Title
Case: McDonald’s (at Cooper Point), 13-0070
Detail Design Review
Report
Applicant:
Adam Brandenburg
McDonald’s USA, LLC
12131 113th Avenue NE #103
Kirkland WA 98034
Representative:
Jenelle Taflin
PACLAND
11711 SE 8th St Suite 303
Bellevue WA 98005
Site Address:
1313 Cooper Point Rd SW, Olympia WA
Project Description:
Construction of 4,550 sq. ft. of building area including a drive-thru restaurant, parking spaces for 46 vehicles, and 9,058 sq. ft. of new landscaping on a 37,727 sq. ft. development site.
Zoning District:
High Density Corridor 4 (HDC-4)
Critical Areas:
Wellhead Protection Area 10 yr time-of-travel zone (OMC 18.32.200)
SEPA Determination(s):
A SEPA environmental threshold determination has not yet been made.
Public Notification:
In accordance with the Olympia Municipal Code (OMC) 18.78, public notification was mailed on or before October 31, 2013 to the parties of record and recognized neighborhood associations.
Submitted By:
Catherine McCoy, Associate Planner, 360.570.3776
Project Context and Site Conditions:
The development site for the proposed McDonald’s drive-thru restaurant is located at the intersection of State Route (Highway) 101 and Black Lake Boulevard SW. Pier 1 Imports and a row of several small commercial businesses abut the property along Cooper Point Road and at the intersection of Black Lake Boulevard and Cooper Point Road. The building will sit in the very southern corner of the site, occupying approximately .73 acre, which is currently developed as an 87-stall asphalt paved parking lot.
The development site is situated directly above Black Lake Boulevard; a nine foot retaining wall separates the site from the sidewalk below along the boulevard. Vehicular access to the site may be taken directly from Black Lake Boulevard via a right-in right-out only drive aisle, from Cooper Point Road via a right-in right-out only access, and from Cooper Point Road at the signaled intersection in front of Pier 1 Imports.
Design Proposal:
The design proposal consists of construction of a 4,550 sq.ft. drive-thru fast food restaurant, surface parking for 46 vehicles, underground utilities, and additional landscaping. The proposal includes an ADA accessible pedestrian ramp from the new development to the sidewalk along Black Lake Boulevard.
The single-story building has three primary entries, facing (plan) north, west, and south (Attachment 5, Architectural Plan Set). The dual throat drive-thru facility will be on the north side of the building, facing the Haggens grocery store. The building is oriented towards (plan) south facing Black Lake Boulevard, less than 10 feet from the existing retaining wall (property line) and the arterial below. A stamped concrete plaza area with outdoor seating is proposed on the (plan) west side of the building; on the east side of the building is an additional landscaped open space area. Covered long-term bicycle storage lockers, and short-term bicycle racks will be located in the east open landscaped area. Vehicle parking is located north and east of the building and drive-thru lanes.
Site Plan Review Committee Decision: The Site Plan Review Committee (SPRC) will be considering the project for final site plan review on November 13, 2013. The Committee will render a land use approval, an approval with conditions, or a denial of the development proposal at that time. To see the agenda, visit the City’s SPRC agenda and meetings webpage. (<http://olympiawa.gov/city-services/planning-and-zoning/current-planning/site-plan-review>)
CONCEPT DESIGN REVIEW
The project came before the Design Review Board for Concept Design Review on August 22, 2013. The Board recommended approval of the conceptual design with conditions. Based on the Board’s review, the applicants made significant revisions to the design program, including the following:
Preliminary Site and Landscape Design
• The stamped pedestrian crosswalk from the (plan) west main entrance to parking areas is now a more visible color, clearly marked, and raised for pedestrian access (Attachment).
• Signage has been added at points within the dual-throat drive-in lanes, and along walkways, that will alert vehicles to pedestrians navigating the site (Attachment).
• The ADA accessible parking spaces have been shifted from the exiting point of the drive-thru lane to a more secure location, out of the drive-thru lanes entirely (Attachment ).
Preliminary Building Design
• The (plan) west main entry to the building, at the vehicle exit point of the drive-thru aisle, has been shifted from the north building wall facing the drive-thru lane to the west building facade, thereby lessening the possibility of traffic hazards to on-site pedestrians.
• The Black Lake Boulevard south building facade now includes the required amount of glazing and landscaping, which will go a long way in minimizing the length and mass of the wall, adding interest to the wall face, and further activating that area of the site.
• Overhead weather protection has been added above building entryways.
DETAIL DESIGN REVIEW
This is a Detailed Design Review of a drive-thru restaurant and associated infrastructure and landscape improvements. The review involves the detailed design elements of a project including final details of materials, colors, and architectural design as they relate to the applicable design requirements, zoning standards, and overlay districts within the City’s Unified Development Code.
The section called “How to Use Design Guidelines” in the Olympia Municipal Code encourages creative solutions in meeting the requirements as long as the design solutions are equal to, or better than the guidelines listed below the Requirement Sections (OMC 18.100.100).
Applicable design chapters include Basic Commercial Design Criteria, OMC 18.110; High Density Corridor Design Criteria, OMC 18.130; and the Freeway District Design Criteria, OMC 18.145. City Staff evaluated the project proposal on the design review criteria, as well as the following items submitted by the project proponents:
• The Applicant Response Letter (Attachment);
• The Architectural Plan set which includes the site plan, the landscape plan, and the proposed building elevations (Attachment); and
• A number of photos and exhibits that support the design proposal (Attachment).
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Planning staff has reviewed this project and has determined that the proposal appears to meet the intent of the project-specific Detailed Design Review Criteria. Refer to Staff’s updated analysis in the attached design review checklists (Attachment).
Staff recommends that the Design Review Board recommend to the Building Official Detailed Design approval of the McDonald’s (at Cooper Point, File No. 13-0070) development proposal, subject to the following conditions which shall be satisfied, and verified by this Lead Planner, prior to Engineering and Building permit issuance:
A. Detailed Site Plan
1. Extend the sidewalk along the (plan) west side of the development site, adjacent to the revised handicapped parking, to all parking along the property line, such that each parking space has direct access to the sidewalk leading to the “Front Entrance” facing State Highway 101. OMC 18.110.030.
2. Incorporate pedestrian lighting along walkways, at entryways, and near the solid waste storage area. OMC 18.110.160.
3. Add pedestrian amenities along the south facade, such as seating and a trash receptacle. OMC 18.110.050.
B. Detailed Landscape Plan
1. Screen at-grade mechanical equipment and facilities with vertical plants such as trees, shrubs or ornamental grasses. OMC 18.36.060(L), 18.110.190.
a. The landscape plan depicts Mugo Pine and Coral Beauty Cotoneaster plantings around the water meters, RPBAS, and DDCVA vault, neither of which is tall enough to provide the solid screening (Type 1) landscaping required for mechanical equipment.
b. Revise the planting choices around the mechanical equipment to reflect plant or fencing materials that will provide a 100% sight-obscuring screen.
2. Modify the landscape plan to include native or drought tolerant plant species. All plantings shall be native and/or drought tolerant pursuant to the City’s Unified Development Code. OMC 18.32.225, 18.36.060(E), 18.110.180.
C. Detailed Building Elevations
1. Provide overhead weather protection of the dimensions indicated above over each building entry point (five points of entry), and clearly and consistently depict the overhead elements in the colored renderings, floor plan, and site plan.
2. Depict the yellow canopy and the aluminum trellis wall elements consistently in the colored renderings, floor plan, and site plan - note the inconsistencies in the east elevation and south elevation drawings.
3. Revise the renderings and site plans so that the same building materials are applied consistently throughout the program - note the differences in the building’s (plan) southwest corner treatment; the ledgestone wraps around the corner on the plans, but does not in the colored renderings. If the ledgestone is not to wrap around the corner, adjust the glazing on the wall to the west of the entrance so that the windows are horizontally aligned in the building wall.
D. Detail Sheet: The following items shall be added (graphically) to the Architectural Plan Set prior to building permit issuance:
1. Provide design details of the ADA ramp and handrail(s) from the development site to the sidewalk along Black Lake Boulevard. Include wall treatment, coloring, materials, and railing material and color treatment.
2. Provide photographs, cut sheets, and lighting specifications of all site lighting, including along walkways, over doorways/entrances, in parking areas, at the waste receptacle area, along the ramp to Black Lake Boulevard, and so on. See staff response and recommendations for Section 18.110.160.
3. Use cut-off lenses or glare shields for the parking lot pole light fixtures. OMC 18.145.030.
4. Incorporate items 1 through 3 above into the site plan graphically. Use additional sheets if necessary.