HomeMy WebLinkAboutJ_Modification_190506_v2To City of Renton Community and Economic Department Administrator;
Date: April 29, 2019
RE: Request for Modification of NE 38th Street frontage improvements
PROJECT NARRATIVE:
KP Development Short Plat is an 8 lot short plat located in the City of Renton NE area near Lincoln
Avenue NE and NE 38th Street. The short plat is proposing to ultimately build single family homes with
plat access via the existing NE 38th Street location. NE 38th Street is currently at a ‘slant’ and is proposed
to be improved safer with a 2 lane residential collector including a proposed south side sidewalk and
landscape strip. The fixed slope will be reduced to 12% to 13% (max slope) for the entire road instead of
the existing 16+% slope. The short plat shall have a joint use N-S access road from NE 38th Street
providing access to Lots 1 to 3’s back of house and a short E-W access road providing a back of house
driveway alley type access for Lots 4 and 5 and front of yard access for Lots 6 to 9.
MODIFICATION REQUEST JUSTIFICATION:
This project is attempting to substantially implement the policy direction of RMC 4-6-060.F.2.Mininum
Design Standards for Public Streets or Alleys with design of NE 38th half street drive lanes (2 lanes),
curb/gutter, sidewalk and landscape strip up to the proposed frontage of Lot 4. West of Lot 4 the project
is proposing to install sidewalk, landscaping strip and additional natural landscaping area located where
asphalt normally would be placed. Normally asphalt would be placed to the west boundary line of lot 5,
but the following modification is requested to improve safety, justify the modification and provide some
compensatory natural replacement. The normal asphalt extension is typically to the northwest corner of
Lot 5, but the proposed placement is difficult to meet since the existing slope down is steeper than
allowable for hillside subdivisions and therefore full road extension would result in a tall wall structure at
the end of the road along with a safety barrier. The end of this road currently possess steep slope, trees,
a drainage ditch and a dual use maintenance and soft surface walk way used by local residents to reach
the lower Jones Road. If the asphalt is require to be built than the use of the trail and increased safety
issues may result due to placement of a wall at the end of the road.
This project is requesting Administrator approval for full asphalt construction exemption per RMC 4-6-
060.H.1 with not fronting asphalt access for a portion of Lot 4 and all of Lot 5. Allowance of the
exemption permits the project to plant vegetation along this asphalt area, keeps a retaining wall from
being constructed in order to construct the 15% slope, retains a small grove of trees and provides a more
natural transition to the steep slope buffer area that currently possesses more mature vegetation along
the steep slope. Allowance of not requiring asphalt for a portion of Lot 4’s frontage and Lot 5 also
continues to provide a soft trail and maintenance pathway width of approximately 8 feet that currently
starts at the end of NE 38th. The project will also provide 2 parking spaces with a rolled curb at the end of
NE 38th Street that will allow for maintenance vehicles to access manholes, provide parking spaces and
provides a distinct terminus for NE 38th Street without approaching an unsafe steep slope area. The
project is requesting favorable exemption approval since the end result will be a safer road terminus,
provides additional natural environmental functions with additional landscaping area, be aesthetically
more pleasing than blacktop, increase width of the N-S access road fronting lot 4 to 26-feet, and since NE
38th is already a dead end street that will not physically detract from other neighboring properties.
This project is also requesting leniency on the requirement of constructing roadway improvements west of
lots 5 and 8. Currently, the west side of lots 5 and 8 are steep slope over 40% and construction of
roadway improvements along that frontage would require massive walls along that steep slope as well as
eliminate numerous trees along the slope in order to construct a substandard steep road. We are
requesting exemption of frontage improvements along the west face of the short plat per RMC 4-6-
060.H.1 since construction of the road would cause environmental issues, increase runoff potential and
does not degrade any adjoining neighboring parcels value or access.
KP Development appreciates your consideration for the NE 38th Street modification exemptions. If you
have any further questions, please feel free to contact Silvija Jakovljevic at (425) 453-9298.
Sincerely,
KP Development