Exhibit 1 - Phase 1 Staff Report and Attachments.pdf
EXHIBIT 1
RS-6
P
RS-6
Subject Property:
303 & 311 Edmonds St.
BD5
RM-1.5
RM-1.5
BD2
BD5
P
075150300
Feet
ATTACHMENT 1
ATTACHMENT 2
ATTACHMENT 3
ATTACHMENT 4
303/ 311 Edmonds St. Material Palette
James Hardie Reveal Panel 2.0
Cedar Fence
Smooth Finish Concrete
Color: Sandstone Beige
Darkened Steel on
option 2
James Hardie Reveal Panel 2.0
Mutual Materials Brick Veneer
Color: Monterey Taupe
Cedar Wood Siding
Color: Teak Stain
Color: Coal Creek
Darkened Steel
option 1
When designing projects and issuing permits for new developments, applicants
a
nd City staff will rely on these guidelines to help define specific design
conditions that will be required for project approval. As these design guidelines
get applied to particular development projects, some important things to
remember are:
1. Each project is unique and will pose unique design issues. Even two
similar proposals on the same block may face different design
considerations. With some projects, trying to follow all of the guidelines
could produce irreconcilable conflicts in the design. With most projects,
reviewers will find some guidelines more important than others, and the
guidelines that are most important on one project might not be important
at all on the next one. The design review process will help designers and
reviewers to determine which guidelines are most important in the context
of each project so that they may put the most effort into accomplishing the
intent of those guidelines.
2. Project must be reviewed in the context of their zoning and the zoning of
their surroundings. The use of design guidelines is not intended to change
the zoning designations of land where projects are proposed; it is intended
to demonstrate methods of treating the appearance of new projects to
help them fit their neighborhoods and to provide the Code flexibility
necessary to accomplish that. Where the surrounding neighborhood
exhibits a lower development intensity than is current zoning allow, the
lower-intensity character should not force a proponent to significantly
reduce the allowable size of the new building.
3. Many of the guidelines suggest using the existing context to determine
appropriate solutions for the project under consideration. In some areas,
the existing context is not well defined, or may be undesirable. In such
cases, the new project should be recognized as a pioneer with the
opportunity to establish a pattern or identity from which future
development can take its cues. In light of number 2 above, the sites
zoning should be considered an indicator of the desired direction for the
area and the project.
4. Each guideline includes examples and illustrations of ways in which that
guidelines can be achieved. The examples are just that examples. They
are not the only acceptable solution. Designers and reviewers should
consider designs, styles and techniques not described in the examples but
that fulfill the guideline.
5. The checklist which follows the guidelines (Checklist) is a tool for
determining whether or not a particular guideline applies to a site, so that
the guidelines may be more easily prioritized. The checklist is neither a
regulatory device, nor a substitute for evaluating a sites conditions, or to
summarize the language of examples found in the guidelines themselves.
ATTACHMENT 5
Edmonds Land Use Code sets specific, prescriptive rules that are applied
uniformly for each land use zone throughout the city. There is little room in the
Codes development standards to account for unique site conditions or
neighborhood contexts. A project architect can read the Code requirements and
theoretically design a building without ever visiting the site.
However, to produce good compatible design, it is critical that the projects
design team examine the site and its surrounding, identify the key design
features and determine how the proposed project can address the guidelines
objectives. Because they rely on the projects context to help shape the project,
the guidelines encourage an active viewing of the site and its surroundings.
For a proposal located on a street with a consistent and distinctive architectural
character, the architectural elements of the building may be key to helping the
building fit the neighborhood. On other sites with few attractive neighboring
buildings, the placement of open space and treatment of pedestrian areas may
be the most important concerns. The applicant and the project reviewers should
consider the following questions and similar ones related to context when looking
at the site:
What are the key aspects of the streetscape? (The streets layout and
visual character)
Are there opportunities to encourage human activity and neighborhood
interaction, while promoting residents privacy and physical security?
How can vehicle access have the least effect on the pedestrian
environment and on the visual quality of the site?
Are there any special site planning opportunities resulting from the sites
configuration, natural features, topography etc.?
What are the most important contextual concerns for pedestrians? How
could the sidewalk environment be improved?
Does the street have characteristic landscape features, plant materials,
that could be incorporated into the design?
Are there any special landscaping opportunities such as steep
topography, significant trees, greenbelt, natural area, park or boulevard
that should be addressed in the design?
Do neighboring buildings have distinctive architectural style, site
configuration, architectural concept?
This checklist is intended as a summary of the issues addressed by the
guidelines. It is not meant to be a regulatory device or a substitute for the
language and examples found in the guidelines themselves. Rather, it is a tool
for assisting the determination about which guidelines are the most applicable on
a particular site.
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(above and below)
Corner lot treatments.
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ATTACHMENT 6
ATTACHMENT 7
Design Objectives for Building Façade. Building facade objectives ensure that the exterior of a
building – the portion of a building that defines the character and visual appearance of a place – is
of high quality and demonstrates the strong sense of place and integrity valued by the residents of
the City of Edmonds.
A.18 Building Façade Design. Encourage building façades that reinforce the appearance
and consistency of streetscape patterns while supporting diversity and identity in
building design.
A.19 Window Variety and Articulation. Use window size and placement to help define
the scale and character of the building. Use the organization and combinations of
window types to reinforce the streetscape character or to provide variation in a
façade, as well as provide light and air to the building interior.
A.20 Variation in Facade Materials. Employ variation in materials, colors or design
elements on building façades to help define the scale and style of the structure.
Variation in façade materials can help reduce the apparent bulk of larger buildings
while allowing variety and individuality of building design.
Urban Design Goals & Policies for Specific Areas
In addition to the general design goal and objectives described above under Goal A, supplemental
design objectives are outlined below for specific areas or districts within the city.
Each key goal in this element (or section) is identified by an alphabet letter (for example, “D”).
Goals are typically followed by associated policies and these are identified by the letter of the goal
and a sequential number (for example, “D.2”)
Urban Design Goal B: Downtown/Waterfront Activity Center. Design objectives and
standards should be carefully crafted for the Downtown/Waterfront Activity Center to encourage
its unique design character and important place-making status within the city.
B.1 Vehicular Access and Parking. Driveways and curb cuts should be minimized to
assure a consistent and safe streetscape for pedestrians. When alleys are present,
these should be the preferred method of providing vehicular access to a property
and should be used unless there is no reasonable alternative available.
Configuration of parking should support a “park and walk” policy that provides
adequate parking while minimizing impacts on the pedestrian streetscape.
B.2 Pedestrian Access and Connections. Improve pedestrian
access from the street by locating buildings close to the
street and sidewalks, and defining the street edge. Cross
walks at key intersections should be accentuated by the
use of special materials, signage or paving treatments.
Transit access and waiting areas should be provided where
appropriate.
Community Culture and Urban Design 125
ATTACHMENT 8
B.3 Building Entry Location. Commercial building entries should be easily
recognizable and oriented to the pedestrian streetscape by being located at sidewalk
grade.
B.4 Building Setbacks. Create a common street frontage view with enough repetition to
tie each site to its neighbor. Encourage the
creation of public spaces to enhance the
visual attributes of the development and
encourage outdoor interaction. In the
Waterfront area west of the railroad,
buildings should be set back from the
waterfront to preserve and provide a buffer
from existing beach areas. In the
Waterfront area, site layout should be
coordinated with existing buildings and
proposed improvements to provide views of
the water, open spaces, and easy pedestrian access to the beach.
B.5 Building/Site Identity. In the downtown area, retain a connection with the scale and
character of downtown through the use of similar materials, proportions, forms,
masses or building elements. Encourage
new construction to use designs that
reference, but do not replicate historic
forms or patterns.
B.6 Weather Protection. Provide a covered
walkway for pedestrians traveling along
public sidewalks or walkways.
B.7 Signage. Lighting of signs should be indirect or
minimally backlit to display lettering and symbols or
graphic design instead of broadly lighting the face of the
sign. Signage using graphics or symbols or that
contributes to the historic character of a building should
be encouraged.
B.8 Art and Public Spaces. Public art and amenities such as
mini parks, flower baskets, street furniture, etc., should
be provided as a normal part of the public streetscape.
Whenever possible, these elements should be continued
th
in the portion of the private streetscape that adjoins the public streetscape. In the 4
Avenue Arts Corridor, art should be a common element of building design, with
greater design flexibility provided when art is made a central feature of the design.
B.9 Building Height. Create and preserve a human scale for downtown buildings.
Building frontages along downtown streetscapes should be pedestrian in scale.
B.10 Massing. Large building masses should be subdivided or softened using design
elements that emphasize the human scale of the streetscape. Building façades
should respect and echo historic patterns along downtown pedestrian streets.
Community Culture and Urban Design 126
B.11 Building Façade. Provide a human scale streetscape, breaking up long façades into
defined forms that continue a pattern of individual and distinct tenant spaces in
commercial and mixed use areas. Avoid blank, monotonous and imposing building
facades using design elements that add detail and emphasize the different levels of
the building (e.g. the top or cornice vs. the pedestrian level or
building base).
B.12 Window Variety and Articulation. In the downtown retail and
mixed commercial districts, building storefronts should be
dominated by clear, transparent glass windows that allow and
encourage pedestrians to walk past and look into the
commercial space. Decorative trim and surrounds should be
encouraged to add interest and variety. Upper floors of
buildings should use windows as part of the overall design to
encourage rhythm and accents in the façade.
Urban Design Goal C: Highway 99 Corridor. Additional Design Objectives for the Highway
99 Corridor should support its function as a locus of commercial and potential mixed use activity,
building on the availability of multiple forms of transportation and its proximate location to
surrounding neighborhoods.
C.1 General Appearance and Identity. Design of buildings and spaces along Highway
99 should encourage a feeling of identity associated with different sections of the
highway.
C.2 Site Design. Site design should allow for vechicular access and parking as well as
safe access and circulation for pedestrians. Whenever possible, sites should provide
connections between adjacent businesses and between businesses and nearby
residential neighborhoods.
C.3 Landscaping and Buffering. Landscaping, fencing or other appropriate techniques
should be used to soften the street front of sites and also used to buffer more
intensive uses from adjoining less intensive use areas (e.g. buffer commercial from
residential development).
Urban Design Goal D: Neighborhood Commercial Areas. Design in neighborhood
commercial areas should seek to support the function of the neighborhood center while paying
close attention to its place within the neighborhood setting.
D.1 Landscape and Buffering. Special attention should be paid to transitions from
commercial development to surrounding residential areas, using landscaping and/or
gradations in building scale to provide compatible development.
Community Culture and Urban Design 127
MEMORANDUM
Date:
August 14, 2015
To:
Jen Machuga,AssociatePlanner
From:
JoAnne Zulauf, Engineering Technician
Subject:
PLN20150036 – Design Review for GBH Holdings
9 Unit Apt Building& Reclad of Existing Building
303/311 Edmonds St
Engineering has reviewed the subject application and has no comments on the Phase 1 portion
of the review. However, when preparing the plans for the Phase 2 submittal, please ask the
applicant to address the following:
1.Please describe the variance necessary for the stormwater detention system and how the
design can be constructed if the variance is granted. If it is determined that the variance can
not be granted, an alternate storm system design shall be required.
2.All architectural features such as the canopy proposed over the right of way shall comply
with Chapter 18.70.030 Section D Street Use and Encroachment Permits: Bay Windows,
Decks, and Related Architectural Features. The requirements include; encroachment shall not
project more than two feet (24 inches) into the right of way, and encroachments shall not
exceed 30 percent of the length of the façade on any one side of the building. Please revise
proposed canopy design on existing structure.
Please route the Phase 2 submittal to the Engineering Division for review/comment when
appropriate.
Thank you.
City of Edmonds
ATTACHMENT 9
MEMORANDUM
Date:
August 14,2015
To:
Jen Machuga, Planner
From:
Leif Bjorback, Building Official
Subject:
GBH Holdings
Address 303/311 Edmonds St.
PLN2015-0036
I have performed a preliminary building code review of the plans that were submitted under the
referenced application number, and have noticed no major building code related deficiencies in
the proposed design.
Code compliance of the following items should be carefully considered during the completion of
the design drawings.
1.Fire rated construction of exterior walls and limitations on openings within exterior walls
shall be regulated by IBC section 705. Due to the proximity of the two separate buildings
on the site, show an assumed imaginary interior lot line between the two buildings in
order to evaluate fire separation distance and associated requirements.
2.The interior exit stairway is required to be one hour fire rated per IBC 1022 and 1009.3.
3.Accessibility for the building and site shall be according to IBC chapter 11. In particular,
it appears that the dwelling units on the first floor level will need to be Type B accessible
units as per IBC 1107.7.1.1.
4.It is noted that exterior lighting has been shown on the preliminary plans. Code review of
all lighting for compliance with the energy code will be done under the plan review for
the building permit application.
5.Review of all other building code provisions will be done under the plan review for the
building permit application.
6.Improvements to the existing building shall be done under separate building permits.
Thank you.
City of Edmonds Building Department
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