ADDENDUM TO THE SEPA CHECKLIST. For the HAMILTON INTERNATIONAL MIDDLE SCHOOL RENOVATION PROJECT. June 2009

Transcription

1 ADDENDUM TO THE SEPA CHECKLIST For the HAMILTON INTERNATIONAL MIDDLE SCHOOL RENOVATION PROJECT June 2009

2 Table of Contents Addendum to the SEPA Checklist for the Hamilton International Middle School Renovation I. Purpose of the Addendum 2 II. Background 2 III. Project Revisions 2 IV. Changes in Environmental Effects and Mitigation 3 A. Earth 3 B. Water 4 C. Plants 4 D. Land Use 5 E. Aesthetics 6 F. Recreation 7 G. Transportation 8 V. Conclusion 9 June 2009 i

3 I. PURPOSE OF THE ADDENDUM The purpose of this Addendum is to update information provided in the Hamilton International Middle School Renovation Project SEPA Checklist and Determination of Non-significance (DNS), issued November 15, Since issuance of the SEPA Checklist and DNS, there have been changes to the project. SEPA regulations provide that an addendum can be prepared to address changes to a project or new project-related environmental information that do not substantially change the analysis of significant impacts in existing environmental documents (WAC (4)(c)). Seattle Public Schools (District) has prepared this Addendum in order to assess how the project changes affect the impacts analysis in the November 2006 SEPA Checklist. The analysis in this Addendum indicates that the project changes do not substantially change the analysis of impacts in the previous environmental documentation. This SEPA Addendum provides a general description of the revisions to the project; summarizes the project background, including previous SEPA documentation; evaluates potential changes in environmental impacts from the previous SEPA documentation; and concludes that no new significant environmental impacts will occur from the changes to the project. II. BACKGROUND The District issued a SEPA Checklist and DNS on the Hamilton International Middle School Renovation Project (HIMS Project) on November 15, The 2006 SEPA Checklist described the renovation of the existing three-story school building, removal of the two portable classrooms on the north end of the site, construction of a new gymnasium addition, and construction of a parking structure capped with a rooftop open play area and bridge to the adjacent Wallingford Playfield (Figure 1; Original Proposal). As part of this proposal, the District also applied for departures from City of Seattle development standards for parking, curb cuts, bus loading, setbacks, lot coverage, and building height. The Director of the Seattle Department of Planning and Development (DPD) approved the DNS and departures, with conditions. Subsequently, the Director s decision was appealed during the public comment period. A hearing was held on November 15 and 19, 2007 before the City of Seattle Hearing Examiner, who approved the project with modified conditions. For additional information on project departures, see Section C. Land Use, below. III. PROJECT REVISIONS Since issuance of the SEPA Checklist and DNS (November 2006), plans for the new gymnasium have been modified and the parking structure has been eliminated. As a result, the interface with Wallingford Playfield has also been modified. In addition, the construction staging location has changed. In the current plans, the gymnasium addition will be constructed in the northeast portion of the site, similar to the original proposal. However, the addition will extend only to the property line, June

4 which is the centerline of the 66-foot wide vacated 42 nd Street right-of-way (Figure 2; Current Proposal). The initial proposal would have extended the gymnasium addition into the northern portion of the right-of-way (see Figure 1). The northern portion of the vacated right-of-way is part of Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation (Parks) property, but is currently developed and in use as part of HIMS paved play area (Figure 3; Site Survey). All other aspects of the new gymnasium addition remain largely unchanged from the original proposal. The parking structure has been removed from the current project. The new play area will be constructed on fill at the current site of the play area so that it will be accessible from the 2 nd story commons area of the school building. The western half of the northern portion of the vacated 42nd Street right-of-way (Parks portion) will be elevated with fill and resurfaced to be used as an extension of the school play area. The eastern half of Parks portion of the vacated 42 nd Street right-of-way will be redeveloped with earthen fill and plantings to be continuous with the adjacent park garden. Stairway and ADA-compliant access points will connect the school play area with Wallingford Playfield (Figure 4; HIMS/Wallingford Playfield Interface). The original proposal called for construction staging within the adjacent Wallingford Playfield. Under the current proposal, construction staging will primarily be located on the asphalt yard, north of the school building. Contractor parking and material storage will be located two blocks north, in the Lincoln High School parking lot (Figure 5; Original and Current Construction Staging Plan). Renovation of the school building has not changed from the original proposal. In addition, the portable classrooms are still planned to be demolished. IV. CHANGES IN ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS AND MITIGATION Using the elements of the environment discussed in the Hamilton International Middle School Renovation SEPA Checklist, this section describes the changes in environmental effects and mitigation that will result from the project revisions discussed above. Only those elements of the environment that are likely to be affected by the project revisions are discussed. A. EARTH Instead of 1,500 cubic yards (CY) of import material (earthen fill) and 8,000 CY of export material (excavation), for a total of 9,500 CY of earth disturbance and transport of earth materials to/from the site, the current proposal will require 8,100 CY of import material and no export material, for a total of 8,100 CY of earth disturbance and transport of earth materials to/from the site. This represents a reduction of approximately 1,400 CY of import and export material. Of the fill amount required under the current proposal, approximately 5,200 CY will be used to construct the play area and approximately 1,500 CY will be used for construction of the garden extension on the eastern half of Parks portion of the vacated 42 nd Street right-of-way. The original proposal would have required a substantial amount of excavation, largely for the June

5 parking structure. With the revised project, excavation will be minimal. The amount of demolition debris removal, approximately 5,000 CY, has not changed from the original proposal. This project, as described in the 2006 SEPA Checklist, is predominately redevelopment of existing impervious areas. The project changes will result in a reduction of approximately 2,200 square feet of impervious surface due to the redevelopment of the eastern half of Parks portion of the vacated 42 nd Street right-of-way. 1. Potential Earth Impacts The amounts of grading and fill have been slightly reduced from the original proposal. The changes in earth-disturbing activities will not substantially change the severity of potential impacts from erosion. With the slightly reduced amount of earth-disturbance required, there is somewhat less potential for erosion and dust production on the site under the current proposal. The square footage and percentage of the project site covered with impervious surfaces are reduced following the proposed design revisions. 2. Potential Earth Mitigation The measures outlined in the 2006 SEPA Checklist, including erosion and sedimentation control BMPs, will be sufficient to mitigate all potential earth impacts from the current proposal. No additional mitigation is required. B. WATER 1. Potential Water Impacts The 2006 SEPA Checklist identified the potential for encountering groundwater during excavations that would likely require dewatering. With the project changes, substantially less excavation is needed due to the elimination of the parking structure. Thus, potential water quality impacts from dewatering will be reduced. Reduced impervious surface area will reduce the quantity of surface water runoff generated from the site. All other potential water quality impacts from the project will be the same. 2. Potential Water Mitigation As described in the 2006 SEPA Checklist, construction BMPs will be implemented to ensure that sediment originating from disturbed soils will be retained within the limits of construction. No other mitigation will be required for the project changes. C. PLANTS 1. Potential Plant Impacts June

6 The 2006 SEPA Checklist indicated that the proposed construction staging area would be located on the west half of Wallingford Playfield. This approach would have resulted in impacts to a portion of the native plant garden along Wallingford Playfield s boundary with the school property and the removal of a portion of the turf field. The current project will use the paved area on the north end of the HIMS site and the parking lot at nearby Lincoln High School for construction staging, thereby avoiding these impacts. All other potential impacts to plants from the project will be the same. 2. Potential Plant Mitigation In addition to the vegetation protection techniques outlined in the 2006 SEPA Checklist, the current project will include construction of a garden extension on the eastern half of Parks portion of the vacated 42 nd Street right-of-way and enhancement of the existing nature garden (see Figure 4). No other mitigation will be required. D. LAND USE In Seattle, most public schools are located in single or multi-family residential zones. Under Seattle s Land Use Code (Seattle Municipal Code (SMC) ), public school facilities are an allowed use in such zones, but are subject to required setbacks, height and bulk limits, lot coverage guidelines, and parking requirements. Because it is often difficult for schools to meet the same requirements as single family or multifamily developments, the Land Use Code includes a procedure by which departures from the required development standards of the code can be granted for public school structures (SMC Chapter 23.79). Proposed school renovations, expansions, and new facilities are also reviewed for consistency with other City plans and policies, including the following: Seattle Comprehensive Plan Seattle Park and Recreation Plan Seattle Land Use Code Seattle SEPA Ordinance Historic building criteria of the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board The District issued a SEPA Checklist and DNS on the HIMS Renovation Project on November 15, As part of this proposal, the District also applied for departures from the Land Use Code s single family development standards for the following: Less than the required quantity of on-site parking (178 spaces required, 20 spaces proposed); A larger curbcut width (25 feet allowed, 50 feet proposed for combined access to garage and loading berth); On-street bus loading/unloading for 22 buses; Reduction of the rear (north) setback (20 feet required, zero proposed); June

7 Additional lot coverage (35% maximum allowed, 64% proposed); and Additional building height (maximum elevation of feet allowed, 283 feet for classroom building and feet for gymnasium proposed). Note: Seattle Municipal Code building height requirements are elevation-based, and utilize average building heights in determining requirements. The Director of the Seattle DPD approved the DNS and departures, with conditions. The Director s decision was appealed during the public comment period. The appeals were the subject of a hearing held on November 15 and 19, 2007 before the City of Seattle Hearing Examiner, who approved the project with modified conditions. Subsequently, the project has been modified to comply with the Hearing Examiner s conditions. 1. Potential Land Use Impacts The completed project will continue to serve the current scholastic program, with improved facilities. The project has been modified to meet the departures as approved by the Director of DPD, or as affirmed with modifications or remanded in part by the Hearing Examiner (Hearing Examiner File MUP ; MUP ; MUP ). The project has been modified to meet these departures through the elimination of the proposed parking structure and redesign of the gymnasium addition so that it ends at the existing property boundary, rather than extending into Parks portion of the vacated street right-of-way. Since the proposed departures were modified by the Hearing Examiner and the project design has subsequently been modified to comply with the revised conditions, no new adverse impacts to land use are expected. The project is in compliance with all other plans and ordinances governing the project site. 2. Potential Land Use Mitigation No new impacts to land use are expected from the revised project; thus no mitigation is necessary. E. AESTHETICS The original project as described in the 2006 SEPA Checklist included a parking structure, which has been eliminated. The design of the gymnasium addition has not changed substantially from the original proposal. The height of the building will be the same as included in the original proposal described in the 2006 SEPA Checklist. 1. Potential Aesthetic Impacts As described above in Section C. Land Use, the Director of DPD and the Hearing Examiner have approved the departure for building height. The potential aesthetic impacts have not substantially changed from those described in the 2006 SEPA Checklist. However, with the June

8 removal of the parking structure from the design, the project will have a reduced impact on views from the west toward the park and nature garden. 2. Potential Aesthetic Mitigation The project design has been revised to comply with the Hearing Examiner s conditions. Aesthetic impacts have been reduced, and no additional mitigation is necessary. F. RECREATION Over one-third of the District s public schools adjoin Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation (Parks) land or facilities. The District and Parks have cooperated for more than 75 years in planning and joint use of these separately owned facilities and grounds to benefit students and the community. Guidelines for the joint use of facilities are set forth in An Agreement for the Joint Use of Facilities between the Seattle School District No. 1 and Seattle Parks and Recreation (September 30, 2005). Under the agreement, each agency has agreed to make its buildings and grounds available for use by the other agency on a first priority basis after the space requirements for its own programs have been met. The District s HIMS property abuts the Wallingford Playfield at the centerline of the vacated 42 nd Street right-of-way. The northern portion of the vacated right-of-way is part of Parks property, but is currently developed and in use as part of HIMS paved play area (see Figure 3). With the project changes, the western half of Parks portion of the right-of-way will be filled and paved as part of the redeveloped HIMS play area; the eastern half of Parks portion of the right-of-way will be an expansion of the existing nature garden directly to the north. In addition, the existing nature garden will be enhanced with new plantings and new access points to and from the HIMS play area and the Wallingford Playfield (see Figure 4). The District is currently in negotiations with Parks to plan the final design of this portion of the project. 1. Potential Recreation Impacts As described in the 2006 SEPA Checklist, the initial project included temporary construction staging to be located on the western portion of the Wallingford Playfield, with construction access between the Playfield and the school property. Under the current proposal, construction staging will be located on the school property and at the nearby Lincoln High School parking lot, two blocks north of the project site. As a result, Wallingford Playfield will not be used for construction staging and a partial closure of the park during construction will not be necessary. Noise impacts to Wallingford Playfield from construction activity will be the same as described in the 2006 SEPA Checklist, and will be short-term and temporary. 2. Potential Mitigation Close coordination between the District and Parks staff will minimize recreation impacts to students and the public during construction. Construction hours will be in compliance with the June

9 City of Seattle noise standards (SMC ). No additional mitigation is required. Following the revisions to the construction staging plan, impacts are reduced compared to the impacts reviewed in November G. TRANSPORTATION With the elimination of the parking structure, the amount of available parking for teachers and staff has changed from the original proposal. Available parking will instead match existing conditions. The original proposal called for a 50-foot wide curbcut to accommodate the parking structure and a loading berth. As the parking structure has been eliminated, the larger curbcut is not required and has been reduced to the allowable 25 feet (SMC ). 1. Potential Impacts As described in the 2006 SEPA Checklist, transportation impacts during construction will be related to truck trips for importing and exporting material to/from the site. The number of truck trips required for construction will be slightly reduced from the original proposal as a result of the slightly reduced amount of earth-disturbing activities described above in Section A, Earth. Instead of averaging approximately 5 truckloads per day, the current proposal will average approximately 4 truckloads per day during construction. As described in the 2006 SEPA Checklist, each truckload would generate two trips (one inbound and one outbound) and would most likely occur during daytime hours (8:00 A.M. through 4:00 P.M.). Most construction transportation is stopped by 4:00 P.M. to avoid unnecessary delay to truck drivers from peak hour congestion. There will likely be a range of truck activity at the site depending on the stage of construction. The Hearing Examiner found that the impacts of parking demand from the renovated school do not justify a parking structure as originally proposed, and the structure was not shown to serve educational needs. The Hearing Examiner, therefore, concluded that the departures to allow a parking structure do not meet the criteria of SMC The Hearing Examiner modified the departure approval to eliminate the percentage of lot coverage that is attributable to the parking structure. In addition, the departure for a wider curbcut is no longer needed for the current proposal. The curbcut will be 25 feet in width, as allowed by SMC All parking for staff and visitors of HIMS will be accommodated by on-street parking. There is currently adequate parking supply in the surrounding neighborhood to accommodate this demand without increasing parking utilization above City standards. As part of a condition imposed by DPD, the District will be preparing a memorandum of agreement stipulating that large events will not be held simultaneously at Lincoln High School and HIMS, and ensuring that parking capacity at Lincoln High School will be available for use during events at HIMS. No other impacts to transportation or parking are expected from the current proposal. June

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