Facilities Master Plan

Existing Conditions

Campus Descriptions

• Main Campus

• Enumclaw Campus

• Kent Campus

• Other Off-Site Facilities
   

Main Campus

Description

GRCC is located in south King County, two miles northeast of downtown Auburn. The site lies on a high bluff above the Green River. The property is bounded on the east by SR18 and on the south by the Green River; the north and west boundaries border residential developments. Just south of the Green River is Auburn Narrows Park with the Muckleshoot Reservation further to the south.  

For more information about programs offered at the main campus go to: http://www.greenriver.edu/ 

Property Ownership

Figure 5 shows the ownership of property related to the GRCC campus. The main campus is located on land owned and leased from Washington’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) (parcels 1, 2 and 3). The total leased property is 186.8 acres with 80 acres currently developed. GRCC owns property north of SE 320th including the site where the Child Care facility is currently located and the site of Campus Corner Apartments. The property owned by GRCC totals 78.07 acres. Other properties include a parcel owned by the GRCC Foundation (Parking Lot K) which is 4.11 acres, property owned by DNR to the west of the leased property (37.35 acres) and one parcel privately owned just north of the Child Care Center. These properties together total 307.91 acres. 
 

Zoning

The City of Auburn’s Urban Growth Area Boundary runs through the middle of the site and includes all of GRCC’s developed property. An area immediately west of the site was recently annexed by Auburn in March 1, 2000. It is anticipated that Auburn will annex the GRCC site within the next several years. Planners at the City of Auburn currently do not expect major changes in regulatory requirements for GRCC since they have adopted the land use and planning code of King County. However, if GRCC expands substantially beyond its boundaries, the planners noted that further requirements may be imposed. Further discussions with King County and the City of Auburn must continue throughout Phase 2 of the master plan process. 

The contiguous parcels of the campus have two zoning designations as outlined in the King County Zoning Code Title 21A. Parcels 4 and 5 and the southern half of parcel 2 are zoned RA-5 – Rural Area, one dwelling unit per 5 acres. The remainder are zoned R-4 – Residential, four dwelling units per acre. Parcels 10, 11 and 12, all north of SE 320th Street ( including the child care site) are R-6 – Residential, six dwelling units per acre. 

The King County Zoning Code defines most land uses based on the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA)’s Standard Industrial Classification (SIC). Under this definition GRCC is a ‘College’ under the general category of ‘Regional Land Use’. All three of the zoning designations that apply to the site allow for ‘College’ use. In addition, the following Development Standards related to setbacks, height limits, impervious surfaces, landscaping, parking and other circulation requirements apply to each zoning designation as shown. 

Setbacks / Heights / Impervious Surfaces

Minimum Street Setback 30 ft. 10 ft. (1) 10 ft. (1)

Minimum Interior Setback 30 ft. (2) 30 ft. (2) 30 ft. (2)

Maximum Base Height 40 ft. (3) 35 (3,4) 35 (3,4)

Maximum Impervious Surfaces 40% (5) 70% (5) 70% (5)  

At least twenty linear feet of driveway shall be provided between any garage, carport or other fenced parking area and the street property line. (KCC 21A.12.030.8)  

For non-residential use, not including parking (KCC 21A.12.220.B,D)  

Base height may be increased if portions of the structure that exceed the base height limit provide one additional foot of street and interior setback for each foot above the base height limit, but the maximum height may not exceed seventy-five feet (KCC 21A.12.030.4)  

Base height to be used only for a building with a footprint built on slopes exceeding a fifteen percent finished grade (KCC 21A.12.030.14a)  

For non-residential uses in residential zones, impervious surface shall not exceed: 40 percent of the site in the RA zone and 70 percent of the site in the R-4 and R-6 zones (KCC 21A.12.220.A1,2)  

Enumclaw Campus

Description

The Enumclaw Campus is an extension of GRCC located in downtown Enumclaw, 15 miles southeast of Auburn. This facility provides 11,518 gross square feet of program and support space. 

For more information about programs offered at Enumclaw go to: http://www.greenriver.edu/enumclaw/ 

The campus is located on the edge of Enumclaw’s central business district at the southwest corner of Porter Street and Griffin Avenue. Porter Street is an extension of State Route 169 and Griffin Avenue leads directly to the center of town. The City of Enumclaw Municipal Code governs development on sites within city boundaries.  

Figure 7. Enumclaw Campus Location 

Zoning

The Enumclaw Campus parcel is zoned CB-1. Mutual of Enumclaw Insurance is directly across Porter Street and also on parcels zoned CB-1. A city building is located diagonally across the intersection. All other properties adjacent to and across the street from the site are in single-family residential zones.  

In the CB-1 district, the maximum height is four and one-half stories or 40 feet (excepting where the district abuts upon a residential district the maximum permitted building height cannot exceed the maximum building height permitted in the abutting residential district (30’) for a distance of 120 feet from the abutting boundary). (Ord. 1960 § 3, 1998). All lots or development sites in the CB-1 district shall have no requirements as to lot area, lot coverage or yard setbacks. (Ord. 1960 § 3, 1998). Parking required for colleges is .35 spaces per student. There are no known sensitive areas associated with the site. 

Kent Campus

Description

The City of Kent and Tarragon Development, in a public-private partnership are developing Kent Station, a realization of the City’s vision to create a downtown that is the community’s focal point and identity. Kent Station is located adjacent to Sound Transit’s Sounder Commuter Rail Station and parking garage, the existing downtown, and the King County Regional Justice Center.

Location

For site plan images, visit the City of Kent web site at:  http://www.ci.kent.wa.us/KentStation/plans.asp#Plan 

Between 2000 and 2010, the populations of Auburn and Kent are projected to increase by 8.5 percent. Kent is now the largest community in South King County, with 84,000 residents. With that growth in mind, the City of Kent, Kent School District, and Kent Chamber of Commerce strongly encouraged Green River to relocate from its then current leased facility to Kent Station and expand its delivery of education and training services.

Taking into consideration the long term goal of expanding the college’s presence at the Kent Campus during Phase II, college staff worked with the project developer to locate Kent Campus Phase I adjacent to a building site ideally suited for the construction of Phase II.

These side-by-side locations for Kent Campus Phase I and II are adjacent to the Sounder train station and bus connectors, providing excellent public transportation for students and staff. See Figure 10

A large parking garage is also adjacent to the site. Kent Campus I was completed in the summer of 2005 and Phase II became fully operational in fall quarter 2009.

The Phase I and II facilities provide over 66,000 gross square feet of program and support space to better serve the communities in the northern portion of our service district, as well as allow the college to expand its offerings by delivering general studies programs.

For more information about programs offered at Kent Campus go to:
http://www.greenriver.edu/kentcampus/
 

Other Off-Site Facilities

The college leases 7,280 GSF at the Auburn Transit Center Auburn that houses the Auburn Adult Education Center.

The college also leases 3,840 GSF in Auburn at the Western Sound Investment Storage Facility for drama program-related storage

GRCC owns 80 acres of land east of Enumclaw on the White River. The property, formerly known as Mud Mountain Dam, was re-named the Pat Cummins Managed Forest to honor the work of the Natural Resources program's founder. The Natural Resources students study in the outdoor classroom, and have a large log cabin that the Forestry Club maintains.