Loading...
07-0156 Approval City of Yelm Community Development Department 105 Yelm Avenue West P.O. Box 479 Yelm, WA 98597   Case Number : SPR-07-0156-YL Applicant: Fort Stevens Elementary School Addition P.O. Box 476 Yelm, WA 98597 Property Owner: Yelm Community Schools P.O. Box 476 Yelm, WA 98597 Agent: Erickson & McGovern 120 South 131st St. Tacoma, WA 98444 Request: Addition of 10,767 square feet consisting of two double portable classrooms, a covered play area, one restroom and the enclosure of an existing play area to be converted to an auxiliary gymnasium. Action: Approval of the Site Plan Review with conditions Proposal The Proposal includes the addition of two double portable classrooms, a covered play area and the enclosure of existing play area on approximately 23.26 acres. A Notice of Application was mailed to local and state agencies and surrounding property owners on April 5, 2007. Section 17.84.020 (C) Yelm 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 at 10347 Grove Road SE, and is identified by assessor tax parcel number 64303600300. The area to the North and the East is in the Yelm Urban Growth Area. The property to the west is currently zoned R-6 High Density Residential with existing residential uses. The property to the south is zoned C1 Commercial and is currently occupied by Yelm Prairie Christian Center. The property is approximately 23.26 acres in area and currently in use as a 38,548 square foot school building with associated parking and playground areas. The proposed 10,767 square foot addition is to occur to the southeast of the existing school building. The property is identified by the Yelm Comprehensive Plan Map as Institutional District (ID), which was created to protect and preserve land devoted to existing and future use for civic, cultural, and educational and similar facilities. School facilities are allowed as a permitted use, subject to site plan review approval. The City of Yelm will provide police protection, water service, and sewer. 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. The property is not currently connected to the City of Yelm STEP sewer system. The sanitary sewer system has sufficient capacity to serve the proposed use and the developer will be responsible for constructing all sewer related requirements to the standards of the Yelm Development Guidelines. 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. The proposed site is currently connected to the City’s water system. Any additional water usage will be determined by water calculations submitted to the Community Development Department from a professional engineer registered in Washington. 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. Frontage improvements along 100th Way SE are currently incomplete and will be required to be constructed to current standards. The applicant has requested a deferral of the frontage improvements for up to 10 years via a letter dated January 11, 2007. Section 4B.080 (C) Yelm Development guidelines allows the City to determine when frontage Improvements are required, and under certain circumstances may permit deferral of installation of such improvements to a later date. Concurrency with Fire Protection is achieved pursuant to 15.40.020(6) when the developer makes a contribution to the fire protection facilities as identified in the most current version of the capital facilities plan adopted by the Yelm Fire District (SE Thurston Fire/EMS) and endorsed by resolution of the Yelm City Council. A fire impact fee will be accessed at the time of building permit issuance, based on the square footage of the additional buildings. State Environmental Policy Act Yelm Community Schools submitted an Environmental Checklist in April of 2004 for the Yelm High School remodel which also included all additions to Fort Stevens Elementary School, along with other schools as a result of a capital facilities bond which was approved by voters within the Yelm Community Schools district in February 2003. The City of Yelm issued and published a Mitigated Determination of Non-Significance on April 26, 2004, based on WAC 197-11-158 which accounted for future development that was to occur on all the schools that were included on the Environmental Checklist. This determination is final 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. Critical Areas All of Yelm is considered a critical aquifer recharge area. Existing development Regulations which require the treatment of stormwater prior to infiltration into the ground as well as the containment of hazardous materials on-site address the potential impacts to this critical area. Yelm Creek is located approximately 500 feet to the southwest of the project site. The City critical area maps indicate that the proposed addition to the Fort Stevens Elementary School is located outside of wetlands, flood zones, and high ground water buffer areas. 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. Section 4B.080 (C) Yelm Development guidelines allows the City to determine when frontage Improvements are required, and under certain circumstances may permit deferral of installation of such improvements to a later date. The applicant requested a deferral for frontage improvements for 10 years via a letter dated January 11, 2007. The Districts improvements will be isolated from other street improvements along 100th Way and there is a public benefit in coordinating small improvements with a larger project. Deferred frontage improvements shall be secured for installation at a later date by a waiver of protest, and commitment to participate in a local improvement district. The property owner shall execute and record a covenant document that insures the participation of the subject property owner(s) in any local improvement district formed for the construction of such frontage improvements. The City has adopted a Transportation Facility Charge (TFC) of $750.00 per pm peak trip. The TFC Ordinance provides a default table that is used to determine new peak PM trips generated by a proposed use, which in the case of a Elementary School is 0.02 peak PM trips per student. The TFC, assessed at the time of building permit issuance will be the trip generation rate multiplied by the number of students multiplied by $750.00. The TFC charges associated with this proposal are determined by the holding capacity of each portable at 30 students per portable equaling a total of 60 new students. Water Supply The City’s Water Comprehensive Plan identifies the property as being within the water service area and the property is currently served by City water. Additional water usage based on the proposed additions will need to be evaluated to determine if additional connections are required. The current fee to connect to the City water system is $1,500.00 per Equivalent Residential Unit. This fee is subject to change. Sewer System The City’s Sewer Comprehensive Plan identifies the property as being within the sewer service area. There is a 6” inch sewer line located along the front of the property 100th Way SE. The property is currently not connected to the City’s sewer system. The applicant requested a deferral to the requirement for connecting to the City’s STEP sewer system via a letter dated January 11, 2007, submitted prior to the site plan review application. Section 13.08.020 (D) YMC states that the owner of any premises within the City’s sewer service area shall connect to the sewer system if the City’s sewer collection system is available to the premises. Section 13.08.020 (B) defines available as when the sewer lines are within 200 feet of the property. The District did not provide any compelling reason to not connect to City sewer other than that the on-site sewage disposal system is currently in operation. The District added portables to the property in 2002, at which time the City did not require connection to the sewer system as the sewer lines at the time were over 200 feet from the property. At that time, the Thurston County Health Department noted that the on-site sewage disposal system was not in compliance with the septic permit and required remedial action to continue utilizing the system at that time. The septic system is currently operating at near capacity, based on the conditions of the septic permit. In 2004, the District prepared an expanded environmental checklist for all the improvements to various school facilities within the City that were funded through a bond measure that passed at that time. The City commented on that checklist when the District was lead agency and noted that “the expansion of Fort Stevens Elementary will trigger connection to City water and sewer”, clearly indicating that connection would be required as part of the present application. The City’s STEP tanks are owned and maintained by the City of Yelm and the development guidelines require new tanks be installed at the time of development and deeded to the City at final approval. The on-site septic systems will need to be abandoned pursuant to state and county health regulations prior to site plan review approval. The current fee to connect to the City sewer system is $5,725.00 per Equivalent Residential Unit. This fee is subject to change. The number of ERU’s required to be purchased will be determined by approved water consumption calculations. Latecomers A sewer main has recently been installed in 100th Way by the Wal-Mart project which has formed a latecomer’s agreement. A latecomer’s fee of $53,496.82 is associated with this parcel and will be required for connection to this sewer main. The fee shall be paid prior to issuance of construction approval. 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. Roof stormwater run off from the restroom addition will be connected to the existing downspout collection system. The play shed and portable will be conveyed to a roof drywell system. The existing on site stormwater system has been designed to the standards of the 1992 Department of Ecology Stormwater Manual. 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. Chapter 17.72 YMC requires one parking stall for each ten students enrolled. The previous land use approval for the addition of portables stated that existing parking met minimum parking requirements. Based on the total design capacity of 540 students, a minimum of 54 parking spaces will be required on site. Prior to building permit issuance, the applicant will be required to provide a site plan illustrating the 54 parking spaces that are required to ensure that the overall project meets the City’s parking requirements. 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. The International Building Code (IBC) provides occupancy ratings for different types of uses, including schools. The fire coverage and sprinkler system for the proposed use must meet IBC requirements. Fire Impact Fee pursuant to Section 15.40.020 (B)(6) YMC is established at a rate of $0.216 per square foot of development for all new development in the City of Yelm. Landscaping Landscaping and screening are necessary to provide screening between compatible and incompatible land uses, to safeguard privacy and to preserve the aesthetic assets of the City. Chapter 17.80 YMC requires all development to provide on site landscaping. 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 when adjoining properties are compatibly zoned, and adjacent to buildings. Type II landscaping will be required along the east property line and along the southeast corner of the project site, adjacent to the proposed addition. Type III landscaping is intended to provide visual relief where clear sight is desired. This type is utilized along pedestrian corridors and walks for separation of pedestrians from streets and parking areas. The minimum width for Type III landscaping shall be six-feet. Type III landscaping is required as a component of street frontage improvements. The applicant has requested a deferral of frontage improvements which will defer the requirement to complete the Type III landscaping until the time that the frontage improvements are required to be completed. All other existing landscaping is sufficient to meet the City’s landscaping requirements. Refuse The City of Yelm Development Guidelines, Design Guidelines, and Municipal Code provides guidance for refuse storage and screening. 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. 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 18.84.020 (C) YMC, meets all requirements of the Institutional District 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. A TFC of $750.00 per P.M. peak trip will be assessed for additional student capacity at the time of building permit issuance based on 30 students per portable for the two additional portables that are proposed. 2. The applicant has requested a deferral of frontage improvements along 100th Way SE. Deferred frontage improvements shall be secured for installation at a later date by a waiver of protest, and commitment to participate in a local improvement district. Right-of-Way dedication for the required street frontage improvements on 100th Way SE will be required prior to construction approval. 3. The applicant shall connect to the City S.T.E.P. sewer system. The cost to connect shall include a fee of $5,725.00 per ERU (fee subject to change). The number of ERU’s required will be determined by approved water consumption calculations. Sewer connection fees shall be paid prior to issuance of any building permit. There is a sewer latecomer’s fee associated with the parcel in the amount of $53,496.82 which will be required for connection to the sewer main located on 100th Way. The fee shall be paid prior to issuance of construction approval. Upon completion of the onsite installation as per the City’s Development Guidelines, the S.T.E.P. sewer equipment, appurtenances and lines shall be deeded to the City, and an easement provided for maintenance. 4. The applicant shall submit fire flow calculations for all existing and proposed hydrants in accordance with the International Fire Code and International Building Code. All hydrants must meet minimum City standards in the Development Guidelines. The applicant shall submit a fire hydrant plan to the Community Development Department for review and approval. Fire Impact Fee pursuant to Section 15.40.020 (B)(6) YMC is established at a rate of $0.216 per square foot of development for all new development in the City of Yelm. 5. The civil plans shall include a complete set of landscaping plans in accordance with Chapter 17.80 YMC, including provisions for irrigation and for maintenance of landscaping. A Type II landscape buffer is required along the east property line and along the southeast portion of the project site. Type III landscaping is typically required along all street frontages. The applicant has requested a deferral of frontage improvements which will defer the requirement to complete the Type III landscaping until the time that the frontage improvements are required to be completed. 6. Prior to building permit issuance, the applicant shall provide a site plan illustrating that the existing parking area meets the 54 parking spaces that are required. 7. 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. The civil plans shall include the location of all refuse containers, including access approved by the service provider. Building plans shall include architectural details of the enclosure. C. The Site Plan is valid for eighteen (18) months from the date of this approval. The applicant may request a six-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. Prepared this___________day of __________2007 _________________________ Nisha R. Box, Assistant Planner APPROVED this ____________ day of _________2007 Grant Beck, Director 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.