Planning 2017-06-22 Item 4 - Foster High School Expansion and Birth to Kindergarten - Attachment E: Design Review Staff Report for Original Foster High School (8/25/1989)

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STAFF REPORT to tl( 8( . �SPE, 89 -7 -DR, 89 -1 -CUP: Planning Commission FOSTER HIGH SCHOOL Page 15 B. The proposed use shall meet or exceed the performance standards that are required in the district it will occupy. The proposed development plans for the high school complex together with the approved variances and the attached conditions meet the performance standards in the R -1- 7200 zoning district. G The proposed development shall be compatible generally with the surrounding land uses in terms of traffic and pedestrian circulation, building and site design. Although the auditorium (it represents only a portion of the activities building or east wing) exceeds 30 feet in height, the auditorium has been set back from the public street (144th Avenue S.) to minimize any impact to adjoining properties. It is also over 300 feet from the north property line and about 400 feet from the west property line. The needed floor area for the entire high school complex was divided into two structures to reduce the overall bulk of a single structure. While the activities building is a large structure, an effort has been made to minimize the impact of the structure from adjoining properties by several design features: use of a brick veneer exterior with a variegated color pattern to the brickwork, a peak roof for the portion of the structure between the auditorium and the street, and landscaping to further soften the south elevation. The proposed development plans will allow the continued use of the high school complex which was constructed in 1952. The overall proposed high school use has not been expanded in terms of enrollment and is not anticipated to substantially increase traffic and pedestrian circulation or impacts from the building and site design. The proposed auditorium does represent an expan- sion of the existing auditorium facility. However, the proposed expansion is not expected to generate significantly greater traffic volumes or impacts from the auditorium and site design. D. The proposed use shall be in keeping with the goals and policies of the com- prehensive land use policy plan. The provision of the expanded auditorium for joint -use by the school district and the community is supported by policies 2 and 5 of the Open Space Element of the Land Use Policy Plan. Although not specifically a land use policy, the replacement of the high school complex mitigates a public health problem (asbestos) present in -the existing high school. 125