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June 16, 2022
Mechanical Screening Narrative
22072 - Big 406 Medical Office Building
Site Plan Review | Response Comments #01
Comment:
REF #28: Planning – Lynn Hyde
Markup: 010 L100 Landscape Plan.pdf
The sides and rear of service enclosures must be screened with landscaping at least five feet wide.
The applicant has provided one row of species to provide this screening. Please provide the mature
height and diameter for this species to show it will reach the mature depth of 5' to meet this code
provision. Refer to BMC 38.520.070.C.2.
Response:
Services and meters for gas and electrical, located near the southeast corner footprint, have been
structurally screened with wood paneling found throughout the building facades (FCP-1). While referring
to BMC 38.520.070.A-D. and Northwestern Energy New Service Guide we believe providing a screen wall
min 4’ clear of equipment surfaces is the most appropriate way to meet the collective requirements in
place. Our previous design placed planting in front of the services, which was not compliant with the NWE
requirement of all plantings/screening to be min 4’ clear from all sides of equipment and also brought us
to concerns of root growth and NWE maintenance access. The needed sidewalk along the south façade
and drive access to the trash enclosure does not carry adequate space to provide a min 5’ landscaping
between the mechanical screen and sidewalk as required per city code. We spoke with Lynn Hyde on June
1st about how to approach the design challenge most affectively considering the site limitations of the
service area. Due to the lack of space to work with on site and because the function of the area is primarily
used for services, it was settled that the 5’ landscape buffer adjacent to the equipment screen could be
omitted, as long as the material of said screening matched the building and complied with NWE standards.
In an effort to provide some vegetative screening from the south, rather than simply none at all, the trash
enclosure with 5’ of landscaping on its sides and rear shifted west, aligning with the electrical screen.