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1301 Notes City of Yelm Site Plan Review Committee 105 Yelm Avenue West Yelm, WA 98597      Pre-Application Meeting October 1, 2014 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: D&B Retail Development Project Proposal: Binding Site Plan or Commercial Subdivision to provide 3 retail development parcels. Project Location: 1031 Yelm Avenue E Parcel Number: 22730140300 Property Background The property is located on Yelm Avenue East, just west of the Bald Hill/Creek Street intersection. The property is approximately 3.76 acres, and is currently developed as a mobile home park. The mobile home park was in existence at the time of annexation into the City of Yelm in 1992. Proposal The proposal is to abandon the existing mobile home park and create 3 parcels for future mixed use commercial development. Critical Areas The City critical area maps indicate that the property is located outside of wetlands, flood zones, and high ground water areas. All of Yelm is considered a critical aquifer recharge area. Protection measures for development within a critical aquifer recharge area are met through treating and disposing of stormwater through an approved stormwater system. Fish and Wildlife Habitat Conservation Areas The Critical Areas Code maps indicate the property contains soils suitable as habitat for the Mazama Pocket Gopher, a protected species listed on the Washington Priority Species and Habitat List as well as the Federal Threatened Species List. Critical Areas Report will be required as part of the application and must include an initial screening for the presence of the Mazama Pocket Gopher. If members of the species are found on the property, the report must include proposed mitigation sequencing consistent with Section 14.04.050 (D) YMC. Compliance with Yelm’s requirements under the Critical Areas Code does not ensure compliance with the provisions of the Endangered Species Act. The applicant should contact Tim Romanski of the US Fish and Wildlife Service at 360.753.5823 or tim.romanski@fws.gov with any questions about compliance with Federal standards for threatened species. Development Standards Zoning The property is zoned Commercial(C-1) which is codified at Chapter 17.26 YMC. The purpose of the C-1 zone is to provide for the location of business centers to serve the needs of the community for goods and services. The C-1 zone allows mixed use commercial development as a permitted use as part of the site plan review process. The minimum size of any parcel to be developed in the C-1 district is 5,000 square feet. Setbacks are 10 feet from side property lines, 20 feet from the rear property line, and 15 feet from the front property line. The maximum height of buildings is 40 feet. Water The proposed project is located in the City of Yelm’s water service area and is currently connected to the City of Yelm’s water system. All commercial buildings and irrigation systems are required to provide for cross-connection control through the provisions of a back flow prevention device (reduced pressure backflow assembly) installed on the water services. A list of approved devices can be found at Chapter 246-290-490 WAC. The backflow device is required to be installed after the meter and tested by a certified backflow tester. The Yelm Concurrency Management Code, Chapter 15.40 YMC, requires the Community Development Department to make a written finding of concurrency for any approval for a land division or site plan (including any development activity). For water, the finding must include the fact that “improvements necessary to provide city standard facilities and services are present or are in an approved and funding plan to assure availability in a time to meet the needs of the proposed development.” The State Subdivision Act, Chapter 58.17 RCW, requires that the City of Yelm make a written determination that appropriate provisions are made for potable water supplies as part of the preliminary land division process. While the City of Yelm has been proactive in water planning since 1994, when application was made with the Washington Department of Ecology for water rights sufficient to serve the City and its Urban Growth Area for 20 years of growth, the approval of these water rights by the Washington Department of Ecology, the Pollution Control Hearings Board, and the Thurston County Superior Court have been further appealed to the Washington State Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has yet to determine if it will accept the appeal on direct review. If it does accept the case, a decision is not anticipated within the next 18 to 24 months. If the Court does not accept the case, it will be remanded to the Court of Appeals and the timeline for a decision could be even longer. Although the City currently has sufficient water connections to serve some anticipated growth, the timing of the appeal does not allow the Community Development Department to make a written determination that adequate provisions for potable water will be available when needed by the proposed land division. The Community Development Department can not recommend approval of the proposed land division at this time, and would recommend the proposal be denied. Sewer The site is within the City of Yelm sewer service area, however is not connected to City sewer. Sewer connections are based on 875 cubic feet of water usage per month. A properly sized oil/water separator will be required if there is any potential for oil to enter the sanitary sewer system. A properly sized grease interceptor will be required if there is any potential for the introduction of fats, oils, or greases from food preparation to enter the sanitary sewer system. Stormwater The City of Yelm has adopted the 2012 Stormwater Management Manual for Western Washington published by the Washington Department of Ecology. Stormwater from new impervious surfaces is required to be treated and released. Roof runoff shall be distributed to individual dry wells. Transportation The City of Yelm Development Guidelines and the concurrency requirements of Chapter 15.24 YMC require all new developments to improve street frontages to current City standards. The proposed development will trigger frontage improvements on Yelm Avenue (SR 507) to include curb and gutter, a planter strip with street trees, and a sidewalk. Yelm Avenue east is constructed to urban arterial standards. Right turn drop lane onto Bald Hill needs extended. Restricted ingress egress to Yelm Ave Internal parking connections The proposed access points will be reviewed through a traffic impact analysis. Parking The Zoning Code at Chapter 17.72 YMC requires one parking space for every 200 square feet of gross floor area for restaurants, one parking space for every 250 square feet of gross floor area for retail establishments, and one parking space for every 300 square feet of gross floor area for professional offices. Full size parking spaces in banks of 90 degrees are 9 feet in width by 20 feet in length and require a 23 foot drive aisle. Off-street loading is required for all commercial establishments which are engaged in the retailing or wholesaling of merchandise requiring regular delivery. All off-street loading and unloading spaces must be of adequate size and with adequate access thereto to accommodate a vehicle 45 feet in length, 12 feet in width and 14 feet in height. Parking areas are required to be landscaped to provide visual relief and shade. 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, and no parking stall shall be located more than 50 feet from a tree. Live groundcover shall be provided throughout each landscaping area. Building and Design Guidelines Design Standards Service areas, outdoor storage areas and other intrusive site features must be located at the rear of the lot to reduce conflicts with adjacent uses. All trash enclosures must incorporate the architectural features of the primary structures and landscaping to minimize visual impacts of the Enclosure. Trash enclosures will be reviewed by Pacific Disposal to ensure adequate service can be provided. Perimeter landscaping is required and is characterized by an 8 foot landscape strip along property lines of any combination of evergreen and deciduous trees (with no more than 50 percent being deciduous), and shrubs. The intent is to provide partial screening and buffering between uses and of softening the appearance of streets, parking and structures. A dense sight barrier landscaping is required between the site and the residential use to the south. A dense sight barrier is required to be 15 feet wide and include a combination of trees, shrubs, walls, earthen berms and related plant materials so that the resultant effect is sight-obscuring. Parking lots must be lit to the standards of the design guidelines and include non glare, shielded fixtures no higher than 30 feet above grade. A lighting plan is required as part of civil construction plan review. Pedestrian circulation paths within the property require paved walkways from sidewalks to the building, should tie into neighboring properties when feasible, and provide pathways through parking lots. Within parking lots, the path material must be different than asphalt. Buildings over three stories or up to 5,000 square feet in gross building footprint shall include at least one of the following elements, and buildings over 5,000 square feet in gross building footprint shall include 2 or more of the following elements along their facades: A minimum 10 foot setback from the face of a building on an upper story. Building facades visible from a public right of way or park shall be modulated horizontally every 100 feet, with a minimum depth of 6 feet. Roof deck or balconies as part of the building modulation shall be a minimum of 60 square feet. Roof lines visible from a public Right-of-Way or park shall be modulated vertically every 100 feet. Gable, hipped or shed roofs shall have a slope of at least 3’ vertical to 12’ horizontal. Arched, vaulted, dormer or saw-toothed roof lines shall have a change in slope, within every 100 foot width. Building facades shall include repeating elements such as distinctive window patterns, porch, patio, alternate dormers, gables, or other roof elements, changing materials, lighting fixtures, trellis, substantial landscaping and/or pedestrian oriented open spaces along the building façade. Buildings facing a public street or park shall be enhanced with at least one of the following elements: Decorated rooflines, such as an ornamental molding, entablature, frieze or other roofline device visible from the ground level. Decorative window and door treatments such as a decorative molding or framing details around all ground floor windows and doors. Decorative railings, grill work or landscape guards. Landscape trellises. Decorative light fixtures with a diffuse visible light source. Decorative building materials. Blank walls visible from the street, parking or adjacent lot shall be treated in one or more of the following ways: Vertical trellis in front of the wall with climbing vines or plant materials. Landscaped planting bed at least 5’-0” wide or raised planter bed at least 2’-0” high and 3’ wide in front of the wall, and plant materials that obscure or screen at least 35% of the wall’s surface within 3 years. The following materials are allowed as described below: Metal siding over 25% of a building’s façade must have a matted finish in a neutral or earth tone color, and must include visible window and door trim painted or finished in a complimentary color and corner and edge trim that cover exposed edges of the sheet metal panels. Pre-finished metal roofing must have standing seams & muted colors. Concrete block walls, or exposed concrete surfaces that are visible from a public street or park must be architecturally treated by split face or grooved surface, colored mortar, or other masonry types in conjunction with concrete blocks. Roof-mounted mechanical equipment shall be screened so as not to be visible from the street or from the ground-level of adjacent properties. Screening shall blend with the architecture of the building. Building Food service business plans are reviewed by the Thurston County Health Department. Approval by Thurston County Health Department is required prior to building permit issuance. Permit Process State Environmental Policy Act A SEPA threshold determination will be required before action is taken on the application. Because of the size of the project, an expanded environmental checklist will be required initially. The expanded checklist should include the following environmental documents: Trip Generation Analysis. Preliminary Stormwater Plan. The SEPA threshold determination is appealable to the Hearings Examiner, who would hold an open record hearing on the issue. The Examiner’s decision may be appealed to City Council, which would conduct a closed record hearing and determine if the Examiner’s decision was contrary to law and supported by substantial evidence. Critical Areas Report A critical areas report must be prepared by a qualified professional using scientifically valid method and studies in the analysis of critical area data and field reconnaissance, and reference the source of science used. The report must evaluate the proposal and all probable impacts to critical areas in accordance with Chapter 14.08. Minimum report requirements may be found in Section 14.08.050 YMC. The Critical Areas Report must include an initial screening for the presence of the Mazama Pocket Gopher. If members of the species are found on the property, any impact must be mitigated pursuant to the Yelm Critical Areas Code. Compliance with Yelm’s requirements under the Critical Areas Code does not ensure compliance with the provisions of the Endangered Species Act. The applicant should contact Tim Romanski of the US Fish and Wildlife Service at 360.753.5823 or tim.romanski@fws.gov with any questions about compliance with Federal standards for threatened species Land Use Review Process Binding Site Plan A binding site plan is a form of subdivision, that provides building pads for lease or sale, and provides common areas for parking, landscaping, stormwater facilities, and the availability of phasing the project. Short Subdivision The short subdivision process provides parcels for sale or lease, however each parcel is required to meet the development guidelines above, and are reviewed individually for specific impacts. Project phasing is not an option in the subdivision process. Site Plan Review. The Site Plan Review process is an administrative approval designed to ensure compliance with development regulations. The process is codified at Section 17.84.020 YMC. A notice of application is required. A site plan review 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 Civil Plan Review 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, S.T.E.P. tank design, and stormwater control. The City uses a third party engineer for peer review of civil plans. Depending on the number of revisions, the process can take 4 to 6 weeks. Building Permit Process Building plans may be submitted after site plan review approval, along with civil engineering plans, although they will not be reviewed until the civil plans have undergone at least one review cycle. A complete application includes the building permit application cover sheet along with: Five sets of plans, one of which may be half scale Two sets of engineering calculations, energy calculations, and specifications A photometric site lighting plan will be required as part of the civil plan submission. OR a complete set of all plans in Adobe Acrobat portable document format may be submitted via disk or thumb drive. Prior to permit issuance two complete revised plan sets will be required for approval. Integrated sprinkler and fire alarm system permits may be deferred. Building permit review typically takes 8 to 12 weeks. Fees & Charges Site Plan Review $350.00 + $50 per 1,000 sq. ft. of gross floor area Binding Site Plan $350.00 + $50 per 1,000 sq. ft. of gross floor area plus preliminary plat application. Preliminary Plat $750.00 + $25 per lot Short Subdivision $250.00 + $50 per lot SEPA Review $150.00 Civil Plan Review Billed on a cost recovery basis Building Plan Review Based on 1997 UBC fee Schedule Building Permit Based on 1997 UBC fee Schedule Sewer Connection Fee $6,394.00 per ERU Sewer Inspection Fee $145.00 per ERU Water Connection Fee $5,903.59 per ERU Water Meter Fee Based on meter size Transportation Facilities Charge $1,612.00 per peak PM trip The Transportation Facility Charge (TFC) is per new PM peak trip generated by the development. The code provides a default table that the applicant can use to determine the number of new PM trips generated by a proposal. Trip generation will be determined through the traffic impact analysis, and is payable at building permit issuance.