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HomeMy WebLinkAboutRS_Hyatt NNL 9-2-25Hyatt Regency at Southport Lake Study/No Net Loss Determination Prepared for Hyatt Regency 1053 Lake Washington Boulevard NW Renton, WA 98056 Prepared by Northwest Environmental Consulting, LLC 3639 Palatine Avenue North Seattle, WA 98103 206-234-2520 September 2025 Hyatt Regency at Southport Lake Study 1 Project Purpose The project purpose is to repair 11 piles using bonnet splices at the hotel pier in Lake Washington and remove an additional 8 derelict piles. Location The subject property is located at 1053 Lake Washington Boulevard NW (King County parcel number 0523059076) in the City of Renton, Washington (Sheet 1). The parcel is on the waterfront of Lake Washington. Project Description The proposed work is to repair 11 piles using bonnet splices, under a 2,167-square-foot pier that serves the Hyatt Regency hotel. All work will be completed in water 10 to 15 feet deep and occur in the upper 5 feet of the water column. Bonnet splicing requires removal of up to 3 feet of the tops of piles. A steel section is added to the top of the pile by placing plates around the top of the remaining pile and though bolting. A 6-inch epoxy coated steel pile section is then bolted to the steel plates and fastened to the cap beam. 8 derelict piles will also be permanently removed. The pier provides moorage for hotel guests, and a place for guests to enjoy shoreline access while staying at the hotel. During construction, a floating boom will surround the work barge, pier, and work area. Project drawings are included in Appendix A – Project Drawings. Approach Northwest Environmental Consulting LLC (NWEC) biologist Brad Thiele conducted a site visit in August 2025 to evaluate conditions on site and adjacent to the site. NWEC also consulted the following sources for information on potential critical fish and wildlife habitat along this shoreline: • City of Renton COR Maps online database (https://rp.rentonwa.gov/HTML5Public/Index.HTML?viewer=CORMaps) • Washington State DNR Natural Heritage Features database (https://www.dnr.wa.gov/publications/amp_nh_trs.pdf?znn6z) • Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW): Priority Habitats and Species online database (http://apps.wdfw.wa.gov/phsontheweb/) • WDFW SalmonScape online database of fish distribution and ESA listing units (https://apps.wdfw.wa.gov/salmonscape/) Hyatt Regency at Southport Lake Study 2 Site Description The subject property is a shoreline tract in urban Renton, between the Boeing Renton Facility and Gene Coulon Memorial Park. It has shoreline on its northern boundary with the hotel landward, office buildings to the south, industrial buildings to the west, and condominiums to the east. The hotel property is fully built out, with a parking lot and adjacent buildings. The shoreline is bulkheaded with concrete. Some mowed grass and ornamental shrubs exist on the hotel site. The nearest shoreline vegetation is on Bird Island in Gene Coulon Memorial Park, east of the site, and on the Boeing Facility shoreline west of the site. The substrate of the lake is sand, gravel, and cobble. Euarasian milfoil (an invasive species) was present at the time of the site visit. The Cedar River enters Lake Washington a half-mile west of the hotel, along the western boundary of the Boeing facility. Adjacent multi-family residential properties to the east and west have shared-use docks. Lake and Stream Classifications As a Shoreline of Statewide Significance (RMC 4-3-090B1) Lake Washington is defined as a Shoreline of the State (RMC 4-11-190S). The Shoreline is designated as “Urban Center-2” (City of Renton 2025) (Figure 1). No streams are present within 500 feet of the site. Ordinary High Water Mark The Ordinary High Water Mark (OHWM) for Lake Washington is the line of mean high water (RMC 4-11-150 Definitions O). The Lake Washington water depth is controlled by the Army Corps of Engineers at the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks and is at 21.8 feet above sea level (Corps of Engineers Datum). The OHWM at the project site is shown in Appendix A – Project Drawings. Vegetative Cover of the Site There are no wetlands or floodplains mapped as occurring in the study area. There are no DNR Natural Heritage Features listed in the study area (Figure 2). The site is maintained as a hotel property with some street scaping. The site is generally paved and the water front is a paved promenade. Ecological Functions of Lake Washington at Site. The site lacks native plantings that would provide habitat functions along the shoreline. There is no plantable area along the shoreline. The nearest shoreline vegetation is on Bird Island at Gene Coulon Memorial Park, and on the Boeing Facility’s shoreline to the west. Hyatt Regency at Southport Lake Study 3 Species Use Birds Birds observed near the site include raptors, herons, eagles, waterfowl, and songbirds. Bald eagles, protected by the Bald and Golden Eagles Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, are protected as a “sensitive species” within the state of Washington (WAC 232-12-011). Eagles were not observed in the area during the site study and no nest or adequate nesting trees were visible along the shoreline. Bald eagles and other raptors are common on along the shoreline of Lake Washington. Bird Island, less than a half mile to the east, supports many native birds. Mammals No wild mammals were observed during the site visit, but Lake Washington is known to have river otters, beavers, nutrias, and muskrats. Deer and coyotes are known to be present in the vicinity; however, the hotel is in a highly urbanized area and presence of any mammals is unlikely outside the park. Fish WDFW’s PHS mapping and SalmonScape mapping tools show the following salmonid species using Lake Washington for migration and/or rearing: residential coastal cutthroat (Oncorhynchus clarki), winter steelhead (O. mykiss), Dolly Varden/bull trout (Salvelinus malma), sockeye salmon (O. nerka), fall Chinook (O. tshawytscha), coho salmon (O. kisutch), and kokanee (O. nerka). The Salmonscape database maps the site as critical habitat to the Evolutionarily Significant Unit (ESU) of Threatened Chinook and steelhead (Figure 3). Fall Chinook salmon and winter steelhead are mapped as rearing in the first mile of the Cedar River, and spawning upriver. Coho salmon are mapped as rearing in the first few hundred feet of the Cedar River, and spawning upriver. Sockeye and kokanee are mapped as present in the first few miles of the river, then spawning upriver. Bull trout are mapped as present in the river, and rearing in Lake Washington. The nearest salmon stream is the Cedar River, which enters the lake a half mile west of the project area on the western edge of the Boeing facility. The project site is accessible to any fish migrating or rearing in the lake, and Lake Washington is designated as critical habitat for Endangered Fall Chinook salmon. A small stream enters the lake in Gene Coulon Memorial Park. City mapping designates this as a Fish stream, but SalmonScape does not show presence of salmonids. There is wetland mapped west of the site, on the Boeing property shoreline (Figure 4). Measures to Protect Trees and Vegetation No trees will be disturbed during construction as all work will occur in-water and from the work barge. No vegetation will be removed. Hyatt Regency at Southport Lake Study 4 Project Impacts and Conservation Measures Direct Impacts: Sediments: Sediment disturbance will occur below the OHWM and along the shoreline of Lake Washington. Additionally, the tug and barge propwash may disturb sediments temporarily when making trips to/from the site. Juvenile salmonids could be temporarily displaced or stressed by increased turbidity. Impacts to sediments should be minimal from pile work and the project actions are not expected to exceed State Water Quality Standards. Pile stub repairs are minimally invasive and do not require any disturbance of sediments. All work is completed in the upper portion of the water column. Lakebed: The proposed project will not affect the lake bed. All pile stubbing will be completed to the upper 3 feet of the piling. Noise: Construction equipment will create noise audible to neighbors and in-water. Noise disturbance from the underwater chain saw will be short-term, and similar to that of vessel motors. This noise will have negligible effects on fish and wildlife in the area. Work will be completed during the in-water work window when juvenile fish are not expected to be present. Potential spills: Short-term risks include the potential for petroleum spills that can occur with any equipment operation. The chance of impact to the aquatic environment is reduced because a crew trained in using spill containment measures will be on site and employ these measures should a spill occur. Indirect Impacts: Recreational Boating: The project supports continued recreational boating, which has been identified as a limiting factor for salmonid populations in Lake Washington. The pile repairs will preserve existing moorage capacity in Lake Washington. Other Conservation measures: Work window: The work will be completed during the prescribed in-water work window for this area of Lake Washington (July 16 to December 31). Operating within this time frame helps protect Chinook salmon, steelhead, bull trout and other salmonid fish species. Best Management Practices: Applicable BMPs will be used such as a floating boom around the in-water work area to contain any floating debris that may escape during construction. The barge will have a perimeter containment sock to absorb oil and grease that may wash from the barge during construction. Hazardous material containment materials such as spill absorbent pads and trained personnel will be required onsite during any phase of construction where machinery is in operation near surface waters. Mitigation Strategy Avoidance and Minimization Impacts to Lake Washington cannot be avoided. The project has been designed to reduce impacts by using BMPs to reduce potential impacts from construction. The repairs minimize impacts by pile splicing, which does not require driving of new piles, and no new overwater Hyatt Regency at Southport Lake Study 5 coverage is proposed. The maintenance repairs are the minimum necessary to complete the work. Mitigation Approach The proposal will remove 8 derelict piles from the area. All wood piles under the pier are untreated. The owner has opted to pay the required in-lieu fee to King County to complete the mitigation requirements as required by the National Marine Fisheries Service using the RAP process. The City of Renton has not codified in lieu mitigation as an option for the project. Shoreline Function and Values Project activities will not affect shoreline functions. The proposal is for a maintenance of an existing structure. Conclusion Juvenile Chinook salmon, and other salmonids, rear and migrate along the Lake Washington shoreline. There will be temporary impacts from noise and disturbed sediments during installation of the pilings to construct the new docks. The project will minimize construction effects on the environment by following the prescribed in water work window and use applicable BMPs to prevent construction spills and debris from escaping the area. The long-term effects of the repair consist of removing 8 derelict untreated piles from the water column. This project has been designed to meet current residential dock standards and will use Best Management Practices to reduce project impacts. The conservation measures are designed to preserve ecological functions or prevent further degradation of habitat and will result in No Net Loss of ecological functions at the site. Document Preparers Brad Thiele Biologist 31 years of experience NWEC Kristin Noreen Permit Specialist 26 years of experience NWEC The conclusions and findings in this report are based on field observations and measurements and represent our best professional judgment and to some extent rely on other professional service firms and available site information. Within the limitations of project scope, budget, and seasonal variations, we believe the information provided herein is accurate and true to the best of our knowledge. Northwest Environmental Consulting does not warrant any assumptions or conclusions not expressly made in this repo rt, or based on information or analyses other than what is included herein. Hyatt Regency at Southport Lake Study 6 REFERENCES City of Renton. 2025. COR Maps. Accessed August 2025 at https://maps.rentonwa.gov/Html5viewer/Index.html?viewer=CORMaps. City of Renton Municipal Code (RMC). 2021. RMC Section 4-8-120. Code Publishing. Accessed August 2025 at https://www.codepublishing.com/WA/Renton/#!/Renton04/Renton0408/Renton0408120. html Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). 2025. Priority Habitats and Species. Online database. Accessed August 2025 at http://apps.wdfw.wa.gov/phsontheweb/ WDFW. 2021. SalmonScape. Online database. Accessed August 2025 at http://apps.wdfw.wa.gov/salmonscape/ Washington State Department of Natural Resources. 2025. Sections that Contain Natural Heritage Features. Accessed August 2025 at https://www.dnr.wa.gov/publications/amp_nh_trs.pdf?znn6z Appendix A: Project Drawings Waterfront Construction Inc. NWS-2025-437 Waterfront Construction Inc. NWS-2025-437 Waterfront Construction Inc. NWS-2025-437 Waterfront Construction Inc. NWS-2025-437 Waterfront Construction Inc. NWS-2025-437 Waterfront Construction Inc. NWS-2025-437 Appendix B: Figures Figure 1 City of Renton Critical Areas Map Figure 2 DNR Natural Heritage Map Figure 3 SalmonScape Map 8/19/25, 5:05 PM PHS Report about:blank 2/4 PHS Species/Habitats Overview: Occurence Name Federal Status State Status Sensitive Location Freshwater Forested/Shrub Wetland N/A N/A No Freshwater Forested/Shrub Wetland Priority Area Aquatic Habitat Site Name N/A Accuracy NA Notes Wetland System: Freshwater Forested/Shrub Wetland - NWI Code: PSS1/FO1Ch Source Dataset NWIWetlands Source Name Not Given Source Entity US Fish and Wildlife Service Federal Status N/A State Status N/A PHS Listing Status PHS Listed Occurrence Sensitive N SGCN N Display Resolution AS MAPPED ManagementRecommendations http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/sea/wetlands/bas/index.html Geometry Type Polygons DISCLAIMER. This report includes information that the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) maintains in a central computer database. It is not an attempt to provide you with an official agency response as to the impacts of your project on fish and wildlife. This information only documents the location of fish and wildlife resources to the best of our knowledge. Report Date: 08/19/2025 PHS Species/Habitats Details: 8/19/25, 5:05 PM PHS Report about:blank 3/4 Appendix C: Site Photographs