20F.50.30 Design Review Board.

20F.50.30-010 Purpose.

The Design Review Board is created independent from the legislative and staff functions to review and make urban design decisions that will promote visual quality throughout the City. The purpose of the Design Review Board and their procedure includes but is not limited by this reference to the following:

(1) To encourage and promote the public health, safety and general welfare of the citizens of Redmond including the development and coordination of municipal growth and services;

(2) To supplement land use regulation: to encourage the most appropriate use of land throughout the municipality, lessen traffic congestion and accidents, secure safety from fire, provide light and air, prevent the overcrowding of land, avoid undue concentration of population, promote a coordinated development of the unbuilt areas and conserve and restore natural beauty and other natural resources;

(3) To encourage originality, flexibility, and innovation in site planning and development, including the architecture, landscaping and graphic design of proposed developments in relation to the City or design area as a whole;

(4) To discourage monotonous, drab, unsightly, dreary and inharmonious developments and to promote the orderliness of community growth, the protection and enhancement of property values for the community as a whole and as they relate to each other, the minimization of discordant and unsightly surroundings and visual blight, the avoidance of inappropriate and poor quality of design and other environmental and aesthetic considerations which generally enhance rather than detract from community standards and values for the comfort and prosperity of the community and the preservation of its natural beauty and other natural resources which are of proper and necessary concern of local government, and to promote and enhance construction and maintenance practices that will tend to prevent visual blight and enhance environmental and aesthetic quality for the community as a whole;

(5) To aid in assuring that structures, signs and other improvements are properly related to their sites and the surrounding sites and structures, with due regard to the aesthetic qualities of the natural terrain and landscaping and that proper attention is given to exterior appearances of structures, signs and other improvements;

(6) To protect the heritage of the City by ensuring that historic resources retain integrity, ensuring that developments adjacent to historic landmarks are compatible, and by encouraging design that is appropriate to historic design districts;

(7) To protect and enhance the City’s pleasant environments for living and working and thus support and stimulate business and industry and promote the desirability of investment and occupancy in business and other properties;

(8) To stabilize and improve property values and prevent blight areas to help provide an adequate tax base to the City to enable it to provide required services to its citizens;

(9) To foster civic pride and community spirit by reason of the City’s favorable environment and thus promote and protect the peace, health and welfare of the City and its citizens. (Ord. 2164; Ord. 2118)

20F.50.30-020 Authority and Duties.

(1) The Design Review Board shall review all applications requiring building permits except:

(a) One and/or two unit residential buildings;

(b) Signs determined by the Code Administrator to comply with review criteria set forth in Chapter 20D.160 RCDG, Signs;

(d) Commercial buildings located within Heavy Industrial zoning district which are determined by the Technical Committee to not be located upon sites considered sensitive due to the existence of significant natural features or location in areas of high public visibility adjacent to S.R. 520, Willows Road, Marymoor Park, the Sammamish River Trail, and Bear Creek;

(e) Applications encompassing a total valuation of less than $50,000.

(2) The Technical Committee may refer any application requiring a building permit to the Design Review Board for review based upon a determination of noncompliance with review criteria set forth in Chapter 20D.40 RCDG, Design Standards.

(3) The Design Review Board’s decision following review of an application in accordance with the preceding subsection and the criteria referenced therein, shall be binding on the Technical Committee for matters encompassing building, site, landscape, and sign design.

(4) A member of the Design Review Board may participate in Technical Committee meetings for the purpose of presenting the Board’s findings, conclusions and decisions. The Board’s findings, conclusions and decisions shall be a part of the Technical Committee’s response to the applicants.

(5) The Design Review Board may create ad hoc committees for special studies. Neither the Design Review Board nor its committees are delegated any executive or legislative power, authority or responsibility. The Board and its members are to be free from the interference of individual City Council members, Planning Commission members, City officials or other persons.

(6) The Design Review Board may conduct pre-application meetings or consultations with representatives of the Technical Committee. (Ord. 2118)

20F.50.30-030 Appointments and Qualifications.

(1) The Design Review Board shall consist of seven members who shall be appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by a majority vote of the City Council.

(2) Notice of availability of a position on the Board shall be published in a local newspaper of general circulation in the City with said notice to be published no later than 30 days after the effective date of the availability or vacancy of the position. Interested persons may apply for the position by submitting their application and qualifications to the City Clerk who shall accept applications no later than 30 days after the notice publication date. Positions may be filled from the list of applicants. In the event there are no applicants or there are an insufficient number of applicants for the positions available, the Mayor may appoint persons to positions who are not otherwise on the list of applicants.

(3) Five of the members of the Board shall be from the professions of architecture, landscape architecture, urban (design) planner or similar discipline and need not be residents of the City of Redmond. The remaining two members of the Board shall be residents of Redmond and need not be members of the set forth professions. (Ord. 2118)

20F.50.30-040 Term of Office.

Regular term of office for Design Review Board members shall be two years. (Ord. 2118)

20F.50.30-050 Vacancies.

Vacancies shall be filled in the same manner as initial appointments and members appointed to fill a vacancy shall serve for the duration of the unexpired term. (Ord. 2118)

20F.50.30-060 Removal.

Any member of the Design Review Board may be removed for inefficiency, neglect of duty or malfeasance. Removal proceedings may be initiated by the Mayor or the City Council. A two-thirds vote of the Council is required for removal for the above reasons. When a member misses three consecutive meetings and is not excused by a majority vote of the Design Review Board, the position may be declared vacant by the Mayor. (Ord. 2118)

20F.50.30-070 Rules.

The Design Review Board shall adopt rules for the transaction of its business. The rules shall provide for but are not to be limited to the date, time, place and format of regular meetings. Provision shall be made for a record of proceedings, reports, studies, findings, conclusions and recommendations. Said rules shall provide for the election of a Chairman of the Board and Vice Chairman for a one-year term each. Said rules shall provide that the meetings of the Board shall be open to the public but that no special notice of the meetings need be given nor shall such meetings be public hearings although nothing shall prohibit the Board from soliciting explanations and additional input from the applicant or applicant’s representatives and such other sources as the Board deems necessary to enable them to complete their review of the application. Rules of the Design Review Board shall be forwarded to the City Council for their approval and upon receipt of said approval shall be included in an appendix to the Redmond Community Development Guide. (Ord. 2118)

20F.50.30-080 Staff Services.

The Director of Planning and Community Development shall be responsible for the general administration of the Design Review Board and may request staff services from other City departments. (Ord. 2118)

20F.30.30-090 Voting.

The decisions of the Design Review Board shall be made by a majority vote of the quorum present at the time of decision. A majority of the appointed members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business; provided, that at least four shall be required to constitute a quorum excluding any disqualifications. Action may be taken by a majority of those present when those present constitute a quorum at any regular or special meeting of the Design Review Board. Any number less than a quorum shall be authorized to convene a meeting at the time set and to adjourn, recess or continue a regular or special meeting to a date and time certain. (Ord. 2118)

20F.50.30-100 Conflict of Interest.

Members of the Design Review Board shall disqualify themselves from sitting as a member of the Board and shall not otherwise participate on behalf of themselves or any applicant in any Design Review Board actions in which they have an interest. An interest shall be deemed to include, but not be limited to, their own interest or the interest of a client or employer. (Ord. 2118)

20F.50.30-110 Appeals of Design Review Board Decisions.

Applicants, the Technical Committee, and any interested party may appeal decisions of the Board pursuant to RCDG 20F.30.60, Public Hearings and Appeals. (Ord. 2118)