitigated (DNS-M). 4. The subject proposal was reviewed by all departments with an interest in the matter. VMC Emergency Services lOwer Site Approval File No.: LUA-07-045, SA-A, ECF August 6, 2007 Page 4 5. The subject site is located at 400 South 43rd Street. The subject site is along the south edge of the Valley Medical Center's existing hospital complex. South 43rd Street would be located along the south side of the complex, separated from the hospital by driveways and access lanes. 6. The map element of the Comprehensive Plan designates the area in which the subject site is located as suitable for the development of commercial corridor uses, but does not mandate such development without consideration of other policies of the Plan. 7. The subject site is currently zoned CO-P (Commercial Office). The "P" suffix indicates that the property is owned by a public agency. 8. The subject site was annexed to the City with the adoption of Ordinance 1743 enacted in April 1959. 9. The subject site is approximately 24 acres or 1,055,589 square feet. The parcel is irregularly shaped and is bounded on the west by SR-167, on the south by South 43rd Street and on the east by Talbot Road South. 10. The campus of the hospital contains a number of separate, freestanding buildings in addition to the main hospital. A parking area and helipad are located in the location where the new building would be erected. II. The new addition would be connected to the existing three-story hospital. The proposed 7 -story Emergency Services Tower will have a footprint ofapproximate1y 56,000 square feet. It will contain approximately 146,000 square feet over those seven stories. There will be two levels of parking at the lowest levels and hospital facilities above that with some parking at the third level. The second level of parking will be dayJighted to the west. 12. The lower level of the garage would match the existing main floor of the hospital while the second garage level would match the second floor of the hospital. The third floor would contain the emergency department and parking for that will be provided along the western area of a new parking deck. Intensive Care will be located on the fourth floor. Regular hospital rooms would be located on floors five through seven although initially floors six and seven would remain unfinished until needed. 13. Buildings in the CO Zone may be 250 feet tall and the proposed building will be III feet tall. The CO Zone permits 75 percent lot coverage and the existing and new structures cover only 13.4 percent. The project requires 30-foot setbacks along streets including front and side yards due to the 80-foot height. The setbacks exceed these requirements. The street frontages are also required to have 15 feet of sight- obscuring landscaping and the project has 115 feet along Talbot and 24 feet along South 43rd, meeting those requirements. The project also provides the 10-foot landscaping required along the SR-167 right- of-way. 14. As noted, the new facility will be erected over the current helipad. The new heJipad would be located on the roof of the new structure. While a helipad normally requires a Conditional Use Penn it, the Director of Development Services determined that the replacement of the helipad on the roof would not require a new Conditional Use Permit. 15. The applicant's submittals demonstrate that the project is required to have 2,025 parking stalls for the entire campus based on: one space for every three beds, VMC Emergency Services Tower c,lte Approval File No.: LUA-07-045, SA-A, ECF August 6, 2007 Page 5 one space per staff doctor and one space for every three employees. While some surface stalls will be replaced by the new building, it appears that the campus would be served by 2,390 stalls or 365 spaces more than code requires. A modification would be required for the additional stalls. Staff and the applicant have suggested that parking on the campus serves both emergency staff as well as friends and relatives of patients and emergency patients and that excess stalls help these various parties quickly reach the patients or services that are needed. Staff also suggested that many of those visiting the hospital are not necessarily well served by public transit either during emergencies, nights or weekends. 16. The new tower has been designed to be visible and a focal point to the south and west and will have exterior treatment and lighting to accomplish this objective. The exterior would feature various articulation and modulations as it rises from the parking garage "pedestal" to the tower containing the hospital facilities. The treatment would vary from cast concrete to white and gray metal panels and window glass running in horizontal and vertical bands. 17. To accommodate the new facility and its garage the south campus will be regraded extensively. This area provides access to the campus as well as the tunnel under South 43rd Street. These changes will be interior and will not affect the current driveways to and from the campus. 18. The development will increase traffic by approximately 1,775 new trips. The ERC has imposed a mitigation fee to help offset the impacts on transportation corridors. CONCLUSIONS: Site Plan 1. The site plan ordinance provides a number of specific criteria for reviewing a site plan. Those criteria are generally represented in part by the following enumeration: a. Conformance with the Comprehensive Plan; b. Conformance with the Building and Zoning Codes; c. Mitigation of impacts on surrounding properties and uses; d. Mitigation of the impacts of the proposal on the subject site itself; e. Conservation of property values; f. Provision for safe and efficient vehicle and pedestrian circulation; g. Provision of adequate light and air; h. Adequacy of public services to accommodate the proposed use; The proposed use satisfies these and other particulars of the ordinance. 2. The proposed hospital use is compatible with the comprehensive plan's commercial corridor goals and VMC Emergency Services lower Site Approval File No.: LUA-07-045, SA-A, ECF August 6, 2007 Page 6 objectives. First, the comprehensive plan recognizes the need for public facilities such as this regional hospital facility. Second, the facility's design, a compact office tower is a suitable form for this prominent location at the southwest entrance to the City. 3. The proposed building complies with the Zoning Code in its height, setback, landscaping and footprint. It will be reviewed for compliance with the Building and Fire Codes when a building permit is submitted for review. 4. While the proposed tower is larger than surrounding buildings it is located along the south margin of the hospital's expansive campus and interior to its property lines and not near any adjacent property. It may cast some shadows to the north, generally the campus and to the east but when the height limits for the zone were adopted those issues were reviewed in general and the building is well below the 250-foot height limit for the zone. Construction noise will be limited to a finite window and is a normal consequence of development. 5. The building, its access and placement on the campus appears to limit impacts although, the melding of the existing complex and adjacent building with the new building will mean more shading on the campus itself. The complex wiJI definitely provide sufficient parking and possibly reduce internal circulation of vehicles looking for parking. 6. The development should not affect property values and improving the hospital's emergency services should enhance the quality of life for regional populations. 7. The circulation appears reasonable. There will be no change to exterior driveways to affect traffic on the busy nearby streets. 8. There should be reasonable airflow around the building. As noted, the taller tower will probably introduce more shadows and shading on the complex and possibly offsite. The applicant's goal of creating a "beacon" should not be permitted to overwhelm the area and lighting should be limited if it is overreaching. 9. The hospital should not create any undue noise or odors or other unhealthy conditions. Waste handling is managed by the hospital's system. 10. The site will be served by the City's systems for water and sanitary sewers. Stormwater control has been revi ewed by the City. Modification for Parking 11. The criteria for a modification include the following: RMC 4-9-250D provides that where practical difficulties exist in the implementation of the regulations, a modification from the standards may be granted, provided the proposal addresses the following criteria: a. Will meet the objectives and safety, function, appearance, environmental protection and maintainability intended by the Code requirements, based upon sound engineering judgment; and b. Will not be injurious to other property(s) in the vicinity; and c. Conform to the intent and purpose of the Code; and VMC Emergency Services Tower Site Approval File No.: LUA-07-045, SA-A, ECF August 6, 2007 Page 7 d. Can be shown to be justified and required for the use and situation intended; and e. Will not create adverse impacts to other property(s) in the vicinity. 12. While the request may simplify parking for doctors, general staff and patients, there really is no practical difficulty in complying with the parking standards in Code. Code provides a standard for beds, doctors and general employees and presumably considered the factors in serving a hospital. If that standard is inadequate it should be changed in Code. The main issue is that the creation of the parking garage will create excess parking but there do not seem to be any practical difficulties in complying with the standards. 13. The parking garage does further the City's goal of expanding structured parking in the City and reducing the amount of surface parking lots. The fact is that there will be more than 300 excessive surface parking stalls on the campus. The proposal should not be injurious to other properties in the vicinity. While the parking garage will concentrate more of the parking for the hospital around the proposed Emergency Department there are still more than 300 outlying stalls that are approximately 15% above the standards. 14. The modification cannot be approved at this time. DECISION: The Site Plan is approved subject to the following conditions: I. The applicant's goal of creating a "beacon" should not be permitted to overwhelm the area and lighting should be limited if it is overreaching. The Modification for Parking is denied. ORDERED THIS 6th day of August 2007. TRANSMITTED THIS 6th day of August 2007 to the parties of record: Jill Ding 1055 S Grady Way Renton, W A 98055 Kayren Kittrick Development Services City of Renton Valley Medical Center 400 S 43'd Street Renton, W A 98055 Warren Pugh 9516 S 204th Street Kent, W A 98031 James R. Hobbs NBBJ 223 Yale Avenue N Seattle, W A 98109 VMC Emergency Services Tower Site Approval File No.: LUA-07-045, SA-A, ECF August 6, 2007 Page 8 TRANSMITTED THIS 6th day of August 2007 to the following: Mayor Kathy Keolker Jay Covington, Chief Administrative Officer Julia Medzegian, Council Liaison Gregg Zimmerman, PBPW Administrator Alex Pietsch, Economic Development Jennifer Henning, Development Services Stacy Tucker, Development Services King County Journal Mark Peterson, Fire Larry Meckling, Building Official Planning Commission Transportation Division Utilities Division Neil Watts, Development Services Janet Conklin, Development Services Pursuant to Title N, Chapter 8, Section 100Gof the City's Code, request for reconsideration must be filed in writing on or before 5:00 p,m" August 20, 2007. Any aggrieved person feeling that the decision of the Examiner is ambiguous or based on erroneous procedure, errors of law or fact, error in judgment, or the discovery of new evidence which could not be reasonably available at the prior hearing may make a written request for a review by the Examiner within fourteen (l4) days from the date of the Examiner's decision. This request shall set forth the specific ambiguities or errors discovered by such appellant, and the Examiner may, after review of the record, take further action as he deems proper. An appeal to the City Council is governed by Title N, Chapter 8, Section 110, which requires that such appeal be filed with the City Clerk, accompanying a filing fee of $75.00 and meeting other specified requirements. Copies of this ordinance are available for inspection or purchase in the Finance Department, first floor of City Hall. An appeal must be filed in writing on or before 5:00 p.m., August 20, 2007. If the Examiner's Recommendation or Decision contains the requirement for Restrictive Covenants, the executed Covenants will be required prior to approval by City Council or final processing of the file. You may contact this office for information on formatting covenants. The Appearance of Fairness Doctrine provides that no ex parte (private one-on-one) communications may occur concerning pending land use decisions. This means that parties to a land use decision may not communicate in private with any decision-maker concerning the proposal. Decision-makers in the land use process include both the Hearing Examiner and members of the City Council. All communications concerning the proposal must be made in public. This public communication permits all interested parties to know the contents of the communication and would allow them to openly rebut the evidence. Any violation of this doctrine would result in the invalidation of the request by the Court. The Doctrine applies not only to the initial public hearing but to all Requests for Reconsideration as well as Appeals to the City Council. Project Location: 400 S 43" Street (parcel nos. 8857670100, 8857670010, and 8857670030)