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07272011 Jeffery Eastman City of Yelm Community Development Department 105 Yelm Avenue West Yelm, WA 98597   Pre-Application Meeting July 27, 2011 These comments are preliminary in nature and are not intended to represent final comments and or requirements for the City of Yelm. Until a complete application is made, the Community Development Department can only attempt to inform the applicant of general requirements as they appear in the form presented by the applicant at the time of pre-submission. Proponent: Jeffery Eastman Owner: Jeffery Eastman Project Proposal: Electric Vehicle Charging Station and Sales Office for Solar and Other Renewable Energy Project Location: 410 Yelm Avenue West, tax parcel number 75300400500 Zoning and Setbacks The property is zoned Central Business District (CBD) which is codified at Chapter 17.24 YMC. The CBD district is intended to provide for an area for high intensity uses or mixtures of uses for general commercial, retail, service and multi-dwelling activities, to promote the special characteristics of the existing downtown Yelm area, and to provide a pedestrian shopping atmosphere. The CBD district allows retail establishments as a permitted use subject to site plan review, Chapter 17.84 Yelm Municipal Code (YMC). The sales office is an allowed use and the electric vehicle charging station is allowed as an ancillary use to the sales office. Buildings in the CBD shall be located, arranged, and designed so as to promote, enhance and provide continuity with existing rights-of-way, roads, streets, and alleys, and the maximum building height is thirty five (35) feet. Critical Areas All of Yelm is considered a critical aquifer recharge area. The City critical area maps indicate that the property is located outside of wetlands, flood zones, and high groundwater areas.  Site Plan Review Process A Site Plan Review application as established by Chapter 17.84 YMC is an administrative review process. The minimum application requirements can be found at Section 17.84.060 YMC and are listed on the application form. A notice of application is mailed to all property owners within 300 feet of the site. A site plan may be approved by the Site Plan Review Committee when the proposed use conforms to the standards and policies of the City. Conditions may be attached to an approval to ensure compliance with City standards. The site plan review committee’s decision on a site plan review application may be appealed to the Hearing Examiner, who would hold an open record hearing on the issue. The Examiner’s decision can be appealed to the City Council, which would hold a closed record hearing and determine if the decision was supported by substantial evidence or contrary to law. If a SEPA appeal is filed, the site plan review would be combined with that appeal and the Hearing Examiner would become the decision maker with a recommendation from the SPR Committee. An open record hearing would be held by the examiner on the site plan review application, if combined with a SEPA appeal. Land use approval typically contains conditions of approval that the applicant must complete prior to receiving a building permit. Upon satisfactory completion of all conditions of land use approval, the applicant can submit building plans for approval. State Environmental Policy Act Process A SEPA threshold determination is not required unless the structures on the property are greater than 4,000 square feet or if more than 20 parking spaces are provided. Fees Site Plan Review $350.00 + $50 per 1,000 sq ft per gross floor area. Civil Plan Review Billed on a cost recovery basis Traffic Impact Fee $1,321.00 per peak PM trip Water Meter Fee Based on meter size Sewer Connection Fee $6,219 per ERU r $3,179 if part of LID Sewer Inspection Fee $145.00 per ERU Water Connection Fee $5,217 per ERU Building Plan Review Based on 1997 UBC fee Schedule Building Permit Based on 1997 UBC fee Schedule Fire Impact Fee $0.32 per square foot of gross floor area.  Design Review The property is located in a mixed use design district and must meet all the design standards for that district as found in the City’s design guidelines. Key guidelines are summarized as follows. Street Fronts (other than pedestrian-oriented street) All development for properties not on pedestrian oriented streets shall include site planning measures to create an attractive street edge, accommodate pedestrian access, and support downtown design objectives. Examples of requirements based on Downtown Goals and Policies are stated in the following: Define street edge with building landscaping or other features. Provide direct access to building fronts from the sidewalk. If parking is adjacent to street frontage, provide substantial landscaping to spatially define the street edge and create a distinctive perimeter along the street front. Side and Rear Yards/ Siting Service Areas The design guidelines indicate that service areas, and outdoor storage be located away from neighboring properties to reduce conflicts and requires screening of refuse containers located behind the building. No refuse container shall be permitted between a street and the front of a building. 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 minimum six foot wall or fence shall enclose any outdoor refuse collection point. The fence shall be a solid material such as wood or masonry. The following describes the intent in siting service areas based on the Design Guidelines: To “reduce the visibility of unsightly uses”. To minimize the visibility of “backs” of buildings where service areas are located. To “encourage more thoughtful siting of trash containers and siting areas by screening its negative aspects”. To reduce the noise impacts of service areas. The preliminary site plan did not identify a location for the refuse container, which will need to be shown on the site plan review application as well as how it meets the standards above. Pedestrian Circulation The following elements must be provided as part of the site plan for new developments: 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 Integrate transit stops into the planning of site improvements Provide weather protection such as a canopy to create a covered pedestrian open space. Provide at least 200 square feet of landscaping at or near the entry. Provide pedestrian facilities such as benches, kiosks, or bicycle racks. Provide pedestrian scaled lighting Adjacent window displays Provide artwork or special pedestrian scaled signs Parking Lot Location and Design The requirements for off-street parking 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 is in excess of the minimum set forth. Chapter 17.72 YMC requires retail establishments to provide one parking space for every 250 feet of gross floor area. If the development has more than twenty five spaces, twenty five percent (25%) of the parking spaces may be compact. A standard stall is 9 feet by 20 feet while a compact stall is 8 by 16. A loading space must accommodate a truck 45 feet in length, 12 feet in width, and 14 feet tall. All parking areas must be surfaced with asphalt or concrete, and shall be striped and landscaped to the standards of the development guidelines. The design details for parking lot construction can be found in the Yelm Development Guidelines.  Building Design and Details To encourage buildings that are comfortable at a human scale, at least three of the following features must be incorporated into the building design: Balconies in upper stories Bay windows Pedestrian oriented space Individual windows Gable or hipped roof Porch or covered entry Spatially defining building elements that define an occupied space Upper story setbacks Composing smaller building elements near the entry or pedestrian oriented street fronts To ensure new development is compatible with Yelm’s architectural size and character, at least two of the following features must be incorporated into the building design: Upper story setback Horizontal building modulation Modulated roof line Building articulation To encourage unique, identifiable architectural features at intersections, at least one of the following features must be included on a façade facing a public street: Decorated roofline Decorative treatment of windows and doors Decorative railings, grill work, or landscape guards Landscape trellises Decorative light fixtures Decorative building materials (masonry, wood details or patterns) Concrete block walls must use textured blocks, colored mortar or a mix of other masonry types. Metal roofing must be of high quality with a standing seam and cannot be brightly colored. Concrete must be architecturally treated. Blank walls must be treated through trellis and plantings, landscaping beds or other methods. Landscaping Types and Description The purpose of landscaping requirements is to preserve the aesthetic character of communities; to promote retention and protection of existing vegetation; and to reduce the impacts of development on drainage systems and natural habitats. Landscaping standards are found at Chapter 17.80 YMC. 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. It is used around the perimeter of a site with a minimum planting area of eight-feet in width. When used adjacent to a building, a minimum five-foot planting area shall be provided. Type II landscaping will be required along the east, west, and north property lines. Type IV landscaping is intended to provide visual relief and shade in parking areas. Parking shall have at least 24 square feet of landscape development 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. Type V landscaping is to provide visual relief in storm water retention/detention areas with vegetation that is suitable and will thrive in hydric soils. The City requires that landscaping include water conservation measures including the use of weather based controllers, grouping species with similar water needs, and the use of drip irrigation wherever possible. An irrigation water budget will be established based on the amount of area landscaped and irrigation water usage will be limited to this budgeted amount annually. A conceptual landscaping plan consistent with these requirements is required at the time of application for site plan review. The final landscaping and irrigation plan is required as an element of civil plans, with installation and approval prior to occupancy of the business. Transportation Ingress and egress at the site shall be consistent with the Yelm Development Guidelines, Section 4B.140. It is likely that direct access from Yelm Avenue (SR 510) will not be allowed due to the lack of center turn lane or barrier to prevent left hand turns. Access would, therefore, be from the alley, which would have to be improved and posted one way. While frontage improvements are required for all new development in the City, partial improvements are typically not encouraged and a deferral would be considered for the Yelm Avenue frontage. The City has a project underway to construct sidewalks along this block of Yelm Avenue. The City of Yelm has adopted a Transportation Facility Charge (TFC) of $1,321.00 per PM peak trip generated by new development. The code provides a default table that the applicant can use to determine the number of new PM trips generated by a proposal. The TFC charges are based on the type of use proposed. Each use may be significantly different. For example, the traffic generated from a fast food restaurant is much greater than a “sit-down” restaurant. General retail space, which the sales office would be considered, generates 2.4 trips per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area. The TFC would be $3,170.40 for every 1,000 square foot of gross floor area. Stormwater Developments with additional impervious surface are required to provide stormwater facilities pursuant to the 1992 DOE Stormwater Manual. The size and design would be reviewed as part of the site plan review and further review at civil plan submittal. An operations and maintenance agreement will be required. If stormwater treatment is to be any emergent technology as allowed by the 2005 stormwater manual, the entire system must be designed to the standards of that manual. Likewise, if the disposal of stormwater is to be through an underground injection well, the system must be registered with the Washington Department of Ecology and must be designed to the standards of the 2005 manual. No provisions for stormwater collection, treatment, or disposal were shown on the site plan submitted for the pre-submission meeting. It is strongly recommended that you retain the services of an engineer licensed in the State of Washington with expertise in stormwater management for guidance prior to submission of a site plan review application. Water The proposed project is located in the City of Yelm’s water service area. There is a 5/8” by 3/4” water meter setter located in the alley. A new water meter would need to be purchased to serve this project. Water connections are based on a consumption rate of 875 cubic feet a month and are charged at a rate of $5,217.00 per connection (fee subject to change) inside the city limits. The fees will be calculated utilizing the water consumption calculations provided by your civil engineer during the civil plan review process. These fees are payable at building permit issuance. A separate irrigation meter will be required to be installed and an approved backflow prevention device provided. Any existing well(s) will need to be abandoned per Department of Ecology standards and the water rights will need to be dedicated to the city. All commercial buildings and irrigation systems are required to provide for cross-connection control through the provisions of a back flow prevention device installed on the water services. A list of approved devices can be found at Chapter 246-290-490 WAC. Sewer The proposed site is currently located in the City of Yelm’s STEP sewer system service area, although the property is not currently connected to the sewer system. This proposal will be required to install STEP tank(s) and associated equipment needed to operate with the City of Yelm’s STEP sewer system. The size of the STEP tank will be based on peak flows as calculated by the developer’s engineer, which must be submitted as part of the civil plan review. Any on-site septic systems will need to be abandoned prior to site plan review approval. Commercial sewer connections are based on a consumption rate of 900 cubic feet a month and are charged at a rate of $6,219.00 per a connection (fee subject to change) inside city limits. An inspection fee of $145.00 per a connection will also be required. Civil Plan Review Process Civil Plan review generally takes place after a land use approval. The Yelm Development Guidelines contain standard details for all infrastructure requirements, including parking lot layout, sewer and water lines, STEP tank design, and stormwater control. Fire Protection All projects need to have fire protection for the buildings. It is likely that fire flow may be an issue at this location, which will be addressed through building official review of the proposed building uses and construction material used for the buildings. The International Building Code (IBC) provides occupancy ratings for different types of uses. 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 $0.32 per square foot of development for all new development I the City of Yelm. ADA Requirements The American Disabilities Act required that facilities are ADA accessible. Facility improvements will have to meet current code. Review of these improvements will be determined upon further review of the civil and architectural plans. Building Permit Process Building Plan review, permitting and inspections will be based on Title 15 Yelm Municipal Code, adopting the International Codes, Uniform Plumbing Code and Washington State Energy Code. By resolution, the City of Yelm re-adopted the 1997 UBC, UMC and UPC Fee schedules. Additions, alterations, repairs and change of occupancy will be based on Chapter 34 of the International Building Code or the International Existing Building Code. New and existing buildings will be reviewed for life/ safety, seismic design, accessibility and energy code requirements. Some, but not all factors reviewed will be: Life /Safety: Business office shall have a 5 foot wide paved pathway to a public street. Business office have exits sized according to their occupancy number. All employees shall be within reasonable distance from a restroom. Fire lanes and hydrants shall be provided to cover all structures. Hydrant placement and fire lanes shall meet International Fire Codes requirements. Seismic design: Office shall meet seismic and lateral requirements of a B Occupancy. Existing garage may be used only after upgrading to meet current seismic and lateral design. Accessibility An accessible circulation path shall be from the office and off street parking and/or bus stop. Slope shall be a maximum of 5% with a cross slope of 2%. Changes of elevation greater then 5% shall be accessible ramps. Office shall have one accessible entrance minimum based on occupancy One accessible parking stall shall be made available for each 25 parking stalls. One van accessible parking stall for each accessible parking stall is required. Parking lot shall be striped and signed accordingly All restrooms and fixtures shall meet ADA requirements Energy Code. Conditioned space shall meet the 2009 Washington State Energy Code: The office shall be heated, insulated and ventilated per the WEC and the International Mechanical Code Building Plans showing conformance to the above requirements and any other items deemed necessary may be submitted after Site Plan Review approval. Five(5) sets of plans, one of which may be half scale, two (2) sets of engineering calculations, energy calculations and specifications will be required. An integrated sprinkler and fire alarm system may be required. These plans may be submitted at a later date along with any required kitchen suppression systems. All fire related items 5’ outside the building will be subject to civil review along with domestic water, waste, and storm water. Concurrently with Site Plan Review two sets of building and accessory building elevations must be submitted for review of the building for consistency with the Design Guidelines. Allow at least 8 to 12 weeks for Building Plan Review and 2 weeks for design guideline review.