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HomeMy WebLinkAboutC_Public_Comment_Email_Hassan_&_Nasima_220211_v11 Clark Close From:Hassan Natha <hnatha@outlook.com> Sent:Friday, February 11, 2022 4:39 PM To:Clark Close Subject:Kennydale Gateway Project Attachments:BMCO Comments.pdf To: PROJECT PLANNER: Clark H. Close, Senior Planner My wife and I (Nasima Vira and Hassan Natha) live at 4029 Williams Ave North, Renton. We wanted to provide our comments on the Kennydale Gateway project. This is a summary of our comments. We have also added comments from our HOA. Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Kennydale Gateway project. I appreciate the thoughtful consideration of all stakeholders' concerns, and I look for equitable solutions, not impediments to progress. I live in the southern section of the Barbee Mill community, directly across from the small bridge that connects Williams Avenue North to Wells Avenue North. I am deeply concerned about the Kennydale Gateway projects' impact on a current issue in my section of Barbee Mill; At the southeast corner of the small bridge is a trail that grants public access to lake Washington. The Summer weather brings many visitors to the path and May Creek's delta. There can be as many as fifteen vehicles parked on the bridge and neighborhood streets on weekends. Visitors can be seen loading and unloading personal watercraft from their cars, then portaging them down the trail for launch in the shallow water. Many visitors swim there even though swimming is prohibited. The area is now a defacto off-leash dog park that further stresses the wildlife, not to mention the dog poop. Sometimes, teenage visitors will socialize in the area after dark, disturbing the peace. This section of Barbee Mill also suffers from package theft at alarming rates. It appears that this small public lake access point will be the only place residents of Kennydale Gateway will be able to access the lake. I believe this will significantly negatively impact the Barbee Mill community. The increased activity will disturb the natural environment, possibly affecting the Bald Eagle nest and the Salmon spawning. Where will all these people park as they unload their watercraft? Our neighborhood streets have limited capacity for parking. Our designated guest parking spots are not for visitors who are not actual guests of residents. The increased utilization of the access trail may increase the homeowners association costs to maintain and secure the area. That is an unfair burden for those who live in Barbee Mill. The increased traffic may also negatively impact the quality of life of Barbee Mill residents, making it a less desirable place to live, thereby lowering home equity. I believe you can not consider the Kennydale Gateway project without considering the impact on the lake access point in Barbee Mill. With that, I offer some possible solutions: 1) The cessation of the project. 2) Permit Barbee Mill to gate the community. 3) Prohibit public access. 4) Limit access to the area to Barbee Mill residents only by installing a locked gate at the trailhead similar to the one at the clubhouse. 5) "no parking" signs on the bridge and adjacent streets with strict towing enforcement authorized by residents. 6) Prohibit the launching of personal watercraft from the area. At a minimum, please strongly consider #5 and #6. Again, thank you for the opportunity to comment. CAUTION: This email originated from outside the City of Renton. Do not click links, reply or open attachments unless you know the content is safe. 2 Hassan N. Natha CPA Cell: 206 419 3470 Email: hnatha@outlook.com SEPA ENVIRONMENTAL CHECKLIST 8. Land and Shoreline Use a. What is the current use of the site and adjacent properties? Will the proposal affect current land uses on nearby or adjacent properties? If so, describe. The site is currently used for light industrial purposes and storage. Surrounding land uses include: • North–the N 44th Street/Lake Washington Boulevard and I-405 intersection, and beyond the intersection is the Quendall Terminals development site. To the north of Quendall Terminals is the Seattle Seahawks practice facility (Virginia Mason Athletic Center); • East–I-405; • South–the May Creek Greenway and May Creek Trail. • West–The Barbee Mill residential development is located to the west, on the west side of Lake Washington Boulevard N. The proposed Kennydale Gateway project will result in an intensification of on-site development, and the introduction of a residential population associated with the proposed project uses. This would result in increased activity levels on-site and within the surrounding neighborhood. The project would not be expected to adversely affect land uses on nearby or adjacent properties. (Pages 13 & 14) Comment: Barbee Mill HOA does not concur with the evaluation described in the SEPA Checklist, Section 8. Land and Shoreline Use. Specifically: “The project would not be expected to adversely affect land uses on nearby or adjacent properties.” The May Creek Trail that the new site plans on accessing will likely result in increased foot traffic along the entire trail, leading to Lake Washington, not just the immediate section adjacent to the development. This trail meanders through the Barbee Mill residential development transiting through Native Growth Protection Areas (NGPA). In accordance with the Barbee Mill Plat: “The Barbee Mill Community Organization (BMCO) shall manage and protect the vegetation within these tracts. Public access within Tracts “A” and “B” is limited to use of a soft surface trail to be constructed by the declarant in accordance with the plans approved by the City of Renton. Development, alteration or disturbance within the NGPA is prohibited except for purposes of habitat enhancement as part of an enhancement project which has received prior written approval from the City of Renton and any other agency with jurisdiction over such activity.” Currently there have been incidents of non-residents parking in and around the Barbee Mill community, accessing the May Creek trail and trespassing onto the NGPA areas for picnicking, social gatherings, swimming, boating access and off-leash dog runs. With the increased population resulting from a 385 unit dwelling directly across from this trail, along with a 40% - 50% turnover rate, it is reasonable to expect that trespassing onto the NGPA areas will increase resulting in substantially increased alteration/damage to the vegetation and shoreline. Further, this will increase the foot traffic on the trail, which is adjacent to Barbee Mill homes, compromising the privacy and security of the homes along the trail. Critical Areas Report MPACTS AND PROPOSED MITIGATION REQUIRED: There will be no direct impacts to any critical areas (May Creek or the offsite wetland) resulting from the proposed development. The proposed development within the Shoreline overlay is consistent with the City of Renton Shoreline Management Program (RMC 4-3-090). It will be necessary to reduce the 100-ft vegetation conservation buffer so that it terminates at the Site’s southern boundary. This is allowed under the City of Renton’s Shoreline Management Program since there will be no loss of ecological function (that portion of the vegetation conservation buffer on the subject property is currently unvegetated and covered with impervious surfaces and the total reduction of buffer width is less than 50% of the standard width). No mitigation is being proposed. However, the Administrator of the Department of Community and Economic Development (or designee), may request that the non-native, invasive blackberry currently growing within the May Creek Trail Park along the Site’s southern boundary be removed and replaced with native trees and shrubs. (Pages i and ii) Comment: Barbee Mill HOA does not support the position: “No mitigation is being proposed.” While there may not be direct impacts to the May Creek Greenway critical areas immediately adjacent to the development (Figure 1), it can be anticipated that there will be collateral impacts to the May Creek Greenway critical areas immediately to the west of the development (Figure 2). The May Creek Greenway, with the Lake Washington Viewing Trail located to the west in the Barbee Mill site, is part of the Urban Conservancy Overlay District (4-3-090C) and contains tracts that are designated as Native Growth Protection Areas (NGPA) (4-3-050G) and Barbee Mill Community Organization (BMCO) is responsible for maintaining and protecting these tracts. Maintenance includes ensuring that no alterations occur within the tract and that all vegetation remains undisturbed unless the express written authorization of the City has been received. Currently there have been incidents of non-residents accessing the May Creek trail and trespassing onto the NGPA areas for picnicking, social gatherings, swimming, boating access and off-leash dog runs. This trespassing results in alteration/disturbance of vegetation in the NGPA tracts. Barbee Mill residents, with the help of the Renton Police, have intervened in these trespassing incidents. With the increased population resulting from a 385 unit dwelling directly across from this trail, along with a 40% - 50% turnover rate, it is reasonable to expect that trespassing onto the NGPA areas will increase resulting in substantially increased alteration/damage of the vegetation and shoreline. Potential impact will be increased cost to BMCO to repair altered/damage lands and increased cost to Renton Police due to increased trespassing reports. Based on this potential for alteration/damage of the NGPA a mitigation is appropriate. Critical Areas Report – Kennydale Gateway. Figure 1 City of Renton – Parks and Trails Figure 2 May Creek Greenway The greenway serves several functions including providing habitat for endangered salmon species, providing a continuous wildlife and habitat corridor, protecting steep and sensitive slopes, providing surface water storage capacity and serves as an urban separator between more developed areas.