HomeMy WebLinkAbout15_1228 Statement Addressing Project Criteria Compliance25 CENTRAL WAY SUITE 210 : KIRKLAND, WA 98033 : 425.454.7130 : WWW.MILBRANDTARCH.COM
MILBRANDT ARCHITECTS
December 18, 2015
City of Renton Planning Division
1055 South Grady Way
Renton, WA 98057
Re: PPUD ‐ Statement Addressing Project’ Compliance with Decision Criteria
The purpose of this statement is to prove that our proposed Development Grant Place Townhomes
demonstrates superiority over what would result without a planned urban development. To achieve this
higher quality we will require deviation from several City of Renton site requirements. First requested
deviation would be for the Lot size requirements and is based on the need to Platt the site. We are
constructing 8 townhome buildings, (4) 4 units buildings and (4) 5 unit buildings for a total of 36 units. The
City of Renton requires a minimum lot size of 25’ wide by 50’ deep. All of our interior units are between
16.5 and 20 feet wide which will not allow for the 25’ minimum lot width thus requiring deviation. We are
also requiring deviation from the city required setbacks. We have located all of our buildings at the interior
of the site and have provided a drive aisle that encompasses the perimeter of the site and a pedestrian
plaza along the interior of the site. Along with providing property lines for all individual units, tracts were
created for the driveway as well as the pedestrian plaza, this restricts the unit lot depth and eliminates the
ability to provide the required rear and side setbacks which will require deviation. By granting these
deviations from the City of Renton requirements our development will vastly improve the surrounding
properties and the current site by:
o Removing shrubs and brush (many of which can be classified as invasive and in poor condition).
o Removing a single family residence and detached shed structure currently occupying the site which
is vacant and in heavily worn conditions.
o Adding an attractive higher density development that better utilizes and engages with the site
versus what would be required to build without the PUD approval.
o Without the PUD approval we would not be able to provide the perimeter drive aisle which both
separates the pedestrian and vehicular circulation on site but also provides additional separation
from the neighboring developments. By separating our proposed buildings from the property lines
with the drive aisle, we would be providing a greater amount of both daylighting and views for the
neighboring developments and reducing crowding.
o By adding the pedestrian plaza we have created a sense of community and have separated the
pedestrian from automobile creating a safer pedestrian friendly community.
Along with removing the foliage currently inhabiting the site, a large portion of which is blackberry bushes,
we will also be removing many Alder trees, many of which are dead or dying which is direct safety hazard
both from falling trees but potential fire hazard as well. Our development will follow a comprehensive
landscape plan that aims to restore native species of plants like the Serviceberry tree, Douglas Fir and
flowering shrubs like the Red Flowering Currant and Pacific Rhododendron. Through this plan we will create
25 CENTRAL WAY SUITE 210 : KIRKLAND, WA 98033 : 425.454.7130 : WWW.MILBRANDTARCH.COM
MILBRANDT ARCHITECTS
a much more attractive development for the neighbors to the south and east. With the approval of this
PUD our townhome development would incorporate into it attractive green corridors and a pedestrian
Plaza, away from the vehicular roadway proposed for the development. Doing this we will intern create the
aesthetic of a garden community in place of a site that would incorporate a central drive and garage front
single family homes that would in turn crowd the perimeter of the site effecting neighboring developments
by possibly blocking views and sunlight. Our site design and building placement also creates multiple park
like spaces located at the very front of the site along Grant Avenue and then at the East 75th percent of the
site. This would not be possible with a central drive and in turn solidifies the idea of a garden style
community which greatly benefits the entire community by reducing the visual impact of the community.
With our proposed development we shall also improve the current architectural character and conditions
of the site over that which is currently in place with the existing single family home and shed, as well as add
to that of the surrounding community. Our building design and layout will more fully take advantage of the
site area and be more in line with the massing and density of the current developments existing to the
south. The buildings in our townhome development will be grouped and oriented in a fashion as to create a
scheme in which the townhomes all face onto a green pedestrian Plaza and the vehicular traffic is pushed
to the perimeter of the site. This again creates a design in which all building garages are serviced by an alley
drive and all entrances are provided along a pedestrian boulevard which would not be achievable without
the PUD approval.
By pushing the vehicular drive to the perimeter of the site, we aim to also create a transitional buffer
between our development and that of the current development located to the immediate south. Along
with the drive, we will also be adding in site trees around the extreme edges to help further create a buffer
and to help with transition of scale from the surrounding developments and with that of our proposed
slightly higher density development while at the same time allowing ample daylighting to both projects
which would not be achievable without the approved PUD.
The southern perimeter of our site will be treated in such a way as to provide an adequate transition in
terms of both size and scale with that of the townhome development to the south. We will accomplish this
by:
o Creating a tree lined access road to act as a buffer and visual screen between the two
developments.
o Design buildings in such a way as to be of similar densities to that of the development to the south.
o Ensure adequate distance to allow for daylighting at both developments.
The difference in development types between our proposed development and that of the development to
the south are minimal, with both consisting of multi‐story townhome units. Our proposed development is
of a slightly larger scope and density than that of the development to the south, with our buildings
consisting of three story units, with four and five units per building (as opposed to two story units with two
and three units per building), but both projects should feel to be of a similar scale. Therefore, no further
transitional spaces or buffers beyond our proposed tree lined drive should be needed to make a
comfortable transition in terms of size and scale between the two developments.
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MILBRANDT ARCHITECTS
The eastern perimeter of our proposed Townhome Development will be treated in such a way as to provide
an adequate transition in terms of both size and scale with that of the single‐family development located to
the east. We will do this by:
o Maintaining an evergreen buffer with planted site trees along that eastern perimeter.
o Orienting the townhome buildings along that end of the site in such a way that their shortest
profile is presented to the single family homes, thereby reducing what would otherwise feel like a
wall of houses abutting along those properties.
This should help to bring the feeling of size and scale down from that of our proposed development to that
of the residential community bordering the eastern side of the site.
The architectural detailing of our proposed buildings will be such as to break up potentially large wall areas
and create buildings that are made up of separate and distinct units, each with its own individual character
and identity. While our design will incorporate a more modern style than that of the surrounding
developments, we will be sure to incorporate a materials pallet that will help tie our project into the
general aesthetic already present in the greater neighborhood area. We propose the use of more natural
materials such as stone and cedar incorporated with the use of fiber cement products to give our
development a sense of warmth and quality. We propose along with the use of natural stone, cedar siding
and varying windows stiles a color scheme that incorporates three complementary building colors adding
more variation to the site. We propose using rich colors that will complement the natural stone and cedar.
We will also incorporate high quality dark roofing materials that will provide a visual quality and reduce any
glare to the neighboring communities. At the ends of buildings 1 and 8 we have incorporated a greater
amount of glazing, cedar siding, stone as well as a more grand entry to help provide a high quality feel from
Grant Avenue. We have also incorporated varying vibrant door colors to each individual unit versus the
monotonous same door color approach utilized by other developments. This in turn provides a sense of
individual identity to each unit.
Within our proposed townhome project, we shall coordinate overall design in a fashion as to use the same
tectonic language and similar roof profiles across all buildings in an effort to create a cohesive overall
development design. At the same time we plan to treat each building as its own distinct piece within the
development, and as such realize the importance of allowing each building type to stand out as its own
unique building. We will accomplish this through the use of different materials (siding types) and colors in
buildings arranged across the site. Building types will be grouped in such a way as to create a regular
rhythm and variation across the site which will assist in creating a greater sense of community.
Within our planned development, we are using a single ingress and egress access road to accommodate
vehicular traffic entering and exiting the site. This differs greatly from what would be achieved if not
provided approval for the PUD whereas we would have to have a central access to the site creating a
dangerous ingress and egress condition due to lack of adequate site distance. This access road will be
designed in such a way as to accommodate the needs of any emergency vehicles entering and leaving the
development and to meet the traffic needs of our new proposed townhome development. Vehicle access
will be designed and handled in such a fashion as to not be detrimental to the adjacent surrounding areas.
Entry and exit conditions will have adequate sight distances for vehicles to enter and leave traffic in a safe
manner under current posted speed limits. Current sight line distances will be increased to the north and
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MILBRANDT ARCHITECTS
south along Grants Ave South by the creation of an open public space at the western end of the site. As is
stated in our traffic report, our development will add eighteen new peak hour trips whereas the city peak
hour trip threshold is 20 new trips.
By using a one way ingress and egress road like this, we will create a calmer traffic environment within the
development than would be created by the use of a two way street. This access road will create a safer
environment for residence pulling out of their garages and eliminate the need to create a large turnaround
circle for emergency vehicles. By pulling the vehicle access to the perimeter like this, we will also be able to
create a separate pedestrian circulation corridor. This green public corridor will be the primary focal point
of the development with the proposed townhome buildings all fronting onto and feeding into this
attractive human scaled space rather than a street which has become the norm in many recent housing
developments.
Largely through the use of the aforementioned pedestrian corridor, we will be providing ample safe
pedestrian circulation space throughout our development which is a great improvement over a typical
development where pedestrian and vehicular traffic share the same space. Pedestrians will be further
buffered by our building layout from the already calmed access road. This pedestrian corridor will tie back
into the existing pedestrian facilities already present on Grants Ave South through the open public park
space proposed at the western end of the end of the site. This open public space will provide yet another
public benefit to residences of the proposed development and to those of the neighborhood who pass by.
From here, it is only a short walk along the existing sidewalk system to the nearby transit stops along S.
Puget Dr.
Our proposed development is designed in such a way as to accommodate all required emergency vehicles
and allow easy entry, exit and navigation on all proposed turn radii.
The development will be served by utility services such as natural gas and/or electricity and will be
connected to the City of Renton water and sewer systems. Adequate hydrant coverage will be provided
such as to meet the required safety codes of the proposed townhome project. Site drainage will be
achieved through on site street drains as well as other drainage systems with all site drainage being
retained on site via a storm vault system located at the West end of the site along Grant Avenue, in turn
doubling as one of our green spaces which provides an attractive transition between Grant Avenue and our
proposed development.
Overall building make up, grouping, and layout across the development will be as such to help create a
scheme where buildings face out onto a central green pedestrian corridor as has already been stated.
Buildings will furthermore be separated from their immediate neighbors through the use of generous open
green spaces at the sides of buildings.
Internal site privacy for our proposed development is in part provided by the use of these green spaces.
Main living space in the townhomes will be located above the level of finish grade and windows located in a
way as to be above eye level of passerbys along the pedestrian corridor. Perimeter planting and the access
road provide a buffer and privacy screen between our proposed building and those of the surrounding
existing developments. Building openings will be designed in a way as to provide light and air to all major
living spaces and be located in such a way as to not infringe on the privacy of neighboring and adjacent
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buildings. Opening in the sides of buildings will be handled such that interest is maintained on the side
elevations and opportunities for daylighting are taken advantage of, but be of discreet size and located in
areas where building occupants will not feel their privacy is impeded upon by neighboring buildings.
Our proposed building development calls for building orientations that present the smallest profile to the
east and west to help reduce solar gains, and an orientation for buildings to view inward to the central
pedestrian corridor. This building layout will also allow for long uninterrupted views from the highest point
of the site down across the development and to the landscape beyond.
Parking across the site will be handled in such a way as to have no large surface area parking lots. Instead
we are proposing locating three parallel parking stalls near the entry of the development, two more at the
midpoint of the access road drive, and two toward the exit of the development. Each unit will be designed
to accommodate a two car garage for building occupants. In total, the proposed development provides
seventy nine (79) parking spaces; seventy two (72) in garages and seven (7) parallel street parking stalls.
This meets the following requirements for the townhome units:
Parking: 3 Bedrooms Units 1.6 = 38.4 Spaces Required (48 Provided)
Parking: 2 Bedrooms Units 1.4 = 16.8 Spaces Required (24 Provided)
This development is to be completed in a single phase and as such will work as a standalone project with
all the required spaces, utilities, and amenities required to create an extremely desirable and stable
community environment.
Sincerely,
Robert E. Weible
Principal