Design Review Board

Design Review Board Minutes City of Bellingham, Washington Tuesday 3:00 PM October 3, 2023 City Council Chambers Video Recorded https://meetings.cob.org ROLL CALL: Jan Hayes, Maggie Bates, Ryan Van Straten, Coby Jones and David Heck (Recused) Staff Present: Lindsey Kershner, PCDD , Fiona Starr PCDD, Kathy Bell, PCDD - Call to Order The Design Review Board meeting was called to order by the Chair at 3:00 PM. 2. Approval of Minutes Public Comment Period During this time, citizens may take up to three (3) minutes to address the members about any topic not on the agenda. Citizens wishing to speak during this time will be recognized by the Chair for comment. Agenda Items Public Meeting 1. Early Design Guidance Meeting for a project located at 110 W. Laurel Street Also Known As Millworks Phase II Development of a seven-story, mixed-use building with a ground floor food campus, second floor office and meeting spaces, and five-stories of approximately 80 owner-occupied and rental workforce housing units above. A three-story structured parking garage with a public plaza and event center above the garage is proposed on the east side of the development to be used by both Millworks Phase I (100 W. Laurel St.) and the subject project. The project proponent is requesting departures from the pedestrian connectivity, building scale, and blank walls waterfront urban village design guidelines and standards, Section 20.25.080 Bellingham Municipal Code. Design Review is required because the project is in the Waterfront design review district. Staff Overview Lindsay Kershner said this project in the waterfront district and requires design review. It follows the established waterfront district design standards, distinct from recently adopted urban village design guidelines. The applicant's proposal, including a setback from West Laurel Street and a public plaza, may deviate from some standards. The board will assess which guidelines apply, referencing detailed attachments and the applicant's justifications. The discussion will be organized using recommendation found on A.2. Applicant Presentation: Applicant Team: Neil McCarthy and Robert Wright, RMC Architects, Mauri Ingram, Whatcom Community Foundation Neil McCarthy began stating he will be navigating through the standards systematically. He will be focusing the Millworks 2 site on the old parcel between the railroad line and Cornwall Avenue. Phase 1 is under construction, while Phase 2 is the highlighted yellow area. This parcel is in close relationship to the waterfront and downtown districts, influencing design decisions and design constraints moving forward. He said he wanted to start with site standards, beginning with the focus on pedestrian orientation at streets, parks, and trails. Phase 2 features a 7-story building—5 residential stories over a 2-story base. The site is located between Cornwall Avenue and Laurel Street. Emphasis is placed on the pedestrian environment, particularly along Cornwall, where there's no sidewalk on one side due to elevation. He highlighted the pedestrian experience on Laurel and internally on the site. Neil McCarthy continued in identifying the pedestrian park for the overall site, addressing challenges like slopes and constraints. The focus is on creating connections, including a plaza, third-floor terrace, and potential pedestrian bridges for future integration. Acoustical considerations due to the proximity to the railroad were discussed, with plans for noise mitigation through building design and infrastructure. Moving on to the building standards, he provided an overview of the site plans, building scale, rooftop features, and materials. Mitigating a blank wall along the railroad line involves architectural concrete, green walls, and acoustical treatment. Finally, he highlighted potential departures related to building length, plaza location, and blank walls, seeking consideration for the unique project constraints. Board Clarifying Questions: Coby Jones asked about the parking garage, specifically on level 2, as seen on sheet 25. He asked if the designs shows there are windows facing the parking garage. Is this intentional, and if so, what purpose or design concept does it serve? Neil McCarthy said those windows would be commercial type windows to give the appearance of commercial space. Coby Jones continued and asked about the covered accessibility of the terrace (confirmed accessible with 2 sets of elevators). Regarding the entry stairwell and its 60% transparency requirement and the design incorporates a bend. Is there a reason it isn’t more wide open. Neil McCarthy said it is to provide a buffer from the railroad line, emphasizing robust landscaping for plaza privacy. The intention is to create a more direct connection between the stairs and the plaza, while also offering a varied and experiential journey through different levels of the stair. Maggie Bates asked if the spaces would have limited access by the public. Neil McCarthy said yes likely. Ryan Van Straten asked if windows facing the railroad would buffer more sound. Neil McCarthy confirmed they would. Public Comment There was no public comment. Board Discussion The Board agreed to walk through packet attachment A-2. Departure - Pedestrian Through Block Connections  Achieved: Yes  Consensus: Creative solutions to restraints of site Departure Plaza/Building Scale  Achieved: Yes  Consensus: Because the applicant is proposing a plaza the building scale design standard is being met. Misc. Comment Coby Jones asked about the terrace stairs and will there be differentiation between the common food court and the public space terrace? Neil McCarthy confirmed there will be. Departure – Weather Protection  Achieved: Yes with Plaza not needed  Consensus: Weather protection will be provided along Laurel Departure – Blank Walls  Achieved: Yes to wall adjacent to railroad – No to parking garage wall.  Consensus: The wall adjacent to the railroad track being treated with concrete detail and louvers is fine with board. The blank wall on east façade of parking garage needs to be further addressed further. Can consider expanding the openings along this side to break up the wall or mitigate with more landscaping. They could also include windows. There was consensus it shouldn’t be a solid wall and openings need to be made for visibility. Other Business