Planning 2017-06-22 Item 4 - Foster High School Expansion and Birth to Kindergarten - Attachment J: Applicant Response to Variance Criteria

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Ms. Lindsay Brown February 28, 2017 REVISED MAY 1, 2017IIIIOOIIIIIIIIIIIUm 2160226.30 Page 5 of 8��»» �� 3. The granting of such variance will not be materially detrimental to the public welfare or injurious to the property or improvements in the vicinity and in the zone in which the subject property is situated, Foster High School. The additions to Foster High School will not exceed the existing height; walls fronting the street are up to 40 feet high and the Performing Arts Center is 65 feet high. The appearance of the Foster High School building will remain unchanged. The height of the additions will exceed the 30 -foot height limit due to parapets, an architectural feature that will improve the look of the building and match the height of the existing parapets. Moreover, the additions will be mostly hidden behind the existing building frontage, which has sloped roofs reaching 40 feet in height. The building and proposed additions are set back from the property line and will not affect the views of neighboring properties. The new structures and additions will be required to meet design review criteria, ensuring consistency and compatibility with surroundings. The height of the flagpole within the stadium creates a focal point for an important community gathering area and will be beneficial to the public welfare. The netting surrounding the sports fields will protect public safety and public property from errant balls traveling outside the fields. Birth -to- Kindergarten Center: The Birth -to- Kindergarten Center building is not directly visible from surrounding residential uses. Five single - family houses exist to the north of the site, but are largely hidden from view by a line of trees. It is bordered by wooded areas, Showalter Middle School, and a large church campus. The building will be set back from the property line, and one -story classrooms line the front of the building, reducing the apparent mass and scale of the building. It is not expected that the 35 -foot height will have any detrimental effect, visually or otherwise, on surrounding property or improvements. Any potential nuisances, such as light pollution or traffic, are addressed in the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) checklist and associated environmental studies. The new structures and additions will be required to meet design review criteria, ensuring consistency and compatibility with surroundings. 4. The authorization of such variance will not adversely affect the implementation of the Comprehensive Land Use Policy Plan; Foster High School and Birth -to Kindergarten Center. • As stated in the CUP application, . both the Foster High School additions and the new Birth -to- Kindergarten Center demonstrate consistency with the Comprehensive Plan. The relevant goals and policies are listed in the CUP cover letters. The additional height requested is marginal, but will allow the proposed structures enough capacity to meet neighborhood and community needs. Design of the building will be subject to a Type III Design Review process. 5. The granting of such variance is necessary for the preservation and enjoyment of a substantial property right of the applicant possessed by the owners of other properties in the same zone or vicinity. O©