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Home My WebLink AboutERC_UW_Medicine_Testing_Facility_CUP_v3DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Project Location Map ERC_UW Medicine Testing Facility CUP_v3 ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW COMMITTEE REPORT ERC Meeting Date: February 14, 2022 Project File Number: PR21-000430 Project Name: UW Medicine Testing Lab Land Use File Number: LUA21-000463, ECF, CUP-A Project Manager: Brittany Gillia, Assistant Planner Owner: B.H. 1601 Lind Avenue, LLC, PO Box 49993, Los Angeles, CA, 90049 Applicant/Contact: Ben Newton, University of Washington, Campus Box 352210, Seattle, WA, 98195 Project Location: 1601 Lind Ave SW, Renton, WA 98055 Project Summary: The applicant, University of Washington, is requesting approval of a Conditional Use Permit and Environmental (SEPA) review for the change of use from office space to laboratory facilities in an existing structure in the CO zone (Exhibit 2). State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) review is required as the action is not categorically exempt pursuant to WAC 197-11-800(3), specifically a change of use within a building in excess of 4,000 square feet (RMC 4-9-070G.1.C). The applicant proposes relocation of their Medicine Testing Lab facilities (primarily testing for COVID-19) to the first floor of a vacant office building located at 1601 Lind Ave SW (APN 3340404006) (Exhibit 3). The 5.29-acre site is located in the Commercial Office (CO) zone, Urban Design District ‘D’, and the Employment Area Comprehensive Plan land use designation. The proposed laboratories: research, development, and testing use within a CO zone requires Conditional Use Permit approval pursuant to RMC 4-2-060N. The testing lab will contain equipment to perform several tests on samples that are collected in other locations and couriered to the facility using small courier vehicles including cars and small panel trucks (Exhibit 4). All chemical waste from the site will be collected and disposed and will not enter the public wastewater system (Exhibit 5). Patients requiring testing are not expected to visit the site. The proposal will occupy approximately 39,834 square feet of the first floor of the total 199,168 gross square footage of existing vacant office space and approximately 15,240 square feet of that space will consist of testing lab facilities. Exist. Bldg. Area SF: 199,168 Proposed New Bldg. Area (footprint): Proposed New Bldg. Area (gross): N/A N/A Site Area: 5.29 acres Total Building Area GSF: 199,168 STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff Recommends that the Environmental Review Committee issue a Determination of Non-Significance (DNS). DocuSign Envelope ID: 3FB88489-C97A-493A-A1A9-1E21C2491C8D City of Renton Department of Community & Economic Development UW Medicine Testing Lab Staff Report to the Environmental Review Committee LUA21-000463, ECF, CUP-A Report of February 14, 2022 Page 2 of 5 ERC_UW Medicine Testing Facility CUP_v3 ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW In compliance with RCW 43.21C.240, the following environmental (SEPA) review addresses only those project impacts that are not adequately addressed under existing development standards and environmental regulations. A. Environmental Threshold Recommendation Based on analysis of probable impacts from the proposal, staff recommends that the Responsible Officials: Issue a DNS with a 14-day appeal period B. Mitigation Measures 1. None recommended C. Exhibits Exhibit 1: Environmental Review Committee (ERC) Report Exhibit 2: Site Plan Exhibit 3: Floor Plan, Architectural Plan Set Exhibit 4: Project Narrative Exhibit 5: Hazardous Materials Management Statement Exhibit 6: Chemical Inventory Report generated by MyChem, dated September 7, 2021 Exhibit 7: Comment Letter from Department of Ecology, dated January 27, 2022 Exhibit 8: Staff Response to Department of Ecology, dated January 27, 2022 Exhibit 9: Trip Generation and Independent Transportation Impact Fee Estimate prepared by Transportation Engineering Northwest (TENW) dated January 2, 2022 Exhibit 10: Transportation Concurrency Memo Exhibit 11: SEPA Checklist Exhibit 12: Advisory Notes D. Environmental Impacts The Proposal was circulated and reviewed by various City Departments and Divisions to determine whether the applicant has adequately identified and addressed environmental impacts anticipated to occur in conjunction with the proposed development. Staff reviewers have identified that the proposal is likely to have the following probable impacts: 1. Earth Impacts: According to COR Maps, high seismic hazards are mapped on the project site. The applicant has indicated the project would result in no additional or replaced impervious area. Proposed changes to the building include interior tenant improvements as well as rooftop HVAC units and a vent stack and there are no new structures or builiding expansions proposed therefore a geotechnical report was not required as part of the land use application. The project would be required to demonstrate compliance with the structural design requirements in the 2018 International Building Code for sites with seismic hazards. Mitigation Measures: None recommended. Nexus: Not applicable. DocuSign Envelope ID: 3FB88489-C97A-493A-A1A9-1E21C2491C8D City of Renton Department of Community & Economic Development UW Medicine Testing Lab Staff Report to the Environmental Review Committee LUA21-000463, ECF, CUP-A Report of February 14, 2022 Page 3 of 5 ERC_UW Medicine Testing Facility CUP_v3 2. Air Impacts: The former office building is not proposed to be replaced, all demolition work will be performed inside the structure, and there is no anticipation of increased emissions or odor generated from the proposed tenant improvements or change of use. The applicant has submitted an Inventory Report generated by MyChem dated September 7, 2021 listing the types and quantities of chemicals that may be stored and used on site in the testing facility (Exhibit 6). The emissions to the air resulting from the project will include the exhaust of testing chemicals through one fume hood, as well as exhausted environmental air from the lab and office spaces (Exhibit 3). There will be no on-site hazardous substance processing and handling, or hazardous waste treatment and storage (Exhibit 5). The chemicals and environmental air exhausted in the fume hoods will go through a high plume exhaust fan. All Biosafety cabinets will be outfitted with recirculation type HEPA filters. Mitigation Measures: None recommended. Nexus: N/A 3. Water Wetland, Streams, Lakes Impacts: A special flood hazard area (100-year flood) is mapped over most of the site. No ground disturbance would occur external to the existing building and no expansion to the existing building or impervious surface is proposed. Due to the scope of work only taking place internal to the existing structure, no significant impacts are anticipated as a result of the project. If changes to the site external to the existing building are proposed, the project would be required to demonstrate compliance with flood hazard area standards related to flood proofing,compensatory storage, and construction techniques capable of resisting hydrostatic and hydrodynamic loads. Mitigation Measures: None recommended. Nexus: Not applicable. 4. Environmental Health a. Environmental Health Hazards Impacts: A public comment letter (Exhibit 7) was received on January 27, 2022 from Kelli Sheldon, SEPA Coordinator with the Department of Ecology, stating that the proposed project is located in an area that may have been contaminated with heavy metals due to the air emissions originating from the old Asarco smelter in north Tacoma. The letter requests that the SEPA lead agency (City of Renton) include three (3) mitigation measures as part of the threshold determination related to entry into the agency’s Voluntary Clean-up Program (VCP) under the Washington Model Toxics Control Act. Staff confirmed that the Tacoma Smelter Plume map indicates the potential presence of heavy metals on the site, as is similar to a large swath of Renton’s jurisdictional area. However, the proposed project is a change of use in an existing building and does not involve any demolition, new construction, or substantial site grading that would result significant soil disturbance or vegetation removal. Due to the project only involving a change of use within an existing building in good repair, staff does not recommend any site-specific mitigation measures related to environmental health impacts. Mitigation Measures: None recommended. Nexus: N/A b. Noise Impacts: Short term construction noise impacts generated by the proposal would be minimal because bulk of work would occur inside the newly constructed building. Long term noise sources generated by the proposal would include HVAC as well as trucks arriving and departing. DocuSign Envelope ID: 3FB88489-C97A-493A-A1A9-1E21C2491C8D City of Renton Department of Community & Economic Development UW Medicine Testing Lab Staff Report to the Environmental Review Committee LUA21-000463, ECF, CUP-A Report of February 14, 2022 Page 4 of 5 ERC_UW Medicine Testing Facility CUP_v3 Mitigation Measures: None recommended. Nexus: N/A 5. Transportation Impacts: A Trip Generation and Independent Transportation Impact Fee Estimate prepared by Transportation Engineering Northwest (TENW) dated January 2, 2022 (Exhibit 9) was submitted with the project materials. The assessment used a site-specific trip generation analysis to provide a forecast for the proposed laboratory use. According to the memo provided, peak hour trip generation estimates would result in 52 AM peak hour trips (1 in, 51 out) and four (4) PM peak hour trips (2 in, 2 out). The project is estimated to generate 354 daily trips which includes three (3) shifts of employees, specimen delivery and pick-up, waste pick-up, supply delivery and miscellaneous daily trips (USPS Mail, UPS, FedEx etc). Deliveries are likely to occur using small courier vehicles including cars and small panel trucks. The report also concludes that on-site parking is sufficient for the proposed use. According to the applicant’s Trip Generation Assessment, a trip reduction can be applied to the proposed project based on methodology documented in the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Trip Generation Manual, 11th Edition for Land Use Code (LUC), due to the decrease in traffic volume when comparing the previous General Office Building use to the proposed laboratory use. The applicant’s analysis states that converting the first floor general office area of the existing building to a laboratory facility, the proposed development would decrease the net new AM peak hour trips by 9 trips (-52 inbound and 43 outbound) and net new PM peak hour trips by 53 trips (-7 inbound and -46 outbound) for a total reduction of 62 daily peak hour trips. The applicant’s analysis concludes the proposal would generate an overall reduction of approximately 78 net new average weekday daily trips. Staff has reviewed the data and methods utilized in the memo and determined that the new use would not generate any significant traffic impacts. In addition, staff determined that at completion of the project, the development will have met City of Renton concurrency requirements (Exhibit 10). As the proposal is anticipated to result in a net decrease in additional AM or PM peak hour trips and the exiting parking is sufficient, no further mitigation is recommended. Mitigation Measures: None recommended. Nexus: N/A E. Comments of Reviewing Departments The proposal has been circulated to City Department and Division Reviewers. Where applicable, their comments have been incorporated into the text of this report and/or “Advisory Notes to Applicant.” ✓ Copies of all Review Comments are contained in the Official File and may be attached to this report. The Environmental Determination decision will become final if the decision is not appealed within the 14-day appeal period (RCW 43.21.C.075(3); WAC 197-11-680). ✓ Environmental Determination Appeal Process: Appeals of the environmental determination must be filed in writing on or before 5:00 p.m. on February 28, 2022. Due to the ongoing state of emergency enacted by Governor’s Proclamation 20-05, the City Clerk’s Office is working remotely. For that reason, appeals must be submitted electronically to the City Clerk at cityclerk@rentonwa.gov or delivered to City Hall 1st floor Lobby Hub only on Tuesdays and/or Wednesdays. 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. 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. DocuSign Envelope ID: 3FB88489-C97A-493A-A1A9-1E21C2491C8D City of Renton Department of Community & Economic Development UW Medicine Testing Lab Staff Report to the Environmental Review Committee LUA21-000463, ECF, CUP-A Report of February 14, 2022 Page 5 of 5 ERC_UW Medicine Testing Facility CUP_v3 CITY OF RENTON DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STAFF REPORT TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW COMMITTEE EXHIBITS Project Name: UW Medicine Testing Lab Land Use File Number: LUA21-000463, ECF, CUP-A Date of Meeting February 14, 2022 Staff Contact Brittany Gillia Assistant Planner Project Contact/Applicant Ben Newton University of Washington Campus Box 352210, Seattle, WA, 98195 Project Location 1601 Lind Ave SW, Renton, WA 98055 The following exhibits are included with the ERC Report: Exhibit 1: Environmental Review Committee (ERC) Report Exhibit 2: Site Plan Exhibit 3: Floor Plan, Architectural Plan Set Exhibit 4: Project Narrative Exhibit 5: Hazardous Materials Management Statement Exhibit 6: Chemical Inventory Report generated by MyChem, dated September 7, 2021 Exhibit 7: Comment Letter from Department of Ecology, dated January 27, 2022 Exhibit 8: Staff Response to Department of Ecology, dated January 27, 2022 Exhibit 9: Trip Generation and Independent Transportation Impact Fee Estimate prepared by Transportation Engineering Northwest (TENW) dated January 2, 2022 Exhibit 10: Transportation Concurrency Memo Exhibit 11: SEPA Checklist Exhibit 12: Advisory Notes DocuSign Envelope ID: 3FB88489-C97A-493A-A1A9-1E21C2491C8D DocuSign Envelope ID: 3FB88489-C97A-493A-A1A9-1E21C2491C8D