HE staff report.pdfoc. 189"
CITY OF EDMONDS
1215th Avenue North, Edmonds WA 98020
Phone: 425.771.0220 • Fax: 425.771.0221 • Web: ww ed ondsvva. ov
DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT • PLANNING DIVISION
PLANNING DIVISION
REPORT & RECOMMENDATION TO THE HEARING EXAMINER
Project: Madrona K-8 School Replacement
Requested Permits:. PLN20160027 (Design Review)
PLN20160028 (Conditional use permit for building area)
PLN20160029 (Conditional use permit for gym and flag pole height)
Date of Report: 0 tober 5, 6
Staff Contact:
Mike Clugston, AICP, Associate Planner
Public Hearing: October 13, 2016 at 3:00 P.M.
Edmonds Public Safety Complex: Council Chambers
250-5 th Avenue North, Edmonds, WA 98020
I. SUMMARY OF PROPOSAL AND PROCESS
The Edmonds School District is proposing to replace the existing Madrona K-8 School at
9300236 th Street SW. The new school will be built behind the existing school and
construction will be timed so that the students can remain in the existing school until
the new school is completed. The new school will use existing access points on 236th
Street but will include new parking and student drop-off as well as a new bus loop with
extended queuing. New sidewalks along the south side of 236th are also proposed.
Design review of the site and building and two conditional use permits — one for building
area in excess of 60,000 sf and another for the gymnasium and flag pole to be nearly 35
feet in height — are requested as part of this project.
The design review and conditional use permits are considered Type III -B decisions under
Section 20.01.003 of the Edmonds Community Development Code (ECDC) and all three
permits have been consolidated for review pursuant to ECDC 20.01.002.B. When
consolidated like this, the Architectural Design Board (ADB) reviews the proposed
development at a public meeting and makes a recommendation to the Hearing
Examiner. The Hearing Examiner then holds a public hearing and makes the final
decision per ECDC 20.01.002.C.
The Architectural Design Board held a public meeting and reviewed the design of the
proposed redevelopment on September 7, 2016. They found that the proposal is
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consistent with the General Design Review criteria in ECDC 20.11.030, the general
design guidance in the Comprehensive Plan, and specific elements of the zoning
ordinance and recommended approval of the project with conditions (Attachments A &
B). Staff recommends approval of the associated conditional use permits with
additional conditions.
II. EXHIBITS
A. ADB staff report and attachments
1. Land use application
2. Project narrative
3. Description of clarifications by ESD
4. Aerial photo and photos of the existing frontage at 236th Street
5. Project plans, dated July 25, 2016, which include:
Cover sheets (CUP -001 to CUP -003)
Survey sheets (V-101 to V-116)
Preliminary civil plans (C-110 and C-111)
Landscape plans (L-100 and L-101)
Architectural plans (A-101 to A-213)
Electrical plans (E-101 and E-102)
6. SEPA MDNS and associated documentation
7. Public notice documentation for design review meeting
8. Technical comments and correspondence
9. Wetland and Stream Delineation Report
10. Preliminary Geotechnical Engineering Report
11. Preliminary 'draft' Hydrogeologic Report (for feasibility of UIC wells for
stormwater flow control)
12. Tree survey
13. Renderings and material spec sheets
B. ADB recommendation (draft minutes of September 7, 2016 meeting)
C. Edmonds School District presentation to ADB
D. Cover letter dated September 21, 2016
E Revised building plan sheets (CUP -002, A-111)
F. Wetland buffer enhancement plan
G. Notice documentation for public hearing
III. PUBLIC NOTICE
A "Notice of Public Hearing" for permits PLN20160027 — 0029 was published in the
Herald Newspaper, posted at the subject site, as well as the Public Safety Complex,
Community Development Department, and the Library on September 28, 2016. Notice
of the public hearing was also mailed to property owners within 300 feet of the site
(Exhibit G).
After the notice was distributed, staff realized that the decision process for the three
permits was inadvertently described in two different ways on the face of the letter. At
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the top, it correctly indicated that the Hearing Examiner would make the final decision
on the permits. At the bottom of the notice, it incorrectly indicated that the Hearing
Examiner would make a recommendation to the City Council who would make the final
decision. The bottom section was not updated from a previous project and thus the
confusion. As noted in Section I of this report, the final decision on the three subject
permits rests with the Hearing Examiner. Any appeal of the permits would be to City
Council in accordance with ECDC 20.01.003.B.
The City has complied with the noticing provisions of ECDC 20.03.
IV. DESIGN REVIEW — ECDC 20.10
PLN20160027 — Design review for Madrona school replacement
The Architectural Design Board held a public meeting and reviewed the design of the
proposed project on September 7, 2016. The Board unanimously recommended
approval (Exhibit B) with the following conditions that were included on page 18 of the
staff report (Exhibit A):
1. Trees must be protected and removed in accordance with ECDC 18.45.050.H and the
tree protection and mitigation guidelines found in Attachment 12, as amended.
2. Development must occur in accordance with the wetland code in ECDC 23.50. The
wetland report (Attachment 9) must be updated to address how the proposed
development meets the buffer averaging/reduction and enhancement requirements
of ECDC 23.50.040.
3. Development must occur in accordance with the geologically hazardous areas code
in ECDC 23.80. The geotechnical report (Attachment 10) must be updated to address
specific elements of the proposed development relative to the standards in Sections
23.80.060 and 23.80.070.
4. Service yards, and other areas where trash or litter may accumulate, must be
screened with planting or fences or walls which are compatible with natural
materials.
5. The proposed landscaping shown on Sheets L-100 and L-101 of Attachment 5 meets
the intent of Chapter 20.13 of the Edmonds Community Development Code.
Automatic irrigation should not be required.
5. A 30'right-of-way dedication along the south side of 236th Street SW is required in
accordance with the City's Official Street Map.
7. Staff will verify compliance of the proposal with all relevant codes and land use
permit conditions through review of building and engineering permits. Minor
changes to the approved design may be approved by staff at the time of building
permit without further design review by the Board as long as the design is
substantially similar to that originally approved.
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The Hearing Examiner may keep, modify or eliminate any of the proposed conditions;
staff recommends adopting the ADB's conditions.
V. CONDITIONAL USE PERMITS — ECDC 20.05
PLN20160028 — Conditional use permit for school building area in excess of 60,000 sf
PLN20160029 — Conditional use permit for school structures in excess of 25 feet
As noted in the staff report to the ADB (Exhibit A), Madrona is a primary school and
therefore a permitted primary use in the zone where the school is located. However,
according to ECDC 17.100.050.G, a primary school with a design capacity of greater than
60,000 sf requires a conditional use permit in all zones:
Schools — Permitted Use. Schools shall be an allowed or conditional use as
provided below. For purposes of this subsection "design capacity" shall be
determined by reference to the applicable comprehensive plan capital facilities
element.
1. Primary schools with a design capacity of not greater than 600 students and
not more than 60,000 square feet of floor area shall be permitted as a permitted
use in all zones.
2. Primary schools with a design capacity of greater than 600 students or more
than 60,000 square feet of floor area shall be permitted as a conditional use in all
zones.
3. High schools shall be permitted as a conditional use in all zones.
As shown on Sheet CUP -002 of Exhibit E, the proposed school will be approximately
80,000 sf so the School District applied for a conditional use permit for area under
PLN20160028.
In addition, two elements of the project are proposed to be taller than the 25 -foot
maximum height allowed by the RS -8 zone. This can be allowed through a conditional
use permit per ECDC 17.100.050.1:
Schools — Height. The maximum building height for schools shall not exceed the
maximum height for the zone in which the school is located, except:
1. That in residential zones or any zone in which a structure 35 feet in height is
not a permitted use, that portion of the structure or a separate structure that
serves as an auditorium, gymnasium, or swimming pool, may be permitted to a
maximum building height of 35 feet with a conditional use permit; and
2. Provided that the maximum building height for any other portion of the entire
structure may be increased above the maximum(s) provided in this section, also
subject to conditional use permit approval, to a maximum of 35 feet.
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Both the gymnasium (Exhibit E, Sheet CUP -002) and the flag pole (Exhibit A, Attachment
5, Sheet L-101) are proposed to be in excess of 25 feet in height; therefore, a conditional
use permit is required for those structures (PLN20160029).
1. Pursuant to ECDC 20.05.010, a conditional use permit may not be approved unless
all of the following findings can be made:
A. That the proposed use is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan.
The existing 86,500 sf Madrona School is a listed public facility in the City's
Capital Facilities Plan. The proposed 80,000 sf replacement school building is
therefore consistent with the Comprehensive Plan. The site is designated Single
Family Urban 1 in the Comprehensive Plan and is zoned Single Family Residential
(RS -8), one of the implementing zones for the designation. The proposed school
will be slightly smaller than the existing school but will continue to serve about
650 students.
Gvmnasium and flag pole height
The proposed gymnasium and flag pole are integral parts of the proposed school
replacement project and therefore are consistent with the Comprehensive Plan.
B. Zoning Ordinance. That the proposed use, and its location, is consistent with the
purposes of the zoning ordinance and the purposes of the zone district in which
the use is to be located, and that the proposed use will meet all applicable
requirements of the zoning ordinance.
The purposes of the zoning ordinance include [ECDC 16.00.010]:
A. To assist in the implementation of the adopted comprehensive plan for
the physical development of the city by regulating and providing for
existing uses and planning for the future as specified in the
comprehensive plan; and
B. To protect the character and the social and economic stability of
residential, commercial, industrial and other uses within the city, and to
ensure the orderly and beneficial development of those uses by:
1. Preserving and retaining appropriate areas for each type of use;
2. Preventing encroachment into these areas by incompatible uses;
and
3. By regulating the use of individual parcels of land to prevent
unreasonable detrimental effects of nearby uses.
The purposes of the RS -8 zone and the other Single -Family Residential zones
include [ECDC 16.20.000]:
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A. To reserve and regulate areas primarily for family living in single-family
dwellings;
B. To provide for additional nonresidential uses which complement and
are compatible with single-family dwelling use.
School Building Area
Per ECDC 16.20.010.A.3, primary schools like Madrona K-8 are permitted primary
uses in the RS -8 zone subject to the requirements of ECDC 17.100.050.G - R. As
was described in the staff report to the Architectural Design Board (Exhibit A),
with the proposed conditions the school building will be able to meet the
requirements of the zoning ordinance.
The applicant submitted a wetland buffer mitigation and enhancement plan for
Wetland B along with updated plan sheets to address ADB Condition #2 (Exhibits
D - F). The plan describes the standard 60' buffer and 15' building setback for
Wetland B and then a 25% buffer width averaging plan with enhancement in
accordance with ECDC 23.50.040. The plan sheets also show a change to the
location of the proposed building space so that it remains outside of the reduced
45' wetland buffer and 15' building setback.
In addition, relative to Condition 4, the applicant noted that at the ADB meeting
that there would be screening of the northeast service yard (Exhibits B & Q.
The area of the school building will be verified at building permit.
Gymnasium and flagpole he'iEht.
The maximum height for structures in the RS -8 zone is 25 feet. As noted above,
height up to 35 feet for school structures can be approved through a conditional
use permit per ECDC 17.100.050.1. The proposed gymnasium is to be 34 feet in
height and can be seen in Inset D4 on Sheet CUP -002 of Exhibit A, Attachment S.
The height of the gymnasium and flag pole will be verified at building permit.
C. Not Detrimental. That the use, as approved or conditionally approved, will not be
significantly detrimental to the public health, safety and welfare, and to nearby
private property or improvements unless the use is a public necessity.
With the proposed conditions, neither the new school building nor the
gymnasium and flag pole will be detrimental to the public health, safety and
welfare. In fact, the new school and related improvements will better serve the
student population and local residents. Safety will be improved by relieving
traffic congestion and installing new sidewalks on 236th Street (Exhibit A,
Attachment 5, Sheets C-110 & C-111). New recreation opportunities will be
available with the redesigned play areas and fields (Exhibit A, Attachment 5,
Sheets L-100 & L-101). Site lighting will be directed downward to light
pedestrian and vehicular access areas and space lighting will be on motion
sensors (Exhibit A, Attachment 5, Sheets E-101 & E-102).
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D. Transferability. The hearing examiner shall determine whether the conditional
use permit shall run with the land or shall be personal. If it runs with the land
and the hearing examiner finds it in the public interest, the hearing examiner
may require that it be recorded in the form of a covenant with the Snohomish
County auditor. The Hearing Examiner may also determine whether the
conditional use permit may or may not be used by a subsequent user of the same
property.
Both conditional use permits should run with the land. The Edmonds School
District is replacing the school and related improvements to operate into the
long-term future. However, there is no reason that new conditional use permits
should be required for the building area and gym and flag pole height if a new
organization operated the site (separate conditional use permits could be
required in the future for new uses such as those found in ECDC 16.20.010.0 and
D). Because these CUPs are for dimensional allowances to physical structures
rather than uses, recording a covenant with Snohomish County should not be
necessary.
2. With conditions, staff believes the proposed school building area as well as the
gymnasium and flag pole heights are consistent with the conditional use criteria for
approval listed ECDC 20.05.
VI, PUBLIC COMMENTS
As of the date of this report, no public comments have been received.
VII. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Based on the analysis and exhibits included with this report, staff believes the proposal
is consistent with the conditional use approval criteria in ECDC 20.05.010. The design of
the site and proposed structures are consistent with the design standards in ECDC 20.11
and the Urban Design Element in the Comprehensive Plan. Therefore, the Hearing
Examiner should APPROVE the design review (PLN20160027) and conditional use
permits (PLN20160028 and PLN20160029) associated with the Madrona K-8 School
replacement project with the following conditions:
1. Trees must be protected and removed in accordance with ECDC 18.45.050.H and the
tree protection and mitigation guidelines found in Attachment 12, as amended.
2. Development must occur in accordance with the wetland code in ECDC 23.50. The
wetland report (Exhibit A, Attachment 9) must be updated to address how the
proposed development meets the buffer averaging/reduction and enhancement
requirements of ECDC 23.50.040.
3. Development must occur in accordance with the geologically hazardous areas code
in ECDC 23.80. The geotechnical report (Exhibit, A, Attachment 10) must be updated
to address specific elements of the proposed development relative to the standards
in Sections 23.80.060 and 23.80.070.
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4. Service yards, and other areas where trash or litter may accumulate, must be
screened with planting or fences or walls which are compatible with natural
materials.
5. The proposed landscaping shown on Sheets L-100 and L-101 of Attachment 5 meets
the intent of Chapter 20.13 of the Edmonds Community Development Code.
Automatic irrigation should not be required.
6. A 30' right-of-way dedication along the south side of 236th Street SW should be
required in accordance with the City's Official Street Map.
7. Staff will verify compliance of the proposal with all relevant codes and land use
permit conditions through review of building and engineering permits. Minor
changes to the approved design may be approved by staff at the time of building
permit without further design review by the Architectural Design Board as long as
the design is substantially similar to that originally approved.
8. An updated or 'final' version of the hydrogeologic report (Exhibit A, Attachment 11)
must be submitted with the building permit application in order to be able to verify
stormwater code compliance.
9. The conditional use permits should run with the land and be transferable.
VIII. PARTIES OF RECORD
City of Edmonds
121-5 th Ave N
Edmonds, WA 98020
Corrie Rosen
Mahlum Architects
71 Columbia St., 4th Floor
Seattle, WA 98104
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Taine Wilton
Edmonds School District
2042068 th Ave. W
Lynnwood, WA 98036