Evergreen Pointe

Bremerton Washington

Conceptual Design Review Narrative

June 11, 2012 Site Description The subject site proposed to be developed is comprised of two distinct parcels split in the North/South direction by an alley. One parcel is located at the intersection of McKenzie Avenue and Sheldon Boulevard (Point Building). The larger of the two parcels is bound by Sheldon Boulevard to the North, Cogean Avenue to the East, 12th Street to the South and the alley to the West (Main Building). The larger parcel slopes up approximately 20 from Sheldon Boulevard to 12th Street. The surrounding neighborhood is primarily comprised of low density residential development. Project Description The Evergreen Pointe project consists of 109 units in total, 14 units in the Point Building and 95 units in the Main Building. The Point Building consists of three stories of apartment units built over one story of commercial/residential space. The Main building consists of four levels of apartment units built over two levels of parking and commercial space along Sheldon Boulevard. The parking is accessed from two points. The lowest parking level is accessed off Sheldon Boulevard. The upper parking level is accessed off Cogean Avenue. The total building area is proposed to have 4,079 net sf of commercial space, 37,592 net sf of below grade parking, 1,443 net sf of tenant storage space and 79.872 gross sf of residential space and a total gross building area of 144,416 sf. Our proposed building height is 49.0, measured from the average grade elevation on the site. Zoning allows a maximum building height of 61 when commercial space is provided at ground level and the top floor of the building is set back at least 6 as we have done in our design. There will be two pedestrian residential entries, one for each of the two buildings. The residential entries for both the Point Building and the Main Building will be off Sheldon Boulevard. Our concrete and wood structure will contain exterior materials consisting of brick, stucco and fiber cement siding products. We have created a project that is of a much higher quality than what is seen in many of the typical boxy apartment buildings being constructed today. The owners commitment to build a project with this level of design quality represents a substantial investment in the community. We believe our design will enhance the surrounding environment with the lively forms and contrasting color and materials. Furthermore the variety of shapes incorporated into the building mass will help to break up the building and reduce its

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apparent size thus allowing it to better fit into this neighborhood that is currently comprised of small scale structures.

Downtown Sub-Area Plan Goals

The subject site is located in an area identified as Pedestrian-Oriented Mixed-Use (POMU). Our proposal will provide 109 apartment units with commercial space on the first floor to promote a walkable community. Density and Compatibility / Infrastructure: The proposal is within the designated downtown area which has been identified as a target growth area with adequate infrastructure. This project will serve to activate adjacent Evergreen Park, which is one of the goals of the Downtown Sub-Area plan. Another primary goal of the Downtown Sub-Area Plan is to link the downtown core to the Evergreen Park area via Pacific Avenue thus this project provides part of the desired critical mass at the North end of downtown. Neighborhood Compatibility: This proposal is adjacent to residential, and park uses. The two distinct buildings help to decrease the bulk of the project as suggested by the design review board in the conceptual design conference for our previous proposal for this site back in 2009. The space between the Point and Main buildings provides views from the uphill side of the site North to Evergreen Park and Port Washington Narrows. The Pointe building has been designed to fit within the outright height limit for this zone. At 43.9 it is more than a foot lower than the height limit of 45 which helps transition to the lower density development to the West and South of this portion of the site. Providing for this transition is one of the goals of the Downtown Sub-Area plan. Sensitive infill: The proposed project site is currently underutilized. It is acknowledged in the Downtown Sub-Area plan that underutilized and vacant properties will need to be developed at higher density. The proposed project will help with the goal of shifting population nearer to employment and transportation centers which in turn reduces the reliance on cars. Sustainable Design Sustainable design elements will be incorporated into the design of this project in order to minimize ecological disturbance. The building will be designed to Evergreen Sustainable Development Standards. As part of these standards, the building will be designed to minimize the use of water and energy. Sustainable design practices will also be utilized to reduce storm water runoff. The exact nature of sustainable design elements will be identified as the buildings design is further developed.

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Views and Vantage Points Development of this project will create new public gathering areas adjacent to commercial spaces along Sheldon Boulevard overlooking Evergreen Park while not impacting views from the designated vantage points identified in the Downtown SubArea plan. Activation of Sheldon Boulevard along the park is one of the goals of the Downtown Sub-Area plan. Bulk, Skyline & Sun Access Shadowing that the proposed project will create has been modeled on the computer. Only during the winter does significant shadowing occur onto adjacent parcels. It should be noted however that given the very low sun angle in the winter at our Northern latitude even the existing adjacent single story homes cast significant shadows across neighboring parcels. The breakup of the project into two buildings and the setback from the alley of the upper four levels of the Main building reduce the shadowing onto adjacent parcels. As part of this proposal we are requesting an increase to the basic allowable building height of 4. It should be noted that the increased height would not noticeably add to the shadows cast. Street Edge / Streetscape / District Character & Urban Design Principles The proposed building with its sweeping North elevation set back 15 from the curb along Sheldon Boulevard creates inviting outdoor space that can be furnished with benches, tables, and chairs. Building entrances are recognizable, there is a high degree of transparency and weather protection is provided. These spaces can be shared by the commercial businesses and will promote activity at the street. The development of this site across the street from Evergreen Park will make a positive addition to the streetscape character of this area. The proposed buildings make use of modulation both horizontally and vertically with an undulating faade and an additional 6 setback at the top floor of the Main Building. The longer wall planes will be broken up by both color and material breaks. The various material finishes and trim elements of the proposed building relate to the materials found on buildings in the immediate vicinity. The buildings will make use of two entry points into the structured parking levels located well away from each other and away from the pedestrian entry points into the commercial space on Sheldon Boulevard. One parking garage entrance will be on Sheldon at the easterly end of the building and the other off the East side of the building at Cogean Avenue. The proposed building does not have a rear or side per se, however with Sheldon Blvd. being a Multimodal Street and accommodating the primary entrances and Cogean Street being perpendicular to it and accommodating the service functions of the project with garage access the Cogean side of the project effectively acts as the side of the project. The commercial entry points and entries to the residential building lobbies are on the North side along Sheldon Boulevard. Ground related units facing McKenzie

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Avenue and12th Street have individual front porches on those sides of the building. A continuous deck is provided at the R1 level between the alley and the apartment units. The building serves to activate three of the four streets that border the project site. Pedestrian Orientated Mixed-Use Open Space Standards Open space is to be provided at 100 square feet per unit. The proposed project is to have 109 residential units thus requiring 10,900 sf of open space. Open space is provided at a combination of areas both interior and exterior to the building including the plaza level deck, the residential lobby, tenant lounge, fitness room, internal courtyard, and at continuous deck space at level R4. In total 11,023 sf of open space is provided.

Departure Requests
1. Frontage Along Cogean Avenue Setback: Because of the unique configuration of the subject parcel it is necessary to request a departure from the requirements associated to Cogean Avenue. The project by definition essentially has four front yards McKenzie, Sheldon, Cogean and 12th Street. We believe this is not a situation the code anticipated. However, Cogean Avenue accommodates service functions of the project with garage access on that side thus effectively acting as a side yard for the project. Therefore it is reasonable to apply the side yard setback requirement of a residential street which is 10 for buildings greater than 40 high. The project meets this requirement. Building Transparency / Entrances: Just as discussed above in relation to setbacks, the unique configuration of the subject parcel makes it necessary to request a departure from the transparency and entrance requirements along Cogean. The project essentially has four front yards McKenzie, Sheldon, Cogean and 12th Street. Because Cogean is effectively functioning as the side of the project transparency and entrance requirements should not apply. Street edge requirements: From a practical standpoint utilitarian functions such as vehicle parking and access need to occur somewhere and without a rear or side yard and in consideration of the properties that benefit from access off the alley we feel we have developed the design to limit the impact of these non-pedestrian functions to the greatest extent possible. The only location other than a front yard for providing vehicle access would have been the alley. We feel the vehicle trips added, by providing vehicle access to the project off the alley, would negatively impact all of the properties that abut the alley, in addition, the right-of-way width of the alley is only 14 wide and would be unable to reasonably accommodate two way traffic for 115 cars. Vehicles would be forced to sit in the alley and idle while waiting for vehicles coming from the opposite direction to pass. This would create a nuisance to the neighboring properties to the West of the alley. We have mitigated the impact of the structured parking wall along Cogean Avenue by providing landscape between the sidewalk and the building. Also to help mitigate this wall we are carrying a high level of material finish (masonry) across the base of this faade of the building.

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We request a departure from the street edge definition along Cogean for the reasons discussed above. Planting strip: In lieu of reconfiguring the existing arrangement where the sidewalk is at the curb in order to place a planting strip between the drive lane and the sidewalk per the Downtown Sub-Area requirements the streetscape would be better served by keeping the sidewalk at the street edge and having a landscape buffer between the sidewalk and the building. Allowing this departure will better mitigate the scale of the building that is allowed outright in this zone. Structured Parking at First Floor: Because of the slope across the Cogean side of the building three different floors occur near the Cogean street grade. There is only a very short distance along Cogean where grade is at the First Floor and thus where this requirement applies. We request a departure from this requirement, as it does not apply given the topography. 2. Frontage Along McKenzie Avenue Setback: Because of the unique configuration of the subject parcel it is necessary to request a departure from the requirements along McKenzie. As discussed previously, the project by definition essentially has four front yards McKenzie, Sheldon, Cogean and 12th Street. We believe this is not a situation the code anticipated. However, with Sheldon Blvd. being the Multimodal Street and accommodating the primary entrances and McKenzie being perpendicular to it, McKenzie effectively acts as a side of the project. Therefore it is reasonable to apply the side yard setback requirement of a residential street which is 10 for buildings greater than 40 high. The project meets this requirement. Note also per the suggestion of the design review board in the conceptual design conference for our previous proposal for this site back in 2009 residential entrances and porches have been added to the McKenzie Avenue side of the building Planting strip: In lieu of locating a planting strip between the curb and the sidewalk per the Downtown Sub-Area requirements the streetscape would be better served by locating a sidewalk at the street edge and providing street trees in grates at the back of the curb. Allowing this departure will provide better privacy between the residential entrances now incorporated on this side of the building and the street. 3. Frontage Along 12th Street Setback: Because of the unique configuration of the subject parcel it is necessary to request a departure from the requirements along 12th Street. As discussed previously, the project by definition essentially has four front yards McKenzie, Sheldon, Cogean and 12th Street. We believe this is not a situation the code anticipated. In developing the 12th Street faade of the building we felt it was important to relate to the smaller scale of the residences across the street. By providing a variation of bays and entry porches we were able to break up the elevation more than is required in the Downtown Sub-Area plan. The building walls at the porches meet the 16 front setback requirement while the bays are set back 10. Note, this approach to break up the scale of the South elevation that was found to be acceptable by the Design Review board in the conceptual design conference for our previous proposal for this site back in 2009. 5 PDF created with pdfFactory trial version www.pdffactory.com

Planting strip: In lieu of reconfiguring the existing arrangement where the sidewalk runs along the curb and a planting strip is provided between the drive lane and the sidewalk per the Downtown Sub-Area requirements the streetscape would be better served by keeping the sidewalk at the street edge and providing street trees between the sidewalk and the residential unit entries on this street. Allowing this departure will provide better sense of privacy between the residential units on this side of the building and the street. 4. Frontage along Sheldon Boulevard Sheldon Blvd. is designated as a Multimodal Street. The Sheldon Blvd. right of way is narrower than the designated street typology. For this reason we propose to utilize the standards within BMC Title 11. This will enable the proposal to tie into the existing infrastructure. This same proposal was made to the Design Review Board and found to be acceptable in the conceptual design conference for our previous proposal for this site back in 2009. While we are requesting a departure from adherence to all aspects of the Multimodal Street requirements, we propose to meet or exceed most of the desired elements associated to the Multimodal Street as follows: Street Trees We will provide street trees at 20 on center except when in conflict with driveways or lighting masts. Providing street trees in grates will create a more useable promenade along Sheldon while still providing a green canopy along the street. Pedestrian Lighting we will provide double mast lighting. Desired pedestrian area through a 10 dedication, an additional 2 building setback and providing street trees in grates we will be able to provide a 15 wide pedestrian area between the curb and face of building. This additional 3 in width we are providing above the desired 12 will create space to allow activation of activity along the frontage of the project. This additional width allows space for commercial tenants to have outdoor retail display and street furniture such as bistro tables. These elements will encourage community gathering and are a valuable trade off to providing a parking strip. The curve on Sheldon Boulevard makes parallel parking challenging and elimination of that parking is consistent with the goals in the Downtown Sub-Area plan to create a walkable pedestrian friendly environment which is not so reliant on the automobile. Parking Garage entrance We request a departure also from the Downtown Sub-Area plan requirement that does not allow garage entrances on a pedestrian street. Because of the topography, Sheldon Boulevard is an optimal location to bring cars into the structure. In our design we have been able to accomplish this without compromising Street Edge Definition requirements along Sheldon Blvd. The Code requires 50% of the area abutting the linear sidewalk to be pedestrian-oriented. Along Sheldon Blvd., the Main building provides 77% and the Pointe Building 100% pedestrian oriented space. Locating the garage entrance on Sheldon Boulevard also did not compromise the transparency and entrance requirements along Sheldon Boulevard. By providing a separate garage entrance for each level the garage entrance at Sheldon Boulevard only needs to accommodate half of the vehicles that will be parked within the building.

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Even though the Sheldon Blvd. right of way is narrower than desired for the designated street typology our design provides for greater pedestrian space that will be of high quality in part due to the limited vehicle lane width that will serve to reduce vehicle speed. 5. Request from commercial depth requirement Commercial Storefront Depth: The irregular shape of the commercial space is a function of the curved Sheldon Blvd. property line and the necessity that the parking garage portion of the building be rectangular in shape. The depth of the commercial space varies from 15 to 45 with an average depth of 23 which is a useable dimension for many small tenants. Because of the unique configuration of the site, we are requesting a departure from the 30 depth requirement. The reduced commercial depth is compensated for by creating a pedestrian boulevard along Sheldon that is wider than required thus allowing ample space for street furniture beyond what could be provided within the sidewalk dimensions called for at a Multimodal Street. The proposed increased width of the sidewalk provides a greater public benefit than a greater commercial depth would provide. 6. Request for departure for building height The Pedestrian Oriented Mixed Use (POMU) zoning allows a maximum building height of 61 when commercial space is provided at ground level and the top floor of the building is set back at least 6. The building does not exceed 61 anywhere. The outright height allowed in the POMU zone is 45 above the average grade elevation on the site. The proposed Main Building is 39.5 high on the south side of the site at 12th Street (actual grade) and 49 in height above the average grade elevation on site. In the elevations in the plans of the proposed structure, sheets A5.1 & A5.2, show, in the highlighted portion, the building that exceeds the outright height allowed in the POMU zone. It is important to note that it is only because of the topography of the site that the calculated height of the building is greater than the outright height limit of 45. In order to further address the concerns of the community regarding the height of the project, the Point Building has been reduced from four levels over commercial to three levels over commercial. The proposed project will partially block views of the water from two houses on McKenzie and the other adjacent parcels views are now blocked by existing buildings. The additional 4 in height beyond the basic allowable building height of 45 will not block views beyond what is allowed outright. Houses on the south side of 12th Street that look towards the subject site already have their views of the water blocked by existing houses. This project will not impact views that houses along the west side of McKenzie Avenue now enjoy, down the McKenzie right of way towards Evergreen Park and the water. What the proposed structure does do is serve the greater good of the neighborhood by providing space for commercial services that will cater to the neighborhood. In order to make the commercial portions of this project feasible the residential portion of the project must be built to the density proposed. This density will serve to help re-populate downtown and contribute to a larger property tax base. There are currently only three very small commercial businesses nearby. The introduction of commercial services at this location will

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provide an opportunity for area residents to reduce their vehicle trips as they will now be able to walk to those services. The commercial space within the proposed structure will serve to activate Sheldon Blvd. and Evergreen Park as it is anticipated that there will be retail functions within the commercial space that will cater to the leisure time available to users of the park. The open space provided by Evergreen Park across from Sheldon Boulevard from the subject site creates an optimum location for the first Mixed-Use project to take advantage of the POMU zoning provided for within the Sub Area plan. Because of the adjacent open space the scale of this project will not seem overwhelming. We request a departure to the outright height limit of 45 to allow the additional 4 of height for the reasons discussed above. 7. Request for departure from alley entrance requirements Vehicular Access: Access, if possible, is to be provided by rear alleys. This building has no rear alley. There is an ally on the west side of the building but it is only 14 wide, which doesnt reasonably allow for two-way traffic. Vehicles would be forced to sit in the alley and idle while waiting for vehicles coming from the opposite direction to pass. Having two parking entrances dissipates the traffic and the topography lends itself perfectly to allow an entrance on Cogean Avenue and an entrance on Sheldon Blvd. The Code doesnt allow for structured parking at the first floor faade but there is no other option to access parking on the first level. Because of the topography the only other option to access the lower level parking would be an internal ramp but this is not feasible, as stalls would be eliminated thus not allowing for all of the parking for the project to be located within the structure. The project as designed with all parking within the structure does not place a parking burden on surrounding streets. Also, as discussed above in relationship to street edge requirements, the existing alley is too narrow to provide two way traffic on it and we felt the vehicle trips added by providing vehicle access to the project off the alley would negatively impact all of the properties that abut the narrow alley. We request a departure from the alley entrance requirements for the reasons discussed above. Summary The owners believe the Code departures requested are appropriate in consideration of the unique configuration of the subject parcels that in effect have four front yards. We feel the proposed project is of a superior design that meets or exceeds the intent of the Citys subarea plan.

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