HomeMy WebLinkAboutlighthouse dec ltr �
Denis Law Mayor
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City Clerk-Jason A.Seth,CMC
lanuary 9, 2018
Lawrence Morris
Lighthouse Baptist Church
25318 150th Place SE
Covington, WA 98042
Subject: Hearing Examiner's Final Decision
RE: Lighthouse Baptist Church Conditional Use (LUA-17-000741)
Dear Mr. Morris:
Enclosed please find the Hearing Examiner's Final Decision dated January 5, 2018. This
document is immediately available:
• Electronically online at the City of Renton City Clerk Division website at
www.rentonwa.�ov/cityclerk. Click the "Hearing Examiner Decisions" link on the
right side of the screen located under the section titled, "Helpful Links." The
Hearing Examiner Decisions are filed by year and then alphabetical order by
project name.
I can be reached at (425) 430-6510 or jseth@rentonwa.gov. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Jason A. Seth, CMC
City Clerk
cc: Hearing Examiner
Matthew Herrera,Senior Planner
Jennifer Henning, Planning Director
Brianne Bannwarth, Development Engineering Manager
Craig Burnell, Building Official
Katie Buchl-Morales,Secretary, Planning Division
Julia Medzegian,City Council Liaison
Parties of Record(13)
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1055 South Grady Way,Renton,WA 98057 • (425)430-6510/Fax (425)430-6516 • rentonwa.gov
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g BEFORE THE HEARING EXAMINER FOR THE CITY OF RENTON
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10 �� Lighthouse Baptist Church )
) FIDNINGS OF FACT, CONCLUSIONS OF
11 Conditional Use ) LAW AND FINAL DECISION
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12 LUA17-000741, CU-H )
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15 Summary
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The Applicant has applied for conditional use permit approval for a change of use and tenant
17 improvements for 4,500 square feet of tenant space in a shopping center from a health and fitness club
to a church for property located at 1222 Bronson Way N. The application is approved subject to
1 g conditions.
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Testimony
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Matthew Herrera, Senior Planner for City of Renton, summarized the proposal. In response to
21 Examiner questions, Mr. Herrera stated that staff construes the commercial building in which the
22 tenant space is housed to qualify as a shopping center under parking standards because it contains four
or more commercial uses. Even if the building did qualify as a mixed use, the project site would still
23 satisfy parking standards. •
24 Lawrence Morris, Applicant, thanked the property managers and church members for attending the
25 hearing.
26 Exhibits
CONDITIONAL USE- 1
1
The December 19, 2017 Staff Report Exhibits 1-13 identified at Page 2 of the staff report were
2 admitted into the record during the hearing. The following exhibits were also admitted during the
3 hearing:
4 Exhibit 14: Staff PowerPoint
Exhibit 15: City of Renton COR maps
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FINDINGS OF FACT
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Procedural:
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1. Applicant. The Applicant is Lawrence Morris, PO Box 58367,Renton, WA 98058.
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10 2• Hearin . A hearing was held on the applications on December 19, 2017 in the City of Renton
Council Chambers.
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3. Project Description. The Applicant has applied for conditional use permit approval for a
12 change of use and tenant improvements for a 4,500 square feet of tenant space in a shopping center
13 from a health and fitness club to a church for property located at 1222 Bronson Way N. The existing
tenant space (Unit 250) is currently vacant and located in the northwest corner of the existing Village
14 Square Shopping Center. No exterior site construction improvements are proposed, and no change is
proposed to the building's other existing tenant spaces. Proposed interior improvements for the
15 church tenant space include new demising walls, restroom upgrades, and raised platform area. The
16 tenant improvement would provide typical gathering spaces for church services and classrooms for
the church's private K-8 school for up to 20 students. Primary access to the site will remain in the
1� existing locations along Garden Ave N and Bronson Way N. The subject property is approximately
2.75 acres comprised of six (6) contiguous parcels that contains an existing strip retail building with
I g various commercial tenants and 174 surface parking spaces.
19 4. Surroundin� Area. Single-family developed and zoned property is located to the north, mixed
20 use to the west, Liberty Park to the south and a vehicle service facility to the east.
21 5. Adverse Impacts. There are no significant adverse impacts associated with the proposal.
Impacts are more specifically addressed as follows:
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23 A. Compatibilitv. Since the proposal will not involve any exterior tenant improvements,
it is compatible with the scale and character of surrounding uses. The use does not
24 involve any overconcentration of church use in the surrounding area. The nearest
known church in the North Renton neighborhood is the Seed of Abraham Pentecostal
25 Church located near N 3rd and Wells Ave N approximately 1/3-mile northwest of the
26 site. There is no other church in the subject shopping center.
CONDITIONAL USE-2
1 B. Light, glare and noise. The proposed use would not generate additional noise impacts to
the existing shopping center. Activities and assemblies would be held indoors. Exterior
2 noise impacts would be limited to vehicles arriving and departing the site. The proposed
3 Lighthouse Baptist Church has not proposed and has not shown the need for any
additional lighting to utilize the tenant space within the existing shopping center. The
4 shopping center main parking lot contains three (3) light standards approximately 20-feet
high with cut-off shields. Building mounted lighting is located along the north farade.
5 Mature evergreen landscaping along the northern property line mitigates potential glare
6 impacts to abutting properties.
'7 C. Critical Areas and Natural Features. The project area is mapped as a high seismic hazard
and well head protection area. However, since no exterior tenant improvements are
g proposed, and no hazardous material use or storage is anticipated for the proposed use, the
9 proposal is not subject to any critical area requirements. No other natural features are
adversely affected since no exterior improvements are proposed.
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D. Parkin . Parking was an issue raised by one of the project neighbors in written comment,
11 Ex. 9. The City's parking standards set the standard for adequacy of parking. As identified
12 at page 8-9 of the staff report, the proposal meets the City's parking standards. There is
nothing unusual about the project that justifies requiring parking that exceeds City parking
13 standards, so the parking is construed as adequate.
14 E. Landscapin�. It is determined that the proposal provides for adequate and appropriate
landscaping. In the existing development, landscaping is provided in all areas not
15 occupied by buildings. The subject property contains perimeter landscaping between the
16 parking lot and street frontage along Garden Ave N and Bronson Way N. Additional
perimeter landscaping is located along the northern property line that contains a row of
17 mature evergreen trees that reach 50+ feet in height. Landscaping within the parking lot is
composed of trees, shrubs, and groundcover.
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19 Conclusions of Law
20 1. Authori . RMC 4-2-060 provides that religious institutions are authorized in the CA zone
by hearing examiner conditional use permit. A hearing examiner conditional use permits is a Type III
21 review pursuant to RMC 4-8-080(G). As outlined in RMC 4-8-080(G), the hearing examiner is
22 authorized to hold hearings and issue final decisions on Type III applications subject to closed record
appeal to the Renton City Council.
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2. Zonin Comprehensive Plan Designations. The subject property is within the Commercial
24 Mixed Use (CMU} Comprehensive Plan land use designation and the Commercial Arterial (CA)
zoning classification.
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3. Review Criteria. Conditional use criteria are governed by RMC 4-9-030(D). Applicable
26 standards are quoted below in italics and applied through corresponding conclusions of law.
CONDITIONAL USE- 3
1 Conditional Use
2 The Administrator or designee or the Hearing Examiner shall consider, as applicable, the following
factors for all applications:
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4 RMC 4-9-030(C)(1): Consistency with Plans and Regulations: The proposed use shall be
compatible with the general goals, objectives, policies and standards of the Comprehensive Plan, the
5 zoning regulations and any other plans,programs, maps or ordinances of the Ciry of Renton.
6 4. As conditioned, the proposal is consistent with all applicable comprehensive plan policies and
development standards as outlined in Findings of Fact No. 17 - 19 of the staff report, adopted by this
� reference as if set forth in full.
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RMC 4-9-030(C)(2): Appropriate Location: The proposed location shall not result in the
9 detrimental overconcentration of a particular use within the City or within the immediate area of the
proposed use. The proposed location shall be suited for the proposed use.
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11 5. The proposed use will not result in an overconcentration of use for the reasons identified in
Finding of Fact No. 5(A). The proposed location is suited for the proposed use because it doesn't
12 involve any exterior improvements and will not create any adverse impacts to the surrounding area
for the reasons identified in Finding of Fact No. 5.
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RMC 4-9-030(C)(3): Effect on Adjacent Properties: The proposed use at the proposed location
14 shall not result in substantial or undue adverse effects on adjacent properry.
15 6. As determined in Finding of Fact No. 5, as conditioned, there are no adverse impacts
16 associated with the proposal, so it will not result in substantial or undue adverse effects on adjacent
property.
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RMC 4-9-030(C)(4): Compatibi[ity: The proposed use shall be compatible with the scale and
1 g character of the neighborhood.
19 �. As determined in Finding of Fact No. 5, the proposed use is compatible with the scale and
20 character of the neighborhood.
21 RMC 4-9-030(C)(5): Parking:Adequate parking is, or will be made, available.
22 8. As determined in Finding of Fact No. 5, the proposal includes parking that is consistent with
applicable parking standards, which sets a legislative standard for adequate parking.
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24 RMC 4-9-030(C)(6): Traffic: The use shall ensure safe movement for vehicles and pedestrians and
shall mitigate potential effects on the surrounding area.
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9. The development has already been reviewed for safety and circulation when the existing
26 building was originally approved. As there is nothing to suggest that the proposed change in use will
CONDITIONAL USE-4
1 adversely change the safety impacts of the originally approved uses, there is no legal basis to require
any more of the Applicant. See Burton v. Clark County, 91 Wn. App. 505, 516-17 (1998).
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3 RMC 4-9-030(C)(7): Noise, Light and Glare: Potential noise, light and glare impacts from the
proposed use shall be evaluated and mitigated.
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10. As conditioned, as determined in Finding of Fact No. 5, the proposal will not result in any
5 adverse light, noise or glare impacts.
6 RMC 4-9-030(C)(8): Landscaping: Landscaping shall be provided in all areas not occupied by
� buildings, paving, or critical areas. Additional landscaping may be required to buffer adjacent
properties from potentially adverse e,ffects of the proposed use.
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1 l. As determined in Finding of Fact No. 5, all undeveloped portions of the site are landscaped.
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DECISION
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11 The conditional use permit application is consistent with all applicable review criteria for the reasons
identified in the Conclusions of Law as conditioned below:
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1. The subject site is located in the Commercial Mixed Use (CMU) Comprehensive Plan
13 designation and complies with the goals and policies established with this designation, see FOF 17.
14 2' The subject site is located in the Commercial Arterial (CA) zoning designation and complies
with the zoning and development standards established with this designation provided the applicant
15 complies with City Code, see FOF 18.
3. The proposed Conditional Use complies with the Urban Design Regulations provided the
16 applicant complies with City Code, see FOF 19.
4. The proposed Conditional Use complies with the Critical Areas Regulations provided the
17 applicant complies with City Code, see FOF 20.
1 g 5. The proposed Conditional Use complies with the Conditional Use Permit criteria as
established by City Code provided the applicant complies alt advisory notes, see FOF 21.
19 6. There are adequate public services and facilities to accommodate the proposed Conditional
Use, see FOF 22.
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CONDITIONAL USE - 5
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2 DATED this 5th day of January, 2018.
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4 �! ..--�`� C::....,.�
Phi A.Olbrechts
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City of Renton Hearing Examiner
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� Appeal Right and Valuation Notices
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9 As consolidated, RMC 4-8-080(G) classifies the application(s) subject to this decision as Type III
applications subject to closed record appeal to the City of Renton City Council. Appeals of the
10 hearing examiner's decision must be filed within fourteen (14) calendar days from the date of the
11 decision. A request for reconsideration to the hearing examiner may also be filed within this 14-
day appeal period.
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Affected property owners may request a change in valuation for property tax purposes
13 notwithstanding any program of revaluation.
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CONDITIONAL USE - 6