HomeMy WebLinkAboutC_Request_for_Reconsideration_Canopy_LUA19000223
October 1, 2020
Mr. Phil Olbrechts
Hearing Examiner
City of Renton
1055 S Grady Way
Renton, WA
SUBJECT: Request for Reconsideration
File LUA19-000223, PUD, PP, VA-H; Canopy PUD/Preliminary Plat
4196 Lincoln Ave NE, Renton, WA 98033
Dear Mr. Examiner:
As the City’s Project Manager for the Canopy Planned Urban Development (PUD) and Preliminary Plat land use
application, please accept the following request for reconsideration to the September 18, 2020 decision. The
reconsideration request is limited to Condition #3 which states, in part, “The applicant shall submit a revised site
plan with home floor plans and exterior elevations with the civil construction permit application that
incorporates 12-foot front yard setbacks (emphasis added) for alley loaded Lots 48-55.” The City respectively
requests the condition be reconsidered to apply the staff recommended front yard setback of 15-feet thereby
removing the 12-foot front yard setback from the PUD modification table on page 7 of the Hearing Examiner’s
Decision.
Renton Municipal Code (RMC) 4-2-110A ‘Development Standards for Residential Zoning Designation (Primary
Structures)’ requires 15-foot front yard setbacks for alley loaded Residential-8 (R-8) zoned lots. Additionally, the
development standards limit primary structure height to a 24-foot wall plate and two (2) stories. As shown on
Exhibit 3 Site Plan, Exhibit 23 Architectural Streetscape Plan, Exhibit 24 Color Architectural Elevations, Exhibit 33
Floor Plans, the proposed homes are setback less than 15-feet (except Lot 53) and the homes exceed the height
limitations of the zone.
The PUD regulations allow the City to modify noted development regulations set forth in RMC 4-9-150D in
exchange for public benefit(s) and superior design outcomes that would not occur without a Planned Urban
Development, however the City is not obligated to approve every applicant modification request, but instead
staff considers the impact of the modifications related to abutting and adjacent properties, whether the
modifications are aligned and consistent with similar types of development in similar zoning districts, and if the
combined impact of the changes to the regulations would result in a project of superior design. The applicant’s
front yard setback reduction coupled with the increased height of the homes is not consistent with the scale of
single-family residential development within the City’s R-8 zoning district nor does the combined modification
request result in a superior design outcome.
Mr. Phil Olbrechts
Page 2 of 3
October 1, 2020
The setback reduction and height of the structures is not consistent with other R-8 zoned neighborhoods in the
City. The scale and setback is also not consistent with the other homes and lots within the Canopy subdivision
itself. As shown on Exhibits 3 and 23, all of the homes along Road A are setback at least 15-feet, except Lot 48-
55, which were recommended to be conditioned to meet the 15-foot setback. Review of the PUD by City staff is
not simply an evaluation of each modification absent the remainder of the project. Each modification requested
is reviewed holistically to determine what creates a superior project design. In this case, staff’s recommended
condition of approval to require a 15-foot setback for all lots from Road A is intended to ensure the outcome of
the project as a whole meets the intent of the PUD regulations, results in a consistent neighborhood design, and
is within the scale intended by the R-8 zone.
Homes across Road A are limited visually to single story. Staff is supportive of the increased heights for Lots 48-
55 however this is in conjunction with an R-8 compliant front yard setback. Staff finds the impacts of a three
story home less than 15-feet from the sidewalk along a residential access street exceed what is typical within the
City and does not result in a superior design then what could be developed under the standards of the R-8 zone.
If the Hearing Examiner rules in favor of retaining the 12-foot front yard setback, the City requests a condition
that the homes on Lot 48-55 comply with the R-8 height limitations of 24-foot wall plate and two (2) stories to
better align with the scale of single-family residential development within the City’s R-8 zoning district.
It should also be noted the footprint of the proposed home
on Lot 53 meets the 15-foot front yard setback, as shown
on Exhibit 3. During the hearing, the applicant disputed this
statement by staff however as shown to the left, the
footprint clearly meets the front yard setback requirement.
If this is not the case as presented by the applicant during
testimony, then the site plan that was reviewed by staff is
not an accurate representation of what the applicant
proposes to build. As stated by staff during the hearing, if
Lot 53 is able to meet the front yard setback requirements
of the R-8 zone, then the remaining lots within this block
should be able to meet the front yard setback requirement.
The applicant would need to revise floor plans and model
of the homes to meet the setback, but this is what should
occur during a preliminary plat application. The layout of
the lots and streets are designed first and the homes are
designed second to fit the constraints of the lot. The
applicant has reversed this norm by designing the future
home first regardless of the constraints of the lot resulting
in the need for modifications.
When evaluating a PUD and the associated modifications to the City’s regulations, staff balances the relaxation
of development standards against the public benefit of the design. All parts work together to inform the design
and recommendation of the project. One piece should not be removed or modified as it will change the balance
that has been developed to create a project that is superior in design and provides a balanced public benefit.
Therefore, staff requests that the Hearing Examiner look at the staff recommendation as a holistic evaluation of
the project and not remove one part of the whole, as done with the revised Condition of Approval #3.
Scaled 15' measurement from Exhibit 3 Site Plan
Mr. Phil Olbrechts
Page 3 of 3
October 1, 2020
In closing, City staff requests reconsideration of Condition #3 for revised plans that provide the required R-8
zone 15-foot front yard setback for Lots 48-55 as indicated in the September 1, 2020 Staff Report to the Hearing
Examiner. The setback provides consistency and continuity with other proposed homes in the subdivision and
the R-8 zoning district as a whole. The front yard setbacks at 15-feet are one part of the whole project and
should not be removed.
Sincerely,
Matt Herrera, AICP
Senior Planner