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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPN_Project Narrative_Broodstock_210115_v1 (2).pdfTwo Union Square 601 Union Street, Suite 600 Seattle, WA 98101 tel: 206.292.2078 fax: 206.682.7867 Page 1 of 3 October 9, 2020 City of Renton Planning Division, c/o Alex Morganroth 1055 S Grady Way Renton, WA 98057 SUBJECT: CEDAR RIVER SOCKEYE HATCHERY BROODSTOCK COLLECTION FACILITY REPLACEMENT—REQUEST FOR AUTHORIZATION UNDER SHORELINE MANAGEMENT ACT AND CRITICAL AREA REGULATIONS NWS-2008-841: Reference Number for Existing Broodstock Collection Facility Mr. Morganroth, This application requests authorization under the City of Renton’s Shoreline Management Program and Critical Areas regulations to replace the existing sockeye salmon broodstock collection facility (BCF) in the Cedar River at river mile 1.7, in Renton, Washington. The existing BCF was authorized by the City of Renton in 2008 (application number LUA-08-018) with a Shoreline Substantial Development Permit, Shoreline Conditional Use Permit, Conditional Use Permit, and Administrative Variance. The existing BCF is not meeting performance goals and needs to be replaced. The replacement BCF is designed to improve operations at higher river flows. This extends the fish collection season, increasing fish capture and subsequently improving facility performance relative to the prescribed egg-take and genetic diversity goals. The replacement BCF would also improve safety for facility operators. On behalf of Seattle Public Utilities (SPU), the project applicant, the following are offered as key points to assist in your review: •Following a pre-application meeting with the City of Renton, a new permit was determined to be more appropriate than a revision to the existing permit, although it is recognized that the site use and purpose of the BCF does not change. An Administrative Variance request is also included to allow vegetation removal within a shoreline of the state. •A concrete sill would be constructed in the bed of the Cedar River. This is a primary design component to facilitate BCF operations at higher river flows; it is also the primary impact to the aquatic environment. Other aquatic impacts are associated with a concrete retaining wall to support the boat ramp and the portion of boat ramp reconfiguration that extends below ordinary high water. Alex Morganroth, Renton Planning Division October 9, 2020 Page 2 of 3 •The existing access road and boat ramp provide access to the BCF. The project would widen the access road and would widen and reconfigure the boat ramp. This is needed to support equipment associated with construction and operation of the replacement BCF. SPU conducted an evaluation of the boat ramp and design of the improvements and did not identify any substantive technical reason to replace (rather than to widen and reconfigure) the access road and boat ramp. The widened access road and reconfigured boat ramp would continue to provide public access to the shoreline. •The approach to maintain public access to the shoreline would be negotiated separately, through the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the City of Renton and SPU. The MOA would also include provisions for updated educational signage given the significant public interest and attraction to the fish collection activities. •Following extensive consultation with the City of Renton, SPU would ensure no net loss of ecological function by constructing riparian and channel margin enhancement on a total of 10,900 square feet of the low flood terrace and gravel bar at the project site. This would include the installation of a large woody material complex to increase aquatic habitat complexity, removal of invasive species, and planting of native trees and shrubs. Refer to the Critical Areas Report (Attachment 3) for a conceptual plan. •The project would be constructed over two seasons, in 2022 and 2023. Work would occur from the south bank during the first construction season and from the north bank during the second construction season. Work would occur each year between late spring and Labor Day. Due to the in-water work window, the construction season is severely constrained. This results in a two-phased construction approach. It also means that the schedule impact of demobilizing each year for Renton River Days cannot be accommodated. The project would minimize impacts to this event and provide a detour on the Cedar River Trail to ensure that it remains useable. •Consistent with the existing BCF, the replacement BCF would only operate seasonally. The temporary facility components would be installed after Labor Day each year. The overwater components would be removed in December. At that time, the picket panels would be lowered onto the concrete sill and would be removed at lower river flows. SPU is requesting a recurring extension to the in-water work window to facilitate the approximately 3-day removal of the picket panels as early as mid-June each year. River flows are low enough in mid-June for personnel to work in the river safety, but the in-water work window does not open until July 1. Removal in mid-June would result in turbidity-generating activities during the outmigration of juvenile salmonids, a key concern of the resource agencies. •Between December and July, picket panel maintenance may occur on an up-to- weekly basis to remove accumulated bedload. The picket panels would be Alex Morganroth, Renton Planning Division October 9, 2020 Page 3 of 3 electronically raised a few inches off the concrete sill to dislodge accumulated sediment and debris. •Given the results of a prior investigation, no cultural resources are expected on the site. An inadvertent discovery plan would be prepared and implemented during construction. •The City of Seattle is the SEPA lead agency for the project. The determination of non-significance is included as Attachment 1. •Designs will be advanced following resurvey of the project site in late 2020 and finalized following a geotechnical investigation in the Cedar River. The drainage report will be provided at the next design milestone; a draft version is included for preliminary review. We look forward to working with you as you review this application. Once you begin your review, we would like to better understand your estimate for total processing duration—this will support the overall project planning and delivery efforts. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me (Tessa.Gardner-Brown@floydsnider.com) and Clay Antieau (Clayton.Antieau@seattle.gov) with any questions. Respectfully, Tessa Gardner-Brown, AICP Senior Environmental Planner Encl.: Land Use Permit Application—Cedar River Sockeye Hatchery Broodstock Collection Facility Replacement Permit Drawings—Cedar River Sockeye Hatchery Broodstock Collection Facility Replacement Attachment 1—State Environmental Policy Act Threshold Determination Attachment 2—Pre-Application Notes Attachment 3—Critical Areas Report with Mitigation Plan Attachment 4—Biological Assessment Attachment 5—Draft Geotechnical Report Attachment 6—No Rise Certification Attachment 7—Draft Drainage Report Copies: Clayton Antieau, Michael Norton, and Fernando Platin, Seattle Public Utilities Derek Nelson, McMillen Jacobs Ryan Crotty, Floyd|Snider Chris Berger, Confluence Environmental Company