Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutEarlington Townhomes, Preliminary Planned Urban Development and Preliminary Plat1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 PUD and Preliminary Plat - 1 BEFORE THE HEARING EXAMINER FOR THE CITY OF RENTON RE: Earlington Townhomes Preliminary Planned Urban Development and Preliminary Plat LUA17-000390, PP, PPUD ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) FINAL DECISION SUMMARY The applicant proposes a preliminary plat and preliminary planned urban development (“PUD”) for the construction of sixty townhomes on a 4.16-acre parcel located at 8074 S. 132nd St. The applicant seeks PUD approval to vary numerous development standards including lot width, lot depth, setbacks, building coverage, impervious surface maximums, building height, maximum number of units per building, retaining wall height, open space dimensions, parking stall dimensions, refuse and recycling requirements and road dimensions. The PUD and preliminary plat are approved subject to conditions. TESTIMONY Note: The following is a summary of testimony provided for the convenience of the reader only and should not be construed as containing any findings of fact or conclusions of law. The focus upon or exclusion of any particular testimony or hearing evidence in this summary is not reflective of the priority or probative content of any particular hearing evidence and no assurance is made as to accuracy. Clark Close, City of Renton senior planner, summarized the staff report. Mr. Close noted that density requirements cannot be modified by PUD review and the proposed density of the project is consistent with applicable density requirements. The applicant is proposing three retaining walls. Staff is recommending that the retaining wall height should be limited to the 6-foot maximum height required 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 PUD and Preliminary Plat - 2 by code, instead of waiving that requirement through PUD review as requested by the applicant. Staff is opposed to waiving the 6-foot height maximum because (1) authorizing an increase in height would have a compound effect on the applicant’s ability to comply with other code requirements; (2) retaining wall height limitations were adopted to maintain aesthetically pleasing neighborhoods; (3) the taller the wall the greater the risk of potential failure; and (4) lower walls allow for increased opportunity for maintenance. The superior design elements of the proposal include the clustering of buildings, which provides for enhanced passive and active recreational use of surrounding open space that totals 35,000 square feet. This exceeds minimum required open space of 350 square feet per unit – the applicant is providing almost 600 square feet per unit. The development has superior pedestrian networks and associated landscaping with meandering pathways that access the townhome units. These amenities provide ample facilities for townhome residents to meet and gather. Mr. Close noted that the integration of the townhomes into the slopes of the project site reduces the appearance of massing. View corridors are maintained via the location of Road A and slope integration, which sufficiently mitigates against any impacts by the requested increase in height. Mr. Close noted three corrections in the staff report. He noted the construction window identified in Finding No. 10 of the staff report only identifies approximate dates and that the applicant may not be able to meet those dates due to the conditions of approval. The applicant is not proposing Built Green as identified in Finding No. 28 of the staff report. The reference to “shall complete the conditional use permit process” from staff recommended condition no. 2 should be stricken. In response to hearing examiner questions, Mr. Close noted that there probably are views to Lake Washington from adjoining properties. Given the slopes of the project site, the proposed homes would likely not be visible to adjoining properties at a greater height than other homes in the area without the requested height modification. Evan Mann, applicant’s representative, noted that the applicant initially planned to do the project via site plan review, but then determined that the unique conditions of the site were more amenable to PUD and subdivision review. Staff handled the change in review well. The slopes were just below the grade protected by the City’s critical area regulations. The biggest constraint and difficulty was the slopes. All the townhome units will have a ten-foot step in them to integrate them into the project slopes. Road A is set at a 14% grade, just below the 15% maximum. The applicant agrees that it can meet the staff recommended condition requiring conformance to the maximum retaining wall height requirements. Mr. Mann requested revision to staff recommended condition No. 3 to place the green court areas into pedestrian easements instead of a separate tract. The green court as a whole should be managed by the HOA. A tract would necessitate a redesign of the sidewalk, which can currently meander through the project site. Placement in a tract would require removal of the meander. Mr. Mann noted that Mr. Close’s correction of the construction window doesn’t mean that the applicant is requesting any deviation from code on this issue. The applicant just doesn’t want to be held to a one- year construction window when that is not required by code. Phyllis Chandler, neighbor, noted that her street is a private road. She lives directly across 132nd on the corner. She noted that her neighbors have children that go to school during 7-9 am. The project 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 PUD and Preliminary Plat - 3 will generate 20 trips at this time. In addition, there are people driving up and down Renton Avenue to get to MLK to get on the freeway. With all this traffic Ms. Chandler doesn’t see it would be possible for her to turn left to go towards the freeway. She has lived in her neighborhood since 1996. When it rains there’s nothing but mud behind the nursery. She’s worried about construction. She will be leaving her house between 7:30 and 9:00 to take her kids to school. How will she be able to go left to get to the schools during construction? She wants local access to go in and out of her property. When they put in a sewage line, there were trucks digging on the corner, which made it impossible to turn left. She was told by Clark that the townhome development would only have five on-street parking spaces. She’s seen parties in her area take up numerous on-street parking spaces. Where will people park for the parties in the townhome development? Also, not every one of the 120 cars for the townhomes will park in their garages. During sewer construction, she had to wait in line with everyone else to get to her home. Jessica Sydow stated she lives on 130th and Renton Avenue. She wanted to know how the proposal complies with R14 zoning density. She understood that a minimum of 20 acres is required for R14 maximum density. She noted that traffic is horrible, especially on Renton Avenue between 132nd and 130th. There are no traffic lights, no crosswalks and there is speeding. There is legitimate concern over the traffic that will be created by the proposal. She noted that views are also a concern, because her home is at the same grade as the homes at the top of the development and that this will affect her views of Mount Rainier. This development will adversely affect her property value and she just bought her home in January. Mr. Close, City of Renton Planner, responded to the hearing testimony. He noted that staff is ok with the pedestrian easement requested by Mr. Mann provided that the easement includes the pedestrian entry easement plus the five-foot sidewalk plus the separate private yard space. Regarding Ms. Chandler’s concerns, there is 100-110-foot separation between the 132nd St. access point to the proposal and Ms. Chandler’s access point to 132nd, which is adequate space to avoid conflicts in turning movements. The applicant will also be required by code to submit a traffic control plan for construction that enables neighbors to access their property. In response to examiner questions, Mr. Mann noted that the travel lanes will remain open during construction except during pouring of the curbs. Ann Fowler, Renton Public Works, noted that a traffic impact analysis had been submitted and that the low number of trips generated by the proposal didn’t warrant the addition of any turn lanes. Ms. Fowler confirmed that construction of the development will likely not necessitate the shutting down of any lanes of travel. The City’s regulations also require the control of off-site mudflow through requirements for an erosion control plan. Mr. Clark noted that with the completion of required frontage improvements to 132nd, the proposal will add 12 to 16 on-site parking spaces. The applicant will have four on-site parking stalls on Road A as well. There is no code provision that requires a minimum of 20 acres for development using maximum R14 density. Evan Mann, applicant, noted there won’t be any complete road closures. Single lane closures would likely be one day or two for frontage improvements and it may not be necessary to ever close any lanes. The conditions of the MDNS require full erosion control. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 PUD and Preliminary Plat - 4 Jordan Salisbury, applicant representative, noted the applicant feels very strongly about the project design, especially the green court concept and the quality of the construction. The design process with the City has been collaborative and has contributed significantly to the final design. He wanted to thank Clark Close and Vanessa Dolbee for the time they invested in reviewing the project. The only PUD modification request not supported by staff was the retaining wall height increase and the applicant is now able and willing to do without the modification. The applicant also agrees with the conditions of approval as modified by staff’s agreed acceptance of pedestrian easements. In response to examiner questions, Mr. Clark noted that none of the PUD modifications result in any loss of on-street parking. The change from site plan review to PUD review resulted in more on-street parking. EXHIBITS The 47 exhibits identified at Page 2 of the July 25, 2017 Staff report were admitted into the record at the July 25, 2017 hearing. The staff power point presentation was admitted as Ex. 48. City of Renton core maps were admitted as Exhibit 49. Google maps for the project vicinity were admitted as Ex. 50. FINDINGS OF FACT Procedural: 1. Applicant. Jordan Salisbury, Blue Fern Development, LLC / 11232 120th Ave NE, Ste 204, Kirkland, WA 98033. 2. Hearing. A hearing on the application was held on July 26, 2017 in the Renton City Council meeting chambers. Substantive: 3. Project Description. The applicant proposes a preliminary plat and preliminary planned urban development (“PUD”) for the construction of sixty townhomes on a 4.16-acre parcel located at 8074 S. 132nd St. The residential density of the project with bonus density is 18 du/ac. Access to the townhomes would be from S 132nd St. The site slopes down to the south with vertical relief of roughly 70 ft. The garages would be accessed via private alleys and all the townhomes would be alley-loaded. The site currently contains greenhouses, a shop, a utility building and a single family detached home. All existing structures would be demolished as part of the proposed project. No wetlands or streams are located on the property. The developed site would continue to drain to the south to the natural discharge location for the site. The site is in the West Lake Washington drainage basin and stormwater requirements would be met with a stormwater detention vault followed by a media filter vault with Level 2 Flow Control standards. The site 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 PUD and Preliminary Plat - 5 contains 57 significant trees, all of which are proposed to be removed. Construction is estimated to begin in May 2018. Requested PUD modifications are summarized in the following table copied from the staff report: RMC Code Citation Required Standard Requested Modification RMC 4-2-110A Development Standards for Residential Zoning Designations – Minimum Lot Width The minimum lot width of 30 feet for internal lots and 40 feet for corner lots is required in the R-14 zone. Lot widths vary from a minimum width of 16 feet to maximum width of 44 feet. 53 percent (53%) of the lots or 32 of the proposed 60 lots contain widths of 16 feet or 20 feet. The average lot width is approximately 25 feet wide. RMC 4-2-110A Development Standards for Residential Zoning Designations – Minimum Lot Depth The minimum lot depth of 60 feet is required in the R- 14 zone. Lot depths range from 58 feet to 67 feet. The average lot depth is approximately 63 feet deep. RMC 4-2-110A Development Standards for Residential Zoning Designations – Minimum Yards (Setbacks) Minimum 15-foot front (except when all vehicle access is taken from an alley, then 10-foot), 10-foot minimum rear, secondary front (applies to corner lots) 15-foot, and 4-foot minimum unattached side yard (0-foot for attached sides(s)). Individual lots do not contain the minimum required rear yard or the full secondary front yard setbacks. Instead, the secondary front yard would have an average of approximately 13 feet with no individual secondary front yard setback less than 11 feet. Due to the plat design, the development is proposing vehicle access from the alley with 77 percent (77%) of the units proposing only a 4-foot rear yard setback and 23 percent (23%) of the lots would include a 6-foot rear yard setback. RMC 4-2-110A Development Standards for Residential Zoning Designations – Maximum Building Coverage 65 percent (65%) A little more than half of the lots would exceed the maximum building coverage, together the lots as a whole would contain approximately 60 percent (60%) building 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 PUD and Preliminary Plat - 6 coverage. Lot coverage for the entire development is estimated at 29 percent (29%). RMC 4-2-110A Development Standards for Residential Zoning Designation – Maximum Impervious Surface Area 80 percent (80%) Many of the individual lots would exceed the maximum impervious surface area threshold. Lot impervious surface area reach as high as 85 percent (85%) as configured. If averaged across the entire site the impervious surface area would be less than the maximum impervious surface area. RMC 4-2-110A Development Standards for Residential Zoning Designation – Maximum Wall Plate Height 24 feet, increase up to 32 feet possible subject to administrative conditional use permit approval. The building elevations include wall plate heights ranging from 24’ to 26’. The heights exceed the maximum wall plate by 2 feet due to the site sloping in multiple directions, compounded with the depth and length of the proposed buildings. The tuck under garages combined with the depth of the units cause the roof slope to be slightly taller than 6 feet. The width of the buildings along with the slope of the site cause the average grade to be lower causing the building plate height to be slightly higher. RMC 4-2-110A Development Standards for Residential Zoning Designations – Maximum Number of Units per Building No more than 6 units per building. The applicant is proposing 14 individual buildings, containing 2 to 7 units each. There would be an average of 5 units per building. Three of the 14 buildings would have 7 units. The buildings exceeding the maximum number of units are located interior to the site and would not be overly discernable from the street. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 PUD and Preliminary Plat - 7 RMC 4-4-040D.1 Fences, Hedges, and Retaining Walls – Maximum Height In any residential district, the maximum height of any retaining wall shall be seventy two inches (72"), subject to further height limitations as specified in this Section. There shall be a minimum three-foot (3') landscaped setback at the base of retaining walls abutting public rights-of-way. One of the three (3) retaining walls is proposed to exceed the 6-foot threshold by 2 feet (2’). Specifically, the wall between the cul-de-sac terminus and the adjacent Renton Ave S right-of-way. Terracing is not feasible due to the steep nature (14%) of the road and limited spacing between the cul-de-sac and the right-of-way (Exhibit 33). Together, two of the proposed retaining wall would abut the sidewalk along Renton Ave S for a combined distance of 328 feet (264 ft + 64 ft = 328 ft). RMC 4-9-150E.2 Development Standards – Private Open Space Each residential unit in a PUD shall have usable private open space (in addition to parking, storage space, lobbies, and corridors) for the exclusive use of the occupants of that unit. Each ground floor unit, whether attached or detached, shall have private open space contiguous to the unit. The private open space shall be well demarcated and at least fifteen feet (15') in every dimension (decks on upper floors can substitute for the required private open space). The PUD proposal includes units with front yards with the smallest dimensions of 16’ to 20’ wide and depths 11.25’. In some cases, the dimensions provide usable open space greater that the required 225 square feet of private open space and 250 square feet of private yard without retaining the 15’ minimum dimension in all directions. Residential Design and Open Space Standards (RMC 4-2- 115) Each ground-related dwelling shall have a private yard that is at least two hundred fifty (250) square feet in size with no dimension less than eight feet (8') in width. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 PUD and Preliminary Plat - 8 RMC 4-4-080F.8. Parking Stall Types, Sizes, and Percentage Allowed/Required A private garage parking stall shall be a minimum of twenty feet (20') in length, except for parallel stalls. A standard parking stall dimension is 9’ by 20’ in size. Compact parking stalls of measure 8.5’ by 16’ but not to exceed 30% of the total number of spaces. The interior dimensions of the garages are approximately 19’- 4” wide by 18’-11/12” deep. Therefore, all parking provided onsite are proposed at compact stall dimensions. RMC 4-4-080F.10. Number of Parking Spaces Required A minimum and maximum of 1.4 for 2 bedroom and 1.6 per 3 bedroom or larger dwelling unit. The applicant is proposing three 2 bedroom units, 28 three bedroom units, and 29 four bedroom units. The applicant proposes to provide two (2) spaces per dwelling unit, exceeding the maximum spaces. RMC 4-4-090D. Refuse and Recycling: Multi-family Developments – Additional Requirements for Deposit and Collection Areas. A minimum of one (1) centralized refuse and recyclables deposit area for every 30 dwelling units. Storage space for carts would be provided within the private garages of each unit. Trash pick-up locations would be provided between the buildings throughout the site. The refuse and recycling pick- up locations are not intended to be permanent daily storage locations and no additional screening is proposed. Landscaping would be provided. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 PUD and Preliminary Plat - 9 RMC 4-6-060F.2 Minimum Design Standards for Public Streets and Alleys. Minimum standards for a residential access road requires a 53-ft right-of-way, 26-ft pavement width, 0.5-ft curb and gutter, 8-ft planter strips and 5-ft sidewalks on both sides of the street. A cul-de-sac turnaround with 90-feet diameters are required for streets over 300-feet long, including a 45- foot paved radius and 55-ft ROW radius. The development proposes installation of a new public residential access road (Road A) with 53 feet of right-of-way meeting the minimum street standards as outlined in RMC 4-6-060F up to the entrance to the cul-de-sac (approx. 223 feet north of S 132nd St). At the cul-de-sac entrance, the right-of-way decreases to 29- feet, which includes 28 feet of paved roadway width, 0.5-foot wide curb and gutter on both sides, private 5-foot sidewalks on both sides of the street, and private planter strips within the abutting lots and tract (Lots 11, 18, 19 and Tract G). 4. Adequacy of Infrastructure/Public Services. The project will be served by adequate infrastructure and public services as follows: A. Water and Sewer Service. Water and sanitary sewer service for the development would be provided by the City of Renton. Proximate 8-inch sewer and water mains are available to serve the project site. B. Police and Fire Protection. Fire protection would be provided by the Renton Regional Fire Authority and police services by the City of Renton. Police and Fire Prevention staff indicated that sufficient resources exist to furnish services to the proposed development if the applicant provides Code required improvements and fees. Fire department apparatus access roadways are required to be a minimum 20 feet wide fully paved, with 25 feet inside and 45 feet outside turning radius. Fire access roadways shall be constructed to support a 30-ton vehicle with 75-psi point loading. Dead end streets that exceed 150 feet in length require an approved turnaround. Cul-de-sac turnarounds with 90- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 PUD and Preliminary Plat - 10 feet diameters are required for streets over 300 feet in length. Landscape islands are not allowed in the cul-de-sac. A Fire Impact Fee, based on new multi-family units is required to mitigate the proposal’s potential impacts to City emergency services. The applicant would be required to pay an appropriate Fire Impact Fee. The fee is payable to the City as specified by the Renton Municipal Code at the time of building permit application. The police department is concerned about loitering of unwanted subjects within the two park areas (garden plaza at the north end of the site and the park-like area located above the vault). Therefore, a condition of approval requires that the applicant provide a permanent four foot (4’) tall fence along Renton Ave S that delineates between public and private space. A fencing detail and location shall be identified on the final landscaping plan. C. Drainage. In conjunction with the City’s stormwater regulations, the proposal mitigates all significant drainage impacts. Public works staff has reviewed the applicant’s preliminary drainage design and found it to conform to the City’s design standards. Important for neighboring properties, the drainage standards require off-site stormwater flows to be at or less in volume and velocity than predevelopment conditions. The development is subject to Full Drainage Review in accordance with the 2017 Renton Surface Water Design Manual. As required by the City’s stormwater standards, the applicant submitted a revised Preliminary Drainage Plan and Technical Information Report (TIR), dated June 12, 2017 (Exhibit 37), prepared by ESM Consulting Engineers, LLC. Pursuant to the preliminary design, the development will provide flow control and basic water quality treatment prior to discharge as required by stormwater standards. A detention vault is proposed to meet the flow control facility requirement. The detention pond has been sized to the City’s Flow Control Duration Standard. The project matches the pre-developed discharge rates from 50% of the 2-year peak flow up to the full 50-year peak flow and peak discharge rates for the 2 and 10-year return periods as required in the City’s Flow Control Duration Standard (Forested Site Conditions) area. Project water quality treatment would consist of conveyance to a water quality filter vault following the proposed detention vault prior to connection to an existing 12-inch concrete stormwater main located S 132nd St. D. Parks/Open Space. The project provides for adequate parks and open space. The applicant has provided active and passive recreational opportunities and open spaces throughout the development. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 PUD and Preliminary Plat - 11 The two largest recreation spaces are located along Renton Ave S. The first, is a large 8,123 square foot garden plaza located at the northern most portion of the property. The second, is a 15,581-square foot play field area above the stormwater vault at the southeast corner of the site. Together these areas offer a visual buffer by providing tree lined street frontage with landscaping, vegetation wall and a park-like appearance. Under the PUD proposal, the amount of potential open space more than doubles from an estimated 15,000 square feet to 35,728 square feet. Without the use of the proposed PUD, no shared open space would be required by the code and there would likely have been no additional land area to provide any active recreational areas and open space would have been limited to required perimeter landscaping. Common open spaces are accessed via the development’s network of concrete sidewalks, which connect to the garden plaza, park space over the vault and small nooks with tables and benches located at the end of the meandering sidewalks located in front of the units. These common areas provide opportunities for future residents to meet and gather throughout the development. Decorative features will include a specimen tree as a focal point at the end of the cul-de-sac, decorative paving, or a viewing area overlooking the play field. A condition of approval requires the applicant submit detailed cut sheets with the revised landscape plan of the proposed picnic tables and benches. These amenities shall be durable and appropriate for northwest climate. The cut sheets shall be submitted with the construction permit application to be reviewed and approved by the Current Planning Project Manager. The proposed development is anticipated to impact the Parks and Recreation system. The applicant will be required to pay an appropriate Parks Impact Fee. The fee would be used to mitigate the proposal’s potential impact to City’s Park and Recreation system and is payable to the City as specified by the Renton Municipal Code. E. Pedestrian Circulation. As proposed, the proposal provides for a safe, efficient and attractive pedestrian circulation system that is clearly delineated and connects buildings and open space. Pedestrian sidewalks meander through the site making connections to seating areas and offering view opportunities of Mt. Rainier. The project’s design would utilize alley drives to help minimize the interaction between vehicles and pedestrians. Private walkways throughout the site would allow access to front doors of the townhomes with all units opening to either a park-like space or courtyard to help enforce a sense of community. Vehicle parking would be located within garages for each unit. Pedestrian scale and down- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 PUD and Preliminary Plat - 12 lighting will be used in all cases to assure safe pedestrian and vehicular movement. Buildings along S 132nd St would be oriented to the street and contain pedestrian only amenities as the buildings are rear vehicle loaded. Direct pedestrian sidewalk access is proposed to and from the development. F. Transportation. The proposal is served by adequate and appropriate transportation infrastructure. The proposed development fronts Renton Ave S along the east property lines. Renton Ave S is classified as a Minor Arterial Road. Existing right-of-way (ROW) width is approximately 60 feet. The proposed development fronts S 132nd St along the south property lines. S 132nd St is classified as a Collector Arterial Road. The existing ROW width is approximately 60 feet. Access to the site would be provided by installing a new public residential access road (Road A) with 53 feet of right-of-way where the road meets S 132nd St. The new road dead ends in a cul-de-sac at the north end of the property. Just before the cul-de-sac entrance, the right-of-way decreases to 29-feet, which includes 28 feet of paved roadway width, 0.5-foot wide curb and gutter on both sides, private 5-foot sidewalks on both sides of the street, and private planter strips within the abutting lots and tract (Lots 11, 18, 19 and Tract G). The proposed internal street system includes a limited modified residential access road that runs north/south near the center of the site and the road (Road A) terminates in a cul-de-sac and the north end of the property. From the centralized pubic road, five individual 20-foot wide alleys branch off toward the east and west (Alleys A-E) to the garage side of each townhome. The project’s design would utilize alley drives to help minimize the interaction between vehicles and pedestrians. Private walkways throughout the site would allow access to front doors of the townhomes with all units opening to either a park-like space or courtyard to help enforce a sense of community. Renton Ave S – To meet the City’s complete street standards for minor arterial streets, minimum ROW is 91 feet (4 lanes) or 103 feet (5 lanes). The traffic analysis provided by the developer has been reviewed by the City and the City concurs that the existing pavement width is sufficient and additional lanes are not required because of the development. Therefore, the City’s transportation group has determined and will support an alternate standard to match the established standard street section for Renton Ave S. The City established standard street section for Renton Ave S, which would be required to be installed by the developer as part of the proposed development. This would include allowing the existing curb line to be maintained with a new 8-foot wide planter strip and 8- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 PUD and Preliminary Plat - 13 foot wide sidewalk to be installed behind the curb. The final ROW dedication will be dependent upon the final survey and will vary along Renton Ave S. The required ROW behind the existing curb is 18 feet (8-foot wide planter strip, 8-foot wide sidewalk, and 2 feet clear behind the curb). No bike lanes are needed along Renton Ave S. Currently, the Renton Trails and Bicycle Master Plan specify a separate combined bike/pedestrian path parallel to Renton Ave to provide bike access for the Renton Ave corridor. S 132nd St –To meet the City’s complete street standards for collector arterial streets, minimum ROW is 83 feet (2 lanes) or 94 feet (3 lanes). The traffic analysis provided by the developer has been reviewed by the City and the City concurs that the existing pavement width is sufficient and additional lanes are not required because of the development. The required street section for S 132nd St, as proposed by the applicant, meets the minimum street standards as outlined in RMC 4-6-060F includes 83-feet of right-of-way, 46 feet of paved roadway width (two 10-foot wide travel lanes, 5-foot wide bike lanes and 8-foot wide parking lanes on both sides), a new 0.5-foot curb and gutter, an 8-foot wide planting strip, an 8-foot wide sidewalk, street trees and storm drainage improvements on both sides. Half- street improvements, which shall be installed by the developer, along S 132nd Street would include, 23 feet of paved roadway width from centerline (10-foot wide travel lane, 5-foot wide bike lane and 8-foot wide parking lane), a new 0.5-foot wide curb and gutter, an 8-foot wide planting strip, an 8-foot wide sidewalk, street trees and storm drainage improvements. The proposed street modification requests implement the policy direction of the policies and objectives of the Comprehensive Plan Land Use Element and the Community Design Element and the proposed modification is the minimum adjustment necessary to implement these policies and objectives. These policies are Policy CD-102 and Policy CD-103 which state that the goal is to promote new development with “walkable places,” “support grid and flexible grid street and pathway patterns,” and “are visually attractive, safe, and healthy environments.” The requested street modifications are consistent with these policy guidelines. The improvements would provide an upgrade to current conditions, would meet the standards for safe vehicular and pedestrian use within the existing and proposed roadways and neighborhood, would enhance the attractiveness of the new development. In conclusion, staff found no adverse impacts from modifying Road A, Renton Ave S, and S 132nd St right-of-way widths. Concurrency – A traffic analysis dated December 14, 2016, was provided by Northwest Traffic Experts (TraffEx) (Exhibit 19). The site generated traffic volumes were calculated using data from the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Trip Generation Manual, 9th Edition, (2009). Based on the calculations provided and providing credit for the existing trips utilized for the current site use, the proposed development would generate 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 PUD and Preliminary Plat - 14 approximately 292 net new average weekday daily trips. During the weekday AM peak hour, the project would generate approximately 26 net new trips (5 inbound and 21 outbound). During the weekday PM peak hour, the project would generate approximately 30 net new trips (20 inbound and 10 outbound). As detailed in the report the proposed project is not expected to lower the levels of service of the surrounding intersections included in the traffic study. Public works staff have determined that the proposed project passes the City of Renton Traffic Concurrency Test per RMC 4-6-070.D (Exhibit 24). Citizen concerns -- There were several concerns raised about traffic impacts by adjoining neighbors. As the neighbors testified and wrote in comment letters, there is already significant traffic in the area that makes accessing their property difficult. However, the proposal can only be made to mitigate its own impacts. The traffic study, as summarized above, establishes that traffic impacts will be modest, at most adding 30 peak hour trips. This added traffic will not lower level of service standards (which is a congestion standard) and City public works staff found no justification under city regulations to warrant any additional off-site improvements such as turn lanes or stop lights. The developer will be made to pay traffic impact fees at the time of building permit review, which assures that the new development pays its proportionate share of off-site traffic system improvements. In short, the project meets all legislatively adopted standards relating to traffic congestion and traffic safety. There is no legal basis to require more of the applicant. Concerns were also raised about construction traffic, specifically relating to lane closures and tracking of mud. As noted by staff, City regulations require the applicant to submit a construction traffic control plan and this plan must minimize interruption of traffic flow. Given the large concern expressed by at least one neighbor, based upon past bad experience with an adjoining sewer project, a condition of approval will require that the City to forward the applicant’s construction traffic control plan to the neighbor for comment as well as anyone else who requests a copy within 30 days of this decision. G. Schools. The proposal provides for adequate schools. Staff anticipates that the Renton School District can accommodate any additional students generated by this proposal at the following schools: Lakeridge Elementary, Dimmitt Middle School, and Renton High School. School impact fees imposed by City code assure that the development will pay for its proportionate share of needed school improvements. RCW 58.17.110(2) provides that no subdivision be approved without making a written finding of adequate provision made for safe walking conditions for students who walk to and from school and/or bus stops. Elementary and high school students would be bussed to 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 PUD and Preliminary Plat - 15 school. The bus stop for elementary and high school is located at 8010 S 132nd St, approximately 500 feet to the west. New frontage improvements along the subject property and dedicated and paved shoulders along S 132nd St and a pedestrian crosswalk at the intersection of S 132nd St and 80th Ave S provide a safe walking route for students to and from the bus stop. Dimmitt Middle School is within a one-mile radius of the property and therefore would not be eligible for school bus transportation. The designated route would include traveling north on the concrete sidewalk along Renton Ave S for 785 feet. At the intersection of Renton Ave S and 80th Ave S there is a pedestrian crosswalk with a pedestrian signal. The remainder of the route, approximately 1600 feet, is sidewalk and gravel shoulder along a dead-end road (80th Ave S). Each way would be less than half a mile. Therefore, a safe walking route exists for middle school students who would walk to school. H. Parking. Staff has determined that the proposal complies with applicable parking standards. As part of the PUD, the applicant has proposed to provide each unit two (2) compact parking spaces in the unit’s ground floor. The proposed parking exceeds the maximum quantity allowed for three (3) bedroom or larger dwelling units and exceeds the amount of compact spaces allowed per development. The applicant has proposed to provide all tenant parking within garages to eliminate the adverse aesthetic effects of surface parking lots. The use of compact spaces within some of the garages would require future residents to own vehicles that would fit inside the garages. A condition of approval requires the applicant to establish enforceable bylaws, within the Homeowners Association Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions (CC&Rs), which require property owners to park their private vehicles within their garages. The applicant shall provide draft bylaws for review and approval by the Current Planning Project Manager prior to issuance of any occupancy permit. Guest parking would be provided as on-street parking located along the main entry aisle. Based on the road designs, it appears that approximately 16-20 spaces could be provided within the public rights-of-way of Road A and S 132nd St. Staff is in support of the requested modification if all conditions of approval are met. No bicycle parking is referenced on the site plan or the unit floor plan. Therefore, a condition of approval requires that the applicant submit revised plans with the building permit application that identifies the location of code compliant bicycle parking meeting the standards of RMC 4-4-080F.11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 PUD and Preliminary Plat - 16 Neighbors expressed concern about the adequacy of parking. However, the parking standards adopted by the City Council set the standard of adequacy for parking and there is no basis to second guess that legislative judgment in this PUD review. 5. Adverse Impacts. There are no significant adverse impacts associated with the proposal. Pertinent impacts are addressed individually as follows: A. Critical Areas. There are no critical areas on the site. A geotechnical report, Ex. 15, was prepared to assess whether the relatively steep slopes were protected by the City critical areas ordinance, but they were found to not qualify for protection. B. Tree Retention. The proposal provides for adequate preservation of trees because it is consistent with the City’s tree retention standards. The City’s adopted Tree Retention and Land Clearing Regulations require the retention of 20 percent of trees in a residential development. The applicant submitted an arborist report, Ex. 17, that identified that the subject property contains 57 significant trees, predominantly black cottonwood and big leaf maple. The applicant is not proposing to retain any of the 57 remaining significant trees within the project area given the scale of the filling and grading as well as their locations relative to the proposed road and cul-de-sac (Exhibits 14, 30, and 31). Therefore, the City’s tree retention standards require the applicant to replant a minimum of 66 replacement trees at 2 caliper inches each to comply with the 20 percent (20%) tree retention requirement. The final tree species selected and tree spacing would be review and approved by the City Arborist (Exhibit 39). A condition of approval requires that the applicant submit a revised landscaping plan that meets the minimum tree density requirements of the tree retention and land clearing code (RMC 4-4-130C.9.d). Trees 30 inches and greater are classified as landmark trees in the City of Renton and are prohibited form removal without an approved Vegetation Management Plan or a Land Development Permit. There are seven (7) trees on the site that meet the size threshold to be classified as a landmark tree. The arborist report list includes 11, 17, 29, 32, 38, 44, and 45. Many of the landmark trees were noted as large and old by the Arborist. A final landscape plan would be submitted and reviewed by the Current Project Manager for consistency with the Tree Retention requirements of the code at the time of civil construction permit. C. Compatibility. The proposal is compatible with surrounding uses. The subject property abuts single family residential development with a variety of zoning (R-14 zone and King County R12 to the north, R-14 to the east, R-10 and R-14 to the south, and R-8 and R-14 to the west). Buildings are setback appropriately from abutting developed properties. To the north, south, and east the property abuts Renton Ave S and S 132nd St. To the west the proposed townhome project abuts two single family residential homes that are buffered by the developments common open space and landscaped building setback area. The proposed 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 PUD and Preliminary Plat - 17 landscaping throughout the site along the perimeter of the development provides a screen and enhances the development and the neighborhood. Although the proposed use is multi- family instead of single-family development, the extensive open space, landscaping and stepped integration into the steep slopes provides for significant buffering and ensures compatibility with the surrounding less intense residential development. Building design also provides for aesthetic compatibility with surrounding uses. The proposed buildings appear to have been designed to be built in a coordinated fashion, utilizing a consistent set of materials. The similar exterior components and roof profiles across all buildings help to establish a cohesive development design. Differentiation throughout the design is provided with the use of different materials and colors, such as glass railings and frosted windows. The applicant is proposing the use of fiber cement board with 4” and 10” reveals along with six different colors used on each building (cascade, heron plume, cityscape, olive grove, red theatre, and greenblack). Buildings along S 132nd St would be oriented to the street and contain pedestrian only amenities as the buildings are rear vehicle loaded. Stoops and landscaped front yards are provided along the street. Buildings located interior to the site orient to the common meandering walkways and take advantage of the pedestrian friendly space. D. Glare. As conditioned, the proposal will not adversely affect adjoining properties with excess light or glare. A preliminary lighting plan was submitted with the application package that included 6” up/down cylinder wall mounted lights, LED black bollard landscape lights and up accent landscape lights. A condition of approval requires that the applicant provide a lighting plan that includes a photometric calculation of average foot candles that adequately provides for public safety without casting excessive glare on adjacent properties. Pedestrian scale and down-lighting shall be used in all cases to assure safe pedestrian and vehicular movement. E. Views. The proposal does not significantly impact the views of adjoining properties. At least one neighbor raised concerns about impacts to views, in particular views of Mt. Rainier. The topography of the site steps down from north to south with territorial views of the south. The proposed buildings are built into the slope with ten-foot steps, which helps minimize the blocking of views of adjoining properties. Even with the requested two-foot height PUD modification, the buildings as seen from adjoining properties would not be seen as taller than those authorized without PUD modification. A condition of approval requires that where possible, the applicant shall maintain mountain views for properties north of the project site. Given the density of development authorized by the zoning code for the project site, the design of the project makes substantial progress in minimizing view obstruction to surrounding properties. View impacts to other properties may not be completely eliminated by the proposed design, but there is nothing more that can be reasonably required of the applicant without running afoul of constitutional limitations on regulation of private property. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 PUD and Preliminary Plat - 18 6. Superiority in Design. The development of this site as a PUD results in a superior design than what would result by the strict application of the development standards by clustering the buildings within the site to create more contiguous open space through the development. Open space amenities that would not be required of a subdivision include a garden plaza at the north end of the site and a large open park-like space at the corner of Renton Ave S and S 132nd St. The site takes advantage of the sloping topography by constructing building foundation into the slope without mass grading. The building massing and architecture would maximize natural light, maintain views of Mt. Rainier, and create the best possible pedestrian experience of the sloping site. 7. Public Benefit. The proposal provides for numerous public benefits as outlined at pages 18- 20 of the staff report. CONCLUSIONS OF LAW Procedural: 1. Authority. RMC 4-9-150(F)(8) authorizes the Examiner to conduct hearings and make final decisions on planned urban development applications. RMC 4-7-020(C) and 4-7-050(D)(5) provide that the hearing examiner shall hold a hearing and issue a final decision on preliminary plat applications. Substantive: 2. Zoning/Comprehensive Plan Designations. The project site is zoned Residential-14 (R-14) and has a comprehensive plan land use designation of Residential High Density (RHD). 3. Review Criteria. Chapter 4-7 RMC governs the criteria for subdivision review and RMC 4-9- 150 governs PUD criteria. Applicable criteria are quoted below in italics and applied through corresponding conclusions of law. PUD STANDARDS RMC 4-9-150(B)(2) and (3): Code Provisions That May Be Modified: a. In approving a planned urban development, the City may modify any of the standards of chapter 4- 2 RMC, chapter 4-4 RMC, RMC 4-6-060 and chapter 4-7 RMC, except as listed in subsection B3 of this Section. All modifications shall be considered simultaneously as part of the planned urban development. b. An applicant may request additional modifications from the requirements of this Title, except those listed in subsection B3 of this Section. All modifications shall be considered simultaneously as part of the planned urban development. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 PUD and Preliminary Plat - 19 3. Code Provisions Restricted from Modification: … c. Planned Urban Development Regulations: The City may not modify any of the provisions of this Section, Planned Urban Development Regulations, unless explicitly permitted as specified below; 4. As shown in Finding of Fact No. 3, the requested revisions are limited to the regulations identified in the regulation quoted above except for the private open space requirements of RMC 4-9- 150(E)(2). However, RMC 4-9-150(E)(2) itself provides that “[t]he minimum dimensional standards of this Section may be modified through the planned urban development review process; provided, that the minimum area requirement is maintained.” Since modifications to private open space are limited to dimensions and minimum required area is maintained, the private open space modifications are also appropriately subject to modification in this PUD review. RMC 4-9-150(D): The City may approve a planned urban development only if it finds that the following requirements are met. 1. Demonstration of Compliance and Superiority Required: Applicants must demonstrate that a proposed development is following the purposes of this Section and with the Comprehensive Plan, that the proposed development will be superior to that which would result without a planned urban development, and that the development will not be unduly detrimental to surrounding properties. 5. The criterion is met. The purposes of the PUD regulations, as outlined in RMC 4-9-150(A), are to preserve and protect the natural features of the land and to encourage innovation and creativity in development of residential uses. As outlined in Finding of Fact No. 4 and 5 the natural features of the site are preserved by integrating the buildings into the steep slopes of the site and retaining trees as required by the City’s tree retention standards (albeit by tree replacement). As determined in Finding of Fact No. 6, the proposal is superior in design to that which would result without a planned urban development. As determined in Finding of Fact No. 4 and 5 the project will not create any significant adverse impacts and provides for and/or is served by adequate infrastructure so it would not be unduly detrimental to surrounding properties. RMC 4-9-150(D): The City may approve a planned urban development only if it finds that the following requirements are met. … 2. Public Benefit Required: In addition, Applicants shall demonstrate that a proposed development will provide specifically identified benefits that clearly outweigh any adverse impacts or undesirable effects of the proposed planned urban development, particularly those adverse and undesirable impacts to surrounding properties, and that the proposed development will provide one or more of 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 PUD and Preliminary Plat - 20 the following benefits than would result from the development of the subject site without the proposed planned urban development: a. Protects critical areas that would not be protected otherwise to the same degree as without a planned urban development; or b. Natural Features: Preserves, enhances, or rehabilitates natural features of the subject property, such as significant woodlands, native vegetation, topography, or noncritical area wildlife habitats, not otherwise required by other City regulations; or c. Public Facilities: Provides public facilities that could not be required by the City for development of the subject property without a planned urban development. e. Overall Design: Provides a planned urban development design that is superior to the design that would result from development of the subject property without a planned urban development. A superior design may include the following: ... 6. The proposal provides for public benefit for the elements quoted above as determined in Finding of Fact No. 7. RMC 4-9-150(D): The City may approve a planned urban development only if it finds that the following requirements are met. … 3. Additional Review Criteria: A proposed planned urban development shall also be reviewed for consistency with all of the following criteria: a. Building and Site Design: i. Perimeter: Size, scale, mass, character and architectural design along the planned urban development perimeter provide a suitable transition to adjacent or abutting lower density/intensity zones. Materials shall reduce the potential for light and glare. 7. The criterion is met for the reasons identified at Finding of Fact No. 5(C). A condition of approval requires the Applicant to submit a materials board to the Current Planning Project Manager to confirm that siding materials are non-reflective to reduce the potential for light and glare. RMC 4-9-150(D): The City may approve a planned urban development only if it finds that the following requirements are met. … 3. Additional Review Criteria: A proposed planned urban development shall also be reviewed for consistency with all of the following criteria: a. Building and Site Design: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 PUD and Preliminary Plat - 21 … ii. Interior Design: Promotes a coordinated site and building design. Buildings in groups should be related by coordinated materials and roof styles, but contrast should be provided throughout a site by the use of varied materials, architectural detailing, building orientation or housing type; e.g., single family, townhouses, flats, etc. 8. The criterion is met for the reasons identified in Finding of Fact No. 5(C). RMC 4-9-150(D): The City may approve a planned urban development only if it finds that the following requirements are met. … 3. Additional Review Criteria: A proposed planned urban development shall also be reviewed for consistency with all of the following criteria … b. Circulation: i. Provides sufficient streets and pedestrian facilities. The planned urban development shall have sufficient pedestrian and vehicle access commensurate with the location, size and density of the proposed development. All public and private streets shall accommodate emergency vehicle access and the traffic demand created by the development as documented in a traffic and circulation report approved by the City. Vehicle access shall not be unduly detrimental to adjacent areas. 9. The proposal provides for adequate streets and pedestrian facilities as determined in Finding of Fact No. 4. RMC 4-9-150(D): The City may approve a planned urban development only if it finds that the following requirements are met. … 3. Additional Review Criteria: A proposed planned urban development shall also be reviewed for consistency with all of the following criteria … b. Circulation: … ii. Promotes safety through sufficient sight distance, separation of vehicles from pedestrians, limited driveways on busy streets, avoidance of difficult turning patterns, and minimization of steep gradients. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 PUD and Preliminary Plat - 22 10. The proposal meets this requirement as determined in Finding of Fact No. 4. RMC 4-9-150(D): The City may approve a planned urban development only if it finds that the following requirements are met. … 3. Additional Review Criteria: A proposed planned urban development shall also be reviewed for consistency with all of the following criteria … b. Circulation: … iii. Provision of a system of walkways which tie residential areas to recreational areas, transit, public walkways, schools, and commercial activities. 11. As noted in Finding of Fact No. 4 and shown in Ex. 5, as conditioned the proposal provides for a well-integrated system of internal pedestrian improvements that ultimately connect to required frontage pedestrian improvements. RMC 4-9-150(D): The City may approve a planned urban development only if it finds that the following requirements are met. … 3. Additional Review Criteria: A proposed planned urban development shall also be reviewed for consistency with all of the following criteria … b. Circulation: … iv. Provides safe, efficient access for emergency vehicles. 12. The proposal provides for safe and efficient access for emergency vehicles as determined in Finding of Fact No. 4. RMC 4-9-150(D): The City may approve a planned urban development only if it finds that the following requirements are met. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 PUD and Preliminary Plat - 23 … 3. Additional Review Criteria: A proposed planned urban development shall also be reviewed for consistency with all of the following criteria c. Infrastructure and Services: Provides utility services, emergency services, and other improvements, existing and proposed, which are sufficient to serve the development. 13. As determined in Finding of Fact No. 4, the proposal is served by sufficient public infrastructure and services to serve the development. RMC 4-9-150(D): The City may approve a planned urban development only if it finds that the following requirements are met. … 3. Additional Review Criteria: A proposed planned urban development shall also be reviewed for consistency with all of the following criteria … d. Clusters or Building Groups and Open Space: An appearance of openness created by clustering, separation of building groups, and with well-designed open space and landscaping, or a reduction in amount of impervious surfaces not otherwise required. 14. The proposed development separates the 60 dwelling units into 14 separate buildings that are linked together by a public road, alleys and sidewalks. This unique design of the site provides an ability to maximize space on the property and accommodate active and passive common open space. Building entries face a centralized garden plaza in most cases with pedestrian corridors that run through the center of several townhome clusters on west/east axis. Buildings are separated from their immediate neighbors by providing open green spaces or plantings at the sides of the townhomes buildings. RMC 4-9-150(D): The City may approve a planned urban development only if it finds that the following requirements are met. … 3. Additional Review Criteria: A proposed planned urban development shall also be reviewed for consistency with all of the following criteria … e. Privacy and Building Separation: Provides internal privacy between dwelling units, and external privacy for adjacent dwelling units. Each residential or mixed use development shall provide visual and acoustical privacy for dwelling units and surrounding properties. Fences, insulation, walks, 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 PUD and Preliminary Plat - 24 barriers, and landscaping are used, as appropriate, for the protection and aesthetic enhancement of the property, the privacy of site occupants and surrounding properties, and for screening of storage, mechanical or other appropriate areas, and for the reduction of noise. Windows are placed at such a height or location or screened to provide sufficient privacy. Sufficient light and air are provided to each dwelling unit. 15. Perimeter planting provides a buffer and privacy screen between the proposed project and existing development surrounding the site. Internal to the site, where structures face each other, building opening would be designed in a way to provide light and air to all major living spaces and would be oriented in such a way as to not infringe on the privacy of neighboring and adjacent buildings. Main living space in the townhome units would be located above the level of finish grade and windows would be located in a way as to be above the eye level of passerby travelers along the pedestrian corridor. The proposed development would be designed to building code standards for multi-family construction. Each residential unit would have a separate exterior entrance with insulated walls separating the units. All residential units and would have access to light and air, as each structure contains windows. The placement of the buildings, oriented to open space, provides separation and privacy for the residents while maintaining a communal atmosphere. RMC 4-9-150(D): The City may approve a planned urban development only if it finds that the following requirements are met. … 3. Additional Review Criteria: A proposed planned urban development shall also be reviewed for consistency with all of the following criteria … f. Building Orientation: Provides buildings oriented to enhance views from within the site by taking advantage of topography, building location and style. 16. The topography of the site steps down from north to south with territorial views of the south. The applicant has oriented the buildings north/south to take advantage of the sloping topography while providing direct views to the south. The building layout would also allow for long uninterrupted views from the highest point of the site down across the development and to the landscape areas beyond with all units having a potential view of Mt. Rainier on a clear sunny day. The siting and orientation of the buildings would also reduce the impact to residential properties around the site. As a condition of approval and where possible, staff is recommending the applicant maintain mountain views for properties to the north of the project site. RMC 4-9-150(D): The City may approve a planned urban development only if it finds that the following requirements are met. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 PUD and Preliminary Plat - 25 … 3. Additional Review Criteria: A proposed planned urban development shall also be reviewed for consistency with all of the following criteria … g. Parking Area Design: Provides parking areas that are complemented by landscaping and not designed in long rows. The size of parking areas is minimized in comparison to typical designs, and each area related to the group of buildings served. The design provides for efficient use of parking, and shared parking facilities where appropriate. 17. All required parking would be located within individual garages (120 stalls) of each townhome unit. No large surface parking lots are proposed. On street parking for guests would be available on Road A or on S 132nd St. RMC 4-9-150(D)(4): Each planned urban development shall demonstrate compliance with the development standards contained in subsection E of this Section, the underlying zone, and any overlay districts; unless a modification for a specific development standard has been requested pursuant to subsection B2 of this Section. 18. As discussed below, the proposal complies with all development standards imposed by RMC 4-9-150(E). The proposal is compliant with the standards of the underlying R14 zone for the reasons identified in Finding of Fact No. 26 of the staff report. No overlay districts apply. RMC 4-9-150(E)(1)(b)(i): Mixed use residential and attached housing developments of ten (10) or more dwelling units shall provide a minimum area of common space or recreation area equal to fifty (50) square feet per unit. The common space area shall be aggregated to provide usable area(s) for residents. The location, layout, and proposed type of common space or recreation area shall be subject to approval by the Hearing Examiner. The required common open space shall be satisfied with one or more of the elements listed below. The Hearing Examiner may require more than one of the following elements for developments having more than one hundred (100) units. (a) Courtyards, plazas, or multipurpose open spaces; (b) Upper level common decks, patios, terraces, or roof gardens. Such spaces above the street level must feature views or amenities that are unique to the site and provided as an asset to the development; (c) Pedestrian corridors dedicated to passive recreation and separate from the public street system; 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 PUD and Preliminary Plat - 26 (d) Recreation facilities including, but not limited to: tennis/sports courts, swimming pools, exercise areas, game rooms, or other similar facilities; or (e) Children’s play spaces. 19. The applicant proposes to provide active common open and green space along the frontage of Renton Ave S. Pedestrian sidewalks meander through the site making connections to seating areas and offering view opportunities of Mt. Rainier. The largest areas of open space for recreation and green space is located along Renton Ave S in tracts (Tract F, G, H, I, and J). These tracts offer a visual buffer by providing tree lined street frontage with landscaping and a park-like appearance between the development and busy minor arterial street. These areas include landscaping, benches, tables, sidewalks, play field, and viewing areas. Together these open space areas (including storm drainage tract) offer 0.82 acres of common space or recreation area. Altogether this would be equivalent to 595 square feet per unit. The play field alone offers more than double the required area of fifty (50) square feet per unit. RMC 4-9-150(E)(2): Private Open Space: Each residential unit in a planned urban development shall have usable private open space (in addition to parking, storage space, lobbies, and corridors) for the exclusive use of the occupants of that unit. Each ground floor unit, whether attached or detached, shall have private open space which is contiguous to the unit. The private open space shall be well demarcated and at least fifteen feet (15') in every dimension (decks on upper floors can substitute for the required private open space). For dwelling units which are exclusively upper story units, there shall be deck areas totaling at least sixty (60) square feet in size with no dimension less than five feet (5'). 20. The PUD proposal includes units with front yards with the smallest dimensions of 16’ to 20’ wide and depths 11.25’. In some cases, the dimensions provide usable open space greater than the required 225 square feet without retaining the 15’ minimum dimension in all directions. The applicant has requested to modify the dimensional requirements as referenced in Finding of Fact No. 3, which is approved by this decision. RMC 4-9-150(E)(3): Installation and Maintenance of Common Open Space: a. Installation: All common area and open space shall be landscaped in accordance with the landscaping plan submitted by the Applicants and approved by the City; provided, that common open space containing natural features worthy of preservation may be left unimproved. Prior to the issuance of any occupancy permit, the developer shall furnish a security device to the City in an amount equal to the provisions of RMC 4-9-060. Landscaping shall be planted within one year of the date of final approval of the planned urban development, and maintained for a period of two (2) years thereafter prior to the release of the security device. A security device for providing maintenance of landscaping may be waived if a landscaping maintenance contract with a reputable 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 PUD and Preliminary Plat - 27 landscaping firm licensed to do business in the City of Renton is executed and kept active for a two (2) year period. A copy of such contract shall be kept on file with the Development Services Division. b. Maintenance: Landscaping shall be maintained pursuant to requirements of RMC 4-4-070. 21. As Conditioned. RMC 4-9-150(E)(4): Installation and Maintenance of Common Facilities: a. Installation: Prior to the issuance of any occupancy permits, all common facilities, including but not limited to utilities, storm drainage, streets, recreation facilities, etc., shall be completed by the developer or, if deferred by the Planning/Building/Public Works Administrator or his/her designee, assured through a security device to the City equal to the provisions of RMC 4-9-060… 22. As Conditioned. RMC 4-9-150(E)(4): Installation and Maintenance of Common Facilities: … b. Maintenance: All common facilities not dedicated to the City shall be permanently maintained by the planned urban development owner, if there is only one owner, or by the property owners’ association, or the agent(s) thereof. In the event that such facilities are not maintained in a responsible manner, as determined by the City, the City shall have the right to provide for the maintenance thereof and bill the owner or property owners’ association accordingly. Such bill, if unpaid, shall become a lien against each individual property. 23. As conditioned. SUBDIVISION STANDARDS RMC 4-7-080(B): A subdivision shall be consistent with the following principles of acceptability: 1. Legal Lots: Create legal building sites which comply with all provisions of the City Zoning Code. 2. Access: Establish access to a public road for each segregated parcel. 3. Physical Characteristics: Have suitable physical characteristics. A proposed plat may be denied because of flood, inundation, or wetland Conditions. Construction of protective improvements may be required as a Condition of approval, and such improvements shall be noted on the final plat. 4. Drainage: Make adequate provision for drainage ways, streets, alleys, other public ways, water supplies and sanitary wastes. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 PUD and Preliminary Plat - 28 24. As modified by the PUD regulations, the lots will comply with all requirements of the Zoning Code. As shown in the site plan, Ex. 5, all lots have access to S. 132nd St. a public road, via Road A. The project is not located within a floodplain and there are no wetlands or streams impacted. As determined in Finding of Fact No. 4, the project makes adequate provision for drainage ways, streets, alleys, other public ways, water supplies and sanitary wastes. RMC 4-7-080(I)(1): …The Hearing Examiner shall assure conformance with the general purposes of the Comprehensive Plan and adopted standards… 25. The proposed preliminary plat is consistent with the Renton Comprehensive Plan as outlined in Finding 25 of the Staff report. RMC 4-7-120(A): No plan for the replatting, subdivision, or dedication of any areas shall be approved by the Hearing Examiner unless the streets shown therein are connected by surfaced road or street (according to City specifications) to an existing street or highway. 26. The internal roads and alleys ultimately connect to S. 132nd St., a public road. RMC 4-7-120(B): The location of all streets shall conform to any adopted plans for streets in the City. 27. The criterion is met. The Staff report and administrative record do not identify any applicable street plan or grid system that would compel the connection of the interior streets to any other roads beyond S. 132nd St... RMC 4-7-120(C): If a subdivision is located in the area of an officially designed trail, provisions shall be made for reservation of the right-of-way or for easements to the City for trail purposes. 28. The criterion is met. The Staff report and administrative record do not identify any officially designated trail in the vicinity and no trail is visible in the vicinity of the proposal in the aerial map on page 1 of the staff report. RMC 4-7-130(C): A plat, short plat, subdivision or dedication shall be prepared in conformance with the following provisions: 1. Land Unsuitable for Subdivision: Land which is found to be unsuitable for subdivision includes land with features likely to be harmful to the safety and general health of the future residents (such as lands adversely affected by flooding, steep slopes, or rock formations). Land which the Department or the Hearing Examiner considers inappropriate for subdivision shall not be subdivided unless adequate safeguards are provided against these adverse Conditions. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 PUD and Preliminary Plat - 29 a. Flooding/Inundation: If any portion of the land within the boundary of a preliminary plat is subject to flooding or inundation, that portion of the subdivision must have the approval of the State according to chapter 86.16 RCW before the Department and the Hearing Examiner shall consider such subdivision. b. Steep Slopes: A plat, short plat, subdivision or dedication which would result in the creation of a lot or lots that primarily have slopes forty percent (40%) or greater as measured per RMC 4-3- 050J1a, without adequate area at lesser slopes upon which development may occur, shall not be approved. … 3. Land Clearing and Tree Retention: Shall comply with RMC 4-4-130, Tree Retention and Land Clearing Regulations. 29. As noted in Finding of Fact No. 5, there are no critical areas at the project site. As further determined in Finding of Fact No. 5, the proposal complies with the City’s tree retention standards. Given these factors, as mitigated by the recommendations in the geotechnical report, the project area is suitable for subdivision as required by RMC 4-7-130(C). RMC 4-7-140: Approval of all subdivisions located in either single family residential or multi- family residential zones as defined in the Zoning Code shall be contingent upon the subdivider’s dedication of land or providing fees in lieu of dedication to the City, all as necessary to mitigate the adverse effects of development upon the existing park and recreation service levels. The requirements and procedures for this mitigation shall be per the City of Renton Parks Mitigation Resolution. 30. As outlined in Finding of Fact No. 4(D), the proposal satisfies park requirements by the payment of park impact fees and exceeds open space requirements. RMC 4-7-150(A): The proposed street system shall extend and create connections between existing streets unless otherwise approved by the Public Works Department. Prior to approving a street system that does not extend or connect, the Reviewing Official shall find that such exception shall meet the requirements of subsection E3 of this Section. The roadway classifications shall be as defined and designated by the Department. 31. Public works has approved the proposed street connections as required by the criterion above. RMC 4-7-150(B): All proposed street names shall be approved by the City. 32. As conditioned. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 PUD and Preliminary Plat - 30 RMC 4-7-150(C): Streets intersecting with existing or proposed public highways, major or secondary arterials shall be held to a minimum. 33. S. 132nd St. is classified as a collector arterial, but the project would be landlocked if it could not directly access this road so there is no other alternative. The criterion is met. RMC 4-7-150(D): The alignment of all streets shall be reviewed and approved by the Public Works Department. The street standards set by RMC 4-6-060 shall apply unless otherwise approved. Street alignment offsets of less than one hundred twenty-five feet (125') are not desirable, but may be approved by the Department upon a showing of need but only after provision of all necessary safety measures. 34. The criterion is met. Public works has reviewed street alignment and consistency with RMC 4-6-060 and recommends approval of the PUD. The project does not include a street alignment offset of more than 125 feet. RMC 4-7-150(E): 1. Grid: A grid street pattern shall be used to connect existing and new development and shall be the predominant street pattern in any subdivision permitted by this Section. 2. Linkages: Linkages, including streets, sidewalks, pedestrian or bike paths, shall be provided within and between neighborhoods when they can create a continuous and interconnected network of roads and pathways. Implementation of this requirement shall comply with Comprehensive Plan Transportation Element Objective T-A and Policies T-9 through T-16 and Community Design Element, Objective CD-M and Policies CD-50 and CD-60. 3. Exceptions: a. The grid pattern may be adjusted to a “flexible grid” by reducing the number of linkages or the alignment between roads, where the following factors are present on site: i. Infeasible due to topographical/environmental constraints; and/or ii. Substantial improvements are existing. 4. Connections: Prior to adoption of a complete grid street plan, reasonable connections that link existing portions of the grid system shall be made. At a minimum, stub streets shall be required within subdivisions to allow future connectivity. 5. Alley Access: Alley access is the preferred street pattern except for properties in the Residential Low Density land use designation. The Residential Low Density land use designation includes the 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 PUD and Preliminary Plat - 31 RC, R-1, and R-4 zones. Prior to approval of a plat without alley access, the Reviewing Official shall evaluate an alley layout and determine that the use of alley(s) is not feasible… 6. Alternative Configurations: Offset or loop roads are the preferred alternative configurations. 7. Cul-de-Sac Streets: Cul-de-sac streets may only be permitted by the Reviewing Official where due to demonstrable physical constraints no future connection to a larger street pattern is physically possible. 35. The criterion is met. RMC 4-7-150(C) requires that street connections to major and minor arterials be held to a minimum. Given that Renton Ave S. is a minor arterial, the only way to minimize connections to arterials is by the proposed connection to S. 132nd St. RMC 4-7-150(F): All adjacent rights-of-way and new rights-of-way dedicated as part of the plat, including streets, roads, and alleys, shall be graded to their full width and the pavement and sidewalks shall be constructed as specified in the street standards or deferred by the Planning/Building/Public Works Administrator or his/her designee. 36. All proposed street dedications will be fully graded and will meet applicable street standards except as modified by the PUD process. RMC 4-7-150(G): Streets that may be extended in the event of future adjacent platting shall be required to be dedicated to the plat boundary line. Extensions of greater depth than an average lot shall be improved with temporary turnarounds. Dedication of a full-width boundary street shall be required in certain instances to facilitate future development. 37. As previously discussed, minimizing connections to major and minor arterials as required by RMC 4-7-150(C) can only be accomplished by limiting the connection to S. 132nd St. 4-7-160(A): Blocks shall be deep enough to allow two (2) tiers of lots, except where: 1. Abutting principal arterials defined in the Transportation Element of the Comprehensive Plan. 2. The location and extent of environmental constraints prevent a standard plat land configuration, including size and shape of the parcel. 3. Prior to approval of single-tier lot configuration based on exceptions 1 and 2, the proponent must demonstrate that a different layout or provisions of an alley system is not feasible. 38. As shown in Ex. 5, blocks are composed of two tiers of lots to the extent that the shape of the project site make feasible. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 PUD and Preliminary Plat - 32 4-7-160(B): Where circumstances warrant, the Reviewing Official may require one or more public crosswalks or walkways of not less than six feet (6') in width dedicated to the City to extend entirely across the width of the block at locations deemed necessary. Such crosswalks or walkways shall be paved for their entire width and length with a permanent surface and shall be adequately lighted at the developer’s cost. 39. It’s not entirely clear from the site plans whether or where any crosswalks will be located. It’s likely that the issue will be addressed during final engineering, but since cross-walks are one of the standards imposed by the subdivision code (as opposed to street design standards or the like), the conditions of approval will require that the applicant install cross-walks as determined by public works to be necessary for public safety and compliance with City development standards. RMC 4-7-170(A): Insofar as practical, side lot lines shall be at right angles to street lines or radial to curved street lines. 40. As depicted in Ex. 5, the side lines are in conformance with the requirement quoted above. RMC 4-7-170(B): Each lot must have access to a public street or road. Access may be by private access easement street per the requirements of the street standards. 41. Each lot will have access to S. 132nd St. via the internal road and alleys. RMC 4-7-170(C): The size, shape, and orientation of lots shall meet the minimum area and width requirements of the applicable zoning classification and shall be appropriate for the type of development and use contemplated. Further subdivision of lots within a plat approved through the provisions of this Chapter must be consistent with the then-current applicable maximum density requirement as measured within the plat as a whole. 42. As previously noted, as modified by this PUD decision the proposal meets all applicable lot and density standards. RMC 4-7-170(D): Width between side lot lines at their foremost points (i.e., the points where the side lot lines intersect with the street right-of-way line) shall not be less than eighty percent (80%) of the required lot width except in the cases of (1) pipestem lots, which shall have a minimum width of twenty feet (20') and (2) lots on a street curve or the turning circle of cul-de-sac (radial lots), which shall be a minimum of thirty five feet (35'). 43. All proposed lots are rectangular with mostly uniform lot widths that comply with the lots widths approved through this PUD decision. RMC 4-7-170(E): All lot corners at intersections of dedicated public rights-of-way, except alleys, shall have minimum radius of fifteen feet (15'). 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 PUD and Preliminary Plat - 33 44. As Conditioned. RMC 4-7-190(A): Easements may be required for the maintenance and operation of utilities as specified by the Department. 45. As conditioned. RMC 4-7-190(A): Due regard shall be shown to all natural features such as large trees, watercourses, and similar community assets. Such natural features should be preserved, thereby adding attractiveness and value to the property. 46. As previously noted, the applicant has preserved the slopes of the project site, which is a unique and positive design feature. Tree retention is in conformance with the City’s tree retention standards. RMC 4-7-200(A): Unless septic tanks are specifically approved by the Public Works Department and the King County Health Department, sanitary sewers shall be provided by the developer at no cost to the City and designed in accordance with City standards. Side sewer lines shall be installed eight feet (8') into each lot if sanitary sewer mains are available, or provided with the subdivision development. 47. As Conditioned. RMC 4-7-200(B): An adequate drainage system shall be provided for the proper drainage of all surface water. Cross drains shall be provided to accommodate all natural water flow and shall be of sufficient length to permit full-width roadway and required slopes. The drainage system shall be designed per the requirements of RMC 4-6-030, Drainage (Surface Water) Standards. The drainage system shall include detention capacity for the new street areas. Residential plats shall also include detention capacity for future development of the lots. Water quality features shall also be designed to provide capacity for the new street paving for the plat. 48. The proposal will be designed to meet all City drainage standards including those above as outlined in Finding of Fact No. 4. RMC 4-7-200(C): The water distribution system including the locations of fire hydrants shall be designed and installed in accordance with City standards as defined by the Department and Fire Department requirements. 49. As outlined in the staff report, fire hydrants have already been reviewed by the Fire Department. Conformance to city standards shall be assured during final engineering review. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 PUD and Preliminary Plat - 34 RMC 4-7-200(D): All utilities designed to serve the subdivision shall be placed underground. Any utilities installed in the parking strip shall be placed in such a manner and depth to permit the planting of trees. Those utilities to be located beneath paved surfaces shall be installed, including all service connections, as approved by the Department. Such installation shall be completed and approved prior to the application of any surface material. Easements may be required for the maintenance and operation of utilities as specified by the Department. 50. As Conditioned. RMC 4-7-200(E): Any cable TV conduits shall be undergrounded at the same time as other basic utilities are installed to serve each lot. Conduit for service connections shall be laid to each lot line by subdivider as to obviate the necessity for disturbing the street area, including sidewalks, or alley improvements when such service connections are extended to serve any building. The cost of trenching, conduit, pedestals and/or vaults and laterals as well as easements therefore required to bring service to the development shall be borne by the developer and/or land owner. The subdivider shall be responsible only for conduit to serve his development. Conduit ends shall be elbowed to final ground elevation and capped. The cable TV company shall provide maps and specifications to the subdivider and shall inspect the conduit and certify to the City that it is properly installed. 51. As Conditioned. RMC 4-7-210: A. MONUMENTS: Concrete permanent control monuments shall be established at every controlling corner of the subdivision. Interior monuments shall be located as determined by the Department. All surveys shall be per the City of Renton surveying standards. B. SURVEY: All other lot corners shall be marked per the City surveying standards. C. STREET SIGNS: The subdivider shall install all street name signs necessary in the subdivision. 52. As Conditioned. DECISION The proposed preliminary plat and PUD meets all applicable criteria quoted in this decision and for 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 PUD and Preliminary Plat - 35 that reason is APPROVED subject to the following conditions of approval below. The PUD modifications identified in Finding of Fact No. 3 are also approved except for the requested modification to retainer wall height. 1. The applicant shall comply with the mitigation measures issued as part of the Determination of Non-Significance-Mitigated, dated May 8, 2017. 2. The applicant shall provide an Affordable Housing Restrictive Covenant and Agreement (the “Covenant”) upon seven (7) units prior to certificate of occupancy. The Covenant is designed to satisfy the granting of the density bonus provision and shall remain affordable for fifty (50) years. The applicant shall submit to, and have approved by, the Current Planning Project Manager, the Covenant prior to or concurrent with building permit approval. 3. The applicant shall limit the size of the lots to only include the dwelling unit, private driveway, private amenities, and private open space dimensions. The remainder of the parent site shall be platted as one or more tracts. Instead of tracts, pedestrian facilities may be placed in a pedestrian easement as authorized by staff. The plat plan shall be reviewed and approved by the Current Planning Project Manager prior to construction permit approval. 4. The applicant shall submit a detailed landscape plan that provides the species, quantity, planting notes, and plant spacing to comply with the intent and dimensions of the required visual barriers identified in the landscape code. In addition, all refuse and recycling pads shall maintain a minimum 10-foot separation from the west property line. The plan shall be reviewed and approved by the Current Planning Project Manager prior to building and/or construction permit approval. 5. The applicant shall submit a revised landscaping plan with the building permit application that meets the minimum tree density requirements of the tree retention and land clearing code (RMC 4-4-130C.9.d). The revised landscaping plan shall be reviewed and approved by the Current Planning Project Manager prior to building permit approval. 6. The applicant shall be required to establish enforceable bylaws, within the Homeowners Association Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions (CC&Rs), which require property owners to park their private vehicles within their garages. The applicant shall provide draft bylaws for review and approval by the Current Planning Project Manager prior to issuance of any occupancy permit. 7. The applicant shall submit revised plans with the building permit application that identifies the location of bicycle parking meeting the standards of RMC 4-4-080F.11. The revised plans shall be reviewed and approved by the Current Planning Project Manager prior to building permit approval. 8. The applicant shall submit a revised floor plan and landscaping plan with the building permit application that is appropriately sized to accommodate both vehicles and refuse and recycling carts, both inside and outside the garage. Storage space for carts shall measure at least two feet by six feet (2’ x 6’) in floor area and sixty inches (60”) high. The refuse and recycling deposit areas located outside the unit for garbage pick-up day 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 PUD and Preliminary Plat - 36 must also provide an area two feet by six feet (2’ x 6’) per unit. There shall be a direct connection constructed of a smooth surface that allows carts to be smoothly rolled to the specified pick-up location approved by Republic Services. The garage floor plan and storage pad areas shall be reviewed and approved by the Current Planning Project Manager prior to construction permit and/or building permit approval. 9. The applicant shall submit a revised grading plan that identifies the elevations of the top and bottom of each retaining wall to verify the height complies with the 6-foot height limitation. Additionally, the plans shall contain a cut sheet of wall materials. The revised grading plan shall be submitted with the construction permit application to be reviewed and approved by the Current Planning Project Manager and Plan Reviewer prior to construction permit approval. 10. The applicant shall submit detailed cut sheets with the revised landscape plan of the proposed picnic tables and benches. These amenities shall be durable and appropriate for northwest climate. The cut sheets shall be submitted with the construction permit application to be reviewed and approved by the Current Planning Project Manager. 11. The applicant shall provide a lighting plan that includes a photometric calculation of average foot candles that adequately provides for public safety without casting excessive glare on adjacent properties. Pedestrian scale and down-lighting shall be used in all cases to assure safe pedestrian and vehicular movement. The lighting plan shall be submitted with the construction permit application to be reviewed and approved by the Current Planning Project Manager prior to construction permit approval. 12. The applicant shall establish a HOA for the development, which would be responsible for any common improvements. All common facilities, not dedicated to the City, shall be permanently maintained by the PUD HOA. The Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions (CC&Rs) shall provide that if the HOA fails to properly maintain the common facilities and integral elements of the City may do so at the expense of the association. The CC&Rs shall also provide that the provisions pertaining to the obligation to maintain common areas shall not be amended without approval of the City of Renton. The applicant shall provide draft CC&Rs and HOA incorporation documents for review and approval by the Current Planning Project Manager prior to issuance of any occupancy permit. 13. The applicant shall construct the programmed recreation areas (garden plaza, play field, seating, and pathways) with amenities prior to Certificate of Occupancy of the first building. 14. The applicant shall provide a minimum of 250 square feet of private yard space (may include private balcony area) per lot. A revised site plan and floor plan shall be submitted to and approved by the City of Renton Project Manager prior to building permit approval. 15. The applicant shall add at a minimum one (1) additional architectural detail and one (1) additional exterior wall material to provide distinction between the buildings. A final architectural elevation plan and materials board shall be submitted to and approved by the City of Renton Project Manager prior to building permit approval. 16. The applicant shall provide a permanent four foot (4’) tall fence along Renton Ave S that delineates between public and private space. A fencing detail and location shall be identified on the final landscaping plan. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 PUD and Preliminary Plat - 37 17. Where possible, the applicant shall maintain mountain views for properties north of project site. 18. The applicant shall submit a materials board with the building permit application for review and approval by the Current Planning Project Manager prior to building permit approval to confirm that siding materials are non-reflective to reduce the potential for light and glare. 19. The applicant’s proposed construction traffic control plan shall be forwarded for comment to Phyllis Chandler and any other persons who request a copy within 30 days of this decision. Public comments shall be due within ten calendar days of mailing. 20. Prior to the issuance of any occupancy permit, the developer shall furnish a security device to the City in an amount equal to the provisions of RMC 4-9-060. Landscaping shall be planted within one year of the date of final approval of the planned urban development, and maintained for a period of two (2) years thereafter prior to the release of the security device. A security device for providing maintenance of landscaping may be waived if a landscaping maintenance contract with a reputable landscaping firm licensed to do business in the City of Renton is executed and kept active for a two (2) year period. A copy of such contract shall be kept on file with the Development Services Division. 21. Prior to the issuance of any occupancy permits, all common facilities, including but not limited to utilities, storm drainage, streets, recreation facilities, etc., shall be completed by the developer or, if deferred by the Planning/Building/Public Works Administrator or his/her designee, assured through a security device to the City equal to the provisions of RMC 4-9-060. 22. All proposed street names shall be approved by the City. 23. The applicant shall install cross-walks as determined by public works to be necessary for public safety and compliance with City development standards. 24. All lot corners at intersections of dedicated public rights-of-way, except alleys, shall have minimum radius of fifteen feet (15'). 25. All utilities designed to serve the subdivision shall be placed underground. Any utilities installed in the parking strip shall be placed in such a manner and depth to permit the planting of trees. Those utilities to be located beneath paved surfaces shall be installed, including all service connections, as approved by the Department. Such installation shall be completed and approved prior to the application of any surface material. Easements may be required for the maintenance and operation of utilities as specified by the Department. 26. Any cable TV conduits shall be undergrounded at the same time as other basic utilities are installed to serve each lot. Conduit for service connections shall be laid to each lot line by subdivider as to obviate the necessity for disturbing the street area, including sidewalks, or alley improvements when such service connections are extended to serve any building. The cost of trenching, conduit, pedestals and/or vaults and laterals as well as easements therefore required to bring service to the development shall be borne by the developer and/or land owner. The subdivider shall be responsible only for conduit to 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 PUD and Preliminary Plat - 38 serve his development. Conduit ends shall be elbowed to final ground elevation and capped. The cable TV company shall provide maps and specifications to the subdivider and shall inspect the conduit and certify to the City that it is properly installed. 27. Street signs and survey markers and monuments shall be installed as required by RMC 4- 7-210. DATED this 8th day of August, 2017. City of Renton Hearing Examiner Appeal Right and Valuation Notices RMC 4-8-080(G) classifies the application(s) subject to this decision as Type III applications subject to closed record appeal to the City of Renton City Council. Appeals of the hearing examiner’s decision must be filed within fourteen (14) calendar days from the date of the decision. A request for reconsideration to the hearing examiner may also be filed within this 14- day appeal period. Affected property owners may request a change in valuation for property tax purposes notwithstanding any program of revaluation.