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STAFF REPOR T
City of Yelm
Community Development Department
Case Number: SPR-05-0201-YL
Applicant: Mike Brown
Agent: Apex Engineering
Request: Construction of a parking lot for automobile sales.
Recommendation: Approval with conditions
Findings of Fact
Site Plan Review
A Notice of Application was mailed to local and state agencies, and surrounding
property owners on July 11, 2005.
The site plan submitted is to construct a 20,000 sq. ft. parking area for the sale of
automobiles.
Section 17.84.020 (C) Yetm Municipal Code allows the Site Plan Review Committee to
approve a proposal when the site plan conforms to the standards, provisions and
policies of the city as expressed in its various adopted plans and ordinances including
the applicable sections of the shoreline master program for the Thurston Region.
Property Characteristics
The property is located on 106th Ave., behind the Browns Automotive Car Care Center,
and is identified by assessor tax parcel number 64303400505.
The property is surrounded by commercial development to the east, south, and west,
and a residential home on commercial zoned property to the north.
The property is approximately 20,500 sq. ft. in area and is currently level, vacant land.
The parcel is part of a short plat that was approved in 1996. A site plan approval and
SEPA determination for miscellaneous uses was approved in 2002.
The property is identified by the Yelm Comprehensive Plan Map as Commercial (C-1 ),
which was created for the location of business to serve the needs of the community.
Automobile sales minor; "Display and sales of less than 50 automobiles in stock at any
particular time". are allowed as a permitted use, subject to site plan review approval.
Chapter 17.27 YMC establishes the allowed uses and the development standards for
the Commercial District, as follows:
Maximum height of buildings: 40 feet
Side yard minimum setback: 10 feet
Rear yard minimum setback: 20 feet
Front yard minimum setback: 15 feet
The City of Yelm will provide police protection, water service, and sewer service. Fire
protection services are provided by The SE Thurston Fire/EMS District (Thurston
County Fire Protection District #2).
Concurrency
Chapter 15.40 YMC requires the reviewing authority to determine that required urban
infrastructure is available at the time of development.
Concurrency with sewer infrastructure is achieved pursuant to Section 15.40.020 (B)(1)
YMC when the project is within an area approved for sewer pursuant to the adopted
sewer comprehensive plan for the city and improvements necessary to provide city
standard facilities and services are present to meet the needs of the proposed
development.
Concurrency with water infrastructure is achieved pursuant to Section 15.40.020 (B)(2)
YMC when the project is within an area approved for municipal water service pursuant
to the adopted water comprehensive plan for the city and improvements necessary to
provide city standard facilities and services are present.
Concurrency with transportation infrastructure is achieved pursuant to Section
15.40.020 (5)(c) YMC when the project:
Makes on-site and frontage improvements consistent with city standards and
roads necessary to serve the proposed project consistent with safety and public
interest;
• Makes such off-site facility improvements, not listed on the capital facilities plan,
as are necessary to meet city standards for the safe movement of traffic and
pedestrians attributable to the project;
Makes a contribution to the facilities relating to capacity improvements identified
in the adopted six-year traffic improvement program, in the form of a
transportation facility charge.
Concurrency with school infrastructure is achieved when the developer provides a letter
from the local school district that the school facilities impacted by the proposed
August 2, 2005 Page 2 of 8
development are present, or are on an approved and funded plan, to assure that
facilities will be available to meet the needs and impacts of the proposed development.
State Environmental Policy Act
The City's SEPA Responsible Official issued and published a Mitigated Determination of
Non-Significance on April 23, 2002, based on WAC 197-11-158. This determination
was for multiple businesses located on different parcels within this short plat. The
project as proposed provides no major changes that would alter the original
determination. The original determination is accepted as referenced and fulfils the
City's responsibility for disclosure of potential, significant environmental impacts. The
Site Plan Review Committee may take action to deny or condition the proposal based
on impacts identified in the environmental checklist or other environmental documents.
The Mitigated Determination of Non-significance was issued with the following
conditions:
1. The applicant shall contribute $750 per new PM peak hour trip generated by the
project.
2. The applicant shall provide a Spill Prevention and Action Plan, to be approved by
Thurston County Health Department.
The automotive repair building has provided the spill prevention plan. The spill
prevention plan is not required as part of the auto sales parking lot.
Transportation
Yelm is a small compact community most directly affected by two state highways, SR
510 and SR 507, which bisect the community. These state routes are used by local
residents for transportation throughout the City, and for access to commercial and
residential areas throughout the community as well as serving regional traffic.
The updated Transportation element of the Yelm Comprehensive Plan identifies a
number of improvements designed to avoid the need to significantly widen existing
streets, and particularly Yelm Avenue. New development impacts the transportation
system in Yelm and, unless the improvements identified in the transportation plan are
constructed, the City would need to require developers to pay the cost of internal street
widening.
The City has adopted a Transportation Facility Charge (TFC) of $750.00 per pm peak
trip. The concurrency chapter of the Municipal Code provides a default table that is
used to determine new peak PM trips generated by a proposed use. The TFC for auto
sales is 2.10 new pm peak hour trips per 1,000 sq. ft. of floor area. The proposed office
is approximately 675 sq. ft.
August 2, 2005 Page 3 of 8
The property fronts on 106th Avenue, which was improved at the time of short plat. The
road section is complete, however the planter strip and sidewalk will need to be brought
into compliance with current standards. The sidewalk shall be reviewed for pedestrian
safety, and the planter strip cleaned up and replanted with grass and street trees.
Water Supply
The City's Water Comprehensive Plan identifies the property as being within the water
service area.
The fee to connect to the City water system is determined at the time of building permit
issuance. The project is not creating new commercial space. The sales office will be
located within the existing auto car care center building.
An irrigation meter may be installed for the purpose of irrigation. A backflow prevention
device will be required for all landscape irrigation connections between the irrigation
system and the water meter.
The City of Yelm is dedicated to providing the best quality water possible to its
consumers. Section 246-290-490, WAC, requires that the City take measures to ensure
that contamination does not occur as a result of cross contamination.
Sewer System
The City's Sewer Comprehensive Plan identifies the property as being within the sewer
service area.
The current fee to connect to the City sewer system is determined at the time of building
permit issuance. The project is not creating new commercial space. The sales office
will be located within the existing auto car care center building.
Stormwater
Impervious surfaces create stormwater runoff which, when uncontrolled and untreated
can create health, safety, and environmental hazards. The City of Yelm has adopted
the 1992 Department of Ecology Stormwater Manual, which requires all development to
treat and control stormwater when over 5,000 square feet of impervious surface is
created.
The property is served by an approved stormwater system that was constructed to
handle the stormwater capacity for full build out of these lots.
August 2, 2005 Page 4 of 8
Parking
The City of Yelm Development Guidelines, Design Guidelines, and Municipal Code
address parking regulations from many aspects, including, but not limited to the design
of lots, the number of stalls required, pedestrian pathways within lots, and safety.
The requirements of off-street parking and loading facilities and their design shall be
regarded as the minimum; however, the owner, developer or operator of the premises
for which the parking facilities are intended shall be responsible for providing adequate
amounts and arrangement of space for the particular premises even though such space
or its arrangement is in excess of the minimum set forth.
The minimum parking requirements for auto sales is one space for every 400 sq. ft. of
gross floor area. The applicant is proposing to add approximately 17 new parking stalls
which will adequately serve the auto sales business.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires handicap accessible stalls. The
requirements for ADA stalls for parking lots with over 26 stalls, is two (2) accessible
stalls with at least one of the stalls being van accessible.
Fire
Fire protection to the buildings must be provided per the International Fire Code. The
specific requirements for installation of additional fire hydrants and fire lanes will be
determined during civil plan review.
Design Guidelines and Landscaping
The City of Yelm Design Guidelines provides guidance for site planning, pedestrian
access, vehicular access, building design, and site design and landscaping.
The design guidelines require that development must define the street edge with
building, landscaping, or other features, must provide direct access to the building from
the frontage, and provide treatment to spatially define the street edge when parking is
adjacent to street frontages.
Type II landscaping is intended to provide visual separation of uses from streets, and
visual separation of compatible uses so as to soften the appearance of streets, parking
areas, and building elevation. This landscaping is used around the perimeter of a site,
and adjacent to buildings.
Type II landscaping is characterized by an 8 foot landscape strip between uses and a 5
foot strip around buildings of any combination of evergreen and deciduous trees (with
no more than 50 percent being deciduous), shrubs, earthen berms and related plant
materials or design features may be selected; provided, that the resultant effect is to
August 2, 2005 Page 5 of 8
provide partial screening and buffering between uses and of softening the appearance
of streets, parking and structures.
Type III landscaping is required in planter strips along roadways.
Type IV landscaping is required in parking areas. Type IV landscaping is intended to
provide visual relief and shade in parking areas.
Side and Rear Yards
The design guidelines indicate that service areas be located away from neighboring
properties to reduce conflicts and requires screening of refuse containers.
The refuse area must be large enough to accommodate a dumpster and recycle bin.
Refuse areas must be screened with an enclosure of a material and design compatible
with the overall architectural theme. A six foot wall or fence shall enclose any outdoor
refuse collection point. The fence shall be a solid material such as wood or masonry.
Refuse areas are required to be assessable by LeMay, screened with a material and
design compatible with the overall architectural theme of the associated structure, at
least as high as the refuse container, and must be at least six-feet in height with a gate
enclosure. No refuse container is allowed between a public street and the front of a
building.
Refuse collection areas must be designed to contain all refuse generated on site and
deposited between collections and refuse should not be visible from outside the refuse
enclosure.
Pedestrian Circulation
The following elements must be provided as part of the site plan for new developments:
Pedestrian access general requirements:
• All pedestrian paths must comply with the ADA.
• Adequate lighting must be provided for pedestrian access.
• Walkways should be integrated with the required parking lot landscaping.
• Provide pathways through parking lots
Parking Lot Landscaping
Type IV landscaping is intended to provide visual relief and shade in parking areas.
At least 24 square feet of landscaping is required for each parking stall proposed. Each
area of landscaping must contain at least 100 square feet of area and must be at least
six feet in any direction. Each planting area must contain at least one tree. Live
August 2, 2005 Page 6 of 8
groundcover shall be provided throughout each landscaping area. No parking stall shall
be located more than 50 feet from a tree.
Design Guideline V. Landscaping and Design requires on site landscaping to improve
the aesthetic quality of the built environment, providing vidual relief from large expanses
of parking areas.
Design Guideline V.G. (1) requires development to create a site landscape design
concept. Design Guideline V.G. (1)(e) states to "Use plantings to highlight significant
site features and to define the function of the site, including parking, circulation, entries
and open space.
Conclusions of Law
A. The Site Plan Review Committee has jurisdiction to consider and decide the
issues presented by this request.
B. The applicant has established that the request for site plan review approval
satisfies all criteria set forth in Section 17.84.020 (C) YMC, meets all
requirements of the Heavy Commercial zoning classification, and meets all other
requirements of the Yelm Municipal Code. Therefore, the site plan should be
approved subject to the following conditions:
1. The conditions of the Mitigated Determination of Non-significance are hereby
referenced and are considered conditions of this approval.
2. The sidewalk on 106th Avenue shall be reviewed for pedestrian safety, and
repaired if needed.
3. There shall be no more than 50 automobiles for sale at any time on the
premises.
4. Pedestrian access shall be created between sales lot and sales office.
5. All conditions for cross connection control as required in Section 246-290-490
WAC
6. Parking shall be provided in accordance with the City of Yelm Development
Guideline standards. Landscaping in parking lots shall be provided in
accordance with Chapter 17.80 YMC, Yelm Development Guidelines, and
Yelm Design Guidelines.
7. Site landscaping is required.
• Type II landscaping is required around the perimeter of the site.
• Type III landscaping is required in the planter strip on 106th Ave.
August 2, 2005 Page 7 of 8
• Type IV landscaping is required in all parking areas.
• Design Guideline V, and V.G.(1)(e) parking lot landscaping is required.
8. Refuse collection areas shall be designed to contain all refuse generated on
site and deposited between collections. Deposited refuse shall not be visible
from outside the refuse enclosure. Screening shall be of a material and
design compatible with the overall architectural theme of the associated
structure, shall be at least as high as the refuse container, and shall in no
case be less than six-feet in height with a gate enclosure. The fence shall be
a solid material such as wood or masonry, and shall be designed per the City
of Yelm Development guidelines. Building plans shall include architectural
details of the enclosure.
9. A detailed landscape and irrigation plan meeting landscaping conditions
above shall be submitted within 30 days of this approval.
C. The Site Plan is valid for eighteen (18) months from the date of this approval.
The applicant may request asix-month extension on the approval, if the request
is made in writing prior to the expiration date of this approval. If you need
additional information or assistance, please call the Community Development
Department at (360) 458-3835.
Decision
The request for site plan review approval is hereby granted subject to the conditions
contained in the conclusions above.
PROVER- is 2~~ ~ day of August, 2005.
r
Grant Beck, bisector of Community Development
~~_ Site Plan Review Committee
City of Yelm
Appeal
Site Plan Approval is a Type II Administrative land use approval. An appeal of this
decision can be filed within 14 days from the date of this approval, pursuant to YMC,
Chapter 15.49, Integrated Project Review Process. Any appeal must be in writing,
contain specific factual objections, and include the appeal fee of $50.00.
August 2, 2005 Page 8 of 8