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Home My WebLink AboutERC Report and Exhibits_4242 East Valley Rezone_16-000734DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Project Location Map ERC Report ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW COMMITTEE REPORT ERC MEETING DATE: October 17, 2016 Project Name: 4242 East Valley Road Rezone Project Number: LUA16-000734 Project Manager: Paul Hintz, Senior Planner Owner: Kaya Hasanoglu, 2125 1st Ave, #2105, Seattle, WA 98121 Applicant: Owner Contact: Arne Nelson, 4423 193rd Ave SE, Issaquah, WA 98027 Project Location: Parcel No. 3123059114. Corner of East Valley Road and SW 43rd Street, Renton, WA 98055 Project Summary: The applicant is requesting approval of a rezone and SEPA Environmental Review for the property located at 4242 East Valley Road (APN 3123059114). The applicant’s property is roughly 38,740 square feet (0.89 acres) in area. The rezone is requested to allow retail uses within the existing two-story commercial building. The site is currently zoned Commercial Office (CO), which is generally intended to allow professional, administrative and business offices. The applicant has requested a rezone to Commercial Arterial, which generally provides for a wide-variety of retail sales, services, and other commercial activities along high-volume traffic corridors. Staff considered three options in response to the application (refer to the map below). Option 1: rezone of the subject site (shown in red) from CO to CA; Option 2: rezone of the subject site and other parcels within the block (shown in green) from CO to CA; and Option 3: rezone of the subject site (red), the other parcels within the block (green), and the three parcels within the adjacent block to the west that abut SW 43rd Street (shown in yellow). Site Area: Option 1: (subject site): 0.89 acre Option 2: 3.59 acres Option 3: 8.81 acres STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff Recommends that the Environmental Review Committee issue a Determination of Non-Significance (DNS) for all three options. City of Renton Department of Community & Economic Development Environmental Review Committee Report 4242 EAST VALLEY ROAD REZONE LUA16-000734 Report of October 17, 2016 Page 2 of 6 ERC Report 16-000734 N City of Renton Department of Community & Economic Development Environmental Review Committee Report 4242 EAST VALLEY ROAD REZONE LUA16-000734 Report of October 17, 2016 Page 3 of 6 ERC Report 16-000734 PART ONE: PROJECT DESCRIPTION / BACKGROUND The applicant is requesting Environmental ‘SEPA’ Review as part of a Rezone request for one (1) parcel, totaling 38,740 square foot (0.89 acre), from Commercial Office (CO) to Commercial Arterial (CA) zoning. The property has a land use designation of Employment Area (EA) by the City’s Comprehensive Plan. Both the CO and CA are implementing zones of the EA land use designation. Implementing zones of the EA designation allow “a mix of commercial and industrial uses” and “maintain a variety and balance of uses through zoning which promotes the gradual transition of uses on sites with good access and visibility to more intensive commercial and office uses” (see Policy L-19 of the Land Use Element). The Commercial Office zone provides areas appropriate for professional, administrative, and business offices and related uses. In addition, a mix of limited retail and service uses may be allowed to primarily support other uses within the zone, subject to special conditions. The Commercial Arterial zone provides for a wide variety of retail sales, services, and other commercial activities along high-volume traffic corridors. Uses surrounding the subject site include: a restaurant/bar, a home improvement retail store, and two vehicle service/repair businesses to the north within the same block; East Valley Road immediately to the west followed by an entire block of CO-zoned properties with a mix offices, restaurants, and retail businesses; SW 43rd Street immediately to the south followed by the City of Kent and a wide range of commercial uses; and to the east lies a City of Renton lot with a utility building, followed by the right -of- way of State Route 167 (see Exhibits 1-2). Although the proposed rezone of the subject site meets the rezone criteria, the rezone of only the subject site would be considered “spot zoning,” which is characterized as applying a zone to a specific parcel or small amount of land thereby granting certain privileges (i.e., allowed uses) that are not afforded to surrounding properties that share common characteristics (e.g., existing land use, access, geography, structures, etc.). Staff recommends expanding rezone consideration to adjacent properties (Option 2 and Option 3 shown in Exhibit 2-3) that have uses more appropriate for CA zoning and that also satisfy the rezone criteria. The CO zone is intended to serve professional, administrative, and business offices and related uses; yet most of the surrounding properties (notably those within staff-proposed Options 2 and 3) are used by retail and service businesses. Additionally, the subject site and properties within staff -proposed Options 2 and 3 are located along high-volume traffic corridors, and are therefore more suitable within the CA zone. The subject site, Option 2, and Option 3 are all ineligible sites for multi-family housing in both the CO and CA zones. Rezone approval would result in many existing nonconforming uses to be made conforming. Based on staff’s review of businesses within Option 2 and Option 3, no businesses would be rendered nonconforming as a result of rezone approval. Staff was unable to identify any adverse effects that would be realized as a result of rezone approval of Option 2 or Option 3. As part of Renton’s most recent Comprehensive Plan Update (Ordinance No. 5758) in 2015, the adopted amendments, land use map or zoning map updates were not subject to environmental review and analysis City of Renton Department of Community & Economic Development Environmental Review Committee Report 4242 EAST VALLEY ROAD REZONE LUA16-000734 Report of October 17, 2016 Page 4 of 6 ERC Report 16-000734 through an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process to adequately address the environmental impacts of the rezone prior to adoption; therefore, the rezone application is not exempt from State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA). PART TWO: ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW In compliance with RCW 43.21C.240, the following environmental (SEPA) review addresses only those project impacts that are not adequately addressed under existing development standards and environmental regulations. A. Environmental Threshold Recommendation Based on analysis of probable impacts from the proposal, staff recommends that the Responsible Officials: Issue a DNS with a 14-day Appeal Period. B. Mitigation Measures None C. Exhibits Exhibit 1: Rezone Vicinity Map (of subject site) Exhibit 2: Rezone Vicinity Map (of Options 2 & 3) Exhibit 3: Rezone Aerial Map Exhibit 4: Existing Zoning Map Exhibit 5: Proposed Zoning Map D. Short-Term Impacts The proposed rezone would not have any short-term impacts on the environment. As applicable, future development affected by this rezone would be required to address short-term impacts on the environment. E. Long-Term Impacts Most long-term impacts of this proposed action are expected to be minor. Impacts to the natural environment, transportation, public services, and utilities may increase slightly due to more intensive commercial uses allowed in the CA zone. However, because most of uses within those properties in Option 2 and Option 3 are nonconforming in the CO zone and would be allowed outr ight in the CA zone, any resulting environmental impacts have already been realized and therefore the rezone would not significantly increase impacts. These topics are discussed further in the Environmental Impacts Section (Section G). F. Land Use The following policy and goal of the City’s Comprehensive Plan support the rezone: Policy L-19: Employment Areas – Place areas primarily used for industrial development, or a mix of commercial and industrial uses such as office, industrial, warehousing, and manufacturing, with access to transportation networks and transit, within the Employment Area (EA) Land Use City of Renton Department of Community & Economic Development Environmental Review Committee Report 4242 EAST VALLEY ROAD REZONE LUA16-000734 Report of October 17, 2016 Page 5 of 6 ERC Report 16-000734 Designation. Employment Areas provide a significant economic development and employment base for the City. Maintain a variety and balance of uses through zoning which promotes the gradual transition of uses on sites with good access and visibility to more intensive commercial and office uses. Goal L-K: Provide an energetic business environment for commercial activity providing a range of service, office, commercial, and mixed use residential uses that enhance the City’s employment and tax base along arterial streets and in Centers. G. Environmental Impacts The proposal was circulated and reviewed by various City Departments and Divisions to determine whether the applicant has adequately identified and addressed environmental impacts anticipated to occur in conjunction with the rezone. Staff reviewers have identified that the proposal is likely to have the following probable impacts. 1. Natural Environment Impacts: Although the CA zone allows more intensive commercial uses than the CO zone, most of the existing uses in Option 2 and 3 are those allowed under CA zoning, and therefore there will likely be no increase of adverse environmental impacts. Mitigation Measures: No further mitigation recommended. Nexus: N/A 2. Transportation Impacts: Although the CA zone allows more intensive commercial uses than the CO zone, most of the existing uses in Option 2 and 3 are those allowed under CA zoning, and therefore there will likely be no significant adverse impacts upon the transportation system. Mitigation Measures: No further mitigation recommended. Nexus: N/A 3. Fire & Police Impacts: Police and Fire Prevention staff indicated that sufficient resources exist to furnish services . Mitigation Measures: No further mitigation recommended. Nexus: N/A 4. Public Services Impacts: Increases in demand for public services related to the proposal would be incremental with future development and would likely be slight, compared to the magnitude of public service demands in the city. No potential for significant adverse public service impacts is identified for this proposal. Mitigation Measures: No further mitigation recommended. Nexus: N/A 5. Utilities Impacts: Increases in demand for utilities related to the proposal would be incremental with future development and would likely be slight, compared to the magnitude of utility demands in this City of Renton Department of Community & Economic Development Environmental Review Committee Report 4242 EAST VALLEY ROAD REZONE LUA16-000734 Report of October 17, 2016 Page 6 of 6 ERC Report 16-000734 neighborhood of the city. If location specific utility capacity issues were identified through review of the future development proposal, it is likely that localized improvements to utility infrastructure could be made, which is the responsibility of the developer. This is considered a potential adverse impact that could be addressed in future site-specific development reviews. No potential for significant adverse utility impacts is identified for this proposal. Mitigation Measures: No further mitigation recommended. Nexus: N/A H. Comments of Reviewing Departments The proposal has been circulated to City Department and Division Reviewers. Where applicable, their comments have been incorporated into the text of this report and/or “Advisory Notes to Applicant.”  Copies of all Review Comments are contained in the Official File and may be attached to this report. The Environmental Determination decision will become final if the decision is not appealed within the 14-day appeal period (RCW 43.21.C.075(3); WAC 197-11-680). Environmental Determination Appeal Process: Appeals of the environmental determination must be filed in writing together with the required fee to: Hearing Examiner, City of Renton, 1055 South Grady Way, Renton, WA 98057, on or before 5:00 p.m. on November 4, 2016. RMC 4-8-110 governs appeals to the Hearing Examiner and additional information regarding the appeal process may be obtained from the City Clerk’s Office, Renton City Hall – 7th Floor, (425) 430-6510. 4,514 376 WGS_1984_Web_Mercator_Auxiliary_Sphere Vicinity Map of Subject Site This map is a user generated static output from an Internet mapping site and is for reference only. Data layers that appear on this map may or may not be accurate, current, or otherwise reliable. THIS MAP IS NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION Notes Vicinity Map of Subject Site Legend 256 0 128 256 Feet Paul Hintz phintz@Rentonwa.gov 09/27/2016 City and County Boundary Other City of Renton Parcels