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HomeMy WebLinkAboutC_Planning Comments_King County Wastewater Treatment Division (2) DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT M E M O R A N D U M DATE: October 16, 2025 TO: Pre-Application File No. PRE25-000313 FROM: Jill Ding, Senior Planner SUBJECT: King County Wastewater Treatment Division (WTD) – 1200 Monster Rd SW, Renton, WA 98057 Parcel No. 2423049006 General: We have completed a preliminary review of the pre-application for the above- referenced development proposal. The following comments on development and permitting issues are based on the pre-application submittals made to the City of Renton by the applicant and the codes in effect on the date of review. The applicant is cautioned that information contained in this summary may be subject to modification and/or concurrence by official decision-makers (e.g., Hearing Examiner, Community & Economic Development Administrator, Public Works Administrator, Planning Director, Development Services Director, Development Engineering Director, and City Council). Review comments may also need to be revised based on site planning and other design changes required by City staff or made by the applicant. The applicant is encouraged to review all applicable sections of the Renton Municipal Code. The Development Regulations are available online at https://www.codepublishing.com/WA/Renton. Project Proposal: The project site is located at King County’s South Treatment Pla nt (South Plant) in Renton at 1200 Monster Rd SW (Parcel No. 242304-9006). The South Plant is a secondary wastewater treatment facility owned and operated by King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks (DNRP) Wastewater Treatment Division (WTD). The City of Renton issued a Conditional Use Permit, Site Plan, Shoreline Exemption, and Street Modification for the King County South Plant Biogas & Heating Systems Improvement Project on June 12, 2018 (Hearing Examiner’s Final Decision on LUA18-000188). The project proposal includes the replacement of two existing construction office trailers with two new trailers. The proposed trailers are factory-assembled structures (FAS) and may fall under WA State Labor and Industries (L&I) requirements. The specific code is WAC 296-150F Factory Built Housing and Commercial Structures. The proposed work would include the demolition of two existing trailers. Removal/disposal of existing asphalt, spalls, debris under existing trailers, regrade areas, pour new asphalt, install new factory assembled trailers that include stairs and ADA access ramps as part of the work packages. Disconnect and reconnect water, plumbing, power and internet. The parcels have been mapped, by City of Renton (COR) Maps, with moderate coalmine hazards, regulated shoreline – shoreline high intensity, high seismic hazards, regulated slopes, moderate/high landslide hazards, special flood hazard area (100 year flood) – FEMA Zone AE, and wetlands. The project site has been mapped with King County Wastewater Treatment Division (WTD) Page 2 of 6 October 16, 2005 high seismic hazards. Springbrook Creek is located offsite to the east. The proposed project would be located outside of the 200-foot shoreline jurisdiction of Springbrook Creek. Current Use: Currently the site is occupied by King County’s South Treatment Plat (South Plat). 1. Zoning /Land Use Designation, and Overlays: The property is located within the Employment Area (EA) land use designation and the Heavy Industrial (IH) zoning designation. Sewage disposal and treatment plants also require a Hearing Examiner Conditional Use Permit in the IH zone. According to the submittal summary, the plant was previously permitted under a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) as part of a previous site enlargement project (Metro Treatment Plant at Renton – Enlargement III project). 2. Development Standards: The project would be subject to RMC 4-2-130A, “Development Standards for Industrial Zoning Designations” effective at the time of complete application (noted as “IH standards” herein). Minimum Lot Size, Width and Depth – The minimum lot size in the IH zone is 35,000 square feet. There are no minimum lot width or depth requirements. The existing lot totals 3,151,155 square feet in area and would exceed the minimum lot size requirements of the IH zone. Setbacks – Setbacks are the distance between the building and the property line or any private access easement. The required setbacks in the IH zone are as follows: 15 feet for a front yard or secondary front yard (20 feet from a principal arterial street); zero for the rear yard or side yards, except 50 feet if the lot abuts a lot zoned residential. The proposed replacement trailers appear to be located over 500 feet and 700 feet from the nearest property lines, and would be outside of any required setback areas. The setbacks for any proposed structures would be verified at the time of formal application. Building Height – There is no maximum building height requirement within the IH zone. Building Coverage – There are no minimum lot coverage or impervious surface coverage requirements within the IH zone. 3. Screening: Screening must be provided for all surface-mounted and roof top utility and mechanical equipment. The site plan application will need to include elevations and details for the proposed methods of screening (see RMC 4-4-095). 4. Refuse and Recycling Areas: Refuse and recycling areas need to meet the requirements of RMC 4-4-090, “Refuse and Recyclables Standards.” For manufacturing and other non- residential developments a minimum of 3 square feet per every 1,000 square feet of building gross floor area shall be provided for recyclable deposit areas and a minimum of 6 square feet per 1,000 square feet of building gross floor area shall be provided for refuse deposit areas. 5. Fences/Walls: If the applicant intends to install any fences or retaining walls as part of this project, the location must be designated on the landscape plan or grading plan. A fence and/or wall detail should also be included on the plan. A fence taller than 6 feet shall require a building permit or an explicit exemption from the Building Official. A King County Wastewater Treatment Division (WTD) Page 3 of 6 October 16, 2005 retaining wall that is 4 feet or taller, as measured by the vertical distance from the bottom of the footing to the finish grade at the top of the wall requires a building permit. A fence shall not be constructed on top of a retaining wall unless the total combined height of the retaining wall and the fence does not exceed the allowed height of a standalone fence. For more information about fences and retaining walls refer to RMC 4-4-040. 6. Landscaping: Except for critical areas, all portions of the development area not covered by structures, required parking, access, circulation or service areas, must be landscaped with native, drought-resistant vegetative cover. The minimum on-site landscape width required along street frontages is 10 feet and shall contain trees, shrubs, and landscaping. Street trees in the ROW planter will also be required. Please refer to landscape regulations (RMC 4-4-070) for additional general and specific landscape requirements. The proposal would be exempt from compliance with the landscaping requirements as no new buildings are proposed. 7. Significant Tree Retention: When significant trees (greater than 6-inch caliper or 8- caliper inches for alders and cottonwoods) are proposed to be removed, a tree inventory and a tree retention plan along with an arborist report, tree retention plan and tree retention worksheet shall be provided with the formal land use application as defined in RMC 4-8-120. The tree retention plan must show preservation of at least 30% of significant trees. Please refer to RMC 4-4-130, Tree Retention and Land Clearing Regulations for further general and specific tree retention and land clearing requirements. In addition to retaining a minimum of 30% of existing significant trees, properties subject to an active land development permit shall comply with minimum tree credit retention requirements of a minimum of 30 credits per net acre. Tree credits encourage re tention of existing significant trees with larger trees being worth more tree credits. TREE SIZE TREE CREDITS New small species tree 0.25 New medium species tree 1 New large species tree 2 Preserved tree 6 – 9 caliper inches 4 Preserved tree 10 – 12 caliper inches 5 Preserved tree 12 – 15 caliper inches 6 Preserved tree 16 – 18 caliper inches 7 Preserved tree 19 – 21 caliper inches 8 Preserved tree 22 – 24 caliper inches 9 King County Wastewater Treatment Division (WTD) Page 4 of 6 October 16, 2005 TREE SIZE TREE CREDITS Preserved tree 25 – 28 caliper inches 10 Preserved tree 29 – 32 caliper inches 11 Preserved tree 33 – 36 caliper inches 12 Preserved tree 37 caliper inches and greater 13 Significant trees shall be retained in the following priority order: Priority One: Landmark trees; significant trees that form a continuous canopy; significant trees on slopes greater than twenty percent (20%); significant trees adjacent to critical areas and their associated buffers; significant trees over sixty feet (60') in height o r greater than eighteen inches (18") caliper; and trees that shelter interior trees or trees on abutting properties from strong winds, which could otherwise allow such sheltered trees to be blown down if removed. Priority Two: Healthy tree groupings whose associated undergrowth can be preserved; other significant native evergreen or deciduous trees; and other significant non -native trees. Priority Three: Alders and cottonwoods shall be retained when all other trees have been evaluated for retention and are not able to be retained unless the alders and/ or cottonwoods are used as part of an approved enhancement project within a critical area or its buffer. The Administrator may require independent review of any land use application that involves tree removal and land clearing at the City's discretion. The Administrator may authorize the planting of replacement trees on the site if it can be demonstrated to the Administrator's satisfaction that replacement requirements in RMC 4-4-130H1e can be met. Tree retention standards shall be applied to the developable area, as defined in RMC 4-11-040, Definitions D, of a property. 8. Parking: The following ratios would be applicable to the site: USE NUMBER OF REQUIRED SPACES Uses not specifically identified in this Section Department of Community and Economic Development staff shall determine which of the below uses is most similar based upon staff experience with various uses and information provided by the applicant. The amount of required parking for uses not listed above shall be the same as for the most similar use listed below. King County Wastewater Treatment Division (WTD) Page 5 of 6 October 16, 2005 Warehouses and indoor storage buildings: A minimum and maximum of 1 per 1,500 square feet of net floor area. It should be noted that the parking regulations specify standard stall dimensions. Surface parking stalls must be a minimum of 9 feet x 20 feet, compact dimensions of 8½ feet x 16 feet, and parallel stall dimensions of 9 feet x 23 feet; compact surface parking spaces shall not account for more than 30 percent of the spaces in the surface parking lots. ADA accessible stalls must be a minimum of 8 feet in width by 20 feet in length, with an adjacent access aisle of 8 feet in width for van accessible spaces. The appropriate amount of ADA accessible stalls based on the total number of spaces must be provided. Compliance with the parking regulations would not be required, as no new buildings are proposed. 9. Access/Driveways: The primary access to the northern portion of the Treatment Plant, where the project will be developed, is via SW 7th Street. However, there are additional driveways located off Monster Road SW, Longacres Dr SW, and SW Grady Way. No changes in access are proposed. The maximum driveway slopes cannot exceed 15%. If the grade exceeds 15%, a variance is required. Driveways exceeding 8% shall provide slotted drains at the lower end. 10. Critical Areas: The project site has been mapped with moderate coalmine hazards and high seismic hazards. The applicant shall contract with a geotechnical engineer in order to verify that the earthwork, foundation and other recommendations have been properly interpreted and implemented in the design and engineering plan documents. Additionally, the applicant shall complete an analysis on Coal Mine Hazards in the area pursuant to RMC 4-8-120D.7 Geotechnical Report, Coalmine-Medium. Springbrook Creek is located offsite to the east. Springbrook Creek is a Shoreline of the State and is subject to the provisions of the Shoreline Management Act. If any work is proposed within 200 feet of Springbrook Creek, the proposal would be required to comply with the City’s Shoreline Master Program. In addition, a floodplain is mapped on the project site. If any development is proposed within the floodplain, a flood hazard study and Biological Assessment would be required at the time of formal land use application. The study would need to demonstrate that the proposed development would be constructed one (1) foot above base floor elevation for the 1995 Flood Insurance Rate Map (1995 FIRM Map) and provide an analysis as to whether the proposal would require compensatory storage. Finally, the City’s COR mapping system has identified a wetland within 200-feet of the site. This wetland could be associated with Springbrook Creek. If this wetland is associated with Springbrook Creek it would be regulated by the Shoreline Master Program (RMC 4-3-090). All reasonable efforts should be taken to ensure that the proposed activities do not result in net loss of ecological functions. If the wetland is found to be separated from Springbrook Creek, then the wetland would be regulated by the Critical Areas Regulations. As the project is separated from the wetland via an access road, the Critical Area Regulations may not apply to developme nt per RMC 4-3-050B.1.g, as determined by the Administrator. Beyond the established King County Wastewater Treatment Division (WTD) Page 6 of 6 October 16, 2005 critical area buffer, all structures would be required to provide a minimum 15-foot building setback. 11. Environmental Review: In accordance with WAC 197-11-800, the repair, remodeling, maintenance, or minor alteration of existing private or public structures, facilities or equipment, including utilities, recreation, and transportation facilities involving no material expansions or changes in use beyond that previously existing would be exempt from Environmental (SEPA) Review. 12. Permit Requirements: The proposal would require a building permit. The fee for any Code Modifications are $299 each. A 5% technology fee would also be assessed at the time of land use application. All fees are subject to change. Detailed information regarding the land use application submittal can be found on the City’s Permit Center website (www.Rentonwa.gov). The City now requires electronic plan submittal for all applications. In addition to the required land use permits, separate construction and building permits may be required. 13. Impact Fees: As the proposal would not include the construction of new buildings Impact Fees would not be required. The city’s 2023-2024 fee schedule is available for your review on the City’s website. 14. Expiration: Every permit issued shall expire eighteen (18) months from the date of issuance. For permits that have expired, a new permit must be obtained and new fees paid. It is the applicant’s responsibility to monitor the expiration dates.