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Notice of SEPA Determination of Non-Significance (DNS) September 22, 2023 - SEPA Determination of Non-Significance for proposed text changes to VMC Title 20, Land Use and Development Code, regarding warehouse/freight distribution uses and specifically, warehouses larger than 250,000 square feet. Proposed Text Changes: 1. Amend Use Table VMC 20.440.030-1, Industrial Zoning Districts Use Table as follows: USE - OCI - IL - IH - ECX Warehouse/Freight Movement - X - L/X-12 - P/L-38 - X 12-Warehouse/Freight Movement buildings up to 250,000 square feet of gross floor area on the ground floor of the building Permitted allowed as a limited use, provided all activities, except outdoor storage of materials are wholly contained within building(s); buildings larger than 250,000 square feet of gross floor area on the ground floor of the building are prohibited. 38-Warehouse/Freight Movement uses larger than 250,000 square feet of gross floor area on the ground floor of the building allowed as a limited use, subject to miscellaneous special use standards of VMC 20.895.120. 2. Amend the IH, Heavy Industrial Dimensional Standards at VMC 20.440.040-1 to lower the maximum lot coverage for warehouses to 75%, as follows: STANDARD - OCI - IL - IH Maximum Lot Coverage - 100% - 75% - 100%/75%-7 7-Warehouse/Freight Distribution uses in buildings over 250,000 square feet of gross floor area on the ground floor shall have a maximum lot coverage of 75% 3. Amend Miscellaneous Special Use Standards VMC 20.895 to add a new section regarding Large Warehouse special standards, as VMC 20.895.120, as follows: 20.895.120 Warehouses Larger than 250,000 Square Feet (NEW SECTION) A. Defined. The standards in this section apply to warehouse/freight movement buildings larger than 250,000 square feet of gross floor area on the ground floor. B. Traffic. Tractor trailers delivering goods to or from warehouses covered by this section shall not travel on Fruit Valley Road. C. Visual impact reduction. Warehouses covered by this section located adjacent to a public street or highway shall provide a combination of: 1. Architectural elements such as windows, articulation of the fa{c-ced}ade, and/or moderately-dark color (e.g. not white or light-colored) walls, and 2. A 25-foot deep landscaped buffer between the building and street or highway consisting of native or climate adaptive conifer trees that typically reach at least 60 feet height at maturity, spaced no further than twenty feet apart. If a sidewalk or utiity easement exists in the landscaped buffer, the minimum width shall be increased accordingly. D. Climate action measures. 1. Building roofs shall be designed and constructed to handle the structural load of solar panels and equipment, electrical panels and conduit shall be installed to facilitate rooftop solar panels in the future, and rooftop HVAC systems shall be clustered as much as possible to facilitate maximum use of roof area for solar panels. 2. Skylights and/or clerestory windows shall be provided to facilitate natural light. 3. Roofs shall be white or light colored to reduce heat retention. 4. Truck engine idling is prohibited while parked or loading/unloading. 5. All loading docks shall be outfitted with outlets for charging electricpowered trucks. 6. Electric Vehicle Charging. EV charging stations shall be provided at a minimum of 20% of parking spaces. 7. In addition to the tree density requirements of VMC 20.770, Tree, Vegetation and Soil Conservation, an area of the project site equivalent to 20% of the building footprint area shall be planted with trees at a density of at least thirty trees per acre subject to the size, locational and maintenance requirements of VMC 20.770. Such additional trees may be planted in a tree tract on-site or at an off-site location owned by the applicant and within city limits, as approved by the City Forester. 4. Amend Table 20.945.070-2 Minimum Off-Street Vehicle Parking Requirements to lower the parking requirement for all warehouse uses, as follows: Table 20.945.070-2 Minimum Off-Street Parking Requirements Use - Minimum Warehouse/Freight Movement - 1.0/2,000-5,000 The City of Vancouver, lead agency, has reviewed the Environmental Checklist as required by WAC 197-11-330(1), pursuant to the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA), and determined that the proposals will not have a probable significant adverse impact on the environment. Under the authority of WAC 197-11-330(1) and 197-11-350, this Notice of Determination of Non-Significance (DNS) has been issued. A SEPA checklist and background information are available from City staff. Pursuant to WAC 197-11-340, comments on this SEPA determination will be received until 5:00 p.m., October 23, 2023. Procedural appeals to the SEPA determination must be filed in writing within 14 calendar days following the end of the comment period. A City Council decision of the SEPA procedural appeal shall be final and not subject to further administrative appeal. Substantive SEPA appeals shall be filed in writing within 14 calendar days of the issuance of Councils decision. Contact: Bryan Snodgrass, Principal Planner, Vancouver Community Development Department (360 487-7946), bryan.snodgrass@cityofvancouver.us /s/Bryan Snodgrass Date: September 22, 2023 Sept. 22 - 837710