Planning 2011-09-22 COMPLETE AGENDA PACKET

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from the surrounding development. The homes are separated from the common space with five foot wide paved paths and three foot high cedar picket fences. The two shared picnic areas are incorporated into the private "pocket" parks which are removed from the public streets and separated by houses. h) Pai °long anci sei�>ice areas shall be locuteci, ciesigneci anci screened to inters °uht and reduce the visual iinhact of large jmved areas; Staff's Response: Parking requirements are met in four different ways. On- street parking is provided adjacent to the two interior private streets. Twenty two on street parking stalls increase the road width by eight and a half feet to twenty -eight and a half feet total. The use of on- street parking eliminates the need to create a large paved area to park cars. Parking is also provided in the attached garages and the private driveways. Four detached garage bays provide an additional eighteen parking spaces. Private roads are only twenty feet wide with a portion of one alley sixteen feet wide. i) The height, bulk, footprint and scale of each building shall be in harnwn with its site and ad'Iaeent long -tern structures. Staff's Response: The neighborhood consists of mostly older homes one stoic or one and one -half stoic homes that generally meet the definition of a cottage. The proposed project more closely reflects the older homes in the neighborhood. 2. Building Design a) Architectural style is not restricted; evaluation of a In -oleet shall be based on the quality of its design and its ability° to harmonize building texture, shape, lines and mass with the surrounding neighborhood. Staffs Response: The compact single family homes are simple, one and a half stoic homes with generally craftsman -style features. The surrounding neighborhood has an architectural style representing mainly the 1940's through the 1960's. The majority of the homes in the neighborhood are small, one or one and -a -half stow homes. Only a project such as this, built under the cottage housing ordinance, could develop small homes that harmonize with the older, established neighborhood while also adding new, high quality housing stock to the neighborhood. At the community meeting, neighbors voiced opposition over the design of the homes. The drawings shown were vei preliminaiN and the homes appeared to be dominated by roofs. The designs were refined with bump -outs, sheds and dormers added to the roofs. The elevations show that the homes address the concerns raised at the community (see Attachment C). b) Buildings shall be of ahhrohriate height, scale, and design shape to be in hai `inorN with those existingl)ei °manent neighboring develol)nrents which are consistent with, or envisioned in, the C'onilnrehensive Plan. This will be esheeially inrl)oi-tant foi-hei-inretei- structures. Adjacent structures that are not in eonf n- nzanee with the C'onilnrehensive Plan should be considered to be transitional. The degree of architectural hai°inony required should be consistent ivith the nonconforming structures anticihatedhernianence. Staffs Response: Tukwila's Comprehensive Plan envisions residential areas that are "small town" in character with front porches; smaller front yards; garages located to the rear or side of the lot; and lawn, trees and love -scale fences in the front yards (Goal 1.6). This project includes all of these features. The Comprehensive Plan and the development code do not require design review process for single family homes. The development standards allow but do not require the specific character details outlined in the Comprehensive Plan. The surrounding neighborhood is generally in conformance with the development code and could be rebuilt to existing standards or with higher density and larger mass than what currently exists. The existing development regulations allow for much larger homes and minimal site and architectural requirements while the Housing Options Ordinance (Ordinance 2 allows for an increase in density in exchange for smaller, clustered homes with high quality site and architectural design. The Ordinance also allows for flexibility in the development standards. The applicant requested relief from strict adherence to the floor area limitations under the Ordinance. All of the homes proposed are over 1,000 square feet and are considered compact single family homes. Allowed floor area includes attached garages while detached garages are exempt from the floor area limitations. Thirteen of the homes are larger than the 1,500 square feet allowed. Of these thirteen homes, two are only eight feet larger than allowed. Four homes are 1,635 square feet with a one car garage; seven homes are 1,683 square feet and include a two car garage. The applicant has requested flexibility in the development standards to allow these models. If the garages were detached, which may be possible but would be at the loss of common space and require some site redesign, or if the one car garages were eliminated and the two car stalls reduced to one stall, the parking requirement would still be met and the homes would be under the allowed 1,500 square feet. Stacy- MacGregor Pa 9 of 19 09 142011 H: a Cottages at Riverton BAR Staff Reportdoc 11