HomeMy WebLinkAboutIV.B Environmental District
Memorandum
TO: Planning and Community Development Committee
FROM: Kevin Snyder, AICP, Assistant Director
CC Cindy Baker, AICP, Director
Jeff Dixon, Principal Planner
Elizabeth Chamberlain, AICP, Principal Planner
Kelly McLain Aardal, Environmental Protection Manager
Jennifer Shih, Environmental Planner
Dennis Dowdy, P.E., Public Works Director
Dennis Selle, P.E., City Engineer/Assistant Public Works Director
Ingrid Gaub, P.E. Assistant City Engineer
DATE: February 23, 2009
SUBJECT: DISCUSSION: Potential Amendments to Maximum Lot Coverage Requirements for 18.33
(Environmental Park)
At the Committee’s January 26, 2009 meeting, the Committee requested staff to revise the draft
amendments discussed at the meeting pertaining to potential revisions to the current 35 percent maximum
lot coverage standard specified in ACC 18.33.040.D. Specifically, the Committee requested staff conduct
the following key revisions:
th
Revise the allowed increase in maximum lot coverage as presented at the January 26 meeting to an
incentive orientation rather than a prescriptive orientation using percentage incremental increase
incremental increase approach and create a corresponding table;
Add the construction and use of “green roofs” as a low impact development method and include as an
incentive method; and,
Clarify the reference to LEED rated green building methods to specify a Silver level rating in
accordance with the different LEED rating systems prepared by the United States Green Building
Council.
Please find attached for Committee review and discussion the revisions to ACC 18.33.040 (Development
Standards) and ACC 18.33.050 (Supplemental Development Standards) based on the input and direction
th
provided by the Planning and Community Development Committee at its January 26 meeting. For
purposes of clarification, please be advised that staff has used the following technical editing techniques
to explain proposed revisions:
Strikethough: Words that have been struck are indicated using strike-through – i.e. word
th
Underlined and Yellow Highlighted: Words that are new subsequent to the January 26 meeting are
indicated using underlining and yellow highlighting – i.e. word
rd
During the Committee’s discussion of the potential draft amendments at its February 23 meeting, staff
would like to discuss the following questions:
1.Do the changes from the previously prescriptive orientation to an incentive based orientation
accurately represent the Committee’s direction?
2.To confirm, does the Committee want to use the LEED Silver rating designation as it applies to green
building construction methods? Please find attached more information on the LEED rating system as
it applies to the different types of construction presented in the proposed amendments
3.Does the Committee want to proceed forward with proposed changes to ACC 18.33.040 and ACC
18.33.050 at this time or does the Committee have additional questions or information needs that it
wants staff to research and report back on at its next meeting?
Please be advised that staff is currently preparing graphical representations of the application of different
rd
maximum lot coverage standards for the Committee’s use in its discussion at the February 23 meeting
and will present these representations prior to or at the meeting.
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18.33.040 Development standards.
Development standards in an environmental park district are as follows:
A. Minimum lot area: none required;
B. Minimum lot width: none required;
C. Minimum lot depth: none required;
D. Maximum lot coverage: 5035 percent, provided that the maximum lot coverage
may be increased to a maximum of 75 percent if compliance to ACC 18.33.050.F
can be achieved.
E. Maximum building height: 35 feet;
F. Minimum yard setbacks:
1. Front: 20 feet;
2. Side, interior: 15 feet;
3. Side, street: 20 feet;
4. Rear: 20 feet;
An additional 30-foot setback shall be required if adjacent to or separated by a street less
than 50 feet in width of any residentially zoned property;
G. Fences and Hedges. Fences shall be decorative and relate architecturally to the
associated building. Acceptable materials are brick, wood, stone, metal, or textured
concrete. Colored chain link fences may be allowed subject to the planning, building and
community director's approval. Barbed wire or razor wire fences are not permitted. For
further information see Chapter 18.48 ACC. The provisions of this section shall not apply
to temporary fences required for construction projects permitted by the city;
H. Parking: see Chapter 18.52 ACC;
I. Landscaping: see Chapter 18.50 ACC;
J. Signs: see Chapter 18.56 ACC;
K. Performance standards: see Chapter 18.58 ACC. (Ord. 6036 § 10, 2006.)
18.33.050 Supplemental development standards.
Supplemental development standards in an environmental park district are as follows:
A. All activities shall be conducted entirely within a building except as follows:
1. Horticulture activities.
2. Outdoor storage associated with light manufacturing uses pursuant to ACC
18.33.020(K).
3. Refuse containers, provided they are screened from adjoining property and public
or private right-of-way with a masonry fence and a five-foot width Type III landscaping.
4. Uses listed as requiring a conditional use permit which require some outdoor
activity or display.
B. All odors, noise, vibrations, heat, glare, or other emissions are controlled within
the confines of a building.
C. Loading and unloading docks shall not be visible from the street.
D. Mechanical equipment on rooftops shall be sited and designed to minimize noise
and effectively screen the equipment from view from adjacent properties and rights-of-
way. The following methods, or a combination thereof, may be used:
1. Set back from the roof edge to obscure visibility from below;
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2. Integration into the building architecture, using building walls, roof wells or roof
parapets to conceal the equipment;
3. Equipment enclosure or sight-obscuring fencing or landscaping;
4. Overhead trellis or roof to obscure visibility from above.
Materials used to screen mechanical equipment shall be the same as or compatible with
the design of the principal structure.
E. No on-site hazardous substance processing and handling, or hazardous waste
treatment and storage facilities, shall be permitted, unless clearly incidental and
secondary to a permitted use. On-site hazardous waste treatment and storage facilities are
prohibited. (Ord. 6036 § 10, 2006.)
F. The Director or designee may approve incremental an increases in the maximum
lot coverage standard from 50 percent up to a maximum of to 75 percent for a project if
compliance to one or more of the following low impact development or green building
methods subsections can be demonstrated:
Table 18.33050-1
DescriptionIncremental
Percent
Increase in
Maximum
Lot
Coverage
Low Impact Development Methods:
Use of native and drought resistant vegetation 1%
Limitation of on-site parking spaces to one hundred (100) percent of the 2%
required parking
Minimal excavation foundations composed of driven piles and a 2%
connector at or above grade to reduce soil excavation and compaction
Construction and use of green roof systems incorporating man-made 2%
features (e.g. solar panels) or natural features (vegetative plants) or both
Construction and use of pervious pavement composed of concrete or 2%
asphalt or pavers or grid systems filled with grass or gravel
Soil amendments to areas disturbed during the construction process2%
Construction and use of rain gardens (also referred to as bio-retention 2%
cells)
Retention and incorporation of existing topographic site features that 2%
slow, store and infiltrate storwmater
Construction and use of hydrologically rough on-site landscape that slow 2%
storm flows and design features that slows storm flows and increases the
amount of time storm flows stay on the site
Construction and use of rooftop rainwater harvesting comprised of 2%
catchment or cistern systems that collect rooftop runoff for irrigation,
grey water or other non-potable water purposes
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DescriptionIncremental
Percent
Increase in
Maximum
Lot
Coverage
Other low impact development methods proposed by the applicant that 2%
the Director or designee determine are appropriate to the site and type of
development that have been substantiated by appropriate written and plan
documentation and are deemed by the Director or designee
Subtotal of Incremental Percent Increase in Maximum Lot Coverage 71%
Green Building Construction Methods:
Green building design guidelines and principles specified in the United 4%
States Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Efficiency
®
Design (LEED) Rating System appropriate to the type and extent of
construction, provided that certification of a structure through the LEED
system shall not be required. New construction and major renovations of
existing buildings shall be designed in accordance with one or more of
the following LEED rating programs:
Silver Rated LEED for New Construction and Major Renovations
a.
Silver Rated LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations &
b.
Maintenance
Silver Rated LEED for Commercial Interiors
c.
Silver LEED For Core and Shell
d.
Grand Total of Incremental Percent Increase in Maximum Lot Coverage75%
1. Low Impact Development Methods. An applicant shall submit written information
and plans as specified on forms provided by the City for use of one or more of the
low impact development methods specified in Table 18.33.050-1 prior to the
submittal of a complete building permit. The Director or designee shall consult with
the City Engineer, City Building Official, and other qualified internal and external
parties as may be deemed relevant to determine the adequacy and appropriateness of
the proposed low impact development techniques. Approved low impact development
techniques shall be constructed, inspected and approved by the City prior to receipt of
final occupancy permit or other final City approval, as appropriate.
Adevelopmentproject seeking to increase its maximum lot coverage to 75 percent
shall incorporate all of the following low impact development methods, unless
otherwise excepted by the Director or designee based on written professional
justification. Any exception to the implementation of these methods mayonly be
authorized by the Director or designee following submittal of written evidence by a
registered professional engineer in the State of Washington demonstrating that
implementation of a particular method is impractical based on topographic features or
soil composition. In those instances where site conditions make application of all of
these methods impractical, the Director or designee shall specify the most appropriate
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method (s) to be used. In no instance, shall a development project be completely
waived from incorporating low impact development methods:
Minimal excavation foundations composed of driven piles and a connector at or
a.
above grade to reduce soil excavation and compaction.
Construction and use of pervious pavement composed of concrete or asphalt or
b.
pavers or grid systems filled with grass or gravel.
Soil amendments to areas disturbed during the construction process.
c.
Construction and use of rain gardens (also referred to as bio-retention cells).
d.
Retention and incorporation of existing topographic site features that slow, store
e.
and infiltrate storwmater.
Constructionand use of hydrologically rough on-site landscape that slowstorm
f.
flows and design features that slows storm flows and increases the amount of time
storm flows stay on the site.
Construction and use of rooftop rainwater harvesting comprised of catchment or
g.
cistern systems that collect rooftop runoff for irrigation, grey water or other non-
potable water purposes.
Limitation of on-site parking spaces to one hundred twenty-five (125) percent of
h.
the required parking.
Native vegetation shall be used and non-native vegetation shall be prohibited.
i.
Other low impact development methods proposed by the applicant that the
j.
Director or designee determineare appropriate to the site and type of development
that have been substantiated by appropriate written and plan documentation and
are deemed by the Director or designee
2.Green Building Construction Methods. An applicant shall submit written information
and plans as specified on forms provided by the City for use of one or more of the
green building construction methods specified in Table 18.33.050-1 prior to the
submittal of a complete building permit. The Director or designee shall consult with
the City Engineer, City Building Official, and other qualified internal and external
parties as may be deemed relevant to determine the adequacy and appropriateness of
the proposed low impact development techniques. Approved low impact development
techniques shall be constructed, inspected and approved by the City prior to receipt of
final occupancy permit or other final City approval, as appropriate.
Adevelopmentproject seeking to increase its maximum lot coverage to 75 percent
shallincorporate design guidelines and principles specified in the United States Green
®
Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Efficiency Design (LEED) Rating
System appropriate to the type and extent of construction, provided that certification
of a structure through the LEED system shall not be required. New construction and
major renovations of existing buildings shall be designed in accordance with one or
more of the following LEED programs:
a.LEEDforNew Construction
b.LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance
c.LEED for Commercial Interiors
d.LEED For Core and Shell
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An applicant shall submit a written proposalon forms provided by the City foruse of
one or more of the LEED rated programs specified above prior to the submittal of a
complete building permit. The Director or designee shall consult with the City
Building Official, and other qualified internal and external parties as may be deemed
relevant to determine the adequacy and appropriateness of the proposed LEED
program (s).
For the purposes of this Section, major renovations shall be defined as the
construction of an addition to an existing structure that is 7,500 square feet or greater
in size or the entire replacement or upgrade of mechanical equipment or plumbing
equipment or heating and ventilation equipment.
Green building methods as specified above shall be required, unless otherwise
excepted by the Director or designee based on written professional justification. Any
exceptionto the implementation of these methods may only be authorized by the
Director or designee following submittal of written or plan evidence by a registered
professionalarchitect in the State of Washington demonstrating that implementation
of a particular method is impractical based on site configuration, topographic features
or soil composition. In those instances where one or more site conditions make
application of all of these methods impractical, the Director or designee shall specify
the most appropriate method (s) to be used. In no instance, shall a development
project be completely waived from incorporating green building methods.
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LEED RATING SYSTEM – BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating
System™ began in 1998 and was developed by the United States Green Building Council
(USGBC), a non-profit organization that promotes sustainable building practices. LEED
addresses different types of construction and is comprised of a hierarchy of different
ratings that are based on the use and incorporation of different green building techniques
at all different levels of a project.
LEED has four major rating classifications with each classification requiring a higher
level usage and incorporation of building techniques in order to qualify for. Rating are
achieved through the accumulation of the required number of rating points needed for the
application of each rating classification:
Certified
Silver
Gold
Platinum
LEED certification is conducted through independent, third-party verification that a
building project meets the highest green building and performance measures relative to
the rating level being sought.
For the purposes of the potential amendments to Chapter 18.33 (Environmental Park), the
types of construction for which the LEED design guidelines and principles could be
applied include: a) New Construction and Major Renovation; Existing Buildings –
Operation and Maintenance; c) Commercial Interiors; and d) Core and Shell. The
following explains the current rating systems and associated required rating points:
LEEDNCMR
FOR EWONSTRUCTION AND AJORENOVATIONS
Required Points
Rating
Certified 26-32 Points
Silver33-38 Points
Gold39-51 Points
Platinum 52-69 Points
LEEDEB:O&M
FOR XISTING UILDINGSPERATIONS AINTENANCE
Required Points
Rating
Certified 34-42 Points
Silver43-50 Points
Gold51-67 Points
Platinum 68-92 Points
LEEDCI
FOR OMMERCIALNTERIORS
Required Points
Rating
Certified 21-26 Points
Silver27-31 Points
Gold32-41 Points
Platinum 42-57 Points
LEEDFCS
ORORE AND HELL
Required Points
Rating
Certified 23-27 Points
Silver28-33 Points
Gold34-44 Points
Platinum 45-61 Points