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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPA 2004-002 Attachments CITl" OF ASHL,AND Council Communication Title: Dept: Date: Submitted By: Approved By: Continued Hearing on the Appeal of Planning Action 2004-002, a request for Site Review and Tree Removal Permit to construct a multi-floor, 8,325 sq. ft. mixed use building at 88 North Main Street. A Physical and Environmental Constraints Review Permit is requested to permit "development" within the Ashland Floodplain Corridor. Applicant: Lloyd Haines Planning Department June 1, 2004 IA\\ John McLaughlin, Director of Community Development ~ Gino Grimaldi, City Administrator Synopsis: On May 18, 2004, the City Council opened the public hearing on this planning action, and heard from the Staff, applicant and applicant's representatives, members of the public in favor of the: application, and the appellant. The hearing is still open to allow testimony from members of the public in opposition to the application, additional comments from Staff, and applicant rebuttal. Since the end of the previous meeting, the appellant, Randall A. Hopkins, has submitted a 21-page supplemental brief to support his appeal of the action. The applicant's representatives have submitted eight pages of information to support their oral rebuttal which will be delivered at the end of the public testimony portion of the hearing. Staff has presented a three-page memo with three pages of maps to clarify floodplain cOlridor issues, and to respond to other issues raised during the previous public testimony. Recommendation: After review of the newly submitted information, and review of the testimony and exhibits presented at the previous hearing, Staff still supports the decision of the Planning Commission and recommends the Council approve the request with the attached conditions as stated in the findings on pages 71-78 of the record. The Council may wish to attach other conditions that they deem relevant to the criteria for approval. Attachments: The supplemental packet information is attached. r~' ; II II RANDALL A. HOPKINS 735 S. Mountain Ave Ashland, OR 97520 541-488-0265 521-488-2823 (fax) 5 25 2004 TO THE MAY()R AND CITY COUNCIL OF ASHLAND: Please accept this Supplemental Brief in support of my appeal of Planning Action 2004-002, the Shasta Building Project. Thanks, 1. IT'S NOT JUST A SIGNATURE. Under Sec. 18.108.017A, a 'complete and signed application form' is required to initiate a planning action, which 'must' be signed by one or more propert.y owners or their authorized agents. The Application 'shall' also include' [a]ll the required information for the specific action requested.' Exhibit 40. This involves more than simply signing a meaningless line. Under Ashland's planning form, the Applicant or Property Owner must sign twice. The first signature certifies the truth and correctness 'in all respects" of the application's information, including drawings and required findings of facts. This section also alerts the Applicant to his burdens in the event,of a contest. It warns that failures regarding the certification and burdens will 'result most likely' in the request being set aside. The second signature line confirms that the' Property Owner has read and understood the complete application and its consequences. As noted at the hearing, neither Applicant nor bis Urban Planner, who holds a power of attorney, signed either the certification of truth or the acknowledgment of consequences. The Urban Planner was aware of the second page of the Application, having used a power of attorney to sign other planning applications. Compare Exhibits 41 and 42. Yet, as of today, neither have been signed. II! The Application should be denied on the basis of a failure to properly sign and certify the Application, either by t.he filing date (December 12,2003) or as of the 'deemed co~nplete' date (February 18, 2004). Such a construction of Sec. 18.108.017 and the Application form is consistE~nt with the express language of the rules and is clearly consistent with the purpose and underlying policy of proper planning. The Applicant already benefits from Planning Dept. counseling in a pre-application conference and, if the deemed complete date is chosen, further staff assistance during the period leading up to 'deemed' completion and triggering of the 120 day rule. Even after that point, the Applicant is protected from overzealousness application of the 'truth' requirement by the 'materiality' standard described by City Counsel at the May 18t:h hearing. But just as planning applicants need protection" so to does the City and public under a fair and balancE~d process. Once an action begins to flow l1ke a flood through planning process and the Applicant gains advantage of the 120 day rule, it is vital that true and correct information be provided to everybody that deals with these matters. This, in turn, allows issues to be identified and resolved during the process, so that only fully articulated 'and critical matters arrive at the Council. A construction that treats the certification of truth as meaningless (or as something to be pinned on the document as it heads out the door to LUBA) only invi,tes the kind of chaos seen and suffered in this PA. It substitutes a clear and objective standard, for a subjective approach that will likely hinqe on the id1entity of the particular applicant. Planning applicants in general will know that requirements imposed by Planning Staff during pre-app conferences, like identification of floodplains as part of the application in this case, have no teeth behind them. Citizen connnissions, with limited time and energy available to them, will make recommendations on the basis of conflicting, erroneous information. Here, not one, but two Tree Connnission meetings proceeded on the basis of materially incorrect tree plans (and the second hearing wasn't even noticed to the public). Just like here, critical issues will not be identified for the Planning Commission, the body best suited to winnow out the extraneous from the impOrtant. Citizens like this Opponent who dredge out the facts will find portions of the planning process denied to thenll, being swept'along by the force of the 120 day rule. Finally, just like here, appeals will arrive at the Council with an every growing mass of documents that~ raise more issues than they resolve. Inefficiency and confusion will be the order of the day, all to the prejudice c.f the rights not only of this Opponent, but of everyone. III III without a certification of truth and the incentive for compliance that the application form provides, how can the City safely and reasonably determine compliance with any applicable approval standards? Truth and correctness is not just procedural. In determining compliance with planning criterion, truth and correctness are the most substantive requirements of all. LUBA 9rants substantial deference to a City's construction of its own statutes and will set it aside only if 'clearly wrong.' Surely, enforcing the important laws as written will find safe harbor under this standard. It will not even be invoking new planning criteria or standards, since the Application form itself warns that consequences of failures to carry out its burdens will 'result most likely' in planning requests being set aside. If thE~ City enforces that warning in this case, it will serve as a powerful incentive for all future applicants to get things right. Every planning action, including the buildings that result from these actions, will be the better for it. After all, we're going to have to live with these buildings for a long time. 2. APPLICANT HAS FAILED TO FULFILL HIS BURDEN OF PROOF/PERSUASION. In re"riewing a substantial evidence challenge, the LUBA standard of review is whether the evidence the City relied on is the kind of evidence that a reasonable person would rely on. In this case, the Applicant not only failed to certify his application and its truth and correctness, but had filed on his behalf at least 3 or 4 tree plans with materially incorrect information and 13 different m~~s which create the misleading appearance that the striking lines marked on the drawings as FEMA 100 year flood plain and Ashland Floodplain were at 1872' and 1875.5' respectively, when in fact they were drawn in at about 1863. Exhibit 43. While the staff provided its own drawing of the 100 year floodplain (Exh. 44), to date, neith'er the applicant nor staff has provided a map showing the accurate Ashland Floodplain Corridor (a limit based on actual events, rather than an hydraulic study), as required as part of the original application by the Staff's Pre-Application conference report. Exh 45. And there is more! One major change in the projE~ct announced by Applicant at the Council's first' -hearing was the alleged reduction in the amount of excavation around the Triple Maple. There was only one document showing a revised excavation scheme in the materials included in the Council packet. And that drawing (A-29) showed that not only was the amount of excavation around the tree NC~ being reduced, it was being increased! Compare Exhibits 46 and 47. Indeed, the area of reduced excavation only begins about where the Maple's dripline ends, meaning that the III III only appar1ent effect of reduced excavation will be to (a) reduce the cost of excavation to Applicant and (b) reduce the floodwater storage capacity, a capacity that was made the basis of OTAK's flood studies submitted as part of this application. At best, this is yet another instance (like that of the Protuberance), where the Applicant and his experts are unaware of what their own plans provide. At SODle point, a reasonable person is entitled to say enough is ,enough. The untrue, incorrect and misleading documents, combined with Applicant's apparent confusion over his own project, more than justifies the reasonableness of a finding that, in this application, the Applicant and his experts have failed to be persuasive. And that is their burden under the rules. At LUI~A, Applicant's burden to overturn a denial would not be satisfied by a showing that reasonable people would reach different conclusions. He would have to show that no reasonable "person could rely on the evidence the City relied on. Given all the problems with his own information, how could anyone conclude the Council was being unreasonable is denying the application, especially since the incorrect information now extends into a major public safety issue like flooding? Exhibits 48-49. 3. A DE NOVO EVIDENTIARY HEARING CANNOT SAVE THE APPLICANT. Sec. 18.108.110 provides that appeal to this Council shall be a'de novo evidentiary hearing.' But 'evidentiary' of what? with respect to the non-certijEied application, the de novo evidence should relate to the issue of whether the Applicant fulfilled his burden ito sign and certify the Application, either in December or by the February 18th deemed complete date. To treat a d43 novo evidentiary hearing as allowing a signature to wander in now, would be to create a conflict between regulations where one need not exist, then construe them in such a way that the requirement of truth certification is all but written out of the rules. It is fundamental that when different rules can be read in a matter that gives them both meaning, that is preferred. Allowing the existence of an evidentiary proceeding to ~rump a previously expired legal deadline would effectively strike the important legal deadline from the rules, thereby deleting the ,clear and objective standard. But treating the evidentiary hearing as an opportunity to determine if the deadline was met will mean that both the legal deadline and de nOlvo evidentiary rules would have meaning. The planning process would be advanced, not rendered ludicrous and chaoti.c. Nor does the opportunity to provide more information allow Applicant to fulfill his proof burden. What tSlrs the persuasiveness of this application is all the untrut~hs, inaccuracies and uncertainties that went before it, even infecting new materials submitted in the Council's III original (and hefty) packet. The likelihood that any new information will be submitted AFTER Opponent has completed his preseni~ation, only helps render that information safer from analysis, but it doesn't make it persuasive. 4. OBJECTIC)NS TO I ADDED EVIDENCE" Opponent obviously does not know what added information will be submitted by Applicant. But given the fact that E~rroneous or misleading information implicates several ne~' documents included by Applicant in the Council's S-18 packet (documents A-25 and A-27 with confusing j:loodplain designations, and A-29 which conflicts ~,ith claims about a revised excavation plan), such added information should at least be viewed with a healthy de9ree of suspicion. , The fact that Opponent's presentation time has now expired, however, restricts Opponent's ability to respond to any latE:! appearing material. Opponent therefore objects -to further evidence as denying the ability to respond. For similar reasons, Opponent objects to any further Staff Report not filed at least 7 ~ays before the hearing on 6-1 and invokes his rights under Urquhart v. Lane Council of Government~~, 14 Or LUBA 335, 339 (1986), rev'd. on other grounds, 80 Or App 176 (1986) (petitioner may be prejudiced by last minute staff comments presented after the close of public testimony that are both evidentiary and prejudicial). ( ( III 18.108.017 Applications - A. In order to Initiate a planning action, three copies of a complete application shall be submitted to the Planning Department. 1. Complete applications shall include: a. All of the required Information for the specific action requested, b. Written find Ings of fact, c. Complete and signed application form. The application must be signed by one or more property owners of the property for which the planning action is requested, or their authorized agents. The application shall not be considered complete unless it is accompanied by the appropriate application fee. 2. Incomplete ;applications are subject to delay in accordance with ORS 227.178. The City will inforrn the applicant of deficiencies within 30 days of application. The applicant then has 31 days In which to provide a complete application. When the , application is dleemed complete, or at the end of the 31 day period, the City will begin the appropriatE~ application procedure. B. All applicants for Types I, II and III planning actions shall have completed a pre-application conference for the project within a 6-month time period preced ing the filing of the application. This requirement may be waived by the Staff Advisor if in the Staff Advisor's opinion the information to be gathered in a pre-application conference already exists in the final application. -- AO f 1 5/18/04 1:53 PM III III hereby certify that the statements _ j information contained in this apl- Jtion, including the enclosed 1rawings and the require!d findings ot fact, are in all respects true and correct. I understand that all Jroperty pins must be shown on the drawings and visible upon site inspection. In the event the pins are lot shown or their location found to be incorrect, the owner assumes full responsibility. I further understand that if this request is subsequently contested, thf1 burden will be on me to establish: 1) that I produced sufficient factual evidence at the hearing to support this request; 2) that the findings of fact furnished justifies the granting of the request; 3) that the findings of fact furnished by me are adequate; and further 4) that all structures or improvements are properly located on the ground. Failure in this regard will result most likely in not only the request being set aside, but also possibly in any structures being built in reliance thereon being required to be removed at:-my expense. If I have any doubts, I am advised to seek competent professional advice and assistance~ Applicants's Signature Date As owner of the property involved in this request, I have read and understood the complete application and ns consequences to me as a property owner. Property Owner's Signaturc~ Date NOTICE: Section 15.04.240 of the Ashland Municipal Code prohibits the occupancy of a building or:a release of utilities prior to the issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy by the Building Division -AND the completion of all zoning requirements and conditions imposed by the Planning Commission UNLESS a satisfactory performance bond has been posted to ensure completion. VIOLATIONS may result in prosecution and/or disconnection of utilities. Dave Richardson 1105 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland OR 97520 Architect John Galbraith 145 S. Holly Street, Suite A Medford OR 97501 Landscape Architect 41 1ereby certify that the statement~ ....'ld infonnation contained in this sr" fir:atlon, including the enclosed "Swings and the requlredfindinr, . fact, are In a//18spec:ts true and \,. ~ct I understand .that all TJperty pins must be shown on the drawings and visible upon site Inspection. In the event the pins ara X- shown or thelrlocatJon found to be Incorrect, the owner 8SsUmes full responsibility. vrther.understand that If this request Is 8ubsequent/ycontested, the burden wRl be on me to estabRsh: 1) that I produced sufficient factual eVIdence at the hearing to 8upporl this request; 2) that the findings of fact fumlshed justifies f!Je granting of the request; 3) that the findings of fact furnished by me are adequate; and further 4) that all sf1Uctures or Improvements a19 properly located on the ground. JIIure iii this regard wiD result most nkely In not only the request being set aside, but also possibly In any ructures belngbulJt in reliance thereon I:!elng required to beremovedet-"my expense. If l have any >ubts, lam advised to seek ~petent professional advice' and assistance; Jpk+ D ' . I. : OW!J9( of the propertY Involved In this ~quest, J have read and understood the COmpletl9 application and consequences to '1TJ!3 8S a property owner. ~/d\: n'J, YJ1CB: Sectkm 15.tU.240 ofthebh1atulMunicipal Code proldblts the occupancy of abuilding lor'a ;.eleo$eof~ 1tie.J prlorto the Issuance of a Certlftcate of Occupancy by the BUilding Divlsion..AND the compl.etiDnofallMiUng 1dre1ne1d8andconditions imposed by the Planning Qnnmission..rJNliE$S.Jl satisfacllJTY perfOTlllAmceb0n4&u. .. "posted to ensure completion. YIOLA.TIONS may, result inprosecutitm mulIor disconnection 0/' utilities-. This Planning Application Form from PA 2004-015 shows that current Applicant's Urban Ph:lnner has signed certifications in other actions using his power of attorney. Why'not here? ' 42, I'll III \~ 1" .,,, ,1(, ,~, , ":". ,.' I 43 l i I .1 I I w -=:r C) C) , ('.J " ,C\? ,-t tn . \..lJ \.I... J@ ,. . " II / ~I, ill t iU .~ .. : '. . "If ~c: ... -c IE , :-.J . ~ '. ,.....s '!~. " 4. Ci'O (...- -(1'" -IV \;. ~ ~~ . en ~ ~~ . -&'-0' ~ " "C5 ~~ CJ. ~ \. - . '"' 1~ ~'~, " Nit II . .0 . . ~Sl : H , '-'. .., j~ H-15i-r I'll 11.1 STORM WATER DIWNAGE: Provide drainage plan for all paved areas at time of building permits. ELECTRIC SERVICE: See attached comments. Contact Scott Johnson of the Bectric Department for further information -. PLANNING STAFF COMMENTS: Given the limited discussion of the proposal in the pre-application submittal materials, Staff has the identified the following primary issues surrounding the proposal: 1. DeveloplrIlent within Floodplain Corridor or Flood prone areas. f The applilcation needs to identify the Ashland Floodplain Corridor, as well as to elevation of a 100-year flood event (Le. 3100 cfs) based upon the OTAK 1998 study (se:e Engineering Division comments ). The flood event should consider the removall:>f in-stream obstructions. Staff would recommend that no development be proposed within the 100-year flood area. In addition, Staff would recommend the establishment of creek side vegetation in a 10-15 foot wide area between the active stream channel and any proposed buildings or structures. The, establishment of vegetation and trees may incorporate flood control structures as recently completed along the Calle Guanaquato area. The current proposal appears to place the proposed improvements too close to the streslm channel, potentially restricting the conveyance of flood waters and prohibiting the establishment of ,natural streamside vegetation. 2. Tree Removal. The' proposal appears to propose the removal of NJo, large existing trees. The burden is upon the applicant ,to demonstrate that the removal of the trees is appropriated based upon the approval criteria ,established under the Tree ,_ Removall Ordinance (Chapter 16~61) The establishment of a,natural bank (1Q-15 feet in vvidth) along with creek side vegetation may be ,seen' as a form of mitigatic.n. """"':'~~'l:-~ 3. Site Re~iiew. The proposed building is subject to compliance with City Site Design and Use Standards, specifically those that apply to new, downtown buildings. The preliminary building design appears consistent with these standards. The :"' Historic Commission's initial comments appear favorable. Staff recommends that the appllicant meet with the full Historic Commission to discuss the design prior to filing the land use application. f~oM y~r-A'PP COMUf,JJI S~ 7-/t-03 45 I' , , , , , I II II I' II APAUMENTI- THIRD LEVEL , , , I II II II II I' K\AkU:vt 1900.60 lHlRO LEVI RAMP · SECOND LEVEL OFFICE · SECOND LEVEL II II II _ __ _ __..1.1.., -----------~ ~NEW~ (~el(Cl.Jtr~ =i;e-:- ~I ! rhis crosssection (enlarged from page 119 of the :ity Council packet) shows the original e:x:cava- tion plan running from the base of the Triple Maple almost to the Street. This area is circled'~-~ for clarity. It appears that under this plan almost 111 below building grade would be at FEMA 1 00 fear Floodplain of 1872. rhis drawing is now obsolete. 1888.60 SEcOND U 1077.00 FIRST LEVI ------ A6 I'll 11.1 .. z ~ WI [hJ1 IIIIL"_._.. ...wu 111I81&1II. --- ....... lUI.CIIIa"aGIl~ ...-.--- .... ...- ...... ......- _t CMI ...... -......... h.... --.... ... l'r- c.. ~,.. A 41- The New Exc:avation Plan, as included at A-29 of the City Council Pac~~et. Applicant claims the new plan reduces ex- cavation in tile critical root zone of the Triple Maple. But this drawing, the only one to show the actual plan, shows that excavation f,'om the base of the tree thru its dripline (marked as area A) is the same. And a new 10' excavation falling at the northeast corner of the building and within the dripline has been adcjed (marked as area B). So excavation around the Maple is INCREASED. The reduction of excavation begins about where the dripline ends and extends toward the street (marked as C). Compare this to the or'iginal excavation plan. This will not do the Maple much good. In fact, instead of having all below building grade at or below the FEMA 100 year floodplain, the front half of the bllilding (toward the street) will be much higher. Yet, the fuller excavation was used in the OTAK studies of th'e flood impact of this building. Thus, the ne'w plan not only fails to save the Maple, but undermines the validity of OTAK work. Are Applicant and his exoerts awal'e of what their own drawinas orovide? 4 7 SECTION A ,.... fl4'" !> ... "LUVK ra.An - ~. AU...... vr.T.... " " " I J I t, I r ' / ;' / /-" I I / .,J \ \~-- t \ ct'1 1 ...... c:.- , 11M &-.a. \ tJ!ENT FLOOR PLANISITE PLAN ...."... iIt I 11Im:;. CllNIOIIl8"., IIWlfS .....1III1HEE1' lIE RiifClN Ill'EUWEYMTlL 3 This is page A-27, submitted by Applicant in the pac:ket for the 5-28-04 hearing. The document erroneously des.:ribes the FEMA 100 yr floodplain as 1870, whereas it is 18'72. See circled A. Both the topo lines for 1872 and 1870 (the maximuml allow- able encroachment areas for the 100 year floodplain) extend further into the building than shown on other docuRlents, or even the small little triangle that is labeled as 'grclde area of building encroachment into floodplain' identified on this document. Even at this late date, Applicant's drawings remain <<it least ambiguous regarding the floodplain locations, even though the Staff's pre-application conference report requirE~d them to identify the floodplains as part of the Application" 48 III 11.1 y 01 A~llJanQ - 1V1Ul'\llLl.t'AL UJut ~ t If 1 ULLp.11 W W W.~lHdUU.Ul.U::'/\..-UUl:rl1Ul.~Pi\..AJUl:1LJ-lJ":''':' 15.10.030 Findings of Fact A. The flood hazard areas of Ashland are subject to periodic inundation which results in loss of life and property, health and safety hazards, disruptions of commerce and governmental servic.es," extraordinary public expendItures for flood protection and relief, and inlpairment of the tax base, an of which adversely affect the public health, safety and' general welfare: B. These flood losses are caused by the cumulative effect of obstructions in areas of speciar flood hazarctS"'whtctrlncrease-ffaodnefglits and velocities, and when inadequately anchored, damage uses in other areas. Uses that are inadequately flood-proofed, elevated, or otherwise protected from flood damage also contribute to the flood loss. -- 49 5/16/04 5:38 PM CRAIG A. STONE & ASSOCIATES, 1,TD. Consultants in Urban Planning and Developnlent 708 Cardley Avenue. Medford, Oregon 97504-6124 Telephone: (541) 779-0569 . Fax: (541) 779-0114 . E-mail: cstone@cstoneassociates.com May 26, 2004 MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL c/o Ashland Planning Department 51 Winburn Way Ashland, OR 97520 RE: Planning Action 2004-002; Lloyd Haines: Applicant Dear Mayor and Council: Together with attorney Alan Harper, this frrm represents applicant Lloyd Haines u[} the above captioned matter. The following constitutes applicant's rebuttal testimony and will supplement applicant's oral rebuttal to be delivered during the continued public hearing on June ll, 2004. To begin, there remain three principal issues: 1) flood plain, 2) tree removal and protec~tion, and 3) applicability of the city's Large Scale Development standards. These are addressed in rebuttal below. Flood Plain Issues Architect Dave Richardson worked closely with applicant's engineers at OT AK in producing the design of this building. Attached is a letter from Mr. Richardson that responds to the floodplain objections raised during the Council's public hearing of May 18,2004. To summarize: 1. The Ashland Flood Corridor and FEMA Floodway are accurately depicted on the pllans prepared by Architect Richardson. In plan view, the building is clearly shown to be outside both the Ashland Flood Corridor and FEMA Floodway. (Record p. A-2S) 2. There are two l00-year flood plain maps and two flood plain elevations - JffiMA's and Ashland's - and these have been adopted by Ashland. Applicant commissioned OTAK engineers to undertake additional detailed flood analysis which verified the accuracy of the FEMA flood plain elevation. There exists a discrepancy between the flood plain lines (both Ashland's and FEMA's) and the respective flood plain elevations. However, the evidence makes clear that the proposed building's fll"St finished floor of the building is at an elevation of 1,877, which is 1.5 feet above the Ashland flood elevation and 5 feet above the FEMA elevation. (Record p. A-~:) 3. With respect to flood plain elevations, both are accurately represented on the elevations for the building and show that the building's first fmished floor is at or above both Ashland's and FEMA's base flood elevations. (Record p. A-28) In fact, the building is permitted by Ashland regulations to be two feet below the base flood elevation. This is along the same lines as Councilperson Jackson's last comments when the public hearing was continued at 9:30 p.m. 4. Because the opposite bank of Ashland Creek is lower than the flood plain elevation, before the flood level can rise to a level that would affect this building, it will spill out on the:: other side of the creek, running through the paved parking area and down Water Street and the same has been attested to by OTAK engineers. Recordp.I99-200 5. The proposed permanent bridge location is at or above the Ashland Creek flood elevation and will be anchored to the building. I'll 11.1 Craig A Stone & Associates, Ltd. Mayor and City Council May 26, 2004 6. Mr. Richardson has offered stipulations with respect to flooding and riparian enhancement and I hereby ~:>ffer the same pursuant to my of-record Power of Attorney: 1) that applicant will enhance the riparian area beneath both the existing and proposed bridges subject to city approval of enhancc:ment plans, and 2) applicant will eliminate the bridge support pier in Ashland Creek flood corridor and instead anchor the bridge to the building deck. Tree Removal and Protection While applicant acknowledged that errors existed in applicant's original tree protection plan, their nature and the circumstances that led to them were explained during the public hearing and will not be further discussed. Recent plans and information concerning trees are now accurate and provide a basis for decisiol]l making. Tree issues concern: 1) the alder tree near the property frontage, 2) the triple- trunk maple: in Ashland Creek, 3) the grove of trees on OOOT's property, and 4) the alder tree on the opposite sid.e of the creek. 1. Alder Tree (#1). Under Ashland's Site Design/Use Standards (ASDUS) buildings are to be built from side lot line to side lot line and (other than arcades, alcoves and other recessed features) must front upon or be no further than 20 feet from the sidewalk. This tree is approximately 8 feet from the North Main Street sidewalk. (Record p. A-26) The evidence from applicant's arborist is: "If construc:tion is to occur closer than 20 feet from the trunk, it is very unlikely that the Alder would survive,," (Record p. 229) This leaves only the notion that a building could be built 20 feet from the Alder (28 feet from the sidewalk) and be connected to the street with some type of "recessed feature.''' The testimony of record has been that a building designed in this way to accommodate the Alder will produce an unattractive tradeoff that may not be able to comply with other design regulations and that the building will be on the site far longer than the tree. The city should not be saddled with a building made unattractive and incompatible to preserve a tree that has, at this stage, a. limited life. Moreover, applicant has agreed to: 1) plant trees on the adjacent OOOT property or other specified location, 2) produce community sculpture from the removed Alder whic~ 3) might be located in an art park applicant desires to create on nearby land. (Record p. 173) Finally Applicant agrees with the opinion of the Assistant City Attorney that Ashland's tree regulations do not trump its design/development standards. 2. Trip~rruDk Maple (#22). Based upon a request from the Ashland Tree Commission, applicant has takc~n steps to preserve this tree. ' However, its preservation requires the removal of one of the three trunks and pruning of the' other two. During the Council public hearing on May 18, 2004, applicant's landscape architect testified that less than 50 percent of the tree canopy will be removed and therefore the pruning does not constitute "removal" under, the ordinance. Applialnt's arborist testified in writing that the tree will survive this pruning. (Record p. 262) One opponent testified that it might as well be removed as it would be unattractive following pruning. Applialnt disagrees and believes the tree will recover from the pruning (as trees normally do) and will exist in the future as an important site feature. 3. ODOT Trees (#2-20). The canopy of these trees is primarily on ODOT's property and the same is accuratc~ly shown on the current tree protection plan. The only tree in this grove to be removed by applicant is: 1) the #5 a tree less than 6-inches DBH, (Record p. A-16 and A-30) 2) that is a demonstrable hazard 1tree, (Record p. A-30) 3) which is not regulated by Ashland Tree Ordinance, (ALUO 18.61.035(0) and (E)) and 4) separated from the subject property by a concrete retaining wall. (Record p. A-22) Accordilng to applicant's arborist, the OOOT trees have been neglected and that pruning and construl:tion of the proposed building will produce minimal impact. (Record p. A-ll) Despite one opponelllt's testimony that the trees will be left as, "mere wooden toothpicks extending in the air," as the tree protection plan shows, the vast majority of the grove's canopy will not be touched. Page 2 of 4 Craig A. Stone & Associates. Ltd. Mayor and City Council May 26, 2004 (Record p. A-30 and A-ll) Finally, based upon the testimony of Applicant's Landscape ,A.rchitect, the removal of Tree #5 on OooT's property will not adversely affect the OooT grove of trees. 4. Alder On Other Side of Creek (#27). One opponent testified that this tree would 100 harmed if the area near it were used for construction staging. During the public hearing, appliallllt's attorney placed into evidence, a map showing the edge of paving on land near this tree. It shows that construction staging will occur on a paved area near the tree. Alternatively, applicant noted that his nearby paved parking lot could also be used for staging. Finally, the parking lane on Main Street may be used. None of these alternative staging areas will affect any tree. Large Scale Project Standards Some opponents assert the ASDUS standards for "Large Scale Projects" apply here. The standard is: "Developments (1) involving a gross floor area in excess of 10,000 square feet or a building frontage in excess of 100 feet in length, (2) located within the Detail Site Review Zone shall, in addition to complying to the standards for Basic and Detail Site review, shall conform to the following standards:" Applicant asserts the following are alternative permissible ways to address this standard: 1. This project comprises less than 10,000 square feet and building frontage less than 100 feet. (Record p. A-2S) While the existmg building on this tax lot (over 100 years old) could bc;: combined to produce more than 10,000 square feet, the "development" in this instance invollves only the building now proposed. The term "development" in this standard is ambiguous and requires interpretation. The City Council can and should interpret this provision to mean tha1t this building does not constitute a development involving a gross floor area in excess of 10,000 square feet nor a building having frontage in excess of 100 feet in length. Based upon this interpretation, the large scale development standards simply don't apply. 2. If the Council determines this project must meet the large scale development standard, the standard can be met, but will require the Council to impose conditions that: 1) require the building share a common wall with the existing building, where the common wall may include structural elements needed for seismic stability, and 2) the proposed bridge be widened to accommodate seating. During the public hearing, applicant's attorney placed into evidence a spreadsheet prepared by applicant's architect which demonstrates that sufficient amounts of "I)ublic spaces" can be provided to comply with the relevant requirements of the ASDUS. Finally, one opponent testified that the absence of a signature on the application foml was used as license for applicant's agents to purposely misrepresent the facts. This is simply untruc~. The lack of signature by Mr. Haines or myself (pursuant to my Power of Attorney) was a simple oversight The basis of the errors in the tree protection plans were explained in detail in Landscape Architect Galbraith's submittal of May 12, 2004. Record p. A-12 through A-21. Applicant Haines has since signed the application form and noted on it his certification that all current amended documents are true and correct. However, I will note that applicant's original proposed Finding~ of Fact and Conclusions of Law are not as yet updated to reflect the amended plans and any other issues or conditions that may arise during this proceeding. If this application is approved, applicant will produce appropriate and up-to-date Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law in suppOrt of the affumative decision applicant urges the Council to reach. Page 3 of4 ITI III Craig A Stone &. Associates, Ltd. Mayor and City Council May 26, 2004 Very truly yours, CAS/m C:\OOCUMENTS AND SETIlNGS\CRAlG STONE.CRAlG\MY DOCUMENTS\WS\tWNES\3\LET 3.DOC Enclosures cc. Lloyd H,ames Alan Hnrper File Page of of 4 Architectural Design Works 1105 Siskiyou Blvd. P.O. Box 1348 Ashland, Oregon 97520 David Richardson AlA Architect Jac Nickels AlA CSI Architect Date: 5/21/04 To: City Council City of Ashland From: W. David Richardson, Jr. Architectural Design Works, Inc. Re: Haines .Shasta Building Project In response to some objections put forth by Randal Hopkins, regarding the Haines Shasta Building Project at the Public Meeting at the City Council Meeting of 18 May 2004, I offer the following responses: 1. Mr. Hopkins' stated that the "FEMA" Flood Plain Data shown on our Drawings sheets A-101, A-102, A-103, A-104 and A-I05 was incorrect. He is incorrect in his assertion. The data shown is a downloaded electronic file from the City of Ashland of the official FEMA map of the area. Architectural Design Works, Inc. (ADW) visually confirmed this by comparing it to a printed map acquired from the City of Ashland, and Kevin Timmins, PE, a water resources engineer from Otak, also visually confirmed the location from an official FEMA'map they had in their office. 2. Mr. Hopkins stated that the Ashland Flood Corridor and FEMA Flood Way is incorrect. This assertion is also incorrect. An electronic copy of the Ashland Flood Corridor and FEMA Flood Way map was downloaded from the City of Ashland and visually confirmed by a printed map we received from the City of Ashland. These maps are accurate as set forth on our drawings. No portion of the building is to be constructed in either the Ashland Flood Corridor or the FEMA Flood Way. 3. The FEMA official "Base Floor Elevation" at this area is 1872.0. Mr. Haines had Otak provide some additional studies, of which you have copies, to confirm that the FEMA Base Flood Elevation (BFE) is correct. Since the opposite bank has a low area around 1872.1, in an actual flood event, as witnessed by the 1997 flood, the flood waters will spill over the bank at the low point and not reach much above the 1872 point on the building site. 5/24/04 Page I of2 Phone: 541-488-0719 fax: 541-488-1336 e-mail: info@ADWarchitect.com web: www.ADWarchitect.com I'll III 4. Even though the official FEMA map shows the building site out of the flood plain, ADW has used the existing 1872 grade elevation as the basis for BFE in designing the building. This is shown on the "Basement Floor Plan/Site Plan" onSheet A-I07. 5. Even though the Ashland Flood Corridor BFE is shown at an unrealistic l875.5, ADW has set the first floor elevation at 1877 or 18" above this Ashland BFE. 6. Mr. Hopkins' contention, that in his opinion, the building is unsafe from flooding is completely unfounded. See item #5 above. He also contended that given a choice of removing the tree or having flood safety he would remove the tree. I would agree with this, but it is unnecessary to remove the tree. The only difference in what we are proposing in limiting excavating at the existing Maple tree Critical Root Mass is that the extra water storage is less than we had previously. Weare still proposing to excavate a considerable amount more than required to make up for the mass of the piers we are adding below the 1872 grade elevation. In response to the City Staffs concern with the relocation of the new bridge, please take into consideration the following facts: 7. The proposed new bridge elevation is at the 1877 floor elevation in lieu of the 1873.19 elevation previously proposed for the "draw bridge". The bottom of this proposed bridge would be above the 1872 FEMA BFE. The higher bridge location will allow more light to filter down to the bank area under the bridge. Moreover, applicant will agree to stipulate to providi,ng appropriate riparian enhancement beneath the existing bridge to be removed and the m~w bridge, with said enhancement plans made subject to review and approval by the City. 8. We are showing one bridge support Pier at the building side located within the Ashland Flood Corridor. Applicant will agree to stipulate to eliminate that pier and attach the end of the bridge directly to the building' deck beam. 9. The new building side bank area covered by the "Existing Bridge" is approximately 41 Square Feet (SF). The original proposed "Draw Bridge" was 35 SF and the new proposed "Fixed Bridge" is net (including deck reduction) 52 Square Feet. The additional area of bank coverage from the existing to the current proposal is 11 SF . We feel this difference is minimal and that this current proposal is much superior in design and circulation. If the City staff still feels this is too large a difference, we can create an opening in the new "Fixed Bridge" of 9 SF reducing the area to 43 SF. Thank you and feel free to contact me for any additional questions you may have. 5/24/2004 Page 2 of2 (i.'-.y OF ASHLAND PLANNINC \PPLICATION Type Date Received 1'L-{tLI03 File No. ~o(f{-ooZ Filing Fee / I 5l32. ()O ? \J ~5 I t(j I zllL I Zoning Comp Plan Designation Receipt # o Minor Land Partition o Outline Plan (# Units ) o Zone Change o Variance o Final Plan o Comp Plan Change o Conditional Use Permit f9 Site Review ,0 Staff Permit o Boundary Line Adiustment o Annexation o ,Solar Waiver APPLICATION IS FOR: Application pertains to 18.62 and 18.72 chapter, section, subpart of the Ashland Municipal Code. APPLICANT Name Lloyd M. Haines Phone Address 51 Water Street Ashland OR 97520 Suite 222 PROPERTY OWNER Name 88 North Main, LLC Phone Address 51 Water Street, Suite 222 Ashland OR 97520 SURVEYOR ENGINEER ARCHITECT LANDSCAPE ARCHIT CT (may need to IUse back page) (s~e. (e>>U'Se Aqent Name Craig A. Stone & Associates Ltd. , \ Phone 779-0SfiQ Address 708 Cardley Ave Medford OR 97504 -DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY Street Address SA Nnrt-h M;:t; n ~t-r'::'~+- Assessor's Map No. 39 1 E 09BB Tax Lot(s) 9800 When was the above described property acquired by owner? On a separate sh'~et of paper, list any covenants, conditions or restrictions concerning use of property or improvements contemplated, as well as yard set-back and area or height requirements that were placed on the property by subdivision tract develo ers. Give date said restrictions ex ire. ' FINDINGS OF FACT Type your response to the appropriate zoning requirements on another sheet(s) of paper and enclose it with this form. Keep in mind your responses must be in the form of factual staterTlents or findings of fact and su rted b evidence. List the findin s criteria and the evidence which su )orts it. :<5~ I'll III I hereby certify that the statements j information contained in this apl- Jtion, including the enclosed drawings and the required findings at fact, are in all respects true and correct. I understand that all properjy pins must'bo shown on the drawings'and visible upon site inspection. In the event the pins are not shown or their location found to be incorrect, the owner assumes full responsibility. . I further understand that if this request is subsequently contested, the burden will be on me to establish: 1) that I produced sufficient factual evidence at the hearing to support this request; 2) that the findings of fact furnished justifies the granting of'the request; 3) that the findings offactfumished by me are adequate; and further 4) that all structures or improvements are properly located on the ground. Failure in this regard will result most likely in not only the request being set aside, but also possibly in any structures being built in reliance thereon being required to be removed atcmy expense. If I have any doubts, I am advised to seek competent professional advice and assistance~ : ~~~A~ , Applican~ S SIgnature ** s-[,-o~ Date ' As oWf.ler: of the propertY involved in. this l€!quest, I have read and understood the complete application and its consequences to me as a properly owner. ' ~~~ . ~ ~ Property Owner's ignature ** ~(ur~ Date NOTICE: Section 15.04.240 of the Ashland Municipal Code prohibits the occupancy of a building or: a release of: , , utilities prior to the issu~nce of a Certificate of Occupqncy by the Building Division AND the completion of all zoning requirements and conditions imposed by the Planning Commission UNLESS a satisfactory performance bond has be~n posted to ensure completion. VIOLATIONS may result in prosecution and/or disconnection of utilities. nave Richardson 1105 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland OR 97520 Architect . John Galbraith 145 S. Holly Street, Suite A Medford OR 97501 Landscape Architect ** .The certificcltion I have made relates to all documents that were originally filed in this: matter as amended, modified and corrected by ,subsequent filings. C I lr Y 0 F ASHLAND Memo DATE: TO: FROM: RE: June 1, 2004 Honorable Mayor and City Council ./f5}\ John McLaughlin, Director of Community Developmen~ Staff Response - PA2004-002 - Haines . Mr. Hopkins, during his presentation to the Council, has raised concerns regarding the appHcation of the City's Development Standards for Floodplain Corridor Lands to this project, including doubts over the accuracy of the site plan with respect to the elevation of the 100-year flood and the location of Ashland's Floodplain Corridor boundary. Staff has provided some clarification to the issues raised by l~. Hopkins, as we understand those concerns to be. The Ashland Creek Floodplain Corridor as depicted on the proposal's site plan. The Ashland Creek Floodplain Corridor boundary is accurately represented on the applicant's site plan. The project architect obtained the information from City of Ashland electronic data files. The As:hland Floodplain Corridor is similar to a zoning overlay, where additional development standards beyond the general requirements identified under the zoning district (i.e. C-I-D) are applied to lands within the corridor. As shown in 18.62.050, for this application, the key issues for defInition of Floodplain Corridor Lands are: 1. All land contained within the 100 year flood plain as defmed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in maps adopted by Chapter 15.10 of the Ashland Municipal Code. 2. All land within the area defmed as Flood plan Corridor land in maps adopted by the Council as provided for in section 18.62.060. The Ashland Floodplain Corridor is essentially a zoning line, and encompasses the area within the lines shown on Map A-I03. This is an overlay zone, where the standards of the P&E ordinance apply. This line was drawn by the City based upon photos and evidence of historic flooding within the Ashl~md Creek area, and represents the horizontal extent of flooding. It was not based on detailed topographic analysis or a hydrologic flood model. As seen by the angular nature of the line, it doesn't necessarily folllow the topography exactly, but rather is a general depiction of the extent of historic flooding. This boundary is far wider and more encompassing than the FEMA boundary alone. An elevation is assigned to this Floodplain Corridor area (in this instance 1875.5') to ensure that whatever is constructed within these boundaries is done so at an elevation safely above the flood level. The elevation is not used to establish the bOlmdary (such as is done with the FEMA boundary) but rather as a regulatory tool for establishing floor levels flor development within this corridor. DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Planning Division Tel: 541488-5305 20 East Main Street Fax: 541488-5311 Ashland, Oregon 97520 m: 800-735-2900 www.ashland.or.us r~' I." 111 While the project is outside the Ashland Creek Floodplain Corridor mapped boundaries, portions of the proposed structurle are clearly within the FEMA 100-year floodplain, as shown on attached map A-10l. The location of the approximate FEMA 100-year flood is based upon the plotting of base flood elevations (BFE' s) derived from the Flood Insurance Study for the City of Ashland (December 1980). Standard hydrologic and hydraulic study methods were used to determine the flood data found in the 1980 Flood Insurance Study. Consequently, the approximate location of the 100-year flood elevation is based upon a mathematical conlputer modeling of the Ashland Creek basin, while the Ashland Floodplain Corridor boundary is a generalized zoning overlay not derived through an engineered model of a potential flood event. Since the project was located on a portion of the lands identified as FEMA 100-year floodplain, it was subject to the P&E ordinance and the floodplain corridor standards. . Additionally, to ensure accuracy, the applicant was requested to provide additional hydrologic flood modeling information. That information was provided by OT AK and is included in the record. It essentially confirms the FE~lA flood elevation, and the use of 1875.5 as a safe elevation for the floor elevation of the new structure. In the case of the Haine's project, FEMA estimates the 100-year flood elevation at 1872 feet. While FEMA's Model Ordinance would require commercial structures to be flood proofed up to or one foot above the elevation of the estimated 100-year flood elevation (i.e. 1872), Ashland's elevation of 1875.5 requires that the required flood proofmg measures be incorporated upon the structure an additional 2.5 feet to 3.5 feet above the 100-year flood elevation. Flood proofmg refers to protection measures made to a building to ensure that floodwaters do not damage it. This includes certifying that structural components of the structure are designed to resist hydrostatic and hydrodynamic loads and the effects of buoyancy encountered during a flood event. In general, this arl~a behind the culvert under the Lithia Way viaduct is a pooling area during a flood event. The elevation of the pool during such an event is modeled to be approximately 1872 feet. Should the pool elevation exceed 1hat height, it will spill over into the parking lot and paved area under the viaduct, and ultimately return to the creek channel. Since the parking area is lower than 1872, it will take the overflow, and the ''uphill'' side that is proposed for the Haines development will not be at risk to flood damage. Further, as shown on the attached sheet A-I 03, the main constriction for the creek is between the Siskiyou Brew Pub building and the existing Ashland Creek Bar and Grill building. The new structure is located in the pooling area, and will not impact any areas of active or dynamic flood flows. Staff notes on documents within the record of the application. Mr. Hopkins makles reference to Staff notes found in the margins of OT AK's "Flood Hazard Assessment for Shasta Building '03" (original Exhibit 6 - 12.12.04). These were unofficial notes based upon an initial reading of the document. Specifically, Staff believed the Floodway boundary (not Floodplain) was inaccurately represented on the original site plan. In order to evaluate and address Staff's concern, the applicant voluntaIily postponed the Planning Commission's review of the application that was scheduled for January 2004. OT AK provided a formal determination of the Floodway location on February 13, 2004 (Exhibit 7c - pag(: 205), with the revised Floodway boundaries shown on a revised supplemental drawing (Exhibit A-I 03 - page 211). Based upon information contained with the 1980 City of Ashland Flood DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Planning Division Tel: 541488-5305 20 East Main Street Fax: 541488-5311 Ashland, Oregon 97520 TTY: 800-735-2900 www.ashland.or.us r~' Insurance Study and the separate engineering analysis provided by OT AK Engineers, Staff believes the Floodway boundary is accurately shown on the site plan. Supplemental Brief Submitted by Hopkins Item 1. The applicant has submitted a signed application. Hopkins Concern of FEMA floodplain - 1872' elevation - (Exhibit 48) in Supplemental Brief. Mr. Hopkins raised a concern in his supplemental brief regarding the location of the FEMA floodplain based on topographic information submitted by the applicant. Hopkins claims that the document t~rroneously describes the FEMA 100 year floodplain. In Hopkins' Exhibit 48, the highlighted elevations refer to the site after final grading. The existing grades (shown by the dashed lines) show the elevations in the same locations as have been indicated on the previous submittals by the applicant. The grading will not occ;ur in the shaded area identified as the tree protection zone for the maple. The grading will increase the pool storage under the building during flood events. Review of the information clearly shows that there is no change in the existing grade infomLation as previously submitted, nor any change in the area of encroachment. Hopkins Objection to new staff report Hopkins objects to the submission of any staff report less than seven days prior to the hearing. ORS 197.763(4)(b) provides: (b) Any staffreport used at the hearing shall be available at least seven days prior to the hearing. If additional documents or evidence are provided by any party, the local government may allow a continuance or leave the record open to allow the parties a reasonable opportunity to respond. Any continuance or extension of the record requested by an applicant shall result in a corresponding extension of the time limitations ofORS 215.427 or 227.178 and ORS 215.429 or 227.179. While the general rule is that the staffreport should be available at least seven days prior to the hearing, the statute does allow for new documents and evidence to be produced by !illY party. In the event they are, and the Council determines the new evidence warrants a response from other parties, the Council may either leave the record open for a reasonable time or continue the hearing. Should the Council choose the leave the record open, we would recommend that the record not be left open past June 8. That would allow a Council decision on June 15, and adoption of the findings on June 16 with a mailing of the decision on June 17th or_18th. The 120 day time period expires June 18. Conclusions An evaluation of potential impacts from the project upon neighboring properties during a flood event is of paramount concern. The project's engineering fmn, OTAK, has presented a revised flood hazard assessment of the project, including a determination of the estimated 100-year flood elevation and Floodway boundary. The updated documents, Exhibits 7b, 7c and 7d, are found on pages 199 through 221 of the record. OTAK concludes that the all floor levels of the building are above the estimated 100-year water swface elevation and that improvements associated with the proposal will increase flood storage volume to this location of Ashland Creek. Additionally, survey data indicates that the right bank of Ashland Creek at this location is lower than the estimated 100-year water surface elevation. 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