Planning 2012-04-12 ITEM 4 - TUKWILA HOME2SUITES - STAFF REPORT

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Part of the corporate identity for Home2 Suites is an "eco- friendly" focus. The landscaping on this site was chosen to be native or drought tolerant to minimize irrigation needs. The landscape architect believes that plant palate and landscape design compliments the modern architectural style of the building. Required perimeter and parking lot landscaping, according to Tukwila Municipal Code (18.52.020 0 3 15), is approximately 9,5(_)(_) square feet. This project provides nearly 19,057 square feet of landscaping plus an additional 1,404 square feet of right of ivay landscaping. The northern most six feet of the required perimeter landscaping along the north frontage occurs within the railroad easement. If the railroad allows this planting, it will consist of low groundcover. If the railroad does not allow work within their easement, the applicant is requesting perimeter landscape averaging to include the landscaping created along the northwest corner of the site. In the fixture, if Minkler Boulevard is expanded due to track abandonment, a separated sidewalk with planting strip would be created and the perimeter landscaping would be continued from the property line to the back of sidewalk. The trash collection area is screened with an enclosure and the enclosure is screened with landscaping on the side adjacent to the street. Site lighting includes pole- mounted lighting in the parking lot landscape islands to illuminate the parking areas. C. Walkivaus, harking .~hares, terraces, am/ other jmvecl areas shall hrornote safety a1A1j)Povicr'e an inviting (//I(/ stable ahhearance. DirectI)Mestrian linkages to thehublic street, to on -site recreation areas, aml to acr'iaeent hublie recreation areas shall behrovicrM. Pedestrian paths surround the building and connect the entrances to the parking areas. Further, exterior paths lead to the outdoor barbeque area and dog lawn. Crosswalks in concrete connect the building to the north and south public rights of ivav and to the parking areas. Walkway_ s and groundcovers are placed in areas susceptible to vehicular overhang and pedestrian traffic. Phase I proposed landscaping will be displaced by the walking path in phase II_ A landscape plan addressing the displacement and replacement -,vas not submitted as part of the Phase 11 proposal. The walking path is partialIv located outside the property- lines along the north side of the site. c1. Ahhrohriate lancr'seahe transition to at r'joininghroherties shall behroviclecl. The t-,-,-o side yards are separated from the adjacent properties by 3(_)' -,vide railroad spurs and associated easements. Side yard landscaping is not required. Groundcover is sho-,-,-n on the landscape plan -,-thin the railroad easement. -l. MISCELLANEOUS STRUCTURES: a. Miscellaneous strzretur Shall be clesignecl as an integral hart of the architectrral eoneeht and lancr'seahe. Materials shall be conymlible with builclings, scale shall be chhrohriate, colors shall be in har °rnony With builclings and surrounclings, and structure hrohortions shall be to scale. Miscellaneous structures consist of a trash collection area, a bike rack for 5 bikes, parking lot light standards, and the outside barbeque area. A freestanding monument sign is proposed along Minkler Boulevard and -,vall signs are proposed on the north, south, and east sides of the building. The freestanding sign is integrated into a monument clad in the same stone used on the building. The site has approximated 650 lineal feet of street frontage shared equally bet-,veen Minkler Boulevard and Upland Drive. The sign code allo-,vs one monument sign for properties with 6()() -799 lineal feet of frontage and allows the monument to be located anvwhere on the site, subject to setbacks. The code also allo-,vs properties -,with multiple street frontages one monument sign per frontage provided each frontage is at least 2(_)(_) lineal feet and each frontage provides direct access to the property (i There are 485 lineal feet of north and south frontage. Perimeter la idscaping in these areas is 15' deep 485' x 15' =7,275 sf of perimeter landscaping). 146 parking spaces each require 15 sf of landscaping 146 x 15 sf =2,190 sf of parking lot landscaping). 7,275 2,190 sf 9,465 sf of required site landscaping. SM Page 7 of 11 04, 1.92012 Z: DCD n Clerk's PC Laserfiche Packet attachments L12 -004 Staff Report L12 -004 DR SR (2 ),dory 11