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CITY of RENTON
AR 0 1 2013
RECEIVED
WY CLERK'S OFFICE
BEFORE THE HEARING EXAMINER FOR THE CITY OF RENTON
RE: King County Public Health Day Use
Clinic FINAL DECISION
)
Conditional Use )
LUA12-000273 )
Summary
The Renton Technical College has applied for a conditional use permit for a change of use from a
childcare center to a medical clinic. The building subject to the conditional use request is located at
the northern border of the college. The conditional use permit is approved with conditions.
Testimony
Rocale Timmons, Associate Planner, summarized the staff report. She noted that the parking
modification identified in the staff report is not necessary because RMC 4-4-080 authorizes off-
site parking without a parking modification.
Exhibits
The February 12, 2013 Staff Report Exhibits 1-7 identified at part 2 of the Staff Report itself
were admitted into the record during the hearing. In addition, the Staff PowerPoint presentation
from the hearing was admitted as Ex. 8.
CONDITIONAL USE
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Procedural:
Applicant. Renton Technical College.
2. Hearing. The Examiner held a hearing on the subject application on February 12, 2013 at
9:00 am in the City of Renton Council Chambers.
Substantive:
3. Project Description. The Renton Technical College ("RTC") has applied for a conditional
use permit for a change of use from a childcare center into a medical clinic, specifically the King
County Public Health ("KCPH") Medical Day Use Clinic. The building at issue is located at the
northern border of the RTC.
The day -use medical clinic would provide health services to moderate to lower income families. The
clinic also offers parental education, water quality testing, and the ability to obtain health related
legal documents. The building currently contains a childcare center that serves students and staff of
RTC. The one-story structure is approximately 8,800 square feet. There is also an associated 200
cubic yard outdoor wood chip play area just north of the building. The applicant's propose to
remodel the building to convert it to a medical clinic. Associated site work includes the removal of
the existing 200 cubic yard wood chip play area which would be replaced with 200 cubic yards of fill
for an asphalt parking area with 12 fleet vehicles owned and operated by KCPH.
A conceptual landscape plan was submitted with the project application (Exhibit 4). The landscape
plan includes a planting plan for a planting strip along NE 7th street ranging from 18 -feet and 3 -
inches to 23 -feet and 2 -inches. The planting strip contains three existing maple trees and proposed
groundcover consisting o£ reedfeather grass, golden hakone grass, morning light, blue lyme grass,
black mondo grass, Russian sage, and lawn. Ten feet of on-site landscaping will required along all
public street frontages, with the exception of areas for required walkways and driveways per RMC 4-
4-070. In sum, landscaping will be provided in all areas not occupied by buildings or paving.
Additional landscaping has been provided in order to buffer adjacent properties from potentially
adverse effects of the proposed use.
The proposed landscaping is used to provide transitions between the proposed parking area and the
adjacent properties to the north in order to reduce noise and glare, maintain privacy, and generally
enhance the appearance of the project. The landscaping softens the appearance of parking areas and
generally enhances the appearance of the project. However, the applicant has not provided a
diversity of plantings. Staff recommends, as a condition of approval, the applicant provide a revised
landscape plan depicting a mixture of trees, shrubs, and groundcover. The recommended condition
is imposed as part of this decision.
CONDITIONAL USE
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The proposed location for the medical clinic would gain primary access from the NE 7th St which is
extended from nearby minor arterial Monroe Ave SE. NE 4th St, also an arterial, is located in close
proximity of the facility. Once operational the proposed use would be one very few clinics in the
City providing medical services to moderate and lower income families. Additionally, public transit
is located on NE 4th St which is in within'/2 of a mile from the proposed use.
4. Surrounding Area. The Renton Technical College adjoins the project area to the south and
west. Single-family residential use is located to the east and north.
5. Adverse Impacts. There are no significant adverse impacts associated with the project.
There are no critical areas on site. Impacts are more specifically addressed as follows:
A. Noise. No significant noise impacts are anticipated. The existing day care center has not
created any noise problems with adjoining uses and the proposed clinic will probably
generate less noise. The proposed landscaping will help further buffer noise impacts. Any
unreasonable noise impacts would be controlled by the City's noise regulations.
B. Lighting. As conditioned and as regulated by City development standards, the proposal is
not anticipated to create any significant light impacts. Exterior onsite lighting, including
security and parking lot lighting, would be regulated by code. Compliance with this code
(RMC 4-4-075) ensures that all building lights are directed onto the building or the ground
and cannot trespass beyond the property lines.
The proposed surface parking areas located along the north side of the building include
head -in parking stalls that may have potential headlight sweep impacts to the adjacent
residential property. Landscaping, in the form of existing trees and groundcover have
been proposed at the perimeter of the site. However, staff has recommended a mixture of
trees, shrubs and groundcover which will serve to mitigate the light impacts to the
adjacent properties.
C. Aesthetics. The dimensions of the existing building will not change and the proposed
landscaping will provide further buffering to adjoining uses. Given the landscaping, the
aesthetic impacts of the proposal will improve as a result of the project.
D. Parking. As conditioned, the applicant will be required to submit an executed copy of a
parking agreement that authorizes use of 20 off-site parking spaces at the former Public
Health Center located at 3001 NE 4th St. As conditioned, the proposal would meet the
City's parking standards.
E. Traffic. Traffic to and from the clinic would be dispersed throughout the day and early
evening. The vehicular trip generation from the proposed medical facility would not vary
significantly from the trip generation caused by the existing childcare center. The peak
loads would be slightly reduced because the clinic would have on-going operations
CONDITIONAL USE
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throughout the day in place of drop-off and pick-up times of early morning and late
afternoon for the childcare center. There would be some increase in traffic during the day
and early evening but that wouldn't significantly increase the intensity of the traffic
caused by the on-going use of the College. The proposed facility is also located next to
surface parking that serves students.
Conclusion No. 6 and 12 in the staff report provide that the proposed site plan provides
for safe movement for vehicles and pedestrians and that all potential adverse impacts
therefrom to adjoining properties have been mitigated. Given that the proposal has been
reviewed by public works staff and there is no evidence to suggest these conclusions are
in error, they are adopted as verities.
Conclusions of Law
1. Authori . Medical institutions, defined by RMC 4-11-030 to include medical clinics, are
authorized in the IL zone as hearing examiner conditional uses. RMC 4-8-080(G) classifies
conditional use applications as Type III permits when Hearing Examiner review is required. As Type
III applications, RMC 4-8-080(G) grants the Examiner with the authority to hold a hearing and issue a
final decision on them, subject to closed record appeal to the City Council.
2. Zoning/Comprehensive Plan Designations. The subject property is zoned Light Industrial
(IL). The comprehensive plan land use designation is Commercial Corridor.
3. Review Criteria. Conditional use criteria are governed by RMC 4-9-030(D). All applicable
criteria are quoted below in italics and applied through corresponding conclusions of law.
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
zoning regulations and any other plans, programs, maps or ordinances of the City of Renton.
4. The proposal is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan and development regulations as
outlined in the staff report at pages 4-5, which is incorporated by this reference as if set forth in full
with one modification. As noted by staff during the hearing, contrary to the statements in the staff
report the applicant does not need to apply for a parking modification to use off-site parking to meet
the City's parking standards. RMC 4-4-080 authorizes off-site parking if it is provided for the
duration of the use.
RMC 4-9-030(0)(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.
CONDITIONAL USE
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5. As determined in Finding of Fact ("FOF") No. 3, the City does not have many medical clinics
that serve low and moderate income individuals and apparently none are located in proximity to the
project site. The project site is well suited for the proposed use because its location in an existing
building on the Technical College campus assures that there will be no compatibility problems with
surrounding uses. Further, as noted in FOF No. 3, the area is located close to transit stops.
RMC 4-9-030(C)(3): Effect on Adjacent Properties: The proposed use at the proposed location
shall not result in substantial or undue adverse effects on adjacent property.
6. As determined in Finding of Fact No. 5 there are no adverse impacts associated with the
proposal, so it will not result in substantial or undue adverse effects on adjacent property.
RMC 4-9-030(C)(4): Compatibility: The proposed use shall be compatible with the scale and
character of the neighborhood.
7. As determined in Finding of Fact No. 5 there are no adverse impacts associated with the
proposal. The use of an existing building that adjoins or is integrated into an existing community
college campus should further promote compatibility. The proposal will likely improve upon
compatibility because it will probably generate less noise impacts, will not create any more traffic and
will involve a significant amount of new landscaping.
RMC 4-9-030(C)(5): Parking: Adequate parking is, or will be made, available.
8. As determined in FOF No. 5, the proposal will provide for adequate parking.
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.
9. The criterion above has been met as determined in FOF No. 5 on its assessment of traffic
impacts.
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.
10. Noise, light and glare impacts are adequately mitigated as determined in FOF No. 5 on its
assessment of noise and light impacts.
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 effects of the proposed use.
11. As determined in Finding of Fact 3, the criterion is met.
CONDITIONAL USE
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As conditioned below, the conditional use permit is approved.
1. The applicant shall provide a revised landscape plan depicting a mixture of trees, shrubs, and
groundcover. The revised landscape plan shall be submitted to, and approved by, the Current
Planning Project Manager prior to building permit approval.
2. The applicant shall provide a copy of the executed agreement securing at least 20 additional
off-site parking stalls for a minimum number of 10 years. The executed agreement shall comply
with all applicable parking standards and shall be submitted to, and be approved by, the Current
Planning Project Manager prior to building permit approval. If the parking agreement expires prior
to expiration of the use, the use may only be allowed to continue if the property owner makes other
arrangements to comply with City parking requirements.
DATED this 28th day of February, 2013.
Pt1 A. Olbrechts
City of Renton Hearing Examiner
Appeal Right and Valuation Notices
RMC 4-8-110(E)(9) provides that the final decision of the Hearing Examiner is subject to appeal to
the Renton City Council. RMC 4-8-110(E)(9) requires appeals of the Hearing Examiner's decision
to be filed within fourteen (14) calendar days from the date of the Hearing Examiner's decision. A
request for reconsideration to the hearing e examiner may also be filed within this 14 day appeal
period as identified in RMC 4-8-I10(E)(8) and RMC 4-8-100(G)(4). A new fourteen (14) day
appeal period shall commence upon the issuance of the reconsideration. Additional information
regarding the appeal process may be obtained from the City Clerk's Office, Renton City Hall — 7"
floor, (425) 430-6510.
Affected property owners may request a change in valuation for property tax purposes
notwithstanding any program of revaluation.
CONDITIONAL USE
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