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The probability of the 4501 property being used commercially simply doesn't exist. The pan handle <br />shape of the property, the fact that the area that will support a building over 300 feet away from the <br />street, and the 50 foot stream buffer in the front yard prevents the building being used for a <br />commercial use. <br />The ownership of the surrounding properties is either institutional investors, individual business <br />owners, or private investors. What this means is the property uses are stable and the chance of <br />the redevelopment of properties into higher and better uses is unlikely, unless the ownership is <br />consolidated and a large corporate user comes along it is not realistic. If that happened all existing <br />uses would be removed and the building demolished. <br />This is significant because any new facility should be similar to adjacent buildings as intended by <br />TM section 18.60.050A. Care should taken to be sure that the new facility blends with its <br />neighbors and doesn't make them appear as second class neighbors. <br />Mr. Jones position is since the existing uses in the sub area are light industrial, the long term uses <br />on adjoining properties are light industrial. He plans to use the building and grounds himself in a <br />light industrial manor that it is appropriate to construct his building as a light industrial building and <br />it should not have an appearance of a commercial building. <br />We bring this point to your attention because many of your design comments are appropriate for a <br />commercial building that the public can regularly access and a building that is adjacent to <br />commercial uses. Light industrial buildings do not require this level of design treatment because <br />they serve functions that are different than commercial building. <br />Impersonal appearance at many areas of an industrial building is appropriate since these areas are <br />functional in nature, not normally a pedestrian area or publicly in view. Treatment of those areas <br />has no general benefit and is a waste of a citizen's money. <br />The areas at that are appropriate for design treatments at light industrial building are those visible <br />from the public street or from adjacent uses which are not similar. These areas because of other <br />provisions of the code have buffer landscaping that screen the building facade. <br />Below I have cut and pasted in your comments. The changes in building design that have been <br />made are noted and referenced by sheet number. Where changes have not been made we have <br />stated why they are not needed. We think you will concur with us once you have the opportunity to <br />study the materials already submitted. <br />• Incorporate some type of modulation into the design of the building. The modulation should <br />include: <br />The only area that modulation and design treatment are appropriate is at the east <br />facade. <br />The west face of the 4501 building is completely screened from Macadam Road by <br />existing buffer planting and not visible from any of the adjacent buildings. <br />The south walls of the light industrial warehouses to the north have blank unarticulated <br />surfaces with no windows. This wall is set back from the lot line ten feet. The code <br />required landscaping has disappeared and the city has not required it to be replaced. If <br />130 Lakeside Ave. • Suite 250 • Seattle, WA • 98122 • (206) 325 -2553 • Fax (206) 328 -0554 <br />16 <br />