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Emergency Access The applicants have worked with the City’s Fire Department staff to design a no-parking lane on Foss Road for emergency vehicle access to the site. It is noted that with assisted living facilities, higher emergency call rates are common, and ensuring that this access is available is a condition of site plan approval. The alternative would have required emergency vehicles to back out onto Foss Road after a call, a less than ideal condition. Grading and Drainage, Impervious Surface The site is developed to capture stormwater and drain to infiltration and rate-control ponding at the east end of the site, before the treated stormwater is released to the Mirror Lake storm system. The City Engineer will review the grading and drainage plans for compliance with the City ‘s requirements. The site has been re-designed to fall just above the maximum impervious surface coverage of 50% for the R-4 District at 54.3%. This coverage requires a variance (as discussed above). It excludes the deck area to the east of the building, which is not factored into the impervious coverage provided that the “weed barrier” below the deck is a pervious fabric material. Landscaping and Lighting The applicant has provided a landscaping plan that consists of ornamental plantings around the west and north sides of the building and natural landscape perennial plantings in and around the ponding area. Included in the plan is the requisite number of overstory trees per City requirements. As noted above, there is no foundation planting along the south side of the building. Staff would encourage some additional landscape plantings in the landscape rock mulch area, designed to minimize impacts on underground utilities, and to enhance the building materials/design recommendations noted above. The landscape plan has been supplemented with additional foundation plantings along the south building wall. As discussed in the City Engineer’s memorandum on impervious surface, the applicant should find additional opportunities to increase natural or native vegetation on the site, and to increase tree cover. Trees are proposed along much of the north property line, with newly added shrub and ornamental grass planting area. Additional tree planting (particularly with upright ornamental small trees, could be added to the south property line, and near the trash enclosure area. The applicant has provided a lighting plan that relies on wall-pack downlighting on the building’s west, north, and east walls. Parking lot pole lighting (at 18 feet) is shown in two locations, also downcast as required by code. No lighting is proposed for the south side of the property. The photometric plan shows zero foot-candle intensity at all property lines, consistent with city code requirements. Sustainability Features and Other Elements The R-4 District includes a section suggesting that sustainability features may be factored into the City’s analysis of any R-4 development project. Examples in the code include “. . . charging stations for electric vehicles, storm water treatment and re-use for landscape irrigation, accommodations for sustainable energy provisions, such as roof-top solar or wind, and other measures”. The plans do not include particular details of these specific features. It is noted that a significant portion of the site (more than 25%) is devoted to stormwater management, and landscaped with trees and natural grasses and perennials, consistent with the City’s natural landscape code elements. The addition of more natural landscape and tree cover as recommended would add to this feature. Natural landscape cover will reduce the need for irrigation, and tree cover both reduces heat, and helps minimize evaporation of surface moisture. Finally, the applicant has provided a sign location in the front of the building, with a listed size of 34 square feet. This would be consistent with the requirements for such ground signs, and will be reviewed under separate sign permitting. 27