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Developer returns with revised layout for East 20 First project after earlier denial; commissioners flag slopes and access
Summary
A sketch plan for a five-story, 35-unit building at East 20 First Street was discussed; staff and the applicant described revisions to improve fire and vehicle circulation and asked for additional details on retaining walls, stormwater and screening.
The commission reviewed a sketch plan to consolidate six lots at 921–933 East 20 First Street and construct a roughly 7,000-square-foot, five-story building containing 35 dwelling units (11 one-bedroom and 24 two-bedroom units). The plan shows 47 ground-level parking spaces (including two ADA spaces) and 14 spaces in a basement garage.
Background and context: Planning staff noted the project had previously been reviewed as a preliminary final plan in mid-2024 and was denied by city council in October 2024. The new sketch seeks improved circulation and addressing prior concerns. The site is wooded and slopes down toward Ridley Creek; steep slopes ranging from 15–25% were documented on the plan.
Applicant’s revisions: The applicant said the new layout provides full circulation around the building for fire and trash trucks, relocates a garage entrance previously on the front of the building, and shows a dumpster pad accessible by a trash truck so pickups can be made without reversing into the street. The applicant also described proposed retaining walls and guide rail/fall-protection fencing for changes in elevation.
Staff concerns: Planning staff asked for additional landscape buffering (evergreens) to screen the building from adjacent homes and asked that utilities be placed underground. The city engineer raised typical engineering concerns: driveway slope limits (maximum 10% within 20 feet of a street right-of-way), retention/infiltration testing for stormwater, and avoiding infiltration upgradient of the building foundation. Fire access and potential need for sprinklering in a multiunit building were also raised.
Next steps: The item was reviewed as a sketch plan; staff asked the applicant to provide formal turning templates for fire and trash apparatus, additional stormwater testing and a tree-protection/debris-management plan for the steep site before a preliminary/final plan is submitted for formal review.
