Planning Department Newsletter

City of Pullman

August 30, 2019

Inside this issue:

Last month, the city received the first of several applications submitted for a proposed apartment project on SE Johnson Avenue near its intersection with SE Bishop Boulevard. The project is entitled Elevate Student Housing, and the applicant is Nelson Partners of Aliso Viejo, California. According to the most recent application filed by Nelson Partners, the proposal involves the establishment of 292 apartments and commercial parking on a 4.9-acre site. Overall, the complex would contain 693 bedrooms.

The front portion of the property (near Johnson Avenue) is zoned C3 General Commercial, and the rear portion is zoned R4 High Density Multi-Family Residential. The proposal includes multiple building

levels of parking for the apartments. The ground floor of the building near the front of the property would contain the commercial (fee required) parking area to satisfy the zoning code requirement that the first floor of a structure in a commercial zoning district be occupied by a use that is permitted outright in the commercial zone.

An outline of the city’s development review process for this project is provided below:

Substantial Development Permit Application: This application is required by the State Shoreline Management Act to protect environmental resources and promote public access in the vicinity of the South Fork of the Palouse River. The developers have applied for this permit. The planning department issued a notice of the application in July, and public comments on this application were accepted until August 26. The planning director is reviewing the application materials and public comments prior to making a decision on this permit.

Environmental Checklist: The developer has submitted this document as required by the

APARTMENT DEVELOPMENT PROPOSED

ON JOHNSON AVENUE

Pending Land Use

Proposals

3-4

This is a view of the proposed project site

looking east from Johnson Avenue.

Planning Department Newsletter 08/30/19

Page 2

State Environmental Policy Act to address the anticipated environmental impacts of the project. The public works director will make a preliminary decision as to the environmental significance of the proposal, issue a notice of this preliminary determination and accept public comment for a period of 14 days, and then release a final determination.

Conditional Use Permit Application: The developer has submitted this request for the purpose of establishing greater than the standard housing density for the project. The standard zoning code rules would allow 211 apartments to be created on the subject property. The developer states in this conditional use permit application that it wishes to create 292 apartments at the site. As part of this application, the developer is also proposing several variances from the standard zoning code regulations, including a reduction in the number of off-street parking spaces provided (617 proposed vs. 693 required by code); a reduction in the length of parking stalls provided (19 feet proposed vs. 20 feet required by code); an increase in building height (approximately 90 feet in the C3-zoned portion and approximately 70 feet in the R4-zoned portion vs. a 50-foot limitation by code); and an increase in the building floor area in the C3-zoned portion of the site (361,390 square feet vs. 254,780 square feet permitted by code). The

applicant indicates in this conditional use permit application that it will be submitting a traffic report for the project. Under the standard city code procedures, the Board of Adjustment conducts a public hearing to review and take action on a conditional use permit application after the review process for the Environmental Checklist is complete. Public notice of this hearing is provided at least 10 days prior to the hearing date.

Site Plan Review Application: If the conditional use permit application is approved, the developer would then need to submit this application. This process involves city staff review and action regarding the proposed exterior improvements (e.g., buildings, driveways, utilities, grading, parking, landscaping, and fire hydrants).

Building Permit Application: This application is required to demonstrate that the proposed structures would comply with pertinent building code provisions. This process can occur simultaneously with the site plan review procedure. City staff reviews and acts upon this application.

The development review process for this

proposal will likely extend over a period of several months. Future editions of this newsletter will provide updates on the status of this project.

The conditional use permit application includes this elevation of the proposed building.

08/30/19

Page 3 Planning Department Newsletter

Pending Land Use Proposals

Displayed below are land use applications submitted to the planning or public works department or city-generated proposals for planning provisions that require a

public meeting, public notice, or site plan review in accordance with the city code.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION LOCATION STATUS

Comprehensive Plan Revision full-scale revision of city’s Comprehensive Plan

Citywide consultant and staff preparing draft plan

Animal/Fowl Zoning Code Amendments

amend code primarily related to keeping of chickens

Citywide PC held discussions at 3/27/19 and 4/24/19 meetings; staff preparing draft regulations

Small Cell Facilities Zoning Code Amendments

revise code to provide for small cellular network equipment

Citywide staff preparing Environmental Checklist for project

Carnahan N Grand Avenue Zone Change Application (Z-19-1)

rezone 36,515-square-foot parcel from R2 to C3

50 NW Terre View Drive staff reviewing application

Islamic Center Expansion Conditional Use Permit Application (C-18-1)

construct new 1,600-square-foot prayer room building and 900-square-foot addition to Mosque

1155 NE Stadium Way applicant revising application materials

Olson Variance Application (V-19-3)

construct single family house with 10-foot front setback

520 NW Jaycee Court probable BOA hearing on 9/16/19

Paradise Lofts Conditional Use Permit Application (C-19-2)

construct 10 apartments and office space on 5,483-square-foot lot with variances involving building height and percentage of compact parking stalls

435 SE Paradise Street probable BOA hearing on 9/16/19

Elevate Student Housing Conditional Use Permit Application (C-19-3)

develop 292 apartments and commercial parking on 4.9-acre site with variances involving number of parking stalls, parking area dimensions, building height, and floor area ratio

1200 block of SE Johnson Avenue

staff reviewing application

St. James Episcopal Church Special Valuation Application

obtain special tax valuation for improvements to building on local historic register

600 NE Oak Street HPC approved application on preliminary basis 6/10/19; HPC final action scheduled for 9/9/19

Hampton Inn Hotel Shoreline Permit Application (No. 96)

construct 114-room hotel on 6.4-acre site near South Fork of Palouse River

1120 SE Bishop Boulevard staff reviewing application

Elevate Student Housing Shoreline Permit Application (No. 97)

develop 292 apartments and commercial parking on 4.9-acre site near South Fork of Palouse River

1200 block of SE Johnson Avenue

staff reviewing application

Verizon Wireless Communication Facility site plan (18-10)

install cell phone antenna equipment at city water tower

1885 SW Barclay Ridge Drive staff asked applicant to revise site plan

Riverview Apartments site plan (18-11)

revisions to proposal to construct 56 apartments on 5.5-acre site

1155 SE Bypass Drive staff reviewing revised site plan

Personal Storage Garage site plan (18-14)

install 320-square-foot garage for vehicle storage

2390 S. Grand Avenue staff asked applicant to revise site plan

KEY TO ZONING DISTRICTS: R1 Single Family Residential; RT Residential Transitional; R2 Low Density Multi-Family Residential; R3 Medium Density Multi-Family Residential; R4 High Density Multi-Family Residential; C1 Neighborhood Commercial; C2 Central Business District; C3 General Commercial; I1 Light Industrial; I2 Heavy Industrial; IRP Industrial Research Park; WSU Washington State University

KEY TO ABBREVIATIONS: CC: City Council; PC: Planning Commission; BOA: Board of Adjustment; HPC: Historic Preservation Commission; DOE: State Department of Ecology; DAHP: State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation

NOTES: 1) If an applicant fails to act on a pending application for a period of six months, said application will be dropped from the above list. 2) Numbers in parentheses are planning staff’s internal file numbers. 3) Site plan review by city staff is generally conducted for proposed construction of developments other than single family homes, duplexes, or manufactured homes; it does not apply to most construction on the WSU campus.

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This newsletter is an occasional and voluntary

publication of the planning department and does not

take the place of official notices required by law.

Information provided in this newsletter is subject to

change. Please contact the planning department or

review official notices distributed by the city to confirm

the information contained herein.

For any readers who are not currently receiving this

newsletter by email and who wish to register for this

service, please contact the planning department for

assistance.

WE ’RE ON THE WEB !

WWW .PULLMAN - WA . GOV

Planning Department

325 SE Paradise St.

Pullman, WA 99163

Phone: 509-338-3213

Fax: 509-338-3282

Email: bethany.johnson@pullman-wa.gov

Pullman Planning Department Staff:

Pete Dickinson, Planning Director Jason Radtke, Assistant Planner Bethany Johnson, Public Works Administrative

Assistant Valerie Weaver, Public Works Administrative

Specialist Cynthia Goodwater, Public Works

Administrative Specialist Planning Commission Members:

John Anderson, Vice-Chair Brent Carper Dave Gibney, Chair Marcia Gossard Scott Hodge Joe O’Callaghan Bob Olsen Stephanie Rink Scott Vik

PROJECT DESCRIPTION LOCATION STATUS

Alumni Village at University

Crossing site plan (19-5)

construct condominiums on 3.2-

acre parcel 1300 NE North Fairway Drive

staff asked applicant to revise site

plan

Myers Auto Rebuild New Shop

site plan (19-9)

construct 5,850-square foot shop

at existing business 2580 S. Grand Avenue staff reviewing revised site plan

405 Brelsford Drive site plan

(19-10)

develop 1,500-square-foot retail

building on a 1.3-acre site 405 SE Brelsford Drive

staff asked applicant to revise site

plan

Retreat at Pullman apartment

complex site plan (19-11)

develop 187 apartments on a 45-

acre parcel 2045 NE Merman Drive

staff asked applicant to revise site

plan

Hampton Inn Hotel site plan

(19-12)

construct 114-room hotel on 6.4-

acre site 1120 SE Bishop Boulevard

staff asked applicant to revise site

plan

T-Mobile Cell Tower

Modifications site plan (19-13)

add antennas and other equipment

to existing wireless communication

facility

801 SE Clearwater Drive staff asked applicant to revise site

plan

Baldridge Short Plat site plan

(19-14)

conduct grading and facility

improvements to convert 2 lots into

7 lots for residential development

1400 block of SW Center Street staff reviewing site plan

T-Mobile Wireless Facility site

plan (19-16) install 35-foot-tall cell tower and

ground equipment 2992 NE Airport Road staff reviewing site plan

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