Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutJ_Justification_CUP_20210324_v1 (2).pdfRENTON SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 403 ELEMENTARY SCHOOL #16 CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT MARCH 2021 ATTACHMENT CUP JUSTIFICATION CUP Attachment (Justification) – Elementary School #16 Page 1 BRENT PLANNING SOLUTIONS, LLC FOR RENTON SCHOOL DIST. NO. 403 (3-2021) Renton Municipal Code 4-9-030 Conditional Use Permits D. Decision Criteria: The following provides detailed information as justification for the approval of the Conditional Use Permit (CUP). 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 zoning regulations and any other plans, programs, maps or ordinances of the City of Renton. The proposed school use is consistent and compatible with the comprehensive plan. The policies listed below outline consistency with some of the most pertinent policies in the plan. There are additional details and policies referenced within the SEPA Environmental Checklist. Land Use Element Policy L-31: Protect buffers along wetlands and surface waters to facilitate infiltration and maintain stable water temperatures, provide for biological diversity, reduce amount and velocity of run-off, and provide for wildlife habitat. Policy L-34: Ensure buildings, roads, and other built features are located on less sensitive portions of a site when sensitive areas are present. Housing and Human Services Element Policy HHS-17: Build on collaborative relationships; partner with local agencies and school districts to increase affordability and availability of early childhood education, after-school youth engagement opportunities, and preparation for college/career. Policy HHS-23: Support the link between land development and physical activity by increasing options for transit use, walking, and bicycling, such as providing physical connections between residential areas and schools and/or commercial development. Utilities Element Policy U-29: Control runoff from new development, redevelopment, and construction sites through the implementation of development design standards and construction techniques that promote the use of best management practices to maintain and improve storm water quality and manage stormwater flow. Capital Facilities Element Policy CF-5: Individually adopt by reference the most current Capital Facilities Plans for the Kent School District #415, the Issaquah School District #411, and the Renton School District #403, and CUP Attachment (Justification) – Elementary School #16 Page 2 BRENT PLANNING SOLUTIONS, LLC FOR RENTON SCHOOL DIST. NO. 403 (3-2021) adopt an implementing ordinance establishing a school impact fees consistent with each District’s adopted Capital Facilities Plan, if the Plan demonstrates that the facilities are needed to accommodate projected growth. School uses are allowed through the Conditional Use process and requirements for that approval have been included. The project design meets the requirements of the zoning code for setbacks, height, landscaping, drainage, wetland and transportation. The school use is also consistent with, and discussed in, the District’s Capital Facilities Plan that is adopted by the City. 2. Appropriate Location: The proposed location shall not result in the 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. There is a need for an elementary school within this vicinity of the school district boundary. The proposed Elementary School #16 is part of the 2019 School Construction Bond, which raised nearly $250 million. Population growth in the Renton Highlands area has led the District to need additional classroom capacity for elementary school students. The site is well served by utilities and a transportation network that can meet the needs of a school site. While Hazen High School is located across Duvall Ave NE, the development of the site for an elementary school provides that resource to the surrounding residential community. 3. Effect on Adjacent Properties: The proposed use at the proposed location shall not result in substantial or undue adverse effects on adjacent property. Consideration of adjacent uses was implemented in the design layout and visual considerations. The placement of the school building internally and adjacent to parking and bus drop -off has reduced impacts of the uses and structure to the adjacent community. The preservation of Wetland C would continue to provide an environmental asset to the community and buffer from adjacent residential uses. Numerous existing trees would be preserved, and landscaping and perimeter setbacks would meet code requirements. There would be increased traffic on Chelan Ave NE, but this would be mainly limited to AM arrivals and PM end of school. Noise levels generated by the school use are within code limits. 4. Compatibility: The proposed use shall be compatible with the scale and character of the neighborhood. In order to reduce the overall ‘bulk’ of the building, the façade has been carefully subdivided to assist the transition to the surrounding residential uses. The classroom wings are broken into sections, providing articulation of the façade every 1-2 classrooms. These sections are further subdivided by use of materials and color to again subdivide the mass into smaller sections. Along Duvall Ave NE the building uses roof lines and materials to reduce the scale of the building. The main visitor and staff parking lot is located to the south of the proposed school, and is screened from surrounding streets by landscaping and buildings. Driveways and curb cuts have been minimized. CUP Attachment (Justification) – Elementary School #16 Page 3 BRENT PLANNING SOLUTIONS, LLC FOR RENTON SCHOOL DIST. NO. 403 (3-2021) The proposed design incorporates prominent architectural features and varying rooflines to divide the building façade into smaller increments. Variations in materials and material application have been utilized to create a visually attractive, durable design. The project would incorporate site lighting at a level necessary to ensure the safety and security of all visitors while not impacted adjacent residential uses. The District has been in contact with the Renton Jehovah’s Witnesses Church and the school development would not impact the church use or operation. 5. Parking: Adequate parking is, or will be made, available. The proposal includes on-site parking for a total of 82 automobiles (79 in the main staff/visitor lot and 3 in the bus load/unload area). The school-bus load/unload area has room for 8 full-size (typically 40 feet long) school buses and two special education (SPED) buses (typically 25 feet long); although current planning indicates the school would be served by eight or fewer buses. During evening and/or weekend events, the school-bus load area could be used for automobile parking, which is estimated to accommodate about 20 vehicles. City of Renton Municipal Code section 4-4-080.F.10.d outlines the parking requirements for a variety of land uses. For elementary schools, the City requires a minimum and maximum of 1 parking space per employee. The proposed school is expected to have 60 employees when enrolled at its planned capacity of 650 students. Based on these values, the City would require a minimum and maximum of 60 parking spaces. The proposed parking supply would exceed City code requirements. As a result, the District is requesting a modification to exceed the number of parking spaces on-site. 6. Traffic: The use shall ensure safe movement for vehicles and pedestrians and shall mitigate potential effects on the surrounding area. The school site design has provided for the safe movement of vehicles to the site and for queuing on-site. Vehicular safety during construction was also considered during the planning. Parking layouts are designed to allow for parent queuing during drop off an d pick up. Bus parking has been provided along the bus drop off located off of Duvall Ave NE. The District would require the selected contractor to develop a construction management plan (CMP) that addresses traffic and pedestrian control during school construction. It should define truck routes, lane closures, walkway closures, and on-street parking disruptions, as necessary. To the extent possible, the CMP should direct trucks to arterials and away from residential streets to avoid unnecessary conflicts with resident and pedestrian activity. The CMP should identify parking locations for the construction staff; to the extent possible, construction employee parking should be contained on - site. Other transportation mitigation includes: The City collects transportation impact fees and has outlined fee rates for a variety of uses. The transportation impact fee for the elementary school project is calculated to be $356,377. The project would dedicate right-of-way along the street frontages of Duvall Ave NE and Chelan Ave NE. The dedication along Duvall Ave NE would be about 887 linear feet along the length of CUP Attachment (Justification) – Elementary School #16 Page 4 BRENT PLANNING SOLUTIONS, LLC FOR RENTON SCHOOL DIST. NO. 403 (3-2021) the property line and could vary between 7.5 and 12 feet in width. The total area of the dedication could range from about 8,220 SF (if the dedication varies between 7.5 and 12 feet) and about 10,646 SF (if a straight-line dedication is required). The six-inch dedication along Chelan Ave NE would be about 272 linear feet long with a total area of about 136 SF. Frontage improvements would be made along Duvall Ave NE and Chelan Ave NE. The District would coordinate with the City to integrate the dedication areas and frontage improvements with the City’s planned roadway improvement in that segment. To mitigate school-related traffic impacts, the project would install a traffic signal (replacing the existing HAWK beacon signal) at the NE 10th Street / Duvall Ave NE intersection. Installation of the new traffic signal would include pedestrian actuated signals and crosswalks on all four legs. In addition to these measures the District would communicate with staff, students and the community information on proper access to the school and parking for school and event days. 7. Noise, Light and Glare: Potential noise, light and glare impacts from the proposed use shall be evaluated and mitigated. A noise study was conducted for the project. Model-calculated sound levels of on-site traffic and chiller (equipment) operations during peak morning arrival indicate compliance with the applicable noise limits during daytime hours. Model-calculated sound levels of chiller operations simultaneously with generator maintenance indicates this activity would comply with the daytime noise limits at all receptor locations. Consideration of potential increases in noise due to morning arrival traffic and chiller operation results in estimated increases of 0 to 2 dBA at all residences near the site. Such increases in an active, outdoor environment would be difficult to discern, and the project is not expected to result in substantial noise impacts. A lighting plan is included with the CUP submittal. All exterior building lighting would be directed downward and shielded to minimize glare on the nearest properties. Every fixture on the exterior would be provided with a motion sensor. 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 effects of the proposed use. The Landscape Plan for the site was designed to utilize native and drought tolerant plant materials to reduce the need for long-term use of supplemental irrigation. The landscape design avoids the use of any plants that require intensive hand pruning or weed ing. Portions of the development area not covered by structures or other paved areas, would be landscaped with native, drought - resistant vegetative cover. Irrigation would be provided to enhance plant establishment. The City requires the following landscaping be provided, which has been incorporated into the site design: 1. A landscape strip 10 feet in width along all public street frontages (private side) and would include trees, shrubs, and groundcover. 2. Planting in the right-of-way planter strip between the curb and sidewalk with trees and groundcover has been shown on the plans. CUP Attachment (Justification) – Elementary School #16 Page 5 BRENT PLANNING SOLUTIONS, LLC FOR RENTON SCHOOL DIST. NO. 403 (3-2021) 3. Nonresidential development in a residential zone requires a 15-foot wide partially sight- obscuring landscaped visual barrier or a 10-foot wide fully sight-obscuring landscaped visual barrier along common property lines, which is included. 4. Interior parking lot landscaping areas would be sized to dimensions of at least eight feet (8') by twelve feet (12'). 5. A 15-foot perimeter landscaping screen (located outside of any required fencing) is required around storm drainage facilities and has been shown on the plans. In addition to the landscaped areas, there would be seeded turf, synthetic turf and wood chip surfaces.