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north seattle community college

long range campus plan

Long Range Campus plan

Nor th Seattle Community College

2007

North Seattle Community college Ronald H. Lafayette, President Alan Ward, Vice President for Administrative Services Mary Ellen O’Keeffe, Vice President for Instruction Ray Flores, Vice President, Student Development Services Jack Bautsch, Director, Institutional Research & Planning Bruce Kieser, Director, Facilities & Plant Operations department of General administration, e&A services Cheryl Royal, Facilities Senior Planner SCHACHT ASLANI ARCHITECTS Walter Schacht, Principal-in-charge Cima Malek-Aslani, Principal Eric Aman, Project Manager Krishna Bharathi Land use - GordonDerr, LLP. Brent Carson David Van Skike educational Planning - Paulien Associates, Inc. Daniel Paulien Frank Markley SUSTAINABILITY - O’Brien & Company Nora Daley-Peng Landscape - Nakano Associates Kenichi Nakano Mechanical - Flack + Kurtz Allan Montpellier Civil - Magnusson Klemencic Associates Steve Godes Structural - Magnusson Klemencic Associates Peter Somers Electrical - Travis Fitzmaurice Associates Kevin Wartelle Transportation - Transportation Solutions, Inc. David W. Johnson

Table of Contents I. Executive summary A. Process B. Mission, Values & Strategic Plan C. College Profile D. Site E. Buildings F. Sustainability G. Development Plan

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II. College mission, Vision, values & strategic plan A. Mission, Vision, Values & Strategic Plan 1. Mission 2. Values 3. Strategic Plan B. Long Range Campus Plan Goals & Objectives C. Implications for Long Range Campus Plan

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III. College profile A. Background 1. General Information 2. History 3. Environment B. Students & Programs 1. Enrollment 2. Programs

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IV. Site A. Access & Circulation 1. Public Transportation 2. Parking 3. Pedestrian Circulation B. Open Space & Landscape 1. Gathering & Recreational Spaces 2. Landscape

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C. Site Infrastructure 1. Civil 2. Mechanical 3. Power System, Service D. Lighting North Seattle Community College

Long Range Campus Plan

E. Signage V. Buildings A. Space Utilization B. Building Systems 1. Structural 2. Mechanical 3. Electrical 4. Lighting 5. Technology 6. Summary Observations

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VI. Sustainability

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VII. Development Plan A. Long Range Campus Plan B. 4-Year Plan C. 10-Year Plan D. 25-Year Plan

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VIII. appendix A. Strategic Planning for Programs 1. Environmental Scan, Occupational Demand/Workforce Study 2. Utilization & Space Needs Analysis B. Consultant Reports 1. Civil 2. Landscape 3. Structural 4. Mechanical 5. Electrical 6. Sustainability 7. Transportation

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I.Executive Summary North Seattle Community College’s long range campus plan is the result of a comprehensive effort to understand the future of the institution in terms of its urban context, its constituents, its programs and its physical plant. It is a long range vision that responds to enrollment and educational trends, creates a place that fosters a much needed sense of campus community and renews the life of existing facilities. Today, enrollment growth at the college is static. The local and state economy are strong and the demand for worker retraining is growing in health care, HVAC and business. The future of the school is bright. It is adjacent to the rapidly developing Northgate Urban Village. It is across from the Northgate Transit Center, a regional transportation hub. The density and the ease of access to the area indicate long range potential for growth at the college. The college’s original campus facilities, which constitute most of the campus, are nearly forty years old. Their civil, structural, mechanical and electrical systems have outlived their serviceability. However, they are in generally good condition and have adequate space to meet most of the college’s program needs for the next twenty-five years. The long range campus plan is built around a commitment to taking advantage of the college’s urban setting and to renewing the original structures through a planned series of comprehensive renovations that will extend their life for the next forty years. Clearly defined needs for changes in instructional space can be accommodated within the existing buildings. Relocation of functions that promote gathering to the center of campus creates a sense of place within the existing context and gives the college a heart. A. Process The planning process commenced in 2005, stimulated by activities that the college’s leadership recognized would have significant impact on the school. Planning for the development of the Northgate Urban Village, a growing commercial and residential district, indicated the potential for long term growth in the area. Plans to extend light rail to the Northgate Transit Center indicated that access to the area in general and the college in particular would make it easier for students to get to campus. The college was preparing to commence a strategic planning effort and self-study in preparation of reaccreditation. At the same time, the ordinance that established North Seattle Community College’s (NSCC) land use rights, its Major Institution Master Plan (MIMP) was coming up for renewal in 2009. The college’s leadership believed that the time was right to evaluate the future of the campus in light of all the issues that might impact its development. They engaged Schacht Aslani Architects to lead a multi-disciplinary planning team to work with the college to create a new long range campus plan for the campus and update the MIMP. The team included an educational planner, who conducted an environmental scan and evaluated the utilization of space on campus. A land use attorney analyzed the MIMP and recommended strategies for renewing it. A transportation planner and civil, landscape, structural, mechanical and electrical engineers, analyzed the existing facilities and identified needs and solutions. A sustainable design consultant established a plan to increase environmental responsibility. North Seattle Community College


B. mission, values & Strategic plan North Seattle Community College’s mission and values establish the institution’s underlying principles. The strategic plan provides direction for the development outlined in the long range campus plan: • Innovate Take advantage of the college’s place in emerging Northgate Urban Village in terms of increased visibility, increased density and increased access to mass transit. • Partner Provide space for program partnerships with schools and agencies that share the college’s commitment of service to a broad community of people. • Sustain Renew existing facilities to extend the life of critical resources. Incorporate environmentally responsible planning and design principles in construction, maintenance and operations. • Transform Create an accessible, welcoming campus environment that fosters gathering and invites students, faculty and staff to engage with each other. C. College profile 1. History The college is a member of the Seattle Community College District and is the largest public institution in the north end of the City of Seattle. Most of its facilities were constructed in 1970. The local economy began to decline soon after construction was completed. Enrollment at the college has never reached capacity. The original buildings stand today almost entirely as constructed. In the late 1990s, three additional buildings were constructed. The MIMP was created in order to allow this development. Only a few institutions in the City of Seattle, among them universities, colleges and hospitals, have the long range development protection afforded by a MIMP. It provides broad flexibility that allows institutions to establish long range plans that include generalized projections of site development. 2. Environment The college is located in the Licton Springs Neighborhood and is on the edge of an area of Seattle which is designated for high density urban development. The Northgate Mall, the Northgate Transit Center and Interstate 5 (I-5) are the stimuli for long range growth in the area. Current development of multi-family dwellings in the area reflects this trend. 3. Students & Programs a. Enrollment Projections Enrollment in Fall 2005 was 3,503 FTEs (3,722 with worker retraining FTE included). Projected enrollment growth to 2010 is modest, on the order of 500 FTEs. Demographic trends indicate that the college’s student body is likely to become increasingly diverse in terms of ethnic background, age and economic level, which indicates need for expanded student services, better access and orientation.

b. Programs The college has four basic instructional areas: academic, basic education, professional/technical and continuing education. It provides a wide range of extracurricular programs and has one of the best distance learning programs in the state. The college’s short term plan is to maintain the general mix of programs it currently offers. Administration and faculty are working to update workforce programs in response to current instructional needs. The college’s major new program offerings are in Nanotechnology and HVAC. The college is also creating new career pathways in health care, business and engineering technology. D. Site 1. Access & Circulation a. Public Transportation The Northgate Transit center is a regional hub for Metro bus service. Long term plans call for Sound Transit’s light rail line to be extended to Northgate, which will improve capacity and reduce travel time. Getting to the college itself by mass transit is not as easy. Although the college is directly served by a number of bus routes, travel time from the transit center to campus is twice as long as travel time from downtown Seattle to Northgate. The college should encourage its population to take advantage of public transportation, which would increase access, reduce parking demand and meet the school’s goals for environmental stewardship. Development of connections linking the college and the transit center are critical to making NSCC a place that is perceived as being conveniently accessible by mass transit. b. Parking The majority of the college’s students, faculty and staff use automobiles to get to campus. Parking facilities are more than adequate to serve the college’s short and long term needs since they were designed to accommodate a larger student body than currently attends the school. c. Pedestrian Circulation Off Campus I-5 is the most significant pedestrian barrier in the Northgate area, effectively cutting it in half. A pedestrian bridge crossing the highway to connect the transit center with the college and its surrounding neighborhood is needed. The college should be engaged in the urban planning work that is connected to the extension of light rail to Northgate and planned improvements to I-5 to support implementation of the crossing. On Campus The original campus is a megastructure, constructed almost entirely of exposed concrete. It is inwardly focused and does not connect to the surrounding urban environment. The main entry, off College Way North, is blocked by a monumental stair, which is a barrier to disabled access. Access from the parking facilities is poorly defined and does not facilitate safe pedestrian movement. North Seattle Community College


Within the campus, lack of differentiation in the character of outdoor spaces and buildings makes it difficult for people to orient themselves. Buildings are linked to each other by exterior walkways that discourage people from occupying the campus’ open spaces. Buildings do not have the typical common spaces, such as lobbies and hallways, where people engage one another and the life of a community is experienced. The campus has many dark corners, which create orientation and safety issues for users. Improving pedestrian access, orientation and circulation on campus is a major priority for the college. 2. Open Space & Landscape a. Gathering & Recreational Spaces Outdoor spaces are characterized by the concrete paving, walls and walkways that surround them. On typical overcast or rainy days during the school year they are dark, wet and dreary. The spaces are not conducive to gathering. Providing opportunities for people to engage in community is one of the strongest needs voiced by students, faculty and staff. The college needs a center where the density of pedestrian activity is adequate to foster gathering. The existing central courtyard could be developed to fit this need - a place where people come to together and interact. For this to occur, the space needs to be surrounded by programmatic activities that attract people, creating a critical mass of activity. Color should be introduced into the college’s buildings and open spaces to provide relief to the cold, grey color and texture. Reducing the use of elevated walkways and encouraging people to use the ground level to move between buildings is critical to increasing activity in open spaces. The roof plaza deck over the Art & Science and Technology Buildings is a vast open space that is largely uninhabited. It is leaking and needs repair. Removal of the paving that covers the roof membrane offers an opportunity to create a green roof, provide informal play space and serve the college’s sustainability agenda. There is a limited amount of outdoor recreational space on campus. An open grassy area across the street from campus core provides space for informal games like Frisbee. The distance from the campus core to these areas make them unlikely spaces to be used between classes or during lunch. b. Landscape The campus is organized in three zones. The core comprises the tightly clustered campus buildings. Surrounding the core is the parking and vehicular circulation zone. Finally, the wetland zone is a woodlands that acts as buffer between the campus and the surrounding community on the north and south sides, and I-5 on the east. Topography and overgrown plants limit visual access into parking areas and the campus core. The plant palette in the core has evolved over time and includes predominantly native plants with accents of non-native species. Plantings in the core area of campus need maintenance. Non-native English Ivy is taking over trees and ground surfaces and slopes.

3. Infrastructure The basic civil infrastructure is nearly forty years old and shows significant signs of wear. There have been no major improvements to the original systems. Portions of the stormwater system have failed, creating flooding problems. Many of the roof systems are past their service life and are failing. Miscellaneous flooding occurs due to inadequate gutter systems. Upgrades to the stormwater system could include rain gardens and bio-filtration to increase landscaping, reduce maintenance and serve the college’s sustainable design agenda. The original campus buildings were built at the peak of cheap electric power in Washington State. Electricity was used as the energy source for the campus mechanical systems. It is no longer an economical or sustainable choice. New sources, such as gas or geothermal wells should be implemented as part of the comprehensive renovation of buildings. Overall capacity of the electrical system is more than adequate for future needs. As the mechanical system is converted to other energy sources, power supply for other electrical needs will be made available. 4. Lighting Parking lot lighting is in generally good condition and provides sufficient light levels. The level of exterior walkway lighting, however, is too low, leaving many dark, uninviting areas. Students and staff feel unsafe during evening class hours. Emergency egress illumination is not up to current code. 5. Signage Wayfinding on campus is difficult. Lack of centralized building circulation, poor exterior lighting and the monotony of color and texture in the architecture all contribute to the situation. Current signage lacks the scale and graphic design to help the situation. A consistent campus-wide signage system with integrated lighting is a key priority for the college. E. Buildings 1. Space Utilization Instructional space (classrooms, teaching labs and open labs) comprises 37% of total assignable space on the NSCC campus. This is high compared to the national standard of 25%. The college has a smaller amount of assembly, exhibit and recreational space than most institutions of its size. Classrooms comprise 18% of the assignable space on campus. Teaching laboratories account for 19% assignable square feet. The college’s classrooms are slightly under utilized. Below average hour room use indicates that there is spare capacity within the total amount of classroom space. Below average student station occupancy means that class sections are being taught in rooms that are larger than needed for their programs.

North Seattle Community College


The college’s teaching laboratories are well utilized. Weekly room hour use is above average. Current and long range program requirements indicate a need for more teaching labs and fewer classrooms. Currently there are 326,106 assignable square feet on campus. An analysis of space needs for 2005 indicated that there was a surplus of about 5% of assignable square footage. Despite the surplus, there was not enough space to accommodate programs that required teaching laboratories for instruction. An analysis of space needs for 2010 indicates that an increase in enrollment and an in the number of program partners that will be housed on campus will result in a deficit of about 4% of assignable square feet. Projected space needs are in teaching laboratories and library. Most of the college’s long range space needs can be addressed within the context of its existing buildings. Scheduling course offerings to take advantage of off-peak hours would increase utilization. Growth of on-line and hybrid courses will also reduce demand on classes. Reconfiguring classrooms to align with student station occupancy requirements and eliminating under utilized classrooms would free up some square footage to make up the deficit in teaching laboratories. The amount of additional square footage required to meet the college’s needs is modest. Most of the school’s needs can be addressed by renovating existing space in response to changed instructional uses and technologies. Additions to existing facilities would provide adequate room to take care of the rest. 2. Building Systems The State Board’s 2005 Facility Conditions Survey indicates that the original campus buildings are in average to below average condition for their use and age. Four of the five original buildings - the Instruction Building, the College Center, the Library Building and the Technology Building, ranked in the next to worst category, which is classified as “needs improvement/renovation.” a. Structural The buildings are generally in good condition. However, the original buildings were designed prior to the adoption of contemporary seismic codes. No global seismic improvement have been made to them. The structures lack adequate lateral strength to satisfy the performance objectives outlined in an ASCE 31 seismic evaluation. The buildings need significant structural improvements to meet contemporary life safety requirements. b. Mechanical The air distribution system needs to be modified to provide better control and a higher level of energy-efficiency. There are opportunities to improve energy-efficiency and reduce operating costs within the current system. Converting of ductwork and the chilled water distribution systems to a variable volume systems offers the largest potential for cost savings.

The majority of restrooms serving the five original buildings on campus are accessed from the exterior walkways. This poses safety issues for students, faculty and staff. The plumbing fixtures are past their service life and are not compliant with current water usage regulations. The number of restrooms are not adequate to comply with current codes. The college should engage in a long range program to relocate restrooms to the interior of buildings to improve safety. For the most part, the original buildings do not have fire protections systems. Any building undergoing a major renovation will need to have a code compliant fire protection system added. c. Electrical The existing switchgear and switchboards in the original buildings are nearly forty years old and nearing the end of their anticipated service life. For the near term, the existing equipment will continue to function adequately provided that it is maintained. Planning for replacement should be part of the college’s long range maintenance strategy. Replacement should occur as part of any renovation projects. The college’s data cabling, clock and CATV systems are all in good condition and meet program needs. There is no campus-wide security system. The fire alarm system needs technological upgrades. d. Lighting Lighting in the original buildings does not meet current Seattle Energy Code or provide an environment for contemporary instructional media or computers. Emergency egress lighting does not meet current code requirements. Lighting in the original buildings should be replaced whenever renovations occur. The college should consider replacement of light fixtures independent of renovation projects in order to improve light quality and reduce energy usage. The State and the power company both offer incentive programs that would help to fund these improvements. The college should take advantage of the State Treasurer’s Lease/Purchase Program to finance performance contracts through ESCOS. e. Summary Observations The original buildings are an important physical resource, but they need to be comprehensively renovated to continue to serve the college’s programmatic needs and be cost-effective to operate. Renovations have been made to the existing buildings to modify spaces to meet changing programmatic demands. These projects have been tenant improvements and have not addressed building deficiencies systematically. Problematic building systems are now buried behind new finishes. It is impossible to retrofit these spaces to deal with systematic deficiencies without undoing the new work. In order to realize the opportunity to extend the life of its main campus buildings for another generation the college must commit itself to a policy of comprehensively renovating its facilities, upgrading all building systems as part of its renovation projects. This means that the whole structure of each building should be renovated rather than making piecemeal improvements.



F. sustainability Sustainability is a fundamental component of the long range campus plan. Broad sustainable principles for development of the long range campus plan include making the whole campus a living laboratory for learning, creating an inviting, accessible campus environment, addressing stormwater quality and quantity in ways that enhance the campus’ image, and planning for incremental development that renews the school’s forty year old buildings. Specific recommendations include: Site Reduce paved areas. Strengthen connections between the college and the Northgate Mall and Transit Center. Develop a trail system in the wetlands surrounding the campus. Improve daylight and electric light in courtyards between buildings. Water Take advantage of the abundance of water on the site to create a visible amenity. Use water as a wayfinding tool. Provide a reminder of the site’s connection to Thornton Creek. Treat grey water with a visible “Living Machine” in a winter garden or greenhouse. Conserve water to save money and conserve resources. Energy Switch out existing lighting fixtures for more efficient and better quality lighting. Integrate daylighting and natural ventilation strategies with each building renovation. Switch to variable volume air HVAC systems. Use ground-source heating and cooling. Materials Use resources wisely and reduce waste. Develop a recommended palette of materials that meets key environmental criteria. Develop an integrated pest management/organic landscaping program for the campus’ grounds. Well-Being Create an attractive place for students, faculty, and staff. G. Development Plan 1. Long Range Campus Plan The college’s existing site and buildings are significant resources that will enable the college to meet the immediate and long range needs of its students and programs. Comprehensive renovation of the school’s forty year old buildings will enable the college to meet its projected space needs by reconfiguring academic space to meet changes in program mix and instructional methodology. At the same time, aging architectural, structural, mechanical and electrical systems can be renewed - extending the life of these substantial buildings for the next forty years. Projections for a modest requirement for 4% increase in assignable square footage in 2010 can be accommodated by additions to existing buildings.

The central campus plaza will be energized by the relocation of community-oriented functions around its perimeter. The courtyard between the Art & Science and Technology Buildings will be covered with a glass roof, creating an two-story atrium space that houses the cafeteria, provides a major assembly space and puts student activity at the center of the college. The space below the Library Building’s overhang will be enclosed for use as an art gallery. Combined with the existing school store and expresso lounge on the north and south edges of the plaza, these uses will make the open space into a real public square, where students faculty and staff come to gather. A second floor addition on top of the Technology Building will house a new tutoring center and provides space for new teaching laboratories to meet existing program demands. It will scale down the vast, under used roof plaza. The concrete paving on the adjacent roof plaza over the Art & Science Building will be replaced by green roof, which will provide a much needed outdoor play area. Replacing hard paved surfaces with landscaping is a general planning strategy that will reduce the pervasive greyness of the campus environment. The Integrated Resources Center, will be another addition to the Technology Building at the south end of the existing building. A three-story atrium in the IRC, running east to west, will connect the lower parking lot to the campus through the addition and the College Center. The main entry to campus will be reconfigured to increase orientation and access, and make some of the college’s activities visible from the street. The existing monumental stair will be demolished and the landscape in front of the Library Building will be regraded so that the lower floor of the building is visible from College Way North. A new entry and lobby will create a public face to the building that is shared by improved music and drama performances venues. The lobby will open on the east to the new art gallery and the central courtyard beyond, connecting the center to the perimeter of campus. Improvements to the parking lots surrounding the campus will repair failing infrastructure and improve access. New planting strips will provide stormwater detention, biofiltration and mark the paths across the lot to campus. Improvements to trails in the surrounding wetlands and planning for long term improvements to pedestrian and transit connections across I-5 to Northgate Transit Center will create connections to the neighborhood and to the region-at-large.



2. 25-Year Development Plan The college has identified the sequence of capital projects planned to renew campus facilities and meet programmatic needs.

Project

Type

Request

Design

1. Integrated Resources Center

Alternative Financing

Project Request 05 Renovation & expansion of south end of Design 07 - 09 Technology Building to create advising & Construct 09 - 11 counseling center for employment services

& workforce training.

2. Technology Bldg. Renewal & Expansion

Renovation

3. Student Center

Alternative Financing

Project Request 07 Renovation & expansion at middle & Design 09 - 11 north end of Technology Building to Construct 11 - 13 provide teaching labs & college tutoring

center.

Project Request 07 Renovation & expansion at far north end Design 09 - 11 of Technology Building to provide a new Construct 11 - 13 student center including cafeteria/assembly

space, private dining rooms, kitchen, & student-dedicated spaces.

4. Plaza Roof Repair

Minor Works

Project Request 09 Replacement of leaking roof membrane & Design 11 - 13 deteriorating paving at roof plaza of Art & Construct 11 - 13 Science Building.

5. Library Bldg. Renewal

Renovation

Project Request 09 Renovation to improve library, music deDesign 11 - 13 partment & performance venues for music Construct 13 - 15 & drama.

6. Stormwater Conveyance

Infrastructure Project Request 09 Repair failing infrastructure, protect existDesign 11 - 13 ing wetlands & meet contemporary code Construct 11 - 13 & sustainable design standards.

7. College Center Surge Space

Minor Works

Project Request 11 Tenant improvement to vacated spaces to Design 13 - 15 provide surge space for subsequent InstrucConstruct 13 - 15 tion Building renewal projects.

8. Instruction Bldg. Renewal - Phase I

Renovation

Project Request 11 Renovation of two-thirds of building to Design 13 - 15 meet program needs & accommodate conConstruct 15 - 17 temporary instructional technologies.

Renovation 9. Instruction Bldg. Renewal - Phase II

Project Request 13 Renovation of remaining one-third of Design 15 - 17 building to meet program needs & acConstruct 17 - 19 commodate contemporary instructional

technologies.

Renovation

Project Request 15 Renovation of two-story wing to meet proDesign 17 - 19 gram needs & accommodate contemporary Construct 19 - 21 instructional technologies.

Renovation 11. College Center Renewal - Phase II

Project Request 17 Renovation of the three-story wing to meet Design 19 - 21 program needs & accommodate contemConstruct 21 - 23 porary instructional technologies.

10. College Center Renewal - Phase I

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2032 - 25 Year Plan North Seattle Community College

Long Range Campus Plan 11

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II.

College Mission, Vision, Values & Strategic Plan

A. Mission, vision, values & strategic plan The college’s current mission, vision, values and strategic plan were adopted in 2006. 1. Vision North Seattle Community College’s vision is to continue to develop as progressive educational resource, actively engaged with its community and known for innovation and responsiveness. 2. Mission The college is committed to changing lives through education. NSCC accomplishes its mission through the following goals: • To offer comprehensive educational opportunities. • To create a highly supportive learning environment. • To engage in effective and enduring partnerships. 3. Values In promoting continuous learning and growth, North Seattle Community College practices the following values: Caring We care about and support our students, employees and community. Collaboration We work together to accomplish common goals. Diversity We create a richer environment by embracing diverse cultures, ideas, perspectives and people. Innovation We support new approaches and creative endeavors. Integrity We demonstrate honesty, sincerity and accountability. Quality We strive for excellence in all that we do.



4. Strategic Plan The college’s strategic plan was adopted in 2006. Innovate Seek and foster innovations to improve service to diverse learners and community partners. Partner Expand external partnerships to enhance our capacity and extend our influence within our communities. Sustain Embrace sustainability and develop programs and practices to support it. Transform Strengthen our educational offerings to meet current and emerging needs. b. Long Range Campus Plan goals & objectives To kick-off the campus planning process the consultant team conducted a series of discovery meetings to engage administrators, faculty, staff and students in a dialogue about the opportunities for improving the campus. A list of goals and objectives that guided the long range campus planning effort were developed from these discussions.

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•

Focus on facility upgrades to enhance program delivery.

•

Establish a better association between classroom, lab utilization and scheduling.

•

Enhance visitor experience through welcome center and signage.

•

Create areas of identification that make learning visible.

•

Revitalize student gathering and food service areas.

•

Integrate the campus within the surrounding natural environment.

•

Determine adequate amounts of space for new programs.

•

Redefine the front-door of the campus.

•

Promote greater use of exterior environment and plaza areas.

C. Implications for Long Range Campus Plan North Seattle Community College’s strategic plan, and the long range campus plan goals and objectives, provide direction for the long range campus plan in terms of implementing the curriculum development, facility improvements and policy change needed to achieve the college’s mission.

Long Range Campus Plan Initiative

1. Develop a block scheduling program that ties lab & classroom use to room configuration & instructional technology to maximize efficiency of resources.

Innovate

Partner

x

Sustain

x

2. Renovate existing facilities to provide appropriate mix of instructional spaces in relation to long-range enrollment & program trends.

x

3. Renovate original 40-year old campus structures to extend their life for another generation & meet contemporary goals for energy-efficiency as outlined by LEED standards & the 2030 Challenge. 4. Develop an Integrated Resources Center that brings Employment Services & the Department of Health & Social Services together with the college to create a new model for providing employment services.

Transform

x

x

x

5. Create a sense of academic community that is currently perceived as lacking at the college by creating spaces that promote interaction between faculty, staff & students.

x

6. Take advantage of the college’s place in the environment of the emerging Northgate Urban Village in terms of increased visibility, local population & access to mass transit.

x

x

x

x

7. Invest in existing facilities to modify space so that college remains relevant to technology, pedagogy & student needs.

x

x

x

x



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III.

College Profile

A. background 1. General Information a. Location North Seattle Community College 9600 College Way North Seattle, WA 98103-3599 b. Property Ownership State of Washington c. Zoning North Seattle Community College is the largest public institution in the north end of the City of Seattle. The site is located within a Major Institution Overlay (MIO) district along with the Northgate Shopping Complex, a large residential community and a complex network of vehicular thoroughfares including I-5. The NSCC site is divided into four sections, each designated with a respective height limit and/or underlying zoning. • The northern section is designated MIO-37’ which established a 37-foot height limit

within the area. The underlying zoning is L-3, Low-rise 3, multi-family residential.

• The eastern section adjacent to I-5, which includes the existing Art & Science and

Technology Buildings is designated MIO-105’. The underlying zoning is also L-3.

• The southern section is designated MIO-37’. The underlying zoning is L-1 (Low rise 1)

multi-family residential.

• The western section, which contains the Library, College Center and Instructional

Buildings, is designated MIO-50’. The underlying zoning is L-3.

The city zoning diagrams on the following pages graphically illustrate these relationships and indicate current zoning height restrictions for each section of the site.



City of Seattle Zoning

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North Seattle Community College Zoning & Building Heights North Seattle Community College


2. History a. Initial Development Edward Mahlum, AIA and Associates were the architects of record for the initial campus construction, which was completed in 1970 and included the College Center, the Library, the Instruction Center, the Science Center and the Technology Center. Soon after the original campus construction was completed the local economy began to decline. The college’s priorities changed in response to economic conditions and new social concerns. Over the years, the college became an important institution in the community, but original goals for enrollment growth were never achieved. The original buildings stand today almost entirely as constructed. Numerous minor renovations have been implemented over the years, but none have fundamentally changed the form or infrastructure of the original campus design. b. 1989 Campus Master Plan In 1989 the campus master plan was updated by Mahlum & Nordfors, a firm that grew out of the original architects’ practice. Thomas L. Berger Associates P.S., was the landscape architect. A large group of the faculty were involved in the planning and signage effort. The narrative for the three-phase plan explained that it was not intended to be, “prescriptive.” It outlined the primary goal of the master planning effort to ” identify priorities and a rational logic,” with which the college could continue “on its path toward the future.”

1970 - Original Campus Plan

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The first phase of planned development focused on seven key elements intended to complete the original vision for the college’s site. • Develop an east portal. • Provide a third entry from North 92nd Street. • Mitigate the density of the east parking area. • Create a boulevard drive and walkway at the campus core edge. • Develop the south end of the campus as a neighborhood park space with a fitness trail. • Develop the northwest corner of the campus as a public garden. • Provide site for joint college / private development.

Phases 1 and 2 provided landbanks for future campus expansion. Phase 1 also included parking improvements, as well as development on the north and south ends of the site, which have been subsequently identified by the City of Seattle as Environmentally Critical Areas and cannot be developed. None of the site development planned in this phase was executed.

1989 Campus Master Plan - East Portal Study



Phase 2 of the 1989 master plan envisioned a new Physical Education/Student Center and the development of intramural playfields in the southeast corner of the campus. The third and final phase of the master plan illustrated maximum campus development. It provided for joint development of facilities by the college and the private sector. Phase 3 established six entry points to the campus, distributed along the north, south and west perimeter of the campus. The anticipated need for parking was met by expanding parking areas to the south and effectively doubling the parking count. Only a portion of the development envisioned in the 1989 master plan was implemented, on the east side of the Science and Technology Buildings. c. 1995 Campus Master Plan As a result of reductions in campus growth projections and in the City of Seattle’s Major Institution Policies, a new master plan was issued in August 1995 by Duarte Bryant Architecture and Huckell/Weinman Associates. The 1995 plan is the basis of the current campus plan. Long range development was reduced from the 1989 plan and focused on new buildings along the east side of the site. Landscape improvements to create an east portal entrance zone were retained from the 1989 plan.

1989 Campus Master Plan - Phase 3

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Three new buildings were constructed on the basis of the 1995 plan. The 45,200 square foot Wellness Center was added in 1995. The 44,400 square foot Peter Ku Education Center and the 7,700 square foot Student Child Center were added in 1999. Bringing the total campus development to approximately 797,300 square feet. The plan allows for a limited amount of future development on two L-shaped footprints to the north and south of the Wellness and Education Centers. The 1995 plan was the basis of the college’s application for a Major Institution Master Plan (MIMP), which is a city ordinance that vests the development rights associated with the master plan. Only a few institutions in the City of Seattle, including Seattle Central Community College, South Seattle Community College, Seattle University, the University of Washington and several hospitals, have the long range development protection afforded by a MIMP. Development rights associated with typical institutional, commercial and residential properties are restricted to specific building projects and run concurrently with applications for building permits. The MIMP provides much broader flexibility, allowing institutions to establish long range plans that include generalized projections for future site development.

1995 Campus Master Plan North Seattle Community College


3. Environment a. Site Character The college is located in a growing area of Seattle and is adjacent to the Northgate Urban Village, which the city has designated as an area for high density urban development. The Northgate Mall, a regional shopping center, and the Northgate Transit Center, a regional transit hub, are located to the east of campus - across I-5 - and provide the foundation for long range growth in the area. A trend of increased development of multi-family dwellings in the area is underway. Established single-family neighborhoods lay to the west and south of the college. A combination of mixed density multi-family dwellings, office buildings and commercial/retail uses is located to the north. The 62 acre North Seattle Community College site is delineated to the west by College Way North, south by North 92nd Street, east by I-5 and north by North 103rd Street. The site is located within the Licton Springs Neighborhood. Other neighborhoods in the vicinity include Haller Lake to the north, Pinehurst to the northeast, Victory Heights to the northeast, Maple Leaf to the southeast and Greenwood to the southwest.

Vicinity Context

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The site contains flat to very moderately sloping topography. The highest portion occurs at the southeast corner, with a gradual slope to the center of the campus. The lowest portion of the site is a surge pond located at the northeast edge of the campus adjacent to I-5. The existing campus buildings, parking lots, walkways, plazas, roads and sports facilities are located on approximately 19.45 acres of the site, which is approximately 31% total lot coverage. Two acres at either end of the campus remain undeveloped as natural open spaces. These areas contain a variety of trees and undergrowth. Informal trail systems have been established by pedestrians throughout both areas. Existing vegetation over the remainder of the site consists primarily of landscaped areas and open lawns. Landscaping is a special feature of the campus and was designed to create an appropriate setting for the large scale buildings and strong architectural elements on the site. A consistent pattern of plant material has been established throughout the campus.

Campus Context North Seattle Community College


b. Environmentally Critical Areas According to Raedeke Associates’ September 1992 report, three wetlands and a surge pond, whose runoff feeds the headwaters of Thornton Creek, were designated as Environmentally Critical Areas and subject to standards of the city’s Critical Areas ordinance. According to the map generator on the City of Seattle’s website, the only types of Environmentally Critical Areas existing on the NSCC campus are wetlands and two small zones of known slide areas. The diagram and legend on the next page show the extent of these zones on the map. c. Wetlands & Significant Trees A wetland assessment conducted by Raedeke Associates in September 1992 indicates that three wetlands on the NSCC property can be characterized as follows: Wetlands 1 and 2 are located in the extreme northwest corner of the property and shown on the City of Seattle, Department of Planning and Development’s website as a contiguous zone; and Wetland 3 is located in a sloping swale in the southwest corner of the main parking lot. The surge pond adjoins I-5. Significant specimen trees are not present on the main campus. The varied types of vegetation present in the interior courtyards soften the interior courtyards, and therefore have value.

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WETLANDS

1&2

SURGE POND

WETLAND 3

Environmentally Critical Areas North Seattle Community College


B. Students & Programs 1. Enrollment A study of enrollment trends was prepared by Paulien & Associates, Inc. as part of this long range campus plan and is included in the Appendix. a. Current Enrollment The base year for calculations was Fall Quarter 2005. In the base year, enrollment at North Seattle Community College was 3,503 on-campus student FTEs, equating to a head count of 5,901 students. b. Short Range Enrollment Trends The target year for enrollment calculations was Fall 2010. In the target year, the college anticipates modest growth to 4,060 on-campus student FTEs, equating to 7,022 head count students. c. Issues for Long Range Enrollment Trends Long range demographic trends in the northern portion of the Seattle metropolitan area, which is NSCC’s primary service area, indicate that: • The north Seattle area is growing at a slower rate than the state and King County. • The state and King County population is growing older and more diverse. • The percentage of north Seattle and SW Snohomish County households classified as

low income is growing.

• The level of education attained by the residents in the north Seattle area is higher than

the state and county average.

• Area residents are mostly employed in white collar service related occupations that

closely mirror the occupational makeup of the Puget Sound area and King County.

• The north Seattle area will continue to experience positive job growth. • The job base of residents employed in north Seattle and the SW Snohomish county

area is becoming less diverse.

Enrollment trends will be impacted by 1) the general population growth and aging of population, in addition to 2) the increasing diversity of residents and population growth of lower income households which indicates the need for expanded workforce training programs. The probability of a more diverse student body indicates need for expanded student services. Improving the campus’ access and orientation would also help to support a diverse student body.

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2. Programs a. Existing Programs North Seattle Community College has four basic instructional areas: academic, basic education, professional/technical and continuing education. These programs award over 80 different types of degrees and certificates, including Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, and Associate of Applied Science, as well as certificates in over 40 professional/technical programs. NSCC provides a wide range of extracurricular programs and support services. The college has one of the best developed distance learning programs providers in the State. NSCC is a member of the Seattle Community College District and is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, an institutional accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education. Since its opening, NSCC has enabled more than 180,000 students to pursue their educational goals. NSCC administers its educational programs through six division offices: • Arts, Humanities and Adult Basic Education • Business, Engineering, and Information Technologies • Continuing Education • Health and Human Services • Instructional and Information Support Services Division • Math, Science and Social Sciences

The college’s programs of study include: • Transfer Programs • Professional & Technical Programs • Workforce Education • Community and Non-Credit Programs • Pre-College Programs • International Students Programs • English as a Second Language Program • High School Completion and GED



b. Short Range Program Trends The college’s short term plan is to maintain the general mix of programs it currently offers. Administration and faculty are working to update workforce programs in response to current instructional needs. The college’s major new program offering is in Nanotechnology. The HVAC program has been updated to serve contemporary needs. c. Long Range Program Trends Administrators, faculty and staff developed a list of long range instructional program goals in March 2006 as part of the long range campus planning effort. It included: • Expand service learning and internships. • Develop programs related to integrated and emerging technologies. • Provide courses on site for businesses. • Expand distance learning courses. • Expand high school completion courses.

• Create new courses and programs to integrate English as a Second Language (ESL) and

Professional-Technical programs - IBEST.

• Develop and implement an Elementary Education Degree focusing on math and sci-

ence in partnership with Western Washington University.

• Expand Allied Health cluster. • Expand Business cluster to include finance and marketing courses and certificates. • Develop social work pre-major pathway.

• Develop course and certificates in sustainability and environmental science. • Implement 2+2 program with Eastern Washington University in electrical engineering.

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IV. Site A. access & circulation 1. Public Transportation a. Existing Conditions The Northgate area is well served by public transit systems. The Northgate Transit Center is a regional hub for Metro bus service. In addition, the college is directly served by six bus routes that stop in front of the main entry to campus on College Way. Nonetheless, a significant number of the college’s faculty, students and staff use cars to travel to the campus, which is typical for the demographics of community colleges. Students, in particular, rely on automobiles for transportation. Many are attending school and working and/or have family obligations. They regard the convenience of being able to come and go from campus at will as a necessity. Express bus service from downtown Seattle to the transit center provides convenient access to the area. Getting to the college itself is not as easy. A shuttle bus links the transit center to the college, Northwest Hospital and destinations beyond to the northwest. But, it takes twice as long, time wise, to get from the transit center to the college as it does from downtown to the transit center. Long term plans call for the North Link Light Rail system being constructed by Sound Transit to be extended to Northgate. The extension of light rail to the area will increase the ease of access to the area and be an impetus to commercial and residential development. It will significantly improve transit service by adding capacity and reducing travel time. Many of the current bus riders will switch to rail and the current express bus system will be restructured. The light rail extension is planned for future extension from downtown Seattle to Northgate There is no plan, however, to resolve the issue of changing travel modes and reaching destinations within and beyond Northgate. b. Needs Analysis Ridership for morning trips that originate in the Northgate area is very high. However, ridership for workers traveling to the Northgate area does not meet the city’s Coordinated Transportation Investment Plan’s (CTIP) goals. Encouraging people to use mass transit to access the Northgate area is important to the area’s potential to become a real urban center. It is equally important for the college to encourage its population to take advantage of public transportation, which would increase access, reduce parking demand and meet the school’s goals for environmental stewardship



Development of connections linking the college and the transit center are critical to making NSCC a place that is perceived as being conveniently accessible by mass transit. At the large scale, improvements to the bus route linking the center and the college, and construction of a pedestrian bridge spanning I-5 are important needs. At a smaller scale, coordination with amenities such as the NSCC bike and pedestrian trail system, signage and wayfinding onto campus are needed. The college is in the process of establishing an Integrated Resources Center (IRC) on campus that will bring together a number of government agencies that help unemployed people get back to work. The site chosen for the IRC, at the south end of the College Center building, is too far from the current bus stop on College Way North to meet Federal regulations for service by mass transit. The college needs to provide a bus stop within 100 yards of the new service center. c. Proposed Solutions NSCC is implementing its long term strategy to encourage use of public transportation by students, faculty and staff. Current policies do not adequately promote use of mass transit. Understanding that community college students currently rely on their cars to coordinate their school, work and family schedules, NSCC needs to support them and still identify opportunities to increase use of transit. For faculty and staff, who spend a larger portion of their day on campus and who may not require the same level of coordination with the rest of their daily lives, policies and incentives to promote increased use of transit are different than those of students. The college is engaged in negotiations with Metro to re-route shuttle bus service throughout campus to provide a bus stop adjacent to the Integrated Resources Center. These discussions may be expanded to include consideration of more frequent service between the transit center and the college. Good transit connections are critically important to the future of NSCC as the Northgate neighborhood evolves into its more urban character. The college is engaged in a proactive effort with the city and the state to encourage the development of a pedestrian overpass that connects the college to Northgate over I-5. The bridge should accommodate walkers and bicyclers. The Northgate Open Space and Pedestrian connections Draft Plan includes an ‘Open Space, Pedestrian and Bicycle Connections, which identifies the key players in the project including Metro King County Transit, WSDOT and Sound Transit. 2. Parking a. Existing Conditions NSCC was designed to accommodate the typical commuting patterns of community college students and has a significant on-campus parking facilities. The five original buildings sit over below-grade, structured garages and are surrounded by surface parking lots. The existing on-campus parking supply of 1,607 stalls has a functional capacity of 1,525 vehicles. The existing parking supply could accommodate a campus population of approximately 5,650 student FTEs and associated staff, which is significantly larger than the college’s

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Existing Transit Routes Serving NSCC North Seattle Community College


projections to the year 2010. Parking facilities are more than adequate to serve the college’s short and long term needs. The college charges for the use of its parking facilities as part of city initiative intended to lower vehicular congestion by all citizens, including students, faculty and staff. Surrounding city streets provide a limited amount of additional parking capacity. No parking is allowed at any time in the bus loading and loading zone along College Way North. Parking is unrestricted on the west side of College Way North on the far north end of the property and also along the south boundary of campus. A restricted two-hour residential parking zone between 7 am and 6 pm. Monday through Saturday is located in the residential neighborhood immediately west of the campus. A transportation study, conducted in 2005, provides a detailed analysis of existing transportation conditions at the college. The study shows that NSCC trips peak in the morning when students arrive for classes and again when they depart in the early afternoon. There is a much smaller peak in the late afternoon when students arrive for evening classes. Traffic volumes on the local street network peak between 4:00 and 6:00 pm. The relationship of parking demand to campus population for NSCC is established by comparing peak hour parking demand to the number of FTEs. During fall quarter of 2005, there were approximately 3,772 FTEs enrolled at the college. Peak parking demand occurred at midday, when approximately 1,000 oncampus stalls were occupied and on-street parking demand was assumed to be approximately 63 stalls for a total parking demand equalled 1,063 stalls. The demand divided by the number of student FTEs provides a parking demand ratio of 0.37 stalls per student FTE. b. Needs Analysis Development of the Integrated Resources Center will have an impact on the college’s parking supply and use of parking facilities. Government regulations require that the center provide about 200 free spaces for its users. This will reduce the spaces used for the college’s students, faculty and staff to 1,407, which is still adequate to meet the school’s parking demand based on the 2005 transportation study. It remains an issue. Existing Campus Parking

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c. Proposed Solutions Although currently vehicular parking is adequate on the NSCC campus, the college is working with Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) and community members to further evaluate parking capacity and implement improvements along College Way North. A detailed evaluation of the impact of the IRC on the college’s parking facilities is currently under way as part of the preparing for the submittal for Master Use Permit for the project. It includes a survey of student travel modes, a traffic impact analysis and identification of the parking supply needed to serve the IRC. A strategy for providing for the IRC’s client parking lot from the rest of the college’s parking will be developed as part of the study. 3. Pedestrian Circulation a. Existing Conditions Off Campus NSCC is one of the major destinations in Northgate’s Major Institutional Overlay District. These include Northgate Urban Village, Northwest Hospital, the Metro Transit Center and the Post Office as well as, the Northgate Branch Library, Community Center and Park. The college should benefit from ongoing development and planning in the area and coordinate with other key players to develop pedestrian networks that improve connections between institutions and their surrounding amenities. Crossing I-5 is the most significant pedestrian barrier in the area, effectively cutting the Major Institutional Overlay District into two sections which has limited visual and physical connection to one another. Existing crossings closest to the NSCC campus across I-5 are at NE 92nd Street and under I-5 at NE Northgate Way. Currently, pedestrians and bicyclists use the network of arterial and residential streets to get to the campus. Commonly used routes flank the south and west of the college’s perimeter along NE 92nd Street and College Way North. A map is included in the Appendix. Northgate Way, which is a major thoroughfare connecting the east and west sides of I-5 is not conducive to pedestrian travel. There is a constant flow of fast moving traffic on the street with few safe or convenient pedestrian crossings. Automobile volumes and ramps to and from the interstate discourage pedestrian use of sidewalks along the street.



Off Campus Pedestrian and Bicycle Routes

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On Campus The overall campus is a ringed by woods and wetlands that contains trails with numerous points of interest. This amenity is pedestrian-friendly. The college is improving the trail system to provide better access to the campus and surround community. The core of the campus, where the college buildings are located, is ringed by College Way North to the west and surface parking lot on its other three sides. The campus core was designed as an entity, a series of concrete structures built over a continuous a parking garage, each building component linked to the others at every level by exterior walkways and

Perimeter Trail System North Seattle Community College


On Campus Pedestrian Paths

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plazas so that the whole assembly is contiguous. In effect, the original campus is a megastructure. The buildings present a closed face to the surrounding perimeter. Activity within the campus core is not visible, reducing the sense of access. A monumental stair serves as the ceremonial pedestrian entry into the campus from College Way North and shelters a covered drop-off area below. The stair blocks views into campus and is not used very much. Disabled students entering the campus here use the drop-off below the stairs. Many students, faculty and staff arrive by car and access the campus from the surrounding parking lots. Access points are limited along the east side of campus, where the largest parking supply is located. The parking lots do not have clearly defined walkways and do not facilitate safe pedestrian movement. Within the core, pedestrian circulation is defined by a major east-west spine and a series of spines running from north to south. These spines provide the major campus open spaces. Lack of differentiation in the character of the spaces and the buildings that are aligned along them makes it difficult for pedestrians to orient themselves. The integrated system of exterior walkways enables people to get between two points in the shortest distance, no matter what level of a building they are on, and provides weather protected movement. The efficiency of the system impacts orientation, access and sense of community. It discourages people from occupying the ground level campus open spaces. The even distribution of pedestrian movement limits the kind of gathering that occurs in a typical academic campus, where people come out of individual buildings and cross common open spaces so that group activity and interaction develops. Because of the exterior walkway system, buildings do not have the typical common spaces, such as lobbies and hallways, where people engage one another and the life of a community is experience. Lack of signage and exterior lighting add to the challenges pedestrians face navigating the campus. The campus is not user-friendly at night. It has many dark corners, which create orientation and safety issues for users. b. Needs Analysis Off Campus Pedestrian and bicycle connections across I-5 must be improved. Opportunities for change at Northgate Way may limit pedestrian and bicycle conditions at NE 92nd Street, but both need improvement. A dedicated pedestrian bridge crossing I-5 to connect the transit center with the college and its surrounding neighborhood is needed. On Campus Improving pedestrian circulation on campus should be a priority for the college. The main entry to campus should be revised to increase visual and physical access to the campus. Pedestrian paths should be created in the surface parking lots. Landscaping along these paths would improve orientation and serve the college’s sustainable agenda. There should be more points of access from the perimeter to the core, especially along the east side of the campus. North Seattle Community College


The college needs a heart - a place where the density of pedestrian activity creates enough activity to foster gathering and create a sense of community. Reducing the use of elevated walkways and encouraging people to use the ground plane to move between buildings is critical to increasing the density of people activity in the core. The college needs a new wayfinding system, which involves the design of a signage program and exterior lighting improvements. c. Proposed Solutions Off Campus In the short term, the college should work with the city and the community to improve pedestrian and bicycle paths along NE 92nd Street and College Way North. Long term there is potential for significant improvements to the pedestrian environment around the campus. Improved pedestrian connections between the campus and the Northgate Transit Center would make it possible for more people to use public transportation to get to the college. Plans for pedestrian bridges crossing over I-5 are part of the urban planning that is connected to the extension of light rail to Northgate and planned improvements to I-5. The current proposal includes a plan to build pedestrian bridges at NE 103rd Street, which flanks the north end of campus in the public right of way, and at NE 100th Street. Neither of the pedestrian routes will terminate at the campus core. Design of pedestrian routes from the west end of the bridges to the campus is critical to the success of the project. The city’s 2004 Northgate Open Space and Pedestrian Draft Plan identifies key pedestrian and bicycle routes in the area. It highlights the fact that NSCC is the natural terminus of the Thornton Creek Waterway System, and the largest green space in the immediate area. Connecting across I-5 would strengthen these relationships and provide an open space destination for pedestrians and bicyclists. A matrix from Northgate Open Space and Pedestrian Connections Draft Plan identifying potential parties to implement the recommended improvements is included in the Appendix. The document highlights the importance of multi-modal coordination in the effort to improve pedestrian access. It should be noted that the college is not currently listed as a potential implementer on this matrix. NSCC must be proactive in engaging the city and key local players to coordinate development of amenities and use of resources. The Northgate Open Space and Pedestrian Draft Plan includes a Green Street Improvements Plan. On campus improvements should be coordinated with pedestrian and bicycle connections running east-west. The college needs to be proactive in working with the coordinating agencies, which include CTIP, Metro King County, WSDOT and Sound Transit. On Campus The perimeter campus trail system should be improved to take advantage of connection between the campus and the surrounding neighborhood. This will also provide connections that relate the future development of pedestrian bridges over the interstate. Improve-

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Plan of Proposed Pedestrian Bridges at NE 100th Street & NE 103rd Street

Section of Proposed Pedestrian Bridge at 100th Street



Northgate Area Green Streets Plan

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ments to the lighting and wayfinding signage would provide better orientation and safety. Increasing access to campus trails would help strengthen the relationship between the college and the larger community. The main entry to campus should be reconfigured to improve access and orientation from College Way North. This is a significant project. The scope would involve removing the existing monumental stair and creating a new ground level entry through a courtyard between the Library and the College Center buildings. The new entry would open up vistas of the campus open spaces from the street and bring vehicular drop-off together with pedestrian and barrier-free access to create a usable front door to the college. The project should also connect the lower level of the Library Building to the revised main entry and the street. The college’s music and performing arts venues are located here, in close proximity to College Way. Work would include adding significant amounts of glazing at the entry to the performance venue lobbies and regrading the area to the west of the Library to remove berms that currently block views of the ground floor from the street. Access from the parking lots to the campus core should be improved. In addition to the development of landscaped paths in the parking lots, clearly defined points of entry around the perimeter should be created. Landscaping, signage and lighting can help define these access points. Renovation and/or expansion projects provide opportunities to increase access and should be planned accordingly. For example, the Integrated Resources Center project is planned around a three-story atrium that connects the new facility and the College Center to the southeastern quadrant of the campus parking lot. Stairs and elevators in the addition will ease access in an area where pedestrians currently clamber up over a berm to get into the core. Activities and uses that encourage people to use the ground plan should be located around the perimeter of the college’s central courtyard to create a heart for the campus that encourages people to gather and interact. The courtyard is currently flanked to the north and south by the school store and a recently complete espresso bar. This is a good start. Bringing more common uses to the perimeter, such as food service, a tutoring center and art gallery, would provide the critical mass that would transform the courtyard into an activity hub. Removing the large sky bridge that connects the Instructional Building and College Center would contribute to this development. The shadow of the bridge creates a shadow in a space which is already uncomfortably cool most of the year. It would also encourage more people to circulate around the central court, increasing activity on its edges. Due to the configuration of perimeter circulation of campus buildings, almost every door on campus is a ‘front door.’ Future additions, renovations and remodels should be planned around consolidated entries and internalized circulation to create common spaces in the form of lobbies and hallways that foster a sense of community. A well-designed, coordinated system of exterior wayfinding signage and integrated lighting should be provided to improve access and orientation on campus both during the day and at night. North Seattle Community College


B. open space & landscape 1. Gathering & Recreational Spaces a. Existing Conditions Courtyards between buildings and the roof deck over the one-story Art & Science and Technology Buildings provide the primary open spaces on campus. The spaces are characterized by concrete paving and the concrete walls and walkways that surround them. During the fall, winter and spring, when overcast skies and rainfall are the predominant environment, these spaces are dark, wet and dreary. The system of elevated walkways disburse pedestrian movement on campus so that the open spaces have a limited amount of activity. The physical attributes and level of activity in these spaces are not conducive to gathering. The college lacks the kind of outdoor common spaces, with lawns and significant plantings, that are typically associated with the environment of a college campus. Courtyards The courtyards are aligned along the two main axes of the campus. The primary axis runs from the surface parking lots at the east end of campus to the main campus entry at College Way North to the west. Starting at the parking lot, the first courtyard lies between the Wellness Center and the Education Building. It serves as an entry from the parking lot to the campus core. The space receives limited use because people prefer to utilize the points of access to the campus core closest to where they park their car rather than coming to the center of the parking lot to use the courtyard. Main entries to the Wellness Center and the Education Building are across from each other along this space. Next in the sequence is the courtyard between the Art & Science and Technology Buildings. This is an internally focused courtyard with a water feature that is surrounded by plants. It feels like it has been carved out between the buildings because of the walkways that connect the roof plaza over the buildings. This courtyard leads to large central court that is enclosed by structures on all sides. A three-story sky bridge cuts through the east end and shadows a portion of the space. Building facades to the north and south provide some activity in the space but the east end is open and the west end is enclosed by concrete columns supporting the Library and a concrete wall cast deep in shadow by the overhanging east end of the Library. Although this courtyard is at the heart of campus and is used for formal gatherings such as commencement ceremonies due to its location and size, it does not provide a daily center for gathering or community activity. As the line of the east-west axis comes up against the Library, it jogs to the south, shifting awkwardly around grade changes and stair towers at the College Center, to meet the line of access underneath the monumental main entry stair at the west end of campus.

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Existing Gathering & Recreational Spaces North Seattle Community College


East entry portal between the Wellness Center & the Education Building.

Courtyard between Art & Science and Technology Buildings.

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Art & Science Building Roof Plaza looking north towards Meade Telescope.

Central Courtyard looking southeast towards Technology Building.



Concrete sky bridge looking from roof plaza into central courtyard.

Columns and overhang at Library Building.

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Narrow courtyard along north-south axis between Art & Science Building and Library.

Narrow courtyard along north-south axis between Instruction and Art & Science Building.



Monumental stair at main entrance to campus, off College Way North.

Drop-off underneath monumental stair.

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The courtyards on the ground plane along this axis are parelled by a series of elevated spaces. The roof plaza of the Art & Science and Technology Buildings connects to the elevated plaza between the Library and the College Center. This series of spaces terminates at the ceremonial stair fronting College Way North. They provide circulation but do not promote gathering. In the north-south direction there are three parallel series of courtyards. These narrow spaces have the feeling of being residual light wells. They have plants, seating and water features. They receive very little daylight, especially in fall, spring and winter. They do not promote gathering. Because of their similarity of scale and orientation, they inhibit the sense of orientation on campus. The line of north-south courtyards furthest to the west does terminate in a larger court that is surrounded by the College Center. This space if filled with plantings. Circulation is limited to the perimeter of the space. Roof Plaza The roofs of the Technology and Art & Sciences Buildings form a plaza that is paved in concrete. The space offers no protection from wind and rain. Its scale and materials create an overpowering environment that does not foster gathering. Potted plants and seating do little to create a place for people to occupy. Recreational Spaces There is a limited amount of outdoor recreational space on campus. Currently, two tennis courts located in the southwest corner of the campus and a fenced in basketball court south of the Technology Building are the only active outdoor recreation spaces. The basketball court will be displaced by the Integrated Resources Center project. An old baseball/ softball field that is no longer in use is located in the northeast corner of the campus. Open grassy areas across 92nd Street NE, to the south of the campus core, provide space for informal games like Frisbee. The distance from the campus core to these areas make them unlikely spaces to be used between classes or during lunch, when students have a few moments to gather and play. The lack of outdoor playfields limits the ability of the college to offer the range of intramural and collegiate athletic programs that are part of the student life of many of Washington State’s community colleges. This is inevitably inhibits enrollment of students who want to attend a school that offers the opportunity to play soccer, softball or baseball. Most of the college’s recreational space is indoors in the Wellness Center, which is a 44,000 square foot facility that offers wellness, fitness, recreation and sports programs for students, staff and the general public. The facility features a fully equipped strength and cardiovascular conditioning center, two conditioning studios, an elevated glass enclosed track and a large gymnasium. Also, the school does have a basketball team.



b. Needs Analysis Providing opportunities for people to gather and creating a sense of community is one of the strongest needs voiced by students, faculty and staff. Redevelopment of the college’s open spaces is critical to responding to this need. Open space and on campus pedestrian needs are closely related. For both, creating a center with a high density of activity is critical to fostering gathering and creating a sense of community. Reducing the use of elevated walkways and encouraging people to use the ground plane to move between buildings is critical to increasing the level of activity in open spaces. A new wayfinding system with signage and lighting is also needed. The cold, grey color of paving and walls surrounding the campus open spaces need relief. Over grown plantings, which reduce daylight and sightlines should be scaled back. Water fountains, which are in poor condition and no longer operate as designed, should be repaired or removed. The roof plaza deck over the Art & Science and Technology Buildings is leaking and needs repair. The plaza needs to be reduced in scale to create a people-friendly environment. The campus needs informal play areas in close proximity to classrooms and student activity centers. The college should consider whether development of playfields and related sports programs would be an important student life amenity and an impetus to increased enrollment. The play surface of the tennis courts has settled and needs to be resurfaced. c. Proposed Solutions The central courtyard should be developed to become the heart of the campus, a place where people come to gather and interact, experiencing a sense of community. For this to occur, the space needs to be surrounded by programmatic activities that attract people, creating a critical mass of activity. The activities should be able to take advantage of the open space that the court offers. Currently, the book store and espresso stand flank the north and south sides of the central court. Relocating functions like the cafeteria, which is currently hidden away in a corner at the south end of the College Center, would bring students, faculty and staff into the space throughout the day. The court would be energized by people sitting, talking and eating around its perimeter or playing informal games in the center. One possibility would be to enclose the adjacent courtyard between Art & Science and Technology Buildings as an atrium space that could house the function. The space beneath the Library, which fronts the west side of the central court, should be developed so that it can be used for a program that opens into the courtyard. The scale and orientation of the space, and its relationship to the music and performing arts functions immediately adjacent in the lower level of the building, suggest that it could be made into a two-story art gallery. The gallery would fit with the potential renovation of the music and drama spaces, which might include a new lobby that is visible and accessible from College Way North. This would allow the east-west axis that currently ends on the blank

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Library wall to penetrate through the building and extend all the way to the street. The three-story concrete sky bridge that cuts through the central courtyard, casting a shadow and taking activity away from the ground plane, should be removed. Its scale is out of place in the heart of campus. The roof plaza over the Art & Science and Technology Buildings should be developed to reduce the scale of the open space and make the remaining space conducive to use. The Integrated Resources Center project involves an addition that will cover a portion of the roof over the Technology Building. The rest of the Technology Building is scheduled for renovation and expansion to meet long range program needs. The expansion could be located on the remaining portion of the south end of the plaza. The north end of the plaza, over the Art & Science Building, could become a green roof that provides a place for informal play activities. A green roof would soften the remaining expanse of concrete on the roof plaza and be a sustainable amenity that reduces stormwater runoff and urban heat island effects. Color and a finer grain of texture should be introduced into the college’s open spaces. Painting doors and windows provide one opportunity to brighten these spaces. Existing plants should be pruned to improve solar and visual access in open spaces, especially along the north-south axes.



2. Landscape a. Existing Conditions The campus is organized in three zones. The core comprises of the tightly clustered campus buildings. Surrounding the core is the parking and vehicular circulation zone. Finally, the wetland zone is a woodlands that acts as buffer between the campus and the surrounding community on the north and south sides and the interstate on the east. The plant palette in the core has evolved over time and includes predominantly native plants with accents of non-native species. Linear planting beds are located in courtyards along the north-south axis of the campus. On the south side of the campus, outside the core, specialized planting areas include the Iris collection, the Herb Garden and the Winter Garden, which offer different types of landscape experiences. The wetland and pond area to the north provides educational opportunities for plant restoration, bird watching, wetland habitat and permaculture. Permaculture seeks to create sustainable human habitats by integrating ecology, landscape, agriculture, architecture, gardening and social systems. Trees have been planted to shade out the blackberries. In the future shrubs and ground covers will be planted to naturalize the area. Along the east edge of campus near I-5, conifers and deciduous trees form a visual screen and mitigate the road noise. A detention pond at the south end of the tree screen collects the runoff from the southeast parking lot. Trees along the south end of the campus screen much of the campus from the residences along North 92nd Street. Trails wind through this wooded buffer and offer views of the wetland. The trails are interior to the campus and are not well connected to the surrounding neighborhood. Following is an excerpt from the 1995 EIS describing the plants in the undeveloped portions of the campus:

Wetlands, Parking & Campus Core

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“Approximately 30 acres, or 48 percent of the campus, is currently undeveloped and is located in the northern, southern and eastern portions of the campus. The northeastern portion of the site contains a deciduous forest which is dominated by a mixture of black locust, birch, black cottonwood, and willow trees with an understory of Himalayan blackberry, evergreen blackberry and Japanese Knotweed. Dense patches of Himalayan blackberry shrubs dominate the north central and northwestern portions of campus. There are areas of unmowed grasses as well as scattered and clumped shrubs as scotchbroom, Pacific blackberry and cherry. The northern wetland (wetlands 1&2), located in the northwestern portion of the campus, contains a grass area which is regularly mowed during the growing season. The surge pond is surrounded by willow, black locust and black cottonwood trees, Will saplings, hardhack spirea, purple loosestrife, common cattail and dagger leaf rush are scattered along the edge of the pond. A grove of introduced trees located directly south of the surge pond, contains a dense stand of mixed, exotic and native tree and shrub species including black cottonwood, hazelnut, pine, mountain ash, and spruce. The southern portion of the campus includes a mixture of shrub land, deciduous forest, wetlands (wetland 3) and mowed grass areas. The shrub land areas generally contain Scotch broom and Pacific blackberry with scattered cottonwood and willow trees. The deciduous forest is dominated by big-leaf maple and black cottonwood with English ivy in the understory. The southern wetland (wetland 3), located in the southern portion of the campus; contains an overstory of willow trees with an understory consisting of Himalayan blackberry, bittersweet nightshade and hardhack spirea. The southwestern portion of the site (adjacent to College Way North) contains a grass area which is regularly mowed during the growing season.”

b. Needs Analysis Topography and overgrown plants limit visual access into parking areas and the campus core. The berm between the visitor parking lot and College Way North blocks views of the entry drop off and the entries to the music and drama spaces in the Library Building. Along College Way North, between the west parking lot and vehicular circulation zone, tulip trees have grown too large. Many of the trees have abnormal growth with thick trunks and stunted top growth. A few have died. Where these trees have been dug up, material debris has been found wrapped around the base of their roots. In the north parking lot, some species are struggling to survive, particularly the Viburnum davidii, Mahonia and Salal in the beds furthest to the north. Plantings in the core area of campus have matured beyond scale. English ivy is maturing to growth. It is taking over trees, ground surfaces and slopes. Climbing ivy chokes and kills trees, in addition to providing a thick ground cover that is difficult to weed. In some of the older planting beds trees and shrubs have become too large and need to be pruned or removed. Some examples include the following: • The large Magnolia tree and the Dogwoods in the College Center courtyard are dying

from Anthracnose disease.

• Rhododendrons have grown so tall that they block daylight from courtyard spaces. • The grounds crew has to prune the Cistus shrubs, non-native species in the courtyard

between the Art & Science and Technology Buildings, twice a year.

The surge pond and grove of trees located along the east and north edges of campus should remain in their existing conditions with only minimal maintenance. Some minor clearing of existing vegetation may be required for placement of proposed trails. Construction activities on and adjacent to campus may result in short-term disturbance to North Seattle Community College


wildlife species that inhabit the wetlands. This is likely to result in a short-term reduction in the number of animals, rather than a permanent loss of wildlife species that use the site. Longer term impacts to wildlife habitats would result from the incremental increase in human activity associated with the addition of new trails, lighting and signage. The disturbance would reduce the suitability of the wetlands and nearby upland areas for some wildlife species. Animal species that are intolerant of continual human contact may leave the wetlands. The species most affected would include ground and shrub nesting birds, ground feeding birds and small mammals. Future trails must be designed to balance greater volumes of pedestrian use with the habitats. It is not anticipated that there would be the loss of any plant or animal species currently occupying the wetlands as a result of development. Vegetation within the wetland buffer areas will serve to filter and slow runoff to the drainage system. These buffers, as well as retention of vegetation on the other areas of the site, will mitigate the impact to wildlife habitat. c. Proposed Solutions The college should continue to use of native plants, low allergen plants and maintain an integrated pest management program. Native plants need little or no supplemental water once established. They grow at a slower pace ,which reduces maintenance. While native plants should dominate the planting plan, non-native accents should be included to provide variety. Many non-natives have characteristics that reduce water usage and make them easy to maintain. The grounds crew consists of three full time staff. They do not have the resources to service high maintenance plant materials. Existing English Ivy on campus requires an enormous amount of time to maintain. As it is now on the noxious weed list, a program of systematic removal is needed. Interior courtyard plantings should be pruned regularly to allow for more light into the spaces. The Integrated Pest Management System (IPM) approach to maintenance is an environmentally friendly way to reduce use of pesticides. Pests are controlled using biological means such as natural predators/parasites, selection of pest resistant varieties and physical removal. Chemicals are used only as a last resort. This approach focuses on control and not eradication of pests, since total eradication is expensive and not sustainable. Along with the possibility of water runoff expression outlined in the Site Development section, an opportunity exists for treating grey or black water on the site with a “Living Machine.” A winter garden/greenhouse can be the setting of the water purification and provide an educational tool for learning about water reuse and conservation. Bainbridge Island installed a living machine to treat domestic wastewater for reuse as irrigation and toilet flushing water.

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C. site Infrastructure 1. Civil a. Existing Conditions The basic civil infrastructure is nearly forty years old and shows significant signs of wear. There have been no major improvements to the college’s original civil systems since the campus was constructed. b. Needs Analysis Portions of the original storm water conveyance system, such as footing drains, catch basins, and sump pumps, have failed. This gives rise to localized flooding problems, especially in the underground parking garages and surface parking lots. In the winter, the surface water can freeze creating a safety hazard for vehicles and pedestrians. Each building has a membrane roofing system with a gravity roof drainage system connected to the site’s storm drainage system. Many of the roof systems are past their service life and are failing. A number of exterior drainage elements, such as the chain downspouts, no longer work as intended. The west parking lot has exceeded its service life. Deficiencies in the lot include: failing storm lines, visible asphalt settlement due to a leaking water main and asphalt damage. As a result, the parking area is not ADA complaint. Water penetration into the lower levels of many of the original buildings is a recurring problem. Flooding at the Library is a particular problem. Miscellaneous flooding occurs throughout the campus including at the College Center, the Instructional Building, the Art & Science Building and the Child Care Center. There are areas of differentially settled sidewalk panels throughout the campus. Differences in the level of the sidewalk creates tripping hazards and is a liability problem for the college. Large expanses of paved parking, along with the rooftops and concrete plazas of the core buildings, create a significant heat island effect. The dark, paved surfaces absorb solar energy during the day and emit heat at night, which increases the local air temperature. This effect is especially pronounced during summer heat waves. c. Proposed Solutions A survey of the drain bodies and piping system should be performed to determine the useful life expectancy of the drainage system. Repairs should be made at the time of replacement of failed roofing systems. Drip lines and gutters should be added or replaced as needed to provide a watertight conveyance from the rooftop to the storm water infrastructure.



Compact Auto Parking Swale Section

Full Size Auto Size Parking Swale Section

Typical Full Size Parking Swale

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The storm water infrastructure should be upgraded as required to accommodate the demand of the roof downspouts. A sub-drainage system should be added to the area between the College Center and the Technology Building to alleviate seepage from groundwater to the pedestrian pathways. A drain that connects to the storm water infrastructure should be installed in the sandbox of the child play area. The catch basins and storm drain lines serving the west parking lot should be replaced. The storm drain lines should tie into the existing storm water infrastructure at a point downstream of any damaged pipes. The condition of the existing storm water lines in this area should be evaluated and subsequently replaced to the extent necessary to remove the damaged pipes. Given their age, the visitor parking lots west of the Library and Administration Building should be overlaid with new asphalt before reconstruction becomes necessary. Drip lines and gutters should be replaced as needed to provide a watertight conveyance from the rooftop to the storm water infrastructure. The storm water infrastructure in this area, including the condition of pipes and capacity, should be analyzed and upgraded as required to accommodate the demand of the downspouts. A green roof could be installed to reduce the volume of rainwater entering the storm drain system, or a storm water planter could be utilized to reduce peak flows. The source of the leak of the water feature east of the Library should be determined, and the leak repaired. The sub-drainage system adjacent to the parking garage foundations should be removed and replaced, and the roof drain downspouts should be tight-lined to the storm drain infrastructure. The storm water infrastructure should be upgraded to accommodate the demand of the downspouts. A green roof or storm water planter also could be utilized to reduce the immediate peak flows, and potentially alleviate the need to upgrade the existing storm system. Sidewalk panels in need of repair should be replaced to provide a smooth gradual walking path. Roof and parking lot runoff should be utilized to serve the college’s sustainable design agenda. Storm water can be detained in swales. Building roof drainage can be diverted through visible site amenities such as expressive scuppers or through swales and rain gardens. Water could be used to connect the open spaces in the core area of campus with a unifying theme. Another more symbolic approach could divert water from the center of campus, through the parking lots and into the surrounding wetlands. Greywater could be used to flush toilets and irrigate landscape, if detention vaults were constructed.



2. Mechanical a. Existing Conditions HVAC Cooling for the campus is supplied by chilled water, outdoor air, or a combination of the two. Heating for the campus is supplied by electric resistance heaters. Condenser Water System The condenser water system appears to be functioning and well maintained. The system underwent an extensive piping replacement and equipment upgrade in 1994. Chilled Water System The chilled water system underwent a significant upgrade and renovation in 1994. The existing chilled water equipment and distribution piping appear to be well maintained. b. Needs Analysis HVAC Re-heating air, except in few circumstances, is in violation of virtually all energy codes. Condenser Water System No major system problems are anticipated. Evaluation of the system controls is also recommended. Chilled Water System No major system problems are anticipated. Replacement of existing chillers with high performance equipment is anticipated in the next 10 years. Currently used refrigerants should also be phased out. c. Proposed Solutions HVAC Replace the existing electric reheat coils with another fuel source, such as natural gas. A revised system would provide heat via hot water or steam. Campus-wide implementation cost of an alternate fuel source system, such as geothermal wells, is likely to be cost prohibitive. Individual projects could be considered. Condenser Water System Take advantage of opportunities for some systemic energy and cost savings by modifying controls to allow varying the condenser water flow depending on the chiller operations. Chilled Water System Take advantage of opportunities for some systemic energy savings in both the control of the chillers and the pumping distribution system.

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3. Power System, Service a. Existing Conditions The campus is served by a underground primary distribution system owned by Seattle City Light (SCL). The system serves five transformer vaults housing SCL owned transformers. The transformers serve five Main Service Switchgear Assemblies on campus, which serve switchboards, which in turn feed distribution panels, MCCs and transformers of respective campus buildings. In addition, a major primary feeder - unrelated to college use - routes underground through the campus in an east/west direction. It is located to the south of the Technology Building and the College Center. Currently, there is no emergency power generation on campus. Emergency egress lighting is addressed with battery units and exit signs with battery back up. However, the emergency egress lighting does not meet current code. b. Needs Analysis Overall capacity of the electrical system is more than adequate for current and future needs as the system was designed for electrical heating and some of this heating has been converted to gas over time. The SCL distribution system does not allow partial shutdown of facilities when electrical maintenance is necessary. Consequently, work at a single building can necessitate shutdown of a significant part of the campus. c. Proposed Solutions Coordinate with SCL to determine primary distribution upgrades that would allow individual buildings to be shutdown are required for maintenance. Upgrades should be implemented as practical when major site work or building renovations occur. Existing switchgear, switchboards and MCCs are to remain in service. Regular maintenance should be performed by an electrical testing and reliability company. Where original campus buildings are substantially renovated all associated existing switchgear, switchboards and MCCs should be replaced. If equipment is not replaced its anticipated life span will be significantly shorter then the life span of the building. Currently, there are no pressing requirements to install emergency generators on campus at this time. Emergency egress lighting can continue to be addressed with battery units and exit signs with battery back up. However, it is recommended that the campus consider adding generators if specific needs for emergency power arise.



D. Lighting a. Existing Conditions Parking lot lighting is generally in good condition and light levels are sufficient. Some areas have older fixtures which should be considered for replacement. Lighting at exterior walkways is poor. Current fixtures are hung at the bottom of structures, which creates visual glare. The space between fixtures is too great, which creates the perception that exterior areas are dark and inadequately lit. Existing fixtures utilize high pressure sodium lamps. Their poor color rendering, combined with the predominance of concrete finishes, makes the exterior environment uncomfortable at night. Sign lighting is lacking in many areas, making it difficult to read signage after dark. Exterior emergency egress lighting is non-existent. b. Needs Analysis Improvement of lighting along exterior walkways is a priority for the campus. c. Proposed Solutions Exterior walkway improvements should improve the user’s sense of safety and provide balanced, warm lighting levels throughout the campus. Wayfinding signage should be highlighted with directional lighting. High sodium fixtures should be replaced with fixtures utilizing metal halide or compact fluorescent lamps to improve color rendering. The quantity of fixtures along walkways should be increased to achieve higher and more uniform light levels. A combination of up and down light fixtures would provide balanced light levels. Uplighting of concrete overhangs would reduce glare and shadows. Installation of a material with high light reflectance value in the bays between concrete beams would improve the performance of uplight fixtures. Downlights would provide general lighting and illuminate the walkway floors. They should be tucked up within concrete bays to reduce visual glare. New fixtures should incorporate emergency battery ballasts or quartz restrike lamps to achieve code stipulated emergency egress lighting levels. The college is developing a plan to improve the exterior lighting of the Art & Science Building and the Instruction Building based on these recommendations. Improvements are also planned for the College Center.

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E. Signage a. Existing Conditions Wayfinding on campus signage is difficult for many reasons, from the lack of centralized building circulation to poor exterior lighting and the monotony of color and texture among the original buildings. Exterior and interior signage does little to improve the situation. The signage does not have appropriate scale, graphic design or lighting. b. Needs Analysis A consistent campus wide signage system with integrated lighting is a key priority for the college. c. Proposed Solutions A comprehensive site and building design strategy is required. Campus-wide design standards should be developed as part of the next major construction project on campus. The Integrated Resources Center project at the south end of the Technology Building provides an opportunity to plan campus standards and commence implementation.



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V. Buildings A. Space utilization A detailed study of space utilization on campus was prepared by Paulien & Associates, Inc. as part of the long range campus plan and is included in the Appendix. Space use categories, utilization goals and space planning guidelines employed by Paulien for this study are based on national standards for higher education institutions. 1. Existing Conditions a. Space Use Classrooms and teaching laboratories typically account 25% of total square footage on a community college campus. At North Seattle Community College, these spaces comprise 37% of the campus. They constitute a higher percentage of the total because the college has a smaller amount of assembly, exhibit and recreational space than most institutions of its size. The college’s 63 classrooms comprise 18% of the assignable space on campus. Most are located in the Instructional Building and the College Center. The college’s 36 teaching laboratories account for 19% of the college’s assignable square footage, which is the largest single category of space use. This reflects the fact that many of the college’s program offerings are in the areas of the basic sciences, computer science, and other laboratory intensive classes. Teaching labs for biology, chemistry, and art are located within the Art & Science Building. Teaching labs for health sciences, parent education and general computer classes are located in the Instruction Building. The Technology Building houses teaching labs for workforce programs including electronics, HVAC and the Watch Technology Institute. Laboratories are used primarily for scheduled instruction are not normally used for non-credit courses. Open laboratories comprise 5% of the assignable space on campus. An open lab is defined as a laboratory space that is not scheduled for classes and is generally open for student use. For example, medical assisting and the majority of nursing courses are offered in a selfpaced, modular format, which utilize open labs. The Library comprises 10% of the college’s assignable space. It is located on the second and third level of the Library Building. In addition to providing space for typical spaces for stacks, study areas, study rooms and technical services, the Library contains media services, the Writing Center, the Technology Learning Center, distance learning and several classrooms.



Student center spaces account for 8% of the assignable space. Most of these activities are located in the College Center building including student government, student newspaper, dining services, casual seating and meeting rooms as well as the multi-purpose Baxter Center. The college bookstore and store are separately located in the Instructional Building. Existing Campus Space Use

b. Classroom Use & Utilization Use by Day & Hour Approximately 70% of classrooms are in use from Monday through Thursday during the periods from 9 am to noon and 6 pm to 8 pm. Peak use is at 10 am, when 83% are occupied. Classroom utilization is lowest between the hours of 2 pm and 6 pm, when less than 20% are in use. The college could offer additional credit and non-credit instruction during these hours.

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Average Hours of Room Use, Student Station Occupancy & Size National standards indicate classroom utilization goals of 32 weekly room hours of use, 65% student station occupancy and 23 assignable square feet per student station. The college’s classrooms are slightly under utilized. Currently, average room use is 27 hours per week with 59% student station occupancy and an average of 25 assignable square feet per station. Below average room use numbers indicate that there is spare capacity within the total amount of classroom space. Below average student station occupancy means that class sections are being taught in rooms that are larger than needed for their programs. High average student station sizes, particularly in the Art & Science Building (30 ASF) the Education Building (30 ASF) and the Technology Building (43 ASF) indicates that these classrooms could either accommodate additional seating or be reconfigured to provide more overall space. The highest student station occupancy is in classrooms with 21 and 25 seats, which are used an average of 22 weekly room hours. These classrooms are not used frequently, but when in use the seats are typically filled. The greatest demand is for classrooms with room capacities between 41 and 45 stations. These spaces are scheduled for 34 average weekly room hours. The college’s large lecture hall is one of the most under utilized spaces. It is in use for 19 average weekly room hours and has a student station occupancy of 19%. In most cases, the lecture hall was used as overflow in the scheduling matrix. c. Teaching Laboratory Utilization Use by Day & Hour Approximately 45 - 50% of teaching laboratories are in use from 9 am to 11 am, 1 pm to 2 pm and 6 pm to 8 pm, from Monday through Thursday. Peak use occurs at 11 am and 7 pm, when lab use is just over 50%. Teaching lab availability is highest between the hours of 3 pm and 5 pm, when average room use drops to 10%. There is an opportunity to offer additional for credit and non-credit instruction during this period. Average Hours of Room Use, Student Station Occupancy & Size National standards indicate teaching laboratory utilization goals of 20 weekly room hours of use, and when in use, 70% student station occupancy. Assignable square feet per student station varies depending upon laboratory type. The college’s laboratories are well utilized. Currently, room use is 23 hours per week with 59% student station occupancy. Weekly room hour use is above average but student station occupancy is below average.



Level 0 - Existing Uses

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Level 1 - Existing Uses North Seattle Community College


Level 2 - Existing Uses

70

Level 3 - Existing Uses North Seattle Community College


Projected Space Needs

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2. Needs Analysis During Fall Quarter 2005 the college supported 3,503 on-campus student FTE, which equated to 5,901 head count students. Campus facilities provide 326,106 assignable square feet. An analysis of space needs for 2005 indicates that 308,429 assignable square feet was required to serve this level of enrollment. This indicates that there was a 17,677 assignable square foot surplus, about 5% of assignable square footage, in 2005. Despite the surplus, there was not enough space to accommodate programs that require teaching laboratories for instruction. Enrollment projections for Fall Quarter 2010 indicate a modest increase of 4,060 on-campus student FTE, which equates to 7,022 head count students. An analysis of space needs for 2010 indicates that 338,705 assignable square feet will be required to serve both an increase in enrollment and an increase in the number of program partners, such as Western Washington University, located in existing space on campus. This will result in a deficit of 13,092 assignable square feet, meaning that about 4% of assignable square footage needs to be added. The additional space would meet projected needs in the teaching laboratory and library space categories. Growth in the number of faculty for Fall Quarter 2010, provided by the Vice President of Instruction, is projected as three new full-time faculty positions, eight part-time faculty positions and six new staff positions. Academic Space has the largest need for additional area with a projected net deficit of 12,334 assignable square feet in 2010. Additional space is required to serve planned expansion of existing programs such as Nursing, Emergency Medical Technician and Pharmacy Technician, as well as new offerings in logistics, industrial design, technical editing and other workforce programs. The largest deficit in this category is in Teaching Laboratories & Service at 19,620 assignable square feet. This is partially offset by a surplus of 9,099 assignable square feet in Classrooms & Service. Academic Support Space has a small need for additional area with a projected net deficit of 506 assignable square feet in 2010. The Library accounts for most of the deficit in this category at 1,605 assignable square feet. This is partially offset by a surplus in Administrative Offices & Service. Some offices on the campus are larger than the applied guideline and the number of state funded employees is less than it was in past years. Auxiliary Space category has a need for 66,744 assignable square feet of space in 2010, which is less than a 1% increase over the current amount of space dedicated to that use. The campus-wide space needs analysis indicates that there will be 11,251 assignable square feet of inactive space on campus in 2010 that can be converted to new uses. This space is located in the Technology Building, where academic space and offices are not configured to meet program needs, and in the College Center, where the Culinary Arts program has been discontinued. The surplus has since been consumed by the Integrated Resources Center project, which involves a renovation and expansion at the south end of the Technology Building and takes over about 12,000 assignable square feet on the ground level of the building. Specific surpluses and deficits in the Academic, Academic Support and Auxiliary Space categories must be understood in the broader context of the campus. All space deficits could not be made up by renovating one building due to space types and program adjacencies. North Seattle Community College


3. Proposed Solutions Most of North Seattle Community College’s space needs can be addressed within the context of its existing buildings. Scheduling course offerings to take advantage of off-peak hours, when classrooms and teaching labs have low room use, would increase utilization. Reconfiguring classrooms to align with student station occupancy requirements and eliminating under utilized classrooms would free up some square footage to make up the deficit in teaching laboratories. The amount of additional square footage required to meet the college’s needs is very small, about 4% of the currently available assignable square footage on campus. Most of the school’s needs can be addressed by renovating existing space in response to changed instructional uses and technologies. Additions to existing facilities would provide adequate enough room to take care of the rest.

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B. Building Systems The Facility Conditions Survey, conducted on behalf of the State Board of Community and Technical Colleges in 2007, indicates that the buildings at North Seattle Community College are in average to below average condition for their use and age. With the exceptions of the Education Building and the Child Care Center, which were both rated as “superior,” and the Art & Science, Child Care Center and Chiller Building, which all were rated as “adequate,” scores for the campus buildings ranged from “needs improvement / additional maintenance” to “needs improvement / renovation.” With average building scores of 307, from the 2007 survey, and 318, from the 2005 Facility Conditions Survey, this indicates that the buildings are deteriorating and need improvement. SBCTC 2007 Facility Conditions Survey Replacement Cost

CRV/SF

2007 Score

2005 Score

2003 Score

90,406

$23,506,340

$260

496

430

308

1969

112,332

$24,713,040

$220

486

416

338

College Center

1969

203,857

$44,848,540

$220

392

404

348

Instructional

1969

197,065

$43,354,300

$220

414

384

328

Art & Science

1969

2004

90,409

$23,506,340

$260

244

278

296

Wellness Center

1995

2007

45,180

$9,036,000

$200

174

314

246

Child Care Center

1999

2003

7,657

$1,339,975

$175

186

162

162

Education Building

1999

44,389

$11,541,140

$260

174

162

162

Chiller Building

1969

1,826

Portables

-

-

-

-

Building

Yr Built

Technology

1969

Library

Yr Renovated GSF

198 -

-

Scoring Levels

146 - 175 = Superior 176 - 275 = Adequate 276 - 350 = Needs Improvement / Additional Maintenance 351 - 475 = Needs Improvement / Renovation 476 - 730 = Replace or Renovate

The survey identified a total of 13 capitol repair deficiencies with an estimated repair cost of $4,962,000. Of the 13 deficiencies, two issues were identified as deferred maintenance backlog items estimated to cost totaling $1,400,000. One was identified as an infrastructure/site deficiency estimated to cost $1,150,000.



1. Structural a. Existing Conditions Structural evaluations were conducted for the five original main campus buildings: the College Center, the Library, the Instructional Building, the Art & Science Building and the Technology Building. The Wellness Center, the Education Building and the Child Care Center were not evaluated because they were designed to meet current codes. The structural design for the original buildings was based on the 1967 Uniform Building Code. The buildings have similar structural systems consisting of concrete floors and roofs supported by concrete columns on either spread or pile foundations. The floor and roof systems consist of post-tensioned slabs and joists spanning between post-tensioned girders on the column lines. The buildings are architecturally interconnected by a series of bridge and tunnel structures, but these structures typically are seismically separated from the main buildings. Each building also has exterior stair and mechanical tower structures that are structurally connected to it. Key observations about the existing condition of these buildings include: • Building structural systems are generally in good condition. • Minor cracking and staining was noted at isolated locations at elevated walkway beams. • Minor cracking of beams in isolated locations of the garage appear to be below the

plaza area. Maintenance staff reported excessive cracking in the garage beams below the kitchen of the College Center building.

• Integrity of concealed post-tension anchors per the original drawings is difficult to eval-

uate. However, there is currently no indication of degradation, since there is no visible corrosion or spalling in the vicinity of the anchors.

b. Needs Analysis The five original buildings on the NSCC campus were designed and constructed prior to the adoption of modern seismic codes. No global seismic improvement improvements have been made to these buildings. Although the buildings possess complete seismic forceresisting systems, the systems lack adequate lateral strength to satisfy the performance objectives outlined in a ASCE 31 seismic evaluation. The engineer performed an ASCE 31 Tier 1 evaluation on each of the buildings and partial Tier 2 evaluations on two of the buildings. The evaluation found deficiencies in shear walls and seismic joint sizing, irregular patterns of structural stiffness and deformation, and unusual structural detailing. All of these conditions may lead to adverse seismic performance during an earthquake. The buildings need significant structural improvements to meet contemporary life safety requirements.

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c. Proposed Solutions In order to mitigate these deficiencies and improve the building performance level to meet life safety requirements, seismic upgrades will be required in these buildings as follows: • Add full-height concrete shear walls bearing on new spread footings throughout the

five buildings.

• Existing seismic joints may need to be modified and should be evaluated on a case by

case basis.

• Alternatively, strategically connecting various portions of the buildings together could

be considered to modify existing irregular patterns of structural stiffness and deformation.

2. Mechanical a. Existing Conditions HVAC HVAC systems are maintained and in good condition. However, the heating system is of a basic design that was common in the 1970’s when the college was designed, which used a lot of electricity. Since then, economics and public policy have evolved to change this approach. Temperature control is achieved by cooling air and distributing it by fans through a building wide duct distribution system. Temperature control for individual areas are tempered by in-duct heating coils. The result is to expend energy to cool air to the lowest demand level, then heat it up for higher individual demand areas. Some areas have been modified to VAV (variable air volume) duct heaters, which are much more efficient. The remainder of the campus needs to follow this updating of systems. Evaluations were made and are included in the Appendix. Plumbing Each building has a stacked restroom arrangement with a gravity drainage system. Certain buildings have additional drainage to accommodate labs and food service area. The existing sanitary piping is essentially unchanged since the buildings were constructed. The majority of restrooms serving the five original buildings on campus are accessed from the exterior perimeter circulation. This poses safety issues. Some restroom fixtures have been removed to provide ADA compliance. The plumbing fixtures are past their service life and are not compliant with current water usage regulations. The number of restrooms are not adequate to comply with current codes. Each building has a domestic water system connected to a campus water supply system. The existing domestic water system is essentially as installed during the original construction. The existing hot water systems have been upgraded and modified over the life of the buildings through various remodels and equipment replacements. Maintenance staff reported that hot water heating equipment at the College Center was recently replaced with new high efficiency units. Original construction documents indicate specialty piping systems for the electronics laboratory. Laboratory benches are provided with compressed air, vacuum and natural gas. North Seattle Community College


Fire Protection The Technology Building has a dry fire protection system in the parking areas. Other buildings from the original construction do not have fire protections systems. Structures added to the campus in the past years have code-compliant sprinkler systems installed. b. Needs Analysis HVAC Electricity is not an economical or sustainable energy source for HVAC systems. The college needs to explore alternate energy sources. The air distribution system needs to be modified to provide better control and a higher level of energy-efficiency. Plumbing The number of plumbing fixtures should be increased to provide the correct number of fixtures per current WAC code. Facilities should be moved indoors to increase safety on campus. A survey of the existing sanitary system should be made to determine its remaining service life. The survey should include a video camera photographic inspection to determine the condition of the underground drainage system. A survey of the domestic hot water systems should be made to determine its remaining service life. Hot water heating equipment has be replaced and should provide good full service life. If is adequately sized for the systems it serves. Code compliant Reduced Pressure Backflow Preventers (RPBP) have been installed, maintained, and certified. The campus should be surveyed to insure that the correct number of code compliant drinking fountains are installed. Existing specialty piping systems in the newly renovated Arts & Science Building laboratories are to current codes and adequately support the programs currently located in that building. Fire Protection The fire protection system has experienced some technical obsolescence as well as damage from electrical storm lightening strikes. While it currently functions adequately for fire protection, it can be effectively updated and expanded in scope to also function as a public announcement and security alarm system. c. Proposed Solutions HVAC Possible alternative systems including heat recovery chillers, ground source heat pumps, cogeneration, thermal storage, raised floors and indirectly cooled air handling units were evaluated by the engineers. A rough order of magnitude comparing initial versus life cycle costs is included in the consultant report, in the Appendix. There are opportunities to improve energy efficiency and reduce operating costs within the current system. Converting of ductwork and the chilled water distribution systems to a true variable volume systems offers the largest potential for cost savings.

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Changes to the air distribution system, the condenser water system and the chilled water system, as well as the evaluation of indirectly cooled units at the next major overhaul of the air handling unit, are also recommended. Plumbing Existing non-code compliant plumbing fixtures should be replaced with low water consumption fixtures with automatic flush valves and faucets. In addition, the correct type and number of ADA compliant fixtures should be included in any upgrades to the existing sanitary system. Replacement of marginal piping systems is recommended. The College should engage in a long range program to relocate restrooms to the interior of buildings to improve safety Fire Protection System The college should replace existing sprinkler heads, which at forty years of age are past their service life. Any building undergoing a major renovation will need to have a code compliant fire protection system added. 3. Electrical a. Existing Conditions Power System, Distribution Panels in the original buildings are spread throughout the buildings and served from main switchboards and distribution panels. The main service switchgear assemblies serve Instruction, Art & Science, Technology, College Center and Library with one assembly at each building. Each main service switchgear serves its associated building by feeding switchboards which in turn feed distribution panels, MCCs and transformers. The main service switchgear at the Technology Building also feeds the Education Building and the Wellness Center. The main service switchgear serving the Instruction Building also serves the Child Care Center. In the Education Building, and Wellness and Child Care Centers, which were all constructed after 1995, the panels are in good condition. Power System, Branch Power Distribution of receptacles in the original buildings is generally adequate. Areas that have not been renovated generally have less receptacles than required by current standards. Currently, the Education Building and Wellness and Child Care Centers have adequate distribution of receptacles. b. Needs Analysis Power System, Distribution The existing switchgear, switchboards and MCCs are nearly forty years old and nearing the end of their anticipated service life. Electrical testing and maintenance was performed on these items in September 2006. It was determined the equipment is in reasonable condition given its age. For the near term, the existing equipment will continue to function adequately provided that it is maintained. Planning for replacement should be part of the North Seattle Community College


college’s long range infrastructure maintenance strategy. Replacement should occur as part of any renovation projects. Panels and transformers in the Education Building and Wellness and Child Care Centers do not require replacement unless necessary due to architectural or programmatic revisions. Power System, Branch Power Buildings should be made code compliant whenever renovations occur. c. Proposed Solutions Power System, Distribution Replace existing branch panelboards and transformers whenever renovations occur. Reuse existing panelboards and transformers if capacity and condition is suitable for minor remodels. For substantial renovations, replace all panels and transformers. In the Education Building and Wellness and Child Care Centers, replace panels and transformers only as required due to architectural or programmatic revisions. Power System, Branch Power The most efficient way to upgrade the campus system is to add receptacles as necessary when renovations or program changes occur in a given area. 4. Lighting a. Existing Conditions In the original buildings, existing fixtures generally consist of lensed fixtures using magnetic ballasts and 34W miser T12 lamps. Many areas have been remodeled with 32W T8 lamps and electronic ballasts. At the Education Building and Wellness and Child Care Centers most fixtures have 32W T8 lamps with electronic ballasts. b. Needs Analysis Most areas do not meet current Seattle Energy Code for total installed lighting wattage or controls. Most provide poor glare control for modern computer environments and do not meet IES RP1 standards. Emergency egress lighting does not meet current code requirements. At the Education Building and Wellness and Child Care Centers, light levels are generally appropriate for usage of space and glare control is good. Seattle Energy Code requirements are met. Emergency egress lighting meets current code. c. Proposed Solutions In original buildings, replace lighting whenever renovations occur. It is recommended that the college consider replacement of light fixtures independent of renovation projects with the goal of improving lighting and reducing energy usage. At the Education Building and Wellness and Child Care Centers, replace lighting as necessary based on architectural or programmatic changes.

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5. Technology a. Existing Conditions Cabling Infrastructure The campus is completely networked with fiber optic and multipair copper cabling. Station Cabling Station cabling is provided throughout all buildings for data and voice networking. Fire Alarm Infrastructure The campus headend panel is located in the basement of the Instruction Building and networked to sub panels located in each building. Fire Alarm, Building Components The fire alarm systems within buildings are comprised of smoke detection, pull stations, and speaker/strobe notification devices. Systems were severely damaged by lightening in 2006 and the replacement parts were technologically obsolete. The system is under evaluation for replacement. Clock System A new clock system has recently been installed throughout the campus classrooms and common areas. A time correction signal is received by a satellite through receivers located throughout campus and then transmitted to all of the clocks. Security / Access Control System There is not a campus wide system in place. The college should analyze if this is a priority. Standards should be implemented as part of the next building renovation. Television System CATV is distributed via coaxial cable throughout campus. The system is generally in suitable condition. b. Needs Analysis Cabling Infrastructure Cabling infrastructure is in adequate condition and does not require immediate improvement except when necessary to address architectural or programmatic changes. Station Cabling Station cabling is generally in good condition. General upgrades are not necessary. Changes should be addressed on case by case basis to respond to architectural and programmatic changes. Fire Alarm Infrastructure Existing panels are about 10 years old. They have been damaged and need to be replaced. Recently, the college has had to replace various components within some of the panels. Analysis of the panels by a Notifier vendor should be done to determine what improvements and upgrades may be necessary at panels. North Seattle Community College


Fire Alarm, Building Components General upgrades are not necessary. Clock System No changes are required to this system. Security / Access Control System The campus does not currently have a standard for such systems and few are installed. Due to the number of doors opening to the exterior on campus it would be very costly to cover all of the exterior doors. Television System No current needs have been identified by the college. c. Proposed Solutions Cabling Infrastructure Upgrades generally are not necessary and do not need to be a priority. Provide new backbone cabling as required to support architectural and programmatic changes. Station Cabling Existing cabling can remain in service and does not require replacement. Provide new CAT 6 cabling as necessary to support architectural and programmatic changes. Fire Alarm Infrastructure Proceed with an analysis for replacing the existing panels. Fire Alarm, Building Components Changes should be made as necessary per architectural revisions when they occur. Clock System Additional clocks can be added as necessary at any time. Security / Access Control System The campus needs to determine whether implementation of security systems is a priority. If it is, a campus standard should be determined and implemented with all substantial renovations. The campus should also retrofit existing buildings with security systems as necessary. Television System Install cabling if necessary to support architectural and programmatic renovations. This is a low priority item and does not require any significant work.

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6. Summary Observations The five original main campus buildings are nearly forty years old. Their structural systems do not meet contemporary seismic codes and present a life safety hazard to their occupants. Their mechanical and electrical systems do not meet contemporary code requirements and are not energy-efficient. In addition roofing, water infiltration, hardware and other architectural systems have reached their expected service life.. Typical of academic facilities of this age, the basic systems in the five original buildings and are at the end of their service life and ready for improvement and/or replacement. The newer buildings on campus are between seven to twelve years old and are in relatively good shape. A major renovation of the Wellness Center in 2007 resolved structural and waterproofing issues that were caused by deficiencies in the original construction. The five original buildings are all substantial structures. Although their systems are worn and/ or deficient, comprehensive renovation of the facilities would renew them and could extend their life for another forty years. Renovations have been made to the existing buildings to modify spaces to meet changing programmatic demands. These projects have been tenant improvements and have not addressed building deficiencies systematically. The recent renovation of the Art & Science Building is typical of this practice. The building was remodeled to provide new studios and labs, but critical improvements such as seismic reinforcement were not included. As a result, the connections between elements are now buried behind new finishes. It is impossible to retrofit the building to deal with structural deficiencies without undoing the new work. In order to realize the opportunity to extend the life of its main campus buildings for another generation the college must commit itself to a policy of comprehensively renovating its facilities, upgrading all building systems as part of its renovation projects. This means that the whole structure of each building should be renovated rather than making tenant-only improvements to architectural finishes or piecemeal improvements on an ad hoc basis.



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VI. Sustainability Sustainable long range campus planning strategies were developed during an Eco-Charrette that included representatives from the college and all of the design and engineering consultants on the planning team. Participants discussed goals for the college’s site, water, energy and materials in terms of reducing energy use and protecting the environment. Concepts for increasing the well-being of staff, faculty, students, visitors, as well as the surrounding community’s residents and workers, were also discussed. Following is a summary of recommendations developed in a Eco-Charette for the long range campus plan. A detailed summary of the charrette, including a “LEED Checklist for Campus Evaluation” is provided in the Appendix. A. General PLANNING STRATEGIES 1. Create an Atmosphere for Learning Make the whole campus a living laboratory for learning. • Sustainable design elements can help create an attractive campus and foster on-going education. • Promote awareness of the hydrological cycle with visible features such as rain gardens, runnels and swales. • Use the campus’ surrounding wetlands for field studies in ecological restoration, native plants and organic landscaping. 2. Lighten and Brighten Create an inviting, accessible campus environment. • Existing grey concrete buildings are drab, especially during the rainy season. Dark shadows make the courtyards and plazas uninviting. • Integrate exterior lighting design with architectural elements and water features. • Add materials that reflect light and provide texture and warmth. • Soften courtyards with landscaping. • Add more water features and art work. 3. Integrate Water Features Address stormwater quality and quantity in ways that enhance the campus’ image. • Water issues are intertwined with the site’s built and natural elements. • The campus is the site of Licton Springs, which was an area of spiritual significance of the native Duwamish people. It may have also been the headwaters of Thornton Creek. • Tie roof drainage to the earth in a dramatic way with fumes and rain gardens. • Create swales to resolve drainage problems and reduce impervious surfaces. • Design fountains and pools in courtyards to muffle noise of I-5, create a welcoming environment, provide wayfinding and reference the site’s connection to Thornton Creek and Licton Springs. North Seattle Community College


4. Plan for Incremental Development Plan for incremental development that renews the school’s forty year old buildings. • Most of the college’s short and long range space needs are accommodated by existing facilities. • Phase renovations so the College can remain “open for business.” • Test long range campus plan ideas on upcoming projects, such as Integrated Resources Center. • Switch out existing lighting fixtures with energy-efficient lighting fixtures over a period of time. B. SPECIFIC recommendations 1. Site a. Reduce Paved Areas Building roofs, courtyards and surface parking lots all create stormwater runoff. These impervious surfaces emit heat and increase the local air temperature – an impact known as “the heat island effect”. • Break up continuous parking areas with landscape islands. • Convert roof tops to green roofs. • Add rain gardens. • Incorporate more plantings in courtyards. b. Campus Connectivity To make NSCC a true focal point of Northgate’s Urban Village, connections between the College and downtown Northgate need to be strengthened. I-5 imposes a major barrier to convenient access between the College of the west side of the highway and Northgate Mall, Northgate Library and Community Center, Northgate Transit Center, and future Transit-Oriented Development on the east side of the highway. A light rail station is planned for the Transit Center within the next 10 years. • Bring bus routes into campus. • Provide a hybrid shuttle between NSCC and the Northgate Mall and Transit Center. • Construct an I-5 pedestrian overpass or underpass. c. Trail Connections Develop a trail system in the wetlands surrounding the campus. • Strengthen connections to the neighborhood. • Enhance circulation between buildings • Provide a recreational amenity for everyone. d. Light the Way Improve daylight and electric light in courtyards between buildings. • Introduce materials that would bounce light into shadowy spaces. • Provide adequate night lighting for attending evening classes and events.

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• Select lighting fixtures with shields to protect the night sky from light pollution.

2. Water a. Make Water Visible Take advantage of the abundance of water on the site. • Replace impervious surfaces with swales, solve drainage issues and reduce heat island effect. • Promote environmental education by providing interpretive signage with water features such as rain gardens and seasonal streams. b. Wayfinding with Water Use water as a wayfinding tool. • Provide a reminder of the site’s connection to Thornton Creek. • Enhance courtyards and plazas with water fountains and pools that help orient people to the campus. • Use water throughout the site to enliven connections to buildings, parking lots and the surrounding community. c. Winter Garden Treat grey or black water with a visible “Living Machine” in a winter garden/greenhouse. • Provides on-site waste-water treatment and reuse. • An educational tool for learning about water conservation. • A gathering space. d. Water Conservation Save money and conserve resources. • Calibrate automatic water fixture controls. • Switch out existing plumbing fixtures with low-flow fixtures. 3. Energy a. Near-Term Energy Conservation • Switch out existing lighting fixtures for more efficient and better quality lighting. • Integrate daylighting and natural ventilation strategies with each building renovation. b. Long-Term Energy Conservation • Switch to variable volume air and water systems. • Use ground-source heating and cooling. • Incorporate alternative technologies to lower operating costs such as using solar hot water heating with vacuum tubes and supplementing with condensing boilers.



4. Materials a. Reduce, Reuse & Recycle Use resources wisely and reduce waste. • Identify and direct NSCC’s waste streams to recycle or reuse facilities. • Continue on-going education with NSCC’s Sustainability Education Program. b. Materials Palette Develop a recommended palette of materials that meets key environmental criteria. • Durability. • Recycled-content. • Low-toxicity. • Preference for regional materials. c. Landscape Practices Develop an integrated pest management/organic landscaping program for the campus’ grounds. 5. Well-Being Create an attractive place for students, faculty and staff. • Sustainability is a means for achieving this core mission. • Create a welcoming place for the college’s population as well as community members. • Provide high-quality, efficient lighting. • Provide operable windows for fresh air. • Perform commissioning and re-commissioning of the building systems to optimize occupant comfort. • Design “green” interiors with low-allergen materials and plants.

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VII. Development plan A. Long Range Campus Plan The long range campus plan is a long range vision for the development of North Seattle Community College. It serves the college’s mission, goals and strategic plan. It is based on a detailed evaluation of the urban context, enrollment trends, space utilization and existing facilities conditions. In the long term, NSCC should be prepared to respond to the emerging needs of the growing urban environment of the Northgate Urban Village. Residential and commercial development will increase the density of the area surrounding the college, expanding the constituency served by the school. Completion of the light rail connection to Northgate and proposed improvements to create better transit connections to the college will increase access to campus. The long range campus plan is built around the understanding that the college’s existing site and buildings are significant resources that will enable the college to meet the immediate and long range needs of its students and programs. Comprehensive renovation of the school’s forty year old buildings will enable the college to meet its projected space needs by reconfiguring academic space to meet changes in program mix and instructional methodology. At the same time aging architectural, structural, mechanical and electrical systems can be renewed, extending the life of these substantial buildings for the next forty years. Projections for a modest requirement for 4% increase in assignable square footage in 2010 can be accommodated by additions to existing buildings. This expansion, although small in size, is the key to achieving substantial improvements in the community spaces on campus and establishing a strategy for phased development that minimizes impacts on college operations. Starting at the heart of campus, the central campus plaza is energized by the relocation of community oriented functions around its perimeter. The courtyard between the Art & Science and Technology Buildings is covered with a glass roof, creating an two-story atrium space that houses the cafeteria, creates a major assembly space and puts student activity at the center of the college. Across the plaza, the space below the Library Building’s two story overhang is enclosed with glazing and reconfigured for use as the college’s art gallery. Combined with the existing school store and expresso lounge on the north and south edges of the plaza, these uses make the open space into a real town square, where students faculty and staff come to gather. A second floor addition on top of the Technology Building houses a new tutoring center that overlooks the cafeteria atrium and provides space for new teaching laboratories to meet existing program demands. It scales down the vast, underused roof plaza. The concrete paving on the adjacent roof plaza over the Art & Science Building is replaced by a green roof, which provides a much needed outdoor play area on campus and reduces stormwater runoff and urban heat island effect. Replacing hard paved surfaces with landscaping is a general strategy that reduces the pervasive greyness of the campus environment and serves the college’s sustainable agenda. Improvements to the campus perimeter and parking lots take advantage of this approach. North Seattle Community College





2011 - Four Year Plan 92

The main entry to campus, along College Way North, is reconfigured to increase orientation and access, and make some of the college’s activities visible from the street. The monumental stair is demolished to improve pedestrian access. The landscape in front of the Library Building is regraded so that the lower floor of the building is visible from College Way. A new entry and lobby creates a public face to the building that is shared by improved music and drama performance venues. The lobby opens on the east to the new art gallery and the central courtyard beyond, connecting the center to the perimeter of campus. The Integrated Resources Center, is another addition to the Technology Building at the south end of the existing building. Landscape improvements at the south end of the facility creates access to the building from North 95th Street. A three-story atrium in the IRC, running east to west, connects the lower parking lot to the campus through the addition and the College Center. Improvements to the parking lots surrounding the campus repair failing infrastructure and improves access. New planting strips provide stormwater detention, biofiltration and mark the paths across the lot to campus. The college has more than adequate parking facilities to serve all of its long range needs and can reconfigure the lots to serve its sustainable agenda. Improvements to trails in the surrounding wetlands and planning for long term improvements to pedestrian and transit connections across I-5 to Northgate Transit Center are another component of the long range campus plan. These developments create connections to the neighborhood and to the region-at-large that will serve the college’s mission and goals. B. Four-Year Plan 1. Integrated Resources Center Project Type: Alternative Financing Project Request Design Construction

2005 2007 - 09 2009 - 11

Comprehensive renovation and expansion at south the end of the Technology Building provides an integrated center for services and programs offered by North Seattle Community College, the Department of Social and Health Services, WorkSource North Seattle, Employment Securities Division and the King County Youth Learning Center. 12,100 square feet of the existing one-story building will be renovated. A steel-frame roof top addition will provide an additional 32,800 square feet of space. Architectural, structural, mechanical and electrical systems will be upgraded to meet code requirements and extend life of the building for the next forty years. Landscape improvements will be provided along the south and east sides of the building. The design phase of the project has been funded and is currently underway.



2017 - Ten Year Plan

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C. Ten-Year Plan 2. Technology Building Renewal & Expansion Project Type: Renovation Project Request Design Construction

2007 2009 - 11 2011 - 13

Comprehensive renovation and expansion at the middle and north end of the Technology Building provides spaces required to fill academic space deficits identified in space utilization analysis including teaching labs and college tutoring center. 22,500 square feet of the existing one-story building will be renovated. A steel-frame roof top addition will provide an additional 12,000 square feet of space. Architectural, structural, mechanical and electrical systems will be upgraded to meet code requirements and extend life of the building for the next forty years. The project will be designed to coordinate with the Integrated Resources Center, which is located at the south end of the Technology Building. Landscape improvements to the central campus plaza, including removal of the concrete sky bridge over the plaza, are included in the project. 3. Student Center Project Type: Alternative Financing Project Request Design Construction

2007 2009 - 11 2011 - 13

Comprehensive renovation and expansion at the far north end of the Technology Building provides a new student center including cafeteria/assembly space, private dining rooms, kitchen and student-dedicated spaces. A 9,000 square foot steel frame addition consisting of an in-fill of exterior courtyard incorporates a new atrium space for student gathering and food service. 5,000 square feet of the existing one-story building will be renovated. The project will be coordinate with the Technology Building renewal and expansion. Although funding for the projects is separate, the project will probably be documented for bid to a single contractor. 4. Plaza Roof Repair Project Type: Minor Works Project Request 2009 Design & Construction 2011 - 13

Replacement of leaking roof membrane and deteriorating paving at roof plaza of Art & Science Building. A new 19,500 square foot vegetated roof systems will reduce stormwater runoff, mitigate urban heat island effect and provide informal outdoor play area on campus. The project includes new outdoor lighting and site amenities. 5. Library Building Renewal Project Type: Renovation Project Request Design Construction

2009 2011 - 13 2013 - 15

Comprehensive renovation of the Library Building to improve library, music department and performance venues for music and drama. All 108,000 square foot of the existing building will be renovated. A small 6,200 square foot addition facing the central plaza will provide space for a new campus art gallery. Architectural, structural, mechanical and electrical systems North Seattle Community College


Level 1 - 2017, Ten Year Plan

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Level 2 - 2017, Ten Year Plan North Seattle Community College


2032 - 25 Year Plan

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are to meet code requirements and extend the life of the building for the next forty years. Because the project is over 70,000 square feet, it requires special approval before a capital request can be prepared. The project includes significant site work. The monumental entry stair at the main entry to campus at College Way North will be demolished. The adjacent parking and landscaped areas would be re-graded to improve access and provide sightlines from the street to a new entry to the music and drama venues. 6. Stormwater Conveyance Project Type: Infrastructure Project Request 2009 Design & Construction 2011 - 13

Improvement of campus stormwater system to repair failing infrastructure, protect existing wetlands and meet contemporary code and sustainable design standards. 7. College Center Surge Space Project Type: Minor Works Project Request 2011 Design & Construction 2011 - 13

Tenant improvement to vacated spaces in College Center to provide surge space for subsequent Instruction Building renewal projects. 34,000 square feet, which were previously used for the discontinued Culinary Arts program and the old student center, will be reconfigured. 8. Instruction Building Renewal - Phase I Project Type: Renovation Project Request Design Construction

2011 2013 - 15 2015 - 17

Comprehensive renovation of two-thirds of the Instruction Building, which currently houses classrooms, labs and faculty offices. Spaces will be reconfigured as required to meet program needs and accommodate contemporary instructional technologies. 84,000 square feet of the three-story building will be renovated. Architectural, structural, mechanical and electrical systems will be upgraded to meet code requirements and extend life of the building for the next forty years. Because the project is over 70,000 square feet it requires special approval before a capital request can be prepared. d. 25-Year plan 9. Instruction Building Renewal - Phase II Project Type: Renovation Project Request Design Construction

2013 2015 - 17 2017 - 19

Comprehensive renovation of remaining one-third of the Instruction Building, which currently houses classrooms, labs and faculty offices. Spaces will be reconfigured as required to meet program needs and accommodate contemporary instructional technologies. 42,000 square feet of the three-story building will be renovated. Architectural, structural, mechanical and electrical systems will be upgraded to meet code requirements and extend life of the building for the next forty years.



10. College Center Renewal - Phase I Project Type: Renovation Project Request Design Construction

2015 2017 - 19 2019 - 21

Comprehensive renovation of two-story wing of College Center, which currently houses the student center and culinary arts spaces and will be used as surge space for the two phase renewal of the Instruction Building. Spaces will be reconfigured as required to meet program needs and accommodate contemporary instructional technologies. 38,600 square feet of the building will be renovated. Architectural, structural, mechanical and electrical systems will be upgraded to meet code requirements and extend life of the building for the next forty years. 11. College Center Renewal - Phase II Project Type: Renovation Project Request Design Construction

2017 2019 - 21 2021 - 23

Comprehensive renovation of the three-story wing of the College Center, which currently houses student services, administrative offices and classrooms. Spaces will be reconfigured as required to meet program needs and accommodate contemporary instructional technologies. 42,000 square feet of the building will be renovated. Architectural, structural, mechanical and electrical systems will be upgraded to meet code requirements and extend life of the building for the next forty years.

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VIII. Appendix



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NORTH SEATTLE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

ENVIRONMENTAL SCAN OVERVIEW AND

OCCUPATIONAL DEMAND/ WORKFORCE STUDY

In support of

CAMPUS MASTER PLANNING December 2005

PAULIEN & ASSOCIATES, INC. 899 Logan Street, Suite 508 Denver, CO 80211 (303) 832-3272 • (303) 832-3380 FAX


www.paulien.com [email protected]


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Document Prepared By:

PAULIEN & ASSOCIATES, INC. DENVER, COLORADO Daniel Paulien, President Frank Markley, Ph.D., Associate

In Association With:

SCHACHT / ASLANI ARCHITECTS SEATTLE, WASHINGTON

Acknowledgments to:

SEATTLE COMMUNITY COLLEGE Ronald LaFayette, President Karen Demetre, Vice President for Instruction Mary Ellen O’Keeffe, Executive Dean, Professional/Technical Education & Workforce Education John Bautsch, Director, Institutional Research and Planning Bruce Kieser, Director, Facilities & Plant Operations and Members of the President’s Advisory Group



PAULIEN & ASSOCIATES, INC.

Acknowledgments

105 NSCC Environmental Scan Overview

NORTH SEATTLE COMMUNITY COLLEGE Environmental Scan Overview Occupational and Workforce Analysis

Table of Contents 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 7.0 7.1 7.2

INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE OF THE STUDY .............................................................. 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCAN .......................................................... 1 SPACE NEEDS ANALYSIS IMPLICATIONS ......................................................................... 2 AREA OF INTEREST .................................................................................................... 2 DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS .......................................................................................... 4 Statewide Demographic and Population Data Overview .................................... 4 High School Data .............................................................................................. 7 Age.................................................................................................................... 7 King County Population Projections ................................................................... 8 North King County Projections........................................................................... 8 NSCC Catchment Area Zip Code Projections ..................................................... 9 OCCUPATIONAL ANALYSIS OVERVIEW ....................................................................... 16 Statewide Labor Projections ............................................................................. 16 County Level Occupational Growth................................................................. 18 FAZ Level Occupational Growth Projections.................................................... 19 OCCUPATIONAL AND WORKFORCE ANALYSIS ............................................................. 21 Occupational Employment Projections ............................................................ 23 Potential New Programs................................................................................... 27

106 PAULIEN & ASSOCIATES, INC.

Table of Contents

NSCC Environmental Scan Overview

NORTH SEATTLE COMMUNITY COLLEGE Environmental Scan Overview Occupational and Workforce Analysis 1.0

INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

North Seattle Community College, with the main campus located adjacent to Interstate 5 and the Northgate area, is in the process of updating their campus master plan. The purpose of this environmental scan overview is twofold. First, to understand how population projections and other demographic trends could influence future student enrollments, and second, to review historical and projected occupational demand data in an effort to determine the types of programs that may be feasible for North Seattle Community College (NSCC) through the master planning horizon. The information in this report should be considered an overview or indication of possible future programs. Any programmatic decisions based on this report should undergo further investigation as employment and economic conditions can change over the long term. Research from the U.S. Department of Education in 1998 established a link between the projected demand for various jobs and occupations and long-term enrollment trends within specific programs and disciplines in community colleges. The relationship particularly holds true for high school graduates attending college for the first time. As a result, favorable employment projections for a given job or field will attract more students into the various academic disciplines, especially employment positions that require credentialing and/or certification. In high demand programs, students may travel considerable distances to enroll in a program of study and return to their original place of residence. Hence, labor projections will be reviewed at a broader level. Data was collected from several sources. The U.S. Department of Labor- Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Department of Commerce – Census Bureau were the dominant sources of information at the national level, while the Puget Sound Regional Council and the State of Washington Office of Financial Management were the sources of data for the State and Counties. In addition, interviews were conducted with state and county representatives and agency directors to better understand the area and to obtain recent projections and estimates. This report captures the objective quantitative factors associated with both demographic and workforce data. The report does take into account the qualitative factors that support the development or justify a need for any particular program or college service. This study, with the presentation of data, looks at a wide range of macro and micro-level projections through the year 2020 to address anticipated changes in the College’s service area.



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NSCC Environmental Scan Overview

2.0

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCAN

The predominate focus of the study are the boundaries defined by Seattle North, Shoreline, and SW Snohomish county. In some cases, statewide and county data were used as a basis of comparison. The following are key findings of the environmental scan. 1) The north Seattle area is growing at a slower rate than the state and King County. Statewide, the population is expected to grow 26.3% between 2000 and 2020. The population of King County is anticipated to increase by 16% between 2000 and 2020. The population defined within the area of north King County is expected to grow a modest 12% during the same time period. 2) Overall, the state and King County population is growing older and more diverse. The state is “graying” as the 65+ age category is predicted to increase by 131% between 2000 and 2025. In King County, the 60-64 age group will increase by 118% between 2000 and 2020 while the 65–69 age group is projected to increase by 132% during the same time period. Overall, neighborhoods surround the College are becoming more diverse. Between 1990 and 2000, the percents of residents classifying themselves as American Indian, Eskimo, Asian, Black, and Hispanic origin increased by approximately four percent. This number is expected to increase by another three to four percent by 2010. According to the U.S. Census, King County represents 58.2% of Washington’s Asian population. 3) The percent of north Seattle and SW Snohomish County households classified as “low income” is growing. In 1990, 25% of the households were defined as low income, which is defined as an income of less than $28,850 in 2000. By 2020, that percentage is expected to increase to 28%. 4) The level of educational attainment in the north Seattle area is higher than the state and county average. Based on the 2000 Census, approximately 28.5% of Washington residents have a bachelor’s degree while 9.7% have a graduate or professional degree. In the seven zip codes surrounding the College, 32.7% have a bachelor’s degree while 19.6% have a graduate or professional degree. 5) North Seattle residents are mostly employed in white collar service related occupations that closely mirror the occupational makeup of the Puget Sound area and King County. Residents are employed in a variety of work positions, but the top eight are occupations within the service sector, including office and administrative support, management, sales, education and training, computer, food preparation, arts, business, and health occupations. A very small percent (