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HomeMy WebLinkAbout002_Narrative January 25, 2023 Project No. 22285 SITE PLAN APPLICATION BARNARD CONSTRUCTION COMPANY HEADQUARTERS BOZEMAN, MONTANA APPLICATION NARRATIVE Introduction On behalf of ThinkOne, Sanderson Stewart is submitting this Site Plan (SP) Application for the Barnard Headquarters Site Plan for the development of the future Barnard Construction Company Headquarters (HQ) between Interstate 90 (I-90) and Royal Wolf Way. Site Location This project is in Nelson Meadows Subdivision, Lots 24-26, Blocks 7-8, and is situated in the SE 1/4 of Section 22 and the NE 1/4 of Section 27, Township 1 South and Range 5 East in the City of Bozeman, Gallatin County, Montana. Geographically, the project is bound on the east side by Nelson Road, to the north and east by Royal Wolf Way, and to the west and south by I-90 Frontage Road, and to the north and west by Prince Lane. Existing Conditions The project area is currently undeveloped. The current zoning this project site is designated M- 1, Light Manufacturing District. All the properties directly adjacent to the site are zoned M-1 and their current land uses are undeveloped land. There are existing municipal utilities located on the project site. The nearest municipal water main is located northeast of the site within the Royal Wolf Way ROW. The nearest sewer main is also located northeast of the site within the Royal Wolf Way ROW. There is one major underground private utility facility bisecting the project area. The private utility Phillips 66 ‘Yellowstone’ oil line that runs parallel to the existing extension of Royal Wolf Way. The entire project area is included within the Nelson Meadow Subdivision. P:22285_Barnard Construction Headquarters Site Plan Application 2 (1/25/2023) br Project Goals, Development Plan, & Design Intent The goal of the project is to design, entitle, and construct the private infrastructure necessary to develop the Barnard HQ. Project Timeline The intent is to receive SP approval for the proposed private infrastructure in the spring of 2023 so that construction can take place in the spring/summer of 2023. Proposed Uses The proposed site is intended to be used solely for the Barnard HQ and associated parking lot. Block Frontage For the purposes of this SP submittal it is assumed that Royal Wolf Way and Prince Lane will be designated as “Other” Block Frontage. Building Concept The new Barnard HQ Building will be a four-story commercial office building with standard office occupancy throughout. The Barnard Companies will initially occupy the upper three floors with approximately half of the ground floor being commercial leasable space. The total building is approximately 131,944 gross square feet. The design is intended to be very streamlined using its curving geometry to create visual interest on all facades and corners. The curvilinear form is reflective of the Bridger Mountain foothills in the distance. The structure will use brick spandrel panels and glazed window-wall to emphasize its graceful form. Window bands will be accentuated with metal accent bands and sunshade devices at the top and bottom of the window bands to emphasize the horizontal character of the building. The glazing will be a high-performance glass with high energy performance characteristics. We are currently considering Solarban 90 or an equivalent. The glazing may be slightly tinted to reduce solar gain and glare. The glass will not be highly reflective – opting more for a clear glass look. Due to the sloping character of the existing topography the design will recess the south side of the building thirty (30) inches into the earth. We are using the allowance in the UDO to increase the overall building height according to the existing slope across the site. This will allow our building to be a maximum of fifty-two feet six inches (52’-6”) rather than the standard P:22285_Barnard Construction Headquarters Site Plan Application 3 (1/25/2023) br fifty feet (50’) allowed in the M1 Zone. We have provided a building section in the attached drawings showing how we are considering this. Site Improvements On-site (private) improvements will generally include a series of connected asphalt parking lots, landscaped boulevards, sidewalks, water and sewer services, stormwater retention facilities and associated storm drain piping. We are proposing to relocate the existing, and constructed, 30- foot public trail easement that bisects the parcel westward. We plan on aggregating the existing three (3) lots into one (1) since the proposed building is crossing the existing property boundary lines. The lot aggregation plat will include the new 30-foot public trail easement, removal of the existing 30-foot public trail easement, and removal of existing utility easements bordering internal lot lines which will no longer exist. No off-site improvements within the public ROW are proposed besides three (3) driveway accesses and relocating an existing public hydrant due to it conflicting with a proposed driveway access. Water, fire, and sewer services have already been extended into the property and we are proposing to utilize those service stubs for the proposed building. All unused service stubs will be demolished back to the existing main and capped. Trip Generation A trip generation comparative analysis was performed by E5 Engineering, PLLC using general assumptions regarding land uses and intensities. Transportation impacts and system recommendations for the area around the Nelson Meadows Subdivision were previously presented in the Traffic Impact Study: Park Place Industrial Park (Bozeman, Gallatin County, Montana) prepared by Morrison-Maierle in June 2018. The average weekday total number of vehicles for the proposed Barnard Headquarters building is estimated to be 1,050 vehicles. The AM peak hour trips total 49 vehicles. The PM peak hour trips total 46 vehicles. From the analyses included in the trip generation analysis, it was recommended that a traffic signal warrant study be conducted for the intersection of Nelson Road and the I-90 Frontage Road. Additional impacts to internal intersections within Nelson Meadows Subdivision nor Nelson Road and its intersections with Prince Lane or Royal Wolf Way are not anticipated that they would require any additional mitigation or analysis with the development of the proposed Barnard HQ building. PHASING The intent is to entitle and construct all the improvements in one phase. Wetlands The project has Cattail Creek running through the property on the east side of the site. Our understanding is the wetland delineation and watercourse setback was determined at the time of preliminary/final plat. We plan to utilize the final plat wetland and watercourse setback delineations for this project. We do not plan on impacting wetlands and may need to encroach in Zone 2 of the watercourse setback with a proposed connection to the existing gravel trail. P:22285_Barnard Construction Headquarters Site Plan Application 4 (1/25/2023) br Landscape Landscape improvements within the project shall incorporate new boulevards, street trees, parking lot landscaping, and landscaping around the proposed building and entries. Quantities for these improvements include: Parking lot landscaping including 47 parking lot trees, 16,695 square feet of internal parking lot landscaping, and 20,900 square feet of landscaping to screen the parking lot from public rights- of-way. Although required by Section 38.550.050.C.e.(5) in the Bozeman Municipal Code, the landscape plans do not include trees in the landscape islands located within the Phillips 66 oil pipeline easement (TSD-3501 Phillips 66 Encroachment Guidelines Sec. 1.7. “trees or deep-rooted plants are not permitted on the ROW”) Despite parking lot trees not being included in these parking lot islands, the requirement for total number of parking lot trees is still satisfied. Street frontage landscaping including 8,500 square feet of boulevard, 12 large canopy street trees along Prince Lane, and 24 large canopy trees along Royal Wolf Way. Street trees were installed along Frontage Road with the development of the multi-use path that spans the Nelson Meadows Subdivision. Where removal of existing trees was necessary due to development or Phillips 66 oil pipeline easement conflicts (TSD-3501 Phillips 66 Encroachment Guidelines Sec. 1.7. “trees or deep-rooted plants are not permitted on the ROW”), street trees were replaced to maintain compliance with street frontage requirements. There are 6 new street trees (an approved species for under utility lines) along Frontage Road. Additional landscaping includes about 47,500 square feet of building frontage landscaping and an additional 35 deciduous and coniferous trees. FORMAL DEPARTURE REQUESTS 1. 38.510.020.F.2(5) Community Design Framework Maps and Standards – DEPARTURE The project site has multiple block frontages, including a ‘Gateway’ Frontage along the I-90 Frontage Road and ‘Other’ Frontages along Royal Wolf Way and Prince Lane. Our team requests a departure from the UDC’s order of Frontage precedence, such that Royal Wolf Way is identified as the project’s primary frontage. We offer the following reasons for this request: • The I-90 Frontage Road falls within the Burlington Northern Railroad Right-of-Way. During the development and entitlement of this sub-division, the Railroad made clear they would only allow one vehicular crossing of this Right-of-Way, located at Nelson Road to the south of this project. To satisfy this requirement, Prince Lane was dead- ended short of this Railroad right-of-way. As a result, the vast majority of vehicular traffic to this project will occur from Royal Wolf Way, via Nelson Road to the south. P:22285_Barnard Construction Headquarters Site Plan Application 5 (1/25/2023) br • While there is a public trail along the Frontage Road that could otherwise provide access to the site, the Nelson Meadows Subdivision is located somewhat remotely from the multi-modal core of Bozeman. Our team anticipates relatively limited pedestrian and/or multi-modal access to this site via this trail. We anticipate the vast majority of commuters and visitors will access this M-1 zoned site via automobile. To facilitate wayfinding, we designed the building’s primary entrance and associated building and monument signage to face Royal Wolf Way. • Because of the dynamic curving form of the building, the project does orient one building entrance towards the Frontage Road public trail, providing a clearly visible building entrance for potential commuters approach the building from the Southeast. • While the building’s primary entrance orients towards Royal Wolf Way, our team has designed the building such that there is no ‘back’ to the building. The expressive building form and highly transparent façade is continuous on all sides of the building, resulting in an attractive, active and engaging appearance from all sides, including along the Frontage Road. Reference Exhibits SK-01 through SK-03 for diagrams illustrating anticipated Site Approaches. RESPONSES TO INFORMAL COMMENTS The responses to the City of Bozeman’s Informal Comments dated 1/3/2023 have been addressed in blue font below. 1. Checklist Item All necessary items from the informal review checklist have been included. a. Acknowledged. 3. Changemark SLD Waste 1. need minimum of 50 foot clear straight approach to front of refuse container. no islands or curbs may encroach into the straight approach. 2. need a detailed plan for refuse enclosure 3. refuse enclosure will need to be covered. a. The proposed refuse enclosure has a 50-foot clear zone with no islands or curbs in the approach and will be covered. See the architectural plans for a detail of the enclosure. 4. Comment BMC 38.420.020 - No parkland is required for commercial projects. No recreation pathways on site. a. No parkland is proposed. 5. Comment BMC 38.410.130. Water Adequacy - The development will need to satisfy the water P:22285_Barnard Construction Headquarters Site Plan Application 6 (1/25/2023) br adequacy code requirement prior to future site plan approval. A cash-in-lieu of water rights (CILWR) fee determination will be completed during the site plan review process, however, if there are any questions or if a preliminary review is desired please contact Griffin Nielsen with the Engineering/Utility Department directly. Email: gnielsen@bozeman.net Phone: 406 582-2279. To respond to Applicant Question No. 7. exempt groundwater wells are allowed within City limits for irrigation purposes and are encouraged. The use of a well to supply the irrigation demand will help reduce the CILWR fee however to account for this in the determination the applicant will need to receive a pre-determination from the DNRC confirming that an exempt well is permitted. a. Acknowledged. We are not planning on utilizing a well for irrigation since there are other groundwater wells in the subdivision and will have little to no water rights remaining for this lot. 6. Comment Please coordinate with the planner to complete the subdivision exemption process and aggregate the (3) existing lots to (1) lot, otherwise a common storm drainage lot will need to be established for the drainage of multiple lots. a. We are in the process of aggregating the three lots into one and updating the various easements with the same revised plat. 7. Comment DSSP Plans and Specifications Review Policy A. -Plans, specifications, and submittals for fire hydrant and fire line improvements must be submitted separately to the City Engineering Department via Project Dox (https://www.bozeman.net/services/development-center) for infrastructure review. a. We will submit a separate infrastructure submittal for the fire line and water service to the building since they are both 4” or larger. 8. Changemark ENG - 10' utility easement BMC 38.230.100- Plan review criteria - I assume this is a 10' private utility easement. Please call it out on the site plan with the site plan submission. a. We will call out all easements on the site plan. The easements are also called out on the existing site plan. 9. Changemark ENG - Existing trail easement BMC 38.410.060 - Easements - The applicant must release and reconvey the existing trail easement that runs under the building footprint. This could be done with the subdivision exemption application, or the site plan application. The easement will need to be released prior to site plan application approval. The proposed "new 30' Public Trail Easement" will need to be completed using the city standard trail corridor easement template. This template has been uploaded to the documents folder for your reference/use. a. We are in the process of aggregating the three lots into one and updating the various easements with the same revised plat. P:22285_Barnard Construction Headquarters Site Plan Application 7 (1/25/2023) br 10. Comment BMC 38.410.060 - Easements - If there are any other existing easements on the plat that are no longer in use as a result of this project, they should be released and reconveyed with the site plan or subdivision exemption application. The city standard release and reconveyance document has been uploaded to the documents file for your reference/use. a. We are in the process of aggregating the three lots into one and updating the various easements with the same revised plat. 11. Comment BMC 38.410.060 C.1. - Easements - The applicant must provide a public street and utility easement around the proposed fire hydrant. The city standard public street and utility easement template has been uploaded to the city documents folder for your reference/use. a. The relocated hydrant is within the public ROW so we should not need a public utility easement. 12. Library Comment DSSP Section II A. 4. - The applicant must include a storm drainage plan with post- construction storm water management controls that are designed to infiltrate, evapotranspire, and/or capture for reuse the post-construction runoff generated from the first 0.5 inches of rainfall from a 24-hour storm preceded by 48 hours of no measurable precipitation. a. Acknowledged, this will be addressed in the drainage report. 13. Library Comment DSSP Section II C. - The applicant must provide on-site detention with release rates limited to predevelopment runoff rates. Retention ponds must be sized based on a 10-year, 2-hour storm intensity. a. Acknowledged, we have proposed underground retention ponds utilizing ADS chambers. See the drainage report. 14. Library Comment Montana Post Construction Storm Water BMP Design Manual - The proposed project is located in an area that is known to have seasonally high groundwater. The applicant must demonstrate that seasonal high groundwater will not impact the function or maintenance of the proposed facilities. Industry guidance recommends a three-foot minimum separation from the bottom of the proposed facility to the underlying groundwater table. The applicant must provide local seasonal high groundwater elevations to support the proposed design. a. Acknowledged, this will be addressed in the drainage report. 15. Comment BMC 38.410.130 - Water Rights - The applicant must contact Griffin Nielsen with the City Engineering Department to obtain a determination of cash-in-lieu of water rights (CILWR). CILWR must be paid prior to site plan approval. a. Acknowledged. 16. Changemark P:22285_Barnard Construction Headquarters Site Plan Application 8 (1/25/2023) br ENG - #7 - exempt well question Yes, if it's under 30gpm flow volume. Please submit conclusive approval correspondence from the DNRC prior to site plan approval. a. We are no longer considering an irrigation well for this lot due to existing irrigation wells within the subdivision. 17. Changemark W/S Unused Water services Any unused water services will need to be terminated at the main. a. We will terminate all services at the main and the proposed terminations are shown in our demolition and site plans. 18. Changemark ENG - Trip Generation Please demonstrate that the peak trips volume generated from this site (all three lots) matches the summation of the trip generation metrics assigned to the lots in the Park Place Industrial Park TIS. a. A TIS has been provided with the site plan submittal addressing the peak trips. 19. Changemark ENG - Asphalt Path Alignment BMC 38.400.110 (A) Transportation Pathways - Pathways must be installed in accordance with this chapter, the growth policy, the most recently adopted long-range transportation plan, any adopted citywide park plan, and any adopted individual park master plan, and must comply with City of Bozeman Design Specifications. a. The applicant must align the asphalt path with linear alignment to match the alignment of the existing path and meet the intent of the transportation corridor planning per the 2007 PROST plan. a. We have changed the alignment back to a straight path. 20. Comment DSSP Section V.A. - A water design report must be prepared by a professional engineer for the proposed project. The water distribution system must be designed to meet the maximum day demand plus fire flow and the peak hour demand. Applicant is advised that the existing PRV valve at Nelson Meadows is being adjusted from 50-100lb pressure to 110lb pressure. This pressure increase is pending final drafting and execution of agreements between the Nelson Meadows subdivision and the City. a. A peak water/sewer system design memo has been provided by the mechanical engineer. 21. Comment DSSP Section V. B. - Sanitary Sewer System Design Criteria: The applicant must provide an estimate of the peak-hour sanitary sewer demand certified by a professional engineer for the proposed project prior to site plan approval. a. A peak water/sewer system design memo has been provided by the mechanical engineer. P:22285_Barnard Construction Headquarters Site Plan Application 9 (1/25/2023) br 22. Comment BMC 38.270.030.C - Completion time for site development: Provision of a municipal fire hydrant and private fire line system means that the criteria in either subsection a or subsections b and c are met. All improvements must be installed prior to the issuance of a building permit (pursuant to the criteria established in subsection a) for any building within the site, except when concurrent construction is an identified purpose of the initial project review and approved pursuant to the criteria established in subsection b and c of this section. a. Acknowledged. We will include a separate infrastructure submittal for engineering review. 23. Comment City of Bozeman Resolution 5076, Policy 1 - The applicant must provide and file with the County Clerk and Recorder's office executed Waivers of Right to Protest Creation of Special Improvement Districts (SIDs) on City standard form. The site-specific form has been uploaded to the documents folder for your review and execution. The applicant must provide a copy of the filed SID waiver prior to site plan approval. a. Acknowledged. 24. Comment Issue to be addressed: Access road needs to be added on South side of proposed building. Approximately 490 feet width from nearest West curb to East curb. Applying 150-foot maximum distance per 503.1.1, about 100 feet gap from center of building to nearest curb in either direction. There is an exception that if building is equipped with fire sprinklers, the code official is authorized to increase dimension. I'm not interested in entertaining more than a cumulative distance of 50 feet. That remains 150 feet of non-accessible area. Per currently adopted fire code 2012 IFC SECTION 503 FIRE APPARATUS ACCESS ROADS 503.1 Where required. Fire apparatus access roads shall be provided and maintained in accordance with Sections 503.1.1 through 503.1.3. 503.1.1 Buildings and facilities. Approved fire apparatus access roads shall be provided for every facility, building or portion of a building hereafter constructed or moved into or within the jurisdiction. The fire apparatus access road shall comply with the requirements of this section and shall extend to within 150 feet (45 720 mm) of all portions of the facility and all portions of the exterior walls of the first story of the building as measured by an approved route around the exterior of the building or facility. 503.2 Specifications. Fire apparatus access roads shall be installed and arranged in accordance with Sections 503.2.1 through 503.2.8. 503.2.2 Authority. The fire code official shall have the authority to require or permit modifications to the required access widths where they are inadequate for fire or rescue operations or where necessary to meet the public safety objectives of the jurisdiction. 503.2.3 Surface. Fire apparatus access roads shall be designed and maintained to support the imposed loads of fire apparatus and shall be surfaced so as to provide all-weather driving capabilities. 503.2.4 Turning radius. The required turning radius of a fire apparatus access road shall be determined by the fire code official. 503.2.5 Dead ends. Dead-end fire apparatus access roads in excess of 150 feet (45 720 mm) in length shall be provided with an approved area for turning around fire apparatus. a. Acknowledged. A Fire Apparatus Access Drive has been introduced between the P:22285_Barnard Construction Headquarters Site Plan Application 10 (1/25/2023) br Building and Frontage Road to provide improved access to the Fire Department. Additional detail regarding the configuration, width and detailing of this drive is provided within this submittal. 25. Changemark PLNG - Transportation Pathway The City transportation engineer prefers the trail remain straight, as is, within the existing corridor and not meander. This is a transportation trail that is intended to move pedestrian and bicycles in an efficient manner, and a meandering trail, while appropriate in some instances, is not the desired design for this location. a. The Public Trail along the Frontage Road has been straightened in response to this comment. The Fire Department’s requested Fire Apparatus Access Drive has been collocated with this Public Trail. 26. Changemark BLDG - Adopted 2021 Building Codes 2021 International Building Code (IBC) ICC A117.1-2017 Standard for Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities a. Acknowledged. 27. Comment Comments provided are based on the submittal materials. Note that just because a comment was provided does not necessarily mean the project does not appear to be considering it, staff provided it to ensure the applicant was aware of the code provision. In addition, refer to the Site Plan Checklist that can be found on the Bozeman Municipal website under the checklists found in the Planning Department page. Thank you for the opportunity to review the project and let me know if you have any follow up clarifications needed. a. Acknowledged. 28. Comment If there is phasing proposed, ensure a clear phasing plan is outlined. The approval for a Site Plan is valid for a two year period. Should you believe it may take longer than 2 years to complete the project, the applicant could consider a Master Site Plan which provides for longer entitlement period and phasing opportunities. a. No Phasing is proposed for this project. 29. Comment Ensure future submittals meet the form and intensity standards found in 38.320.30 and all proposes uses meet the permitted uses found in 38.310.040, M-1 zoning district. a. The project design complies with all M-1 Form and Intensity Standards. Specific dimensional requirements have been noted on the Site Plan drawings within this submittal. 30. Comment BMC 38.410.040 provides additional requirements when a rights-of-way is provided as a P:22285_Barnard Construction Headquarters Site Plan Application 11 (1/25/2023) br midblock crossing. Note there are additional setbacks for buildings adjacent to a pedestrian easement to ensure privacy for the residents and to provide a comfortable experience for the users of the trails. 1. Setbacks adjacent to pedestrian rights-of-way less than 30 feet wide must be not less than ten feet. Setbacks adjacent to pedestrian rights-of-way 30 feet wide or greater must be not less than five feet. 2. The pedestrian walks must be maintained by the adjacent property owner or by the property owners' association. The party responsible for maintenance of pedestrian walks must be identified in the preliminary plat application. 3. Pedestrian walks must be constructed as a city standard sidewalk, and comply with the provisions of section 38.400.080. a. Acknowledged. The project design complies with all required setbacks, including pedestrian easement setbacks. Setbacks are shown on the Site Plan drawings within this submittal. 31. Comment Block Frontages BMC 38.510.020.F.2. When a building is located such that it faces and is adjacent to multiple street block frontages, the orientation of the front of the building must be sited and placed on the property in the following order of precedence: 1) Gateway . . . 4) Other. With this in mind, the building should be oriented towards Gateway which includes a primary entrance. Departures may be considered provided the location and front orientation of the buildings are compatible with the character of the area and enhance the character of the street. 38.510.020.F.3. All building must be placed and designed to present the front and primary façade to the block frontage or street block frontage that is highest in the order of precedence. 38.510.020.F.4. All buildings on a corner at the intersection of two streets must be placed adjacent to and present a front and primary façade to both street block frontages. Frontage Rd has a Gateway block frontage. Refer to BMC 38.510.030.E lists block frontage requirements for Gateway frontage standards, including the minimum setback for buildings is 25’, at least one publicly accessible (for commercial buildings) building entrances must be visible and directly accessible from the street. The primary entrance facing the street must be proportionally articulated to the scale of the building. Refer to BMC 38.510.030.G & H for Other/Industrial block frontage standards for Prince Lane and Royal Wolf Way. a. Departure - The project site has multiple block frontages, including a ‘Gateway’ Frontage along the I-90 Frontage Road and ‘Other’ Frontages along Royal Wolf Way and Prince Lane. Our team requests a departure from the UDC’s order of Frontage precedence, such that Royal Wolf Way is identified as the project’s primary frontage. We offer the following reasons for this request: The I-90 Frontage Road falls within the Burlington Northern Railroad Right-of- Way. During the development and entitlement of this sub-division, the Railroad made clear they would only allow one vehicular crossing of this Right-of-Way, located at Nelson Road to the south of this project. To satisfy this requirement, Prince Lane was dead-ended short of this Railroad right-of-way. As a result, the vast majority of vehicular traffic to this project will occur from Royal Wolf Way, via Nelson Road to the south. P:22285_Barnard Construction Headquarters Site Plan Application 12 (1/25/2023) br While there is a public trail along the Frontage Road that could otherwise provide access to the site, the Nelson Meadows Sub-Division is located somewhat remotely from the multi-modal core of Bozeman. Our team anticipates relatively limited pedestrian and/or multi-modal access to this site via this trail. We anticipate the vast majority of commuters and visitors will access this M-1 zoned site via automobile. To facilitate wayfinding, we building the building’s primary entrance and associated building and monument signage should face Royal Wolf Way. Because of the dynamic curving form of the building, the project does orient one building entrance towards the Frontage Road public trail, providing a clearly visible building entrance for potential commuters approach the building from the Southeast. While the building’s primary entrance orients towards Royal Wolf Way, our team has designed the building such that there is no ‘back’ to the building. The expressive building form and highly transparent façade is continuous on all sides of the building, resulting in an attractive, active and engaging appearance from all sides, including along the Frontage Road. 32. Comment BMC 38.520.040.C.3Crosswalks are required when a walkway crosses an on-site paved area accessible to vehicles. Crosswalks must contain contrasting material (such as concrete) and/or patterns (such as stamped asphalt), excluding painted surfaces. Note that vinyl strips do not count as contrasting material. a. We are proposing concrete surfacing for all walkways which cross on-site paved areas accessible to vehicles. 33. Comment BMC 38.520.040..C.4 Pedestrian paths through parking lots. Developments must provide specially marked or paved sidewalks through parking areas. At least one walkway must be provided every four rows of parking or at a maximum spacing of 200 feet. The pathways must provide a safe connection to the building entrance and meet the pathway design standards set forth in subsection D below. There is a proposed east west pedestrian pathway, however there also needs to be pathways in the parking lot that are oriented north/south. In addition, staff believes a pathway along the northern side of the proposed parking lot would best meet the code. a. The project’s west parking lot has been redesigned to provide a central North- South walkway, such that a walkway is provided every four rows of parking. The pathway is greater than 5-FT wide and provides the required 2-FT of clearance to mitigate overhanging vehicle encroachment. 34. Comment On-site commercial open space is not required for commercial development within the industrial zoning districts per 38.520.060.C. a. Acknowledged. No On-Site Commercial Open Space is provided or designated P:22285_Barnard Construction Headquarters Site Plan Application 13 (1/25/2023) br within this submittal. 35. Comment BMC 38.520.070 Service areas must not be visible from the sidewalk and adjacent properties. Where the review authority finds that the only option for locating a service area is an area visible from a public right-of-way, internal pathway or pedestrian area, or from an adjacent property, the area must be screened with structural and landscaping screening measures provided in subsection C below and division 38.550. Service elements accessible from an alley are exempt from screening requirements. Based on the proposed location of the trash enclosure it would require a structural enclosure as well as five feed wide landscaping around the sides and rears of service enclosure. a. The UDC Section 38.540.080.A.1 – Off-Street Loading Berth Requirements, suggests that any office building 100,000 square feet or larger must have at least one off-street loading berth. The project’s Net Useable Building Area is approximately 87,500 square feet, when calculated based on UDC Section 38.700.080 and therefore an Off-Street Loading Berth is not required for this project. Additionally, the Owner anticipates a low intensity of use loading operation. Deliveries will be accommodated using small delivery box trucks that will unload quickly and not be parked on site for long durations. No semi-trailer trucks will be used for the project’s delivery operations. 36. Comment BMC 38.520.070.E Requires all rooftop mechanical equipment, including air conditioners, heaters, vents, and similar equipment must be fully screened from public view both at grade and from higher buildings with the exception of solar panels and roof-mounted wind turbines. Screening must be located so as not to interfere with operation of the equipment. a. All primary building equipment is located within the building massing. Secondary equipment, including small exhaust fans, intake air infrastructure and elevator overruns are kept below the parapet height and are therefore screened from view. 37. Comment BMC 38.530.040.B requires storefronts and other building with non-residential uses on the ground level to include a minimum of three of the following articulation features every 60’ to create a human scaled façade pattern. Currently there are not three techniques being used to provide articulation which gives the building a large feel and appearance. On future submittals, please include at least three of the options listed in this code section and narrate how the team believes the building is meeting the building design standards. a. The project is only required to provide one articulation feature because it is located within the M-1 zoning district. The intent of this UDC requirement is to modulate the building’s façade in order to create an appropriate perceived human scale and visual interest from the ground level. The building is designed as a continuous curve such that from all vantage points and perspectives it has a dynamic modulating expression, creating a unique dialog with both the Royal Wolf Lane and Frontage Road frontages. Further, the upper three levels of the building cantilevers outward from the building’s base floor, creating a dramatic P:22285_Barnard Construction Headquarters Site Plan Application 14 (1/25/2023) br structural expression and dynamic shadow-play at the ground level. Please reference the building renderings included within this Site Submittal to see the dynamic curving and cantilevering building geometry. 38. Comment BMC 38.530.040.E requires building with facades wider than 150’ to include at least one of the listed features to break up the massing of the building and add visual interest. One of the options is to provide vertical building modulation at least six feet deep and ten feet wide. For multi-story buildings, the modulation must extend through more than one-half of the building floors. Staff has determined that the curvature of the building can meet this modulation option so long as the curve is at least 6’ in depth, and 10’ in width, which it currently is exceeding. a. Thank you for the Staff’s confirmation that the building’s curvature meets the BMC’s intent to modulate the perceived façade width. The building design will move forward with this curvilinear form. 39. Comment Please note the building details found in 38.530.050 including, B.1.All windows (except storefront windows and curtain walls) must include trim or other design treatment, or alternately be recessed at least two inches from the façade. Understated or trim-less windows without additional design treatment are permitted provided the placement and design is integrated into the overall composition of the building. And B.2.mirrored glass is prohibited. A glass sample will be required to be submitted prior to final site plan approval to ensure adequate transparency. a. All building windows are deep-set, approximately 6 inches back from the dominant masonry wall face. All glazing is designed as high-performance, low- reflectivity glass to manage solar heat gain while driving transparency into the building from surrounding public right of way conditions. 40. Comment BMC 38.530.050.E. Articulated building entries. Primary building entrances(s) must be clearly defined and scale proportionally to the building. Please identify the primary entrance and ensure it is articulated appropriately. The Gateway Block frontage requires a primary entrance to off Frontage Rd. a. Please reference response to Comment #31 for proposed Building Frontage orientation towards Royal Wolf Way. The primary building entry faces Royal Wolf Way and consists of a 2-Story curtain wall expression with surrounding stone detailing to further pronounce the entry expression. Building mounted signage located high on the building’s Level 4 façade further defines and reinforces the scale of the primary entry. 41. Comment Ensure you provide a specification for the type of bike rack proposed that meets the design requirements found in 38.540.050.A.5. a. A specification has been provided with this submittal and the proposed bike rack meets the design requirements. See sheet L2.2 for information regarding the P:22285_Barnard Construction Headquarters Site Plan Application 15 (1/25/2023) br type of bike rack proposed. 42. Comment BMC 38.540.080.A.1. will require this development to have off-street loading berths. Table 38.540.080 provides criteria for the size of the building and the number of loading berths required. The standards for off-street loading berths can be found in 38.540.080.B. a. The project’s Gross Office Floor area is 87,500 square feet, less than the 100,000 square foot threshold requiring an Off-Street Loading Berth. 43. Comment Ensure future submittals have a landscaping plan that meets the requirements found in 38.550.050, including drought tolerant species, surface parking lots must be screened from public street, parking lot landscaping and street trees. a. Landscape plans meet the requirements found in 38.550.050. See sheet L1.0 for a table containing code requirements pertaining to all landscaping and street trees. See the plant schedule for drought tolerant species. 44. Comment Future submittals will be required to have a photometric plan and specifications showing that all lighting is meeting the lighting standards found within BMC 38.570 a. We have included a lighting and photometric plan and intend to meet the lighting standards found within BMC 38.570 with our submittal. 45. Comment The building height is defined as the vertical distance measured from grade as defined in this section to the highest point on the roof or parapet wall. Where a building utilizes multiple roof styles or pitches, the highest point of each type of roof or parapet wall must comply with applicable height regulations as established for the respective roof pitches in each zoning district. Where the vertical difference between grade as defined in this section is greater than two feet between opposite elevations of the building, the height of the building may be increased by one foot for every one foot in grade difference up to a maximum of six additional feet. Note that the grade change is measured from opposite sides of the elevation, and not opposite sides of the site. As you stated, the parapet walls may extend no more than 4 above the limiting height of the building. BMC 38.350.050.D.2.a and Elevator and stair penthouses. . . are exempt from height limitations otherwise established in this chapter, provided that no linear dimension of any such structure exceed 50% of the corresponding street frontage line. BMC 38.350.050.D.2.c a. Site grading on within 5FT of the building footprint on the Frontage Road (Plan South) side of the site is 2’-6” above site grading within 5FT of the Royal Wolf Way (Plan North) side of the site. As such, an additional 2’-6” of building height is factored into the project’s building height calculation. 46. Comment Applicant indicated the pipeline easement does not allow trees or deep-rooted plants within the easement. We understand that often trees and deep rooted plants conflict with required utilities. We are able to work with the applicant to identify appropriate landscaping P:22285_Barnard Construction Headquarters Site Plan Application 16 (1/25/2023) br where there are conflicts. If there is an opportunity to place the trees in an alternative location on site, we would like to see them placed where they can and where they will still provide the desired benefits to the site. Please work to identify an alternative location on site where the trees may be planted. a. Where utilities interfere with tree placement, alternative locations have been chosen to satisfy the total number of required trees. Requirements that were affected by the pipeline easement and other existing utilities include internal parking lots trees in landscape islands and an existing powerline preventing street trees in the boulevards along Prince Lane and Royal Wolf Way as 10FT of separation must be maintained. The pipeline also prevents street trees from being placed in the boulevard on the Northwest corner of the Royal Wolf Frontage. 40 trees are required within the parking lot although we provide 48 to ensure shade is available in as much of the parking lot as possible. We have also brought street trees closer internally on the site to avoid utility conflicts but still satisfy the required number of street trees along Prince Lane and Royal Wolf Way. 47. Comment The application indicated the client requested all stalls be oversized. There is nothing in our code that precludes oversized parking stalls. Thank you for the question. a. Thank you for confirmation. All parking stalls remain oversized per Owner request. Reference dimensions shown on Site Plan drawings for additional information. 48. Comment Per 38.350.050.D.2.a, Parapet walls are allowed to extend 4' above the 'limiting height' of the building. The limiting height can include additional feet due to the grade change that is allowed for a site with grade change. a. This requirement is acknowledged and parapet walls are kept below the 4FT allowable limit. 49. Changemark Forestry Changemark note #01 Are the utility easements truly prohibiting street trees along the entirety of Royal Wolf Way and Prince Lane? Standard minimum clearance requirement is just 10', please provide more detail on exclusion of boulevard trees. a. An existing 100FT wide Gas Pipeline Easement crosses the project site diagonally as shown on the project’s existing site survey drawing. This Pipeline easement does not allow planting of large street trees. There is also an existing underground power utility line within the entirety of the boulevard space along Prince Lane and Royal Wolf Way. To maintain a 10FT clearance of utilities, street trees must be placed further internally on site. 50. Changemark NWE Transformer It would be best to locate transformer closer to parking lot so it is easier to access/maintain P:22285_Barnard Construction Headquarters Site Plan Application 17 (1/25/2023) br with a large truck. Confirm with NWE construction engineer. a. Please reference this Site Submittal for updated location of transformers. The location is both in close proximity to the building to manage the length of primary electrical feeders from transformer to the main electrical room, and directly accessible from the East parking lot allowing large truck access for maintenance.