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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-11-2025 - Appendix A -- Renton Fire Station - LUA24-000373This transcript was exported on Mar 06, 2025 - view latest version here.
Appendix A -- Renton Fire Station (Completed 03/06/25)
Transcript by Rev.com
Page 1 of 12
Appendix A
February 25, 2025, Hearing Transcript
Renton Regional Fire Authority CUP, Site Plan & Modification Analysis
File No. – LUA24-000373
Note: This is a computer-generated transcript provided for informational purposes only. The reader
should not take this document as 100% accurate or take offense at errors created by the limitations of
the programming in transcribing speech. A recording of the hearing is available from the City should
anyone need an accurate rendition of the hearing testimony.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Okay.
(00:02):
Okay. We may have a few joining us still, but let us begin why the printer decided to talk for no reason.
Sorry if you can hear it. I did not actually order anything from my printer in the last 24 hours and if the
door behind me opens, it also is not a ghost, it's a poodle. Anyway, my name is Emily Terrell. I hope you
can hear me. I don't know when that's going to end. It is February 25th, 2025 at 11:00 AM We are here
at the city of Ranon and we are here to hold hearing on project file number PR 24 dash 0 0 0 0 8 4. It is
the Renton Regional Fire Authorities' New Fire Station number 16 and maintenance building. We will
cover that today and I'm going to give you the order of operations. The first thing I want to do is enter
exhibits into the record and see if there are any others that need to come in or if there's any objections.
After that the staff will present, then the applicant may present, and then any members of the public or
other interested parties may present. And then we can do some rounds back and forth if need be. The
applicant gets the last word because they have burden of proof in land use proceedings. So one of the
first things I wish to do is enter exhibits one through 19 on page two and also on the final page of the
staff report. Are there any objections from anyone to entering any of these exhibits into the record?
(01:43):
Jenny, are you seeing any? No.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
Okay. I am not seeing anything, but also I am sharing the screen for those that would like to see a visual.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
Okay. Are there any additional exhibits that need to be added to the record that are not covered here?
Speaker 2 (01:56):
There are. We have exhibits 20 through 22 I'd like to add, which is a staff PowerPoint for Maps link and
Google Earth Link.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
I love it when Google Earth gets into it. Okay, got it. Thank you very much. In that case, exhibits one
through 19 of the staff report and further exhibits 2021 and 22 are entered into the record. Thank you
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very much. Okay. Everyone who wishes to speak today will need to be sworn in. We do this under oath
because any decision we make here today is appealable to superior court. So this is a legal proceeding,
the quasi-judicial variety. So let's begin with who from the staff would like to speak. Just raise a hand for
me. Ms. Ding. Hi. Do you swear and affirm that your testimony today is the truth?
Speaker 3 (02:53):
I do.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
Okay. Take it away.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
All right. Thank you very much. I'm, I am going to share my screen. Here we
Speaker 4 (03:09):
Go.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
So hopefully you are seeing my PowerPoint presentation. Okay.
Speaker 5 (03:22):
Yes
Speaker 1 (03:23):
Ma'am.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
Excellent. So my name is Jill Ding. I am a senior planner here with the city of Renton. I'm here to present
the staff recommendation for the Renton Regional Fire Authority New Fire Station 16 and Maintenance
Building. Just to kind of start with a brief description of the project site and the proposal, the applicant
who in this case is the Renton Regional Fire Authority, is requesting a hearing examiner conditional use
permit, site plan review and street standards and driveway modifications to construct a new fire station
and maintenance building. The project site is located within the R four zoning classification. It is
approximately three and a half acres in size and is comprised of four parcels. There are no critical areas
mapped on site.
(04:26):
Let's see here. The proposal would include a lot combination and alley vacation. Those have been
applied for and are currently being processed under separate applications. The proposal includes a
14,000 square foot, approximately 25 foot tall fire station with three apparatus bays and approximately
13,000 square foot, 38 foot tall maintenance building with five apparatus bays. There would be
approximately 20 service parking spaces. Access to the site is proposed via two curb cuts off of
Southeast one 28th Street and via one curb cut off of 158th Avenue Southeast and a modified street
standard to comply with the Northeast fourth Street corridor improvement plan and to permit a 60 foot
wide driveway. Were also included.
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Speaker 1 (05:32):
Can I ask a question really quickly?
Speaker 3 (05:33):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
What is the height limit in this residential zone?
Speaker 3 (05:39):
There is a maximum wall plate height limit of 32 feet. If they comply with certain conditions, they can go
up an additional six feet. So if they do a pitched roof, they can go up an additional feet up to 38 feet.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
Is that how they got to that height?
Speaker 3 (06:05):
So this is a public building, so we are allowed to determine the height through site plan review, which
they did apply for. So the maintenance building, the fire station complies with the height limits. The
maintenance building I believe is a little bit taller because the pitch of the roof does not comply with the
pitch requirements in the zoning code. But like I said, since it's a public building, they are allowed to
exceed the height limits of the zone or we are allowed to establish the height through sit e plan review.
So that is the reason that they applied for site plan review. Normally a development in the R four zone
would not trigger site plan review.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
I thought that might be the key question. Thank you.
Speaker 3 (06:54):
Yep. Let's see. There was a 14 day public comment period that began on December 18th. It ended on
January 2nd. We did receive comments from the Duwamish tribe and the US Army Corps of Engineers.
In response to those comments, the environmental review committee adopted two CIPA mitigation
measures. Staff has reviewed the request. We routed the proposal internally and we found that it was
compliant with the comprehensive plan land use policies, that it would be compliant with all relevant
zoning regulations. If all conditions of approval are complied with that, it would be compliant with the
conditional use criteria if all conditions of approval are complied with that it complied with the
modification criteria if all conditions of approval are complied with and that it complied with the site
plan review. Criteria of all conditions of approval are complied with police and fire prevention staff
reviewed the proposal and indicated that sufficient resources were present to furnish services to the
development water service would be provided by water district 90. So the applicant would need to work
with them for any permitting needed. Sewer services provided by the city of Renton sewer
improvements will be required within and around the project site. We received a drainage report
prepared by LPD engineering. The proposal includes an underwater includes underwater detention
facilities and a modular wetland system to meet surface water flow control and water quality
requirements.
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Speaker 1 (08:50):
But there's no actual wetland, there's no critical some geological things, but no, no,
Speaker 3 (08:56):
There were no critical areas that were mapped on the site. So we don't have any critical areas.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
The created wetland basically to deal with the stormwater issue.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
Right. Just to, I think it's to clean the water, clean the surface water, any pollution generating impervious
surface, we'll go through that modular wetland to kind of clean that water before it enters the detention
facility. That's my understanding.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
The wetland will not be considered a wetland in a critical area sense though.
Speaker 3 (09:24):
Exactly.
Speaker 1 (09:25):
It's basically a storm water facility that is modulating probably, yeah, it is probably just taking the fines
out.
Speaker 3 (09:33):
Exactly. That is correct.
Speaker 5 (09:35):
This is Mark Rii. Can I be sworn in?
Speaker 3 (09:38):
Not yet.
Speaker 5 (09:39):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
You will
Speaker 3 (09:42):
Be. Yeah. Let's see. And the project would be required to comply with the city of Renton surface water
design manual. So in conclusion, staff is recommending approval of the proposed project, the Renton
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Regional Fire Authority, new Fire station 16 and maintenance building file number LUA 24 dash 0 0 0 3 7
3. As depicted in exhibit two, subject to nine conditions of approval.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
I have two more questions.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
Excellent.
Speaker 1 (10:22):
Distance to nearest residence, how do you deal with noise? I recognize fire stations good.
Speaker 3 (10:32):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
Proximity to fire station insurance wise good. And life safety also good, but knowing, talking an issue and
if we don't get into the record now, I'd love to.
Speaker 3 (10:45):
So I did. Oops. Darn it. I've got to go through.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
I hate it when that happens.
Speaker 3 (10:50):
Nice slides again. So I did include the site plan. My recollection is there can't be around it. Yeah, so the
east side is bounded by a church. There are residences and the north is an arterial street. So there are
residences to the west and to the south. On the west side, I believe they're around approximately 18 to
20 feet. The buildings are from the property line, so they did increase the setbacks. They're also
proposing, and it is a code requirement that they would be compliant with, but they are proposing
landscape buffers around the full perimeter of the property and that the intent of that is to separate the
use visually as well as hopefully provide some noise impacts. In addition, are they screening
Speaker 1 (11:55):
Buffers? Pardon? Are they screening buffers?
Speaker 3 (11:59):
They're vegetated buffers. There's going to be of the type of buffer, there's trees. Trees and shrubs were
the primary plant species proposed. They also cited the fire station itself, which is probably going to be
generate the most noise impacts as far north as they could. So it is close to the arterial. So hopefully the
location of the fire station close to the arterial where it's already somewhat noisy also helps mitigate for
those impacts.
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Speaker 1 (12:37):
Maybe this building at least X as partial barrier to the south for noise?
Speaker 3 (12:43):
Yes. And there is a larger landscape buffer in there retaining some existing significant trees as well as
adding some more vegetation to kind of help buffer. Are there
Speaker 1 (12:55):
Significant grade differences between these properties at all?
Speaker 3 (13:01):
I think it's relatively flat out there.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
I know there's a geotech report, but that has as much to do with how the foundation is done as anything
else. But I'm just thinking in terms of fire station noise and nearby residences noting that they're not
here to talk about it for themselves. So perhaps they don't care.
Speaker 3 (13:28):
Yeah, so those were kind of the impacts that we felt had been, we felt that there had been some
consideration, I guess to those impacts. There is an existing fire station there, so this is a replacement.
So it's not necessarily a new impact. It is a relocated impact
Speaker 1 (13:52):
On this site or close?
Speaker 3 (13:54):
Not on this site close by.
Speaker 1 (13:58):
Okay, thank you. Those are my main questions as always. When we're, we're dealing with A CUP Cs
were created for this very thing. Yes. Things that fit but have impacts that must be mitigated. Correct.
And this is the definition of that?
Speaker 5 (14:19):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (14:19):
Okay, thank you very much. That case, we're going to move to the applicant, decide amongst the
applicant's team who wishes to go first? Anyone who wishes to speak today on the applicant team, we
could do a mass swearing in so that we don't have to do this every time. So if you think you might want
to speak camera's on, if you can raise a right hand. Unmute. Unmute Brian, unmute I or not. I thought
you said on mute. I was like, no, unmute. I need to be able to, that makes more sense to me. Yes, I'd
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love to hear you all. So do you swear affirm that your testimony today is the truth? Yeah, whoever
wants to speak first, go for it.
Speaker 6 (15:14):
I guess I'll just chime in first. I'm Brian Harris with TCA. There's a discussion about just mitigating
measures and noise and one of the advantages to this site is there is grade this that site slopes to the
east. So what we've done on the west side is push the station and the maintenance bay down. So it's
retained essentially to improve the buffering of that. Additionally, on the maintenance bay, what we've
done is orientate the bay doors to the east. So the building itself is really blocking any noise from that
perspective because it's deeper into the site and we were wanting to be sensitive to that. And then
furthermore, typically with the fire stations, the sirens are really directional. So as they pull out and once
they move on to the arterial, that's when the sirens typically will go on and they're always kind of
pushing away from that origination point. So those are I think some of the key things I just wanted to
mention
Speaker 1 (16:30):
That is what I wanted to make sure got it into the record. Thank you. I guess I should also ask, are the
lights shielded? So they're not going in anybody's bedroom?
Speaker 6 (16:40):
Yeah, all the lights are kind of directional and shielded. Yes. Yeah, that's
Speaker 1 (16:47):
Standard stuff. But
Speaker 6 (16:49):
Yes,
Speaker 1 (16:51):
I mean that's the whole point of A CUP. What are the impacts? How can they be mitigated so that the
neighbor's lives aren't ruined by our public services? Okay. Anything else that you would like to add, sir?
Or we can move on to other members of the applicant team? Daniel ick specifically. Looks like he'd like
to speak soon.
Speaker 6 (17:10):
Yeah, I think that's all I have for right now. Thank you.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
Alright, who else from the applicant team want to say anything or do you need to say anything?
Speaker 7 (17:18):
I'll go ahead and just speak really quickly. Just regarding building height. You had asked about that
specifically the maintenance building. We have applied for the site review as Jill noted, and just an
explanation as to why we need to hire plate height is that for maintenance of apparatus, specifically fire
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trucks, excuse me, ladder trucks. To access the engine, the engine of the firetruck, you have to tip the
cab forward and before you can tip the cab forward on a ladder truck, you have to raise the ladder. So
the district required a certain amount of clearance within the building in order to properly maintain
their apparatus. Otherwise they would have to take them outside in order to work on them. We're just
keeping them warm and dry.
Speaker 1 (18:22):
Only rains eight months out of the year. Something like that. Ma'am,
Speaker 7 (18:26):
What's your last name? Langer. L-A-N-G-R-E-H-R. Nobody gets it right on the first try.
Speaker 1 (18:37):
I probably get it right call either, but we do AI transcripts and they creatively misspell everyone's name,
even the easy ones. All right. That was very helpful. Thank you. I have in fact seen that setup. I've
worked inside city halls many times. Okay. Anything else? Or should another, would another member of
the applicant's team like to speak?
Speaker 5 (19:06):
I'll
Speaker 1 (19:06):
Go. Are we all good?
Speaker 5 (19:10):
I'll go.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
Okay.
Speaker 5 (19:11):
I'm Mark Zi, the civil engineer. Just a clarification on the term modular wetland, that is the product
name for a water quality treatment system. It comes in a concrete box and there are no wetlands on the
site.
Speaker 1 (19:30):
I knew there were no wetlands on the site. What was important to me is that we didn't accidentally
create something that we then write when it,
Speaker 5 (19:38):
In reality, that term should be capitalized. M the M and the W. So it looks like a name not, yes.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
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The last thing I want is for later redevelopment to come along and somebody go, well, are you going to
buffer the wetland?
Speaker 5 (19:50):
Right,
Speaker 1 (19:51):
Right. No, that's a water quality treatment facility. That is what that thing is as opposed to a natural
wetland with flora and fauna and such. Okay. Again, I'm, my job is to ferret out all these issues and think
about the folks who aren't here and the folks who are later going to review this and look back on it. So
those are all the questions I had, and they're certainly answered adequately and well. I don't see any
issue with this one. We have, well let's begin with, is there any member of the public here? Did anyone
show up? Would like to speak?
Speaker 2 (20:30):
There are attendee seven attendees.
Speaker 1 (20:35):
Would anyone like to speak? Now is the opportunity for members of the public to speak? Raise your
hand digitally or speak up? Hey, yeah, I want to say something.
Speaker 2 (20:44):
We do have something.
Speaker 1 (20:46):
Okay. I
Speaker 2 (20:48):
All right, Marie, go ahead,
Speaker 1 (20:50):
Marie. Okay. Okay.
Speaker 4 (20:52):
Can you hear me?
Speaker 1 (20:53):
Yes, I can hear you. I can't see you.
Speaker 4 (20:55):
I also dunno how to turn my camera on.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
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Oh, help anyone? Yeah. Is anybody just,
Speaker 4 (21:07):
It's not,
Speaker 1 (21:09):
I just said something necessary. I did hold a hearing in Blaine where a guy refused to, and this was awful.
He used a pseudonym, refused to go on camera and refused to speak out so that we couldn't tell who he
was or she was. And we did everything through the chat. So see, this is better. Yes, I had to rejoin. Hi. Do
you swear that your testimony today will be the truth?
Speaker 4 (21:35):
Yeah, I do.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
And are you representing an agency or just as a citizen? Comment,
Speaker 4 (21:41):
A citizen with Lord of Life Lutheran church.
Speaker 1 (21:44):
Okay.
Speaker 4 (21:45):
So I'm one of the neighbors,
Speaker 1 (21:46):
A neighbor. Thank you very much. And what would you like to ask the applicant? The city, me or simply
state?
Speaker 4 (21:54):
I want to ask about the geotech report and the surface water design. I believe because there is a
gradient, and like you said, it does slope to the east was concerned if there was any consideration or
help with drainage onto the backside where the preschool and the playset area is.
Speaker 1 (22:16):
So don't flood our church while making too much noise while we're having service.
Speaker 4 (22:20):
Noise is fine, bother, love it. Okay. But we've had water issues in the past because of the slope in that
area.
Speaker 1 (22:30):
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The applicant isn't required to fix existing issues. They may accidentally fix an existing issue, but they
can't exacerbate an existing issue. So,
Speaker 4 (22:38):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (22:39):
The applicant's team, I know one of you want to answer this question. Who would like to answer her
question regarding the
Speaker 5 (22:48):
Gradient that seems lined up for me. Mark. I'm the civil engineer.
(22:54):
So Marie, thanks for bringing this forward. Honestly, I had not heard of the church having groundwater
or surface water issues, so I would be glad to go out and meet you or somebody out on site so you can
show me where they are occurring. My guess is that the current project or the current lay of the land,
there's surface water that kind of drains in the easterly direction. The new system will have a complete
drainage system design, so it'll have catch basins and pipes and detention systems and so on, including a
foundation drain around the detention system. So we would expect to have less water going your way
and it all goes out to the ditch in the front. But I'd like to go and see where it is that the source is that's
coming your way because we don't want to make it any worse and ideally it would be a bit better, but
we need to know where that's coming from. So if you can, I don't know how I get in contact with you
other than I see your name, but if anybody can
Speaker 4 (24:23):
Contact information. Jenny, can I go through you to get to Mark?
Speaker 1 (24:27):
Yeah, sure. In the chat if you could figure that out. I never can to
Speaker 2 (24:33):
Camera on. Yeah, I'll just spotlight my camera if you want to take down my email address.
Speaker 4 (24:38):
Yeah, there we go. Yeah, I got it. Thank you. Gosh, Jenny,
Speaker 1 (24:43):
That's such a good thinking. That's good thinking. Okay, Maria, is there anything else that you wanted to
ask about or make any
Speaker 4 (24:52):
That is all I have. Thank you.
Speaker 1 (24:56):
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Any other member of the public who would like to ask questions or speak up getting anything there,
Jen?
Speaker 2 (25:04):
No.
Speaker 1 (25:05):
No. Okay. But this is the whole point of these meetings. The whole point of the hearing is so that the
public can know what's going on, have a conversation. It's in a situation that is not adversarial hopefully.
Okay. So it seems to me like most of my curiosity has been resolved and that neighbor issues can be so,
and I really appreciate, thank you Mark, for your willingness to speak with Marie about this and work on
these issues. If there's nothing more to add, and you certainly may as soon as I'm done talking, we have
10 business days, which usually works out to about 14 real days to render a decision on this. I can't rule
from the bench, but there aren't any big red flags that are jumping out at me at the moment. So for the
good of the order, does anybody else want to say anything else?
(26:04):
Okay, I'm going to call that now. As usual, city of Renton does thorough, excellent, easy to understand.
Staff reports, great presentations. It's been a little bit since I got to sit the bench here and I'm glad to be
back. I missed you guys. Okay. I will call that this hearing to an end and close the record and we will get
back with you with a decision as soon as one or the other of us can manage to get her done. We are
doing the 60 hour week thing and if you can hear it while we're sick. So thank you very much. Thanks for
coming today.