20C.70.70 Bear Creek Design District (BCDD) Zone.

20C.70.70-010 Purpose.

The purpose of the Bear Creek Design District is to provide development potential on the upland portion of the Bear Creek Design District in the northwest portion of the site in a comprehensive master plan that would allow for the permanent protection of Bear Creek, its riparian corridor, and associated wetlands and floodplains. The Design District provides for the location of retirement residence facilities, associated limited support services, and affordable employee multi-family housing. The Design District will provide critical links in the Bear and Evans Creek Greenway System, an important planned regional trail along Bear and Evans Creeks. The balance of the undevelopable portion of this district shall be established as a wetland mitigation banking site. (Ord. 2370)

20C.70.70-020 Site Planning and Design Objectives.

Site plans and architectural designs for development within the Bear Creek Design District shall be consistent with the objective of achieving a high-quality, aesthetically pleasing retirement residential development while preserving the district’s view corridors, and natural systems and amenities that Redmond citizens highly value. (Ord. 2370)

20C.70.70-030 Boundaries and Performance Areas.

The boundaries and performance areas of the Bear Creek Design District are delineated by the City’s official Zoning Map.

(1) Performance Area 1 (PA-1) is the northwest 8.8 acres (approximate – refer to legal description included as part of adopting ordinance) to be developed as retirement residence facilities with recreational facilities and affordable employee multi-family housing. This area lies outside of the 100-year floodplain of Bear Creek except for the emergency vehicle access and certain recreational facilities.

(2) Performance Area 2 (PA-2) comprises approximately 114.8 acres (approximate – refer to legal description included as part of adopting ordinance) to be left as open space area and agricultural crop production, and ultimately developed for trails, passive recreation, and wetland mitigation banking purposes. (Ord. 2370)

20C.70.70-040 Unified Review and Applicability of Development Guide.

(1) Development in the Bear Creek Design District shall substantially conform to the conceptual site plan submitted as an exhibit to the ordinance adopting this division. Development may proceed in phases.

(2) All provisions of the Redmond Community Development Guide relating to the Bear Creek Design District govern the entire district unless the provision expressly states the intent to govern only one or more performance areas.

(3) Any proposed structure within the Bear Creek Design District or an external addition to an existing structure must be approved by the Technical Committee and Design Review Board through the site plan entitlement process.

(4) As a condition of site plan entitlement approval, the applicant shall convey to the City conservation easements for all BCDD land outside PA-1 not already conveyed or purchased for other purposes, such as the wetland mitigation bank and trail easements.

(5) The Technical Committee and Design Review Board may impose conditions on development in the Bear Creek Design District in order to ensure that the standards and intent of the Design District and the Comprehensive Plan are met, and to mitigate potential adverse environmental impacts.

(6) This zone shall be subject to review no later than 10 years after its adoption, consistent with Comprehensive Plan policy. (Ord. 2370)

20C.70.70-050 Bear Creek Permitted Land Uses.

The chart entitled “Bear Creek Design District Zone Permitted Land Uses Chart” indicates the permitted land uses and required review procedure for each use.

Bear Creek Design District Zone Permitted Land Uses Chart
Land Use	BCDD PA-1	BCDD PA-2
Retirement Residences Together with Indoor Storage and Offices Associated with Such Uses 1	P
Financial and Insurance Services as Internally Provided Services to On-Site Residents and Guests of the Development	P
Medical, Dental, Individual, or Family Social Services as Internally Provided Services to On-Site Residents and Guests of the Development	P
Educational Services Relating to Geriatrics/Gerontology	P
Employee Housing 1	P
Wetland Mitigation Banking	P	P
Passive Recreational Facilities	P	P
Agricultural Crop Production 2	P	P
Broadcast and Relay Facilities	C
Wireless Communication Facilities	S
P=Permitted Use; C=Conditional Use; S=Special Use

Notes:

1 Ten percent of the total number of dwelling units shall be provided as “affordable housing” that is affordable to individuals or families earning up to 80 percent of area median income. The developer shall be allowed to apportion the affordable units among the employee and senior housing as the applicant deems appropriate. While nothing in RCDG 20D.30.10, Affordable Housing, shall supersede this requirement, refer to that division for guidance on implementing the requirement.

2 Agricultural crop production shall be a permitted use in PA-2 until such time that a state-approved wetland mitigation bank is established. At such time, agricultural crop production in PA-2 shall cease.

(Ord. 2370)

20C.70.70-060 Site and Design Requirements.

(1) Conflict in Regulations. Except as otherwise provided in this section, all applicable provisions of the Redmond Community Development Guide and other applicable codes and ordinances apply to development in the Bear Creek Design District. Where a conflict exists between the regulations of the Bear Creek Design District and other portions of the Redmond Community Development Guide or other City codes or ordinances, the Bear Creek Design District regulations shall control.

(2) General Site Design Requirements. Site planning shall take into account the objective of maintaining significant natural features. Site and building design shall comply with Chapter 20D.40 RCDG, Design Standards, to result in a high-quality and attractive senior residential development. In addition, the following design guidelines apply:

(a) Site buildings to create an interesting and attractive appearance at the streetscape and along building facades with significant visibility.

(b) Provide a coordinated entry theme by using physical improvements containing similar elements at district entry points, with one entry receiving major recognition.

(c) Vary architectural features on building facades. Vary heights and surface treatments throughout the site to create design interest in this Design District.

(d) Screen service areas with below-grade designs or sight-obscuring walls and/or vegetative barriers.

(e) Provide planting and/or architectural features to minimize the visual impact of less desirable elements, such as large blank walls and large areas of pavement. Particular attention should be devoted to landscape design along the perimeter of the district, including areas adjacent to Avondale Road NE.

(f) Buildings shall be designed to achieve LEED, BuiltGreen, or other similar green building specifications. In any case, certification shall include third-party auditing.

(g) Site design shall incorporate low-impact development technologies to the extent feasible and practicable, including, but not limited to, infiltration of non-pollution-generated stormwater and use of pervious paths.

(h) Retain a view corridor from Avondale Road at the southwest portion of the property looking east by siting structures, parking, and other development impacts in a way that preserves the visual corridors.

(i) Reroute and daylight the piped and culverted subterranean watercourse that flows southwest from the northwest corner of the site.

(i) For the portion of the watercourse that is within PA-1, the rerouting and daylighting shall occur in the following manner:

(A) The watercourse riparian corridor shall contain plantings that reinforce the bank structure and provide shade;

(B) The design of the riparian corridor shall, to the extent possible within the limited space, mimic naturally occurring riparian corridors with respect to native vegetation, shading, and the provision of meander spaces;

(C) The corridor shall not contain impervious surfaces, but may be bridged for up to four vehicle crossings and two pedestrian crossings; those crossings shall conform to Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife standards for culvert crossings allowing fish passage;

(D) Crossings shall minimize adverse impacts to the stream corridor;

(E) The average width of the corridor shall measure no less than 15 feet; in no case shall the corridor measure less than 10 feet across.

(ii) The portion of the watercourse that is within PA-2 shall be treated as a Class II stream, and the project proponent shall enhance the channel, banks, and required buffers from its entrance into PA-2 to the confluence with Bear Creek. This enhancement shall include, at a minimum, planting of native trees, shrubs and herbaceous species and incorporation of large woody debris (e.g., snags, root wads, and downed logs) for enhancement of fish and wildlife habitat.

(j) Allow for easements that allow the City of Redmond to redirect and enhance Evans Creek.

(k) Allow for easements through the southern and eastern portions of the site, as depicted on the Bear and Evans Creek Confluence-Open Space Plan, to allow the City of Redmond to connect City trails.

(l) Allow for easements through portions of PA-1 and PA-2 for a water system connection between Education Hill and Southeast Redmond.

(m) Allow for the creation of new, and enhancement of existing, wetlands and habitat in Performance Area 2 through the creation of a wetland mitigation bank.

(3) Site Requirements. The Site Requirements Chart, in this subsection (3), sets forth the dimensional and site requirements for the Bear Creek Design District.

Bear Creek Design District Zone Site Requirements Chart
Site Requirement	PA-1
Minimum Setback of Structures (in feet):
Avondale Road NE: 1 and 2 story, 3 story, 4 story	15, 75, 150
North property line: 1 and 2 story, 3 story, 4 story	10, 75, 100
Other property lines: 1 and 2 story, 3 story, 4 story	10, 75, 100
Maximum Height of Structures 1, 2 (in feet/stories)	48'/4
Site Requirement	PA-1	PA-2	Zonewide
Maximum Floor Area Ratio	0.80	0	0.057
Maximum Lot Coverage of Structures	30%	0%	2.49%
Maximum Impervious Surface 3	65%	0%	4.63%

Notes:

1 The maximum height of structures or portions of structures located above subsurface parking shall not include the distance between the finished grade of the subsurface parking surface and the structure, or the stories of the structure devoted to subsurface parking.

2 Structures located in the shoreline jurisdiction shall be limited to 30 feet in height.

3 The maximum impervious surface area allowed does not include impervious surface area that results from public trails planned as part of the Bear and Evans Creek Trail and Greenway.

(4) Standards – Project Limits. The application of standards in the Bear Creek Design District shall be on a project-limit basis and not on a lot basis unless the project limit and the lot are the same. Project limits shall be as designated on the approved site plan for the project. A project limit may include property in two or more performance areas.

(5) The maximum height requirements set the limit measured from the average finished grade above which structures shall not extend. See Chapter 20A.20 RCDG, Definitions, for measuring building height. Chimneys, antennas, cooling and ventilation equipment and flagpoles may exceed the roofline of the structure by not more than 15 feet. However, building height in the Shoreline jurisdiction shall be measured from the average existing grade per the State Shoreline Management Act.

(6) Parking. The number of parking spaces shall be governed by the chart numbered RCDG 20C.70.70-060(7), Parking Requirements Chart. In addition to Citywide parking area regulations, the following shall apply:

(a) Major public views of surface parking shall be reduced through use of berms, landscaping, building placement and/or other effective techniques.

(b) Landscaping design and other site design shall incorporate a coordinated plan for minimizing monotonous views of parking areas.

(7) Parking Requirements Chart.

Parking Requirements Chart
Use	Minimum Required	Maximum Allowed
Retirement Residence	1 space/unit	2 spaces/unit
Affordable Employee Housing	1.2/Studio du 1.5/1 Bedroom du 1.8/2 Bedroom du 2.0/3+ Bedroom du	1.5/Studio du 1.75/1 Bedroom du 2.0/2 Bedroom du 2.5/3+ Bedroom du

Notes:

du = dwelling unit(s)

1. Site plan review shall ensure that parking lots, service areas and other similar areas are designed in a manner which will minimize negative aesthetic impacts from major public viewpoints through use of berms, landscaping which provides screening, location of facilities and/or other effective techniques.

2. The City may allow for a reduction in the number of parking spaces for the retirement facility based upon comparable project parking studies.

(8) Landscaping and Vegetation Preservation.

(a) In addition to landscaping standards described in RCDG 20D.40.35, Landscape Design Standards, and Chapter 20D.80 RCDG, Landscaping and Tree Protection, the following standards shall apply:

(i) All pervious surface shall be landscaped, except those areas to be preserved in or restored to natural conditions.

(ii) A minimum of 25 percent of Performance Area 1 shall be landscaped. Up to five percent may be met by providing pedestrian plazas for gathering. Land inside PA-1 and within the 100-year FEMA floodplain may be left as natural open space rather than landscaped.

(iii) The appearance of all blank wall areas shall be softened by landscaping or architectural treatment, as described in RCDG 20D.40.30-060, Blank Walls.

(iv) Landscaping shall serve to transition between incompatible uses. The type and intensity of planting shall reflect the degree of incompatibility between adjacent uses. Types of plantings are described in RCDG 20D.80.10-080.

(v) A significant proportion of landscape trees shall measure no less than 12 feet in height (if evergreen), or 2.5 inches in caliper (if deciduous). Landscape trees shall be predominately evergreen, and larger trees shall be planted at the perimeter of the district.

(vi) The applicant shall install street trees at least three inches in caliper along all street frontages. Parking area landscaping shall be equal to at least seven percent of the area devoted to parking and circulation. All parking areas shall equal or exceed 100 square feet. Each planting area shall contain no less than one tree and shrubs and ground cover meeting City landscape standards.

(9) Utilities. All utility distribution lines, other than electrical lines of 115 kV or greater, must be placed underground and shielded based on latest technology.

(10) Signs.

(a) Signs must be coordinated within each performance area. Sign size shall comply with the Sign Requirements Chart in RCDG 20D.160.10-050.

(b) Each sign must be architecturally compatible with the structures with which it is associated.

20C.70.70-070 Transfer of Development Rights in the BCDD.

(1) The applicant shall be entitled to TDRs equal in number to the number of affordable units that are provided in PA-1.

(2) The provisions of the Bear Creek Design District supersede other provisions in the Development Guide relating to TDRs. (Ord. 2370)