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Yelm 5 LLC 507-Burnett Pre-Submission Notes April 5, 2017 Yelm 5, LLC has proposed a mixed use multi-family and commercial development at 14730 Yelm Avenue SE (parcel 21713340300) Process The approval process from initial concept to final occupancy consists of three steps: land use view, civil plan review, and building life/safety review. Land Use As the proposal, as submitted, is an allowed use in the General Commercial zoning district, the project would be approved through the administrative site plan review process. An environmental checklist and traffic impact analysis will be needed because of the size of the buildings and number of new vehicle trips. The administrative site plan review process allows notification of the application to surrounding property owners, but does not trigger a public hearing. A 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 issue a threshold determination that the project will have no significant impact to the environment and 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. 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 There is water service to the property. The engineer preparing the civil plans will need to ensure that the existing 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 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. 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. Any commercial use that potentially generates Fats, Oils, or Greases (FOG) are required to remove FOG from the wastewater before it enters the STEP tank. The City encourages your engineer to consider the potential future uses of the general retail buildings and incorporate appropriate measures to remove FOG during the design 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 The proposed Yelm Avenue access point is problematic due to potential conflicts between turning movements at Burnett Road and 93rd Avenue. The City has identified the need to improve the intersection of Burnett Road/93rd Avenue and Yelm Avenue in the Transportation Plan. The traffic impact analysis required as part of the environmental review process will need to analyze how the project will impact the safety and efficiency of this intersection and how the access needs of the project can fit with the long term needs to maintain the level of service of this intersection. The Unified Development Code requires shared parking lot access between properties in order to reduce traffic congestion on arterial streets. The traffic impact analysis should consider shared access to the commercial property to the east. 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 mixed use developments which provide for a more efficient use of open space and more cost effective public infrastructure. The Unified Development Code implements this policy by allowing mixed use developments that encourage imaginative design and the creation of open space by preserving or creating environmental amenities superior to those found in conventional developments. These policies tend to favor a traditional mixed use development comprised of multi-family buildings with ground floor retail where services and infrastructure can be combined and shared. The site plan review application would need to include a detailed justification as to how the proposal as submitted meets the policies for a mixed use development. The Unified Development Code includes standards for parking lot design and landscaping, requires adequately sized service areas for both commercial and multi-family residential, pedestrian access between buildings, corner enhancements, and mailbox clusters on site. Additionally, multi-family developments are required to provide open spaces that provide active recreation for the residents. It does not appear that the property is large enough to support the infrastructure required for the number and size of buildings proposed. In addition, storm water treatment and infiltration ponds are not acceptable open space areas. You are encouraged to engage a civil engineer or designer prior to land use application in order to assure that City development standards can be provided to support the number and size of buildings proposed. Building Design Building setbacks are 15 feet from the front, 10 from the sides and 20 from the rear and maximum building height is 40 feet. The Unified Development code provides several ways to meet building design standards such as attractive street edges and pedestrian amenities. Buildings at street corners should provide architectural elements and corner locations to include a decorative screen wall. 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 SEPA Checklist $150 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 non residential ERU) $6,394 Sewer SDC (per MF dwelling unit) $4,795 Water SDC (per non residential ERU) $6,289 Water SDC (per MF dwelling Unit) $4,717 Traffic Impact Fee (per new Peak PM Trip) $1,497 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 March 27, 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.