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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPN_Conditional_Use_Permit_Justification_190916_v1CITC RENTON HEADQUARTERS LAND USE PERMIT APPLICATION CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT JUSTIFICATION SEPTEMBER 16, 2019 1 | P a g e Consistency with Plans and Regulations: According to the Renton Municipal Code: “The purpose of the Commercial Arterial Zone (CA) is to evolve from “strip commercial” linear business districts to business areas characterized by enhanced site planning and pedestrian orientation, incorporating efficient parking lot design, coordinated access, amenities and boulevard treatment with greater densities. The CA Zone provides for a wide variety of retail sales, services, and other commercial activities along high-volume traffic corridors”. This project is in keeping with these goals, and provides a pedestrian friendly site with ample areas of trees and landscaping, and includes a public plaza for pedestrians to enjoy. The building itself is oriented toward the 3 surrounding streets, is aesthetically pleasing and will provide activity and eyes on the street in an area that has remained under-developed for decades along an important arterial street leading into Renton’s City Center. Appropriate Location: CITC provides a 4-year vocational training program in a variety of construction industry trades for people interested in pursuing a non-union construction career. The caliber and level of CITC’s programs make them synonymous with 4-year colleges which are allowed outright in this zone. There aren’t currently any similar types of facilities in the immediate vicinity, although there is a Union training facility (UA Local 32) approximately 2.5 – 3 miles from the CITC site, and Renton Technical College is approximately 1.5 miles away. CITC feels that Renton will be the ideal location for their new headquarters, and will serve as the perfect hub for a wide variety of their current and future students who travel in from the greater Seattle metropolitan area. Effect on Adjacent Properties: The adjacent properties consist of a strip mall, multi-family apartment buildings, single family residential and a convenience store. The site has been under-utilized, and has not been compatible with Renton’s goals for this district. The CITC Campus will substantially improve the property with a significantly improved building design, all new sidewalks and landscaping, a public plaza and undergrounded utilities. CITC and the design team met with representatives of the local community on 8/29/19, and the project was met with unanimous excitement and approval. Parking: The property was studied by Gibson Traffic Engineers and it was determined that 24 peak demand parking stalls would be required to meet the demands of CITC RENTON HEADQUARTERS LAND USE PERMIT APPLICATION CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT JUSTIFICATION SEPTEMBER 16, 2019 2 | P a g e CITC on this particular site. CITC is providing 60 on-site parking stalls and the improved right of way areas will provide another 30 spaces surrounding the site which will be safer and easier to use compared to what exists currently. Traffic: The southwest corner of the site, which currently comes to a point, is planned to be rounded off, making it easier for fast-moving traffic along Bronson Way to turn right onto Garden Ave safely and efficiently. The interior alley will be marked as one-way, and will be accessed only off of 2nd Street, reducing traffic congestion on Bronson Way N. and providing an entrance to the CITC private parking lot off of the alley instead of from one of the surrounding streets. Noise, Light and Glare: Only minimal noise will be generated at the CITC campus, but all of this will be contained within the building. The existing CMU shell is being wrapped in rigid insulation as well as glazing with a high STC rating to mitigate any noise that is generated in the hands-on training labs. Both interior and exterior lighting design is intended to minimize glare, eliminate light spill onto neighboring properties, and achieve the objectives laid out by the City of Renton. Lighting that is visible to the project surroundings will be scheduled for the open hours of the building with light levels being reduced to minimum levels needed for neighborhood safety during the un-occupied hours of the building. Lighting for the project is being carefully and thoughtfully designed to conform to the City of Redmond Exterior Lighting standards which preclude safety hazards and shall not interfere with views. Interior and exterior lighting will also be enabled with dimming control for specific area light level adjustability. Photometric calculations will be employed to ensure that glare and light spill are not present with this project. Landscaping: Substantial areas of landscaping will be provided both on the site and in the surrounding right of way, totaling 21,595sf of planted areas. This includes a 1824sf Bioretention Planter which will treat all storm water runoff from the surface parking lot before it enters Renton’s storm drain facilities. Additionally, a planted wall has been incorporated into the building design along the northern façade to soften the appearance of the building for the neighboring single family residential properties across the street on 2nd St N.