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HomeMy WebLinkAboutD_Admin_Decision_Boeing_Special_Fence_Permit_230914_FINAL DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT D_Admin Decision_Boeing Special Fence Permit_230914_Fin PLANNING DIVISION ADMINISTRATIVE SPECIAL FENCE PERMIT EVALUATION FORM & DECISION DATE OF DECISION: September 14, 2023 PROJECT NUMBER: LUA23-000250, SF PROJECT NAME: Boeing Special Fence PROJECT MANAGER: Alex Morganroth, Senior Planner OWNERS: Mark Clement PO Box 3707, MS 1W-09, Seattle, WA 98124 PROJECT LOCATION: Boeing S1, S2, S3, E3, E4, and E6 Parking Lots (APN 0723059001, 0886610020, 0886610030, 0886610040, 0823059209, 0823059019) PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The applicant, Mark Clement on behalf of The Boeing Company, is requesting approval of a Special Fence Permit in order to install continuous six-foot (6’) tall metal fencing within the front and secondary front yard setbacks of six (6) Boeing-owned surface parking lots (APNs 0723059001, 0886610020, 0886610030, 0886610040, 0823059209, 0823059019). All parcels are located in the Urban Center – 2 (UC-2) zone, which has minimum front yard and secondary front yard setbacks of fifteen (15’). The fencing is proposed on the south, east, and west sides of the E6 lot, the south side of the E4 lot, the south and east side of the E3 lot, the west side of the S2 lot, and the east, west, and south sides of the S1 lot (Exhibit 2). The applicant is not proposing the installation of gated access to the parking lots and will not include fencing elements that restrict the movement of vehicles entering or exiting the lots. The proposed metal fencing is six-feet (6’) tall and constructed of welded steel with a decorative black acrylic top coat (Exhibit 3). The fencing also includes a zinc coating to provide corrosion resistance, durability, and better adhesion for the acr ylic paint coat. Each panel is approximately eight-feet (8’) wide with two 1.5” top rails and a single 1.5” bottom rail. The fencing is black in color and will have an identical appearance to the existing security fencing along the perimeter of main manufacturing site (737 Logan Ave N). According to the applicant, the purpose of the fencing is to improve security for parking lot users and discourage unauthorized access to the employee and visitor parking areas. The applicant has proposed the installation of permanent landscaping between the fence and sidewalks in select areas where minimal or no landscaping currently exists (Exhibit 4). The plant schedule provided by the applicant includes a variety of shrub, ground cover, and tree species such as Chamisso sedge, Japanese sedge, Beach strawberry, Kinnikinnick, Heather, Spirea, Japanese zelkova, and American hornbeam. Minor vegetation removal is proposed in order to install the fence posts. No trees are proposed for removal. Critical areas mapped on the sites include a high seismic hazard area and the Wellhead Protection Area Zone 1. ANALYSIS: The applicant’s justification for an increased height allowance of six feet (6’) instead of four feet (4’) is to increase safety for Boeing employees and visitors by discouraging unauthorized access to the various parking lots to the south and east of the main manufacturing site. The applicant contends that Boeing’s unique workforce schedule, which consists of three (3) overlapping shifts working 24 hours a day, necessitates the installation of increased security measures due to the many second and third shift workers that utilize the parking lots during night-time or early morning hours. Staff concurs with the applicant that the large number of vehicles parked DocuSign Envelope ID: 4FC4AF7E-A060-4E1B-BD0D-B224A04C3F87 City of Renton Department of Community & Economic Development Administrative Special Fence Permit Boeing Special Fence LUA23-000250, SF Permit Date: September 14, 2023 Page 2 of 4 D_Admin Decision_Boeing Special Fence Permit_230914_Fin overnight creates additional security risks on the sites that other businesses do not face due to their more typical operating hours. While staff concurs that large parking lots full of vehicles may benefit from additional security measures such as the requested taller fence, future uses on the site with different characteristics may not need additional security and therefore should meet the standard fencing requirements for commercial and industrial uses found in RMC 4-4-040.E. In addition, should any of the parking lots ever be repaved or reconfigured in any way, the fencing and associated landscape buffers in that parking lot should be altered to comply with the fencing standards in effect at the time of the change, or removed altogether. Therefore, staff recommends as a condition of approval, if any of the subject parking lots are repaved or reconfigured in any way and at any point in the future, the applicant shall bring all fencing on the subject site into full compliance with the fence standards in RMC 4-4- 040, or those fence standards in effect at the time of the change, including all standards related to height, setbacks, and landscaping. The applicant contends that the proposed fencing, made of high-quality welded steel with decorative design elements, matches the existing eight-foot (8’) tall fence bordering the plant site adjacent to Logan Ave N and therefore will create a cohesive aesthetic across the Boeing-owned properties. According to the construction plans submitted by the applicant, the fencing would be installed between three-feet (3’) and 23 feet from the property line depending on the location (Exhibit 5). The sections of six-foot (6’) tall fencing located outside of the front or secondary front yard setbacks do not require a Special Fence Permit, however the applicant elected to include those portions in the application due to the meandering nature of the fence sections as they relate to the property lines. Staff concurs with the applicant’s assessment of the aesthetic characters of the proposed fencing and agrees that the proposed fencing is high-quality in nature and will not result in a negative visual impact in the surrounding neighborhood. The proposed landscape plan identifies both existing and new landscaping elements between the proposed fencing and existing sidewalks. Landscaped areas vary in width from a minimum of three feet (3’) in front of the S1 lot along Park Ave N to a maximum of 23 feet in front of the E6 lot along Logan Ave N. Existing mature landscaping consisting of shrubs, trees, and ground cover is present along the western edge of the E6 lot a nd the southern edge of both the S2 and S3 lots. No changes in those two locations are proposed and the applicant proposes locating the fencing behind the existing landscaping. New landscaping is proposed along the southern edge of the E4 lot, the southern and eastern edges of the E3 lot, and the southern edge of the E6 lot, where the installation of new plants will supplement the sparse existing landscaping between the parking stalls and sidewalk. New plants proposed primarily consist of shrubs and ground cover species as identified in the above project description. Six (6) new trees are proposed as part of the project including two (2) Japanese zelkova and four (4) American hornbeam. All proposed trees are all located adjacent to the E3 lot with five (5) facing N 6th St and one facing Park Ave N. Automatic in-ground irrigation is proposed within the landscape strips where new plantings are to be installed. Although identified as such, in order to ensure the proposed fencing is installed behind the new and existing landscaping, staff recommends as a condition of approval, all new fencing shall be installed directly abutting the parking lot curbs and behind any new or existing on-site landscaping elements to the maximum extent possible. The applicant contends that opportunities for new trees along Park Ave N are limited due to the narrowness of the proposed landscape strip between the existing parking spaces and public sidewalk (3 feet proposed). Although staff agrees that most species of tree would not be a ppropriate for the narrow planter strip, some tree species such as Serviceberry, Dogwood, and Crabapple varieties can thrive in planting areas confined in only one dimension. Due to the limited number of existing street trees (2) along the section of Park Ave N in front of the E3 lot, adding on-site trees along the perimeter would serve to increase the tree canopy in the area, minimize the visual impact of the fence, and provide shade to pedestrians and parking lot users. Therefore, staff recommends as a condition of approval, the applicant shall submit an updated landscape plan identifying four (4) new trees in the landscape strip between the Park Ave N sidewalk and the E3 lot. The applicant shall work with a certified DocuSign Envelope ID: 4FC4AF7E-A060-4E1B-BD0D-B224A04C3F87 City of Renton Department of Community & Economic Development Administrative Special Fence Permit Boeing Special Fence LUA23-000250, SF Permit Date: September 14, 2023 Page 3 of 4 D_Admin Decision_Boeing Special Fence Permit_230914_Fin arborist or licensed landscape architect to determine an appropriate tree species for the area. The updated landscape plan shall be reviewed and approved by Current Planning Project Manager prior to installing any landscaping. In addition, the applicant shall schedule a final inspection with the Current Planning Project Manager upon completion of the condition and to assess compliance with the approved landscaping plan no later than six (6) months from the date of the decision. If all conditions of approval are met, City staff agrees with the applicant's justification for the increased height and concurs that the proposed fencing will strike an appropriate balance between enhancing safety of users and protecting the aesthetics of the surrounding neighborhood. Therefore, staff recommends approval of the Special Fence Permit request as submitted, with four (4) conditions. FENCE LOCATION: ☐ Clear Vision Area ☒ Front Yard ☐ Rear Yard ☐ Rear Yard along a Street ☐ Side Yard ☒ Secondary Front Yard FENCE DESIGN: ☒ Permanent Landscaping along the Front of the Fence ☒ Quality Fence Materials ☐ Modulation of Fence ☒ Similar to Design & Material of Surrounding Fence ☐ Increased Setbacks from Sidewalks ☒ Ornamental Materials or Construction Treatment ☒ Orientation of the Finished Face of the Fence toward the Street EVALUATION CRITERIA: Achieved if Conditions of Approval are Met a. The proposed fence improves the privacy and security of the adjoining yard space. b. The proposed fence does not detract from the quality of the residential environment by being out of scale or creating vast blank walls along public roadways. c. The proposed fence compliments the environment it serves in an aesthetically pleasing manner. d. The proposed fence does not present a hazard to vehicular or pedestrian traffic. DECISION: The Special Fence Permit is hereby Approved with Conditions* and subject to the following conditions: *CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL: 1. If any of the subject parking lots are repaved or reconfigured in any way and at any point in the future, the applicant shall bring all fencing on the subject site into full compliance with the fence standards in RMC 4-4-040, or those fence standards in effect at the time of the change, including all standards related to height, setbacks, and landscaping. DocuSign Envelope ID: 4FC4AF7E-A060-4E1B-BD0D-B224A04C3F87 City of Renton Department of Community & Economic Development Administrative Special Fence Permit Boeing Special Fence LUA23-000250, SF Permit Date: September 14, 2023 Page 4 of 4 D_Admin Decision_Boeing Special Fence Permit_230914_Fin 2. All new fencing shall be installed directly abutting the parking lot curbs and behind any new or existing on-site landscaping elements to the maximum extent possible. 3. The applicant shall submit an updated landscape plan identifying four (4) new trees in the landscape strip between the Park Ave N sidewalk and the E3 lot. The appl icant shall work with a certified arborist or licensed landscape architect to determine an appropriate tree species for the area. The updated landscape plan shall be reviewed and approved by the Current Planning Project Manager prior to the installation of landscaping. 4. The applicant shall schedule a final inspection with the Current Planning Project Manager upon completion of the condition and to assess compliance with the approved landscaping plan no later than six (6) months from the date of the decision. SIGNATURE & DATE OF DECISION: Matt Herrera, Acting Planning Director Date ADVISORY NOTE: The applicant should contact the Utility Notification Center, by dialing 800-424-5555, to determine the location of underground utilities (telephone, streetlights, cable, electric), which may be located behind the sidewalk. APPEAL: This administrative land use decision will become final if not appealed in writing to the Hearing Examiner on or before 5:00 PM on September 28, 2023. An appeal of the decision must be filed within the 14- day appeal period (RCW 43.21.C.075(3); WAC 197-11-680). Appeals must be submitted electronically to the City Clerk at cityclerk@rentonwa.gov or delivered to City Hall 1st floor Lobby Hub Monday through Friday. The appeal fee, normally due at the time an appeal is submitted, will be collected at a future date if your appeal is submitted electronically. The appeal submitted in person may be paid on the first floor in our Finance Department. Appeals to the Hearing Examiner are governed by RMC 4-8-110 and additional information regarding the appeal process may be obtained from the City Clerk’s Office, cityclerk@rentonwa.gov. RECONSIDERATION: Within 14 days of the decision date, any party may request that the decision be reopened by the approval body. The approval body may modify his decision if material evidence not readily discoverable prior to the original decision is found or if he finds there was misrepresentation of fact. After review of the reconsideration request, if the approval body finds sufficient evidence to amend the original decision, there will be no further extension of the appeal period. Any person wishing to take further action must file a formal appeal within the 14-day appeal time frame. DocuSign Envelope ID: 4FC4AF7E-A060-4E1B-BD0D-B224A04C3F87 9/14/2023 | 4:49 PM PDT CITY OF RENTON DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATIVE SPECIAL FENCE PERMIT DECISION EXHIBITS Project Name: Boeing Special Fence Land Use File Number: LUA23-000250, SF Date of Report September 14, 2023 Staff Contact Alex Morganroth Senior Planner Project Contact/Applicant Mark Clement PO Box 3707, MS 1W-09, Seattle, WA 98124 Project Location Boeing S1, S2, S3, E3, E4, and E6 Parking Lots (APN 0723059001, 0886610020, 0886610030, 0886610040, 0823059209, 0823059019) The following exhibits are included with the Administrative Special Fence Permit: Exhibit 1: Administrative Decision Exhibit 2: Site Plan Exhibit 3: Fence Specifications Exhibit 4: Landscape Plan Exhibit 5: Construction Plans Exhibit 6: Justification DocuSign Envelope ID: 4FC4AF7E-A060-4E1B-BD0D-B224A04C3F87