StaffReport_ADB-07-59.pdf
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN BOARD
STAFF REPORT
September 19, 2007 Meeting
PLANNING DIVISION
ADVISORY REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS
TO:
The Architectural Design Board
FROM:
__________________________________
Gina Coccia,Planner
DATE:
September 12, 2007
ADB-2007-59
Application by A.D. Shapiro Architects for a mixed use project (“Valhalla:
Phase II” consisting of 3,000 square feet of office space, 7,800 square feet of
retail space, and 40 apartment units at 23110 Edmonds Way in the Community
Business Edmonds Way (BC-EW) zone.
A.
PropertyOwner:Applicant:
Property Owner:Applicant:
James W. Abbott Tony Shapiro
Valhalla Properties A.D. Shapiro Architects
th
1501 N. 200 Street 624 Edmonds Way
Shoreline WA 98133-3301 Edmonds WA 98020
nd
B.:
SiteLocation NW corner of 232 Street SW and Edmonds Way, which is located in the
Site Location
Community Business Edmonds Way (BC-EW) zone (Attachment 2).
C.
Introduction:
Introduction:
nd
The applicant is proposing to develop a mixed-use project along the NW corner of 232 Street
SW and Edmonds Way. This project consists of two phases. “Phase I” included 21 townhouse
units and will be located on the northern most portion of this property in the Multiple Residential
(RM-EW) zone. This was reviewed by the ADB on
August 1, 2007 under file number ADB-2007-36. The
current proposal, “Phase II,” includes a mix of general
office space, specialty retail, and 40 apartment units
located on the southern portion of the site in the
Community Business Edmonds Way (BC-EW) zone.
Attachment 1 is the land use application. Attachment 2
is the zoning/vicinity map. Attachment 3 includes a
description of the project, a description of the
applicant’s low impact development and green building
strategies, and an exterior lighting plan. Attachment 4
is ECDC Chapter 16.50: BC – Community Business.
Attachment 5 is a site plan that also displays landscaping and parking. Attachment 6 is the
Landscape Plan. Attachment 7 are the Elevations. Attachment 8 includes color renderings.
The following is staff’s analysis of the project.
Staff Report for ADB-2007-59
nd
232 Street Mixed Use Project: Valhalla “Phase II”
D.
Overview:
Overview:
1.Zoning:
This parcel is located in the Community Business Edmonds Way (BC-EW) zone
(Attachment 2) and is subject to the requirements of ECDC 16.50 – Community Business
(Attachment 4).
2.Environmental Review:
An Mitigated Determination of Nonsignificance (MDNS) was
issued on July 11, 2007 for both “Phase I” (ADB-2007-36) and “Phase II” (ADB-2007-59) of
this project. Both the City and the applicant have complied with SEPA requirements.
3.Issues:
For this project, the Architectural Design Board reviews the design of the proposal
and makes the final decision on whether the proposal is consistent with the design review
criteria found in ECDC 20.10 (Design Review), ECDC 20.11 (General Design Review)
ECDC 20.13 (Landscaping), and with the Urban Design (General Objectives) found in the
City’s Comprehensive Plan.
E.
:
EdmondsCommunityDevelopmentCodeCompliance
Edmonds Community Development Code Compliance
The following is staff’s analysis on the project’s compliance with the Edmonds Community
Development Code (ECDC). As always, all development standards will be verified through
building permit review.
1.ECDC 16.50 – Community Business (BC-EW) Zones
a.Density: The improvements are proposed on property with a Community Business
Edmonds Way zoning designation (BC-EW). The applicant is proposing 40 apartment
units, and this subdistrict does not have a minimum density requirement.
b.Lot Line Adjustment: The new buildings are proposed over several existing property
lines, because there are seven parcels total. The applicant is working on putting together
a Lot Line Adjustment application that would dissolve the interior property lines so that
the end result for the entire site (which would include both phases of development) is one
large parcel that is zoned RM-EW and one large parcel that is zoned BC-EW.
Note: A Lot Line Adjustment will need to be completed and recorded prior to building
permit issuance to dissolve the interior property lines. Because the applicant has already
applied for their building permits, staff encourages the applicant to submit the Lot Line
Adjustment application as quickly as possible so as not to risk hold up the building
permit process.
c.Height: The maximum height in the BC-EW zone is 35 feet. Also, there is an
opportunity for additional height if the following criteria (found in the footnote 3 and 4 of
ECDC 16.50.020.A) are satisfied:
3
The stated height limit may be increased to 40 feet; provided, that:
(a) The street setback of any proposed building shall be increased to four feet in depth. Type III
landscaping shall be located within this setback. This landscaping may be located immediately
adjacent to the building, or may be combined with other landscaping within or adjoining the right-of-
way. In addition, the third and fourth stories of any proposed building shall be further stepped back an
additional six feet from the street frontage along all street fronts;
The applicant appears to have provided sufficient landscaping in the setback area.
(b) Where the proposed development abuts a single-family residential (RS) zoned property, in addition to
complying with subsection (a) of this footnote, the proposed development shall modulate the design of
any building facades facing the single-family residentially (RS) zoned property;
Page 2 of 6
Staff Report for ADB-2007-59
nd
232 Street Mixed Use Project: Valhalla “Phase II”
The property is adjacent to R-zoned (RS-8) property to the west. The western elevation
(see “South Elevation” on sheet A3.2 – Attachment 8) shows a modulated design.
(c) The proposed development integrates low impact development techniques where reasonably feasible.
For the purposes of this subsection, “low impact development techniques” shall include, but shall not
be limited to, the following: the use of bioswales, green roofs, and grasscrete. “Reasonably feasible”
shall be determined based upon the physical characteristics of the property and its suitability for the
technique; cost alone shall not render the use of low impact techniques unreasonable or unfeasible;
Low impact development techniques are explained in Attachment 3.
(d) The required setback from R zoned property shall be permanently landscaped with Type I landscaping
permanently maintained by the owner of the BC lot; and
The “South Elevation” and the Landscape Plan appears to show enough landscaping to
screen the building from the adjacent properties.
(e) For any buildings fronting on Edmonds Way, the maximum height of the wall or facade along Edmonds
Way shall not exceed 45 feet as measured at the Edmonds Way property line.
The “North Elevation” on sheet A3.1 of Attachment 8 shows that the applicant has tried
to keep the height of the façade below 45 feet.
4
In addition to any height bonus under note 3, the building may extend up to an additional five feet if all
portions of the building above the height limit (after adding the height bonus under note 3) integrate
distinctive architectural features that enhance and are integrated into the overall design of the building. For
purposes of this subsection, distinctive architectural features may include articulation, changes of materials,
offsets, angles or curves of facades, or the use of distinctive roof forms.
The applicant appears to have designed the buildings to remain just under 45 feet in
height (Attachment 7).
d.Setbacks: The table below shows the required setbacks for all structures in the BC-EW
nd
zone. This is a corner lot that fronts on both Edmonds Way (SR-104) and 232 Street
SW. Therefore, it has two street setbacks and two side setbacks as follows:
nd
Edmonds Way232 Street SW SideSide
BC-EW
(East)(South)(West)(North)
Zone
Required
NoneNone15 feet 15 feet
Setbacks
Proposed
~ 8 feet ~ 6 feet 15 feet 15 feet
Setbacks
It appears that the project meets setbacks (Attachment 5).
e.Ground Floor Comercial: ECDC 16.50.020.B.4 states that for the BC-EW zone, where
the street frontage of the total site exceeds 150 feet in length (which is applicable to this
site), then this requirement shall apply to only 60% of the ground floor street frontage of
any proposed building. Also, that the remaining 40% may include any other uses
permitted in the BC-Edmonds Way zone, including, but not limited to, off-street parking
or live/work space.
Note: The applicant may want to illustrate at the meeting how this project achieves the
ground-floor commercial requirement.
Page 3 of 6
Staff Report for ADB-2007-59
nd
232 Street Mixed Use Project: Valhalla “Phase II”
2.ECDC 17.50 (Parking):
a.Multifamily Parking: Multifamily parking requirements are based upon the number of
dwelling units and the number of bedrooms per dwelling unit, pursuant to ECDC
17.50.020.A.1.b:
Type of multiple Requiredarkin saces
pgp
dwelling unit per dwelling unit
Studio1.2
1 bedroom 1.5
2 bedrooms 1.8
3 or more bedrooms 2.0
b.Commercial Parking: Commercial parking requirements are subject to ECDC
17.50.020.B. Business and professional offices with on-site customer service require one
space per 400 square feet of building area. Retail use requires one space per 300 square
feet of building area.
c.The applicant indicates that there will be 30 1-bedroom dwelling units and 10 2-bedroom
dwelling units (Attachment 5, sheet A2.1).
d.Attachment 3 states that there will be a total of 89 stalls, with 42 stalls for the townhomes
(“Phase I”) and 47 stalls for the commercial and apartment units (“Phase II”). Based
upon the figures provided, staff calculates that this project actually requires 97 parking
spaces:
UseParkingRequired
Office space (3,000 square feet) 7.5
Retail space (7,800 square feet) 26
1-bedroom apartment (30 units) 45
2-bedroom apartment (10 units) 18
Total97
(96.5)
Note: Staff recommends adding a condition that requires the applicant to clarify the
parking calculations with the building permit submittal. Sheet A2.1 shows the
applicant’s calculations in the Parking Table, which show both office and retail space at
the same 1/400 ratio – this yields less stalls than the above calculations. However, there
is also an indication that there are 107 stalls (see column heading “Market Stalls”)? It
appears that there are only 89 stalls on this property, and it is up to the applicant to
demonstrate that they meet the above parking requirements (however, I seem to recall
there being a few “extra” spaces included as part of “Phase I”).
3.ECDC 20.12 (Landscaping):
Pursuant to ECDC 20.12.020.E, “automatic irrigation is required for all ADB-approved
landscaped areas for projects which have more than four dwelling units, 4,000 square feet of
building area or more than 20 parking spaces.” Because this project proposes 40 dwelling
units and almost 11,000 square feet of commercial space, automatic irrigation is required.
This will be reviewed with the building permit.
Page 4 of 6
Staff Report for ADB-2007-59
nd
232 Street Mixed Use Project: Valhalla “Phase II”
F.
ComprehensivePlanCompliance:
F.Comprehensive Plan Compliance:
The following is staff’s analysis on the project’s compliance with the City’s Comprehensive Plan.
1.Location:
The existing Comprehensive Plan designation is “Edmonds Way Corridor.” This
commercial area is discussed in the Comprehensive Plan’s Land Use Element (page 59) and
also in the Urban Design (General Objectives) section (pages 73-81), which is located in the
Community Culture and Urban Design Element of the Comprehensive Plan. The BC-EW
subdistrict is a compatible zone in the Edmonds Way Corridor plan designation. It is the
Architectural Design Board’s responsibility for ensuring compliance of a project with the
Comprehensive Plan. Staff has reviewed the pertinent sections of the Comprehensive Plan
and documented their findings in the section below.
2.Design Objectives for Site Design:
“The development of parking lots, pedestrian walkways
and landscaping features is an integral part of how a building acts with its site and its
surrounding environment. Good design and site planning improves access by pedestrians,
bicycles and automobiles, minimizes potential negative impacts to adjacent development,
reinforces the character and activities within a district and builds a more cohesive physical
environment.” In the following ways, this project appears to meet the design objectives for
site design.
nd
Access will be taken from 232 Street SW and the vehicles will park in the garage.
Pedestrian access is available from the sidewalk along Edmonds Way.
3.Design Objectives for Building Form:
“Building height and modulation guidelines are
essential to create diversity in building forms, minimize shadows cast by taller buildings upon
the pedestrian areas and to ensure compliance with policies in the city’s Comprehensive
Plan. Protecting views from public parks and building entries as well as street views to the
mountains and Puget Sound are an important part of Edmonds character and urban form.”
In the following ways, this project appears to meet the design objectives for building form.
No known views are present on or near this site. The mass of the buildings are broken up
through use of colors and materials, as well as articulation and modulation (Attachments 7 &
8). Because the site is sloped, the applicant is making use of the topography and the
buildings will be set into the hillside a bit, making them appear less massive.
4.Design Objectives for Building Façade:
“Building Façade 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.” In the following ways, this project
appears to meet the design objectives for building façade.
This project includes many large windows. Several materials are proposed, including metal
siding, hardi-plank, brick, and stucco (Attachment 8). The applicant submitted an ample
exterior lighting plan (Attachment 3). All of the proposed lighting will add interest to the
building façade and site.
5.Streetscape:
The Edmonds Streetscape Study identifies SR-104 as an important key route
through the City, and states that street trees could be planted along these corridors for
continuity. The Plan recommends the following large boulevard trees (page 123):
Liriodendron tulipifera / Tulip Tree
Cercidiphyllum japonicum / Katsura Tree
Quercus ruba / Red Oak
Page 5 of 6
Staff Report for ADB-2007-59
nd
232 Street Mixed Use Project: Valhalla “Phase II”
It appears that the applicant has chosen 10 Acer Rubrum ‘Armstrong’ / Armstrong Red
Maple and 7 Fagus Sylvatica ‘ Fastigiata’ / Dawyck Beech trees for their street trees
(Attachment 6).
Note: Staff has added a condition that requires the street tree be one of the three varieties
listed in the Streetscape Plan (above).
G.
TechnicalReview:
G.
Technical Review:
The Engineering Division and the Fire, Public Works, and Parks and Recreation Departments
have reviewed this application. Recycling Coordinator Steve Fisher noted that additional
information was needed for the proposed trash collection room and chute system. The applicant
has since supplied the requested information to staff’s satisfaction.
H.
PublicComment:
H.
Public Comment:
To date, no public comments have been received.
I.
Recommendation:
I.
Recommendation:
APPROVE
the design of file number
Staff recommends that the Architectural Design Board
ADB-2007-59
with the following conditions:
1.
Individual elements of this project are required to meet all applicable city codes. It is the
responsibility of the applicant to apply for and obtain all necessary permits.
2.
A lot combination to dissolve the appropriate interior property lines is required.
3.
With the building permit, the applicant shall clearly demonstrate that this project meets the
requirements of ECDC 17.50.020.B (Off-Street Parking Regulations).
4.
The Landscape Plan shall be revised so that the street tree shall be one of the three varieties
listed in the Streetscape Plan.
The board finds that with these conditions, the proposal is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan
and other adopted city policies, and the proposal satisfies the criteria and purposes of ECDC
Chapter 20.10 – Design Review, ECDC 20.11 – General Design Review, and ECDC Chapter 20.13
– Landscaping, and staff has found the proposal meets the requirements of the zoning ordinance.
J.
Attachments:
J.Attachments:
1.
Land Use Application
2.
Vicinity / Zoning Map
3.
Project Description / LID Strategies / Exterior Lighting Plan
4.
ECDC 16.50: BC – Community Business
5.
Site Plan (A2.1, A2.2)
6.
Landscape Plan (L1)
7.
Elevations (A3.1, A3.2, A4.1)
8.
Color Renderings
Page 6 of 6