HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning 2014-05-22 ITEM 4 - WASHINGTON PLACE - STAFF REPORTCity of Tukwila
Jim Haggerton, Mayor
Department of Community Development Jack Pace, Director
STAFF REPORT TO
THE BOARD OF ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW
PREPARED MAY 15, 2014
HEARING DATE: May 22, 2014
NOTIFICATION:
On April 4, 2014, the Notice of Application was posted on the site and
mailed to the surrounding property owners and occupants. The Notice of
Hearing was posted on the site and mailed to the surrounding property
owners and occupants on May 8, 2014. It was published in the Seattle
Times on May 8, 2014.
FILE NUMBERS: L14 -0015 — Design Review
E14-0003- SEPA
APPLICANT: Eric Guion
REQUEST:
LOCATION:
SEPA
DETERMINATION:
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
& ZONING
DESIGNATION:
STAFF:
ATTACHMENTS:
Construction of a 19 story residential and hotel mixed use building. The
residential portion includes 370 units and the hotel includes 189 rooms. A
total of 498 parking stalls are proposed.
223 Andover Park East, Tukwila WA 98188
DNS
Tukwila Urban Center (TUC)
Minnie Dhaliwal
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
Plans: Site Plan, Floor Plans, Elevations, and Renderings
Landscape Plan
Lighting Fixtures and Lighting Plan
Applicant's design statement.
Parking Structure Design Manual
Development Agreement and First Amendment to the Agreement.
Stacked Parking Plan Approval Letter
Materials and Colors Board presented at the hearing
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FINDINGS
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The current proposal is to demolish the existing retail building and construct a 19 story residential and
hotel mixed use building. The residential portion includes 370 units and the hotel includes 189 rooms.
The proposed project includes a mix of apartment unit types ranging from studios to three bedroom units.
Here is the breakdown of the unit types:
Studios: 154
One bedrooms: 150
Two bedrooms plus den: 63
Three bedrooms: 3
Total units: 370
A total of 498 parking stalls are proposed and include 208 surface parking stalls and 290 garage parking
stalls. In addition there is a plan to stack 44 parking stalls in the event valet parking is instituted.
The building is L- shaped, with hotel use facing the street. The first two floors of the wing facing the street
are occupied by the hotel lobby, restaurant and meeting rooms. A total of 189 hotel rooms are located on
floors 3 thru 11. Apartments are located on floors 11 thru 18 of this wing.
The second wing of the building along the south side of the subject site is occupied by common open
space on the first floor and then apartment units are located on all the upper floors. The top floor includes
covered and uncovered recreation space for the apartments and includes an exercise room and pet area.
The parking garage is proposed behind the L- shaped building, and is approximately 220 feet by 125 feet
with 3 1/2 levels of parking (290 parking stalls).
VICINITY /SITE INFORMATION
Existing Development
The subject property is a rectangular shaped parcel covering 3.41 acres of land. Existing improvements to
the property consist of a single story retail building that was built in 1995 and is approximately 40,580
square feet. The building was previously occupied by Circuit City and has been vacant for a few years. It
is proposed to be demolished as part of this proposal.
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Surrounding Land Uses
North: There are three lots immediately to the north and then Baker Boulevard lies beyond. Each lot is
approximately one acre in size and is developed with one commercial building. The first building at the
corner of Andover Park East and Baker Boulevard is a two story office masonry building that was built in
1971. The other two buildings are single story commercial retail/warehouse type of buildings built in the
1960s.
South: The building immediately to the south was built as a warehouse in the 1960s and subsequently
converted into a retail building. It is occupied by Albert Lee Home Appliances, Furniture Factory and
Puetz Golf.
East: Andover Park East defines the eastern property line. A small business park built in 1996 is situated
across the street to the northeast and is occupied by several health business and some retail uses. Single
story retail buildings occupied by Cash and Carry as well as Video Only are present to the southeast.
West: Acura dealership building, built in 1968, borders the subject site to the west. Also the rear of the
retail building occupied by Bed Bath & Beyond and REI borders the subject site to the southwest.
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SITE PHOTOS
View from Andover Park East looking south
View from Andover Park East looking north
View from the west property line
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Page 4 of 19
BACKGROUND
The majority of the development around the property dates back to 1960s and some buildings were built
in the mid -90s. The subject site shows up as a vacant field up until 1965 when it was cleared for
development for a warehouse type of structure. The existing building was built in 1995. The property was
purchased by the current owner in 2010.
Development Agreement
In March 2013 the city executed a development agreement with owner, South Center WA LLC, to allow
the maximum height of the building to go up to 180 feet. On May 5, 2014, the City Council amended the
development agreement to allow concessions in the following four areas from the City's Zoning and Sign
Code regulations:
1) Building Height: The maximum height for 50 percent of the site is 190 feet.
2) Space: The open space requirements are relaxed to 45 square feet per residential unit and 25
square feet per hotel room. Also, certain common areas such as lobby and bike storage areas are
allowed to be counted towards open space requirements.
3) Parking: The parking requirements are reduced to one parking space per residential unit and .7
spaces per hotel room. Additionally, Attachment G is the approved stacking and valet parking plan
as contemplated by the Development Agreement.
4) Signage: The size of the signs is allowed to exceed the maximum size allowed under the Sign
Code. The wall signs are allowed to be six percent of the exposed building face to a maximum of
500 square feet. Canopy edge signs are allowed up to 3.5 feet in height.
PUBLIC COMMENTS
No written comments related to the design review application were submitted. Washington State
Department of Transportation asked for a traffic study in response to the SEPA application.
DESIGN REVIEW
This project is subject to Board of Architectural (BAR) design approval under Tukwila Municipal
Code (TMC) Section 18.60.030. In the following discussion the Board of Architectural Review
criterion is shown below in bold, followed by staff's comments. For the applicant's design
statement, see Attachment D.
DECISION CRITERIA- DESIGN REVIEW
TMC 18.60.050.C. Multi- Family, Hotel and Motel Design Review Criteria. In reviewing any
multi - family, hotel or motel application the following criteria shall be used by the BAR in its
decision making as well as the Multi- Family Design Manual.
Page 5 of 19
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1. SITE PLANNING.
a. Building siting, architecture, and landscaping shall be integrated into and blend
harmoniously with the neighborhood building scale, natural environment, and
development characteristics as envisioned in the Comprehensive Plan. For instance, a
multi - family development's design need not be harmoniously integrated with
adjacent single - family structures if that existing single - family use is designated as
"Commercial" or "High Density Residential" in the Comprehensive Plan. However,
a "Low Density Residential" (detached single - family) designation would require such
harmonious design integration.
The site is located in the City's Urban Center. There is no residential development in the
vicinity of the project site. The proposed building will set the standard for future
redevelopment of the area. The building is sited to provide a presence along Andover Park
East and the parking garage is screened by the building from the existing street.
Neighboring buildings are much smaller in scale and this building will be a landmark
building and visible from all sides. The L- shaped building does make the building appear
larger as the north and west facades are not differentiated, nor is there any break in the
skyline. At the city's request the applicant has introduced a darker brown color to help
distinguish the west facade from the north facade. However there is still an opportunity to
articulate the facade to differentiate the hotel wing from the apartment wing and add visual
interest and break down the scale of the building.
b. Natural features which contribute to desirable neighborhood character shall be
preserved to the maximum extent possible. Natural features include, but are not
limited to, existing significant trees and stands of trees, wetlands, streams, and
significant topographic features.
There are many healthy trees that line the north and south property lines. The existing trees
are European Hornbeam, Carpinus betulus fastigiata, and based on their size are considered
significant trees. Staff asked the applicant to preserve the existing trees as they not only
provide canopy cover but also help screen the rear side of the buildings on the adjacent
lots. Some of the buildings on the adjacent lots have completely blank walls with no
windows, modulation or articulation and the trees help soften those facades. Applicant
revised their plans to adjust interior parking lot islands so that a total of nine trees could be
saved, however that means that the interior islands do not meet the spacing requirements of
a maximum of 10 stalls between landscape islands. There are more than 40 trees that line
the north and south property lines. There is an opportunity to save more trees and preserve
the perimeter landscaping strip along the south property line by realigning the parking
stalls to 60 degree angled parking and designating them as compact parking stalls. This
option would leave an approximately 5'8" landscape perimeter along the south property
line. Under this option the proposal would exceed overall interior landscaping
requirements, but would not meet the requirement to have an island after every ten stalls.
Additionally, the code states that a maximum 30% of the stalls can be compact stalls and
this realignment will increase that percentage to more than 30 %. However under TMC
18.70.090, the Board of Architectural Review may take into consideration the existing
landscaping and modify the standards.
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c. The site plan shall use landscaping and building shapes to form an aesthetically
pleasing and pedestrian scale streetscape. This shall include, but not be limited to
facilitating pedestrian travel along the street, using architecture and landscaping to
provide a desirable transition from streetscape to the building, and providing an
integrated linkage from pedestrian and vehicular facilities to building entries.
The main building fronts Andover Park East, but there is a double loaded aisle of parking
between the building and the sidewalk. There is an opportunity to design the parking lot as
a forecourt or a plaza to complement adjacent activities and improve visual character in
relationship with Andover Park East. This could be accomplished by detailing the parking
surface with a different material than asphalt and enhancing the landscaping.
11 11 1
ill 11 i! iu
11 10 IP
6 .
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Some examples of
parking lots which are
designed as forecourt
/plaza but still can
accommodate parking.
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12
A fifteen foot sidewalk with street trees, benches and pedestrian lights is proposed along
the street. Some of the details related to the frontage such as light fixtures and benches
have not been provided at this time. Also, curb transition details for driveway entrances
were not provided. Pedestrian safety and convenience is better served when the sidewalk
stays at a consistent grade. The curb cut for the driveway should match the height of the
sidewalk to ensure that the sidewalk stays at a consistent grade for pedestrians.
Additionally the details of the transition between the new proposed wide sidewalk fronting
the subject site and existing narrow sidewalks to the north and the south along the adjacent
properties should be designed to assure safe access /transition/ maneuver for a person in a
wheelchair.
Example of a driveway where the sidewalk stays at a consistent grade.
d. Pedestrian and vehicular entries shall provide a high quality visual focus using
building siting, shapes, and landscaping. Such a feature establishes a physical
transition between the project and public areas, and establishes the initial sense of
high quality development.
A porte - cochere feature is designed to highlight the hotel entrance, establish a relationship
of the building to the street and provide a covered entrance for hotel guests. Designing the
parking lot as a forecourt/plaza would help establish a physical transition between the
project and public areas and establish the initial sense of high quality development.
e. Vehicular circulation design shall minimize driveway intersections with the street.
There are two access driveways proposed along Andover Park East.
f. Site perimeter design (i.e. landscaping, structures, and horizontal width) shall be
coordinated with site development to ensure a harmonious transition between
adjacent projects.
A long row of parking spaces is proposed along both the north and the south property lines.
Site perimeter design would greatly benefit from preserving the existing trees that would
help soften the hardscape. The site layout accommodates a future north -south street
connection along the west (back) side of the subject property. This future street would
break up the big block, which lies between Baker Blvd on the north, Strander Blvd on the
south, Andover Park East on the east and Andover Park West on the west.
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g•
Varying degrees of privacy for the individual residents shall be provided; increasing
from the public right -of -way, to common areas, to individual residences. This can be
accomplished through the use of symbolic and actual physical barriers to define the
degrees of privacy appropriate to specific site area functions.
Primary common facilities are located inside the building or on the roof top. These
facilities include a clubhouse, exercise rooms and pet area. No private open space for
individual units is proposed. The entrance to the apartment lobby is separate from the hotel
entrance.
h. Parking and service areas shall be located, designed, and screened to interrupt and
reduce the visual impact of large paved areas;
There are a total of 208 surface parking stalls and 290 stalls are in the garage. The trash
enclosure is screened from view at the pedestrian level and from above. The loading area
in between the building and the garage is next to the hotel's pool area, but the applicant has
stated it is an opaque wall and there will be no visibility from the hotel's pool area to the
loading area. Additionally, the applicant has added a screen wall at the second floor hotel
patio to shield views to the garage and the loading area.
East -West pedestrian connections are provided from the parking to the building entrances.
On the north side this connection is provided by striping the drive -aisle area and along the
south side it is a combination of striping and a covered arcade.
i. The height, bulk, footprint, and scale of each building shall be in harmony with its
site and adjacent long -term structures.
Per the Development Agreement, the maximum height for 50% of the site is 190 feet. The
footprint of the main building is L- shaped and exceeds 22,000 square feet. The garage is a
220 feet by 125 feet rectangular building. The proposed height complies with the
Development Agreement provisions. Tukwila does not have any high rise buildings at this
time or code provisions that address floor plate limitations or tower spacing rules for light
and air allowance between the towers. The visual mass resulting from an unbroken L -shape
in plan and a continuous skyline that doesn't distinguish between the hotel and residential
towers could be mitigated by differentiating the north and the west facade of the main
building.
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2. BUILDING DESIGN.
The five foot spacing between the south side of the garage
building and the L- shaped building creates some challenges.
The apartment units on the third floor will overlook the garage
building. In response to the building department's concern
that smoke from a fire in the garage could get into an open
window at the apartment, the applicant has proposed filling in
portions of the garage wall directly adjacent to the apartment
units (see sketch) such that it would keep smoke away from
the apartment wall. This issue will be addressed as part of the
building permit.
a. Architectural style is not restricted, evaluation of a project shall be based on the
quality of its design and its ability to harmonize building texture, shape, lines and
mass with the surrounding neighborhood.
The proposed design is a modern high rise building. The quality of the facade facing
Andover Park East shows a high level of design with modulation and articulation.
However the building should be considered as a 3- dimensional composition with equal
importance of the tower element from all four sides as due to its height it will be visible
from many vantage points. There is an opportunity to improve the quality of the "back"
sides of the building to match the quality along the street side by including details such as
different window sizes, material/color variation, modulation and articulation to
differentiate the hotel and the residential tower.
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b. Buildings shall be of appropriate height, scale, and design /shape to be in harmony
with those existing permanent neighboring developments, which are consistent with,
or envisioned in, the Comprehensive Plan. This will be especially important for
perimeter structures. Adjacent structures that are not in conformance with the
Comprehensive Plan should be considered to be transitional. The degree of
architectural harmony required should be consistent with the non - conforming
structure's anticipated permanence.
The proposed building furthers the Comprehensive Plan goal to bring residential uses to
the Urban Center. The draft Urban Center Plan envisions this area as a transit - oriented
development area with a mix of commercial and residential uses. The neighboring
developments are one to two story structures. Some structures on the neighboring
properties lie close to the subject property. If the proposed building is built it will set the
standard for the development in the area.
c. Building components, such as windows, doors, eaves, parapets, stairs and decks shall
be integrated into the overall building design. Particular emphasis shall be given to
harmonious proportions of these components with those of adjacent developments.
Building components and ancillary parts shall be consistent with the anticipated life
of the structure.
This criterion is not applicable as the proposed building is a high rise building that is
surrounded by single story structures. Proportion of various elements of the proposed
building cannot be compared to the adjoining structures.
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d. The overall color scheme shall work to reduce building prominence and shall blend in
with the natural environment.
e.
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Exterior building materials include metal panels, glass, brick and concrete. Wood grained
metal panels are used at the entries and at the top of the building. Brick is used on the
podium and is reflective of Westfield Southcenter Mall and provides a pedestrian scale at
the base of the building. The two metal panels "Sandstone" and "Surrey Beige" do not
display sufficient differentiation and could appear as the same color from a distance. See
photo of material board below.
Metal soffit
\
Copper Accent Color
/ Surrey Beige metal
Blue Gray Glass
Sandstone metal
Applicant has added a darker brown color on the west side of the hotel wing (see west
elevation) to add differentiation between the apartment tower and the hotel tower.
However due to the L -shape of the building and no differentiation in the skyline of the two
wings, color differentiation needs to be supplemented with another element such as variety
in window sizes and patterns, modulation or articulation similar to the front of the building
to help reduce the building prominence and add visual interest.
Monotony of design in single or multiple building projects shall be avoided.
Variety of detail, form, and siting shall be used to provide visual interest. Otherwise
monotonous flat walls and uniform vertical planes of individual buildings shall be
broken up with building modulation, stairs, decks, railings, and focal entries.
Multiple building developments shall use siting and additional architectural variety
to avoid inappropriate repetition of building designs and appearance to surrounding
properties.
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The design elements including material/color variations, modulation and articulation along
the east facade help create an interesting well balanced facade. However the back side of
the building appears to be monotonous. There is an opportunity to add interest by
differentiating the hotel wing from the apartment wing by varying the window sizes and/or
adding modulation and articulation similar to the east elevation.
The window details have not been provided at this time. There is an opportunity to
introduce depth and shadow on the upper level facades rather than have windows flush
with the opaque walls.
3. LANDSCAPE AND SITE TREATMENT.
a. Existing natural topographic patterns and significant vegetation shall be reflected
in project design when they contribute to the natural beauty of the area or are
important to defining neighborhood identity or a sense of place.
There are more than 40 existing trees along the north and south property line that are
considered significant under the city code. The applicant has revised the proposal to align
the proposed landscape islands with the existing trees and is able to save a total of nine
trees. There is an opportunity to save more trees at least along the south side if the parking
stalls are reconfigured as compact stalls and realigned to 60 degrees.
b. Landscape treatment shall enhance existing natural and architectural features, help
separate public from private spaces, strengthen vistas and important views, provide
shade to moderate the affects of large paved areas, and break up visual mass.
Street improvements along Andover Park East include a sidewalk and street trees. Also, a
larger landscape area is proposed along the west edge of the property, which helps screen
and soften the garage building from the adjacent properties. If additional trees could be
preserved along the north and south property line it would help moderate the effects of
paved parking area.
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c. Walkways, parking spaces, terraces, and other paved areas shall promote safety and
provide an inviting and stable appearance. Direct pedestrian linkages to the public
street, to on -site recreation areas, and to adjacent public recreation areas shall be
provided.
East -west pedestrian paths have been added to the site plan to link the parking areas with
the building entrances. Pedestrian link from the sidewalk along Andover Park East to the
building entrance has also been provided. There is an opportunity to design the parking lot
in front of the hotel as a forecourt with additional landscaping which could provide buffer
to the outdoor eating area.
d. Appropriate landscape transition to adjoining properties shall be provided.
There is an opportunity to use some of the existing perimeter landscaping to provide a
better transition with the adjoining properties. Landscaping along the west side of the
garage helps provide transition to the properties to the west.
4. MISCELLANEOUS STR UCTURES.
a. Miscellaneous structures shall be designed as an integral part of the architectural
concept and landscape. Materials shall be compatible with buildings, scale shall be
appropriate, colors shall be in harmony with buildings and surroundings, and structure
proportions shall be to scale.
Detailed specifications of the site furnishings such as benches and planters have not been
provided at this time. Light fixture details have been provided and are included as Attachment
C. Two wall signs are proposed, one each on the north and the west elevation. No freestanding
sign is proposed at this time. Detailed dimensions of the signs shall be reviewed as part of the
Sign Permit. The location, design and materials of the signs are reviewed as part of the design
review application. The wall signs are proposed as individual channel letters rather than one
large box. This helps add interest to the facade and also helps tie the signs to the building with
the background colors and materials being visible around the individual letters.
b. The use of walls, fencing, planting, berms, or combinations of these shall accomplish
screening of service yards, and other places that tend to be unsightly. Screening shall be
effective in winter and summer.
The trash and recycling area is proposed to be screened on the sides and from above, but no
details of the screening materials are provided at this time. The material for the screening
should be compatible with the building. The trash chutes are provided within the building.
c. Mechanical equipment or other utility hardware on roof, ground or buildings shall be
screened from view. Screening shall be designed as an integral part of the architecture
(i.e., raised parapets and fully enclosed under root) and landscaping.
Roof top mechanical equipment is proposed to be screened by a metal screen panel that
matches the materials of the proposed building. Details related to utility meters, conduits and
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other above ground utility apparatus have not been provided at this time.
d. Exterior lighting standards and fixtures shall be of a design and size consistent with
safety, building architecture and adjacent area. Lighting shall be shielded, and
restrained in design with no off -site glare spill over. Excessive brightness and brilliant
colors shall not be used unless clearly demonstrated to be integral to building
architecture.
Attachment C includes the lighting plans showing the lighting levels and the location and
different types of light fixtures. The light fixture around the square feature along the east
facade is capable of changing colors. Applicant has clarified that it is not intended as chasing
lights or to give the appearance of changing lights, but the colors could be changed based on
seasons or special occasions.
The project was also reviewed by the City's police department for Crime Prevention through
Environmental Design (CPTED) issues. They recommended one or two additional light
fixtures in the northwest corner of the parking lot to avoid areas of extremely low lighting
levels. Also, they have recommended a minimum lighting of 1 foot candle inside the garage.
TMC 18.60.050.E Parking Structure Design Guidelines.
The criteria for reviewing any parking structure is included as Attachment E.
The parking structure is designed as a concrete structure. At the city's request the applicant has
added a trellis on the uppermost deck. However no details of the planters are provided at this time.
Also, a metal screen system at the perimeter is added to provide visual interest to the exterior of
the garage and to screen the cars from view. Planters are also proposed to screen views from the
third floor apartment units to the parking garage. An open staircase is provided along the
northwest corner of the garage. The location of the open staircase in the farthest corner from the
building entrance makes it harder for the users to exit the garage and get to the hotel or apartment
entrance. The vertical concrete columns could be faced with the base brick material to make the
parking structure architecturally consistent with the main building. Since there is no room to add
any foundation landscaping without losing parking adding some architectural interest to the north
facade should be considered in order to improve the pedestrian experience.
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Architectural interest could be added by introducing materials, color and texture at the pedestrian scale.
This is the photo of a garage that uses a similar metal screen system to the one that the applicant has
proposed. Landscaping in this photo helps soften the facade.
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CONCLUSIONS - DESIGN REVIEW
1. Site Planning: The site is accessed by two driveways along Andover Park East. The site
layout accommodates a future north south street on the west side of the site. East -west
pedestrian connections are provided to link the parking area to the building entrances. The
building is sited to provide a presence along Andover Park East and the parking garage is
screened by the building from the existing street. The L- shaped building does make the
building appear larger as the north and west facades are not differentiated, nor is there any
break in the skyline. The double loaded parking aisle between the building and the sidewalk
should be designed as a forecourt or a plaza to complement adjacent activities and improve
visual character in relationship with Andover Park East. This could be accomplished by
detailing the parking surface with a different material than asphalt, such as stamped concrete
or pavers, and enhancing the landscaping. A fifteen foot sidewalk with street trees, benches
and pedestrian lights is proposed along the street. Some of the details related to the frontage
such as light fixtures and benches have not been provided at this time. Also, curb transition
details for driveway entrances were not provided. The curb cut for the driveway shall match
the height of the sidewalk to ensure that the sidewalk stays at a consistent grade for pedestrian
safety. Additionally the details of the transition between the new proposed sidewalk and the
existing narrow sidewalks to the north and the south along the adjacent properties shall be
designed to assure safe access /transition/ maneuvering for a person in a wheelchair. The five
foot gap between the south side of the garage building and the L- shaped building creates some
building code challenges that shall be addressed during the building permit review process.
2. Building Design: The quality of the facade facing Andover Park East shows a high quality of
design with modulation and articulation. However it is important that this building be designed
as a 360 degree composition with equal importance given to all four sides as the building will
be visible from many vantage points. There is an opportunity to improve the quality of the
back side of the building to match the quality along the front side by including details such as
different window sizes, material /color variations, modulation and articulation to differentiate
the hotel and the residential tower. Exterior building materials include metal panels, glass,
brick and concrete. Wood grained metal panels are used at the entries and at the top of the
building. Brick is used on the podium and is reflective of Westfield Southcenter Mall and
provides a pedestrian scale at the base of the building. The two metal panels "Sandstone" and
"Surrey Beige" do not display sufficient color differentiation and could appear as the same
color from a distance. Applicant has added a darker brown color on the west side of the hotel
wing (see west elevation) to add differentiation between the apartment tower and the hotel
tower. However due to the L -shape of the building and no differentiation in the skyline of the
two wings, color differentiation needs to be supplemented with another element such as
variety in window sizes and patterns, modulation or articulation similar to the front of the
Page 17 of 19
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building to help reduce the building scale and add visual interest. The window details have not
been provided at this time. There is an opportunity to introduce depth and shadow on the upper
level facades rather than have windows flush with the opaque walls
The treatment of the parking garage elevations requires a little more attention in terms of
material choice and detail. The vertical concrete columns could be faced with the base brick
material to make the parking structure architecturally consistent with the main building. Since
there is no room to add any foundation landscaping without losing parking, some architectural
interest should be added to the north facade to improve the pedestrian experience.
3. Landscape and Site Treatment: Street improvements along Andover Park East include a
fifteen foot sidewalk with street trees. There are more than 40 existing trees that line the north
and south property lines. There is an opportunity to save more trees and preserve the perimeter
landscaping strip along the south property line by realigning the parking stalls to 60 degree
angled parking and designating them as compact parking stalls. This option would leave
approximately a 5'8" landscape perimeter along the south property line. Under this option the
proposal would exceed overall interior landscaping requirements, but would not meet the
requirement to have an island after every ten stalls. Additionally, the code states that a
maximum 30% of the stalls can be compact stalls and this realignment will increase that
percentage to more than 30 %. However under TMC 18.70.090, the Board of Architectural
Review may take into consideration the existing landscaping and modify the standards.
4. Miscellaneous Structures: Detailed specifications of the site furnishings such as benches and
planters have not been provided at this time. The maximum size of the signs shall be consistent
with the provisions of the Development Agreement. The individual channel letter design
compliments and fits well with the architecture of the building. Trash and recycling area is
proposed to be screened on the sides and from above, but no details of the screening materials
are provided at this time. Roof top mechanical equipment is proposed to be screened by a
metal screen panel that matches the materials of the proposed building. Details related to
utility meters, conduits and other above ground utility apparatus have not been provided at this
time. City's Police Department has recommended one or two additional light fixtures in the
northwest corner of the parking lot to avoid areas of extremely low lighting levels.
Page 18 of 19
RECOMMENDATIONS - DESIGN REVIEW
Staff recommends approval of the Design Review application with the following conditions that
shall be reviewed and approved administratively by the Director as part of the building permit
review process:
1. The east parking lot shall be designed as a forecourt or a plaza to complement adjacent
activities and improve visual character in relationship with Andover Park East. This could be
accomplished by detailing the parking surface with a different material such as stamped
concrete or pavers and enhancing the landscaping.
2. Preserve the existing perimeter trees along the north and south side to the maximum extent
possible by realigning the parking stalls to 60 degree angled parking and designating them as
compact parking stalls leaving at least 5'8" wide landscape perimeter along the south property
line. In order to save the trees the Board is authorizing elimination of interior landscaping
islands in lieu of the perimeter landscaping and also authorizing the percentage of compact
stalls to exceed 30% of the total parking count.
3. The quality of the back side of the building shall be improved to match the quality along the
front side by including any combination of techniques such as different window sizes,
materials /color variations, modulation and articulation with a goal to add visual interest by
differentiating the hotel and the residential towers and to provide equal importance to the
tower element from all four sides.
4. Details related to the street frontage improvement such as light fixtures, benches, curb cut
details and details of the transition between the proposed new sidewalk and the existing
narrow sidewalks to the north and the south shall be reviewed and approved by staff as part of
the building permit review process.
5. At least one of the metal panel colors (Sandstone or Surrey Beige) shall be replaced to ensure
sufficient differentiation between the two colors.
6. Detailed design and specification of the site furnishings such as benches; planters; screening of
trash enclosure; window details to introduce more depth and shadow on the upper floors;
location of above ground utility apparatus shall be reviewed administratively by staff as part of
the building permit review process.
7. Additional light fixtures in the northwest corner of the parking lot shall be provided to avoid
areas of extremely low lighting levels.
8. The vertical concrete columns on the parking garage structure shall be faced with the base
brick material to make the parking structure architecturally consistent with the main building.
Also, some architectural interest in the form of pattern/color in the metal screen shall be added
to the north facade to improve the pedestrian experience. Also, the details related to metal
screen, roof top trellis and planters shall be reviewed as part of the building permit.
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