Proposed 8-story Mixed-use Building on ARCO Site Touts a "Dog Park"

The project proposes an eight-story mixed-use building with 217 residential dwelling units above 1,010 square feet of ground floor retail, three live-work units and residential amenities, as well as 220 below grade parking spaces.

It includes a dog park, a community bike repair, community co-work area, and wi-fi plaza open to the public. The design features a terraced residential courtyard with seating areas, seat steps for gathering, a barbeque area and yoga lawn.

Do you think an 8-story building should be shoe-horned into a 5-story neighborhood?   A water feature in the plaza a tiny "dog park" and other public spaces provided "benefit" for a height bonus of two levels. The architect was inspired by the historic Nokomis library.  The park is towards the end of the video.  

The maximum height is five stories in this district without the use of the Green Building Incentive Program (GBP). 

Looking south towards Leary Way
164th Avenue is left

DESIGN REVIEW BOARD REQUIREMENTS: 

However, the Code does allow a height bonus to achieve eight stories by providing 20-percent on-site usable open space in the form of plazas/arcades with water features that are accessible to the public during extended business hours, public meeting rooms, day care services, or the preservation of historic buildings on site. 

The site is 40,435 square feet, where 8,087 square feet of on-site usable open space is required to grant the height bonus. 

The applicant is proposing a [tiny] "dog park," community bike repair, community co-work space and the wi-fi plaza, totaling 8,094 square feet. The 8,094 square feet includes the sidewalk adjacent to these spaces, which City staff is currently evaluating to meet the 20-percent on-site usable open space required to grant the height bonus. 

The plaza can be accessed from NE 80th street and 164th Ave NE and must contain a water feature, however, the site plan nor the elevations show a water feature. The plaza does not meet the requirements to count toward the 20-perent onsite usable open space. 

The dog park, community co-work space, and community bike repair are accessible from 164th Ave NE. All of these spaces are to be accessible to the public and shall look visually accessible and inviting for public use.  Staff will also need to see a water feature included in the plaza in order to meet the 20-percent on-site open space required.

[The City upgraded Nelson's "Project 1" building from 7 to 8 stories when they installed a plaza.  A water feature wasn't required. It seems there's favoritism.]

February, 2022