HomeMy WebLinkAboutC_Handby Comment_Comments about Proposed Development (Logan 6).msg CAUTION: This email originated from outside the City of Renton. Do not click links, reply or open attachments unless you know the content is safe.
March 11, 2024
Mayor Pavone and City Council Members:
I had planned to speak at the council meeting last week, or this evening, but I have been ill with COVID and am staying home per COVID protocol. I hope you can take the three minutes
I would have used to speak to read the comments here (below, and attached).
The comments are about the proposed “Logan 6” development on North Logan Avenue, which abuts the North Renton Neighborhood. Many local residents are now aware of the proposed development,
which many still are unaware about, as evidenced by e-mails and letters to the mayor, city council members, and city planning department, as well as multiple speakers at council meetings.
We have learned that, in the past week, the project is on-hold as there is additional review of how an intersection and signal timing might be improved to allow better access to the
proposed south entrance.
While this is a welcome development, this does not address the three main issues people have expressed as concerns about the development:
1) Parking: there is no street parking available at the development as there is no parking on Logan Avenue or North 3rd or North 4th streets. Put another way: there is nowhere to
park along the development property beside a parking garage and a minimal fifteen commercial space lot. The one parking spot per unit-- with 100 one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and three-bedroom
units-- is not reasonable and will force overflow parking onto the eastside residential street (Burnett Ave).
The lack of parking is in contradiction with the Renton City Center Community Plan (revised 2017) which states as a goal “Protect the residential … neighborhoods in the City Center”
(p. 47) with a subgoal to “protect edges of single-family areas…” (p. 50). With inadequate parking, the development will drive on-street parking into the residential area, which contradicts
the goals.
I was on the Puyallup planning commission and the city handled city center development by using two zones near the city center—one was the ‘core’ and the other for a ‘wrap around’—could
not Renton have different sets of requirements, one set for developments like Second and Main downtown, and one for outside the core like Logan 6 for parking, height, set-backs, etc?
2) Logan Access: it seems that, somehow, the developer was steered away from using Logan Avenue Access. Did the city do this? There is a public records request, submitted by me,
trying to learn if the city took a stand on Logan Access. Why else would there be two entrances/exits, north and south, instead of just one entrance/exit on Logan? This would seem
like the most logical place for an entrance/exit, as the properties to the south (Renton Sr Center), and the North (Boeing parking lots, Top Golf) all have entry/exit points on North
Logan. For a developer, it seems they would have proposed Logan as the access to and from the development— that is, just one entry/access point, versus sets, one at each end of the
development. That seems more expense and there is already a curbcut on Logan, half-way along the property. Because the development does not use Logan Avenue, vehicles and traffic are
pushed into the adjacent North Renton Neighborhood. This is an unfair burden as while Logan allows for higher density development, the traffic from from higher density is pushed into
the residential neighborhood.
This situation contradicts the Renton City Center Community Plan (revised 2017) which states as a goal “Protect the residential … neighborhoods in the City Center” (p. 47) with a specific
sub-goal “protect edges of single-family areas…” (p. 50). With no Logan Avenue access, the development will drive vehicles and traffic into residential areas, and is in opposition
to these goals.
Logan access is a direct mitigation of the issue about traffic. An alternative could be to require the development to ONLY have a 3rd Street entrance (no exit on 3rd) and ONLY a 4th
Street exit (no entrance on 4th). This would keep development vehicles and traffic linked to Logan Avenue.
The situation described above also goes against the spirit reflected by a previous city council (Resolution 2708, 1988) that states “One of the city’s highest priorities is preserving
single family neighborhood of Renton, including the North Renton area… the City will use its best efforts to preserve the single family character in this neighborhood (pp. 1-2).
The resolution goes further: “The staff… are … directed to pay … attention to the North Third corridor. It is a high priority to keep the traffic levels on this street at current levels
or below…”
For the reasons outlined above, the city should protect the residential neighborhood which is exactly next to the development by requiring Logan Avenue Access, or mitigate impacts for
N 3rd and N 3rd access points to the development.
3) Development Standards: The Renton City Center Plan (2017) states as a goal to “Protect … the residential neighborhoods in the City Center” (p. 47). As a subgoal the plan states
“Protect the edges of single-family areas by improving design standards for the transition areas between zones” and “[e]nhance measures (such as setbacks, buffers, landscape screening,
and height restrictions) to projected edges of single-family areas from adjacent development”. The plan, as part of an update of design standards for the City Center, also states”
Analyze the areas where higher intensity zones are adjacent to single-family zones to determine the most appropriate design standards to lessen the impact of single-family zones.”
The problem is, none of the above has occurred since the City Center Plan was adopted: no design standards have been incorporated into the city’s design standards, and no enhanced design
standards have been developed.
The design standards called for in the City Center Plan are exactly what is needed for the Logan 6 development, and are exactly what has not occurred.
In order to meet City Center Plan goals, and policy statements made by a previous city council, any development along the North Logan corridor should be put on hold until the city addresses
the design standards issue by directing city staff to enhance current design standards, including new design standards, that will protect the North Renton Neighborhood and the single-family
areas on edges between residential and commercial zones.
Thank you for your time and for the opportunity to submit these comments
Matt Hanbey
801 N 2nd Street
Renton, WA 98057
HanbeyM@gmail.com <mailto:HanbeyM@gmail.com>
(206) 637-6337.
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