Loading...
209 Cullens Pre-Submission Notes September 13, 2017 Steven Smith, has proposed a multi-family development at 209 Cullens Rd. NW (parcel 2174141001) Process The approval process from initial concept to final occupancy consists of three steps: land use review, civil plan review, and building life/safety review. Land Use The proposal as submitted is an allowed use in the General Commercial zoning district. The property is approximately .79 acres. Residential uses are allowed on lots of record, 1 acre or less. A ministerial site plan review process is required for residential development up to 9 units. 10 or more units would require an administrative site plan review. The ministerial process does not require public notice. The administrative review process allows notification of the application to surrounding property owners, but does not trigger a public hearing. Complete application will be routed to the City Public Works Department, Thurston County, and other state agencies (including the Department of Transportation) for comment. After the review process, City staff will begin to craft the approval. A typical approval includes conditions designed to ensure the proposal is consistent with the development standards of the City. The project can only be denied if it will have significant environmental impacts or is inconsistent with City, County, or State development regulations. The administrative site plan review process typically takes between 8 to 12 weeks, ministerial less. The decision may be appealed to the City's Hearing Examiner. Civil Plan Review The City reviews site construction plans for constructability and consistency with the City's engineering standards and details. Civil construction plans detail all the proposed site improvements down to the size of water and sewer lines and the location of the water meter. Civil plans must be prepared by an engineer licensed in the State of Washington. The City uses a third party peer review service as well as a review by City staff. A first review typically takes 3 to 4 weeks. Additional reviews may be needed depending on the quality of the initial plans set. Building Life/Safety Yelm has adopted the International Building Codes and reviews building plans for life/safety and consistency per these codes, as adopted by Washington State. Electrical permits and inspections are through the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries. A first review of structural plans typically takes 2 to 3 weeks. Additional reviews may be needed depending on the quality of the initial plan sets. Consistency with Development Standards Potable Water The site is not served by City water. Connection to the water main in Cullens Road is required. The engineer preparing the civil plans will need to ensure that the infrastructure is capable of supporting the proposed development for both potable water pressure and fire flows. These calculations will be reviewed as part of the civil plan review process. The City currently has a limited number of water connections available for development, although we are pursuing additional water rights and investing in water system infrastructure to increase capacity. If the City does not have sufficient approved water connections at the time a building permit for the proposed development is ready to issue, the permit will be denied until additional water resources are available. Waste Water There is sewer service to the property. The existing service is by a 1-inch service line. For the multi-family, this will need changed to a 2 inch line. The City of Yelm operates a Septic Tank Effluent Pumping (STEP) sewer system which includes a treatment tank on the property with effluent being pumped to the Wastewater Reclamation Facility for further treatment and reutilization. Typically, each building would be served by a single STEP tank, however multi-family units may share a tank. The engineer preparing the civil plans will determine the appropriate size and placement for these tanks, which have to be assessable to City staff and protected from damage. STEP tank location may impact the design and layout of the project. Storm Water The City does not operate a storm water collection and treatment system, so storm water must be collected, treated, and infiltrated on the project site. The engineer preparing the civil plans will determine the required level of treatment and will prepare a storm water plan to the City for review as part of the civil plan review process. The City has adopted the most recent version of the Washington State Department of Ecology Storm Water Manual. Transportation Cullens Road is not constructed to current standards. Construction of frontage improvements would include a drive lane with shoulder, planter strip and sidewalk. The Yelm Development Guidelines allows for deferral of improvements under certain circumstances. A request must be made at the time of site plan review application. Right-of-way dedication is required. Amount determined by survey. The Unified Development Code requires shared parking lot access between properties in order to reduce traffic congestion on arterial streets. The proposal shows a 2 way access into the parking area. Future connection to the property to the west is possible and should be preserved. Environmental Maps indicate the property contains soils moderately 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. As part of the land use review process, City staff will conduct a site investigation. If there is evidence of pocket gopher activity on the property, a critical areas report would then be required before the permit is processed. If a critical areas report is required, it must be prepared by a qualified professional. Compliance with Yelm’s requirements under the Critical Areas Code does not ensure compliance with the provisions of the Endangered Species Act, and a federal permit may be required if pocket gophers are found on the property. This permit would be issued through the US Fish and Wildlife Service (360.753.5823). Site Design The Yelm Comprehensive Plan encourages compact form and urban densities. The Unified Development Code implements this policy by allowing high density residential in the commercial area. The Unified Development Code includes standards for parking lot design and landscaping, requires adequately sized service areas, pedestrian access between buildings, and mailbox clusters on site. Additionally, multi-family developments are required to provide open spaces that provide active recreation for the residents. 10% of the gross acreage must be developed as active recreation. Residential uses require 2 stalls per dwelling unit. Building Design Residential building setbacks are based on the high density residential zone and are 25 feet from a collector street, 10 feet from the sides and 25 feet from the rear, and maximum building height is 35 feet, or 3 stories, whichever is lesser. The Unified Development code provides several ways to meet building design standards such as attractive street edges and pedestrian amenities. Service areas and biofiltration swales are to be located to the rear of the property unless incorporated as a water feature. All buildings and activities should provide pedestrian connections that are ADA compliant. Fees & Charges Land Use Review Administrative Site Plan Review $750 Ministerial Site Plan Review $250 Civil Plan Review City Staff Review $250 Consultant Review Actual Cost Building Permit Review Plan Review Based on value Building Permit Based on value Sewer SDC (per MF dwelling unit*) $4,795 Water SDC (per MF dwelling Unit*) $4,717 Traffic Impact Fee (per MF Dwelling unit) $898 School Impact Fee (per MF Dwelling unit) $1,815 These notes are based solely on the site plan and description submitted on September 6, 2017. They are meant to map out the process for approval and to point out any potential conflicts with City standards and are NOT meant to fully review the proposed project with all regulations. *Multi-family units of 4 or more.