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HomeMy WebLinkAboutReport 1Denis Law -----~M:a:yo:, ___ ............... r -- ~-~- February 2, 2011 Anne Woodley 7920 E Mercer Way Mercer Island, WA_ 98040 --Department of Community and Economic Development Alex Pietsch, Administrator SUBJECT: Quendall Terminals DEIS, Comment Received Dear Ms. Woodley: Thank you for your comments on the Quendall Terminals Draft Environmental Impact Statement {DEIS). Your comments will be placed in the official project file, and will be addressed in the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS). In addition, you have been added to the party of record list for the subject project, and will receive copies of correspondence throughout the land use review process. If you have any questions about the project please feel free to contact me at 425-430- 7314. Sincerely, Vanessa Dolbee Senior Planner cc: File Renton City Hall • 1055 South Grady Way • Renton, Washington 98057 • rentonwa.gov Denis Law _.... ..... "~~~.i.----------~M=ayor-----~; rJ .. ., ~ity_01I"[. <~ --, - February 2, 2011 Sally Scott 1405 N 28'h St. Renton, WA 98056 i\~Jl!Wtt. Department of Community and Economic Development Alex Pietsch, Administrator SUBJECT: Quendall Terminals DEIS, Comment Received Dear Ms. Scott: Thank you for your comments on the Quendall Terminals Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). Your comments will be placed in the official project file, and will be addressed in the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS). In addition, you have been added to the party of record list for the subject project, and will receive copies of correspondence throughout the land use review process. If you have any questions about the project please feel free to contact me at 425-430- 7314. Sincerely, 00~11,kz Vanessa Dolbee Senior Planner cc: File Renton City Hall • 1055 South Grady Way • Renton, Washington 98057 • rentonwa.gov Denis Law --=Mayo:...r ---~ r -"' February 2, 2011 Tim Stewart City of Mercer Island 9611 SE 35th Street Mercer Island, WA 98040 ____ ,, Department of Community and Economic Development Alex Pietsch, Administrator SUBJECT: Quendall Terminals DEIS, Comment Received Dear Mr. Stewart: Thank you for your comments on the Quendall Terminals Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). Your comments will be placed in the official project file, and will be addressed in the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS). In addition, you have been added to the party of record list for the subject project, and will receive copies of correspondence throughout the land use review process. If you have any questions about the project please feel free to contact me at 425-430- 7314. Sincerely, Vanessa Dolbee Senior Planner cc: File Renton City Hall • 1055 South Grady Way • Renton, Washington 98057 • rentonwa.gov Denis Law _ _:Ma:..yor .....----~ ... r. ·-February 2, 2011 Department of Community and Economic Development Farrell Wilson and Jonell Bitney-Wilson 4063 Williams Ave. N Renton, WA 98056 Alex Pietsch, Administrator SUBJECT: Quendall Terminals DEIS, Comment Received Dear Mr. Wilson and Mrs. Bitney-Wilson: Thank you for your comments on the Quendall Terminals Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). Your comments will be placed in the official project file, and will be addressed in the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS). In addition, you have been added to the party of record list for the subject project, and will receive copies of correspondence throughout the land use review process. If you have any questions about the project please feel free to contact me at 425-430- 7314. Sincerely, , f0NMc:~'[JdLe_ Vanessa Dolbee Senior Planner cc: File Renton City Hall • 1055 South Grady Way • Renton, Washington 98057 • rentonwa.gov Vanessa Dolbee From: Vanessa Dolbee Sent: To: Tuesday, February 01, 2011 4:39 PM 'Pavy Thao' Subject: RE: Quendall development comments Dem Pavy Thao, Thank you for commenting on the Quendall Terminals DEIS. Your comments will be entered into the projects official ti le and will be addressed in the Final EIS. In addition, you will be added to the party ofrecord list for the subject project, if you are not already on the list. Once again. thank you for taking the time to comment on this project. lfyou have any additional questions please feel free to ask. Sincerely, 'f/anessa (J)o{5ee Senior Planner Department of Community & Economic Development City of Renton Renton City Hall -6th Floor 1055 South Grady Way Renton, WA 98057 425.430. 7314 From: Pavy Thao [mailto:pawt@hotmail.com1 Sent: Tuesday, February 01, 2011 9:14 AM To: Vanessa Dolbee Subject: Quendall development comments I attended the Kennydale Neighborhood meeting and am excited to hear news about the development of the Quendall Terminals. We support the private development however we are not in support of the huge scale of the development. We live on Lake Washington Blvd in the Eastport Shores condominiums. We also have a 180 view of the lake. We will be imensely affected by the high traffic in and out of this area. Our life will forever change so I do want to voice my opinion on this project. I proposed less multi family units in the range of 200-300 units. We would like more restaurants, shops, grocery store, coffee shops, fitness center, etc. I think this will benefit our neighborhood more. I visualize something like the Whole Foods store located in Redmond Wa. We are ok with commercial mixed uses. I am against high rises that are more than 4 stories high. This will block our views and do not fit in the character of our neighborhood. We hate the Seahawks training facility. It is ugly and huge. I was alot happier when there was nothing there. We demand that the city provide wider roads or create additional roads to support the high volume of traffic. Currently 1 when I leave work at 7:30morning, e is a long line of cars on Lake Washing llvd waiting to get on the highway to 405 North. I worried about the safety of my kids who walk on the this road, and also for the cyclists that uses the trail to ride around Lake Washington. I definitely believe that there should be community access to the water. I think there needs to be a park/playground for the kids where there are benches so the public gets to enjoy the views. The way the proposal is designed looks like it is for the benefit and only to maximize the profit of the developer and not the community residents that live in the area. I hope to see the area develop but on a smaller scale. We would like to be different and not have this area look like downtown Kirkland or Bellevue area. Thank you. My address is 4100 Lake Washington Blvd N. AlOl Renton wA 98056 cell 425-5917077 Thank you. Pavy Thao 2 Vanessa Dolbee From: Vanessa Dolbee Sent: To: Tuesday, February 01, 2011 4:35 PM 'Tim Riley' Subject: RE: A concerned neighbor on the new Port Quendell proposal Dear Mr. Riley, Thank you for commenting on the Quendall Terminals DEIS. Your comments will be entered into the projects official file and will be addressed in the Final EIS. In addition, you will be added to the party of record list for the subject project, if you are not already on the list. Once again, thank you for taking the time to comment on this project. If you have any additional questions please feel free to ask. Sincerely, 'Vanessa <Dof6ee Senior Planner Department of Community & Economic Development City of Renton Renton City Hall -6th Floor 1055 South Grady Way Renton, WA 98057 425.430.7314 From: Tim Riley (mailto:tim@autowashsys.com1 Sent: Monday, January 31, 2011 7:23 PM To: Vanessa Dolbee Subject: A concerned neighbor on the new Port Quendell proposal Hello Ms. Dolbee, My name is Tim Riley and I live at 3607 Lake Washington Blvd N., Renton, WA 98056. I have reviewed the Quendell Terminals Draft EIS and I am against the proposal. It is way too tall -only 30-35' maximum should be allowed -not 90 feet. It uses too much of the land and will dramatically impact the surrounding land and water areas. It also allows for access to way too many people for the limited two lane road that is there and is already gridlocked during morning and evening commutes. I am shocked at the scale of the project relative to this small neighborhood and also the impact on the lakeshore and lands that are currently there. The proposal calls for a monstrosity that will destroy a visual gateway to Renton. Very truly yours, Tim Riley (206) 779-2021 I ' . . .. Vanessa Dolbee From: Vanessa Dolbee Sent: To: Tuesday, February 01, 2011 4:29 PM 'Amy Lietz Roberts' Subject: RE: Port Quendall comments Dear Amy Roberts, Thank you for commenting on the Quendall Terminals DEIS. Your comments will be entered into the projects official file and will be addressed in the Final EIS. In addition, you will be added to the party of record list for the subject project, if you are not already on the list. Once again, thank you for taking the time to comment on this project. If you have any additional questions please feel free to ask. Sincerely, 'Vanessa (f)o{6ee Senior Planner Department of Community & Economic Development City of Renton Renton City Hall -6th Floor 1055 South Grady Way Renton, WA 98057 425.430.7314 From: Amy Lietz Roberts [mailto:amyroberts@seanet.com1 Sent: Monday, January 31, 2011 12:05 PM To: Vanessa Dolbee Subject: Port Quendall comments Hello Vanessa, I am a part of the Kennydale association and just recently reviewed the plans sent out by our association leaders. I am astounded that anyone in Renton would want such a monstrosity structure on such a valuable eco piece of property in our city. I have lived in Kennydale since moving to Washington state in 1993. First renting, then buying in upper kennydale and 5 years ago buying in lower kennydale. We have chosen to stay in kennydale/Renton because of all the wonderful things Renton has to offer. When we have friends visit from Seattle(greenlake, Phinney Ridge, Ballard) and Bellevue, they comment every time what a gem we have for a neighborhood. It's quiet, residential, with lots that have room for kids to run and play in. I love that I can walk my dogs with my young children on streets that have no sidewalks because it is so pedestrian and family friendly. My one hope for Port Quendall was to grab some of that neighborhood feel from some of the Seattle neighborhoods, and be able to offer small businesses to thrive in a primarily residential neighborhood. But the plans clearly show that it's the exact opposite. I hope that I'm not let down like I have been so far with the great "build up and talk" of The 1 Landing ...... Ross, Marshall's, Golf Ga . , The Sanctuary? Please, if we want to I ,head of the curve" like all of the city government officials promote, we need to think beyond "cheap". No wonder we can't get a Trader Joe's, PCC or similar store here to invest in our great community, you don't have them assured that we are better than the cheap neighborhood that has plagued Renton for the years that I've been here. And going forward and building this huge Complex(and that's what it will be) will only validate that we don't think ahead and care about the long term future of our community. What will our children think 20-30 years from now knowing we had the chance to make a difference and be better leaders than Seattle on environmental and social issues but we chose the quick buck first? I hope you, your staff, and your colleagues stop this mistake from going forward and push the leaders of this project to come forward with a more thought out and viable plan that has the support of the community it wishes to serve. Sincerely, Amy Lietz Roberts 1006 N 34th St, Renton amy lietz roberts air design, inc. amyroberts@seanet.com 425.444.1057 2 '· Date: January 20, 2011 To: City of Renton Planning Department Attn: Vanessa Dolbee, Senior Planner 1055 S. Grady Way Renton, WA 98057 425-430-7314 vdolbee@rentonwa.gov From: Name: Farrell Wilson and Jonell Bitney-Wilson Address: 4063 Williams Ave. No., Renton, Wash. 98056 Phone Number: 425-226-1748 Email Address: iobitney@comcast.net Date: January 20, 2011 To: Vanessa Dolbee, Senior Planner Subject: Public Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal Draft EIS (LUA09-151) We (Farrell Wilson and Jonell Bitney-Wilson) concur with the following comments and unanimously vote AGAINST the redevelopment of the Quendall Terminal site. Following are our comments regarding the redevelopment of the Quendall Terminal site as outlined in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). As homeowners, tax payers and citizens of the City of Renton, we believe that the proposed and binding Quendall development proposal has tremendous negative and adverse impacts to the environment, property, the neighborhood and our Barbee Mill community and should NOT be approved. 1) Size & Scale Impact a. Scale-The proposed scale, density and height of the buildings in both alternatives are completely out-of-scale, incompatible and inconsistent with all neighborhoods on the entire shoreline of Lake Washington. The typical height limit for buildings along the Lake is 35 ft. The proposed heights and densities exceed those of Downtown Kirkland, Carillon Point, Bellevue and Seattle's Lake Washington facing neighborhoods. Furthermore, the proposed scale, density and height of the Quendall proposal are inconsistent and incompatible with adjacent neighborhoods, the East facing shoreline of Mercer Island. It will completely dwarf the residential neighborhood of Barbee Mill. b. The proposed buildings would be more than 40 ft taller than the height of the Barbee Mill homes. And they would be more than double the height of all nearby residences! The proposed buildings are nearly 90 ft in height although they are marked as 77 ft on the applicants elevation drawings, which is 3/4 the height of the SeahawksNMAC Facility and the Boeing Airplane Factory. Again this is completely out-of-scale with the Barbee Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page 1 ' . Mill neighborhood AND anything else along the Lake Washington shoreline. (DEIS 3.5-12) i. Figure 3.7-2 in the DEIS is an inaccurate and misleading rendering that attempts to conceal the height and visual impact of both proposal alternatives. c. The proposed architectural design resembles an industrial park and does not have the look or the feel of a residential neighborhood. It is certainly "not consistent with the existing urban character'' (as claimed in DEIS 3.5- 12) of any of the immediate and nearby residential neighborhoods, including Barbee Mill. The proposed scale, density and character would be an eyesore no matter what angle it is viewed from within the adjacent neighborhoods or from lakefront properties along Mercer. d. The proposed design looks more like the Landing, which is sandwiched in between a shopping center and the country's second largest airplane factory and which is NOT located on the shores of one of the most beautiful lakes in the state and which is NOT located in the middle of an existing residential area. e. The Applicant claims that this area along the Lake Washington shoreline is currently a high-density urban environment. (DEIS 3.5-12) This statement is misleading and couldn't be farther from the truth as all neighboring areas are completely residential (with the exception of the Seahawks facility.) f. The proposed designs and project scope, scale and density are inappropriate for the shoreline of Lake Washington and do not in any way take advantage of the Lake front location and view. The buildings face each other instead of the Lake. The primary lake view outlook and central lakefront architectural feature is a semi-circular parking lot. i. The Mayor stated in his 2010 State of the City address that: "Renton still has some amazing waterfront property on Lake Washington. "We couldn't agree more. However, this proposal in no way takes advantage of or capitalizes on this amazing piece of waterfront property. In fact, the proposal looks like the City of Renton has taken a giant step backwards by proposing a self- facing vs. lake facing, residential complex, retail and office park with limited green space and tree canopy. This is not responsible growth. Nor is it responsible stewardship and development of the largest piece of remaining undeveloped land along the shoreline of beautiful Lake Washington. ii. The proposal calls for a straight, walled, 2-story parking garage, approximately 1000 ft in length, to traverse the entire Lake Washington frontage of the Quendall development with absolutely no undulation. There is nothing in the architectural design to break up the negative, visual impact of this two-story wall facing the Lake. This scale of this lake-facing 2-story garage wall is unheard of in residential zoning and lakefront zoning and does not fit the character nor complement the adjacent neighborhoods. Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page2 g. The proposed development does NOT complement or add value to the existing neighborhoods especially neighboring Barbee Mill. Instead, this development would be tremendously destructive to the property value for the surrounding neighborhoods (including Barbee Mill, Kennydale, Newcastle and the East-facing side of Mercer Island) and detrimental to the quality of life for residents. 2) Density Impact a. This proposal repeatedly and misleadingly (DEIS 3.9-1) describes the Quendall development as "compatible wfth the existing neighborhoods." This is preposterous and we strongly disagree. For example, Barbee Mill to the south has a planned density of 5 residential units per acre and contains no commercial (office or retail) space. The Quendall proposal is for 37 residential units per acre plus up to a ~ million square feet of commercial space that would accommodate up to 2000 daily visitors. This is approximately 7 times the density of the local residential areas and is in no way "consistent with the existing urban character of the area." In fact, the existing character of the local area can only accurately be described as residential. Both proposal alternatives, present tremendous compatibility impacts with the surrounding neighborhoods. b. Commercial/residential buildings in Renton and in the greater Eastside area, have tended to have a history of high-turnover, high-vacancy and have not proven to be particularly commercially viable. Our concern is that tenants of apartments and commercial space will have no vested interest in the neighborhood, the community or in the future vision for the city of Renton. And that such a development, could wind up sitting vacant for many years to come. 3) Traffic, Transportation & Parking Impact a. The traffic impact assessment in the DEIS is completely unrealistic. To begin with, the analysis in the DEIS does not take into account the traffic study and analysis for the adjacent Hawk's Landing (Pan Abode) development, which estimated an additional 1400+ automotive trips a day flowing onto Lake Washington Blvd and adding to traffic congestion on the surrounding streets and 1-405 exit 7 on-ramps and off-ramps. i. Before this or any other area development proposal is approved, a new, comprehensive traffic analysis should be done that focuses on the combined traffic impact of: Quendall Terminal property, Hawk's Landing/Pan Abode property, SeakhawksNMAC Facility, Ripley Lane neighborhood, Barbee Mill, Kennydale neighborhood, 1-405 congestion, commuters trying to bypass 405 congestion on Lake Washington Blvd and the City's goal of providing direct access to Lake Washington from Park Dr & Sunset Blvd. This comprehensive traffic analysis should reflect all existing, proposed and potential developments and their collective impact on the immediate vicinity and existing neighborhoods. WSDOT analysis, future plans and funding for 1-405 must be factored into the traffic analysis and any infrastructure planning. (Reference: Hawk's Landing Mixed Use and SEPA Appeal File No.: LUA-09-060, ECF, SA-M, SA-H September 10, 2009) Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page 3 b. The proposal calls for an unacceptable increase in traffic with an estimated 2000 cars a day. Add to that, the estimated 1400 automotive trips a day from the proposed Hawks Landing development. The current infrastructure can in no way support the increases being proposed. There are no proposed plans to improve or widen the immediate roads or build the proper egress and ingress access roads to/from the proposed Quendall development. c. The proposal calls for N 43r<1 St to serve as the primary entrance to the Quendall property. This narrow, residential street is already the primary entrance for the residential neighborhood of Barbee Mill. This un-striped, 2-lane 135-ft long street, which has two stop signs and a railroad crossing, can in no way accommodate the proposed additional 2000 cars per day PLUS the cars of Barbee Mill residents. Furthermore, 43r<1 has already become plagued by a dangerous trends of drivers making hazardous u-turns and 3-point turns in the intersection of 43rd and Lake Washington Blvd. Given all this, it is shocking that the DEIS does NOT list NE 43r<1 St as a roadway condition concern. NE 43r<1 St is in no way sufficient to serve as the primary entrance for both Quendall and Barbee Mill it cannot safely and effectively accommodate the additional influx of 2000 cars per day. This proposal will result in intolerable traffic congestion, increased risk of accidents, noise pollution and egress problems for Barbee Mill Homeowners. i. 2000 additional cars/day will translate into 700 to 800 ft of traffic jams along Lake Washington Blvd, 43rd and Ripley Lane. The current infrastructure can in no way handle this increased volume. Lake Washington Blvd. is a narrow, 2-lane, scenic, curving, hilly, 25 mph road with bike lanes in both margins and many residential driveways. It is already extremely difficult to navigate Lake Washington Blvd given the present volume of traffic. Furthermore, it is already difficult with the present volume of traffic to enter or exit the Barbee Mill development at 43r<1 or 41" during the peak traffic hours and/or on sunny summer days from Lake Washington Blvd. Lake Washington Blvd does not have the capacity to handle the 2000/day proposed additional cars (3400+ if you factor in Hawk's Landing). And, any serious infrastructure modifications to Lake Washington Blvd would adversely impact the surrounding neighborhoods, the environmentally sensitive May Creek and the Lake Washington shoreline. 1. As a demonstration, one need to look no further than the congestion, parking and traffic nightmare that was created on 1/14/11 when hundreds of Seahawk Fans (including children and pets) and their vehicles descended on the intersection of Ripley Lane and Lake Washington Blvd. Cars were parked all over 43rd, 44th, Lake Washington & Ripley Lane. It made it nearly impossible to enter/exit Barbee Mill on 43r<1_ Fans also jammed the 30th Bridge and surrounding Kennydale neighborhoods, which has been proposed as an alternate travel route for the Quendall Property. Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page4 2. As a demonstration, congestion is also extremely heavy when during the Seahawk Training Days in August, despite the fact that the Seahawks arrange for buses and parking in the Landing in their effort to mitigate what would be the adverse impact of an approximate 2000 cars per day from coming into and parking in the neighborhoods adjacent to Ripley Lane including Barbee Mill. 3. We do not understand why the proposal does not bring traffic directly into the center of the Quendall property via a new access road which would need to be built to cross Ripley Lane and that would be more capable of handling that volume of traffic. However, we are not sure that any development plan that calls for 2000 or more additional cars/day on area roads can be adequately addressed through existing, modified or new infrastructure. 4. The details of the traffic analysis for Lake Washington Blvd at 43rd have been left out of (Table 3.9-1) AND there is no mention in the proposal of improving 43rd. ii. We are concerned that frustrated motorists who are eager to avoid the traffic congestion on Lake Washington Blvd will either make dangerous u-tums and/or choose to use Barbee Mill as a major arterial north/south bypass route for Lake Washington Blvd. The streets within Barbee Mill can in no way accommodate this increased traffic volume. This bypass traffic would present a tremendous risk and inconvenience for Barbee Mill residents. It would hamper ability to safely enter and exit our own neighborhood and residences. The added traffic on Barbee Mill's streets would create a public safety risks for residents as well as for area pedestrians, joggers, cyclists, children in strollers and pets that enjoy our streets. We are extremely concerned about the added danger of so many motorists trying to navigate the already hazardous blind curve at 42nd Oust shortly after you tum into Barbee Mill from 43rd). The bypass traffic would also generate significant noise pollution. We believe that this proposal and its traffic volume will not only impact Barbee Mill homeowner and community safety but that it will adversely impact and reduce property values and quality of life for Barbee Mill homeowners. d. Traffic on 1-405 at 44'" and 30'" is already one of the most frequently congested parts of the freeway in both the North and South lanes. Congestion occurs not only at peak traffic hours but throughout the majority of the day. The freeway, just as the neighboring roads, can in no way accommodate an additional influx of 2000 cars per day. Throughout the proposal, the applicant has stated that various traffic impacts could be mitigated through a coordinated effort with WSDOT. However, WSDOT went on record during the DEIS Scoping Summary stating that "the potential 1-405/NE 44 St interchange improvements project is not funded, and is not likely to be funded in the foreseeable future; the transporlation analysis should not assume that this project is complete or will occur." (Pg 5-EIS Scoping Summary) We believe that approving a major Quendall Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Pages development plan without WSDOT commitment, funding, schedule and a plan in place to improve this interchange would have irreversible consequences and would cause a tremendous number of adverse impacts. i. There are scenarios in the proposal that suggest using the 1-405 30th street onramp/offramp (exit 6) and then routing cars through the hilly, residential neighborhoods in Kennydale along 30th, 401", Burnett and Park. This is not a realistic alternative and is equally as dangerous as cars choosing to use Barbee Mill as a shortcut. And it could encourage drivers travelling northbound and southbound on Lake Washington Blvd to take a shortcut through Barbee Mill. e. Transportation-The proposal does not include any plans to develop, improve or encourage public transit in the vicinity. This means that there would be no alternative form of transportation for the estimated 2000+ daily visitors and tenants. It is not an environmentally responsible transportation design solution to place 2000 additional cars onto neighborhood streets and the lakefront in this residential community without providing realistic transportation alternatives. i. In the Mayor's 201 O State of the City Address, he declared "I believe that it is vital that we have the right infrastructure in place now to serve the needs of our future. We will continue to work with the state and regional transportation organizations to make critical investments to create an affective transportation system that allows goods and people to move efficiently." The Quendall proposal does not provide for any investments to create an affective transportation solution in the area NOR does it put the right infrastructure in place to serve the needs of the immediate area and alleviate traffic and noise and air pollution impacts and public safety risks. f. Parking-In the Proposal Alternative 2, there are surface level parking lots for 220 cars up placed right up against the entire north property line for Barbee Mill. This is in no way consistent with land use compatibility in the neighborhood and will adversely impact property values and quality of life. Nor is Proposal Alternative 1, which calls for a 6-story building to be placed right up against the north fence of Barbee Mill. We believe that it is not an acceptable plan to place parking lots, tall buildings and/or delivery entrances right up against the north Barbee Mill fence. i. We are concerned that if fees are charged for parking in the Quendall development, that visitors and tenants will seek out free parking in the adjacent neighborhood streets especially at Barbee Mill-which already suffers from insufficient street parking for residents and guests. 4) Public Safety Impact a. Cyclist Safety/Pedestrian/Runners Safety-Lake Washington Blvd was never meant to be a major thoroughfare. It is a hilly, scenic route through residential neighborhoods. It has no sidewalks and is very poorly lit at Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page6 night. In fact, it is already quite dangerous on winter nights to turn into the Barbee Mill development at either 43"' or 44th St as there are no streetlights at either intersection. Lake Washington Blvd (in addition to Barbee Mill streets) is currently used not only by vehicles but also by pedestrians walking their pets and children, joggers and bicyclists. Given that there are no sidewalks and poor lighting along the road, such an increase in cars would not only cause traffic gridlock and backups but would also present a tremendous safety hazard to all using the bike lanes and shoulders for purposes other than driving. i. As a demonstration, a Barbee Mill resident counted more than 140 cyclists using Lake Washington Blvd and crossing 43"' St in a 90- minute period on a recent summer Saturday morning. b. We are concerned that the proposed public access trail and above ground parking lots located right against Barbee Mill North fence would invite evening transient traffic and loitering that could lead to crime. This fence backs up against an existing quiet residential neighborhood. This would not only adversely impact quality of life for Barbee Mill residents but also reduce property values. c. We are concerned that the proposed traffic volume and insufficient infrastructure, would affect the ability of emergency vehicles and first responders to quickly access the Barbee Mill community (and Ripley Lane neighborhood) in the event of an emergency. This puts the lives and health of residents at risk. d. We are concerned that a newly accessible open public space, trails, and parking lots may become an attractive target to a criminal element and would bring an increase risk of crime, vandalism, gang activity, graffiti, noise, and other negative and unwanted activity that would put neighborhood homeowners' safety and security at risk. 5) Light, Glare & Noise Impact a. We have tremendous concern over the amount light and glare that would be emitted from the proposed high-density residential buildings (proposed to be as high as 90ft) and the evening and night-time restaurant patrons and shoppers in the retail development. We also are concerned about the noise pollution that would come from delivery trucks, giant HVAC units, 2000+ cars/day and ensuing traffic, residential tenants, office workers, retail shoppers and potential bar/restaurant patrons. The light, glare and noise from the proposed Quendall development would adversely impact quality of life and property values for the residents and homeowners of Barbee Mill. 6) Environmental Impact a. The true baseline character of the Quendall property is unknown until the EPA mandated remedial action is fully specified and completed. We believe that the DEIS proposes prematurely, approval of a BINDING site plan for specifications of square feet of various building types, number of parking spaces, roads, traffic and egress to and from the development. Approving the BINDING plan PRIOR TO completed the mandated remedial clean up of the Superfund sight is not only unwise and Comments Regarding Quendall Tenninal DEIS Page7 imprudent but the long term consequences and negative impacts are just too great. As homeowners, this is not the legacy we want to have to live with nor is what we want for our health, our quality of life and our property values. b. Mayor Law declared in his 2010 State of the City address that: "Clean, healthy air; high quality drinking water; and trails and green open spaces are key to keeping our city a great place to live and work. Expanding our tree canopy, creating a better trail system, and protecting our environment provides many benefits to the city and boosts property values by making neighborhoods greener." Unfortunately, the current proposal for Quendall runs completely contrary to the Mayor's pledge. c. Superfund Site Carcinogens & The Impact on The Environment-The The EPA has tremendous concerns about the carcinogenic substances on the Quendall site, cleanup and the adverse impact the cleanup would have on the Lake, including fishing and swimming and on several species. We share this concern. (EPA ID# WAD980639215). i. They state: "The primary contaminants of concern are carcinogenic PAHs and benzene. These contaminants are found in the soil and ground water throughout the site. These compounds are found at concentrations well above State cleanup levels for residential and industrial sites. At some locations on the site, creosote product has been found under the surface. In some areas the product is four to six feet thick. Releases of these contaminants to Lake Washington are of particular concern. Lake Washington is used for a variety of recreational purposes including fishing and swimming. The southern end of Lake Washington, including the area where the site is located, is considered prime habitat for rearing of juvenile Chinook, which is a Federal Threatened Species, and other salmon stocks. The Cedar River, which enters Lake Washington approximately two miles from the site, supports the largest sockeye run in the contiguous United States. Lake Washington also supports several sensitive environments including habitat for bull trout and the bald eagle. In addition, there are two swimming beaches located within one half mile of the site." As homeowners at Barbee Mill, we enjoy having access to the shoreline in our development and do not want to see it adversely impacted by release of contaminates nor do we want to put the health of our families at risk. d. We understand that the EPA has jurisdiction over the remediation and cleanup of the Superfund Site at Quendall Terminals. We are extremely concerned about what carcinogenic contaminants will be released into the air and water (through either surface or aquifer transfer) and into our neighborhoods and into our shoreline and May Creek as a result of the initial cleanup process. We are also extremely concerned the adverse impact that the proposed mitigation, landfilling, grading, piling driving and other redevelopment activities will have on our neighborhoods and our residents. Furthermore, the DEIS proposes no dust control measures during the construction process to minimize contaminant transportation to Barbee Mill Homes. We believe strongly that it is NOT PRUDENT OR Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page8 RESPONSIBLE to approve any BINDING redevelopment proposal for this site until the remediation and cleanup of this critical Superfund site has been thoroughly planned and safely planned, executed and effectively completed by the EPA. To expedite the redevelopment process in order to pursue redevelopment income, puts at risk and adversely affects the health and lives of the immediate neighborhood residents, users of Lake Washington and the existing wildlife. Pursuing binding development agreements BEFORE Superfund cleanup, would be an extremely poor decision with a tremendously risky outcome. e. Wetlands-The overall wetlands in the Quendall property are at least twice the size they are portrayed as in the EIS. In particular in the Southwest corner ( a small blue dot labeled "H") is nearly an acre in total size, which is 50-times the size of what is portrayed in the DEIS. i. The Wetland buffer area for shoreline wetlands should remain at a minimum of 50 ft and should not be reduced for shoreline trails or buildings as currently proposed and shown on figure 2-7. ii. Substituting Wetland "I" or • J", which is nothing more than a drainage ditch, (per figure 2.6, 2. 7 and 2.11) which are separated by Ripley Lane & the railroad tracks and have absolutely no continuity with the Quendall site are not adequate or appropriate solutions for mitigating onsite wetlands throughout the Quendall site including adjacent to Barbee Mill. f. Wildlife-The EIS makes no mention of existing wildlife or mitigation for their loss of habitat from the proposed construction. There are ospreys, eagles, herons, deer, hummingbirds, and other species living in the wetlands and natural habitat of the Quendall property. CONCLUSIONS 1) We recommend that the City does NOT PROCEED with the current BINDING proposal as outlined in the Draft EIS. Of the three alternatives proposed, we believe that the ONLY viable alternative is that of "NO ACTION." 2) We certainly hope that Mayor Law meant what he pledged in his 2010 State of The City address when he stated: "By engaging citizens to participate in the process we are starting to create a picture of a city that is a leader in growth management.· a. Mr. Mayor, City Council Members, City Planners and Hearing Examiner, as citizens of Renton we are participating in the DEIS public hearing process and we are loudly saying that the proposals outlined in the DEIS for the Quendall Terminal Redevelopment are in no way in alignment with that goal of responsible growth management and would have tremendous adverse impacts on the surrounding community. 3) Mayor Law also concluded his 2010 State of the City address with these words: "/ am optimistic about the future. I am optimistic because people in our community are willing to step up and do what is necessary; because it is through partnerships that we tackle tough issues; and because we never quit planning for the future of this great community." Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page9 a. So here we are, the people of Renton stepping up and tackling the tough issues of a poorly thought out, extremely inappropriate and binding DEIS proposal that is completely out of character with the surrounding residential neighborhoods. IF approved and developed, the proposed Quendall development would be a devastating destruction to the shoreline of Lake Washington and to the surrounding community. This proposed redevelopment of the Quendall Terminal Property is definitely NOT what we want to see in the future of our great community. 4) We believe that this proposal would have a tremendously adverse impact on the existing adjacent neighborhoods especially our Barbee Mill community. The proposed Quendall development would negatively impact and affect traffic, public safety, quality of life and property values in Barbee Mill and surrounding neighborhoods. 5) As homeowners, taxpayers and citizens of the City of Renton, we urge the City of Renton to NOT approve this binding proposal for the redevelopment of the Quendall Terminal Proposal. The only one of its alternatives that is viable is that of "NO ACTION!" Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page 10 ' Vanessa Dolbee From: Sent: To: Subject: Dear Susan Stow, Vanessa Dolbee Tuesday, February 01, 2011 3:57 PM 'Susan stow' RE: regarding quendall terminals Thank you for commenting on the Quendall Terminals DEIS. Your comments will be entered into the projects official file and will be addressed in the Final EIS. In addition, you will be added to the party of record list for the subject project, if you are not already on the list. Once again, thank you for taking the time to comment on this project. If you have any additional questions please feel free to ask. Sincerely, Vanessa Dolbee Senior Planner Department of Community & Economic Development City of Renton Renton City Hall -6th Floor 1055 South Grady Way Renton, WA 98057 425.430.7314 -----Original Message----- From: Susan stow [mailto:stows@comcast.net1 Sent: Wednesday, January 26, 2011 11:09 AM To: Vanessa Dolbee Subject: regarding quendall terminals From: Susan Stow 1309 nth 36th st Renton Wa 425-793-5062 First and foremost I would like the City of Renton to revisit the urban plan for Kennydale. The reason is simple, Kennydale is going through massive changes, lots are being sold and instead of one house we have 3 or 4 being built. That means at least 2 cars per house and we have to absorb the extra traffic already. So when you say you are going to add 2,000 more cars that is in addition to the extra that we as a growing community have to allow for. I would also like to caution you on developing an area when you have a draw of a sports team. Kirkland did that and look what happened to the retail stores surrounding the old Seahawks facility. Sports teams come and go and we the residents will suffer. If you look to the east side of 405 at exit 7, they already have a motel and retail and I don't think it has become a "destination". On a final note, the City of Renton also assured us that the new Seahawk facility would not affect the traffic at exit 7. Can you explain to me why the Renton Police have to go and stop traffic on 1 ' Lake Washington Blvd to all the traffic coming So during the spring and summer it takes me at Thank you, Susan Stow. 2 from the fac ty? least 20 minutes to go from 44th to 40th. Vanessa Dolbee From: Vanessa Dolbee Sent: To: Tuesday, February 01, 2011 3:51 PM 'Len Reid' Subject: RE: Public Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal Draft EIS (LUA09-151) Dear Len and Pat Reid, Thank you for commenting on the Quendall Terminals DEIS. Your comments will be entered into the projects official file and will be addressed in the Final EIS. In addition, you will be added to the party of record list for the subject project, if you are not already on the list. Once again, thank you for taking the time to comment on this project. If you have any additional questions please feel free to ask. Sincerely, 'Vanessa (J)o{Gee Senior Planner Department of Community & Economic Development City of Renton Renton City Hall -6th Floor 1055 South Grady Way Renton, WA 98057 425.430.7314 From: Len Reid [mailto:lreid@FatigueTech.com) Sent: Tuesday, January 25, 2011 8:02 PM To: Vanessa Dolbee Subject: Public Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal Draft EIS (LUA09-151) Attn Vanessa Dolbee Senior Planner City of renton; Attached are comments regarding the Quendall Terminal Draft proposal. Len Reid Resident of Renton 1 Date: 25'" January 2011 To: City of Renton Planning Department Attn: Vanessa Dolbee, Senior Planner 1055 S. Grady Way Renton, WA 98057 425-430-7314 vdolbee@rentonwa.gov From: Name: Len and Pat Reid Address: 1217 N 42"d Place Renton, WA 98056 Phone Number: 425 572 0474 Email Address: lpreid@comcast.net Subject: Public Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal Draft EIS (LUA09-151) I am writing in response to the call for comments concerning the development of the subject property which is adjacent to Barbee Mill where we live. The following are our comments regarding the redevelopment of the Quendall Terminal site as outlined in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). As homeowners, tax payers and citizens of the City of Renton, we believe that the proposed and binding Quendall development proposal has tremendous negative and adverse impacts to the local environment, property, the local neighborhood and our Barbee Mill community and should not be approved. 1) Scale Impact a. The proposed size, density and height of the buildings in either alternative are completely out-of-scale with all neighborhoods on the immediate shoreline of Lake Washington, both on the mainland and Mercer Island sides. They completely dwarf the adjoining neighborhood of Barbee Mill and also of the community north of the Seahawks training camp. b. It is completely out of character of the suburban surrounding neighborhoods and brings both a commercial and residential development of a density nothing like anything else in the area. c. The height of the buildings and their footprint seem to exceed anything else on the foreshore of Lake Washington from Renton to Kirkland or Juanita in the north. d. We feel approval of this development will set a precedence that will completely transform the ambiance of Lake Washington and facilitate the eventual destruction of the serene nature of the lake forefront. e. The proposed buildings would be more than 40 ft taller than the height of the Barbee Mill homes and be more than double the height of all nearby residences. These proposed buildings will be about 3/4 the height of the Seahawks training facility and the Boeing Airplane Factory and are totally out of scale with the local communities. 2) Aesthetic Design and Size a. The proposed architectural design resembles an industrial park and does not have the look or the feel of a residential neighborhood; in particular the Renton/Kennydale Hill neighborhoods. The proposed design looks Page 1 more like the Landing, which is sandwiched in between a shopping center and the Boeing airplane factory, which is in an industrial retail location and not on the foreshores of lake Washington. 1. The proposal calls for a straight-walled, 2-story parking garage, approximately 1000 ft in length, to traverse the entire Lake Washington frontage of the Quendall development with absolutely no character. There is nothing in the architectural design to break up the negative, visual impact of this two-story wall facing the Lake. This scale of this lake-facing 2-story garage wall is unheard of in residential zoning and lakefront zoning and does not fit the character nor complement the adjacent neighborhoods. 11. There is only a small proportion of the development set aside as "wetland" which will not support the local wildlife that presently inhabit the site. iii. This proposed residential/industrial office park will completely destroy the ambiance and serenity of the lake. b. We feel the nature of the proposed development will have a definite adverse impact on the adjacent property values which will affect us personally and also that of our Barbee Mill neighbors. Had we been aware of the magnitude of this proposed development we would not have purchased and made Barbee Mill and Renton our new home. 3) Density Impact a. This proposal repeatedly describes the Quendall development as "compatible with the existing neighborhoods" (DEIS 3.9-1). We strongly disagree. Barbee Mill to the south has a planned density of 5 residential units per acre and contains no commercial (office or retail) space. The Quendall proposal is for 37 residential units per acre plus up to a Y. million square feet of commercial space that would accommodate up to 2000 daily visitors. This is approximately 7 times the density of the local residential areas and is not commensurate with the surrounding neighborhoods which are residential. 4) Impact on local Traffic a. Access to the proposed new development is from Lake Washington Blvd, a low density access road. The traffic impact assessment in the DEIS estimated an additional 1400+ automotive trips a day flowing onto Lake Washington Blvd; adding to traffic congestion on the surrounding streets and 1-405 exit 7 on-ramps and off-ramps. We do not believe the study addresses these concerns adequately. b. Any study should contend with the proposed development of the Pan Abode property with a hotel and also the adequacy of the access from 1- 405 and the immediate Lake Washington Blvd. There are no proposed plans to improve or widen the immediate roads or build the proper egress and ingress access roads to/from the proposed Quendall development. 1. The proposal calls for N 43"' St to serve as the primary entrance to the Quendall property. This narrow, residential street is already the primary entrance for the residential neighborhood of Barbee Mill. This short and narrow street has two stop signs and a railroad crossing and can in no way accommodate the proposed additional 2000 cars per day in addition to the cars of Barbee Mill residents. The DEIS does not list NE 43"' St as a roadway condition concern. It cannot and should not serve as the primary entrance for both Page2 Quendall and Barbee Mill. The 41 st street entrance to Barbee Mill will become an overflow entrance to residents in the proposed development. ii. Lake Washington Blvd. is a narrow, 2-lane, scenic 25 mph road with bike lanes in both margins and many residential driveways. It is already a very busy route for bicyclists, pedestrians and joggers; especially on weekends when literally hundreds of cyclists try to navigate from Lake Washington Blvd to the Ripley Lane access to the bicycle path that extends from that lane. iii. The current entrance to the Quendall development should be stand alone and not from the current entrance to Barbee Mill estate and must consider the access by bicyclists and joggers using the road. iv. There is nothing in the proposal to address grossly inadequate lighting on that region of Lake Washington Blvd and the planned entrance via 43"' Street. It is already quite dangerous on winter nights to turn into the Barbee Mill development at either 43'd or 44th St as there are no streetlights at either intersection. c. Traffic on 1-405 at 44'" and 30'" is already one of the most frequently congested parts of the freeway in both the North and South lanes; not only at peak traffic hours but throughout the majority of the day. The additional influx of 2000 cars per day will exacerbate this already bad situation. d. Any plans to develop this property must be contingent on the widening of the 1-405 and replacement of the 1-405/NE 44th St Interchange. e. Parking-In the Proposal Alternative 2, there are surface level parking lots for 220 cars up placed right up against the entire north property line for Barbee Mill. This is in no way consistent with land use compatibility in the neighborhood and will adversely impact property values and quality of life. Nor is Proposal Alternative 1, which calls for a 6-story building to be placed right up against the north fence of Barbee Mill. We believe that it is not an acceptable plan to place parking lots, tall buildings and/or delivery entrances right up against the north Barbee Mill fence. 5) Public Safety and Noise Impact a. We are concerned that the proposed public access trail and above ground parking lots located right against Barbee Mill North fence would invite evening transient traffic and loitering that could lead to crime. This fence backs up against an existing quiet residential neighborhood. This would not only adversely impact quality of life for Barbee Mill residents but also reduce property values. b. We are concerned that the proposed traffic volume and insufficient infrastructure, would affect the ability of emergency vehicles and first responders to quickly access the Barbee Mill community (and Ripley Lane neighborhood) in the event of an emergency. This puts the lives and health of residents at risk. c. We are concerned that a newly accessible open public space, trails, and parking lots may become an attractive target to a criminal element and would bring an increase risk of crime, vandalism, gang activity, graffiti, noise, and other negative and unwanted activity that would put neighborhood homeowners' safety and security at risk. Page 3 d. We have tremendous concern over the evening and night-time restaurant patrons and shoppers in the retail development will have on the quality of life we enjoy in the Barbee Mill development. e. We also are concerned about the noise pollution that would come from delivery trucks, giant HVAC units, 2000+ cars/day and ensuing traffic, residential tenants, office workers, retail shoppers and potential bar/restaurant patrons. The light and noise from the proposed Quendall development would adversely impact quality of life and property values for the residents and homeowners of Barbee Mill. 6) Environmental Impact a. The EPA has tremendous concerns about the carcinogenic substances on the Quendall site, cleanup and the adverse impact the cleanup would have on the Lake, including fishing and swimming and on several species. We share this concern. (EPA ID# WAD980639215). As homeowners at Barbee Mill, we enjoy having access to the shoreline in our development and do not want to see it adversely impacted by release of contaminates nor do we want to put the health of our families at risk. b. We understand that the EPA has jurisdiction over the remediation and cleanup of the Superfund Site at Quendall Terminals. We are extremely concerned about what carcinogenic contaminants will be released into the air and water (through either surface or aquifer transfer) and into our neighborhoods and into our shoreline and May Creek as a result of the initial cleanup process. c. We are also extremely concerned the adverse impact that the proposed mitigation, landfilling, grading, piling driving and other redevelopment activities will have on our neighborhoods and our residents. d. Wetlands-the overall wetlands in the Quendall property are at least twice the size they are portrayed as in the EIS. In particular in the Southwest corner (a small blue dot labeled "H") is nearly an acre in total size, which is 50-times the size of what is portrayed in the DEIS. 1. The Wetland buffer area for shoreline wetlands should remain at a minimum of 50 ft and should not be reduced for shoreline trails or buildings as currently proposed and shown on figure 2-7. ii. Substituting Wetland "I" or "J", which is nothing more than a drainage ditch, (per figure 2.6, 2. 7 and 2.11) which are separated by Ripley Lane & the railroad tracks and have absolutely no continuity with the Quendall site are not adequate or appropriate solutions for mitigating onsite wetlands throughout the Quendall site including adjacent to Barbee Mill. e. Wildlife-The EIS makes no mention of existing wildlife or mitigation for their loss of habitat from the proposed construction. There are ospreys, eagles, herons, deer, hummingbirds, and other species living in the wetlands and natural habitat of the Quendall property. SUMMARY 1) As residents of the adjoining Barbee Mill property we are strongly opposed to the proposed development on the Quendall tenminals property and therefore recommend that the City does not proceed with the current stated binding proposal as outlined in the Draft EIS. 2) We feel it is not in keeping with the surrounding neighborhoods and will adversely affect and degrade the quality of life of these neighborhoods. Page4 3) There has been little to no thought given to the impact of the community, especially that of the current lifestyles of the neighbors including access and use of the local roads for pedestrians, bicyclists and joggers. The effect on the adjoining neighbors that a residential, retail and industrial development of this magnitude will have on all individuals currently residing in the adjoining neighborhoods has not been considered. 4) Nobody has addressed the consequences on the environment of this previously contaminated site, especially during any developmental construction on the site. The effect on wildlife, including fisheries is not adequately addressed. 5) If approved and developed, the proposed Quendall development would be a devastating destruction to the shoreline of Lake Washington and to the surrounding community. This proposed redevelopment of the Quendall Terminal Property is definitely not what we want to see in the future of our local community. 6) We believe that this proposal will have a tremendously adverse impact on the existing adjacent neighborhoods especially our Barbee Mill community. The proposed Quendall development would negatively impact and affect traffic, public safety, quality of life and property values in Barbee Mill and surrounding neighborhoods. 7) As homeowners, taxpayers and citizens of the City of Renton, we urge the City of Renton to not approve this binding proposal for the redevelopment of the Quendall Terminal Proposal. Page 5 Vanessa Dolbee From: Vanessa Dolbee Sent: To: Tuesday, February 01, 2011 3:46 PM 'RebeccaW.RMF@gmail.com' Subject: RE: Submitting Comment Regarding Quendall Terminals Dear Rebecca and Richard Ferry, Thank you for commenting on the Quendall Terminals DEIS. Your comments will be entered into the projects official file and will be addressed in the Final EIS. In addition, you will be added to the party of record list for the subject project, if you are not already on the list. Once again. thank you for taking the time to comment on this project. If you have any additional questions please feel free to ask. Sincerely, riJanessa (J)o{6ee Senior Planner Department of Community & Economic Development City of Renton Renton City Hall -6th Floor 1055 South Grady Way Renton, WA 98057 425.430.7314 From: Rebecca Warriner [mailto:rebeccaw.rmf@gmail.com1 Sent: Tuesday, January 25, 2011 4: 18 PM To: Vanessa Dolbee Subject: Submitting Comment Regarding Quendall Terminals Hi Vanessa, I've attached the letter from Richard Ferry. I am popping this in the mail today. Mr. Ferry's contact information is: Mr. Richard M. Ferry 7414 East Mercer Way Mercer Island, WA 206-232-1872 Thank you! -Rebecca 1 Rebecca Warriner Executive Assistant to Richard M. Ferry cell: 206-399-8712 fax: 206-957-9065 2 .. • January 24, 2011 Ms. Vanessa Dolbee Richard M. Ferry 7414 East Mercer Way, Mercer Island, WA 98040 206-232-1872 rmfinwa@aol.com Senior Planner, Department of Community & Economic Development Renton City Hall 1055 South Grady Way Renton, WA 98057 City ot Renton p,,wning Division RE; Quendall Terminals, Project Number LUA09-151, EIS, ECF, BSP, SM, SA-M Dear Ms. Dolbee, I am writing to express my concerns about the Quendall Terminals development In Renton. I am a Mercer Island resident and have many concerns about continuing to commercially develop an area that, until recently, has principally been a serene single family neighborhood. Mercer Island and Renton residents have already experienced a significant change with the addition of the Seahawks Training Facility and I am deeply concerned about the future negative impact on our quality of life and real estate values with additional commercial development In this area. In particular, I want to address the visual impact that the proposed developments would have on Mercer Island residents. Regarding the view, page 3.7-22 of the December 2010 Draft EIS Statement states that the view "would appear as a continuation of development along the shoreline area ... " Regarding lighting and glare, page 3.7-24 states that "the Quendall Terminals site would generally appear as a continuation of urban lighting associated with the City of Renton. " I would argue that the proposed development Is not a continuation of the development and lighting associated with the City of Renton, but the sudden placement of a large commercial development along a long stretch of shoreline that is either vacant or contains sing le family homes. The commercial portion of the City of Renton's view and lights end at the south end of Gene Coulon Memorial Beach Park. From that point, there is a long stretch of park and single family homes until you reach the Quendall Terminals property. After a mile or two of vacant and sparsely populated shoreline, adding multiple seven story buildings with between 700 and 800 residential units, up to 275,000 square feet of commercial space, and parking for up to 2,200 cars is not a continuation of development and lighting associated with the City of Renton. It is an abrupt change that will have a significant impact on the residents of Renton and Mercer Island and the shoreline of Lake Washington. Regarding the view, the photos In Figure 3.7-2 show a significant difference between the existing view and the resulting views with Alternative 1 and Alternative 2. Again, the addition of several seven story buildings along a shoreline consisting of primarily vacant land or single family residences will have a considerable Impact on the view. Additionally, page 3.7-24 states that the development on this site would: • "Add a variety of new sources of light and glare to the site." • "Result in an overall increase in light and glare when compared to existing conditions." • "Result in new light sources on the site." • Result in general lighting levels that are "higher than those found on the adjacent Barbee Mill and Sea hawks sites." • I am deeply concerned about the impact that this additional lighting will have on the residents of Renton and Mercer Island. The resulting glare and reflection off of Lake Washington will cause a pronounced and perceptfble change in the overall living experience and quality of life for residents in this area. Except for the Seahawks Training Facility, the view along this area of shoreline Is characterized by vacant land or single family residences that have a low Impact on the shoreline and adjacent areas. Even taking Into account the Seahawks Training Facility, the addition of the proposed plan would add a completely new type of development to this area, one which will have a significant negative Impact on the shoreline and the surrounding residents. Please stop the commercialization of our shoreline. Richard M. Ferry Richard M. Ferry· 7414 East Mercer Way· Mercer Island, WA· 98040 Vanessa Dolbee From: Vanessa Dolbee Sent: To: Tuesday, February 01, 2011 3:40 PM 'Glen St. Amant' Subject: RE: Comments on Quendall Terminals DEIS Dear Glen, Thank you for commenting on the Quendall Terminals DEIS. Your comments will be entered into the projects official file and will be addressed in the Final EIS. If you have any additional questions please feel free to ask. Sincerely, 'Vanessa (})o(5ee Senior Planner Department of Community & Economic Development City of Renton Renton City Hall -6th Floor 1055 South Grady Way Renton, WA 98057 425.430. 7314 From: Glen St. Amant [mailto:Glen@muckleshoot.nsn.us) Sent: Tuesday, January 25, 2011 2:47 PM To: Vanessa Dolbee Cc: Karen Walter Subject: Comments on Quendall Terminals DEIS Dear Ms. Dolbee, Please find the attached comments on the City of Renton's DEIS regarding Quendall Terminals. Thank you, Glen St. Amant Habitat Program Manager Muckleshoot Indian Tribe Fisheries Division 253-876-3130 1 • Vanessa Dolbee From: Vanessa Dolbee Sent: To: Tuesday, February 01, 2011 3:33 PM 'Ron Corbell' Subject: RE: Public Comments regarding Quendall Terminal Draft ESI (LUA09-151) Dear Ron Corbell, Thank you for commenting on the Quendall Terminals DEIS. Your comments will be entered into the projects official file and will be addressed in the Final EIS. In addition, you will be added to the party of record list for the subject project, if you are not already on the list. Once again, thank you for taking the time to comment on this project. If you have any additional questions please feel free to ask. Sincerely, 'Vanessa <Do{6ee Senior Planner Department of Community & Economic Development City of Renton Renton City Hall -6th Floor 1055 South Grady Way Renton, WA 98057 425.430.7314 From: Ron Corbell [mailto:rrcorbell@comcast.net] Sent: Tuesday, January 25, 20111:15 PM To: Vanessa Dolbee Subject: Public Comments regarding Quendall Terminal Draft ES! (LUA09-151) Please see attached. Ron Corbell rrcorbell@comcast.net 1 Ronald R Corbell 4113 Williams Avenue North Renton, WA 98056 425-572-6844 January 24, 2011 Via Email: ·, ,.i, ·,;be.,',' .. :, r".:-·11'._1r:1_\'.:._)~h1_1.::_ City of Renton Planning Department Attn: Vanessa Dolbee, Senior Planner I 055 S. Grady Way Renton, WA 98057 425-430-7314 City ot Renton Plannin[J Division RE: Public Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal Draft EIS (LUA09-15/) Dear Ms. Dolbee: We appreciate the opportunity to submit our comments regarding the redevelopment of the Quendall Tem1inal site as outlined in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). As homeowners, tax payers and citizens of the City of Renton. we believe that the Quendall development proposal has significant negative and adverse impacts to the environment, property, neighborhood and our Barbee Mill community and should not be approved. Specifically, we join in the detailed comments submitted by our neighbors in the Barbee Mill community and urge the City to not approve this proposal for the redevelopment of the Quendall Terminal Proposal. The only viable alternative is "'no action". Thank you for your consideration. Very truly yours, RR Corbell Page 1 • Vanessa Dolbee From: Vanessa Dolbee Sent: To: Tuesday, February 01, 2011 3:22 PM 'Victor Chiu' Subject: RE: Quendall Terminal Draft EIS (LUA09-151) Dear Victor Chiu, Thank you for commenting on the Quendall Terminals DEIS. Your comments will be entered into the projects official file and will be addressed in the Final EIS. In addition, you will be added to the party of record list for the subject project, if you are not already on the list. Once again, thank you for taking the time to comment on this project. If you have any additional questions please feel free to ask. Sincerely, Vanessa {J)o{6ee Senior Planner Department of Community & Economic Development City of Renton Renton City Hall -6th Floor 1055 South Grady Way Renton, WA 98057 425.430.7314 From: Victor Chiu [mailto:vchiu74@hotmail.com1 Sent: Tuesday, January 25, 201112:14 AM To: Vanessa Dolbee Subject: Quendall Terminal Draft EIS (LUA09-151) Dear Ms. Dolbee, as a resident and homeowner in the Barbee Mill community, I strongly oppose the proposed Quendall Terminal project as currently submitted. I have attached a list of comments drafted by members of our community, and I certainly echo their sentiments. I am especially concerned about the potential impact of the increased traffic into this predominantly residential area. I have often observed police officers patrolling Lake Washington Boulevard in an effort to enforce the speed limit. With the increase in traffic volume that comes with the Quendall Terminal project, you can imagine the adverse impact it will have on the surrounding communities. In addition to the increased traffic, I am also concerned about the potential for increased crime that will inevitably follow such a large commercial project, and the effects it would have on property values in the surrounding neighborhoods. I appreciate your time and hope the city will NOT approve the Quendall Terminal project. Should you have any questions regarding the above, feel free to contact me. Sincerely, Victor Chiu, Homeowner Barbee Mill 1128 N. 41st Place Renton, WA 98056 1 Vanessa Dolbee From: Sent: To: Subject: Dear Ms. Chen, Vanessa Dolbee Tuesday, February 01, 2011 3:18 PM 'christine chen' RE: Public Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal Draft EIS (LUA09-151) Thank you for commenting on the Quendall Terminals DEIS. There were two documents attached to your e-mail, these documents appear to be identical and have the same title. Would you like both of these documents submitted? Was the attachment of the two documents intentional, or by accident? If I do not hear otherwise I will place one copy of the attached document within the official file. These comments will be entered into the projects official file and will be addressed in the Final EIS. In addition, you will be added to the party of record list for the subject project, if you are not already on the list. Once again, thank you for taking the time to comment on this project. If you have any additional questions please feel free to ask. Sincerely, Vanessa Dolbee Senior Planner Department of Community & Economic Development City of Renton Renton City Hall -6th Floor 1055 South Grady Way Renton, WA 98057 425.430.7314 -----Original Message----- From: christine chen fmailto:christineschen@yahoo.com1 Sent: Monday, January 24, 2011 11:32 PM To: Vanessa Dolbee Subject: Public Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal Draft EIS (LUA09-151) Dear City of Renton, and the site planner, I am writing this letter to express my concern about Quendall Terminal Draft EIS(LUA09- 151). There should be NO INDUSTRIAL SITE/MIXED-USE HOUSING SITES ALLOWED ON SHORES OF LAKE WASHINGTON IN RENTON. The entire shore side of Lake Washington Blvd should be STRICTLY RESIDENTIAL FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS 1) THE ONE LANE/EACH DIRECTION OF LAKE WASHINGTON BLVD CANNOT ACCOMMODATE THE POTENTIAL BUSY TRAFFIC OF THE POTENTIAL MEGA-COMPLEX INDUSTRIAL/APARTMENT DEVELOPMENT THE I-405 EXITS AT EXIT 7 CAN BARELY STAY MOVING DURING BUSY COMMUTE HOURS(6-9 AM AND 4-7 PM) 2) THE DESIGN OF THE PROPOSED QUENDALL TERMINAL IS INCONSISTENT WITH THE ENTIRE LAKE WASHINGTON SHORE ENVIRONMENT. 1 3) CRIME RATE IS ALREADY GO UP IN CITY OF RENTON, ADDING : APARTMENT UNITS AND RETAIL SITES IN THE PEACEFUL NEIGHBORHOOD WILL DESTROY THE SAFETY OF THE AREA (LOWER KENNYDALE IS ONE OF THE SAFEST PART OF RENTON, PUTTING IN LARGE NUMBER OF APARTMENT UNITS AND RETAIL SPACES WILL INVITE CRIME TO THE AREA) 4)THERE'S A HUGE SURPLUS OF RETAIL SPACE/APARTMENT VACANCIES AT THE LANDING. THERE'S ALREADY A PLENTY OF EMPTY APARTMENT UNITS AND RETAIL SPACES IN THE CITY RENTON, THERE'S NO NEED TO ADD MORE VACANCIES/FORECLOSES TO THIS AREA. S)THE POTENTIAL ENTRANCE OF QUENDALL TERMINAL IS AT THE NORTHERN ENTRANCE OF BARBEE MILLS, WHICH IS EXCLUSIVELY RESIDENTIAL. THE SAFETY OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD WILL BE EXTREMELY COMPROMISED IF THE ENTRANCE WAY(AT 43RD ST) IS SHARED BETWEEN BARBEE MILLS RESIDENTS AND THE RETAIL/APARTMENT DWELLERS. 6)WHY IS CITY OF RENTON ALLOWING THIS OUTRAGEOUS, INCONSISTENT DESIGN? DOES THAT MEAN ANY DEVELOPERS WILLING TO PAY A LARGE/UNUSUAL PERMIT FEE TO THE CITY OR THE GOVERNMENT CAN BUILD ANYTHING AS LONG AS THEY HAVE THE FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO DO SO? THANKS FOR LOOKING AT MY COMMENTS, I WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR FEEDBACKS CHRISTINE CHEN 1/24/2011 VERY CONCERNED RENTON RESIDENT, 2 Date: City of flento•c 1=-,:tr•1i:1q rJlvisiot To: City of Renton Planning Department Attn: Vanessa Dolbee, Senior Planner 1055 S. Grady Way Renton, WA 98057 425-430-7314 vdolbee@rentonwa.gov From: Name: Christine Chen Address: 1128 N 41 '1 PL, Renton, WA 98056 Phone Number: 206 229 5880 Email Address: chrisitneschen@yahoo.com Subject: Public Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal Draft EIS (LUA09-151) Following are our comments regarding the redevelopment of the Quendall Terminal site as outlined in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). As homeowners, tax payers and citizens of the City of Renton, we believe that the proposed and binding Quendall development proposal has tremendous negative and adverse impacts to the environment, property, the neighborhood and our Barbee Mill community and should NOT be approved. 1) Size & Scale Impact a. Scale-The proposed scale, density and height of the buildings in both alternatives are completely out-of-scale, incompatible and inconsistent with all neighborhoods on the entire shoreline of Lake Washington. The typical height limit for buildings along the Lake is 35 ft. The proposed heights and densities exceed those of Downtown Kirkland, Carillon Point, Bellevue and Seattle's Lake Washington facing neighborhoods. Furthermore, the proposed scale, density and height of the Quendall proposal are inconsistent and incompatible with adjacent neighborhoods, the East facing shoreline of Mercer Island. It will completely dwarf the residential neighborhood of Barbee Mill. b. The proposed buildings would be more than 40 ft taller than the height of the Barbee Mill homes. And they would be more than double the height of all nearby residences! The proposed buildings are nearly 90 ft in height although they are marked as 77 ft on the applicants elevation drawings, which is 3/4 the height of the SeahawksNMAC Facility and the Boeing Airplane Factory. Again this is completely out-of-scale with the Barbee Mill neighborhood AND anything else along the Lake Washington shoreline. (DEIS 3.5-12) 1. Figure 3.7-2 in the DEIS is an inaccurate and misleading rendering that attempts to conceal the height and visual impact of both proposal alternatives. c. The proposed architectural design resembles an industrial park and does not have the look or the feel of a residential neighborhood. It is certainly "not consistent with the existing urban character" (as claimed in DEIS 3.5- 12) of any of the immediate and nearby residential neighborhoods, including Barbee Mill. The proposed scale, density and character would Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page 1 be an eyesore no matter what angle it is viewed from within the adjacent neighborhoods or from lakefront properties along Mercer. d. The proposed design looks more like the Landing, which is sandwiched in between a shopping center and the country's second largest airplane factory and which is NOT located on the shores of one of the most beautiful lakes in the state and which is NOT located in the middle of an existing residential area. e. The Applicant claims that this area along the Lake Washington shoreline is currently a high-density urban environment. (DEIS 3.5-12) This statement is misleading and couldn't be farther from the truth as all neighboring areas are completely residential (with the exception of the Seahawks facility.) f. The proposed designs and project scope, scale and density are inappropriate for the shoreline of Lake Washington and do not in any way take advantage of the Lake front location and view. The buildings face each other instead of the Lake. The primary lake view outlook and central lakefront architectural feature is a semi-circular parking lot. i. The Mayor stated in his 2010 State of the City address that: "Renton still has some amazing wateliront property on Lake Washington."We couldn't agree more. However, this proposal in no way takes advantage of or capitalizes on this amazing piece of waterfront property. In fact, the proposal looks like the City of Renton has taken a giant step backwards by proposing a self- facing vs. lake facing, residential complex, retail and office park with limited green space and tree canopy. This is not responsible growth. Nor is it responsible stewardship and development of the largest piece of remaining undeveloped land along the shoreline of beautiful Lake Washington. 11. The proposal calls for a straight, w.alled, 2-story parking garage, approximately 1000 ft in length, to traverse the entire Lake Washington frontage of the Quendall development with absolutely no undulation. There is nothing in the architectural design to break up the negative, visual impact of this two-story wall facing the Lake. This scale of this lake-facing 2-story garage wall is unheard of in residential zoning and lakefront zoning and does not fit the character nor complement the adjacent neighborhoods. g. The proposed development does NOT complement or add value to the existing neighborhoods especially neighboring Barbee Mill. Instead, this development would be tremendously destructive to the property value for the surrounding neighborhoods (including Barbee Mill, Kennydale, Newcastle and the East-facing side of Mercer Island) and detrimental to the quality of life for residents. 2) Density Impact a. This proposal repeatedly and misleadingly (DEIS 3.9-1) describes the Quendall development as "compatible with the existing neighborhoods." This is preposterous and we strongly disagree. For example, Barbee Mill to the south has a planned density of 5 residential units per acre and contains no commercial (office or retail) space. The Quendall proposal is for 37 residential units per acre plus up to a ~ million square feet of commercial space that would accommodate up to 2000 daily visitors. This is approximately 7 times the density of the local residential areas Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page2 and is in no way "consistent with the existing urban character of the area." In fact, the existing character of the local area can only accurately be described as residential. Both proposal alternatives, present tremendous compatibility impacts with the surrounding neighborhoods. b. Commercial/residential buildings in Renton and in the greater Eastside area, have tended to have a history of high-turnover, high-vacancy and have not proven to be particularly commercially viable. Our concern is that tenants of apartments and commercial space will have no vested interest in the neighborhood, the community or in the future vision for the city of Renton. And that such a development, could wind up sitting vacant for many years to come. 3) Traffic, Transportation & Parking Impact a. The traffic impact assessment in the DEIS is completely unrealistic. To begin with, the analysis in the DEIS does not take into account the traffic study and analysis for the adjacent Hawk's Landing (Pan Abode) development, which estimated an additional 1400+ automotive trips a day flowing onto Lake Washington Blvd and adding to traffic congestion on the surrounding streets and 1-405 exit 7 on-ramps and off-ramps. i. Before this or any other area development proposal is approved, a new, comprehensive traffic analysis should be done that focuses on the combined traffic impact of: Quendall Terminal property, Hawk's Landing/Pan Abode property, SeakhawksNMAC Facility, Ripley Lane neighborhood, Barbee Mill, Kennydale neighborhood, 1-405 congestion, commuters trying to bypass 405 congestion on Lake Washington Blvd and the City's goal of providing direct access to Lake Washington from Park Dr & Sunset Blvd. This comprehensive traffic analysis should reflect all existing, proposed and potential developments and their collective impact on the immediate vicinity and existing neighborhoods. WSDOT analysis, future plans and funding for 1-405 must be factored into the traffic analysis and any infrastructure planning. (Reference: Hawk's Landing Mixed Use and SEPA Appeal File No.: LUA-09-060, ECF, SA-M, SA-H September 10, 2009) b. The proposal calls for an unacceptable increase in traffic with an estimated 2000 cars a day. Add to that, the estimated 1400 automotive trips a day from the proposed Hawks Landing development. The current infrastructure can in no way support the increases being proposed. There are no proposed plans to improve or widen the immediate roads or build the proper egress and ingress access roads to/from the proposed Quendall development. c. The proposal calls for N 43nJ St to serve as the primary entrance to the Quendall property. This narrow, residential street is already the primary entrance for the residential neighborhood of Barbee Mill. This un-striped, 2-lane 135-ft long street, which has two stop signs and a railroad crossing, can in no way accommodate the proposed additional 2000 cars per day PLUS the cars of Barbee Mill residents. Furthermore, 43nJ has already become plagued by a dangerous trends of drivers making hazardous u-turns and 3-point turns in the intersection of 43rd and Lake Washington Blvd. Given all this, it is shocking that the DEIS does NOT list NE 43nJ St as a roadway condition concern. NE 43nJ St is in no way sufficient to serve as the primary entrance for both Quendall and Barbee Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page 3 Mill it cannot safely and effectively accommodate the additional influx of 2000 cars per day. This proposal will result in intolerable traffic congestion, increased risk of accidents, noise pollution and egress problems for Barbee Mill Homeowners. i. 2000 additional cars/day will translate into 700 to 800 ft of traffic jams along Lake Washington Blvd, 43rd and Ripley Lane. The current infrastructure can in no way handle this increased volume. Lake Washington Blvd. is a narrow, 2-lane, scenic, curving, hilly, 25 mph road with bike lanes in both margins and many residential driveways. It is already extremely difficult to navigate Lake Washington Blvd given the present volume of traffic. Furthennore, it is already difficult with the present volume of traffic to enter or exit the Barbee Mill development at 43rd or 41 st during the peak traffic hours and/or on sunny summer days from Lake Washington Blvd. Lake Washington Blvd does not have the capacity to handle the 2000/day proposed additional cars (3400+ if you factor in Hawk's Landing). And, any serious infrastructure modifications to Lake Washington Blvd would adversely impact the surrounding neighborhoods, the environmentally sensitive May Creek and the Lake Washington shoreline. 1. As a demonstration, one need to look no further than the congestion, parking and traffic nightmare that was created on 1/14/11 when hundreds of Seahawk Fans (including children and pets) and their vehicles descended on the intersection of Ripley Lane and Lake Washington Blvd. Cars were parked all over 43"', 44th, Lake Washington & Ripley Lane. It made it nearly impossible to enter/exit Barbee Mill on 43rd. Fans also jammed the 30th Bridge and surrounding Kennydale neighborhoods, which has been proposed as an alternate travel route for the Quendall Property. 2. As a demonstration, congestion is also extremely heavy when during the Seahawk Training Days in August, despite the fact that the Seahawks arrange for buses and parking in the Landing in their effort to mitigate what would be the adverse impact of an approximate 2000 cars per day from coming into and parking in the neighborhoods adjacent to Ripley Lane including Barbee Mill. 3. We do not understand why the proposal does not bring traffic directly into the center of the Quendall property via a new access road which would need to be built to cross Ripley Lane and that would be more capable of handling that volume of traffic. However, we are not sure that any development plan that calls for 2000 or more additional cars/day on area roads can be adequately addressed through existing, modified or new infrastructure. 4. The details of the traffic analysis for Lake Washington Blvd at 43"' have been left out of (Table 3.9-1) AND there is no mention in the proposal of improving 43"'. ii. We are concerned that frustrated motorists who are eager to avoid the traffic congestion on Lake Washington Blvd will either make Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page4 dangerous u-turns and/or choose to use Barbee Mill as a major arterial north/south bypass route for Lake Washington Blvd. The streets within Barbee Mill can in no way accommodate this increased traffic volume. This bypass traffic would present a tremendous risk and inconvenience for Barbee Mill residents. It would hamper ability to safely enter and exit our own neighborhood and residences. The added traffic on Barbee Mill's streets would create a public safety risks for residents as well as for area pedestrians, joggers, cyclists, children in strollers and pets that enjoy our streets. We are extremely concerned about the added danger of so many motorists trying to navigate the already hazardous blind curve at 42"d Oust shortly after you turn into Barbee Mill from 43'\ The bypass traffic would also generate significant noise pollution. We believe that this proposal and its traffic volume will not only impact Barbee Mill homeowner and community safety but that it will adversely impact and reduce property values and quality of life for Barbee Mill homeowners. d. Traffic on 1-405 at 44th and 301" is already one of the most frequently congested parts of the freeway in both the North and South lanes. Congestion occurs not only at peak traffic hours but throughout the majority of the day. The freeway, just as the neighboring roads, can in no way accommodate an additional influx of 2000 cars per day. Throughout the proposal, the applicant has stated that various traffic impacts could be mitigated through a coordinated effort with WSDOT. However, WSDOT went on record during the DEIS Scoping Summary stating that 'the potential l-405/NE 44 St interchange improvements project is not funded, and is not likely to be funded in the foreseeable future; the transportation analysis should not assume that this project is complete or will occur." (Pg 5-EIS Scoping Summary) We believe that approving a major Quendall development plan without WSDOT commitment, funding, schedule and a plan in place to improve this interchange would have irreversible consequences and would cause a tremendous number of adverse impacts. i. There are scenarios in the proposal that suggest using the 1-405 301" street onramplofframp (exit 6) and then routing cars through the hilly, residential neighborhoods in Kennydale along 30th, 401", Burnett and Park. This is not a realistic alternative and is equally as dangerous as cars choosing to use Barbee Mill as a shortcut. And it could encourage drivers travelling northbound and southbound on Lake Washington Blvd to take a shortcut through Barbee Mill. e. Transportation-The proposal does not include any plans to develop, improve or encourage public transit in the vicinity. This means that there would be no alternative form of transportation for the estimated 2000+ daily visitors and tenants. It is not an environmentally responsible transportation design solution to place 2000 additional cars onto neighborhood streets and the lakefront in this residential community without providing realistic transportation alternatives. i. In the Mayor's 2010 State of the City Address, he declared "I believe that it is vital that we have the right infrastructure in place now to serve the needs of our future. We will continue to work with Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page5 the state and regional transportation organizations to make critical investments to create an affective transportation system that allows goods and people to move efficiently." The Quendall proposal does not provide for any investments to create an affective transportation solution in the area NOR does ii put the right infrastructure in place to serve the needs of the immediate area and alleviate traffic and noise and air pollution impacts and public safety risks. f. Parking-In the Proposal Alternative 2, there are surface level parking lots for 220 cars up placed right up against the entire north property line for Barbee Mill. This is in no way consistent with land use compatibility in the neighborhood and will adversely impact property values and quality of life. Nor is Proposal Alternative 1, which calls for a 6-story building to be placed right up against the north fence of Barbee Mill. We believe that it is not an acceptable plan to place parking lots, tall buildings and/or delivery entrances right up against the north Barbee Mill fence. i. We are concerned that if fees are charged for parking in the Quendall development, that visitors and tenants will seek out free parking in the adjacent neighborhood streets especially at Barbee Mill-which already suffers from insufficient street parking for residents and guests. 4) Public Safety Impact a. Cyclist Safety/Pedestrian/Runners Safety-Lake Washington Blvd was never meant to be a major thoroughfare. It is a hilly, scenic route through residential neighborhoods. It has no sidewalks and is very poorly lit at night. In fact, it is already quite dangerous on winter nights to turn into the Barbee Mill development at either 43rd or 44th St as there are no streetlights at either intersection. Lake Washington Blvd (in addition to Barbee Mill streets) is currently used not only by vehicles but also by pedestrians walking their pets and children, joggers and bicyclists. Given that there are no sidewalks and poor lighting along the road, such an increase in cars would not only cause traffic gridlock and backups but would also present a tremendous safety hazard to all using the bike lanes and shoulders for purposes other than driving. 1. As a demonstration, a Barbee Mill resident counted more than 140 cyclists using Lake Washington Blvd and crossing 43'd St in a 90- minute period on a recent summer Saturday morning. b. We are concerned that the proposed public access trail and above ground parking lots localed right against Barbee Mill North fence would invite evening transient traffic and loitering that could lead to crime. This fence backs up against an existing quiet residential neighborhood. This would not only adversely impact quality of life for Barbee Mill residents but also reduce property values. c. We are concerned that the proposed traffic volume and insufficient infrastructure, would affect the ability of emergency vehicles and first responders to quickly access the Barbee Mill community (and Ripley Lane neighborhood) in the event of an emergency. This puts the lives and health of residents at risk. d. We are concerned that a newly accessible open public space, trails, and parking lots may become an attractive target to a criminal element and would bring an increase risk of crime, vandalism, gang activity, graffiti, Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Pages noise, and other negative and unwanted activity that would put neighborhood homeowners' safety and security at risk. 5) Light, Glare & Noise Impact a. We have tremendous concern over the amount light and glare that would be emitted from the proposed high-density residential buildings (proposed to be as high as 90ft) and the evening and night-time restaurant patrons and shoppers in the retail development. We also are concerned about the noise pollution that would come from delivery trucks, giant HVAC units, 2000+ cars/day and ensuing traffic, residential tenants, office workers, retail shoppers and potential bar/restaurant patrons. The light, glare and noise from the proposed Quendall development would adversely impact quality of life and property values for the residents and homeowners of Barbee Mill. 6) Environmental Impact a. The true baseline character of the Quendall property is unknown until the EPA mandated remedial action is fully specified and completed. We believe that the DEIS proposes prematurely, approval of a BINDING site plan for specifications of square feet of various building types, number of parking spaces, roads, traffic and egress to and from the development. Approving the BINDING plan PRIOR TO completed the mandated remedial clean up of the Superfund sight is not only unwise and imprudent but the long term consequences and negative impacts are just too great. As homeowners, this is not the legacy we want to have to live with nor is what we want for our health, our quality of life and our property values. b. Mayor Law declared in his 2010 State of the City address that: "Clean, healthy air; high quality drinking water; and trails and green open spaces are key to keeping our city a great place to live and work. Expanding our tree canopy, creating a better trail system, and protecting our environment provides many benefits to the city and boosts property values by making neighborhoods greener." Unfortunately, the current proposal for Quendall runs completely contrary to the Mayor's pledge. c. Superfund Site Carcinogens & The Impact on The Environment-The The EPA has tremendous concerns about the carcinogenic substances on the Quendall site, cleanup and the adverse impact the cleanup would have on the Lake, including fishing and swimming and on several species. We share this concern. (EPA ID# WAD980639215). i. They state: "The primary contaminants of concern are carcinogenic PAHs and benzene. These contaminants are found in the soil and ground water throughout the site. These compounds are found at concentrations well above State cleanup levels for residential and industrial sites. At some locations on the site, creosote product has been found under the surface. In some areas the product is four to six feet thick. Releases of these contaminants to Lake Washington are of particular concern. Lake Washington is used for a variety of recreational purposes including fishing and swimming. The southern end of Lake Washington, including the area where the site is located, is considered prime habitat for rearing of juvenile Chinook, which is a Federal Threatened Species, and other salmon stocks. The Cedar River, which enters Lake Washington approximately two Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page 7 miles from the site, supports the largest sockeye run in the contiguous United States. Lake Washington also supports several sensitive environments including habitat for bull trout and the bald eagle. In addition, there are two swimming beaches located within one half mile of the site." As homeowners at Barbee Mill, we enjoy having access to the shoreline in our development and do not want to see it adversely impacted by release of contaminates nor do we want to put the health of our families at risk. d. We understand that the EPA has jurisdiction over the remediation and cleanup of the Superfund Site at Quendall Terminals. We are extremely concerned about what carcinogenic contaminants will be released into the air and water (through either surface or aquifer transfer) and into our neighborhoods and into our shoreline and May Creek as a result of the initial cleanup process. We are also extremely concerned the adverse impact that the proposed mitigation, landfilling, grading, piling driving and other redevelopment activities will have on our neighborhoods and our residents. Furthermore, the DEIS proposes no dust control measures during the construction process to minimize contaminant transportation to Barbee Mill Homes. We believe strongly that it is NOT PRUDENT OR RESPONSIBLE to approve any BINDING redevelopment proposal for this site untilthe remediation and cleanup of this critical Superfund site has been thoroughly planned and safely planned, executed and effectively completed by the EPA. To expedite the redevelopment process in order to pursue redevelopment income, puts at risk and adversely affects the health and lives of the immediate neighborhood residents, users of Lake Washington and the existing wildlife. Pursuing binding development agreements BEFORE Superfund cleanup, would be an extremely poor decision with a tremendously risky outcome. e. Wetlands-The overall wetlands in the Quendall property are at least twice the size they are portrayed as in the EIS. In particular in the Southwest corner (a small blue dot labeled "H") is nearly an acre in total size, which is 50-times the size of what is portrayed in the DEIS. i. The Wetland buffer area for shoreline wetlands should remain at a minimum of 50 ft and should not be reduced for shoreline trails or buildings as currently proposed and shown on figure 2-7. ii. Substituting Wetland "I" or "J", which is nothing more than a drainage ditch, (per figure 2.6, 2.7 and 2.11) which are separated by Ripley Lane & the railroad tracks and have absolutely no continuity with the Quendall site are not adequate or appropriate solutions for mitigating onsite wetlands throughout the Quendall site including adjacent to Barbee Mill. f. Wildlife-The EIS makes no mention of existing wildlife or mitigation for their loss of habitat from the proposed construction. There are ospreys, eagles, herons, deer, hummingbirds, and other species living in the wetlands and natural habitat of the Quendall property. CONCLUSIONS 1) We recommend that the City does NOT PROCEED with the current BINDING proposal as outlined in the Draft EIS. Of the three alternatives proposed, we believe that the ONLY viable alternative is that of "NO ACTION." Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page 8 .. 2) We certainly hope that Mayor Law meant what he pledged in his 2010 State of The City address when he stated: "By engaging citizens to participate in the process we are starting to create a picture of a city that is a leader in growth management." a. Mr. Mayor, City Council Members, City Planners and Hearing Examiner, as citizens of Renton we are participating in the DEIS public hearing process and we are loudly saying that the proposals outlined in the DEIS for the Quendall Terminal Redevelopment are in no way in alignment with that goal of responsible growth management and would have tremendous adverse impacts on the surrounding community. 3) Mayor Law also concluded his 2010 State of the City address with these words: "/ am optimistic about the future. I am optimistic because people in our community are willing to step up and do what is necessary; because it is through partnerships that we tackle tough issues; and because we never quit planning for the future of this great community." a. So here we are, the people of Renton stepping up and tackling the tough issues of a poorly thought out, extremely inappropriate and binding DEIS proposal that is completely out of character wfth the surrounding residential neighborhoods. IF approved and developed, the proposed Quendall development would be a devastating destruction to the shoreline of Lake Washington and to the surrounding community. This proposed redevelopment of the Quendall Terminal Property is definitely NOT what we want to see in the future of our great community. 4) We believe that this proposal would have a tremendously adverse impact on the existing adjacent neighborhoods especially our Barbee Mill community. The proposed Quendall development would negatively impact and affect traffic, public safety, quality of life and property values in Barbee Mill and surrounding neighborhoods. 5) As homeowners, taxpayers and citizens of the City of Renton, we urge the City of Renton to NOT approve this binding proposal for the redevelopment of the Quendall Terminal Proposal. The only one of its alternatives that is viable is that of "NO ACTION!" Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page9 Vanessa Dolbee From: Vanessa Dolbee Sent: To: Tuesday, February 01, 2011 3:07 PM 'Roy Francis' Subject: Quendall Comments Dear Mr. and Mrs. Francis, Thank you for commenting on the Quendall Terminals DEIS. Your comments will be entered into the projects official file and will be addressed in the Final EIS. In addition, you will be added to the party ofrecord list for the subject project, if you are not already on the list. Once again. thank you for taking the time to comment on this project. If you have any additional questions pl ease feel free to ask. Sincerely, 'Vanessa <Do{6ee Senior Planner Department of Community & Economic Development City of Renton Renton City Hall -6th Floor 1055 South Grady Way Renton, WA 98057 425.430.7314 From: Roy Francis [mailto:royfrancis@msn.com1 Sent: Monday, January 24, 2011 8:21 PM To: Vanessa Dolbee Cc: susansiegmund@me.com Subject: Dear Ms. Dolby, Please see my comments on the proposed Quendall development. Roy & Joann Francis 1 Date: To: City of Renton Planning Department City of Renton Planning Divi::)or: Attn: Vanessa Dolbee, Senior Planner 1055 S. Grady Way Renton, WA 98057 425-430-7314 vdolbee@rentonwa.gov From: Name: Roy & Joann Francis Address: 1000 N 42"d Pl Phone Number:(425) 227-7108 Email Address:royfrancis@msn.com Subject: Public Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal Draft EIS (LUA09-151) Following are our comments regarding the redevelopment of the Quendall Terminal site as outlined in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). As homeowners, tax payers and citizens of the City of Renton, I believe that the proposed and binding Quendall development proposal has tremendous negative and adverse impacts to the environment, property, the neighborhood and our Barbee Mill community and should NOT be approved. 1) Size & Scale Impact a. Scale-The proposed scale, density and height of the buildings in both alternatives are completely out-of-scale, incompatible and inconsistent with all neighborhoods on the entire shoreline of Lake Washington. The typical height limit for buildings along the Lake is 35 ft_ The proposed heights and densities exceed those of Downtown Kirkland, Carillon Point, Bellevue and Seattle's Lake Washington facing neighborhoods. Furthermore, the proposed scale, density and height of the Quendall proposal are inconsistent and incompatible with adjacent neighborhoods, including the East facing shoreline of Mercer Island. It will completely dwarf the residential neighborhood of Barbee Mill. b. The proposed buildings would be more than 40 ft taller than the height of the Barbee Mill homes. And they would be more than double the height of all nearby residences! The proposed buildings are nearly 90 ft in height although they are marked as 77 ft on the applicants elevation drawings, which is 3/4 the height of the SeahawksNMAC Facility and the Boeing Airplane Factory. Again this is completely out-of-scale with the Barbee Mill neighborhood and anything else along the Lake Washington shoreline. (DEIS 3.5-12) i. Figure 3. 7-2 in the DEIS is an inaccurate and misleading rendering that attempts to conceal the height and visual impact of both proposal alternatives. c. The proposed architectural design resembles an industrial park and does not have the look or the feel of a residential neighborhood. It is certainly "not consistent with the existing urban character'' (as claimed in DEIS 3.5- 12) of any of the immediate and nearby residential neighborhoods, including Barbee Mill. The proposed scale, density and character would Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page 1 be an eyesore no matter what angle it is viewed from within the adjacent neighborhoods or from lakefront properties along Mercer. d. The proposed design looks more like the Landing, which is sandwiched in between a shopping center and the country's second largest airplane factory and which is NOT located on the shores of one of the most beautiful lakes in the state and which is NOT located in the middle of an existing residential area. e. The Applicant claims that this area along the Lake Washington shoreline is currently a high-density urban environment. (DEIS 3.5-12) This statement is misleading and couldn't be farther from the truth as all neighboring areas are completely residential (with the exception of the Seahawks facility.) f. The proposed designs and project scope, scale and density are inappropriate for the shoreline of Lake Washington and do not in any way take advantage of the Lake front location and view. The buildings face each other instead of the Lake. The primary lake view outlook and central lakefront architectural feature is a semi-circular parking lot. 1. The Mayor stated in his 201 O State of the City address that: "Renton still has some amazing waterfront property on Lake Washington."We couldn't agree more. However, this proposal in no way takes advantage of or capitalizes on this amazing piece of waterfront property. In fact, the proposal looks like the City of Renton has taken a giant step backwards by proposing a self- facing vs. lake facing, residential complex, retail and office park with limited green space and tree canopy. This is not responsible growth. Nor is it responsible stewardship and development of the largest piece of remaining undeveloped land along the shoreline of beautiful Lake Washington. ii. The proposal calls for a straight, walled, 2-story parking garage, approximately 1000 ft in length, to traverse the entire Lake Washington frontage of the Quendall development with absolutely no undulation. There is nothing in the architectural design to break up the negative, visual impact of this two-story wall facing the Lake. The scale of this lake-facing 2-story garage wall is unheard of in residential zoning and lakefront zoning and does not fit the character nor complement the adjacent neighborhoods. g. The proposed development does NOT complement or add value to the existing neighborhoods especially neighboring Barbee Mill. Instead, this development would be tremendously destructive to the property value for the surrounding neighborhoods (including Barbee Mill, Kennydale, Newcastle and the East-facing side of Mercer Island) and detrimental to the quality of life for residents. 2) Density Impact a. This proposal repeatedly and misleadingly (DEIS 3.9-1) describes the Quendall development as "compatible with the existing neighborhoods." This is preposterous and we strongly disagree. For example, Barbee Mill to the south has a planned density of 5 residential units per acre and contains no commercial (office or retail) space. The Quendall proposal is for 37 residential units per acre plus up to a ~ million square feet of commercial space that would accommodate up to 2000 daily visitors. This is approximately 7 times the density of the local residential areas Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page2 and is in no way "consistent with the existing urban character of the area." In fact, the existing character of the local area can only accurately be described as residential. Both proposal alternatives present tremendous compatibility impacts with the surrounding neighborhoods. b. Commercial/residential buildings in Renton and in the greater Eastside area, have tended to have a history of high-turnover, high-vacancy and have not proven to be particularly commercially viable. Our concern is that tenants of apartments and commercial space will have no vested interest in the neighborhood, the community or in the future vision for the city of Renton. And that such a development, could wind up sitting vacant for many years to come. 3) Traffic, Transportation & Parking Impact a. The traffic impact assessment in the DEIS is completely unrealistic. To begin with, the analysis in the DEIS does not take into account the traffic study and analysis for the adjacent Hawk's Landing (Pan Abode) development, which estimated an additional 1400+ automotive trips a day flowing onto Lake Washington Blvd and adding to traffic congestion on the surrounding streets and 1-405 exit 7 on-ramps and off-ramps. i. Before this or any other area development proposal is approved, a new, comprehensive traffic analysis should be done that focuses on the combined traffic impact of: Quendall Terminal property, Hawk's Landing/Pan Abode property, SeakhawksNMAC Facility, Ripley Lane neighborhood, Barbee Mill, Kennydale neighborhood, 1-405 congestion, commuters trying to bypass 405 congestion on Lake Washington Blvd and the City's goal of providing direct access to Lake Washington from Park Dr & Sunset Blvd. This comprehensive traffic analysis should reflect all existing, proposed and potential developments and their collective impact on the immediate vicinity and existing neighborhoods. WSDOT analysis, future plans and funding for 1-405 must be factored into the traffic analysis and any infrastructure planning. (Reference: Hawk's Landing Mixed Use and SEPA Appeal File No.: LUA-09-060, ECF, SA-M, SA-H September 10, 2009) b. The proposal calls for an unacceptable increase in traffic with an estimated 2000 cars a day. Add to that, the estimated 1400 automotive trips a day from the proposed Hawks Landing development. The current infrastructure can in no way support the increases being proposed. There are no proposed plans to improve or widen the immediate roads or build the proper egress and ingress access roads to/from the proposed Quendall development. c. The proposal calls for N 43'" St to serve as the primary entrance to the Quendall property. This narrow, residential street is already the primary entrance for the residential neighborhood of Barbee Mill. This un-striped, 2-lane 135-ft long street, which has two stop signs and a railroad crossing, can in no way accommodate the proposed additional 2000 cars per day PLUS the cars of Barbee Mill residents. Given all this, it is shocking that the DEIS does NOT list NE 43'" St as a roadway condition concern. NE 43'" St is in no way sufficient to serve as the primary entrance for both Quendall and Barbee Mill; it cannot safely and effectively accommodate the additional influx of 2000 cars per day. This proposal will result in intolerable traffic congestion, increased risk of Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page 3 accidents, noise pollution and egress problems for Barbee Mill Homeowners. 1. 2000 additional cars/day will translate into 700 to 800 ft of traffic jams along Lake Washington Blvd, 43ro and Ripley Lane. The current infrastructure can in no way handle this increased volume. Lake Washington Blvd. is a narrow, 2-lane, scenic, curving, hilly, 25 mph road with bike lanes in both margins and many residential driveways. It is already extremely difficult to navigate Lake Washington Blvd given the present volume of traffic, especially when accidents on 1-405 south of NE 44th diverts northbound traffic onto Lake Washington Blvd. Lake Washington Blvd does not have the capacity to handle the 2000/day proposed additional cars (3400+ if you factor in Hawk's Landing). And, any serious infrastructure modifications to Lake Washington Blvd would adversely impact the surrounding neighborhoods, the environmentally sensitive May Creek and the Lake Washington shoreline. 1. As a demonstration, one need to look no further than the congestion, parking and traffic nightmare that was created on 1/14/11 when hundreds of Seahawk Fans (including children and pets) and their vehicles descended on the intersection of Ripley Lane and Lake Washington Blvd. Cars were parked all over 43ro, 44th, Lake Washington & Ripley Lane. It made it nearly impossible to enter/exit Barbee Mill on 43ro_ Fans also jammed the 301" Bridge and surrounding Kennydale neighborhoods, which has been proposed as an alternate travel route for the Quendall Property. 2. Congestion is also extremely heavy during the Seahawk Training Days in August, despite the fact that the Seahawks arrange for buses and parking in the Landing in their effort to mitigate what would be the adverse impact of approximately 2000 cars per day coming into and parking in the neighborhoods adjacent to Ripley Lane including Barbee Mill. 3. We do not understand why the proposal does not bring traffic directly into the center of the Quendall property via a new access road which would need to be built to cross Ripley Lane and that would be more capable of handling that volume of traffic. However, we are not sure that any development plan that calls for 2000 or more additional cars/day on area roads can be adequately addressed through existing, modified or new infrastructure. 4. The details of the traffic analysis for Lake Washington Blvd at NE 43ro have been left out of (Table 3.9-1) and there is no mention in the proposal of improving NE 43ro_ 11. We are concerned that frustrated motorists who are eager to avoid the traffic congestion on Lake Washington Blvd will either make dangerous u-turns and/or choose to use Barbee Mill as a major arterial north/south bypass route for Lake Washington Blvd. The streets within Barbee Mill can in no way .accommodate this Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page4 increased traffic volume. This bypass traffic would present a tremendous risk and inconvenience for Barbee Mill residents. It would hamper our ability to safely enter and exit our own neighborhood and residences. The added traffic on Barbee Mill's streets would create public safety risks for residents as well as for area pedestrians, joggers, cyclists, children in strollers and pets that enjoy our streets. We are extremely concerned about the added danger of so many motorists trying to navigate the already hazardous blind curve at 42nd Uust shortly after you turn into Barbee Mill from 43'd). The bypass traffic would also generate significant noise pollution. We believe that this proposal and its traffic volume will not only impact Barbee Mill homeowners and community safety but that it will adversely impact and reduce property values and quality of life for Barbee Mill homeowners. d. Traffic on 1-405 at 44th and 301h is already one of the most frequently congested parts of the freeway in both the northbound and southbound lanes. Congestion occurs not only at peak traffic hours but throughout the majority of the day. The freeway, just as the neighboring roads, can in no way accommodate an additional influx of 2000 cars per day. Throughout the proposal, the applicant has stated that various traffic impacts could be mitigated through a coordinated effort with WSDOT. However, WSDOT went on record during the DEIS Scoping Summary stating that "the potential 1-405/NE 44 St interchange improvements project is not funded, and is not likely to be funded in the foreseeable future; the transportation analysis should not assume that this project is complete or will occur." (Pg 5-EIS Scoping Summary) We believe that approving a major Quendall development plan without WSDOT commitment, funding, schedule and a plan in place to improve this interchange would have irreversible consequences and would cause a tremendous number of adverse impacts. i. There are scenarios in the proposal that suggest using the 1-405 30th street onramp/offramp (exit 6) and then routing cars through the hilly, residential neighborhoods in Kennydale along 301h, 40th, Burnett and Park. This is not a realistic alternative and is equally as dangerous as cars choosing to use Barbee Mill as a shortcut. And it could encourage drivers travelling northbound and southbound on Lake Washington Blvd to take a shortcut through Barbee Mill. e. Transportation-The proposal does not include any plans to develop, improve or encourage public transit in the vicinity. This means that there would be no alternative form of transportation for the estimated 2000+ daily visitors and tenants. It is not an environmentally responsible transportation design solution to place 2000 additional cars onto neighborhood streets and the lakefront in this residential community without providing realistic transportation alternatives. i. In the Mayor's 2010 State of the City Address, he declared "I believe that it is vital that we have the right infrastructure in place now to serve the needs of our future. We will continue to work with the state and regional transportation organizations to make critical investments to create an effective transportation system that allows goods and people to move efficiently." The Quendall Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page5 proposal does not provide for any investments to create an effective transportation solution in the area nor does it put the right infrastructure in place to serve the needs of the immediate area and alleviate traffic and noise and air pollution impacts and public safety risks. f. Parking-In the Proposal Alternative 2, there are surface level parking lots for 220 cars placed right up against the entire north property line for Barbee Mill. This is in no way consistent with land use compatibility in the neighborhood and will adversely impact property values and quality of life. Nor is Proposal Alternative 1, which calls for a 6-story building to be placed right up against the north fence of Barbee Mill. We believe that it is not an acceptable plan to place parking lots, tall buildings and/or delivery entrances right up against the north Barbee Mill fence. 4) Public Safety Impact a. Cyclist Safety/Pedestrians/Runners Safety-Lake Washington Blvd was never meant to be a major thoroughfare. It is a hilly, scenic route through residential neighborhoods. It has no sidewalks and is very poorly lit at night. In fact, it is already quite dangerous on winter nights to turn into the Barbee Mill development at either 43"' St or 41 st St as there are no streetlights at either intersection. Lake Washington Blvd (in addition to Barbee Mill streets) is currently used not only by vehicles but also by pedestrians walking their pets and children, joggers and bicyclists. Given that there are no sidewalks and poor lighting along the road, such an increase in cars would not only cause traffic gridlock and backups but would also present a tremendous safety hazard to all using the bike lanes and shoulders for purposes other than driving. i. As a demonstration, a Barbee Mill resident counted more than 140 cyclists using Lake Washington Blvd and crossing 43rd St in a 90- minute period on a recent summer Saturday morning. b. We are concerned that the proposed public access trail and above ground parking lots located right against Barbee Mill north fence would invite evening transient traffic and loitering that could lead to crime. This fence backs up against an existing quiet residential neighborhood. This would not only adversely impact quality of life for Barbee Mill residents but also reduce property values. c. We are concerned that the proposed traffic volume and insufficient infrastructure, would affect the ability of emergency vehicles and first responders to quickly access the Barbee Mill community (and Ripley Lane neighborhood) in the event of an emergency. This puts the lives and health of residents at risk. 5) Light, Glare & Noise Impact a. We have tremendous concern over the amount of light and glare that would be emitted from the proposed high-density residential buildings (proposed to be as high as 90ft) and the evening and night-time restaurant patrons and shoppers in the retail development. We also are concerned about the noise pollution that would come from delivery trucks, giant HVAC units, 2000+ cars/day and ensuing traffic, residential tenants, office workers, retail shoppers and potential bar/restaurant patrons. The light, glare and noise from the proposed Quendall development would adversely impact quality of life and property values for the residents and homeowners of Barbee Mill. Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page 6 6) Environmental Impact a. The true baseline character of the Quendall property is unknown until the EPA mandated remedial action is fully specified and completed. We believe that the DEIS proposes prematurely, approval of a binding site plan for specifications of square feet of various building types, number of parking spaces, roads, traffic and egress to and from the development. Approving the binding plan prior to completing the mandated remedial clean up of the Superfund sight is not only unwise and imprudent but the long term consequences and negative impacts are just too great. As homeowners, this is not the legacy we want to have to live with nor is it what we want for our health, our quality of life and our property values. b. Mayor Law declared in his 2010 State of the City address that: "Clean, healthy air, high quality drinking water, and trails and green open spaces are key to keeping our city a great place to live and work. Expanding our tree canopy, creating a better trail system, and protecting our environment provides many benefits to the city and boosts property values by making neighborhoods greener." Unfortunately, the current proposal for Quendall runs completely contrary to the Mayor's pledge. c. Superfund Site Carcinogens & The Impact on The Environment-The EPA has serious concerns about the carcinogenic substances on the Quendall site, cleanup and the adverse impact the cleanup may have on the Lake, including fishing and swimming and on several species. We share this concern. (EPA ID# WAD980639215). i. They state: "The primary contaminants of concern are carcinogenic PAHs and benzene. These contaminants are found in the soil and ground water throughout the site. These compounds are found at concentrations well above State cleanup levels for residential and industrial sites. At some locations on the site, creosote product has been found under the surface. In some areas the product is four to six feet thick. Release of these contaminants to Lake Washington are of particular concern. Lake Washington is used for a variety of recreational purposes including fishing and swimming. The southern end of Lake Washington, including the area where the site is located, is considered prime habitat for rearing of juvenile Chinook, which is a Federal Threatened Species, and other salmon stocks. The Cedar River, which enters Lake Washington approximately two miles from the site, supports the largest sockeye run in the contiguous United States. Lake Washington also supports several sensitive environments including habitat for bull trout and the bald eagle. In addition, there are two swimming beaches located within one half mile of the site." As homeowners at Barbee Mill, we enjoy having access to the shoreline in our development and do not want to see it adversely impacted by release of contaminants nor do we want to put the health of our families at risk. d. We understand that the EPA has jurisdiction over the remediation and cleanup of the Superfund Site at Quendall Terminals. We are extremely concerned about what carcinogenic contaminants will be released into the air and water (through either surface or aquifer transfer) and into our neighborhoods and into our shoreline and May Creek as a result of the initial cleanup process. We are also extremely concerned the about Comments Regarding Ouendall Terminal DEIS Page 7 adverse impacts that the proposed mitigation, landfilling, grading, pile driving and other redevelopment activities will have on our neighborhoods and our residents. Furthermore, the DEIS does not propose dust control measures during the construction process to minimize contaminant transportation to Barbee Mill Homes. We believe strongly that it is not prudent or responsible to approve any binding redevelopment proposal for this site until the remediation and cleanup of this critical Superfund site has been thoroughly planned, executed and effectively completed by the EPA. To expedite the redevelopment process in order to pursue redevelopment income, puts at risk and adversely affects the health and lives of the immediate neighborhood residents, users of Lake Washington and the existing wildlife. Pursuing binding development agreements before Superfund cleanup would be an extremely poor decision with a tremendously risky outcome. e. Wetlands-The overall wetlands in the Quendall property are at least twice the size they are portrayed in the EIS. In particular, in the Southwest corner (a small blue dot labeled "H") is nearly an acre in total size, which is 50-times the size of what is portrayed in the DEIS. i. The Wetland buffer area for shoreline wetlands should remain at a minimum of 50 ft and should not be reduced for shoreline trails or buildings as currently proposed and shown on figure 2-7. 11. Substituting Wetland "I" or "J", which is nothing more than a drainage ditch, (per figure 2.6, 2. 7 and 2.11) which are separated by Ripley Lane & the railroad tracks and have absolutely no continuity with the Quendall site are not adequate or appropriate solutions for mitigating onsite wetlands throughout the Quendall site including adjacent to Barbee Mill. f. Wildlife-The EIS makes no mention of existing wildlife or mitigation for their loss of habitat from the proposed construction. There are ospreys, eagles, herons, deer, hummingbirds, and other species living in the wetlands and natural habitat of the Quendall property. CONCLUSIONS 1) We recommend that the City not proceed with the current binding proposal as outlined in the Draft EIS. Of the three alternatives proposed, we believe that the only viable alternative is that of "NO ACTION." 2) We certainly hope that Mayor Law meant what he pledged in his 2010 State of The City address when he stated: "By engaging citizens to participate in the process we are starting to create a picture of a city that is a leader in growth management." a. Mr. Mayor, City Council Members, City Planners and Hearing Examiner, as citizens of Renton we are participating in the DEIS public hearing process and we believe that the proposals outlined in the DEIS for the Quendall Terminal Redevelopment are in no way in alignment with the goal of responsible growth management and would have tremendous adverse impacts on the surrounding community. 3) Mayor Law also concluded his 2010 State of the City address with these words: "I am optimistic about the future. I am optimistic because people in our community are willing to step up and do what is necessary; because it is through partnerships that we tackle tough issues; and because we never quit planning for the future of this great community." Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page 8 a. We believe that the proposals are poorly thought out and completely out of character with the surrounding residential neighborhoods. If approved and developed, the proposed Quendall development would be a devastating destruction to the shoreline of Lake Washington and to the surrounding community. This proposed redevelopment of the Quendall Terminal Property is not what we want to see in the future of our great community. 4) We believe that this proposal would have a tremendously adverse impact on the existing adjacent neighborhoods especially our Barbee Mill community. The proposed Quendall development would negatively impact and affect traffic, public safety, quality of life and property values in Barbee Mill and surrounding neighborhoods. 5) As homeowners, taxpayers and citizens of the City of Renton, we urge the City of Renton to not approve this binding proposal for the redevelopment of the Quendall Terminal Proposal. The only one of its alternatives that is viable is that of "NO ACTION!" Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page 9 Vanessa Dolbee From: Vanessa Dolbee Sent: To: Monday, January 31, 201112:13 PM 'Ron Brazg' Subject: RE: Quendall Development Dear Mr. and Mrs. Brazg, Thank you for commenting on the Quendall Terminal.s DEIS. Your comments will be entered into the projects official file and will be addressed in the Final EIS. In addition, you will be added to the party ofrecord list for the subject project, if you are not already on the list. Once again. thank you for taking the time to comment on this project. If you have any additional questions please feel free to ask. Sincerely, 'Vanessa (J)of6ee Senior Planner Department of Community & Economic Development City of Renton Renton City Hall -6th Floor 1055 South Grady Way Renton, WA 98057 425.430. 7314 From: Ron Brazg (mailto:rbrazg@comcast.net1 Sent: Sunday, January 23, 2011 8:37 PM To: Vanessa Dolbee Subject: Quendall Development Dear Vanessa Please see attached comments Thank you Ron Brazg MD FACE 1019 N 42nd Pl Renton WA 98056 1 Date: January 21,2011 To: City of Renton Planning Department Attn: Vanessa Dolbee, Senior Planner 1055 S. Grady Way Renton, WA 98057 425-430-7314 vdolbee@rentonwa.gov From: Name: Ronald and Vanessa Brazg Address: 1019 N 42"d Pl, Renton WA 98056 Phone Number: 425-746-7768 Email Address: rbrazg@comcast.net City of Renton fjl;·;r1nir1p [iivi~~i{y·: Subject: Public Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal Draft EIS (LUA09-151) Following are our comments regarding the redevelopment of the Quendall Terminal site as outlined in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). As homeowners, tax payers and citizens of the City of Renton, we believe that the proposed and binding Quendall development proposal has tremendous negative and adverse impacts to the environment, property, the neighborhood and our Barbee Mill community and should NOT be approved. 1) Size & Scale Impact a. Scale-The proposed scale, density and height of the buildings in both alternatives are completely out-of-scale, incompatible and inconsistent with all neighborhoods on the entire shoreline of Lake Washington. The typical height limit for buildings along the Lake is 35 ft. The proposed heights and densities exceed those of Downtown Kirkland, Carillon Point, Bellevue and Seattle's Lake Washington facing neighborhoods. Furthermore, the proposed scale, density and height of the Quendall proposal are inconsistent and incompatible with adjacent neighborhoods, the East facing shoreline of Mercer Island. It will completely dwarf the residential neighborhood of Barbee Mill. b. The proposed buildings would be more than 40 ft taller than the height of the Barbee Mill homes. And they would be more than double the height of all nearby residences! The proposed buildings are nearly 90 ft in height although they are marked as 77 ft on the applicants elevation drawings, which is 3/4 the height of the SeahawksNMAC Facility and the Boeing Airplane Factory. Again this is completely out-of-scale with the Barbee Mill neighborhood AND anything else along the Lake Washington shoreline. (DEIS 3.5-12) 1. Figure 3.7-2 in the DEIS is an inaccurate and misleading rendering that attempts to conceal the height and visual impact of both proposal alternatives. c. The proposed architectural design resembles an industrial park and does not have the look or the feel of a residential neighborhood. It is certainly "not consistent with the existing urban character" (as claimed in DEIS 3.5- 12) of any of the immediate and nearby residential neighborhoods, including Barbee Mill. The proposed scale, density and character would Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page 1 be an eyesore no matter what angle it is viewed from within the adjacent neighborhoods or from lakefront properties along Mercer. d. The proposed design looks more like the Landing, which is sandwiched in between a shopping center and the country's second largest airplane factory and which is NOT located on the shores of one of the most beautiful lakes in the state and which is NOT located in the middle of an existing residential area. e. The Applicant claims that this area along the Lake Washington shoreline is currently a high-density urban environment. (DEIS 3.5-12) This statement is misleading and couldn't be farther from the truth as all neighboring areas are completely residential (with the exception of the Seahawks facility.) f. The proposed designs and project scope, scale and density are inappropriate for the shoreline of Lake Washington and do not in any way take advantage of the Lake front location and view. The buildings face each other instead of the Lake. The primary lake view outlook and central lakefront architectural feature is a semi-circular parking lot. i. The Mayor stated in his 2010 State of the City address that: "Renton still has some amazing waterfront properly on Lake Washington." We couldn't agree more. However, this proposal in no way takes advantage of or capitalizes on this amazing piece of waterfront property. In fact, the proposal looks like the City of Renton has taken a giant step backwards by proposing a self- facing vs. lake facing, residential complex, retail and office park with limited green space and tree canopy. This is not responsible growth. Nor is it responsible stewardship and development of the largest piece of remaining undeveloped land along the shoreline of beautiful Lake Washington. 11. The proposal calls for a straight, walled, 2-story parking garage, approximately 1000 ft in length, to traverse the entire Lake Washington frontage of the Quendall development with absolutely no undulation. There is nothing in the architectural design to break up the negative, visual impact of this two-story wall facing the Lake. This scale of this lake-facing 2-story garage wall is unheard of in residential zoning and lakefront zoning and does not fit the character nor complement the adjacent neighborhoods. g. The proposed development does NOT complement or add value to the existing neighborhoods especially neighboring Barbee Mill. Instead, this development would be tremendously destructive to the property value for the surrounding neighborhoods (including Barbee Mill, Kennydale, Newcastle and the East-facing side of Mercer Island) and detrimental to the quality of life for residents. 2) Density Impact a. This proposal repeatedly and misleadingly (DEIS 3.9-1) describes the Quendall development as "compatible with the existing neighborhoods." This is preposterous and we strongly disagree. For example, Barbee Mill to the south has a planned density of 5 residential units per acre and contains no commercial (office or retail) space. The Quendall proposal is for 37 residential units per acre plus up to a Y. million square feet of commercial space that would accommodate up to 2000 daily visitors. This is approximately 7 times the density of the local residential areas Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page 2 and is in no way "consistent with the existing urban character of the area." In fact, the existing character of the local area can only accurately be described as residential. Both proposal alternatives, present tremendous compatibility impacts with the surrounding neighborhoods. b. Commercial/residential buildings in Renton and in the greater Eastside area, have tended to have a history of high-turnover, high-vacancy and have not proven to be particularly commercially viable. Our concern is that tenants of apartments and commercial space will have no vested interest in the neighborhood, the community or in the future vision for the city of Renton. And that such a development, could wind up sitting vacant for many years to come. 3) Traffic, Transportation & Parking Impact a. The traffic impact assessment in the DEIS is completely unrealistic. To begin with, the analysis in the DEIS does not take into account the traffic study and analysis for the adjacent Hawk's Landing (Pan Abode) development, which estimated an additional 1400+ automotive trips a day flowing onto Lake Washington Blvd and adding to traffic congestion on the surrounding streets and 1-405 exit 7 on-ramps and off-ramps. i. Before this or any other area development proposal is approved, a new, comprehensive traffic analysis should be done that focuses on the combined traffic impact of: Quendall Terminal property, Hawk's Landing/Pan Abode property, SeakhawksNMAC Facility, Ripley Lane neighborhood, Barbee Mill, Kennydale neighborhood, 1-405 congestion, commuters trying to bypass 405 congestion on Lake Washington Blvd and the City's goal of providing direct access to Lake Washington from Park Dr & Sunset Blvd. This comprehensive traffic analysis should reflect all existing, proposed and potential developments and their collective impact on the immediate vicinity and existing neighborhoods. WSDOT analysis, future plans and funding for 1-405 must be factored into the traffic analysis and any infrastructure planning. (Reference: Hawk's Landing Mixed Use and SEPA Appeal File No.: LUA-09-060, ECF, SA-M, SA-H September 10, 2009) b. The proposal calls for an unacceptable increase in traffic with an estimated 2000 cars a day. Add to that, the estimated 1400 automotive trips a day from the proposed Hawks Landing development. The current infrastructure can in no way support the increases being proposed. There are no proposed plans to improve or widen the immediate roads or build the proper egress and ingress access roads to/from the proposed Quendall development. c. The proposal calls for N 43rd St to serve as the primary entrance to the Quendall property. This narrow, residential street is already the primary entrance for the residential neighborhood of Barbee Mill. This un-striped, 2-lane 135-ft long street, which has two stop signs and a railroad crossing, can in no way accommodate the proposed additional 2000 cars per day PLUS the cars of Barbee Mill residents. Furthermore, 43"' has already become plagued by a dangerous trends of drivers making hazardous u-turns and 3-point turns in the intersection of 43rd and Lake Washington Blvd. Given all this, it is shocking that the DEIS does NOT list NE 43rd St as a roadway condition concern. NE 43"' St is in no way sufficient to serve as the primary entrance for both Quendall and Barbee Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page3 Mill it cannot safely and effectively accommodate the additional influx of 2000 cars per day. This proposal will result in intolerable traffic congestion, increased risk of accidents, noise pollution and egress problems for Barbee Mill Homeowners. 1. 2000 additional cars/day will translate into 700 to 800 ft of traffic jams along Lake Washington Blvd, 43rd and Ripley Lane. The current infrastructure can in no way handle this increased volume. Lake Washington Blvd. is a narrow, 2-lane, scenic, curving, hilly, 25 mph road with bike lanes in both margins and many residential driveways. It is already extremely difficult to navigate Lake Washington Blvd given the present volume of traffic. Furthemiore, it is already difficult with the present volume of traffic to enter or exit the Barbee Mill development at 43"' or 41 st during the peak traffic hours and/or on sunny summer days from Lake Washington Blvd. Lake Washington Blvd does not have the capacity to handle the 2000/day proposed additional cars (3400+ if you factor in Hawk's Landing). And, any serious infrastructure modifications to Lake Washington Blvd would adversely impact the surrounding neighborhoods, the environmentally sensitive May Creek and the Lake Washington shoreline. 1. As a demonstration, one need to look no further than the congestion, parking and traffic nightmare that was created on 1/14/11 when hundreds of Seahawk Fans (including children and pets) and their vehicles descended on the intersection of Ripley Lane and Lake Washington Blvd. Cars were parked all over 43"', 441", Lake Washington & Ripley Lane. It made it nearly impossible to enter/exit Barbee Mill on 43'd_ Fans also jammed the 301" Bridge and surrounding Kennydale neighborhoods, which has been proposed as an alternate travel route for the Quendall Property. 2. As a demonstration, congestion is also extremely heavy when during the Seahawk Training Days in August, despite the fact that the Seahawks arrange for buses and parking in the Landing in their effort to mitigate what would be the adverse impact of an approximate 2000 cars per day from coming into and parking in the neighborhoods adjacent to Ripley Lane including Barbee Mill. 3. We do not understand why the proposal does not bring traffic directly into the center of the Quendall property via a new access road which would need to be built to cross Ripley Lane and that would be more capable of handling that volume of traffic. However, we are not sure that any development plan that calls for 2000 or more additional cars/day on area roads can be adequately addressed through existing, modified or new infrastructure. 4. The details of the traffic analysis for Lake Washington Blvd at 43rd have been left out of (Table 3.9-1) AND there is no mention in the proposal of improving 43rd. ii. We are concerned that frustrated motorists who are eager to avoid the traffic congestion on Lake Washington Blvd will either make Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page4 dangerous u-turns and/or choose to use Barbee Mill as a major arterial north/south bypass route for Lake Washington Blvd. The streets within Barbee Mill can in no way accommodate this increased traffic volume. This bypass traffic would present a tremendous risk and inconvenience for Barbee Mill residents. It would hamper ability to safely enter and exit our own neighborhood and residences. The added traffic on Barbee Mill's streets would create a public safety risks for residents as well as for area pedestrians, joggers, cyclists, children in strollers and pets that enjoy our streets. We are extremely concerned about the added danger of so many motorists trying to navigate the already hazardous blind curve at 42"ct Uust shortly after you turn into Barbee Mill from 43'd). The bypass traffic would also generate significant noise pollution. We believe that this proposal and its traffic volume will not only impact Barbee Mill homeowner and community safety but that it will adversely impact and reduce property values and quality of life for Barbee Mill homeowners. d. Traffic on 1-405 at 44 1" and 30th is already one of the most frequently congested parts of the freeway in both the North and South lanes. Congestion occurs not only at peak traffic hours but throughout the majority of the day. The freeway, just as the neighboring roads, can in no way accommodate an additional influx of 2000 cars per day. Throughout the proposal, the applicant has stated that various traffic impacts could be mitigated through a coordinated effort with WSDOT. However, WSDOT went on record during the DEIS Scoping Summary stating that "the potential 1-405/NE 44 St interchange improvements project is not funded, and is not likely to be funded in the foreseeable future; the transportation analysis should not assume that this project is complete or will occur." (Pg 5-EIS Scoping Summary) We believe that approving a major Quendall development plan without WSDOT commitment, funding, schedule and a plan in place to improve this interchange would have irreversible consequences and would cause a tremendous number of adverse impacts. i. There are scenarios in the proposal that suggest using the 1-405 301" street onramplofframp (exit 6) and then routing cars through the hilly, residential neighborhoods in Kennydale along 301 ", 401 ", Burnett and Park. This is not a realistic alternative and is equally as dangerous as cars choosing to use Barbee Mill as a shortcut. And it could encourage drivers travelling northbound and southbound on Lake Washington Blvd to take a shortcut through Barbee Mill. e. Transportation-The proposal does not include any plans to develop, improve or encourage public transit in the vicinity. This means that there would be no alternative form of transportation for the estimated 2000+ daily visitors and tenants. It is not an environmentally responsible transportation design solution to place 2000 additional cars onto neighborhood streets and the lakefront in this residential community without providing realistic transportation alternatives. i. In the Mayor's 2010 State of the City Address, he declared "/ believe that it is vital that we have the right infrastructure in place now to serve the needs of our future. We will continue to work with Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page 5 the state and regional transportation organizations to make critical investments to create an affective transportation system that allows goods and people to move efficiently." The Quendall proposal does not provide for any investments to create an affective transportation solution in the area NOR does ii put the right infrastructure in place to serve the needs of the immediate area and alleviate traffic and noise and air pollution impacts and public safety risks. f. Parking-In the Proposal Alternative 2, there are surface level parking lots for 220 cars up placed right up against the entire north property line for Barbee Mill. This is in no way consistent with land use compatibility in the neighborhood and will adversely impact property values and quality of life. Nor is Proposal Alternative 1, which calls for a 6-story building to be placed right up against the north fence of Barbee Mill. We believe that it is not an acceptable plan to place parking lots, tall buildings and/or delivery entrances right up against the north Barbee Mill fence. 1. We are concerned that if fees are charged for parking in the Quendall development, that visitors and tenants will seek out free parking in the adjacent neighborhood streets especially at Barbee Mill-which already suffers from insufficient street parking for residents and guests. 4) Public Safety Impact a. Cyclist Safety/Pedestrian/Runners Safety-Lake Washington Blvd was never meant to be a major thoroughfare. It is a hilly, scenic route through residential neighborhoods. It has no sidewalks and is very poorly lit at night. In fact, ii is already quite dangerous on winter nights to turn into the Barbee Mill development at either 43'd or 44th St as there are no streetlights at either intersection. Lake Washington Blvd (in addition to Barbee Mill streets) is currently used not only by vehicles but also by pedestrians walking their pets and children, joggers and bicyclists. Given that there are no sidewalks and poor lighting along the road, such an increase in cars would not only cause traffic gridlock and backups but would also present a tremendous safety hazard to all using the bike lanes and shoulders for purposes other than driving. 1. As a demonstration, a Barbee Mill resident counted more than 140 cyclists using Lake Washington Blvd and crossing 43'd St in a 90- minute period on a recent summer Saturday morning. b. We are concerned that the proposed public access trail and above ground parking lots located right against Barbee Mill North fence would invite evening transient traffic and loitering that could lead to crime. This fence backs up against an existing quiet residential neighborhood. This would not only adversely impact quality of life for Barbee Mill residents but also reduce property values. c. We are concerned that the proposed traffic volume and insufficient infrastructure, would affect the ability of emergency vehicles and first responders to quickly access the Barbee Mill community (and Ripley Lane neighborhood) in the event of an emergency. This puts the lives and health of residents at risk. d. We are concerned that a newly accessible open public space, trails, and parking lots may become an attractive target to a criminal element and would bring an increase risk of crime, vandalism, gang activity, graffiti, Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page6 noise, and other negative and unwanted activity that would put neighborhood homeowners' safety and security at risk. 5) Light, Glare & Noise Impact a. We have tremendous concern over the amount light and glare that would be emitted from the proposed high-density residential buildings (proposed to be as high as 90ft) and the evening and night-time restaurant patrons and shoppers in the retail development. We also are concerned about the noise pollution that would come from delivery trucks, giant HVAC units, 2000+ cars/day and ensuing traffic, residential tenants, office workers, retail shoppers and potential bar/restaurant patrons. The light, glare and noise from the proposed Quendall development would adversely impact quality of life and property values for the residents and homeowners of Barbee Mill. 6) Environmental Impact a. The true baseline character of the Quendall property is unknown until the EPA mandated remedial action is fully specified and completed. We believe that the DEIS proposes prematurely, approval of a BINDING site plan for specifications of square feet of various building types, number of parking spaces, roads, traffic and egress to and from the development. Approving the BINDING plan PRIOR TO completed the mandated remedial clean up of the Superfund sight is not only unwise and imprudent but the long term consequences and negative impacts are just too great. As homeowners, this is not the legacy we want to have to live with nor is what we want for our health, our quality of life and our property values. b. Mayor Law declared in his 2010 State of the City address that: "Clean, healthy air; high quality drinking water; and trails and green open spaces are key to keeping our city a great place to live and work. Expanding our tree canopy, creating a better trail system, and protecting our environment provides many benefits to the city and boosts property values by making neighborhoods greener." Unfortunately, the current proposal for Quendall runs completely contrary to the Mayor's pledge. c. Superfund Site Carcinogens & The Impact on The Environment-The The EPA has tremendous concerns about the carcinogenic substances on the Quendall site, cleanup and the adverse impact the cleanup would have on the Lake, including fishing and swimming and on several species. We share this concern. (EPA ID# WAD980639215). i. They state: "The primary contaminants of concem are carcinogenic PAHs and benzene. These contaminants are found in the soil and ground water throughout the site. These compounds are found at concentrations well above State cleanup levels for residential and industrial sites. At some locations on the site, creosote product has been found under the surface. In some areas the product is four to six feet thick. Releases of these contaminants to Lake Washington are of particular concem. Lake Washington is used for a variety of recreational purposes including fishing and swimming. The southern end of Lake Washington, including the area where the site is localed, is considered prime habitat for rearing of juvenile Chinook, which is a Federal Threatened Species, and other salmon stocks. The Cedar River, which enters Lake Washington approximately two Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page 7 miles from the site, supports the largest sockeye run in the contiguous United States. Lake Washington also supports several sensitive environments including habitat for bull trout and the bald eagle. In addition, there are two swimming beaches located within one half mile of the site." As homeowners at Barbee Mill, we enjoy having access to the shoreline in our development and do not want to see it adversely impacted by release of contaminates nor do we want to put the health of our families at risk. d. We understand that the EPA has jurisdiction over the remediation and cleanup of the Superfund Site at Quendall Terminals. We are extremely concerned about what carcinogenic contaminants will be released into the air and water (through either surface or aquifer transfer) and into our neighborhoods and into our shoreline and May Creek as a result of the initial cleanup process. We are also extremely concerned the adverse impact that the proposed mitigation, landfilling, grading, piling driving and other redevelopment activities will have on our neighborhoods and our residents, Furthermore, the DEIS proposes no dust control measures during the construction process to minimize contaminant transportation to Barbee Mill Homes. We believe strongly that it is NOT PRUDENT OR RESPONSIBLE to approve any BINDING redevelopment proposal for this site until the remediation and cleanup of this critical Superfund site has been thoroughly planned and safely planned, executed and effectively completed by the EPA. To expedite the redevelopment process in order to pursue redevelopment income, puts at risk and adversely affects the health and lives of the immediate neighborhood residents, users of Lake Washington and the existing wildlife. Pursuing binding development agreements BEFORE Superfund cleanup, would be an extremely poor decision with a tremendously risky outcome. e. Wetlands-The overall wetlands in the Quendall property are at least twice the size they are portrayed as in the EIS. In particular in the Southwest corner (a small blue dot labeled "H") is nearly an acre in total size, which is SO-times the size of what is portrayed in the DEIS. 1. The Wetland buffer area for shoreline wetlands should remain at a minimum of 50 fl and should not be reduced for shoreline trails or buildings as currently proposed and shown on figure 2-7. ii. Substituting Wetland "I" or "J", which is nothing more than a drainage ditch, (per figure 2.6, 2. 7 and 2.11) which are separated by Ripley Lane & the railroad tracks and have absolutely no continuity with the Quendall site are not adequate or appropriate solutions for mitigating onsite wetlands throughout the Quendall site including adjacent to Barbee Mill. f. Wildlife-The EIS makes no mention of existing wildlife or mitigation for their loss of habitat from the proposed construction. There are ospreys, eagles, herons, deer, hummingbirds, and other species living in the wetlands and natural habitat of the Quendall property. CONCLUSIONS 1) We recommend that the City does NOT PROCEED with the current BINDING proposal as outlined in the Draft EIS. Of the three alternatives proposed, we believe that the ONLY viable alternative is that of "NO ACTION." Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page 8 2) We certainly hope that Mayor Law meant what he pledged in his 2010 State of The City address when he stated: "By engaging citizens to participate in the process we are starting to create a picture of a city that is a leader in growth management. " a. Mr. Mayor, City Council Members, City Planners and Hearing Examiner, as citizens of Renton we are participating in the DEIS public hearing process and we are loudly saying that the proposals outlined in the DEIS for the Quendall Terminal Redevelopment are in no way in alignment with that goal of responsible growth management and would have tremendous adverse impacts on the surrounding community. 3) Mayor Law also concluded his 2010 State of the City address with these words: "I am optimistic about the future. I am optimistic because people in our community are willing to step up and do what is necessary; because it is through partnerships that we tackle tough issues; and because we never quit planning for the future of this great community. " a. So here we are, the people of Renton stepping up and tackling the tough issues of a poorly thought out, extremely inappropriate and binding DEIS proposal that is completely out of character with the surrounding residential neighborhoods. IF approved and developed, the proposed Quendall development would be a devastating destruction to the shoreline of Lake Washington and to the surrounding community. This proposed redevelopment of the Quendall Terminal Property is definitely NOT what we want to see in the future of our great community. 4) We believe that this proposal would have a tremendously adverse impact on the existing adjacent neighborhoods especially our Barbee Mill community. The proposed Quendall development would negatively impact and affect traffic, public safety, quality of life and property values in Barbee Mill and surrounding neighborhoods. 5) As homeowners, taxpayers and citizens of the City of Renton, we urge the City of Renton to NOT approve this binding proposal for the redevelopment of the Quendall Terminal Proposal. The only one of its alternatives that is viable is that of "NO ACTION!" Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page 9 Vanessa Dolbee From: Vanessa Dolbee Sent: To: Monday, January 31, 2011 9:33 AM 'Bob Becke~ Subject: RE: Quendall Terminal Draft EIS Dear Bob and Mary Becker, Thank you for commenting on the Quendall Terminals DEIS. Your comments will be entered into the projects official file and will be addressed in the Final EIS. In addition, you will be added to the party of record list for the subject project, if you are not already on the list. Once again, thank you for taking the time to comment on this project. If you have any additional questions please feel free to ask. Sincerely, 'Vanessa <Do[6ee Senior Planner Department of Community & Economic Development City of Renton Renton City Hall -6th Floor 1055 South Grady Way Renton, WA 98057 425.430.7314 From: Bob Becker [mailto:Bob@beckerarch.com1 Sent: Thursday, January 20, 201111:27 AM To: Vanessa Dolbee Cc: Pete Becker Subject: Quendall Terminal Draft EIS Hi Vanessa, Please find attached our comments on the Quendall Terminal Draft EIS. Several of the comments I made at the hearing on January 4'', 2011 are incorporated into the attached document. Please email me if you have any questions. Thanks for your time. Robert and Mary 'Pete' Becker Robert George Becker, AIA BECKER ARCHITECTS 320 120th Ave. NE, Suite 107 Bellevue, WA 98005 Tel: 425.827.9246 Fax: 425.283.1529 Email: rgb@beckerarch.com 1 Date: January 20, 2011 To: City of Renton Planning Department Attn: Vanessa Dolbee, Senior Planner 1055 S. Grady Way Renton, WA 98057 425-430-7314 vdolbee@rentonwa.gov From: Name: Robert and Mary "Pete' Becker Address: 1007 N 42"0 Place, Renton, WA 98056 Phone Number: 425.970-3385 City of Renton 1--\nnninq Divisioi Email Address: rgb@beckerarch.com mbfamily6@gamial.com I spoke at the comment hearing at the City of Renton Council Chambers on January 4, 2011 and several of the comments that I made at that hearing are incorporated into this document. We are not adverse to development on this site, but we are adamantly opposed to the development proposed in the Quendall Terminal Draft EIS (LUA09-151). It is out of scale with the residential neighborhood; it is too dense; it will cause undue traffic problems; it will produce light and glare into the adjacent residential neighborhood and appears to ignore existing on site environmental conditions. Subject: Public Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal Draft EIS (LUA09-151) Following are our comments regarding the redevelopment of the Quendall Terminal site as outlined in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). As homeowners, tax payers and citizens of the City of Renton, we believe that the proposed and binding Quendall development proposal has tremendous negative and adverse impacts to the environment, property, the neighborhood and our Barbee Mill community and should NOT be approved. 1) Size & Scale Impact a. Scale-The proposed scale, density and height of the buildings in both alternatives are completely out-of-scale, incompatible and inconsistent with all neighborhoods on the entire shoreline of Lake Washington. The typical height limit for buildings along the Lake is 35 ft. The proposed heights and densities exceed those of Downtown Kirkland, Carillon Point, Bellevue and Seattle's Lake Washington facing neighborhoods. Furthermore, the proposed scale, density and height of the Quendall proposal are inconsistent and incompatible with adjacent neighborhoods, the East facing shoreline of Mercer Island. It will completely dwarf the residential neighborhood of Barbee Mill. b. The proposed buildings would be more than 40 ft taller than the height of the Barbee Mill homes. And they would be more than double the height of all nearby residences! The proposed buildings are nearly 90 ft in height although they are marked as 77 ft on the applicants elevation drawings, which is 3/4 the height of the SeahawksNMAC Facility and the Boeing Airplane Factory. Again this is completely out-of-scale with the Barbee Mill neighborhood AND anything else along the Lake Washington shoreline. (DEIS 3.5-12) Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page 1 1. Figure 3.7-2 in the DEIS is an inaccurate and misleading rendering that attempts to conceal the height and visual impact of both proposal alternatives. c. The proposed architectural design resembles an industrial park and does not have the look or the feel of a residential neighborhood. It is certainly "not consistent with the existing urban character" (as claimed in DEIS 3.5- 12) of any of the immediate and nearby residential neighborhoods, including Barbee Mill. The proposed scale, density and character would be an eyesore no matter what angle it is viewed from within the adjacent neighborhoods or from lakefront properties along Mercer. d. The proposed design looks more like the Landing, which is sandwiched in between a shopping center and the country's second largest airplane factory and which is NOT located on the shores of one of the most beautiful lakes in the state and which is NOT located in the middle of an existing residential area. e. The Applicant claims that this area along the Lake Washington shoreline is currently a high-density urban environment. (DEIS 3.5-12) This statement is misleading and couldn't be farther from the truth as all neighboring areas are completely residential (with the exception of the Seahawks facility.) f. The proposed designs and project scope, scale and density are inappropriate for the shoreline of Lake Washington and do not in any way take advantage of the Lake front location and view. The buildings face each other instead of the Lake. The primary lake view outlook and central lakefront architectural feature is a semi-circular parking lot. 1. The Mayor stated in his 2010 State of the City address that: "Renton still has some amazing waterfront property on Lake Washington. "We couldn't agree more. However, this proposal in no way takes advantage of or capitalizes on this amazing piece of waterfront property. In fact, the proposal looks like the City of Renton has taken a giant step backwards by proposing a self- facing vs. lake facing, residential complex, retail and office park with limited green space and tree canopy. This is not responsible growth. Nor is it responsible stewardship and development of the largest piece of remaining undeveloped land along the shoreline of beautiful Lake Washington. ii. The proposal calls for a straight, walled, 2-story parking garage, approximately 1000 ft in length, to traverse the entire Lake Washington frontage of the Quendall development with absolutely no undulation. There is nothing in the architectural design to break up the negative, visual impact of this two-story wall facing the Lake. This scale of this lake-facing 2-story garage wall is unheard of in residential zoning and lakefront zoning and does not fit the character nor complement the adjacent neighborhoods. g. The proposed development does NOT complement or add value to the existing neighborhoods especially neighboring Barbee Mill. Instead, this development would be tremendously destructive to the property value for the surrounding neighborhoods (including Barbee Mill, Kennydale, Newcastle and the East-facing side of Mercer Island) and detrimental to the quality of life for residents. 2) Density Impact Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page2 a. This proposal repeatedly and misleadingly (DEIS 3.9-1) describes the Quendall development as "compatible with the existing neighborhoods." This is preposterous and we strongly disagree. For example, Barbee Mill to the south has a planned density of 5 residential units per acre and contains no commercial (office or retail) space. The Quendall proposal is for 37 residential units per acre plus up to a ?4 million square feet of commercial space that would accommodate up to 2000 daily visitors. This is approximately 7 times the density of the local residential areas and is in no way "consistent with the existing urban character of the area." In fact, the existing character of the local area can only accurately be described as residential. Both proposal alternatives, present tremendous compatibility impacts with the surrounding neighborhoods. b. Commercial/residential buildings in Renton and in the greater Eastside area, have tended to have a history of high-turnover, high-vacancy and have not proven to be particularly commercially viable. Our concern is that tenants of apartments and commercial space will have no vested interest in the neighborhood, the community or in the future vision for the city of Renton. And that such a development, could wind up sitting vacant for many years to come. 3) Traffic, Transportation & Parking Impact a. The traffic impact assessment in the DEIS is completely unrealistic. To begin with, the analysis in the DEIS does not take into account the traffic study and analysis for the adjacent Hawk's Landing (Pan Abode) development, which estimated an additional 1400+ automotive trips a day flowing onto Lake Washington Blvd and adding to traffic congestion on the surrounding streets and 1-405 exit 7 on-ramps and off-ramps. 1. Before this or any other area development proposal is approved, a new, comprehensive traffic analysis should be done that focuses on the combined traffic impact of: Quendall Terminal property, Hawk's Landing/Pan Abode property, SeahawksNMAC Facility, Ripley Lane neighborhood, Barbee Mill, Kennydale neighborhood, 1-405 congestion, commuters trying to bypass 405 congestion on Lake Washington Blvd and the City's goal of providing direct access to Lake Washington from Park Dr & Sunset Blvd. This comprehensive traffic analysis should reflect all existing, proposed and potential developments and their collective impact on the immediate vicinity and existing neighborhoods. WSDOT analysis, future plans and funding for 1-405 must be factored into the traffic analysis and any infrastructure planning. (Reference: Hawk's Landing Mixed Use and SEPA Appeal File No.: LUA-09-060, ECF, SA-M, SA-H September 10, 2009) b. The proposal calls for an unacceptable increase in traffic with an estimated 2000 cars a day. Add to that, the estimated 1400 automotive trips a day from the proposed Hawks Landing development. The current infrastructure can in no way support the increases being proposed. There are no proposed plans to improve or widen the immediate roads or build the proper egress and ingress access roads to/from the proposed Quendall development. c. The proposal calls for N 43'd St to serve as the primary entrance to the Quendall property. This narrow, residential street is already the primary entrance for the residential neighborhood of Barbee Mill. This un-striped, Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page 3 2-lane 135-ft long street, which has two stop signs and a railroad crossing, can in no way accommodate the proposed additional 2000 cars per day PLUS the cars of Barbee Mill residents. Furthermore, 43rd has already become plagued by a dangerous trends of drivers making hazardous u-turns and 3-point turns in the intersection of 43rct and Lake Washington Blvd. Given all this, it is shocking that the DEIS does NOT list NE 43rd St as a roadway condition concern. NE 43rct St is in no way sufficient to serve as the primary entrance for both Quendall and Barbee Mill it cannot safely and effectively accommodate the additional influx of 2000 cars per day. This proposal will result in intolerable traffic congestion, increased risk of accidents, noise pollution and egress problems for Barbee Mill Homeowners. i. 2000 additional cars/day will translate into 700 to 800 ft of traffic jams along Lake Washington Blvd, 43rd and Ripley Lane. The current infrastructure can in no way handle this increased volume. Lake Washington Blvd. is a narrow, 2-lane, scenic, curving, hilly, 25 mph road with bike lanes in both margins and many residential driveways. It is already extremely difficult to navigate Lake Washington Blvd given the present volume of traffic. Furthermore, ii is already difficult with the present volume of traffic to enter or exit the Barbee Mill development at 43rct or 41 st during the peak traffic hours and/or on sunny summer days from Lake Washington Blvd. Lake Washington Blvd does not have the capacity to handle the additional 2000/day proposed additional cars or 3400+ if you factor in Hawk's Landing . And, any serious infrastructure modifications to Lake Washington Blvd would adversely impact the surrounding neighborhoods, the environmentally sensitive May Creek and the Lake Washington shoreline. 1. As a demonstration, one need to look no further than the congestion, parking and traffic nightmare that was created on 1 /14/11 when hundreds of Seahawk Fans (including children and pets) and their vehicles descended on the intersection of Ripley Lane and Lake Washington Blvd. Cars were parked all over 43"', 44'", Lake Washington & Ripley Lane. It made it nearly impossible to enter/exit Barbee Mill on 43rd. Fans also jammed the 30'" Bridge and surrounding Kennydale neighborhoods, which has been proposed as an alternate travel route for the Quendall Property. 2. As a demonstration, congestion is also extremely heavy when during the Seahawk Training Days in August, despite the fact that the Seahawks arrange for buses and parking in the Landing in their effort to mitigate what would be the adverse impact of an approximate 2000 cars per day from coming into and parking in the neighborhoods adjacent to Ripley Lane including Barbee Mill. 3. We do not understand why the proposal does not bring traffic directly into the center of the Quendall property via a new access road which would need to be built to cross Ripley Lane and that would be more capable of handling that volume of traffic. However, we are not sure that any Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page4 development plan that calls for 2000 or more additional cars/day on area roads can be adequately addressed through existing, modified or new infrastructure. 4. The details of the traffic analysis for Lake Washington Blvd at 43rd have been left out of (Table 3.9-1) AND there is no mention in the proposal of improving 43'd_ ii. We are concerned that frustrated motorists who are eager to avoid the traffic congestion on Lake Washington Blvd will either make dangerous u-turns and/or choose to use Barbee Mill as a major arterial north/south bypass route for Lake Washington Blvd. The streets within Barbee Mill can in no way accommodate this increased traffic volume. This bypass traffic would present a tremendous risk and inconvenience for Barbee Mill residents. It would hamper ability to safely enter and exit our own neighborhood and residences. The added traffic on Barbee Mill's streets would create a public safety risks for residents as well as for area pedestrians, joggers, cyclists, children in strollers and pets that enjoy our streets. We are extremely concerned about the added danger of so many motorists trying to navigate the already hazardous blind curve at 42"d Qust shortly after you turn into Barbee Mill from 43'd)_ The bypass traffic would also generate significant noise pollution. We believe that this proposal and its traffic volume will not only impact Barbee Mill homeowner and community safety but that it will adversely impact and reduce property values and quality of life for Barbee Mill homeowners. d. Traffic on 1-405 at 44th and 30th is already one of the most frequently congested parts of the freeway in both the North and South lanes. Congestion occurs not only at peak traffic hours but throughout the majority of the day. The freeway, just as the neighboring roads, can in no way accommodate an additional influx of 2000 + 1,400 cars for the Hawks Landing per day. Throughout the proposal, the applicant has stated that various traffic impacts could be mitigated through a coordinated effort with WSDOT. However, WSDOT went on record during the DEIS Scoping Summary stating that "the potential 1-405/NE 44 St interchange improvements project is not funded, and is not likely to be funded in the foreseeable future; the transportation analysis should not assume that this project is complete or will occur." (Pg 5-EIS Scoping Summary) We believe that approving a major Quendall development plan without WSDOT commitment, funding, schedule and a plan in place to improve this interchange would have irreversible consequences and would cause a tremendous number of adverse impacts. 1. There are scenarios in the proposal that suggest using the 1-405 30th street onramp/offramp (exit 6) and then routing cars through the hilly, residential neighborhoods in Kennydale along 30th, 40th, Burnett and Parle This is not a realistic alternative and is equally as dangerous as cars choosing to use Barbee Mill as a shortcut. And it could encourage drivers travelling northbound and southbound on Lake Washington Blvd to take a shortcut through Barbee Mill. e. Transportation-The proposal does not include any plans to develop, improve or encourage public transit in the vicinity. This means that there Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page 5 would be no alternative form of transportation for the estimated 2000+ daily visitors and tenants. It is not an environmentally responsible transportation design solution to place 2000 additional cars onto neighborhood streets and the lakefront in this residential community without providing realistic transportation alternatives. i. In the Mayor's 2010 State of the City Address, he declared "I believe that it is vital that we have the right infrastructure in place now to serve the needs of our future. We will continue to work with the state and regional transportation organizations to make critical investments to create an affective transportation system that allows goods and people to move efficiently." The Quendall proposal does not provide for any investments to create an affective transportation solution in the area NOR does it put the right infrastructure in place to serve the needs of the immediate area and alleviate traffic and noise and air pollution impacts and public safety risks. f. Parking-In the Proposal Alternative 2, there are surface level parking lots for 220 cars up placed right up against the entire north property line for Barbee Mill. This is in no way consistent with land use compatibility in the neighborhood and will adversely impact property values and quality of life. Nor is Proposal Alternative 1, which calls for a 6-story building to be placed right up against the north fence of Barbee Mill. We believe that it is not an acceptable plan to place parking lots, tall buildings and/or delivery entrances right up against the north Barbee Mill fence. i. We are concerned that if fees are charged for parking in the Quendall development, that visitors and tenants will seek out free parking in the adjacent neighborhood streets especially at Barbee Mill-which already suffers from insufficient street parking for residents and guests. 4) Public Safety Impact a. Cyclist Safety/Pedestrian/Runners Safety-Lake Washington Blvd was never meant to be a major thoroughfare. It is a hilly, scenic route through residential neighborhoods. It has no sidewalks and is very poorly lit at night. In fact, it is already quite dangerous on winter nights to turn into the Barbee Mill development at either 43rd or 44th St as there are no streetlights at either intersection. Lake Washington Blvd (in addition to Barbee Mill streets) is currently used not only by vehicles but also by pedestrians walking their pets and children, joggers and bicyclists. Given that there are no sidewalks and poor lighting along the road, such an increase in cars would not only cause traffic gridlock and backups but would also present a tremendous safety hazard to all using the bike lanes and shoulders for purposes other than driving. i. As a demonstration, a Barbee Mill resident counted more than 140 cyclists using Lake Washington Blvd and crossing 43rd St in a 90- minute period on a recent summer Saturday morning. b. We are concerned that the proposed public access trail and above ground parking lots located right against Barbee Mill North fence would invite evening transient traffic and loitering that could lead to crime. This fence backs up against an existing quiet residential neighborhood. This would not only adversely impact quality of life for Barbee Mill residents but also reduce property values. Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page6 c. We are concerned that the proposed traffic volume and insufficient infrastructure, would affect the ability of emergency vehicles and first responders to quickly access the Barbee Mill community (and Ripley Lane neighborhood) in the event of an emergency. This puts the lives and health of residents at risk. d. We are concerned that a newly accessible open public space, trails, and parking lots may become an attractive target to a criminal element and would bring an increase risk of crime, vandalism, gang activity, graffiti, noise, and other negative and unwanted activity that would put neighborhood homeowners' safety and security at risk. 5) Light, Glare & Noise Impact a. We have tremendous concern over the amount light and glare that would be emitted from the proposed high-density residential buildings (proposed to be as high as 90ft) and the evening and night-time restaurant patrons and shoppers in the retail development. We also are concerned about the noise pollution that would come from delivery trucks, giant HVAC units, 2000+ cars/day and ensuing traffic, residential tenants, office workers, retail shoppers and potential bar/restaurant patrons. The light, glare and noise from the proposed Quendall development would adversely impact quality of life and property values for the residents and homeowners of Barbee Mill. 6) Environmental Impact a. The true baseline character of the Quendall property is unknown until the EPA mandated remedial action is fully specified and completed. We believe that the DEIS proposes prematurely, approval of a BINDING site plan for specifications of square feet of various building types, number of parking spaces, roads, traffic and egress to and from the development. Approving the BINDING plan PRIOR TO completed the mandated remedial clean up of the Superfund sight is not only unwise and imprudent but the long term consequences and negative impacts are just too great. As homeowners, this is not the legacy we want to have to live with nor is what we want for our health, our quality of life and our property values. b. Mayor Law declared in his 2010 State of the City address that: "Clean, healthy air; high quality drinking water; and trails and green open spaces are key to keeping our city a great place to live and work. Expanding our tree canopy, creating a better trail system, and protecting our environment provides many benefits to the city and boosts property values by making neighborhoods greener." Unfortunately, the current proposal for Quendall runs completely contrary to the Mayor's pledge. c. Superfund Site Carcinogens & The Impact on The Environment-The The EPA has tremendous concerns about the carcinogenic substances on the Quendall site, cleanup and the adverse impact the cleanup would have on the Lake, including fishing and swimming and on several species. We share this concern. (EPA ID# WAD980639215). 1. They state: "The primary contaminants of concem are carcinogenic PAHs and benzene. These contaminants are found in the soil and ground water throughout the site. These compounds are found at concentrations well above State cleanup levels for residential and industrial sites. At some locations on the site, creosote product has been found under the surface. In some Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page 7 areas the product is four to six feet thick. Releases of these contaminants to Lake Washington are of particular concern. Lake Washington is used for a variety of recreational purposes including fishing and swimming. The southern end of Lake Washington, including the area where the site is located, is considered prime habitat for rearing of juvenile Chinook, which is a Federal Threatened Species, and other salmon stocks. The Cedar River, which enters Lake Washington approximately two miles from the site, supports the largest sockeye run in the contiguous United States. Lake Washington also supports several sensitive environments including habitat for bull trout and the bald eagle. In addition, there are two swimming beaches located within one half mile of the site." As homeowners at Barbee Mill, we enjoy having access to the shoreline in our development and do not want to see it adversely impacted by release of contaminates nor do we want to put the health of our families at risk. d. We understand that the EPA has-jurisdiction over the remediation and cleanup of the Superfund Site at Quendall Terminals. We are extremely concerned about what carcinogenic contaminants will be released into the air and water (through either surface or aquifer transfer) and into our neighborhoods and into our shoreline and May Creek as a result of the initial cleanup process. We are also extremely concerned the adverse impact that the proposed mitigation, landfilling, grading, piling driving and other redevelopment activities will have on our neighborhoods and our residents. Furthermore, the DEIS proposes no dust control measures during the construction process to minimize contaminant transportation to Barbee Mill Homes. We believe strongly that it is NOT PRUDENT OR RESPONSIBLE to approve any BINDING redevelopment proposal for this site until the remediation and cleanup of this critical Superfund site has been thoroughly planned and safely planned, executed and effectively completed by the EPA. To expedite the redevelopment process in order to pursue redevelopment income, puts at risk and adversely affects the health and lives of the immediate neighborhood residents, users of Lake Washington and the existing wildlife. Pursuing binding development agreements BEFORE Superfund cleanup, would be an extremely poor decision with a tremendously risky outcome. e. Wetlands-The overall wetlands in the Quendall property are at least twice the size they are portrayed as in the EIS. In particular in the Southwest corner (a small blue dot labeled "H") is nearly an acre in total size, which is 50-times the size of what is portrayed in the DEIS. i. The Wetland buffer area for shoreline wetlands should remain at a minimum of 50 ft and should not be reduced for shoreline trails or buildings as currently proposed and shown on figure 2-7. ii. Substituting Wetland "I" or "J", which is nothing more than a drainage ditch, (per figure 2.6, 2. 7 and 2.11) which are separated by Ripley Lane & the railroad tracks and have absolutely no continuity with the Quendall site are not adequate or appropriate solutions for mitigating onsite wetlands throughout the Quendall site including adjacent to Barbee Mill. f. Wildlife-The EIS makes no mention of existing wildlife or mitigation for their loss of habitat from the proposed construction. There are ospreys, Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page 8 eagles, herons, deer, hummingbirds, and other species living in the wetlands and natural habitat of the Quendall property. CONCLUSIONS 1) We recommend that the City does NOT PROCEED with the current BINDING proposal as outlined in the Draft EIS. Of the three alternatives proposed, we believe that the ONLY viable alternative is that of "NO ACTION." 2) We certainly hope that Mayor Law meant what he pledged in his 2010 State of The City address when he stated: "By engaging citizens to participate in the process we are starting to create a picture of a city that is a leader in growth management." a. Mr. Mayor, City Council Members, City Planners and Hearing Examiner, as citizens of Renton we are participating in the DEIS public hearing process and we are loudly saying that the proposals outlined in the DEIS for the Quendall Terminal Redevelopment are in no way in alignment with that goal of responsible growth management and would have tremendous adverse impacts on the surrounding community. 3) Mayor Law also concluded his 2010 State of the City address with these words: "I am optimistic about the future. I am optimistic because people in our community are willing to step up and do what is necessary; because it is through partnerships that we tackle tough issues; and because we never quit planning for the future of this great community." a. So here we are, the people of Renton stepping up and tackling the tough issues of a poorly thought out, extremely inappropriate and binding DEIS proposal that is completely out of character with the surrounding residential neighborhoods. IF approved and developed, the proposed Quendall development would be a devastating destruction to the shoreline of Lake Washington and to the surrounding community. This proposed redevelopment of the Quendall Terminal Property is definitely NOT what we want to see in the future of our great community. 4) We believe that this proposal would have a tremendously adverse impact on the existing adjacent neighborhoods especially our Barbee Mill community. The proposed Quendall development would negatively impact and affect traffic, public safety, quality of life and property values in Barbee Mill and surrounding neighborhoods. 5) As homeowners, taxpayers and citizens of the City of Renton, we urge the City of Renton to NOT approve this binding proposal for the redevelopment of the Quendall Terminal Proposal. The only one of its alternatives that is viable is that of "NO ACTION!" Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page9 - Vanessa Dolbee From: Vanessa Dolbee Sent: To: Monday, January 31, 2011 9:24 AM 'Suzanne Orehek' Subject: RE: Proposed Redevelopment of the Quendall Terminal Site Dear Mr. and Mrs. Orehek, Thank you for commenting on the Quendall Terminals DEIS. Your comments will be entered into the projects official file and will be addressed in the Final EIS. In addition, you will be added to the party ofrecord list for the subject project, if you are not already on the list. Once again. thank you for taking the time to comment on this project. If you have any additional questions please feel free to ask. Sincerely, ·Vanessa (J)of6ee Senior Planner Department of Community & Economic Development City of Renton Renton City Hall -6th Floor 1055 South Grady Way Renton, WA 98057 425.430. 7314 From: Suzanne Orehek (mailto:suzywo@verizon.net1 Sent: Thursday, January 20, 2011 11 :07 AM To: Vanessa Dolbee Subject: Proposed Redevelopment of the Quendall Terminal Site City of Renton Planning Department Attn: Vanessa Dolbee, Senior Planner Attached is our endorsement of concerns regarding the redevelopment of the Quendall Terminal site as outlined in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement. As soon to be new residents at Barbee Mill we urge the development of a more location appropriate plan, one that will maintain this beautiful location as we believed it would be when we purchased. 1 ' Date: January 20, 2011 To: City of Renton Planning Department Attn: Vanessa Dolbee, Senior Planner 1055 S. Grady Way Renton, WA 98057 425-430-7314 vdolbee@rentonwa.gov From: Name: Suzanne W & Donald A Orehek Address: 4103 Wells Avenue North Phone Number: 516-944-8739 (in NY) Email Address: suzywo@verizon.net Gity of Renton 'J,\~nnin~J Division Subject: Public Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal Draft EIS (LUA09-151) Following are our comments regarding the redevelopment of the Quendall Terminal site as outlined in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). As homeowners, tax payers and citizens of the City of Renton, we believe that the proposed and binding Quendall development proposal has tremendous negative and adverse impacts to the environment, property, the neighborhood and our Barbee Mill community and should NOT be approved. 1) Size & Scale Impact a. Scale-The proposed scale, density and height of the buildings in both alternatives are completely out-of-scale, incompatible and inconsistent with all neighborhoods on the entire shoreline of Lake Washington. The typical height limit for buildings along the Lake is 35 ft. The proposed heights and densities exceed those of Downtown Kirkland, Carillon Point, Bellevue and Seattle's Lake Washington facing neighborhoods. Furthermore, the proposed scale, density and height of the Quendall proposal are inconsistent and incompatible with adjacent neighborhoods, the East facing shoreline of Mercer Island. It will completely dwarf the residential neighborhood of Barbee Mill. b. The proposed buildings would be more than 40 ft tallerthan the height of the Barbee Mill homes. And they would be more than double the height of all nearby residences! The proposed buildings are nearly 90 ft in height although they are marked as 77 ft on the applicants elevation drawings, which is 3/4 the height of the SeahawksNMAC Facility and the Boeing Airplane Factory. Again this is completely out-of-scale with the Barbee Mill neighborhood AND anything else along the Lake Washington shoreline. (DEIS 3.5-12) i. Figure 3.7-2 in the DEIS is an inaccurate and misleading rendering that attempts to conceal the height and visual impact of both proposal alternatives. c. The proposed architectural design resembles an industrial park and does not have the look or the feel of a residential neighborhood. It is certainly "not consistent with the existing urban character" (as claimed in DEIS 3.5- 12) of any of the immediate and nearby residential neighborhoods, including Barbee Mill. The proposed scale, density and character would Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page 1 be an eyesore no matter what angle ii is viewed from within the adjacent neighborhoods or from lakefront properties along Mercer. d. The proposed design looks more like the Landing, which is sandwiched in between a shopping center and the country's second largest airplane factory and which is NOT located on the shores of one of the most beautiful lakes in the state and which is NOT located in the middle of an existing residential area. e. The Applicant claims that this area along the Lake Washington shoreline is currently a high-density urban environment. (DEIS 3.5-12) This statement is misleading and couldn't be farther from the truth as all neighboring areas are completely residential (with the exception of the Seahawks facility.) f. The proposed designs and project scope, scale and density are inappropriate for the shoreline of Lake Washington and do not in any way take advantage of the Lake front location and view. The buildings face each other instead of the Lake. The primary lake view outlook and central lakefront architectural feature is a semi-circular parking lot. 1. The Mayor stated in his 2010 State of the City address that: "Renton still has some amazing waterfront property on Lake Washington." We couldn't agree more. However, this proposal in no way takes advantage of or capitalizes on this amazing piece of waterfront property. In fact, the proposal looks like the City of Renton has taken a giant step backwards by proposing a self- facing vs. lake facing, residential complex, retail and office park with limited green space and tree canopy. This is not responsible growth. Nor is ii responsible stewardship and development of the largest piece of remaining undeveloped land along the shoreline of beautiful Lake Washington. ii. The proposal calls for a straight, walled, 2-story parking garage, approximately 1000 ft in length, to traverse the entire Lake Washington frontage of the Quendall development with absolutely no undulation. There is nothing in the architectural design to break up the negative, visual impact of this two-story wall facing the Lake. This scale of this lake-facing 2-story garage wall is unheard of in residential zoning and lakefront zoning and does not fit the character nor complement the adjacent neighborhoods. g. The proposed development does NOT complement or add value to the existing neighborhoods especially neighboring Barbee Mill. Instead, this development would be tremendously destructive to the property value for the surrounding neighborhoods (including Barbee Mill, Kennydale, Newcastle and the East-facing side of Mercer Island) and detrimental to the quality of life for residents. 2) Density Impact a. This proposal repeatedly and misleadingly (DEIS 3.9-1) describes the Quendall development as "compatible with the existing neighborhoods." This is preposterous and we strongly disagree. For example, Barbee Mill to the south has a planned density of 5 residential units per acre and contains no commercial (office or retail) space. The Quendall proposal is for 37 residential units per acre plus up to a Y.. million square feet of commercial space that would accommodate up to 2000 daily visitors. This is approximately 7 times the density of the local residential areas Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page 2 and is in no way "consistent with the existing urban character of the area." In fact, the existing character of the local area can only accurately be described as residential. Both proposal alternatives, present tremendous compatibility impacts with the surrounding neighborhoods. b. Commercial/residential buildings in Renton and in the greater Eastside area, have tended to have a history of high-turnover, high-vacancy and have not proven to be particularly commercially viable. Our concern is that tenants of apartments and commercial space will have no vested interest in the neighborhood, the community or in the future vision for the city of Renton. And that such a development, could wind up sitting vacant for many years to come. 3) Traffic, Transportation & Parking Impact a. The traffic impact assessment in the DEIS is completely unrealistic. To begin with, the analysis in the DEIS does not take into account the traffic study and analysis for the adjacent Hawk's Landing (Pan Abode) development, which estimated an additional 1400+ automotive trips a day flowing onto Lake Washington Blvd and adding to traffic congestion on the surrounding streets and 1-405 exit 7 on-ramps and off-ramps. i. Before this or any other area development proposal is approved, a new, comprehensive traffic analysis should be done that focuses on the combined traffic impact of: Quendall Terminal property, Hawk's Landing/Pan Abode property, SeakhawksNMAC Facility, Ripley Lane neighborhood, Barbee Mill, Kennydale neighborhood, 1-405 congestion, commuters trying to bypass 405 congestion on Lake Washington Blvd and the City's goal of providing direct access to Lake Washington from Park Dr & Sunset Blvd. This comprehensive traffic analysis should reflect all existing, proposed and potential developments and their collective impact on the immediate vicinity and existing neighborhoods. WSDOT analysis, future plans and funding for 1-405 must be factored into the traffic analysis and any infrastructure planning. (Reference: Hawk's Landing Mixed Use and SEPA Appeal File No.: LUA-09-060, ECF, SA-M, SA-H September 10, 2009) b. The proposal calls for an unacceptable increase in traffic with an estimated 2000 cars a day. Add to that, the estimated 1400 automotive trips a day from the proposed Hawks Landing development. The current infrastructure can in no way support the increases being proposed. There are no proposed plans to improve or widen the immediate roads or build the proper egress and ingress access roads to/from the proposed Quendall development. c. The proposal calls for N 43rd St to serve as the primary entrance to the Quendall property. This narrow, residential street is already the primary entrance for the residential neighborhood of Barbee Mill. This un-striped, 2-lane 135-ft long street, which has two stop signs and a railroad crossing, can in no way accommodate the proposed additional 2000 cars per day PLUS the cars of Barbee Mill residents. Furthermore, 43rd has already become plagued by a dangerous trends of drivers making hazardous u-turns and 3-point turns in the intersection of 43"' and Lake Washington Blvd. Given all this, it is shocking that the DEIS does NOT list NE 43rd St as a roadway condition concern. NE 43"' St is in no way sufficient to serve as the primary entrance for both Quendall and Barbee Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page 3 Mill it cannot safely and effectively accommodate the additional influx of 2000 cars per day. This proposal will result in intolerable traffic congestion, increased risk of accidents, noise pollution and egress problems for Barbee Mill Homeowners. i. 2000 additional cars/day will translate into 700 to 800 ft of traffic jams along Lake Washington Blvd, 43'd and Ripley Lane. The current infrastructure can in no way handle this increased volume. Lake Washington Blvd. is a narrow, 2-lane, scenic, curving, hilly, 25 mph road with bike lanes in both margins and many residential driveways. It is already extremely difficult to navigate Lake Washington Blvd given the present volume of traffic. Furthermore, it is already difficult with the present volume of traffic to enter or exit the Barbee Mill development at 43rd or 41 st during the peak traffic hours and/or on sunny summer days from Lake Washington Blvd. Lake Washington Blvd does not have the capacity to handle the 2000/day proposed additional cars (3400+ if you factor in Hawk's Landing). And, any serious infrastructure modifications to Lake Washington Blvd would adversely impact the surrounding neighborhoods, the environmentally sensitive May Creek and the Lake Washington shoreline. 1. As a demonstration, one need to look no further than the congestion, parking and traffic nightmare that was created on 1/14/11 when hundreds of Seahawk Fans (including children and pets) and their vehicles descended on the intersection of Ripley Lane and Lake Washington Blvd. Cars were parked all over 43"\ 44'", Lake Washington & Ripley Lane. It made it nearly impossible to enter/exit Barbee Mill on 43"'. Fans also jammed the 30th Bridge and surrounding Kennydale neighborhoods, which has been proposed as an alternate travel route for the Quendall Property. 2. As a demonstration, congestion is also extremely heavy when during the Seahawk Training Days in August, despite the fact that the Seahawks arrange for buses and parking in the Landing in their effort to mitigate what would be the adverse impact of an approximate 2000 cars per day from coming into and parking in the neighborhoods adjacent to Ripley Lane including Barbee Mill. 3. We do not understand why the proposal does not bring traffic directly into the center of the Quendall property via a new access road which would need to be built to cross Ripley Lane and that would be more capable of handling that volume of traffic. However, we are not sure that any development plan that calls for 2000 or more additional cars/day on area roads can be adequately addressed through existing, modified or new infrastructure. 4. The details of the traffic analysis for Lake Washington Blvd at 43rd have been left out of (Table 3.9-1) AND there is no mention in the proposal of improving 43'd. ii. We are concerned that frustrated motorists who are eager to avoid the traffic congestion on Lake Washington Blvd will either make Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page4 dangerous u-turns and/or choose to use Barbee Mill as a major arterial north/south bypass route for Lake Washington Blvd. The streets within Barbee Mill can in no way accommodate this increased traffic volume. This bypass traffic would present a tremendous risk and inconvenience for Barbee Mill residents. It would hamper ability to safely enter and exit our own neighborhood and residences. The added traffic on Barbee Mill's streets would create a public safety risks for residents as well as for area pedestrians, joggers, cyclists, children in strollers and pets that enjoy our streets. We are extremely concerned about the added danger of so many motorists trying to navigate the already hazardous blind curve at 42"0 Uust shortly after you turn into Barbee Mill from 43'°). The bypass traffic would also generate significant noise pollution. We believe that this proposal and its traffic volume will not only impact Barbee Mill homeowner and community safety but that it will adversely impact and reduce property values and quality of life for Barbee Mill homeowners. d. Traffic on 1-405 at 441h and 30th is already one of the most frequently congested parts of the freeway in both the North and South lanes. Congestion occurs not only at peak traffic hours but throughout the majority of the day. The freeway, just as the neighboring roads, can in no way accommodate an additional influx of 2000 cars per day. Throughout the proposal, the applicant has stated that various traffic impacts could be mitigated through a coordinated effort with WSDOT. However, WSDOT went on record during the DEIS Scoping Summary stating that "the potential 1-405/NE 44 St interchange improvements project is not funded, and is not likely to be funded in the foreseeable future; the transportation analysis should not assume that this project is complete or will occur." (Pg 5-EIS Scoping Summary) We believe that approving a major Quendall development plan without WSDOT commitment, funding, schedule and a plan in place to improve this interchange would have irreversible consequences and would cause a tremendous number of adverse impacts. i. There are scenarios in the proposal that suggest using the 1-405 30th street onramp/offramp (exit 6) and then routing cars through the hilly, residential neighborhoods in Kennydale along 30th, 40th, Burnett and Park. This is not a realistic alternative and is equally as dangerous as cars choosing to use Barbee Mill as a shortcut. And it could encourage drivers travelling northbound and southbound on Lake Washington Blvd to take a shortcut through Barbee Mill. e. Transportation-The proposal does not include any plans to develop, improve or encourage public transit in the vicinity. This means that there would be no alternative form of transportation for the estimated 2000+ daily visitors and tenants. It is not an environmentally responsible transportation design solution to place 2000 additional cars onto neighborhood streets and the lakefront in this residential community without providing realistic transportation alternatives. i. In the Mayor's 2010 State of the City Address, he declared "I believe that it is vital that we have the right infrastructure in place now to serve the needs of our future. We will continue to work with Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page 5 the state and regional transportation organizations to make critical investments to create an affective transportation system that allows goods and people to move efficiently." The Quendall proposal does not provide for any investments to create an affective transportation solution in the area NOR does it put the right infrastructure in place to serve the needs of the immediate area and alleviate traffic and noise and air pollution impacts and public safety risks. f. Parking-In the Proposal Alternative 2, there are surface level parking lots for 220 cars up placed right up against the entire north property line for Barbee Mill. This is in no way consistent with land use compatibility in the neighborhood and will adversely impact property values and quality of life. Nor is Proposal Alternative 1, which calls for a 6-story building to be placed right up against the north fence of Barbee Mill. We believe that it is not an acceptable plan to place parking lots, tall buildings and/or delivery entrances right up against the north Barbee Mill fence. i. We are concerned that if fees are charged for parking in the Quendall development, that visitors and tenants will seek out free parking in the adjacent neighborhood streets especially at Barbee Mill-which already suffers from insufficient street parking for residents and guests. 4) Public Safety Impact a. Cyclist Safety/Pedestrian/Runners Safety-Lake Washington Blvd was never meant to be a major thoroughfare. It is a hilly, scenic route through residential neighborhoods. It has no sidewalks and is very poorly lit at night. In fact, it is already quite dangerous on winter nights to turn into the Barbee Mill development at either 43'd or 44th St as there are no streetlights at either intersection. Lake Washington Blvd (in addition to Barbee Mill streets) is currently used not only by vehicles but also by pedestrians walking their pets and children, joggers and bicyclists. Given that there are no sidewalks and poor lighting along the road, such an increase in cars would not only cause traffic gridlock and backups but would also present a tremendous safety hazard to all using the bike lanes and shoulders for purposes other than driving. 1. As a demonstration, a Barbee Mill resident counted more than 140 cyclists using Lake Washington Blvd and crossing 43'd St in a 90- minute period on a recent summer Saturday morning. b. We are concerned that the proposed public access trail and above ground parking lots located right against Barbee Mill North fence would invite evening transient traffic and loitering that could lead to crime. This fence backs up against an existing quiet residential neighborhood. This would not only adversely impact quality of life for Barbee Mill residents but also reduce property values. c. We are concerned that the proposed traffic volume and insufficient infrastructure, would affect the ability of emergency vehicles and first responders to quickly access the Barbee Mill community (and Ripley Lane neighborhood) in the event of an emergency. This puts the lives and health of residents at risk. d. We are concerned that a newly accessible open public space, trails, and parking lots may become an attractive target to a criminal element and would bring an increase risk of crime, vandalism, gang activity, graffiti, Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page 6 noise, and other negative and unwanted activity that would put neighborhood homeowners' safety and security at risk. 5) Light, Glare & Noise Impact a. We have tremendous concern over the amount of light and glare that would be emitted from the proposed high-density residential buildings (proposed to be as high as 90ft) and the evening and night-time restaurant patrons and shoppers in the retail development. We also are concerned about the noise pollution that would come from delivery trucks, giant HVAC units, 2000+ cars/day and ensuing traffic, residential tenants, office workers, retail shoppers and potential bar/restaurant patrons. The light, glare and noise from the proposed Quendall development would adversely impact quality of life and property values for the residents and homeowners of Barbee Mill. 6) Environmental Impact a. The true baseline character of the Quendall property is unknown until the EPA mandated remedial action is fully specified and completed. We believe that the DEIS proposes prematurely, approval of a BINDING site plan for specifications of square feet of various building types, number of parking spaces, roads, traffic and egress to and from the development. Approving the BINDING plan PRIOR TO completed the mandated remedial clean up of the Superfund sight is not only unwise and imprudent but the long term consequences and negative impacts are just too great. As homeowners, this is not the legacy we want to have to live with nor is what we want for our health, our quality of life and our property values. b. Mayor Law declared in his 2010 State of the City address that: "Clean, healthy air; high quality drinking water; and trails and green open spaces are key to keeping our city a great place to live and work. Expanding our tree canopy, creating a better trail system, and protecting our environment provides many benefits to the city and boosts properly values by making neighborhoods greener." Unfortunately, the current proposal for Quendall runs completely contrary to the Mayor's pledge. c. Superfund Site Carcinogens & The Impact on The Environment-The The EPA has tremendous concerns about the carcinogenic substances on the Quendall site, cleanup and the adverse impact the cleanup would have on the Lake, including fishing and swimming and on several species. We share this concern. (EPA ID# WAD980639215). 1. They state: "The primary contaminants of concern are carcinogenic PAHs and benzene. These contaminants are found in the soil and ground water throughout the site. These compounds are found at concentrations well above State cleanup levels for residential and industrial sites. At some locations on the site, creosote product has been found under the surface. In some areas the product is four to six feet thick. Releases of these contaminants to Lake Washington are of particular concern. Lake Washington is used for a variety of recreational purposes including fishing and swimming. The southern end of Lake Washington, including the area where the site is located, is considered prime habitat for rearing of juvenile Chinook, which is a Federal Threatened Species, and other salmon stocks. The Cedar River, which enters Lake Washington approximately two Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page 7 miles from the site, supports the largest sockeye run in the contiguous United States. Lake Washington also supports several sensitive environments including habitat for bull trout and the bald eagle. In addition, there are two swimming beaches located within one half mile of the site." As homeowners at Barbee Mill, we enjoy having access to the shoreline in our development and do not want to see it adversely impacted by release of contaminates nor do we want to put the health of our families at risk. d. We understand that the EPA has jurisdiction over the remediation and cleanup of the Superfund Site at Quendall Terminals. We are extremely concerned about what carcinogenic contaminants will be released into the air and water (through either surface or aquifer transfer) and into our neighborhoods and into our shoreline and May Creek as a result of the initial cleanup process. We are also extremely concerned the adverse impact that the proposed mitigation, landfilling, grading, piling driving and other redevelopment activities will have on our neighborhoods and our residents. Furthermore, the DEIS proposes no dust control measures during the construction process to minimize contaminant transportation to Barbee Mill Homes. We believe strongly that it is NOT PRUDENT OR RESPONSIBLE to approve any BINDING redevelopment proposal for this site until the remediation and cleanup of this critical Superfund site has been thoroughly planned and safely planned, executed and effectively completed by the EPA To expedite the redevelopment process in order to pursue redevelopment income, puts at risk and adversely affects the health and lives of the immediate neighborhood residents, users of Lake Washington and the existing wildlife. Pursuing binding development agreements BEFORE Superfund cleanup, would be an extremely poor decision with a tremendously risky outcome. e. Wetlands-The overall wetlands in the Quendall property are at least twice the size they are portrayed as in the EIS. In particular in the Southwest corner (a small blue dot labeled "H") is nearly an acre in total size, which is 50-times the size of what is portrayed in the DEIS. i. The Wetland buffer area for shoreline wetlands should remain at a minimum of 50 ft and should not be reduced for shoreline trails or buildings as currently proposed and shown on figure 2-7. ii. Substituting Wetland "I" or "J", which is nothing more than a drainage ditch, (per figure 2.6, 2. 7 and 2.11) which are separated by Ripley Lane & the railroad tracks and have absolutely no continuity with the Quendall site are not adequate or appropriate solutions for mitigating onsite wetlands throughout the Quendall site including adjacent to Barbee Mill. f. Wildlife-The EIS makes no mention of existing wildlife or mitigation for their loss of habitat from the proposed construction. There are ospreys, eagles, herons, deer, hummingbirds, and other species living in the wetlands and natural habitat of the Quendall property. CONCLUSIONS 1) We recommend that the City does NOT PROCEED with the current BINDING proposal as outlined in the Draft EIS. Of the three alternatives proposed, we believe that the ONLY viable alternative is that of "NO ACTION." Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page8 2) We certainly hope that Mayor Law meant what he pledged in his 2010 State of The City address when he stated: "By engaging citizens to participate in the process we are starting to create a picture of a city that is a leader in growth management." a. Mr. Mayor, City Council Members, City Planners and Hearing Examiner, as citizens of Renton we are participating in the DEIS public hearing process and we are loudly saying that the proposals outlined in the DEIS for the Quendall Terminal Redevelopment are in no way in alignment with that goal of responsible growth management and would have tremendous adverse impacts on the surrounding community. 3) Mayor Law also concluded his 2010 State of the City address with these words: "I am optimistic about the future. I am optimistic because people in our community are willing to step up and do what is necessary; because it is through partnerships that we tackle tough issues; and because we never quit planning for the future of this great community." a. So here we are, the people of Renton stepping up and tackling the tough issues of a poorly thought out, extremely inappropriate and binding DEIS proposal that is completely out of character with the surrounding residential neighborhoods. IF approved and developed, the proposed Quendall development would be a devastating destruction to the shoreline of Lake Washington and to the surrounding community. This proposed redevelopment of the Quendall Terminal Property is definitely NOT what we want to see in the future of our great community. 4) We believe that this proposal would have a tremendously adverse impact on the existing adjacent neighborhoods especially our Barbee Mill community. The proposed Quendall development would negatively impact and affect traffic, public safety, quality of life and property values in Barbee Mill and surrounding neighborhoods. 5) As homeowners, taxpayers and citizens of the City of Renton, we urge the City of Renton to NOT approve this binding proposal for the redevelopment of the Quendall Terminal Proposal. The only one of its alternatives that is viable is that of "NO ACTION!" Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page9 Vanessa Dolbee From: Vanessa Dolbee Sent: To: Monday, January 31, 2011 9:16 AM 'Wu, Sheng-chi' Subject: RE: barbee mill Dear Sheng Wu, Thank you for commenting on the Quendall Terminals DEIS. Your comments will be entered into the projects official file and will be addressed in the Final EIS. In addition, you will be added to the party ofrecord list for the subject project, if you are not already on the list. Once again, thank you for taking the time to comment on this project. If you have any additional questions please feel free to ask. Sincerely, 'Vanessa (J)o(6ee Senior Planner Department of Community & Economic Development City of Renton Renton City Hall -6th Floor 1055 South Grady Way Renton, WA 98057 425.430.7314 From: Wu, Sheng-chi [mailto:swu@bechtel.com1 Sent: Thursday, January 20, 2011 7:54 AM To: Vanessa Dolbee Subject: barbee mill Attached for your review is our comment letter. Sheng Wu Houston, 713 235 2210 1 Date: Jan 20, 2011 To: City of Renton Planning Department Attn: Vanessa Dolbee, Senior Planner 1055 S. Grady Way Renton, WA 98057 425-430-7314 vdolbee@rentonwa.gov From: Name: Sheng-chi Wu Address: 1222 N 42nd Place, Renton, WA 98056 Phone Number: 832 971 9396 Email Address: swu@bechtel.com City of Renton Pla11nin[J Divisio11 Subject: Public Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal Draft EIS (LUA09-151) Following are our comments regarding the redevelopment of the Quendall Terminal site as outlined in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). As homeowners, tax payers and citizens of the City of Renton, we believe that the proposed and binding Quendall development proposal has tremendous negative and adverse impacts to the environment, property, the neighborhood and our Barbee Mill community and should NOT be approved. 1) Size & Scale Impact a. Scale-The proposed scale, density and height of the buildings in both alternatives are completely out-of-scale, incompatible and inconsistent with all neighborhoods on the entire shoreline of Lake Washington. The typical height limit for buildings along the Lake is 35 ft. The proposed heights and densities exceed those of Downtown Kirkland, Carillon Point, Bellevue and Seattle's Lake Washington facing neighborhoods. Furthermore, the proposed scale, density and height of the Quendall proposal are inconsistent and incompatible with adjacent neighborhoods, the East facing shoreline of Mercer Island. It will completely dwarf the residential neighborhood of Barbee Mill. b. The proposed buildings would be more than 40 ft taller than the height of the Barbee Mill homes. And they would be more than double the height of all nearby residences I The proposed buildings are nearly 90 ft in height although they are marked as 77 ft on the applicants elevation drawings, which is 3/4 the height of the SeahawksNMAC Facility and the Boeing Airplane Factory. Again this is completely out-of-scale with the Barbee Mill neighborhood AND anything else along the Lake Washington shoreline. (DEIS 3.5-12) i. Figure 3.7-2 in the DEIS is an inaccurate and misleading rendering that attempts to conceal the height and visual impact of both proposal alternatives. c. The proposed architectural design resembles an industrial park and does not have the look or the feel of a residential neighborhood. It is certainly "not consistent with the existing urban character" (as claimed in DEIS 3.5- 12) of any of the immediate and nearby residential neighborhoods, including Barbee Mill. The proposed scale, density and character would Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page 1 be an eyesore no matter what angle it is viewed from within the adjacent neighborhoods or from lakefront properties along Mercer. d. The proposed design looks more like the Landing, which is sandwiched in between a shopping center and the country's second largest airplane factory and which is NOT located on the shores of one of the most beautiful lakes in the state and which is NOT located in the middle of an existing residential area. e. The Applicant claims that this area along the Lake Washington shoreline is currently a high-density urban environment. (DEIS 3.5-12) This statement is misleading and couldn't be farther from the truth as all neighboring areas are completely residential (with the exception of the Seahawks facility.) f. The proposed designs and project scope, scale and density are inappropriate for the shoreline of Lake Washington and do not in any way take advantage of the Lake front location and view. The buildings face each other instead of the Lake. The primary lake view outlook and central lakefront architectural feature is a semi-circular parking lot. i. The Mayor stated in his 2010 State of the City address that: "Renton still has some amazing watetfront property on Lake Washington."We couldn't agree more. However, this proposal in no way takes advantage of or capitalizes on this amazing piece of waterfront property. In fact, the proposal looks like the City of Renton has taken a giant step backwards by proposing a self- facing vs. lake facing, residential complex, retail and office park with limited green space and tree canopy. This is not responsible growth. Nor is it responsible stewardship and development of the largest piece of remaining undeveloped land along the shoreline of beautiful Lake Washington. ii. The proposal calls for a straight, walled, 2-story parking garage, approximately 1000 ft in length, to traverse the entire Lake Washington frontage of the Quendall development with absolutely no undulation. There is nothing in the architectural design to break up the negative, visual impact of this two-story wall facing the Lake. This scale of this lake-facing 2-story garage wall is unheard of in residential zoning and lakefront zoning and does not fit the character nor complement the adjacent neighborhoods. g. The proposed development does NOT complement or add value to the existing neighborhoods especially neighboring Barbee Mill. Instead, this development would be tremendously destructive to the property value for the surrounding neighborhoods (including Barbee Mill, Kennydale, Newcastle and the East-facing side of Mercer Island) and detrimental to the quality of life for residents. 2) Density Impact a. This proposal repeatedly and misleadingly (DEIS 3.9-1) describes the Quendall development as "compatible with the existing neighborhoods." This is preposterous and we strongly disagree. For example, Barbee Mill to the south has a planned density of 5 residential units per acre and contains no commercial (office or retail) space. The Quendall proposal is for 37 residential units per acre plus up to a l4 million square feet of commercial space that would accommodate up to 2000 daily visitors. This is approximately 7 times the density of the local residential areas Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page2 and is in no way "consistent with the existing urban character of the area." In fact, the existing character of the local area can only accurately be described as residential. Both proposal alternatives, present tremendous compatibility impacts with the surrounding neighborhoods. b. Commercial/residential buildings in Renton and in the greater Eastside area, have tended to have a history of high-turnover, high-vacancy and have not proven to be particularly commercially viable. Our concern is that tenants of apartments and commercial space will have no vested interest in the neighborhood, the community or in the future vision for the city of Renton. And that such a development, could wind up sitting vacant for many years to come. 3) Traffic, Transportation & Parking Impact a. The traffic impact assessment in the DEIS is completely unrealistic. To begin with, the analysis in the DEIS does not take into account the traffic study and analysis for the adjacent Hawk's Landing (Pan Abode) development, which estimated an additional 1400+ automotive trips a day flowing onto Lake Washington Blvd and adding to traffic congestion on the surrounding streets and 1-405 exit 7 on-ramps and off-ramps. 1. Before this or any other area development proposal is approved, a new, comprehensive traffic analysis should be done that focuses on the combined traffic impact of: Quendall Terminal property, Hawk's Landing/Pan Abode property, SeakhawksNMAC Facility, Ripley Lane neighborhood, Barbee Mill, Kennydale neighborhood, 1-405 congestion, commuters trying to bypass 405 congestion on Lake Washington Blvd and the City's goal of providing direct access to Lake Washington from Park Dr & Sunset Blvd. This comprehensive traffic analysis should reflect all existing, proposed and potential developments and their collective impact on the immediate vicinity and existing neighborhoods. WSDOT analysis, future plans and funding for 1-405 must be factored into the traffic analysis and any infrastructure planning. (Reference: Hawk's Landing Mixed Use and SEPA Appeal File No.: LUA-09-060, ECF, SA-M, SA-H September 10, 2009) b. The proposal calls for an unacceptable increase in traffic with an estimated 2000 cars a day. Add to that, the estimated 1400 automotive trips a day from the proposed Hawks Landing development. The current infrastructure can in no way support the increases being proposed. There are no proposed plans to improve or widen the immediate roads or build the proper egress and ingress access roads to/from the proposed Quendall development. c. The proposal calls for N 43"' St to serve as the primary entrance to the Quendall property. This narrow, residential street is already the primary entrance for the residential neighborhood of Barbee Mill. This un-striped, 2-lane 135-ft long street, which has two stop signs and a railroad crossing, can in no way accommodate the proposed additional 2000 cars per day PLUS the cars of Barbee Mill residents. Furthermore, 43'd has already become plagued by a dangerous trends of drivers making hazardous u-turns and 3-point turns in the intersection of 43"' and Lake Washington Blvd. Given all this, it is shocking that the DEIS does NOT list NE 43"' St as a roadway condition concern. NE 43"' St is in no way sufficient to serve as the primary entrance for both Quendall and Barbee Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page 3 Mill it cannot safely and effectively accommodate the additional influx of 2000 cars per day. This proposal will result in intolerable traffic congestion, increased risk of accidents, noise pollution and egress problems for Barbee Mill Homeowners. i. 2000 additional cars/day will translate into 700 to 800 ft of traffic jams along Lake Washington Blvd, 43rd and Ripley Lane. The current infrastructure can in no way handle this increased volume. Lake Washington Blvd. is a narrow, 2-lane, scenic, curving, hilly, 25 mph road with bike lanes in both margins and many residential driveways. It is already extremely difficult to navigate Lake Washington Blvd given the present volume of traffic. Furthermore, it is already difficult with the present volume of traffic to enter or exit the Barbee Mill development at 43rd or 41 '' during the peak traffic hours and/or on sunny summer days from Lake Washington Blvd. Lake Washington Blvd does not have the capacity to handle the 2000/day proposed additional cars (3400+ if you factor in Hawk's Landing) And, any serious infrastructure modifications to Lake Washington Blvd would adversely impact the surrounding neighborhoods, the environmentally sensitive May Creek and the Lake Washington shoreline. 1. As a demonstration, one need to look no further than the congestion, parking and traffic nightmare that was created on 1/14/11 when hundreds of Seahawk Fans (including children and pets) and their vehicles descended on the intersection of Ripley Lane and Lake Washington Blvd. Cars were parked all over 43"', 44"', Lake Washington & Ripley Lane. It made it nearly impossible to enter/exit Barbee Mill on 43rd. Fans also jammed the 30"' Bridge and surrounding Kennydale neighborhoods, which has been proposed as an alternate travel route for the Quendall Property. 2. As a demonstration, congestion is also extremely heavy when during the Seahawk Training Days in August, despite the fact that the Seahawks arrange for buses and parking in the Landing in their effort to mitigate what would be the adverse impact of an approximate 2000 cars per day from coming into and parking in the neighborhoods adjacent to Ripley Lane including Barbee Mill. 3. We do not understand why the proposal does not bring traffic directly into the center of the Quendall property via a new access road which would need to be built to cross Ripley Lane and that would be more capable of handling that volume of traffic. However, we are not sure that any development plan that calls for 2000 or more additional cars/day on area roads can be adequately addressed through existing, modified or new infrastructure. 4. The details of the traffic analysis for Lake Washington Blvd at 43rd have been left out of (Table 3.9-1) AND there is no mention in the proposal of improving 43rd. ii. We are concerned that frustrated motorists who are eager to avoid the traffic congestion on Lake Washington Blvd will either make Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page4 dangerous u-turns and/or choose to use Barbee Mill as a major arterial north/south bypass route for Lake Washington Blvd. The streets within Barbee Mill can in no way accommodate this increased traffic volume. This bypass traffic would present a tremendous risk and inconvenience for Barbee Mill residents. It would hamper ability to safely enter and exit our own neighborhood and residences. The added traffic on Barbee Mill's streets would create a public safety risks for residents as well as for area pedestrians, joggers, cyclists, children in strollers and pets that enjoy our streets. We are extremely concerned about the added danger of so many motorists trying to navigate the already hazardous blind curve at 42°d Uust shortly after you turn into Barbee Mill from 43"\ The bypass traffic would also generate significant noise pollution. We believe that this proposal and its traffic volume will not only impact Barbee Mill homeowner and community safety but that it will adversely impact and reduce property values and quality of life for Barbee Mill homeowners. d. Traffic on 1-405 at 44"' and 301h is already one of the most frequently congested parts of the freeway in both the North and South lanes. Congestion occurs not only at peak traffic hours but throughout the majority of the day. The freeway, just as the neighboring roads, can in no way accommodate an additional influx of 2000 cars per day. Throughout the proposal, the applicant has stated that various traffic impacts could be mitigated through a coordinated effort with WSDOT. However, WSDOT went on record during the DEIS Scoping Summary stating that "the potential 1-405/NE 44 St interchange improvements project is not funded, and is not likely to be funded in the foreseeable future; the transportation analysis should not assume that this project is complete or will occur." (Pg 5-EIS Scoping Summary) We believe that approving a major Quendall development plan without WSDOT commitment, funding, schedule and a plan in place to improve this interchange would have irreversible consequences and would cause a tremendous number of adverse impacts. 1. There are scenarios in the proposal that suggest using the 1-405 30"' street onramp/offramp (exit 6) and then routing cars through the hilly, residential neighborhoods in Kennydale along 301h, 40"', Burnett and Park. This is not a realistic alternative and is equally as dangerous as cars choosing to use Barbee Mill as a shortcut. And it could encourage drivers travelling northbound and southbound on Lake Washington Blvd to take a shortcut through Barbee Mill. e. Transportation-The proposal does not include any plans to develop, improve or encourage public transit in the vicinity. This means that there would be no alternative form of transportation for the estimated 2000+ daily visitors and tenants. It is not an environmentally responsible transportation design solution to place 2000 additional cars onto neighborhood streets and the lakefront in this residential community without providing realistic transportation alternatives. 1. In the Mayor's 2010 State of the City Address, he declared "I believe that it is vital that we have the right infrastructure in place now to serve the needs of our future. We will continue to work with Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page 5 the state and regional transportation organizations to make critical investments to create an affective transportation system that allows goods and people to move efficiently." The Quendall proposal does not provide for any investments to create an affective transportation solution in the area NOR does it put the right infrastructure in place to serve the needs of the immediate area and alleviate traffic and noise and air pollution impacts and public safety risks. f. Parking-In the Proposal Alternative 2, there are surface level parking lots for 220 cars up placed right up against the entire north property line for Barbee Mill. This is in no way consistent with land use compatibility in the neighborhood and will adversely impact property values and quality of life. Nor is Proposal Alternative 1, which calls for a 6-story building to be placed right up against the north fence of Barbee Mill. We believe that it is not an acceptable plan to place parking lots, tall buildings and/or delivery entrances right up against the north Barbee Mill fence. i. We are concerned that if fees are charged for parking in the Quendall development, that visitors and tenants will seek out free parking in the adjacent neighborhood streets especially at Barbee Mill-which already suffers from insufficient street parking for residents and guests. 4) Public Safety Impact a. Cyclist Safety/Pedestrian/Runners Safety-Lake Washington Blvd was never meant to be a major thoroughfare. It is a hilly, scenic route through residential neighborhoods. It has no sidewalks and is very poorly lit at night. In fact, it is already quite dangerous on winter nights to turn into the Barbee Mill development at either 43'd or 44'" St as there are no streetlights at either intersection. Lake Washington Blvd (in addition to Barbee Mill streets) is currently used not only by vehicles but also by pedestrians walking their pets and children, joggers and bicyclists. Given that there are no sidewalks and poor lighting along the road, such an increase in cars would not only cause traffic gridlock and backups but would also present a tremendous safety hazard to all using the bike lanes and shoulders for purposes other than driving. i. As a demonstration, a Barbee Mill resident counted more than 140 cyclists using Lake Washington Blvd and crossing 43'd St in a 90- minute period on a recent summer Saturday morning. b. We are concerned that the proposed public access trail and above ground parking lots located right against Barbee Mill North fence would invite evening transient traffic and loitering that could lead to crime. This fence backs up against an existing quiet residential neighborhood. This would not only adversely impact quality of life for Barbee Mill residents but also reduce property values. c. We are concerned that the proposed traffic volume and insufficient infrastructure, would affect the ability of emergency vehicles and first responders to quickly access the Barbee Mill community (and Ripley Lane neighborhood) in the event of an emergency. This puts the lives and health of residents at risk. d. We are concerned that a newly accessible open public space, trails, and parking lots may become an attractive target to a criminal element and would bring an increase risk of crime, vandalism, gang activity, graffiti, Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page6 noise, and other negative and unwanted activity that would put neighborhood homeowners' safety and security at risk. 5) Light, Glare & Noise Impact a. We have tremendous concern over the amount light and glare that would be emitted from the proposed high-density residential buildings (proposed to be as high as 90ft) and the evening and night-time restaurant patrons and shoppers in the retail development. We also are concerned about the noise pollution that would come from delivery trucks, giant HVAC units, 2000+ cars/day and ensuing traffic, residential tenants, office workers, retail shoppers and potential bar/restaurant patrons. The light, glare and noise from the proposed Quendall development would adversely impact quality of life and property values for the residents and homeowners of Barbee Mill. 6) Environmental Impact a. The true baseline character of the Quendall property is unknown until the EPA mandated remedial action is fully specified and completed. We believe that the DEIS proposes prematurely, approval of a BINDING site plan for specifications of square feet of various building types, number of parking spaces, roads, traffic and egress to and from the development. Approving the BINDING plan PRIOR TO completed the mandated remedial clean up of the Superfund sight is not only unwise and imprudent but the long term consequences and negative impacts are just too great. As homeowners, this is not the legacy we want to have to live with nor is what we want for our health, our quality of life and our property values. b. Mayor Law declared in his 2010 State of the City address that: "Clean, healthy air; high quality drinking water; and trails and green open spaces are key to keeping our city a great place to live and work. Expanding our tree canopy, creating a better trail system, and protecting our environment provides many benefits to the city and boosts property values by making neighborhoods greener." Unfortunately, the current proposal for Quendall runs completely contrary to the Mayor's pledge. c. Superfund Site Carcinogens & The Impact on The Environment-The The EPA has tremendous concerns about the carcinogenic substances on the Quendall site, cleanup and the adverse impact the cleanup would have on the Lake, including fishing and swimming and on several species. We share this concern. (EPA ID# WAD980639215). i. They state: "The primary contaminants of concern are carcinogenic PAHs and benzene. These contaminants are found in the soil and ground water throughout the site. These compounds are found at concentrations well above State cleanup levels for residential and industrial sites. At some locations on the site, creosote product has been found under the surface. In some areas the product is four to six feet thick. Releases of these contaminants to Lake Washington are of particular concern. Lake Washington is used for a variety of recreational purposes including fishing and swimming. The southern end of Lake Washington, including the area where the site is located, is considered prime habitat for rearing of juvenile Chinook, which is a Federal Threatened Species, and other salmon stocks. The Cedar River, which enters Lake Washington approximately two Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page 7 miles from the site, supporls the largest sockeye run in the contiguous United States. Lake Washington also supporls several sensitive environments including habitat for bull trout and the bald eagle. In addition, there are two swimming beaches located within one half mile of the site." As homeowners at Barbee Mill, we enjoy having access to the shoreline in our development and do not want to see it adversely impacted by release of contaminates nor do we want to put the health of our families at risk. d. We understand that the EPA has jurisdiction over the remediation and cleanup of the Superfund Site at Quendall Terminals. We are extremely concerned about what carcinogenic contaminants will be released into the air and water (through either surface or aquifer transfer) and into our neighborhoods and into our shoreline and May Creek as a result of the initial cleanup process. We are also extremely concerned the adverse impact that the proposed mitigation, landfilling, grading, piling driving and other redevelopment activities will have on our neighborhoods and our residents. Furthermore, the DEIS proposes no dust control measures during the construction process to minimize contaminant transportation to Barbee Mill Homes. We believe strongly that it is NOT PRUDENT OR RESPONSIBLE to approve any BINDING redevelopment proposal for this site until the remediation and cleanup of this critical Superfund site has been thoroughly planned and safely planned, executed and effectively completed by the EPA. To expedite the redevelopment process in order to pursue redevelopment income, puts at risk and adversely affects the health and lives of the immediate neighborhood residents, users of Lake Washington and the existing wildlife. Pursuing binding development agreements BEFORE Superfund cleanup, would be an extremely poor decision with a tremendously risky outcome. e. Wetlands-The overall wetlands in the Quendall property are at least twice the size they are portrayed as in the EIS. In particular in the Southwest corner (a small blue dot labeled "H") is nearly an acre in total size, which is 50-times the size of what is portrayed in the DEIS. i. The Wetland buffer area for shoreline wetlands should remain at a minimum of 50 ft and should not be reduced for shoreline trails or buildings as currently proposed and shown on figure 2-7. 1i. Substituting Wetland "I" or "J", which is nothing more than a drainage ditch, (per figure 2.6, 2.7 and 2.11) which are separated by Ripley Lane & the railroad tracks and have absolutely no continuity with the Quendall site are not adequate or appropriate solutions for mitigating onsite wetlands throughout the Quendall site including adjacent to Barbee Mill. f. Wildlife-The EIS makes no mention of existing wildlife or mitigation for their loss of habitat from the proposed construction. There are ospreys, eagles, herons, deer, hummingbirds, and other species living in the wetlands and natural habitat of the Quendall property. CONCLUSIONS 1) We recommend that the City does NOT PROCEED with the current Bl NDING proposal as outlined in the Draft EIS. Of the three alternatives proposed, we believe that the ONLY viable alternative is that of "NO ACTION." Comments Regarding Quendall Tenminal DEIS Page 8 2) We certainly hope that Mayor Law meant what he pledged in his 2010 State of The City address when he stated: "By engaging citizens to participate in the process we are starting to create a picture of a city that is a leader in growth management." a. Mr. Mayor, City Council Members, City Planners and Hearing Examiner, as citizens of Renton we are participating in the DEIS public hearing process and we are loudly saying that the proposals outlined in the DEIS for the Quendall Terminal Redevelopment are in no way in alignment with that goal of responsible growth management and would have tremendous adverse impacts on the surrounding community. 3) Mayor Law also concluded his 2010 State of the City address with these words: "I am optimistic about the future. I am optimistic because people in our community are willing to step up and do what is necessary; because it is through partnerships that we tackle tough issues; and because we never quit planning for the future of this great community." a. So here we are, the people of Renton stepping up and tackling the tough issues of a poorly thought out, extremely inappropriate and binding DEIS proposal that is completely out of character with the surrounding residential neighborhoods. IF approved and developed, the proposed Quendall development would be a devastating destruction to the shoreline of Lake Washington and to the surrounding community. This proposed redevelopment of the Quendall Tenninal Property is definitely NOT what we want to see in the future of our great community. 4) We believe that this proposal would have a tremendously adverse impact on the existing adjacent neighborhoods especially our Barbee Mill community. The proposed Quendall development would negatively impact and affect traffic, public safety, quality of life and property values in Barbee Mill and surrounding neighborhoods. 5) As homeowners, taxpayers and citizens of the City of Renton, we urge the City of Renton to NOT approve this binding proposal for the redevelopment of the Quendall Tenninal Proposal. The only one of its alternatives that is viable is that of "NO ACTION!" Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page 9 Vanessa Dolbee From: Sent: To: Subject: Vanessa Dolbee Thursday, January 27, 2011 2:00 PM 'Bruce MacCaul' RE: Comments re Quendall Terminal DEIS LUA09-151 Dear Mr. & Mrs. MacCaul, Thank you for commenting on the Quendall Terminals DEIS. Your comments will be entered into the projects official file and will be addressed in the Final EIS. In addition, you will be added to the party of record list for the subject project, if you are not already on the list. Once again, thank you for taking the time to comment on this project. If you have any additional questions please feel free to ask. Sincerely, Vanessa Dolbee Senior Planner Department of Community & Economic Development City of Renton Renton City Hall -6th Floor 1055 South Grady Way Renton, WA 98057 425.430.7314 -----Original Message----- From: Bruce MacCaul [mailto:bmaccaul@gmail.com1 Sent: Wednesday, January 19, 2011 3:26 PM To: Vanessa Dolbee Cc: Mimi Maccaul Subject: Comments re Quendall Terminal DEIS LUA09-151 Please find attached my comments re the Quendall Terminal DEIS LUA09-151 Marylouise (Mimi) MacCaul 1 .. COMMENTS REGARDING THE LUA09-151 DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT (DEIS) FOR QUENDALL TERMINAL My name is Marylouise MacCaul. I am a homeowner in Barbee Mill, living at 1246 N 42"' Place. The rear of our home is just six feet from the Quendall property line where the 2000 car parking is proposed. We are the first building adjacent to 43'' street where the proposed entrance exists. Our genuine concerns reach beyond these obvious impacts. Alternatives 1 and 2 will create an enormous propertY in my backyard. The keywords and phrases that come to mind for this proposal are: Premature, Overreaching, Noise, Traffic, Congestion, Binding, "Dwarfs Barbee", "Out of Character'', "Contaminated Dust", and "Parking Problems". No binding plans should be agreed to before the site is cleaned up and remaining impacts understood, Here are my specific concerns that lead me to request the city's support for the NO- ACTION alternative: • The scope and size of DEIS Alternatives 1 and 2 will SEVERELY DWARF the residential character of the Barbee Mill Development. • "The Highest and Best Use" of the Quendall propertY is limited by poor accessibility, and contamination. Alternatives 1 and 2 simply overreach and overload the site. Utilizing the shoreline to it best use is ignored. • The DEIS does not addresses congestion that will create noise pollution as well as ingress and egress problems for Barbee Mill Owners. • Barbee Mill parking is barely adequate for its residents. The DEIS proposal parking for 2000+ cars which will likely overflow onto our streets . • The DEIS proposes no dust control measures during the construction process to minimize contaminant transportation to the Barbee Mill homes. • There is no study showing the combined traffic impacts from the Seahawks, Quendall, Hawks Landing, and Barbee Mill projects, with the 1405 interchange #7, and with the slow and narrow Lake Washington Blvd • The true baseline character of the property is unknown until the EPA mandated remedial action is fully specified and completed, • The DEIS prematurely proposes, APPROVAL OF A BINDING SITE PLAN for specifications of square feet for various building types, number of parking spaces, roads, traffic, and egress to and from the development. • DEIS Alternatives 1 and 2, no matter how you look at it, are PREMATURE and OVERREACH the Highest and Best use of the Property PLEASE SUPPORT THE NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE January 19, 2011 --Phone: 425-430-5409 ---email: mimiafsc@mac.com I zc;,"" ~ -~:'i. ;:::1,,,.,. . )L'\< ... t:_..,. City of Renton Planning Division Vanessa Dolbee From: Sent: To: Subject: dariusvicki@msn.com Thursday, January 20, 2011 5: 1 O PM Suzanne Dale Estey; Vivienne Lietz; Alexander Pietsch; Chip Vincent; Vanessa Dolbee Kennydale Neighborhood Meeting & Added Agenda [FYI, here is a copy of the bulk email that I sent to the KNA membership today]: The Kennydale Neighborhood Association is pleased to send you this reminder about our upcoming Neighborhood Meeting, and to advise you of an important addition to the planned Agenda: KENNYDALE QUARTERLY NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING Tuesday, January 25th at 7:00 pm Kennydale Elementary School -1700 NE 28th Street Special Presentation on The Griffin Home, featuring Guest Speakers from the Home's management team: Terry Pottmeyer, Chief Operating Officer Carol Almero, Director of Residential Treatment and Griffin Home Program Managers The Griffin Home has been a good neighbor in Kennydale since 1955, but some of you may not be aware of everything that they and their parent organization (Friends of Youth) do towards developing, providing and promoting services for children, youth, and families. Here's your chance to get all the current scoop from the people who make it happen! Special Added Presentation on current plans for developing the Port Quendall Terminals property, featuring representatives from the Renton Dept. of Community and Economic Development: Suzanne Dale Estey, Economic Development Director Chip Vincent, Planning Director Vanessa Dolbee, Senior Planner Plans to develop this property, which is located in North Kennydale between the Sea hawks Training Facility and the Connor Homes Barbee Mill town homes, are underway again. The proposed development will transform this old industrial site into an attractive complex of residences, office and retail spaces ..... and, it will bring significant economic benefits into Renton. All Kennydale residents should take this opportunity to find out what is planned, and what it means for us. There will be ample time for questions and answers after both of these presentations! Also on the agenda: Prizes will be awarded to the winners of the KNA Annual Holiday Lights contest! All Kennydale residents are invited to this meeting. If you have a new neighbor who might not be on our email list, we would greatly appreciate it if you would forward this on to them .... or better still, send me their contact info: dariusvicki@msn.com Darius Richards, KNA President www.kennydale.org 1 Anne Woodley 7920 E Mercer Way Mercer Island, WA 98040 Vanessa Dolbee Department of Community and Economic Development Planning Division 1055 South Grade Way Renton, WA 98057 vdolbee@renton.gov Date January 23, 2011 City of R Planning Denton tvrsion JAN 2 7 2011 ~fffrc~u~~{t)) I am writing about my concern about the lighting plan of the Quendall Terminal plan ( LUAOP-151-EIS,ECF,BSP, SM,SA-M DEIS Statement. Your department did a great job of mitigating the disruption of the area with the Seahawks practice field and also the development to the South. Both of those developers were sensitive to the flora, fauna and neighborhood. That sensitivity seems to be absent from the current plan for the Quendall Terminal. I would like to make sure that the current plan enforces protections surrounding the security lighting, parking lot lighting and vehicular lights. There are large areas of minimal lighting between Renton and the practice field. You cannot justify this aggressive plan by saying it is consistent with the current residential appearance. The residents of the Island who stare at this development will continue to work to ensure the best development practices are in place. I also question the potential disturbance of the repaired land from the Super Fund site. What will be done to minimize the damage from any remaining chemicals9 Last, why give up the chance to have public waterfront access for Kennydale? Please let me know when the hearings will be because our neighborhood is organizing a petition drive and also plans to attend in force. Thank you for your attention to this matter. a.woodley@comcast.net January 24, 2011 Ms. Vanessa Dolbee Richard M. Ferry 7414 East Mercer Way, Mercer Island, WA 98040 206-232-1872 rmfinwa@aol.com Senior Planner, Department of Community & Economic Development Renton City Hall 1055 South Grady Way Renton, WA 98057 RE: Quendall Terminals, Project Number LUA09-151, EIS, ECF, BSP, SM, SA-M Dear Ms. Dolbee, City of A._ ento P!annfnn ff . . n u iv1s1on I am writing to express my concerns about the Quendall Terminals development in Renton. I am a Mercer Island resident and have many concerns about continuing to commercially develop an area that, until recently, has principally been a serene single family neighborhood. Mercer Island and Renton residents have already experienced a significant change with the addition of the Sea hawks Training Facility and I am deeply concerned about the future negative impact on our quality of life and real estate values with additional commercial development in this area. In parti.cular, I want to address the visual impact that the proposed developments-would have on Mercer Island residents. Regarding the view, page 3.7-22 of the December 2010 Draft EIS Statement states that the view "would appear as a continuation of development along the shoreline area ... "· Regarding lighting and glare, page 3.7-24 states that "the Quendall Terminals site.would generally appear as a continuation of urban lighting associated with the City of Renton.'' ·Jwoutd argue that the proposed development is not a continuation of the development and lighting associated with the City of Renton, but the sudden placement of a large commercial development along a long stretch of shoreline that is either vacant or contains single family homes. The commercial portion of the City of Renton's view and lights end at the south end of Gene Coulon Memorial Beach Park. From that point, there is a long stretch of park and single family homes until you reach the Quendall Terminals property. After a mile or two of vacant and sparsely populated shoreline, adding multiple seven story buildings with between 700 and 800 residential units, up to 275,000 square feet of commercial space, and parking for up to 2,200 cars is not a continuation of development and lighting associated with the City of Renton. It is an abrupt change that will have a significant impact on the residents of Renton and Mercer Island and the shoreline of Lake Washington. Regarding the view, the photos in Figure 3. 7-2 show a significant difference between the existing view and the resulting views with Alternative 1 and Alternative 2. Again, the addition of several seven story buildings along a shoreline consisting of primarily vacant land or single family · residences will have a considerable impact on the view. Additionally; page' 3.7-24 states that the development on this site would: ' · · · · · • . "Add a variety of new sources of light and glare to the site." . • "Resuit in an overall increase in light and glare when compared to .existing conditions." • "Result in new light sources on the site." • Result in general lighting levels that are "higher than those found on the adjacent Barbee Mill and Seahawks sites." J am deeply concerned about the impact that this additional lighting will have on the residents of Renton and Mercer Island. The resulting glare and reflection off of Lake Washington will cause a pronounced and perceptible change in the overall living experience and quality of life for residents in this area. Except for the Seahawks Training Facility, the view along this area of shoreline is characterized by vacant land or single family residences that have a low impact on the shoreline and adjacent areas. Even taking into account the Seahawks Training Facility, the addition of the proposed plan would add a completely new type of development to this area, one which will have a significant negative impact on the shoreline and the surrounding residents. Please stop the commercialization of our shoreline. ;\ Si::c-f'"2!y) ;~vyfv Richard M. Ferry Richard M. Ferry· 7414 East Mercer Way· Mercer Island, WA· 98040 Quendall Terminals EIS PUBLIC COMMENTS ON DEIS lffltrfrt;ff:l!J llf IE{()) Name Address Telephone/email S:_A)rr ' • 11 l'to~. /I) .f'2' r.r ~i Rl).,l'jfo,J 1tu ~xs -·I 1;/JS" Comments: Comments on the DEIS can be given in writing at any time during the comment period, which ends at 5:00 PM on February 9, 2011. Written comments can be sent to: Ms. Vanessa Dolbee, Senior Planner Department of Community & Economic Development Planning Division 1055 S Grady Way Renton, WA 98057 email: VDolbee@Rentonwa.gov ' Quendall Terminals DEIS KENNEYDALE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETING, 01.25.11 PARTY OF RECORD SIGN-UP SHEET (PLEASE PRINT) Name Address Telephone E-mail /c)c·'1 /\) ·~; 1 't S-f--\\ :C"i. t)i ,. ·~ A '/(;(.J'y\ ,~<, '~ ,"t\ . " C ~/V'-"--·\}..,/ \. . - ' / ' V -. '\. ~ i '· '•I .,"--__. ,_/ V .I'·· \Jick. /2. cJv-?ds 3 0 Gs-C.ic. U,i :(...Sll Blwf .4 . 7? (?,,.,_,.:; r\. y ;;..~y3~'ff6 'f &Le t ).,1\o..L l'1\l~ {2J r S.llf.... ,Q,q C 1..\-20-211-' Ave. IJ.t-Cone.as+. n-:S a,hrdle_ R t-t'b-\o I\ ct ~VJ'/) v,~lt r/J-i,E J;i ,Al j)~ cf<J/7 ,913:E,(;?lJ.EE/v/ ,t-;25' c:20.-:r-/uye~..d-f.p /fl-/.? ,,,t,'? /;l-.9.2 7 @at:Jm a,,;.·-ia U,orrAJ-'12?~0 C. Ofi {\) (_-y°r J tJv d. \,\;;ls rJ( ;).':.~ ,£ sr 42S ;ii)~-Coon,e {Y) ~ q~s0 SY 3b "K'-'Jl or e Cum to.'iJ. ne-/- ~~y'e 3.3 O Co ,L~. WA r3lru ~0 r~.s kwit &"\ve l~. "F-:)_ qi-tu r-- ~1iJA'-~v'"ti~uJA 1~0~'0 ~ '_:_.o Vi Ca ''\--.1 ·1 1/ 0 .~w\ -11/ 08 JJ, ~u_ SJ--L/J.< 1)1~ f'tl lct11 /J,IJi:':,"[ (N;A.df n0v/.L..r, w4 <!J-ci.rb o-11-/((;,7 @C-<YU<:,¥./.. A,.fLC (2y"1, \s.?i-" "-It Oll ~. lti\(.l'.\,lJ\-Sh.1d 1 ·z_.olP ·· C v.e\~ \'.'."1 ~v5 C 2.D< 200 · '81$(.., r'1bt~ ~ 12-evttov\, W* qi:)O'SG:, 'j wa., \.. u:::"-- -o) '--~ 0' ,,t Quendall Terminals DEIS KENNEYDALE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETING, 01.25.11 PARTY OF RECORD SIGN-UP SHEET (PLEASE PRINn Name Address Telephone E-mail "1r'-'-t d N Q_ v. """"' "n C\0lN28fll s.:: ~!;; {(._....,,-w ~ 9B•S<c '< "t' l_i._-, L1LQl (}.J ·~ ' s fp j 1i1 J 1 c t -r J ;J. 4/~-,"' ~ /" 1,_c-:,-t.-, 1JNIC !;;!',ld; 1:-t ,V? I'} 0 t'/ ,.. (1, ,,. rj I t-,: ' . -.··· I" ..., }l\ 0 S , , • --,._ lS1'> NB ~ * ,J·~ Mc .fe_'_ -D1 rt,~ ~~" 11\hL ~~c;J. l\i,.:,"'-~ ':i -(_,)"'\ f-MA~, <. y !.L ' N . "is'+ T4 ~. fLlzs) .Jo,si ~"3~'6 jo~ da.n ea.d. uA.!-11 EL-~ '1 Be,Q,. 2,z9 -1ci~=s C"'l.1-L Quendall Terminals DEIS KENNtDALE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETING, 01.25.11 PARTY OF RECORD SIGN-UP SHEET (PLEASE PRINT) Name Address Teleohone E-mail ~l~E ~Tn,~ 3~\\0 ?~L ~ l\l L\1~-Z3S' -/\hB NAA,,1rJe ~Moo ,toJ.f Q~"-,iiJ'l'-\ . 'J\ \Ii -(td~1 ~ ~ ~2.~ ..277 ~l 1 -roch.sSj r ~ c ~~Co L-t w4 5( Jc() IJ. / VVvt~- -S'ost V1 S-cJV> tJ 30'65~ 1.rz.s -""22 ~ S'c1sct vi tty'., "Vh, 1\111\l,.e V ~ I ~u i h.o+ W'-Ct.t l , Lr"I- ht.1d Wovlev/ i/100 LIL ?lJCi f!,lvd, qz.,--/{tr(( f!} "7 5 ,,-~ 1 rd - 1-ev ' (11-, /!;2.o '3 -(<~/Ah__ 06~ < !VU! Cc:C. ,-fV.,1 ~ • Quendall Terminals DEIS KENNEYDALE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETING, 01.25.11 PARTY OF RECORD SIGN-UP SHEET (PLEASE PRINT) Name Address Telephone E-mail A A -r c 1v'I> 1<-A I I/ ) "1 ).q T,-; 1/ 4 2..f-2..f'f'-2.S'{, 7 A:1 r CJ W<{."' Ir 1 , A lq f<..AVJ .A.Ai-;! t;;--(\1 7-v tJ ~ J"' /.oo . , . .:, ..., 'l t:f o S~c'., ~ .. (' 1.) CITY OF MERCER ISLAND, WASHINGTON 9611 SE 36th Street• Mercer Island, WA 98040-3732 (206) 275-7600• (206) 275-7663 fax City Of' R '°'qn,1,na o·e_nton .. iv1sion www.mercergov.org January 20, 2011 Vanessa Dolbee Senior Planner; Planning Division 61h Floor Renton City Hall 1055 South Grady Way Renton, WA 98057 RE: Quendall Terminals DEIS Dear Ms Dolbee, JAN 2 4 2011 IRi!E::CGfu'W!f© Thank you for the opportunity to comment upon the Draft Environmental Impact for the Quendall Terminals proposal. Many members of the Mercer Island community are concerned with the potentially significant adverse impacts of new light and glare from both alternatives 1 and 2. The analysis appropriately discloses that either alternative 1 or 2 would "add a variety of new sources of light and glare to the site" but then concludes that the "lighting levels and amount of glare generated from the development would be typical of an urban environment and significant adverse impacts would not be anticipated (page 3.7-24). We agree that the impacts of light and glare would not be a significant adverse environmental impact if appropriately mitigated. The current DEIS is inadequate because it only suggests that light and glare mitigation may be "possible" but are not "required". We believe that the following mitigation measures, at a minimum, should be required: • Exterior building lighting, parking lot lighting and pedestrian level lighting shall be directed downward away from surrounding buildings and properties and Lake Washington to minimize the impacts to adjacent uses, the habitat of Lake Washington and Mercer Island residents. . ·- • Reflective glazing materials shall be minimized in building design to reduce the potential glare impacts to surrounding properlies including Lake Washington and Mercer Island. • Building design shall include significant modulation and variation of materials to improve the aesthetic quality of the development when viewed from Lake Washington and Mercer Island. Without specific required mitigation measures, both alternative 1 and 2 have the potential to create significant adverse environmental impacts from light and glare. Director, Development Services Group Cc: City Manager Rich Conrad Mayor Jim Pearman Deputy Mayor El Jahncke Councilmember Bruce Bassett Councilmember Jane Meyer Brahm Councilmember Mike Cera Councilmember Mike Grady Councilmember Dan Grausz Vanessa Dolbee From: Vanessa Dolbee Sent: To: Monday, January 31, 2011 9:45 AM 'Paul R Siegmund' Subject: RE: Quendall-DE1S-comments-Siegmund-R1 .docx Dear Paul Siegmund, Thank you for commenting on interesting. Your comments addressed in the Final EIS. the subject project, if you the Quendall Terminals DEIS, the images you provided are very will be entered into the projects official file and will be In addition, you will be added to the party of record list for are not already on the list, Once again, thank you for taking the time to comment on this project. If you have any additional questions please feel free to ask. Sincerely, Vanessa Dolbee Senior Planner Department of Community & Economic Development City of Renton Renton City Hall -6th Floor 1055 South Grady Way Renton, WA 98057 425.430.7314 -----Original Message----- From: Paul R Siegmund [mailto:paulrsiegmund@gmail.com1 Sent: Friday, January 21, 2011 9:12 AM To: Vanessa Dolbee Subject: Quendall-DEIS-comments-Siegmund-Rl.docx Vanessa, Please enter my attached comments document into the record for the Quendall DEIS project. I hand-delivered a hardcopy to your receptionist this morning. That paper and this PDF are identical. Please feel free to use them interchangeably or together, whatever works best for you. As there is no difference, I have no preference. I'm looking forward to learning the resolutions of this enormously offensive proposal. We don't want it and we see ample grounds for the city to reject it. That is the result we ultimately expect. You may alert your boss to expect extreme and organized opposition if the applicant persists with this idea. This is not going to move smoothly or quietly. Thank you, Paul Paul R Siegmund via my iPhone4 1 ' I .. JI R. Siegmund, P.E. 1006 North 42"d Place• Renton, Washington 98056 •425.502.5195 • paulrsiegmund@gmail.com City of Renton Department of Economic & Community Development, Planning Division Renton City Hall 1055 S Grady Way Renton, WA 98057 Attn: Ms. Vs, ; Senior Planner, vdolbee@rentonwa.gov Subject: Comments Against Quendall Terminals Draft EIS (LUA09-151) January 20, 2011 A c,r,o SC f.9ofV <::: I '01V J,4/./ 2 // ~ D Su1l.D1tv, I <OJ; G D11/fSi ,o"' I submit the following to amplify and to amend the oral comments I provided at the January 4, 2011, public meeting. I object to the content of the draft EIS and to the overall nature of the project it describes. 1. The DEIS describes impacts to surrounding areas which it claims are insignificant but which in fact are enormous as anyone can see. I will show meaningful visual comparisons in this letter, since the application and DEIS failed to do so. 2. The DEIS describes a project which it claims is consistent with existing adjacent uses and will have no significant height and bulk or land use compatibility impacts when in fact the existing surrounds have nothing in common with the project, the rest of Lake Washington has nothing in common with it nor do any other freshwater frontages in King County, and its compatibility impacts would be hugely detrimental to quality of life along Lake Washington. The proposal is, by the way, even taller and denser than any1hing on the shoreline of Seattle's decidedly urban (and industrial) Lake Union. The DEIS includes no less than six repetitions of the phrase "consistent with the existing urban character of the area," and numerous repetitions of "No significant height and bulk impacts would be anticipated" and "No significant land use compatibility impacts would be anticipated." All of these statements are preposterous and completely without basis in fact. 3. The Draft EIS document is incomplete and inaccurate in its presentation of important required data. 4. The applicant's claim to have crafted a meaningful alternative for the purpose of meeting procedural requirements for an EIS is a sham. Alternative 2 is not significantly different from Alternative 1, at about 85% of the size of the original. The purported alternative is equally inappropriate for the character of the local area, and equally aesthetically offensive, as the original proposal. It would have been appropriate for the purpose to consider an alternative proposal in the range of HALF the size of the original in order for the comparisons to have any meaning. Therefore the only acceptable alternative among the three in the Quendall Draft EIS is the third, the no-action alternative. Leave the property alone until a sane, rational, locally appropriate development proposal is crafted. . aul R. Siegmund, P.E. [2] The central foundational claim in the impact statement, on which all conclusions have to rest, is FALSE. With similar assertions throughout DEIS: 'The proposed height and bulk and setbacks of development ... would be consistent with the existing urban character of the area and the applicable provisions of the City of Renton regulations; therefore, no significant height and bulk or land use compatibility impacts would be anticipated." • Applicant is evidently asserting compatibility with the Seahawks and The Landing. These are not relevant or appropriate, as the Seahawks are unique, and The Landing is too far away to be meaningful. • The proposed design, height, size and density would be more appropriate in a truly urban setting such as near The Landing. • Sandwiched between a shopping mall and the country's second-largest airplane factory, it would look beautiful. • But not in a residential area, which is the majority of usage of the land along the water in north Renton. • Placing this dense urban conglomerate in the middle of existing otherwise residential area would damage local property value and ruin neighborhood character. • To claim compatibility and consistency with existing uses is an insult to readers' and taxpayers' intelligence. This is a residential neighborhood. The project is at least twice the size and density that could be acceptable. Slim the plan down. Lower the roofs. There is no existing character, use, height and bulk that is consistent and compatible with, and therefore would be minimally impacted by, the tallest and most water-proximate new development proposed for Lakes Washington and Union, and all of King County. The language in the DEIS is false, following flawed or absent logic used to construct a desired conclusion. A clear look at the information gathered when examining traffic impact, architecture, density, usage of land in a residential neighborhood, usage of land near a beautiful lake, usage of land that is presently wet and wild and home to wildlife, and when considering light, glare, noise, aesthetics and transportation, in absence of a foregone conclusion reached due to attempt to promote the project, would render the conclusion of minimal impact completely absurd. The city has the authority and the duty to conclude that the proposal is not viable, and therefore to reject it. Do this. The following meaningful visual presentations of the project are significantly different from any presented in the DEIS. These will accurately depict its size, bulk and density: • in comparison to nearby existing structures and uses that are in no way similar to the proposal • and to distant waterside structures and uses that are more so, but still smaller and less dense _ aul R. Siegmund, P.E. [3] Height, Bulk & Density Elevation View of just two Quendall Buildings, as viewed from the water of Lake Washington, furnished by the Applicant (DEIS figure 2- 5.) l~--------------- • • • • • Quendall buildings labeled as 77 ft in height are drawn with dimension marks that do not go all the way to their tops_ Elevator machinery rooms, roof peaks, and final grade are not correctly added . Buildings are actually close to 90 ft above current grade_ Barbee Mill is only 32ft -35ft_ Seahawks hangar is 115 ft high, and Boeing's 737 assembly hall is about 110 ft_ o This is o/. of Seahawks and more than twice that of ANY local residences. o The proposal is also three times the length of the Seahawks' indoor field, and is even longer than the Boeing 737 assembly facility. Look again at simulated photos, especially from waterside_ Proposal dwarfs everything nearby with one exception of completely unique use and character, the Seahawks camp. ·"' -----~ Figure 3. 7-2 of the DEIS, claiming to be a visual simulation of the view of the Quendall proposal and surrounding neighborhood from Clark Park on Mercer Island_ The proposed buildings have been manipulated in this view provided on behalf of the applicant to be much lower in height than they actually are. . ·- Simulated photo of proposal area, also from Clark Park on Mercer Island. Created using publicly available topographic and photographic data, and Google Earth 3-D building rendering tools. On the left is VMAC, on the right Barbee Mill. Note that Quendall's 75 foot buildings are more than twice the height of the 35ft adjacent residences and everything else on Lake Washington, with _ aul R. Siegmund, P.E. [4] one exception. Note also that the proposed buildin!jS are nearly as tall as the Seahawks' center, but appear taller because they are much closer to the shoreline. Google Earth aerial of the Quendall proposal with the Seahawks Center and Barbee Mill adjacent. The red-outlined shape placed over the Quendall property is a 1: 1 scale 3-D copy of the large Boeing Renton final assembly plant re-drawn here to emphasize the enormous scale of the proposed construction. Clearly it has no commonality or compatibility with anything nearb _ One half of the assembly hall, shown for reference, shot from The Landing, 300 feet away: . aul R. Siegmund, P.E. [5] Local Aerial Photos and Renderings from Publicly Available Information These renderings of the Quendall proposals are made using Google Earth polygon tools, with dimensions taken from the applicant's own submittals in the DEIS. The comparison images are made against publicly available aerial photographs of other local developments, and rotated to allow viewing from similar perspective as the aerial photographs. Readers will note the staggering difference in the size, density and sprawl of the Quendall proposal versus other lakefront developments that are, by most standards, already large. Aerial Photo of Carillon Point, Kirkland, from their website. The image area is approximately 700 feet wide, from left to right (ie north to south.) Aerial Photo of Portofino, Kirkland, immediately south of Carillon Point, from their website. The image area is again about 700 feet wide, from left to right (north to south.) Google Earth rendering of Quendall Proposal. Same perspective (elevation & azimuth) and width. Note the much greater density, size and height of these buildings. Google Earth rendering of Quendall Proposal. Again, similar perspective. aul R. Siegmund, P.E. [6] Examples of Comparable Construction in Renton: Apartments in The Landing • Two miles away from Quendall, The Reserve and the Sanctuary stand shorter than the Quendall proposal, by about 8 feet. They are similar in design, though only 7 4 feet tall. They have approximately the same lateral density and spacing between buildings. • They are set adjacent to a shopping center and one of the world's largest airplane factories, on 5-lane arterial roads, in a busy commercial district (not a residential neighborhood). • They are 2,000 feet from the lake shore. aul R. Siegmund, P.E. [7) A survey tour clockwise around Lake Washington of existing developments, with notes on existing, comparable usages and heights Purpose: to search for compatible or consistent uses in the region that might validate the applicant's claims in support of the Quendall proposal. Preview of the conclusion a few pages onward: There are none. Begin by traveling southward, from the north tip of the lake, along the Eastside shoreline Juanita (Kenmore & King County) • Single family residential • 6-story condo under construction, abandoned. Set back from the lake by a companion 2- story condo. Kirkland north • Juanita Bay, north of downtown: Several 3 & 4-story condos • Public beach park • Single-family residential Kirkland Downtown • 2 & 3 story condo & commercial. Generally one level is set into bank, not visible from street, giving neighbors the illusion that the buildings are 1-2 stories • Marina Park • Away from the waterfront separated by urban roadways: 6 story max, condos. • Nothing on the shore or away from that rivals the Quendall proposal in size, height or density. South of Kirkland downtown: • Commercial 3-4 story • Beach park • Condos, 3 stories above a parking deck, with one level generally not visible from Lake Washington Blvd. • Single-family residential and 1-2-story apartments & condos • Another beach park 'aul R. Siegmund, P.E. [8] Carillon Point area: • Immediately north, a condo with 3 stories above one parking deck • Carillon Point has o 4 story hotel and office above parking; 1.5 levels are not visible from street. o The two office towers are 6 stories above parking, set back from the lake by smaller buildings. o The two offices are comparable in height, while drastically less dense than the Quendall proposals. These are the only large buildings on Lake Washington, north of Renton. • Portofino, immediately south of Carillon Point: 4 stories. One level is below the street. Points Cities: Single family residential Bellevue • Single family residential except, • Meydenbauer Bay, o Mostly single-family residential o Beach parks & a marina o Some 2-3 story condos with one level below street, set into the bank • More single family residential Newcastle • Beach park & single family residential •aul R. Siegmund, P.E. [9] Renton • Residential: single-family and one 3-story condo • Seahawks training center. No doubt a completely unique structure and usage, by any standard; not comparable to anything. 115 feet maximum height • Vacant, wild land at Quendall • Barbee Mill: mostly single family residential. 3 stories, 35 feet max Aerial photo • More single family residential • Coulon Beach Park Zoomed in: 2.5 miles away from Quendall: • Bristol Apartments, 4 stories above 1 parking level, total height 55 feet. • Boeing 737 assembly facility. Maximum height about 110 feet. • Renton Airport Within The Landing--DISTANT FROM THE SHORE OF THE LAKE • Reserve and Sanctuary Apartments. 5 stories above 2 parking levels. Max height 74 feet. (SHORTER THAN QUENDALL) • Commercial and office space, max 2 stories, vacant space, vacant acreage Mercer Island The entire Mercer shoreline is single-family residential except for beach parks and clubs. . aul R. Siegmund, P.E. (10] Continuing north along the Seattle shoreline: Bryn Mawr/Seattle • Single family residential • Marina. Water's Edge: 5-6 story condo. Blocked from view in the proposal area. • Rainier Beach Marina Seattle • Single family residential • Seward Park • Single family residential • Approximately 3 miles of greenbelt between Lake Washington Blvd and the lake • Single family residential Leschi • Single family residential, mixed with 3-story max, multi-family • Marina & commercial; 2-3 story • Single family residential for 3 miles until almost reaching SR-520 Madison Park • Mostly Single family residential • Some 3-story max multi-family • Two exceptions: residential towers built decades ago before similar construction was disallowed • Parks • 2 story apartments near SR-520 • Portage Bay • Single family residential There is nothing compatible or consistent with the Quendall proposal anywhere on the lake, near of far, not even in previously developed commercial waterfront areas. Emphasizing again: The central claim in the DEIS, that "[t]he proposed height and bulk and setbacks of development ... would be consistent with the existing urban character of the area and the applicable provisions of the City of Renton regulations; therefore, no significant height and bulk or land use compatibility impacts would be anticipated," is demonstrably and objectively false. . aul R. Siegmund, P.E. [11] Lake Union A study in density and urban character notionally similar to, but smaller and less dense than the Quendall proposal. This is what 'im act' looks like. ~.. ; :,.itr • Offices up to 8 stories • Shipbuilding & repair • Houseboats • Parks • Seaplane terminal • Wooden Boat Museum • Gas Works Park • Aurora and 1-5 bridges Lake Union conceivably qualifies as what the DEIS calls "urban character" placed along a lakeside waterfront. It is filthy, crowded, and has horrifying traffic on it surrounding roads. And even Lake Union has nothing at the scale of the Quendall proposal. Evidence: • Even the new Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center is predominantly 4 & 5 stories, and is across the arterial road from the lake. • Nothing newly built on the shore exceeds 3 stories. • On the west edge of the lake, most buildings are 2-3 stories. There are only two taller buildings built on piers before environmental regulations banned that practice. aul R. Siegmund, P.E. [12] Wetlands & Habitat • The Quendall property is a habitat for numerous individual bald eagles, deer, osprey, hummingbirds, woodpeckers and other unidentified birds. The EIS is deficient in making no mention of their presence or mitigation of their loss of habitat. Sloppy or intentionally misleading Wetland estimates: • Wetland area "H" on the southwest corner of the Quendall property is persistently about 300 ft x 100 ft in size, irregular, thus presently comprising about o/. of an acre. • This is sixty times(!) larger than the roughly 50 ft x 10 ft oval indicated on the applicant's maps (figs 2-6, 2-11.) • Other wetlands in the subject property similarly appear upon visual inspection to be significantly larger in reality than the applicant's maps show them. • The applicant's proposals for wetland substitution are grossly insufficient as they are: o Orders of magnitude too small in size. They are based on wetland area estimates that are as many as sixty times to small. o Factors of at least two times original should be required. o Too far from the lake, segregated near the 405 freeway, to be useful. --------------~ [Taken January 16, 2011] ul R. Siegmund, P.E. [13] Traffic • 43rd St & Ripley Ln are inadequate to handle any more traffic. • Inevitable diversions into Barbee Mill via 42nd & 41st would be intolerable and unsafe. • 44th/ exit 7 is inadequate. • WSDOT went on record during the EIS scoping process to say there were no funds available for freeway and ramp improvements, that there would not be funds in the foreseeable future, and that traffic assessments should not assume any state improvements have been made. o The applicant assumed them anyway. o As a hedge, an alternative, they proposed in the DEIS to run traffic through Kennydale to 30th St. Proposing that is absurd and irresponsible. o Proponent also mentioned desired improvements to the intersection of Sunset/Park and Lake Washington Blvd, between Coulon Park and The Landing. These would be irrelevant to traffic flow in the Quendall area. • There is not room for thousands more cars per day past or through the entrance to Barbee Mill • New trails to replace rails in the essentially abandoned rail ROW are a desirable residential use with significant benefits to local area residents. Pedestrian, bike and other users' safety would be damaged by the traffic load. • Sloppy work. 43rd St -the intersection with the highest impact to me and to my neighbors-is missing from the traffic data tables. When a new project is considered for the Quendall property, access to it should be driven via a new crossing over the rail right of way. Bringing traffic in and out via 43rd St, the entrance to Barbee Mill and not a convenient route to Quendall, is bad for Quendall and for Barbee. The noise and traffic impact to residents only 100 feet from the centerline of that road is high, not insignificant as the DEIS states. Build a new crossing 300 yards or more to the north, aligning with the Ripley Lane turn and with the center of the property. Make Quendall's traffic Quendall's problem; back them up in their own space. Seahawks • Now only 100-200 employees work there, on a mostly seasonal basis. • Roughly 20 acre plot, similar in size to Quendall • Exhibition days traffic & crowd load: o On 15 days in August, 25,000 people visited (Seattle Times.) o In two weeks, when school was out and daily traffic was correspondingly lower, 1500-2000 people visited on peak days. o The Hawks mitigated that by letting nobody drive in & park; even their own staff and players parked offsite. o They had buses, security, and remote parking. o And traffic around Lake Washington Blvd, 43rd St and 44th St was a zoo. A normal day at Quendall would be even bigger than a Seahawks exhibition day I Above all, the location of and roads around the Quendall property do not provide the accessibility that would warrant a high density development such as the one proposed. Creating the necessary access, and using that access as proposed, would have extreme impacts on local usage and residents. Misleading, absurd claims about the effects of Light and Glare Excerpt from Pg 1-22, Significant Unavoidable Adverse Impacts: ul R. Siegmund, P.E. [14] "Development of the Quendall Terminals site under Alternatives 1 and 2 would change the site from its existing open, partially vegetated condition to a new mixed-use development. The proposed development would represent a continuation of urban development along the Lake Washington shoreline. The proposed building height and bulk would be generally similar to surrounding uses (i.e. the Seahawks Headquarters and Training Facility and the planned Hawk's Landing Hotel) and greater than other uses in the area (i.e. the Barbee Mill residential development). Certain views across the site towards Lake Washington and Mercer Island would be obstructed with the proposed development; however, view corridors towards Lake Washington and Mercer Island would be established and new viewing areas along the lake would also be provided. No significant light. glare. or shadow impacts would be anticipated." The proponent is incorrect and. if intentional, fraudulent in its mis-statements and understatements of plainly observable facts. The applicant's unseemly evident desire to avoid acknowledging the reality of the project's incompatibility with its surroundings is an insult to readers, neighbors and to the city. This adverse-impacts section is false-and not even remotely supportable--for the following reasons: 1. "Surrounding" uses: the site is bounded on four sides. The DEIS cites only two to "surround" it of which one, the Hawks' Landing hotel, would be a small fraction of one side but which does not exist. Next, the immediately adjacent neighbors at Barbee Mill are mentioned in the "other" category while it is clear there is absolutely nothing similar about the proposal to this purely residential neighborhood. The fourth surrounding neighbor is, of course, the un-mentioned lake which also has no similarities. 2. "Certain views across the site towards Lake Washington and Mercer Island would be obstructed ... " is a miraculous understatement designed to obscure the obscene reality of the size of this monster. The project proposal is almost half as high as the hill leading up into Newcastle. The "certain views" are not simply the views from cars passing along Ripley Lane; this complex is bigger than the airplane factory at the industrial end of the lake. The north end of this city will have the lake and the big hill of Mercer Island erased forever. And further, views from Mercer Island to the Eastside will also be obstructed. 3. Light and glare will come at night from the lighting in and on the buildings, and from exterior lights on the roadways and surface parking areas. The property emits no light at this time, and the Seahawks use light rather efficiently. Where there is now darkness at night, the proponent will project light into adjacent homes and green spaces from as high as 90 feet above grade, but the DEIS author has the audacity to claim there would be "no impacts" anticipated. This assessment is impossible! ul R. Siegmund, P.E. [15] Regarding a Public Comment about Land Usage One commenter at the January 4 2011 public meeting spoke about the contextual history of the commercial component of the proposed land usage. He felt that north Renton was underserved by retail and commercial development and noted that a 1981 City of Renton action called for 200,000 square foot development of the Port Quendall property. Unfortunately his comment was outdated, long since overtaken by history. North Renton's character has long since changed from industrial to residential usage. His comment contained errors in overlooking superseding local events and development projects since 1981 which, when re-examined today, would support the exact opposite conclusion, ie that the Quendall property is precisely NOT appropriate for development of the character and scale currently proposed. • In 1981 Boeing's factory was several times the size it is today and Boeing had no evident plans to shrink it. The Renton plant was still building the 727, already was building the 737, and the 757 had not even started. Shortly after the resolution the 757 began and progressed its entire life cycle, replacing the 727 in the same spot. The 737 has been redesigned twice also in the same footprint. • That was King County's jet factory. The Barbee and Quendall industrial operations were still active. There was no evidence in 1981 that the jet factory would one day transform into a commercial development. • 15 years later Boeing began to vacate hundreds of acres of former factory space which quickly became The Landing. • The Landing became the large shopping and apartment development that was once envisioned for north Renton, built on space that was not seen as available in 1981. Now even that has surplus available inside space, plus land not yet developed. • North Renton is now over-served. A huge Quendall commercial complex no longer fits as it might have 30 years ago. It is completely inappropriate and not compatible with or similar to its surrounding area. The 30 year old plans for presuming compatibility have been superseded by residential development, and by the creation of The Landing in the former airplane manufacturing space. • ul R. Siegmund, P.E. [16] Conclusion The central claim in the DEIS, that "[t]he proposed height and bulk and setbacks of development ... would be consistent with the existing urban character of the area and the applicable provisions of the City of Renton regulations; therefore, no significant height and bulk or land use compatibility impacts would be anticipated," is demonstrably and objectively false. Recommendations • Deny the absurd claims of compatibility with and minimal impact to the surrounding area. • Reject the EIS's claims of such. • Reject the project. • Encourage the developer, or other developers, to return with proposals that are much smaller-a fraction of the currently-proposed size--and that are actually compatible with the local area. • Approve nothing, not even a significantly reduced revision, until or unless credible traffic assessments are completed and appropriate improvements are made. • Approve nothing until the EPA completes public processes and approvals of a viable environmental remediation plan that accounts for present hazards and hazard to persons during remediation and construction. Thank you. UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY REGION 10 Reply To: ECL-111 1200 Sixth Avenue, Suite 900 Seattle, Washington 98101-3140 Vanessa Dolbee, Senior Planner 13 January 2011 City of Renton Dept. of Community & Economic Development Renton City Hall -6'h Floor I 055 South Grady Way Renton, WA 98057 Dear Ms. Dolbee: Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the December 20 IO Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Quendall Terminals proposal. As you know and as mentioned in the DEIS, Quendall Terminals is listed on the National Priorities List and as such is a federal Superfund site (Quendall Superfund Site). EPA is in the process of determining the clean up for the Site to ensure protection of human health and the environment. Until EPA makes a cleanup decision, it seems that it would be difficult for the Proponent or the City of Renton to accurately define a baseline .. For example, EPA will not know what actions or restrictions will occur at Quendall Terminals until the cleanup decision is finalized and implemented. Therefore, the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) should clearly describe up front that the EIS's baseline assumptions that are tied to EPA' s final cleanup decisions may change. Also, EPA recommends that the assumptions listed below also be included up front so that readers of the final EIS clearly understand which components of the baseline may change due to cleanup actions. EPA and the current property owners, who are also potentially responsible parties (PRPs), are in the process of completing a Remedial Investigation Report, including a Risk Assessment Analysis, (RI) and a Feasibility Study (FS). These Reports include information about the nature and extent of contamination and potential risks associated with exposure to that contamination and an evaluation of the remedies that could be implemented to mitigate contamination associated with Quendall Terminals. After the RI and FS Reports are approved, EPA will issue a Proposed Plan (PP) which will identify the steps that must be taken to ensure that the Quendall Terminals Site will be protective of human health and the environment. When the PP is finalized the public will be given a 30 day period to provide comments to EPA and a public meeting will be held, if requested. After EPA reviews all public comments, EPA will issue a Record of Decision (ROD) specifying the remedial action chosen to be implemented at the Site. EPA anticipates that the ROD will be issued in mid-2012. After the remedy is established in the ROD, EPA and the PRPs will enter into an agreement for the implementation of the remedy. EPA has reviewed sections of the DEIS that appear to be relevant to the Superfund project at Quendall Terminals. The DEIS does indicate that Quendall Terminals is a Superfund Site and that cleanup actions will occur at the Site in the future. EPA understands that the DEIS is a part of the process that is needed for Quendall Terminals to be commercially developed after the cleanup is completed. Also, as part of the EIS process, a baseline must be described against which the EIS is evaluated and from which a mitigation plan is approved for any post-cleanup redevelopment of the Quendall Terminals Site. In the case of Quendall Terminals, the baseline reflects assumed post- cleanup conditions at Quendall Terminals. Many of these assumptions are based on preliminary discussions with EPA in anticipation of potential future cleanup actions. Consequently, actual post-cleanup conditions at Quendall Terminals will not be known with certainty until the cleanup has been conducted. Some post-cleanup site conditions may be ascertained with some certainty in the ROD. Therefore, the assumptions in the DEIS for Quendall Terminals were developed with the knowledge that those assumptions that establish the baseline could be significantly different than post-cleanup site conditions. Accordingly, if the assumptions supporting the DEIS baseline significantly change, EPA understands that the EIS for Quendall Terminals would need to be modified to reflect actual post-cleanup conditions. EPA is providing the following comments to help clarify certain post-cleanup assumptions used in the DEIS. The baseline in the DEIS assumes that: 1) a soil (sand) cap will be placed over the "entire Main Property" EPA comment: the nature and extent of the cap is unknown at present 2) a shoreline cap of 3.2 acres will be installed and will consist of organoclay, sand, gravel, and topsoil. EPA comment: the nature and extent of the cap is unknown at present 3) three stormwater ouifalls will discharge to the wetlands/lake. EPA comment: the location and number of storm water outfalls may be determined as part of the cleanup actions at Quendall Terminals. 4) setbacks for buildings, roads, parking and wetlands will be a specified distance from the shoreline 2 • EPA comment: setback distances for various components of potential redevelopment can only be determined after the remedy has been implemented. 5) there will be a publically accessible trail along the shoreline and physical access to the shoreline of Lake Washington. EPA comment: the nature and accessibility of private or public access to the shoreline or nature trail will be generally determined in the ROD and specifically in remedial design. Trustees or other Agencies may also have input into nature trail and/or shoreline access. 6) a specific plan for shoreline/habitat mitigation/restoration with particular acreage assigned to different parties to compensate for wetlands that were filled as part of the cleanup action or to compensate for previous damages. EPA comment: Figures showing potential shoreline mitigation/restoration specifications, such as in Figures 2-6, 2-7, 2-11, and 2-12, are very detailed. The final specifications for shoreline mitigation/restoration may not be determined until the ROD and could possibly be modified based on in-field implementation issues. Trustees or other Agencies will be consulted and may also have input into the final specifications of any shoreline mitigation/restoration. EPA did not assist in developing the assumptions for wetland mitigation/restoration. The assumptions used in the DEIS are solely the responsibility of the applicant. 7) certain institutional controls and details of Operations and Maintenance Plans (OMPs) including Best Management Practices will result from the cleanup actions at Quendall Terminals. EPA comment: Details regarding institutional controls and the Quendall Terminals OMP will not be finalized until the completion of remedial action. However, it should be noted that EPA will prohibit underground construction (except for utility corridors and piling support structures) if contamination above safe levels is left in subsurface soils or groundwater. 8) the ROD documenting the cleanup action will be available in late 2011. EPA comment: Best estimates, at present, are that the ROD will not be approved until mid-2012. 9) there will be no use of Lake Washington. EPA comment: Restrictions on the use of Lake Washington adjacent to Quendall Terminals will not be known until the ROD is approved. 3 • The DEIS also states several times that "(a)s part of the cleanup process applicable cleanup methods will consider potential redevelopment plans" and "(a)s part of redevelopment, a pedestrian corridor/trail will also be constructed along the Lake Washington Shoreline during cleanup/remediation." The Superfund Program encourages coordination, to the extent practicable, between Superfund and PRPs seeking to redevelop a Superfund site after the site has been remediated. However, the extent to which coordination can be successful depends on ensuring that protection of human health and the environment are not compromised. Again, EPA appreciates the opportunity to submit comments and wants to acknowledge the significant work done by the Applicant and the City of Renton to try and reflect post- cleanup conditions at Quendall Terminals. Please call me at 206-553-1987 if you have any questions or concerns regarding EPA's comments. A formal Jetter will follow. L da Priddy Remedial Project Manager cc: Barbara Nightingale, Department of Ecology Jessica Winter, NOAA Glen St. Aman!, Muckleshoot Tribe Clay Patmon!, Anchor QEA 4 Denis Law ---=Mayo:...r ---~ r, ,· t\ City o . _;;) f'l r· r re····\' ,,··,,-·1 ·.c~:wJ..! January 19, 2011 Lawrence E. Hard Attorney at Law 4316 NE 33rd Street Seattle, WA 98105 ·-Department of Community and Economic Development Alex Pietsch, Administrator SUBJECT: Quendall Terminals DEIS, Comment Received Dear Mr. Hard: Thank you for your comments on the Quendall Terminals Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). Your comments will be placed in the official project file, and will be addressed in the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS). In addition, you have been added to the party of record list for the subject project, and will receive copies of correspondence throughout the land use review process. If you have any questions about the project please feel free to contact me at 425-430- 7314. Sincerely, Vanessa Dolbee Senior Planner cc: File Renton City Hall • 1055 South Grady Way • Renton, Washington 98057 • rentonwa.gov ----~ Denis Law r"'\ City o -~~~~~M:a:yo:, ..................... [' l January 19, 2011 Charles and Rebecca Taylor 1252 N 42nd Place Renton, WA 98056 _.J.\ '~ t lfil;-t \ Department of Community and Economic Development Alex Pietsch,Administrator SUBJECT: Quendall Terminals DEIS, Comment Received Dear Mr. and Mrs. Taylor: Thank you for your comments on the Quendall Terminals Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). Your comments will be placed in the official project file, and will be addressed in the Final Environmental Impact Statement {FEIS). In addition, you have been added to the party of record list for the subject project, and will receive copies of correspondence throughout the land use review process. If you have any questions about the project please feel free to contact me at 425-430- 7314. Sincerely, / 0f!1nciw(X Vdiuz Vanessa Dolbee Senior Planner cc: File Renton City Hall • 1055 South Grady Way • Renton, Washington 98057 • rentonwa.gov wA l'-i -1s 1 Vanessa Dolbee From: Vanessa Dolbee Sent: To: Wednesday, January 19, 2011 11 :33 AM 'lscarvie@comcast.net' Subject: RE: Quendall Development Dear Linda Borgeson, Thank you for commenting on the Quendall Terminals DEIS. Your comments will be entered into the projects official file and will be addressed in the Final EIS. In addition, you will be added to the party of record list for the subject project. Once again, thank you for taking the time to comment of this project. If you have any additional questions please feel free to ask. Sincerely, 'Vanessa (J)o[6ee Senior Planner Department of Community & Economic Development City of Renton Renton City Hall -6th Floor 1055 South Grady Way Renton, WA 98057 425.430.7314 From: lscarvie@comcast.net [mailto:lscarvie@comcast.net] Sent: Wednesday, January 19, 2011 5:34 AM To: Vanessa Dolbee Subject: Re: Quendall Development Please find attached -Comments on the Quendall Development Date: January 18, 2011 To: City of Renton Planning Department 1 Vanessa Dolbee From: lscarvie@comcast.net Sent: To: Wednesday, January 19, 2011 5:34 AM Vanessa Dolbee Subject: Re: Quendall Development Follow Up Flag: Follow up Flag Status: Flagged Please find attached -Comments on the Quendall Development Date: January 18, 2011 To: City of Renton Planning Department Attn: Vanessa Dolbee, Senior Planner 1055 S. Grady Way Renton, WA 98057 425-430-7314 vdolbee@rentonwa.gov From: Name: Linda Borgeson Address: 1013 N 42°0 Place Renton, WA 98056 Phone Number: 253-326-1113 Email Address: lscarvie@comcast.net Subject: Public Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal Draft EIS (LUA09-151) Following are our comments regarding the redevelopment of the Quendall Terminal site as outlined in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). As homeowners, tax payers and citizens of the City of Renton, we 1 believe that the proposed and bi g Quendall development proposal h emendous negative and adverse impacts to the environment, property, the neighborhood and our Barbee Mill community and should NOT be approved. 1) Size & Scale Impact a. Scale-The proposed scale, density and height of the buildings in both alternatives are completely out-of-scale, incompatible and inconsistent with all neighborhoods on the entire shoreline of Lake Washington. The typical height limit for buildings along the Lake is 35 ft. The proposed heights and densities exceed those of Downtown Kirkland, Carillon Point, Bellevue and Seattle's Lake Washington facing neighborhoods. Furthermore, the proposed scale, density and height of the Quendall proposal are inconsistent and incompatible with adjacent neighborhoods, the East facing shoreline of Mercer Island. It will completely dwarf the residential neighborhood of Barbee Mill. b. The proposed buildings would be more than 40 ft taller than the height of the Barbee Mill homes. And they would be more than double the height of all nearby residences! The proposed buildings are nearly 90 ft in height although they are marked as 77 ft on the applicants elevation drawings, which is 3/4 the height of the SeahawksNMAC Facility and the Boeing Airplane Factory. Again this is completely out-of-scale with the Barbee Mill neighborhood AND anything else along the Lake Washington shoreline. (DEIS 3.5-12) i. Figure 3.7-2 in the DEIS is an inaccurate and misleading rendering that attempts to conceal the height and visual impact of both proposal alternatives. c. The proposed architectural design resembles an industrial park and does not have the look or the feel of a residential neighborhood. It is certainly "not consistent with the existing urban character" (as claimed in DEIS 3.5-12) of any of the immediate and nearby residential neighborhoods, including Barbee Mill. The proposed scale, density and character would be an eyesore no matter what angle it is viewed from within the adjacent neighborhoods or from lakefront properties along Mercer. d. The proposed design looks more like the Landing, which is sandwiched in between a shopping center and the country's second largest airplane factory and which is NOT located on the shores of one of the most beautiful lakes in the state and which is NOT located in the middle of an existing residential area. e. The Applicant claims that this area along the Lake Washington shoreline is currently a high- density urban environment. (DEIS 3.5-12) This statement is misleading and couldn't be farther from the truth as all neighboring areas are completely residential (with the exception of the Seahawks facility.) f. The proposed designs and project scope, scale and density are inappropriate for the shoreline of Lake Washington and do not in any way take advantage of the Lake front location and view. The buildings face each other instead of the Lake. The primary lake view outlook and central lakefront architectural feature is a semi-circular parking lot. i. The Mayor stated in his 2010 State of the City address that: "Renton still has some amazing waterfront property on Lake Washington." We couldn't agree more. However, this proposal in no way takes advantage of or capitalizes on this amazing piece of waterfront property. In fact, the proposal looks like the City of Renton has taken a giant step backwards by proposing a self-facing vs. lake facing, residential complex, retail and office park with limited green space and tree canopy. This is not responsible growth. Nor is it responsible stewardship and development of the largest piece of remaining undeveloped land along the shoreline of beautiful Lake Washington. ii. The proposal calls for a straight, walled, 2-story parking garage, approximately 1000 ft in length, to traverse the entire Lake Washington frontage of the Quendall development with absolutely no undulation. There is nothing in the architectural design to break up the negative, visual impact of this two-story wall facing the Lake. This scale of this lake-facing 2-story garage wall is unheard of in residential zoning and lakefront zoning and does not fit the character nor complement the adjacent neighborhoods. g. The proposed development does NOT complement or add value to the existing neighborhoods especially neighboring Barbee Mill. Instead, this development would be 2 tremendously de: :live to the property value for the suri ding neighborhoods (including Barbee Mill, Kennydale, Newcastle and the East-facing side of Mercer Island) and detrimental to the quality of life for residents. 2) Density Impact a. This proposal repeatedly and misleadingly (DEIS 3.9-1) describes the Quendall development as "compatible with the existing neighborhoods." This is preposterous and we strongly disagree. For example, Barbee Mill to the south has a planned density of 5 residential units per acre and contains no commercial (office or retail) space. The Quendall proposal is for 37 residential units per acre plus up to a }:, million square feet of commercial space that would accommodate up to 2000 daily visitors. This is approximately 7 times the density of the local residential areas and is in no way "consistent with the existing urban character of the area." In fact, the existing character of the local area can only accurately be described as residential. Both proposal alternatives, present tremendous compatibility impacts with the surrounding neighborhoods. b. Commercial/residential buildings in Renton and in the greater Eastside area, have tended to have a history of high-turnover, high-vacancy and have not proven to be particularly commercially viable. Our concern is that tenants of apartments and commercial space will have no vested interest in the neighborhood, the community or in the future vision for the city of Renton. And that such a development, could wind up sitting vacant for many years to come. 3) Traffic, Transportation & Parking Impact a. The traffic impact assessment in the DEIS is completely unrealistic. To begin with, the analysis in the DEIS does not take into account the traffic study and analysis for the adjacent Hawk's Landing (Pan Abode) development, which estimated an additional 1400+ automotive trips a day flowing onto Lake Washington Blvd and adding to traffic congestion on the surrounding streets and 1-405 exit 7 on-ramps and off-ramps. i. Before this or any other area development proposal is approved, a new, comprehensive traffic analysis should be done that focuses on the combined traffic impact of: Quendall Terminal property, Hawk's Landing/Pan Abode property, SeakhawksNMAC Facility, Ripley Lane neighborhood, Barbee Mill, Kennydale neighborhood, 1-405 congestion, commuters trying to bypass 405 congestion on Lake Washington Blvd and the City's goal of providing direct access to Lake Washington from Park Dr & Sunset Blvd. This comprehensive traffic analysis should reflect all existing, proposed and potential developments and their collective impact on the immediate vicinity and existing neighborhoods. WSDOT analysis, future plans and funding for 1-405 must be factored into the traffic analysis and any infrastructure planning. (Reference: Hawk's Landing Mixed Use and SEPA Appeal File No.: LUA-09-060, ECF, SA-M, SA-H September 10, 2009) b. The proposal calls for an unacceptable increase in traffic with an estimated 2000 cars a day. Add to that, the estimated 1400 automotive trips a day from the proposed Hawks Landing development. The current infrastructure can in no way support the increases being proposed. There are no proposed plans to improve or widen the immediate roads or build the proper egress and ingress access roads to/from the proposed Quendall development. c. The proposal calls for N 43m St to serve as the primary entrance to the Quendall property. This narrow, residential street is already the primary entrance for the residential neighborhood of Barbee Mill. This un-striped, 2-lane 135-ft long street, which has two stop signs and a railroad crossing, can in no way accommodate the proposed additional 2000 cars per day PLUS the cars of Barbee Mill residents. Furthermore, 43rd has already become plagued by a dangerous trends of drivers making hazardous u-turns and 3-point turns in the intersection of 43rd and Lake Washington Blvd. Given all this, it is shocking that the DEIS does NOT list NE 43rd St as a roadway condition concern. NE 43rd St is in no way sufficient to serve as the primary entrance for both Quendall and Barbee Mill it cannot safely and effectively accommodate the additional influx of 2000 cars per day. This proposal will result in intolerable traffic congestion, increased risk of accidents, noise pollution and egress problems for Barbee Mill Homeowners. i. 2000 additional cars/day will translate into 700 to 800 ft of traffic jams along Lake Washington Blvd, 43m and Ripley Lane. The current infrastructure can in no way handle this increased volume. Lake Washington Blvd. is a narrow, 2-lane, scenic, 3 curving, h 25 mph road with bike lanes in both gins and many residential driveways. It is already extremely difficult to navigate Lake Washington Blvd given the present volume of traffic. Furthermore, it is already difficult with the present volume of traffic to enter or exit the Barbee Mill development at 43rd or 41 '' during the peak traffic hours and/or on sunny summer days from Lake Washington Blvd. Lake Washington Blvd does not have the capacity to handle the 2000/day proposed additional cars (3400+ if you factor in Hawk's Landing). And, any serious infrastructure modifications to Lake Washington Blvd would adversely impact the surrounding neighborhoods, the environmentally sensitive May Creek and the Lake Washington shoreline. 1. As a demonstration, one need to look no further than the congestion, parking and traffic nightmare that was created on 1/14/11 when hundreds of Seahawk Fans (including children and pets) and their vehicles descended on the intersection of Ripley Lane and Lake Washington Blvd. Cars were parked all over 43"', 441", Lake Washington & Ripley Lane. It made it nearly impossible to enter/exit Barbee Mill on 43'd. Fans also jammed the 30'" Bridge and surrounding Kennydale neighborhoods, which has been proposed as an alternate travel route for the Quendall Property. 2. As a demonstration, congestion is also extremely heavy when during the Seahawk Training Days in August, despite the fact that the Seahawks arrange for buses and parking in the Landing in their effort to mitigate what would be the adverse impact of an approximate 2000 cars per day from coming into and parking in the neighborhoods adjacent to Ripley Lane including Barbee Mill. 3. We do not understand why the proposal does not bring traffic directly into the center of the Quendall property via a new access road which would need to be built to cross Ripley Lane and that would be more capable of handling that volume of traffic. However, we are not sure that any development plan that calls for 2000 or more additional cars/day on area roads can be adequately addressed through existing, modified or new infrastructure. 4. The details of the traffic analysis for Lake Washington Blvd at 43rd have been left out of (Table 3.9-1) AND there is no mention in the proposal of improving 43"'. ii. We are concerned that frustrated motorists who are eager to avoid the traffic congestion on Lake Washington Blvd will either make dangerous u-turns and/or choose to use Barbee Mill as a major arterial north/south bypass route for Lake Washington Blvd. The streets within Barbee Mill can in no way accommodate this increased traffic volume. This bypass traffic would present a tremendous risk and inconvenience for Barbee Mill residents. It would hamper ability to safely enter and exit our own neighborhood and residences. The added traffic on Barbee Mill's streets would create a public safety risks for residents as well as for area pedestrians, joggers, cyclists, children in strollers and pets that enjoy our streets. We are extremely concerned about the added danger of so many motorists trying to navigate the already hazardous blind curve at 42"d Oust shortly after you turn into Barbee Mill from 43'"). The bypass traffic would also generate significant noise pollution. We believe that this proposal and its traffic volume will not only impact Barbee Mill homeowner and community safety but that it will adversely impact and reduce property values and quality of life for Barbee Mill homeowners. d. Traffic on 1-405 at 44th and 30'" is already one of the most frequently congested parts of the freeway in both the North and South lanes. Congestion occurs not only at peak traffic hours but throughout the majority of the day. The freeway, just as the neighboring roads, can in no way accommodate an additional influx of 2000 cars per day. Throughout the proposal, the applicant has stated that various traffic impacts could be mitigated through a coordinated effort with WSDOT. However, WSDOT went on record during the DEIS Scoping Summary stating that "the potential l-405/NE 44 St interchange improvements project is not funded, and is not likely to be funded in the foreseeable future; the transportation analysis should not assume that this project is complete or will occur." (Pg 5-EIS Scoping Summary) We believe that approving a major Quendall development plan without WSDOT commitment, funding, schedule and a plan in place 4 to improve this in iange would have irreversible conse nces and would cause a tremendous number of adverse impacts. i. There are scenarios in the proposal that suggest using the 1-405 30'" street onramp/offramp (exit 6) and then routing cars through the hilly, residential neighborhoods in Kennydale along 30'", 40 1h, Burnett and Park. This is not a realistic alternative and is equally as dangerous as cars choosing to use Barbee Mill as a shortcut. And it could encourage drivers travelling northbound and southbound on Lake Washington Blvd to take a shortcut through Barbee Mill. e. Transportation-The proposal does not include any plans to develop, improve or encourage public transit in the vicinity. This means that there would be no alternative form of transportation for the estimated 2000+ daily visitors and tenants. It is not an environmentally responsible transportation design solution to place 2000 additional cars onto neighborhood streets and the lakefront in this residential community without providing realistic transportation alternatives. i. In the Mayor's 2010 State of the City Address, he declared "I believe that it is vital that we have the right infrastructure in place now to serve the needs of our future. We will continue to work with the state and regional transportation organizations to make critical investments to create an affective transportation system that allows goods and people to move efficiently." The Quendall proposal does not provide for any investments to create an affective transportation solution in the area NOR does it put the right infrastructure in place to serve the needs of the immediate area and alleviate traffic and noise and air pollution impacts and public safety risks. f. Parking-In the Proposal Alternative 2, there are surface level parking lots for 220 cars up placed right up against the entire north property line for Barbee Mill. This is in no way consistent with land use compatibility in the neighborhood and will adversely impact property values and quality of life. Nor is Proposal Alternative 1, which calls for a 6-story building to be placed right up against the north fence of Barbee Mill. We believe that it is not an acceptable plan to place parking lots, tall buildings and/or delivery entrances right up against the north Barbee Mill fence. 4) Public Safety Impact i. We are concerned that if fees are charged for parking in the Quendall development, that visitors and tenants will seek out free parking in the adjacent neighborhood streets especially at Barbee Mill-which already suffers from insufficient street parking for residents and guests. a. Cyclist Safety/Pedestrian/Runners Safety-Lake Washington Blvd was never meant to be a major thoroughfare. It is a hilly, scenic route through residential neighborhoods. It has no sidewalks and is very poorly lit at night. In fact, it is already quite dangerous on winter nights to turn into the Barbee Mill development at either 43r<1 or 44'" St as there are no streetlights at either intersection. Lake Washington Blvd (in addition to Barbee Mill streets) is currently used not only by vehicles but also by pedestrians walking their pets and children, joggers and bicyclists. Given that there are no sidewalks and poor lighting along the road, such an increase in cars would not only cause traffic gridlock and backups but would also present a tremendous safety hazard to all using the bike lanes and shoulders for purposes other than driving. i. As a demonstration, a Barbee Mill resident counted more than 140 cyclists using Lake Washington Blvd and crossing 43'a St in a 90-minute period on a recent summer Saturday morning. b. We are concerned that the proposed public access trail and above ground parking lots located right against Barbee Mill North fence would invite evening transient traffic and loitering that could lead to crime. This fence backs up against an existing quiet residential neighborhood. This would not only adversely impact quality of life for Barbee Mill residents but also reduce property values. c. We are concerned that the proposed traffic volume and insufficient infrastructure, would affect the ability of emergency vehicles and first responders to quickly access the Barbee Mill community (and Ripley Lane neighborhood) in the event of an emergency. This puts the lives and health of residents at risk. d. We are concerned that a newly accessible open public space, trails, and parking lots may become an attractive target to a criminal element and would bring an increase risk of crime, 5 vandalism, gang vity, graffiti, noise, and other negativ d unwanted activity that would put neighborhood homeowners' safety and security at risk. 5) Light, Glare & Noise Impact a. We have tremendous concern over the amount light and glare that would be emitted from the proposed high-density residential buildings (proposed to be as high as 90ft) and the evening and night-time restaurant patrons and shoppers in the retail development. We also are concerned about the noise pollution that would come from delivery trucks, giant HVAC units, 2000+ cars/day and ensuing traffic, residential tenants, office workers, retail shoppers and potential bar/restaurant patrons. The light, glare and noise from the proposed Quendall development would adversely impact quality of life and property values for the residents and homeowners of Barbee Mill. 6) Environmental Impact a. The true baseline character of the Quendall property is unknown until the EPA mandated remedial action is fully specified and completed. We believe that the DEIS proposes prematurely, approval of a BINDING site plan for specifications of square feet of various building types, number of parking spaces, roads, traffic and egress to and from the development. Approving the BINDING plan PRIOR TO completed the mandated remedial clean up of the Superfund sight is not only unwise and imprudent but the long term consequences and negative impacts are just too great. As homeowners, this is not the legacy we want to have to live with nor is what we want for our health, our quality of life and our property values. b. Mayor Law declared in his 2010 State of the City address that: "Clean, healthy air; high quality drinking water; and trails and green open spaces are key to keeping our city a great place to live and work. Expanding our tree canopy, creating a better trail system, and protecting our environment provides many benefits to the city and boosts property values by making neighborhoods greener." Unfortunately, the current proposal for Quendall runs completely contrary to the Mayor's pledge. c. Superfund Site Carcinogens & The Impact on The Environment-The The EPA has tremendous concerns about the carcinogenic substances on the Quendall site, cleanup and the adverse impact the cleanup would have on the Lake, including fishing and swimming and on several species. We share this concern. (EPA ID# WAD980639215). i. They state: "The primary contaminants of concern are carcinogenic PAHs and benzene. These contaminants are found in the soil and ground water throughout the site. These compounds are found at concentrations well above State cleanup levels for residential and industrial sites. At some locations on the site, creosote product has been found under the surface. In some areas the product is four to six feet thick. Releases of these contaminants to Lake Washington are of particular concern. Lake Washington is used for a variety of recreational purposes including fishing and swimming. The southern end of Lake Washington, including the area where the site is located, is considered prime habitat for rearing of juvenile Chinook, which is a Federal Threatened Species, and other salmon stocks. The Cedar River, which enters Lake Washington approximately two miles from the site, supports the largest sockeye run in the contiguous United States. Lake Washington also supports several sensitive environments including habitat for bull trout and the bald eagle. In addition, there are two swimming beaches located within one half mile of the site." As homeowners at Barbee Mill, we enjoy having access to the shoreline in our development and do not want to see it adversely impacted by release of contaminates nor do we want to put the health of our families at risk. d. We understand that the EPA has jurisdiction over the remediation and cleanup of the Superfund Site at Quendall Terminals. We are extremely concerned about what carcinogenic contaminants will be released into the air and water (through either surface or aquifer transfer) and into our neighborhoods and into our shoreline and May Creek as a result of the initial cleanup process. We are also extremely concerned the adverse impact that the proposed mitigation, landfilling, grading, piling driving and other redevelopment activities will have on our neighborhoods and our residents. Furthermore, the DEIS proposes no dust control measures during the construction process to minimize contaminant transportation to Barbee Mill Homes. We believe strongly that it is NOT PRUDENT OR RESPONSIBLE to approve any BINDING redevelopment 6 proposal for this until the remediation and cleanup of critical Superfund site has been thoroughly planned and safely planned, executed and effectively completed by the EPA. To expedite the redevelopment process in order to pursue redevelopment income, puts at risk and adversely affects the health and lives of the immediate neighborhood residents, users of Lake Washington and the existing wildlife. Pursuing binding development agreements BEFORE Superfund cleanup, would be an extremely poor decision with a tremendously risky outcome. e. Wetlands-The overall wetlands in the Quendall property are at least twice the size they are portrayed as in the EIS. In particular in the Southwest corner (a small blue dot labeled "H") is nearly an acre in total size, which is 50-times the size of what is portrayed in the DEIS. i. The Wetland buffer area for shoreline wetlands should remain at a minimum of 50 ft and should not be reduced for shoreline trails or buildings as currently proposed and shown on figure 2-7. ii. Substituting Wetland "I" or" J", which is nothing more than a drainage ditch, (per figure 2.6, 2.7 and 2.11) which are separated by Ripley Lane & the railroad tracks and have absolutely no continuity with the Quendall site are not adequate or appropriate solutions for mitigating onsite wetlands throughout the Quendall site including adjacent to Barbee Mill. f. Wildlife-The EIS makes no mention of existing wildlife or mitigation for their loss of habitat from the proposed construction. There are ospreys, eagles, herons, deer, hummingbirds, and other species living in the wetlands and natural habitat of the Quendall property. CONCLUSIONS 1) We recommend that the City does NOT PROCEED with the current BINDING proposal as outlined in the Draft EIS. Of the three alternatives proposed, we believe that the ONLY viable alternative is that of "NO ACTION." 2) We certainly hope that Mayor Law meant what he pledged in his 2010 State of The City address when he stated: "By engaging citizens to participate in the process we are starting to create a picture of a city that is a leader in growth management." a. Mr. Mayor, City Council Members, City Planners and Hearing Examiner, as citizens of Renton we are participating in the DEIS public hearing process and we are loudly saying that the proposals outlined in the DEIS for the Quendall Terminal Redevelopment are in no way in alignment with that goal of responsible growth management and would have tremendous adverse impacts on the surrounding community. 3) Mayor Law also concluded his 2010 State of the City address with these words: "I am optimistic about the future. I am optimistic because people in our community are willing to step up and do what is necessary; because it is through partnerships that we tackle tough issues; and because we never quit planning for the future of this great community." a. So here we are, the people of Renton stepping up and tackling the tough issues of a poorly thought out, extremely inappropriate and binding DEIS proposal that is completely out of character with the surrounding residential neighborhoods. IF approved and developed, the proposed Quendall development would be a devastating destruction to the shoreline of Lake Washington and to the surrounding community. This proposed redevelopment of the Quendall Terminal Property is definitely NOT what we want to see in the future of our great community. 4) We believe that this proposal would have a tremendously adverse impact on the existing adjacent neighborhoods especially our Barbee Mill community. The proposed Quendall development would negatively impact and affect traffic, public safety, quality of life and property values in Barbee Mill and surrounding neighborhoods. 5) As homeowners, taxpayers and citizens of the City of Renton, we urge the City of Renton to NOT approve this binding proposal for the redevelopment of the Quendall Terminal Proposal. The only one of its alternatives that is viable is that of "NO ACTION!" 7 Vanessa Dolbee From: Sent: To: Subject: Dear Mr. Leland, Vanessa Dolbee Wednesday, January 19, 2011 11 :27 AM 'Paul Leland' RE: Quendall Development Thank you for commenting on the Quendall Terminals DEIS. Your comments will be entered into the projects official file and will be addressed in the Final EIS. In addition, you will be added to the party of record list for the subject project. Once again, thank you for taking the time to comment of this project. If you have any additional questions please feel free to ask. Sincerely, Vanessa Dolbee Senior Planner Department of Community & Economic Development City of Renton Renton City Hall -6th Floor 1055 South Grady Way Renton, WA 98057 425.430.7314 -----Original Message----- From: Paul Leland (mailto:Paull@frontierpackaging.com1 Sent: Tuesday, January 18, 2011 4:34 PM To: Vanessa Dolbee Subject: Fwd: Quendall Development 1 Date: City of Renton Pl:::inn!nq O!vi:;ion To: City of Renton Planning Department Attn: Vanessa Dolbee, Senior Planner 1055 S. Grady Way Renton, WA 98057 425-430-7314 vdolbee@rentonwa.gov From: Name: Address: Phone Number: Email Address: Paul & Terri Leland 1223 N. 42°" Pl., Renton, WA 98056 425-204-5994 ptleland@comcast.net Subject: Public Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal Draft EIS (LUA09-151) Following are our comments regarding the redevelopment of the Quendall Terminal site as outlined in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). As homeowners, tax payers and citizens of the City of Renton, we believe that the proposed and binding Quendall development proposal has tremendous negative and adverse impacts to the environment, property, the neighborhood and our Barbee Mill community and should NOT be approved. 1) Size & Scale Impact a. Scale-The proposed scale, density and height of the buildings in both alternatives are completely out-of-scale, incompatible and inconsistent with all neighborhoods on the entire shoreline of Lake Washington. The typical height limit for buildings along the Lake is 35 ft. The proposed heights and densities exceed those of Downtown Kirkland, Carillon Point, Bellevue and Seattle's Lake Washington facing neighborhoods. Furthermore, the proposed scale, density and height of the Quendall proposal are inconsistent and incompatible with adjacent neighborhoods, the East facing shoreline of Mercer Island. It will completely dwarf the residential neighborhood of Barbee Mill. b. The proposed buildings would be more than 40 ft taller than the height of the Barbee Mill homes. And they would be more than double the height of all nearby residences! The proposed buildings are nearly 90 ft in height although they are marked as 77 ft on the applicants elevation drawings, which is 3/4 the height of the SeahawksNMAC Facility and the Boeing Airplane Factory. Again this is completely out-of-scale with the Barbee Mill neighborhood AND anything else along the Lake Washington shoreline. (DEIS 3.5-12) i. Figure 3.7-2 in the DEIS is an inaccurate and misleading rendering that attempts to conceal the height and visual impact of both proposal alternatives. c. The proposed architectural design resembles an industrial park and does not have the look or the feel of a residential neighborhood. It is certainly "not consistent with the existing urban character'' (as claimed in DEIS 3.5- 12) of any of the immediate and nearby residential neighborhoods, including Barbee Mill. The proposed scale, density and character would Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page 1 be an eyesore no matter what angle it is viewed from within the adjacent neighborhoods or from lakefront properties along Mercer. d. The proposed design looks more like the Landing, which is sandwiched in between a shopping center and the country's second largest airplane factory and which is NOT located on the shores of one of the most beautiful lakes in the state and which is NOT located in the middle of an existing residential area. e. The Applicant claims that this area along the Lake Washington shoreline is currently a high-density urban environment. (DEIS 3.5-12) This statement is misleading and couldn't be farther from the truth as all neighboring areas are completely residential (with the exception of the Seahawks facility.) f. The proposed designs and project scope, scale and density are inappropriate for the shoreline of Lake Washington and do not in any way take advantage of the Lake front location and view. The buildings face each other instead of the Lake. The primary lake view outlook and central lakefront architectural feature is a semi-circular parking lot. i. The Mayor stated in his 2010 State of the City address that: "Renton still has some amazing waterfront property on Lake Washington."We couldn't agree more. However, this proposal in no way takes advantage of or capitalizes on this amazing piece of waterfront property. In fact, the proposal looks like the City of Renton has taken a giant step backwards by proposing a self- facing vs. lake facing, residential complex, retail and office park with limited green space and tree canopy. This is not responsible growth. Nor is it responsible stewardship and development of the largest piece of remaining undeveloped land along the shoreline of beautiful Lake Washington. ii. The proposal calls for a straight, walled, 2-story parking garage, approximately 1000 ft in length, to traverse the entire Lake Washington frontage of the Quendall development with absolutely no undulation. There is nothing in the architectural design to break up the negative, visual impact of this two-story wall facing the Lake. This scale of this lake-facing 2-story garage wall is unheard of in residential zoning and lakefront zoning and does not fit the character nor complement the adjacent neighborhoods. g. The proposed development does NOT complement or add value to the existing neighborhoods especially neighboring Barbee Mill. Instead, this development would be tremendously destructive to the property value for the surrounding neighborhoods (including Barbee Mill, Kennydale, Newcastle and the East-facing side of Mercer Island) and detrimental to the quality of life for residents. 2) Density Impact a. This proposal repeatedly and misleadingly (DEIS 3.9-1) describes the Quendall development as "compatible with the existing neighborhoods." This is preposterous and we strongly disagree. For example, Barbee Mill to the south has a planned density of 5 residential units per acre and contains no commercial (office or retail) space. The Quendall proposal is for 37 residential units per acre plus up to a ~ million square feet of commercial space that would accommodate up to 2000 daily visitors. , This is approximately 7 times the density of the local residential areas Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page2 and is in no way "consistent with the existing urban character of the area." In fact, the existing character of the local area can only accurately be described as residential. Both proposal alternatives, present tremendous compatibility impacts with the surrounding neighborhoods. b. Commercial/residential buildings in Renton and in the greater Eastside area, have tended to have a history of high-turnover, high-vacancy and have not proven to be particularly commercially viable. Our concern is that tenants of apartments and commercial space will have no vested interest in the neighborhood, the community or in the future vision for the city of Renton. And that such a development, could wind up sitting vacant for many years to come. 3) Traffic, Transportation & Parking Impact a. The traffic impact assessment in the DEIS is completely unrealistic. To begin with, the analysis in the DEIS does not take into account the traffic study and analysis for the adjacent Hawk's Landing (Pan Abode) development, which estimated an additional 1400+ automotive trips a day flowing onto Lake Washington Blvd and adding to traffic congestion on the surrounding streets and 1-405 exit 7 on-ramps and off-ramps. i. Before this or any other area development proposal is approved, a new, comprehensive traffic analysis should be done that focuses on the combined traffic impact of: Quendall Terminal property, Hawk's Landing/Pan Abode property, SeakhawksNMAC Facility, Ripley Lane neighborhood, Barbee Mill, Kennydale neighborhood, 1-405 congestion, commuters trying to bypass 405 congestion on Lake Washington Blvd and the City's goal of providing direct access to Lake Washington from Park Dr & Sunset Blvd. This comprehensive traffic analysis should reflect all existing, proposed and potential developments and their collective impact on the immediate vicinity and existing neighborhoods. WSDOT analysis, future plans and funding for 1-405 must be factored into the traffic analysis and any infrastructure planning. (Reference: Hawk's Landing Mixed Use and SEPA Appeal File No.: LUA-09-060, ECF, SA-M, SA-H September 10, 2009) b. The proposal calls for an unacceptable increase in traffic with an estimated 2000 cars a day. Add to that, the estimated 1400 automotive trips a day from the proposed Hawks Landing development. The current infrastructure can in no way support the increases being proposed. There are no proposed plans to improve or widen the immediate roads or build the proper egress and ingress access roads to/from the proposed Quendall development. c. The proposal calls for N 43"' St to serve as the primary entrance to the Quendall property. This narrow, residential street is already the primary entrance for the residential neighborhood of Barbee Mill. This un-striped, 2-lane 135-ft long street, which has two stop signs and a railroad crossing, can in no way accommodate the proposed additional 2000 cars per day PLUS the cars of Barbee Mill residents. Furthermore, 43"' has already become plagued by a dangerous trends of drivers making hazardous u-turns and 3-point turns in the intersection of 43"' and Lake Washington Blvd. Given all this, it is shocking that the DEIS does NOT list NE 43"' St as a roadway condition concern. NE 43"' St is in no way sufficient to serve as the primary entrance for both Quendall and Barbee Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page 3 Mill it cannot safely and effectively accommodate the additional influx of 2000 cars per day. This proposal will result in intolerable traffic congestion, increased risk of accidents, noise pollution and egress problems for Barbee Mill Homeowners. 1. 2000 additional cars/day will translate into 700 to 800 ft of traffic jams along Lake Washington Blvd, 43rd and Ripley Lane. The current infrastructure can in no way handle this increased volume. Lake Washington Blvd. is a narrow, 2-lane, scenic, curving, hilly, 25 mph road with bike lanes in both margins and many residential driveways. It is already extremely difficult to navigate Lake Washington Blvd given the present volume of traffic. Furthermore, it is already difficult with the present volume of traffic to enter or exit the Barbee Mill development at 43'd or 41 st during the peak traffic hours and/or on sunny summer days from Lake Washington Blvd. Lake Washington Blvd does not have the capacity to handle the 2000/day proposed additional cars (3400+ if you .factor in Hawk's Landing). And, any serious infrastructure modifications to Lake Washington Blvd would adversely impact the surrounding neighborhoods, the environmentally sensitive May Creek and the Lake Washington shoreline. 1. As a demonstration, one need to look no further than the congestion, parking and traffic nightmare that was created on 1/14/11 when hundreds of Seahawk Fans (including children and pets) and their vehicles descended on the intersection of Ripley Lane and Lake Washington Blvd. Cars were parked all over 43rd, 441", Lake Washington & Ripley Lane. It made it nearly impossible to enter/exit Barbee Mill on 43rd. Fans also jammed the 30'" Bridge and surrounding Kennydale neighborhoods, which has been proposed as an alternate travel route for the Quendall Property. 2. As a demonstration, congestion is also extremely heavy when during the Seahawk Training Days in August, despite the fact that the Seahawks arrange for buses and parking in the Landing in their effort to mitigate what would be the adverse impact of an approximate 2000 cars per day from coming into and parking in the neighborhoods adjacent to Ripley Lane including Barbee Mill. 3. We do not understand why the proposal does not bring traffic directly into the center of the Quendall property via a new access road which would need to be built to cross Ripley Lane and that would be more capable of handling that volume of traffic. However, we are not sure that any development plan that calls for 2000 or more additional cars/day on area roads can be adequately addressed through existing, modified or new infrastructure. 4. The details of the traffic analysis for Lake Washington Blvd at 43'd have been left out of (Table 3.9-1) AND there is no mention in the proposal of improving 43rd. ii. We are concerned that frustrated motorists who are eager to avoid the traffic congestion on Lake Washington Blvd will either make Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page4 dangerous u-turns and/or choose to use Barbee Mill as a major arterial north/south bypass route for Lake Washington Blvd. The streets within Barbee Mill can in no way accommodate this increased traffic volume. This bypass traffic would present a tremendous risk and inconvenience for Barbee Mill residents. It would hamper ability to safely enter and exit our own neighborhood and residences. The added traffic on Barbee Mill's streets would create a public safety risks for residents as well as for area pedestrians, joggers, cyclists, children in strollers and pets that enjoy our streets. We are extremely concerned about the added danger of so many motorists trying to navigate the already hazardous blind curve at 42nd Gust shortly after you turn into Barbee Mill from 43'°). The bypass traffic would also generate significant noise pollution. We believe that this proposal and its traffic volume will not only impact Barbee Mill homeowner and community safety but that it will adversely impact and reduce property values and quality of life for Barbee Mill homeowners. d. Traffic on 1-405 at 44th and 301h is already one of the most frequently congested parts of the freeway in both the North and South lanes. Congestion occurs not only at peak traffic hours but throughout the majority of the day. The freeway, just as the neighboring roads, can in no way accommodate an additional influx of 2000 cars per day. Throughout the proposal, the applicant has stated that various traffic impacts could be mitigated through a coordinated effort with WSDOT. However, WSDOT went on record during the DEIS Scoping Summary stating that 'the potential 1-405/NE 44 St interchange improvements project is not funded, and is not likely to be funded in the foreseeable future; the transportation analysis should not assume that this project is complete or will occur." (Pg 5-EIS Scoping Summary) We believe that approving a major Quendall development plan without WSDOT commitment, funding, schedule and a plan in place to improve this interchange would have irreversible consequences and would cause a tremendous number of adverse impacts. i. There are scenarios in the proposal that suggest using the 1-405 30th street onramp/offramp (exit 6) and then routing cars through the hilly, residential neighborhoods in Kennydale along 30th, 40th, Burnett and Park. This is not a realistic alternative and is equally as dangerous as cars choosing to use Barbee Mill as a shortcut. And it could encourage drivers travelling northbound and southbound on Lake Washington Blvd to take a shortcut through Barbee Mill. e. Transportation-The proposal does not include any plans to develop, improve or encourage public transit in the vicinity. This means that there would be no alternative form of transportation for the estimated 2000+ daily visitors and tenants. It is not an environmentally responsible transportation design solution to place 2000 additional cars onto neighborhood streets and the lakefront in this residential community without providing realistic transportation alternatives. i. In the Mayor's 2010 State of the City Address, he declared "I believe that it is vital that we have the right infrastructure in place now to serve the needs of our future. We will continue to work with Comments Regarding Quendall Tenminal DEIS Pages the state and regional transportation organizations to make critical investments to create an affective transportation system that allows goods and people to move efficiently." The Quendall proposal does not provide for any investments to create an affective transportation solution in the area NOR does ii put the right infrastructure in place to serve the needs of the immediate area and alleviate traffic and noise and air pollution impacts and public safety risks. f. Parking-In the Proposal Alternative 2, there are surface level parking lots for 220 cars up placed right up against the entire north property line for Barbee Mill. This is in no way consistent with land use compatibility in the neighborhood and will adversely impact property values and quality of life. Nor is Proposal Alternative 1, which calls for a 6-story building to be placed right up against the north fence of Barbee Mill. We believe that it is not an acceptable plan to place parking lots, tall buildings and/or delivery entrances right up against the north Barbee Mill fence. i. We are concerned that if fees are charged for parking in the Quendall development, that visitors and tenants will seek out free parking in the adjacent neighborhood streets especially at Barbee Mill-which already suffers from insufficient street parking for residents and guests. 4) Public Safety Impact a. Cyclist Safety/Pedestrian/Runners Safety-Lake Washington Blvd was never meant to be a major thoroughfare. It is a hilly, scenic route through residential neighborhoods. It has no sidewalks and is very poorly lit at night. In fact, it is already quite dangerous on winter nights to turn into the Barbee Mill development at either 43rd or 44'" St as there are no streetlights at either intersection. Lake Washington Blvd (in addition to Barbee Mill streets) is currently used not only by vehicles but also by pedestrians walking their pets and children, joggers and bicyclists. Given that there are no sidewalks and poor lighting along the road, such an increase in cars would not only cause traffic gridlock and backups but would also present a tremendous safety hazard to all using the bike lanes and shoulders for purposes other than driving. i. As a demonstration, a Barbee Mill resident counted more than 140 cyclists using Lake Washington Blvd and crossing 43rd St in a 90- minute period on a recent summer Saturday morning. b. We are concerned that the proposed public access trail and above ground parking lots located right against Barbee Mill North fence would invite evening transient traffic and loitering that could lead to crime. This fence backs up against an existing quiet residential neighborhood. This would not only adversely impact quality of life for Barbee Mill residents but also reduce property values. c. We are concerned that the proposed traffic volume and insufficient infrastructure, would affect the ability of emergency vehicles and first responders to quickly access the Barbee Mill community (and Ripley Lane neighborhood) in the event of an emergency. This puts the lives and health of residents at risk. d. We are concerned that a newly accessible open public space, trails, and parking lots may become an attractive target to a criminal element and would bring an increase risk of crime, vandalism, gang activity, graffiti, Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page6 noise, and other negative and unwanted activity that would put neighborhood homeowners' safety and security at risk. 5) Light, Glare & Noise Impact a. We have tremendous concern over the amount light and glare that would be emitted from the proposed high-density residential buildings (proposed to be as high as 90ft) and the evening and night-time restaurant patrons and shoppers in the retail development. We also are concerned about the noise pollution that would come from delivery trucks, giant HVAC units, 2000+ cars/day and ensuing traffic, residential tenants, office workers, retail shoppers and potential bar/restaurant patrons. The light, glare and noise from the proposed Quendall development would adversely impact quality of life and property values for the residents and homeowners of Barbee Mill. 6) Environmental Impact a. The true baseline character of the Quendall property is unknown until the EPA mandated remedial action is fully specified and completed. We believe that the DEIS proposes prematurely, approval of a BINDING site plan for specifications of square feet of various building types, number of parking spaces, roads, traffic and egress to and from the development. Approving the BINDING plan PRIOR TO completed the mandated remedial clean up of the Superfund sight is not only unwise and imprudent but the long tenm consequences and negative impacts are just too great. As homeowners, this is not the legacy we want to have to live with nor is what we want for our health, our quality of life and our property values. b. Mayor Law declared in his 2010 State of the City address that: "Clean, healthy air; high quality drinking water; and trails and green open spaces are key to keeping our city a great place to live and work. Expanding our tree canopy, creating a better trail system, and protecting our environment provides many benefits to the city and boosts property values by making neighborhoods greener." Unfortunately, the current proposal for Quendall runs completely contrary to the Mayor's pledge. c. Superfund Site Carcinogens & The Impact on The Environment-The The EPA has tremendous concerns about the carcinogenic substances on the Quendall site, cleanup and the adverse impact the cleanup would have on the Lake, including fishing and swimming and on several species. We share this concern. (EPA ID# WAD980639215). i. They state: "The primary contaminants of concern are carcinogenic PAHs and benzene. These contaminants are found in the soil and ground water throughout the site. These compounds are found at concentrations well above State cleanup levels for residential and industrial sites. At some locations on the site, creosote product has been found under the surface. In some areas the product is four to six feet thick. Releases of these contaminants to Lake Washington are of particular concern. Lake Washington is used for a variety of recreational purposes including fishing and swimming. The southern end of Lake Washington, including the area where the site is located, is considered prime habitat for rearing of juvenile Chinook, which is a Federal Threatened Species, and other salmon stocks. The Cedar River, which enters Lake Washington approximately two Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page7 miles from the site, supports the largest sockeye run in the contiguous United States. Lake Washington also supports several sensitive environments including habitat for bull trout and the bald eagle. In addition, there are two swimming beaches located within one half mile of the site." As homeowners at Barbee Mill, we enjoy having access to the shoreline in our development and do not want to see it adversely impacted by release of contaminates nor do we want to put the health of our families at risk. d. We understand that the EPA has jurisdiction over the remediation and cleanup of the Superfund Site at Quendall Tenminals. We are extremely concerned about what carcinogenic contaminants will be released into the air and water (through either surface or aquifer transfer) and into our neighborhoods and into our shoreline and May Creek as a result of the initial cleanup process. We are also extremely concerned the adverse impact that the proposed mitigation, landfilling, grading, piling driving and other redevelopment activities will have on our neighborhoods and our residents. Furthermore, the DEIS proposes no dust control measures during the construction process to minimize contaminant transportation to Barbee Mill Homes. We believe strongly that it is NOT PRUDENT OR RESPONSIBLE to approve any BINDING redevelopment proposal for this site until the remediation and cleanup of this critical Superfund site has been thoroughly planned and safely planned, executed and effectively completed by the EPA. To expedite the redevelopment process in order to pursue redevelopment income, puts at risk and adversely affects the health and lives of the immediate neighborhood residents, users of Lake Washington and the existing wildlife. Pursuing binding development agreements BEFORE Superfund cleanup, would be an extremely poor decision with a tremendously risky outcome. e. Wetlands-The overall wetlands in the Quendall property are at least twice the size they are portrayed as in the EIS. In particular in the Southwest corner (a small blue dot labeled "H") is nearly an acre in total size, which is 50-times the size of what is portrayed in the DEIS. i. The Wetland buffer area for shoreline wetlands should remain at a minimum of 50 ft and should not be reduced for shoreline trails or buildings as currently proposed and shown on figure 2-7. ii. Substituting Wetland "I' or "J", which is nothing more than a drainage ditch, (per figure 2.6, 2. 7 and 2.11) which are separated by Ripley Lane & the railroad tracks and have absolutely no continuity with the Quendall site are not adequate or appropriate solutions for mitigating onsite wetlands throughout the Quendall site including adjacent to Barbee Mill. f. Wildlife-The EIS makes no mention of existing wildlife or mitigation for their loss of habitat from the proposed construction. There are ospreys, eagles, herons, deer, hummingbirds, and other species living in the wetlands and natural habitat of the Quendall property. CONCLUSIONS 1) We recommend that the City does NOT PROCEED with the current BINDING proposal as outlined in the Draft EIS. Of the three alternatives proposed, we believe that the ONLY viable alternative is that of "NO ACTION." Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page 8 2) We certainly hope that Mayor Law meant what he pledged in his 2010 State of The City address when he stated: "By engaging citizens lo participate in the process we are starting to create a picture of a city that is a leader in growth management." a. Mr. Mayor, City Council Members, City Planners and Hearing Examiner, as citizens of Renton we are participating in the DEIS public hearing process and we are loudly saying that the proposals outlined in the DEIS for the Quendall Terminal Redevelopment are in no way in alignment with that goal of responsible growth management and would have tremendous adverse impacts on the surrounding community. 3) Mayor Law also concluded his 2010 State of the City address with these words: "I am optimistic about the future. I am optimistic because people in our community are willing lo step up and do what is necessary; because ii is through partnerships that we tackle tough issues; and because we never quit planning for the future of this great community." a. So here we are, the people of Renton stepping up and tackling the tough issues of a poorly thought out, extremely inappropriate and binding DEIS proposal that is completely out of character with the surrounding residential neighborhoods. IF approved and developed, the proposed Quendall development would be a devastating destruction to the shoreline of Lake Washington and to the surrounding community. This proposed redevelopment of the Quendall Terminal Property is definitely NOT what we want to see in the future of our great community. 4) We believe that this proposal would have a tremendously adverse impact on the existing adjacent neighborhoods especially our Barbee Mill community. The proposed Quendall development would negatively impact and affect traffic, public safety, quality of life and property values in Barbee Mill and surrounding neighborhoods. 5) As homeowners, taxpayers and citizens of the City of Renton, we urge the City of Renton to NOT approve this binding proposal for the redevelopment of the Quendall Terminal Proposal. The only one of its alternatives that is viable is that of "NO ACTION!" Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page9 Vanessa Dolbee From: Vanessa Dolbee Sent: To: Wednesday, January 19, 201111:21 AM 'Bruce MacCaul' Subject: RE: Public Comments on Quendall Terminal DEIS (LUA09-151) Dear Mr. MacCaul, Thank you for commenting on the Quendall Terminals DEIS. Your comments will be entered into the projects official file and will be addressed in the Final EIS. In addition, you will be added to the party of record list for the subject project. Once again, thank you for taking the time to comment of this project. If you have any additional questions please feel free to ask. Sincerely, Vanessa Dolbee Senior Planner Department of Community & Economic Development City of Renton Renton City Hall -6th Floor 1055 South Grady Way Renton, WA 98057 425.430.7314 -----Original Message----- From: Bruce MacCaul fmailto:bmaccaul@gmail.com1 Sent: Tuesday, January 18, 2011 11:24 AM To: Vanessa Dolbee Cc: Bruce MacCaul Subject: Public Comments on Quendall Terminal DEIS (LUA09-151) Please find attached as a PDF, my comments regarding the proposed Quendall Terminal DEIS (LUA09-151). Respectfully submitted, Bruce G. MacCaul Submitted 1/18/2011 From: Bruce G. Maccaul Barbee Mill 1246 N42nd Place Renton, WA 98056 Mobile: 949489-8261 Email: bmaccaul@gmail.com 1 Date: January 18, 2011 To: City of Renton Planning Department Attn: Vanessa Dolbee, Senior Planner 1055 S. Grady Way Renton, WA 98057 425-430-7314 vdolbee@rentonwa.gov From: Name: Bruce MacCaul Address:1246 N 42"d Place. Renton. WA 98056 Phone Number:949-489-8261 (Mobile) Email Address:bmaccaul@gmail.com City of Renton Planning Oivis,or, Subject: Public Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal Draft EIS (LUA09-151) Following are our comments regarding the redevelopment of the Quendall Terminal site as outlined in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). As homeowners, tax payers and citizens of the City of Renton. we believe that the proposed and binding Quendall development proposal has tremendous negative and adverse impacts to the environment, property, the neighbomood and our Barbee Mill community and should NOT be approved. 1) Size & Scale Impact a. Scale-The proposed scale, density and height of the buildings in both alternatives are completely out-of-scale, incompatible and inconsistent with all neighborhoods on the entire shoreline of Lake Washington. The typical height limit for buildings along the Lake is 35 ft. The proposed heights and densities exceed those of Downtown Kirkland, Carillon Point, Bellevue and Seattle's Lake Washington facing neighbomoods. Furthermore, the proposed scale, density and height of the Quendall proposal are inconsistent and incompatible with adjacent neighbomoods, the East facing shoreline of Mercer Island. It will completely dwarf the residential neighborhood of Barbee Mill. b. The proposed buildings would be more than 40 ft taller than the height of the Barbee Mill homes. And they would be more than double the height of all nearby residences! The proposed buildings are nearly 90 ft in height although they are marked as 77 ft on the applicants elevation drawings, which is 3/4 the height of the Seahawks/VMAC Facility and the Boeing Airplane Factory. Again this is completely out-of-scale with the Barbee Mill neighbomood AND anything else along the Lake Washington shoreline. (DEIS 3.5-12) i. Figure 3.7-2 in the DEIS is an inaccurate and misleading rendering that attempts to conceal the height and visual impact of both proposal alternatives. c. The proposed architectural design resembles an industrial park and does not have the look or the feel of a residential neighbomood. It is certainly ·not consistent with the existing urban character" (as claimed in DEIS 3.5- 12) of any of the immediate and nearby residential neighbomoods. including Barbee Mill. The proposed scale, density and character would Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page 1 be an eyesore no matter what angle it is viewed from within the adjacent neighborhoods or from lakefront properties along Mercer. d. The proposed design looks more like the Landing, which is sandwiched in between a shopping center and the country's second largest airplane factory and which is NOT located on the shores of one of the most beautiful lakes in the state and which is NOT located in the middle of an existing residential area. e. The Applicant claims that this area along the Lake Washington shoreline is currently a high-density urban environment. (DEIS 3.5-12) This statement is misleading and couldn't be farther from the truth as all neighboring areas are completely residential (with the exception of the Sea hawks facility.) f. The proposed designs and project scope, scale and density are inappropriate for the shoreline of Lake Washington and do not in any way take advantage of the Lake front location and view. The buildings face each other instead of the Lake. The primary lake view outlook and central lakefront architectural feature is a semi-circular parking lot. i. The Mayor stated in his 2010 State of the City address that: "Renton still has some amazing waterfront property on Lake Washington. "We couldn't agree more. However, this proposal in no way takes advantage of or capitalizes on this amazing piece of waterfront property. In fact, the proposal looks like the City of Renton has taken a giant step backwards by proposing a self- facing vs. lake facing, residential complex, retail and office park with limited green space and tree canopy. This is not responsible growth. Nor is it responsible stewardship and development of the largest piece of remaining undeveloped land along the shoreline of beautiful Lake Washington. ii. The proposal calls for a straight, walled, 2-story parking garage, approximately 1000 fl in length, to traverse the entire Lake Washington frontage of the Quendall development with absolutely no undulation. There is nothing in the architectural design to break up the negative, visual impact of this two-story wall facing the Lake. This scale of this lake-facing 2-story garage wall is unheard of in residential zoning and lakefront zoning and does not fit the character nor complement the adjacent neighborhoods. g. The proposed development does NOT complement or add value to the existing neighborhoods especially neighboring Barbee Mill. Instead, this development would be tremendously destructive to the property value for the surrounding neighborhoods (including Barbee Mill, Kennydale, Newcastle and the East-facing side of Mercer Island) and detrimental to the quality of life for residents. 2) Density Impact a. This proposal repeatedly and misleadingly (DEIS 3.9-1) describes the Quendall development as "compatible with the existing neighborhoods." This is preposterous and we strongly disagree. For example, Barbee Mill to the south has a planned density of 5 residential units per acre and contains no commercial (office or retail) space. The Quendall proposal is for 37 residential units per acre plus up to a ~ million square feet of commercial space that would accommodate up to 2000 daily visitors. This is approximately 7 times the density of the local residential areas Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page2 and is in no way "consistent with the existing urban character of the area." In fact, the existing character of the local area can only accurately be described as residential. Both proposal alternatives, present tremendous compatibility impacts with the surrounding neighborhoods. b. Commercial/residential buildings in Renton and in the greater Eastside area, have tended to have a history of high-turnover, high-vacancy and have not proven to be particularly commercially viable. Our concern is that tenants of apartments and commercial space will have no vested interest in the neighborhood, the community or in the future vision for the city of Renton. And that such a development, could wind up sitting vacant for many years to come. 3) Traffic, Transportation & Parking Impact a. The traffic impact assessment in the DEIS is completely unrealistic. To begin with, the analysis in the DEIS does not take into account the traffic study and analysis for the adjacent Hawk's Landing (Pan Abode) development, which estimated an additional 1400+ automotive trips a day flowing onto Lake Washington Blvd and adding to traffic congestion on the surrounding streets and 1-405 exit 7 on-ramps and off-ramps. i. Before this or any other area development proposal is approved, a new, comprehensive traffic analysis should be done that focuses on the combined traffic impact of: Quendall Terminal property, Hawk's Landing/Pan Abode property, SeakhawksNMAC Facility, Ripley Lane neighborhood, Barbee Mill, Kennydale neighborhood, 1-405 congestion, commuters trying to bypass 405 congestion on Lake Washington Blvd and the City's goal of providing direct access to Lake Washington from Park Dr & Sunset Blvd. This comprehensive traffic analysis should reflect all existing, proposed and potential developments and their collective impact on the immediate vicinity and existing neighborhoods. WSDOT analysis, Mure plans and funding for 1-405 must be factored into the traffic analysis and any infrastructure planning. (Reference: Hawk's Landing Mixed Use and SEPAAppeal File No.: LUA-09-060, ECF, SA-M, SA-H September 10, 2009) b. The proposal calls for an unacceptable increase in traffic with an estimated 2000 cars a day. Add to that, the estimated 1400 automotive trips a day from the proposed Hawks Landing development. The current infrastructure can in no way support the increases being proposed. There are no proposed plans to improve or widen the immediate roads or build the proper egress and ingress access roads to/from the proposed Quendall development. c. The proposal calls for N 43"' St to serve as the primary entrance to the Quendall property. This narrow, residential street is already the primary entrance for the residential neighborhood of Barbee Mill. This un-striped, 2-lane 135-ft long street, which has two stop signs and a railroad crossing, can in no way accommodate the proposed additional 2000 cars per day PLUS the cars of Barbee Mill residents. Furthermore, 43"' has already become plagued by a dangerous trends of drivers making hazardous u-tums and 3-point turns in the intersection of 43"' and Lake Washington Blvd. Given all this, it is shocking that the DEIS does NOT list NE 43"' St as a roadway condition concern. NE 43"' St is in no way sufficient to serve as the primary entrance for both Quendall and Barbee Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page3 Mill it cannot safely and effectively accommodate the additional influx of 2000 cars per day. This proposal will result in intolerable traffic congestion, increased risk of accidents, noise pollution and egress problems for Barbee Mill Homeowners. i. 2000 additional cars/day will translate into 700 to 800 ft of traffic jams along Lake Washington Blvd, 43"' and Ripley Lane. The current infrastructure can in no way handle this increased volume. Lake Washington Blvd. is a narrow, 2-lane, scenic, curving, hilly, 25 mph road with bike lanes in both margins and many residential driveways. It is already extremely difficult to navigate Lake Washington Blvd given the present volume of traffic. Furthermore, it is already difficult with the present volume of traffic to enter or exit the Barbee Mill development at 43"' or 41" during the peak traffic hours and/or on sunny summer days from Lake Washington Blvd. Lake Washington Blvd does not have the capacity to handle the 2000/day proposed additional cars (3400+ if you factor in Hawk's Landing). And, any serious infrastructure modifications to Lake Washington Blvd would adversely impact the surrounding neighborhoods, the environmentally sensitive May Creek and the Lake Washington shoreline. 1. As a demonstration, one need to look no further than the congestion, parking and traffic nightmare that was created on 1/14111 when hundreds of Seahawk Fans (including children and pets) and their vehicles descended on the intersection of Ripley Lane and Lake Washington Blvd. Cars were parked all over 43"', 441", Lake Washington & Ripley Lane. It made it nearly impossible to enter/exit Barbee Mill on 43"'. Fans also jammed the 30"' Bridge and surrounding Kennydale neighborhoods, which has been proposed as an alternate travel route for the Quendall Property. 2. As a demonstration, congestion is also extremely heavy when during the Seahawk Training Days in August, despite the fact that the Seahawks arrange for buses and parking in the Landing in their effort to mitigate what would be the adverse impact of an approximate 2000 cars per day from coming into and parking in the neighborhoods adjacent to Ripley Lane including Barbee Mill. 3. We do not understand why the proposal does not bring traffic directly into the center of the Quendall property via a new access road which would need to be built to cross Ripley Lane and that would be more capable of handling that volume of traffic. However, we are not sure that any development plan that calls for 2000 or more additional cars/day on area roads can be adequately addressed through existing, modified or new infrastructure. 4. The details of the traffic analysis for Lake Washington Blvd at 43"' have been left out of (Table 3.9-1) AND there is no mention in the proposal of improving 43"'. ii. We are concerned that frustrated motorists who are eager to avoid the traffic congestion on Lake Washington Blvd will either make Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page4 dangerous u-tums and/or choose to use Barbee Mill as a major arterial north/south bypass route for Lake Washington Blvd. The streets within Barbee Mill can in no way accommodate this increased traffic volume. This bypass traffic would present a tremendous risk and inconvenience for Barbee Mill residents. It would hamper ability to safely enter and exit our own neighborhood and residences. The added traffic on Barbee Mill's streets would create a public safety risks for residents as well as for area pedestrians, joggers, cyclists, children in strollers and pets that enjoy our streets. We are extremely concerned about the added danger of so many motorists trying to navigate the already hazardous blind curve at 42nd Oust shortly after you tum into Barbee Mill from 43"'). The bypass traffic would also generate significant noise pollution. We believe that this proposal and its traffic volume will not only impact Barbee Mill homeowner and community safety but that it will adversely impact and reduce property values and quality of life for Barbee Mill homeowners. d. Traffic on 1-405 at 44'" and 30"' is already one of the most frequently congested parts of the freeway in both the North and South lanes. Congestion occurs not only at peak traffic hours but throughout the majority of the day. The freeway, just as the neighboring roads, can in no way accommodate an additional influx of 2000 cars per day. Throughout the proposal, the applicant has stated that various traffic impacts could be mitigated through a coordinated effort with WSDOT. However, WSDOT went on record during the DEIS Scoping Summary stating that "the potential 1-405/NE 44 St interchange improvements project is not funded, and is not likely to be funded in the foreseeable future; the transportation analysis should not assume that this project is complete or will occur." (Pg 5-EIS Scoping Summary) We believe that approving a major Quendall development plan without WSDOT commitment, funding, schedule and a plan in place to improve this interchange would have irreversible consequences and would cause a tremendous number of adverse impacts. i. There are scenarios in the proposal that suggest using the 1-405 30"' street onramp/offramp (exit 6) and then routing cars through the hilly, residential neighborhoods in Kennydale along 30"', 40111 , Burnett and Park. This is not a realistic alternative and is equally as dangerous as cars choosing to use Barbee Mill as a shortcut. And it could encourage drivers travelling northbound and southbound on Lake Washington Blvd to take a shortcut through Barbee Mill. e. Transportation-The proposal does not include any plans to develop, improve or encourage public transit in the vicinity, This means that there would be no alternative form of transportation for the estimated 2000+ daily visitors and tenants. It is not an environmentally responsible transportation design solution to place 2000 additional cars onto neighborhood streets and the lakefront in this residential community without providing realistic transportation alternatives. i. In the Mayor's 2010 State of the City Address, he declared "I believe that it is vital that we have the right infrastructure in place now to serve the needs of our future. We will continue to work with Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page5 the state and regional transportation organizations to make critical investments to create an affective transportation system that allows goods and people to move efficiently. "The Quendall proposal does not provide for any investments to create an affective transportation solution in the area NOR does it put the right infrastructure in place to serve the needs of the immediate area and alleviate traffic and noise and air pollution impacts and public safety risks. f. Parking-In the Proposal Alternative 2, there are surface level parking lots for 220 cars up placed right up against the entire north property line for Barbee Mill. This is in no way consistent with land use compatibility in the neighborhood and will adversely impact property values and quality of life. Nor is Proposal Alternative 1 , which calls for a 6-story building to be placed right up against the north fence of Barbee Mill. We believe that it is not an acceptable plan to place parking lots, tall buildings and/or delivery entrances right up against the north Barbee Mill fence. i. We are concerned that if fees are charged for parking in the Quendall development, that visitors and tenants will seek out free parking in the adjacent neighborhood streets especially at Barbee Mill-which already suffers from insufficient street parking for residents and guests. 4) Public Safety Impact a. Cyclist Safety/Pedestrian/Runners Safety-Lake Washington Blvd was never meant to be a major thoroughfare. It is a hilly, scenic route through residential neighborhoods. It has no sidewalks and is very poorly lit at night. In fact, it is already quite dangerous on winter nights to turn into the Barbee Mill development at either 43"' or 44 th St as there are no streetlights at either intersection. Lake Washington Blvd (in addition to Barbee Mill streets) is currently used not only by vehicles but also by pedestrians walking their pets and children, joggers and bicyclists. Given that there are no sidewalks and poor lighting along the road, such an increase in cars would not only cause traffic gridlock and backups but would also present a tremendous safety hazard to all using the bike lanes and shoulders for purposes other than driving. i. As a demonstration, a Barbee Mill resident counted more than 140 cyclists using Lake Washington Blvd and crossing 43"' St in a 90- minute period on a recent summer Saturday morning. b. We are concerned that the proposed public access trail and above ground parking lots located right against Barbee Mill North fence would invite evening transient traffic and loitering that could lead to crime. This fence backs up against an existing quiet residential neighborhood. This would not only adversely impact quality of life for Barbee Mill residents but also reduce property values. c. We are concerned that the proposed traffic volume and insufficient infrastructure, would affect the ability of emergency vehicles and first responders to quickly access the Barbee Mill community (and Ripley Lane neighborhood) in the event of an emergency. This puts the lives and health of residents at risk. d. We are concerned that a newly accessible open public space, trails, and parking lots may become an attractive target to a criminal element and would bring an increase risk of crime, vandalism, gang activity, graffiti, Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page6 noise, and other negative and unwanted activity that would put neighborhood homeowners' safety and security at risk. 5) Light, Glare & Noise Impact a. We have tremendous concern over the amount light and glare that would be emitted from the proposed high-density residential buildings (proposed to be as high as 90ft) and the evening and night-time restaurant patrons and shoppers in the retail development. We also are concerned about the noise pollution that would come from delivery trucks, giant HVAC units, 2000+ cars/day and ensuing traffic, residential tenants, office workers, retail shoppers and potential bar/restaurant patrons. The light, glare and noise from the proposed Quendall development would adversely impact quality of life and property values for the residents and homeowners of Barbee Mill. 6) Environmental Impact a. The true baseline character of the Quendall property is unknown until the EPA mandated remedial action is fully specified and completed. We believe that the DEIS proposes prematurely, approval of a BINDING site plan for specifications of square feet of various building types, number of parking spaces, roads, traffic and egress to and from the development. Approving the BINDING plan PRIOR TO completed the mandated remedial clean up of the Superfund sight is not only unwise and imprudent but the long term consequences and negative impacts are just too great. As homeowners, this is not the legacy we want to have to live with nor is what we want for our health, our quality of life and our property values. b. Mayor Law declared in his 2010 State of the City address that "Clean, healthy air; high quality drinking water; and trails and green open spaces are key to keeping our city a great place to live and worlc Expanding our tree canopy, creating a better trail system, and protecting our environment provides many benefits to the city and boosts property values by making neighborhoods greener." Unfortunately, the current proposal for Quendall runs completely contrary to the Mayor's pledge. c. Superfund Site Carcinogens & The Impact on The Environment-The The EPA has tremendous concerns about the carcinogenic substances on the Quendall site, cleanup and the adverse impact the cleanup would have on the Lake, including fishing and swimming and on several species. We share this concern. (EPA ID# WAD980639215). i. They state: "The primary contaminants of concern are carcinogenic PAHs and benzene. These contaminants are found in the soil and ground water throughout the site. These compounds are found at concentrations well above State cleanup levels for residential and industrial sites. At some locations on the site, creosote product has been found under the surface. In some areas the product is four to six feet thick. Releases of these contaminants to Lake Washington are of particular concern. Lake Washington is used for a variety of recreational purposes including fishing and swimming. The southern end of Lake Washington, including the area where the site is located, is considered prime habitat for rearing of juvenile Chinook, which is a Federal Threatened Species, and other salmon stocks. The Cedar River, which enters Lake Washington approximately two Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page? miles from the site, supports the largest sockeye run in the contiguous United States. Lake Washington also supports several sensitive environments including habitat for bull trout and the bald eagle. In addition, there are two swimming beaches located within one half mile of the site.· As homeowners at Barbee Mill, we enjoy having access to the shoreline in our development and do not want to see it adversely impacted by release of contaminates nor do we want to put the health of our families at risk. d. We understand that the EPA has jurisdiction over the remediation and cleanup of the Superfund Site at Quendall Terminals. We are extremely concerned about what carcinogenic contaminants will be released into the air and water (through either surface or aquifer transfer) and into our neighborhoods and into our shoreline and May Creek as a result of the initial cleanup process. We are also extremely concerned the adverse impact that the proposed mitigation, landfilling, grading, piling driving and other redevelopment activities will have on our neighborhoods and our residents. Furthermore, the DEIS proposes no dust control measures during the construction process to minimize contaminant transportation to Barbee Mill Homes. We believe strongly that it is NOT PRUDENT OR RESPONSIBLE to approve any BINDING redevelopment proposal for this site until the remediation and cleanup of this critical Superfund site has been thoroughly planned and safely planned, executed and effectively completed by the.EPA. To expedite the redevelopment process in order to pursue redevelopment income, puts at risk and adversely affects the health and lives of the immediate neighborhood residents, users of Lake Washington and the existing wildlife. Pursuing binding development agreements BEFORE Superfund cleanup, would be an extremely poor decision with a tremendously risky outcome. e. Wetlands-The overall wetlands in the Quendall property are at least twice the size they are portrayed as in the EIS. In particular in the Southwest comer (a small blue dot labeled "H") is nearly an acre in total size, which is SO-times the size of what is portrayed in the DEIS. i. The Wetland buffer area for shoreline wetlands should remain at a minimum of 50 ft and should not be reduced for shoreline trails or buildings as currently proposed and shown on figure 2-7. ii. Substituting Wetland "I" or· J", which is nothing more than a drainage ditch, (per figure 2.6, 2.7 and 2.11) which are separated by Ripley Lane & the railroad tracks and have absolutely no continuity with the Quendall site are not adequate or appropriate solutions for mitigating onsite wetlands throughout the Quendall site including adjacent to Barbee Mill. f. Wildlife-The EIS makes no mention of existing wildlife or mitigation for their loss of habitat from the proposed construction. There are ospreys, eagles, herons, deer, hummingbirds, and other species living in the wetlands and natural habitat of the Quendall property. CONCLUSIONS 1) We recommend that the City does NOT PROCEED with the current BINDING proposal as outlined in the Draft EIS. Of the three alternatives proposed, we believe that the ONLY viable alternative is that of "NO ACTION." Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page8 2) We certainly hope that Mayor Law meant what he pledged in his 2010 State of The City address when he stated: "By engaging citizens to participate in the process we are starting to create a picture of a city that is a leader in growth management." a. Mr. Mayor, City Council Members, City Planners and Hearing Examiner, as citizens of Renton we are participating in the DEIS public hearing process and we are loudly saying that the proposals outlined in the DEIS for the Quendall Tenminal Redevelopment are in no way in alignment with that goal of responsible growth management and would have tremendous adverse impacts on the surrounding community. 3) Mayor Law also concluded his 2010 State of the City address with these words: "/ am optimistic about the future. I am optimistic because people in our community are willing to step up and do what is necessary; because it is through partnerships that we tackle tough issues; and because we never quit planning for the future of this great community." a. So here we are, the people of Renton stepping up and tackling the tough issues of a poorly thought out, extremely inappropriate and binding DEIS proposal that is completely out of character with the surrounding residential neighborhoods. IF approved and developed, the proposed Quendall development would be a devastating destruction to the shoreline of Lake Washington and to the surrounding community. This proposed redevelopment of the Quendall Tenminal Property is definitely NOT what we want to see in the future of our great community. 4) We believe that this proposal would have a tremendously adverse impact on the existing adjacent neighborhoods especially our Barbee Mill community. The proposed Quendall development would negatively impact and affect traffic, public safety, quality of life and property values in Barbee Mill and surrounding neighborhoods. 5) As homeowners, taxpayers and citizens of the City of Renton, we urge the City of Renton to NOT approve this binding proposal for the redevelopment of the Quendall Tenminal Proposal. The only one of its alternatives that is viable is that of "NO ACTION!" Comments Regarding Quendall T errninal DEIS Page9 ' Vanessa Dolbee From: Vanessa Dolbee Sent: To: Wednesday, January 19, 2011 11: 15 AM 'Maria Antezana' Subject: RE: Urgent Letter to the City of Renton Dear Ricardo & Maria Antezana, Thank you for commenting on the Quendall Terminals DEIS. Your comments will be entered into the projects official file and will be addressed in the Final EIS. In addition, you will be added to the party of record list for the subject project. Once again, thank you for taking the time to comment of this project. If you have an additional questions about the project or the process feel free to ask. Sincerely, 'Vanessa <Dof6ee Senior Planner Department of Community & Economic Development City of Renton Renton City Hall -6th Floor 1055 South Grady Way Renton, WA 98057 425.430. 7314 From: Maria Antezana [mailto:maria@dynamiclanquaqe.com) Sent: Monday, January 17, 2011 9:46 PM To: Vanessa Dolbee Cc: Ricardo Antezana Subject: Urgent Letter to the City of Renton Importance: High Dear Sirs, Attached please find our final comments regarding the proposed development of the Quendal Terminal project. After Boeing vacated several buildings in Renton, the downtown area looked abandoned as many businesses and restaurants were forced to close due to reduced business. The construction of the Sea hawks facility, Barbee Mill, one of the premier housing developments along Lake Washington, and The Landing, were welcome improvements to the City of Renton -because they gave this area a revitalized look. However, if the Quendal Terminal is allowed to be developed as suggested the impact to the residents along Lake Washington could be catastrophic. 1 • We urge you to give careful cons ration to this crucial issue; as it could ict the lives and wellbeing of not only the residents of the City of Renton but also the hundreds ofthousands of daily commuters who use the 405 Freeway. Respectfully yours, Ricardo & Maria Antezana Barbee Mill Homeowners 1025 N 42nd Pl Renton, Wa 98056 2 Date: To: City of Renton Planning Department City of Renton Plan::inp D1visior-: Attn: Vanessa Dolbee, Senior Planner 1055 S. Grady Way Renton, WA 98057 425-430-7314 vdolbee@rentonwa.gov From: Name: Ricardo & Maria Antezana Address: 1025 N. 42"d Pl -Renton, Wa 98056 Phone Number: 425-271-1087 Email Address:maria@dynamiclanguage.com Subject: Public Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal Draft EIS (LUA09-151) Following are our comments regarding the redevelopment of the Quendall Terminal site as outlined in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). As homeowners, tax payers and citizens of the City of Renton, we believe that the proposed and binding Quendall development proposal has tremendous negative and adverse impacts to the environment, property, the neighborhood and our Barbee Mill community and should NOT be approved. 1) Size & Scale Impact a. Scale-The proposed scale, density and height of the buildings in both alternatives are completely out-of-scale, incompatible and inconsistent with all neighborhoods on the entire shoreline of Lake Washington. The typical height limit for buildings along the Lake is 35 ft. The proposed heights and densities exceed those of Downtown Kirkland, Carillon Point, Bellevue and Seattle's Lake Washington facing neighborhoods. Furthermore, the proposed scale, density and height of the Quendall proposal are inconsistent and incompatible with adjacent neighborhoods, the East facing shoreline of Mercer Island. It will completely dwarf the residential neighborhood of Barbee Mill. b. The proposed buildings would be more than 40 ft tallerthan the height of the Barbee Mill homes. And they would be more than double the height of all nearby residences! The proposed buildings are nearly 90 ft in height although they are marked as 77 ft on the applicants elevation drawings, which is 3/4 the height of the SeahawksNMAC Facility and the Boeing Airplane Factory. Again this is completely out-of-scale with the Barbee Mill neighborhood AND anything else along the Lake Washington shoreline. (DEIS 3.5-12) i. Figure 3.7-2 in the DEIS is an inaccurate and misleading rendering that attempts to conceal the height and visual impact of both proposal alternatives. c. The proposed architectural design resembles an industrial park and does not have the look or the feel of a residential neighborhood. It is certainly "not consistent with the existing urban character" (as claimed in DEIS 3.5- 12) of any of the immediate and nearby residential neighborhoods, including Barbee Mill. The proposed scale, density and character would Comments Regarding Ouendall Terminal DEIS Page 1 be an eyesore no matter what angle it is viewed from within the adjacent neighborhoods or from lakefront properties along Mercer. d. The proposed design looks more like the Landing, which is sandwiched in between a shopping center and the country's second largest airplane factory and which is NOT located on the shores of one of the most beautiful lakes in the state and which is NOT located in the middle of an existing residential area. e. The Applicant claims that this area along the Lake Washington shoreline is currently a high-density urban environment. (DEIS 3.5-12) This statement is misleading and couldn't be farther from the truth as all neighboring areas are completely residential (with the exception of the Seahawks facility.) f. The proposed designs and project scope, scale and density are inappropriate for the shoreline of Lake Washington and do not in any way take advantage of the Lake front location and view. The buildings face each other instead of the Lake. The primary lake view outlook and central lakefront architectural feature is a semi-circular parking lot. i. The Mayor stated in his 2010 State of the City address that: "Renton still has some amazing waterfront property on Lake Washington." We couldn't agree more. However, this proposal in no way takes advantage of or capitalizes on this amazing piece of waterfront property. In fact, the proposal looks like the City of Renton has taken a giant step backwards by proposing a self- facing vs. lake facing, residential complex, retail and office park with limited green space and tree canopy. This is not responsible growth. Nor is it responsible stewardship and development of the largest piece of remaining undeveloped land along the shoreline of beautiful Lake Washington. ii. The proposal calls for a straight, walled, 2-story parking garage, approximately 1000 ft in length, to traverse the entire Lake Washington frontage of the Quendall development with absolutely no undulation. There is nothing in the architectural design to break up the negative, visual impact of this two-story wall facing the Lake. This scale of this lake-facing 2-story garage wall is unheard of in residential zoning and lakefront zoning and does not fit the character nor complement the adjacent neighborhoods. g. The proposed development does NOT complement or add value to the existing neighborhoods especially neighboring Barbee Mill. Instead, this development would be tremendously destructive to the property value for the surrounding neighborhoods (including Barbee Mill, Kennydale, Newcastle and the East-facing side of Mercer Island) and detrimental to the quality of life for residents. 2) Density Impact a. This proposal repeatedly and misleadingly (DEIS 3.9-1) describes the Quendall development as "compatible with the existing neighborhoods." This is preposterous and we strongly disagree. For example, Barbee Mill to the south has a planned density of 5 residential units per acre and contains no commercial (office or retail) space. The Quendall proposal is for 37 residential units per acre plus up to a ~ million square feet of commercial space that would accommodate up to 2000 daily visitors. This is approximately 7 times the density of the local residential areas Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page2 and is in no way "consistent with the existing urban character of the area." In fact, the existing character of the local area can only accurately be described as residential. Both proposal alternatives, present tremendous compatibility impacts with the surrounding neighborhoods. b. Commercial/residential buildings in Renton and in the greater Eastside area, have tended to have a history of high-turnover, high-vacancy and have not proven to be particularly commercially viable. Our concern is that tenants of apartments and commercial space will have no vested interest in the neighborhood, the community or in the future vision for the city of Renton. And that such a development, could wind up sitting vacant for many years to come. 3) Traffic, Transportation & Parking Impact a. The traffic impact assessment in the DEIS is completely unrealistic. To begin with, the analysis in the DEIS does not take into account the traffic study and analysis for the adjacent Hawk's Landing (Pan Abode) development, which estimated an additional 1400+ automotive trips a day flowing onto Lake Washington Blvd and adding to traffic congestion on the surrounding streets and 1-405 exit 7 on-ramps and off-ramps. i. Before this or any other area development proposal is approved, a new, comprehensive traffic analysis should be done that focuses on the combined traffic impact of: Quendall Terminal property, Hawk's Landing/Pan Abode property, SeakhawksNMAC Facility, Ripley Lane neighborhood, Barbee Mill, Kennydale neighborhood, 1-405 congestion, commuters trying to bypass 405 congestion on Lake Washington Blvd and the City's goal of providing direct access to Lake Washington from Park Dr & Sunset Blvd. This comprehensive traffic analysis should reflect all existing, proposed and potential developments and their collective impact on the immediate vicinity and existing neighborhoods. WSDOT analysis, future plans and funding for 1-405 must be factored into the traffic analysis and any infrastructure planning. (Reference: Hawk's Landing Mixed Use and SEPA Appeal File No.: LUA-09-060, ECF, SA-M, SA-H September 10, 2009) b. The proposal calls for an unacceptable increase in traffic with an estimated 2000 cars a day. Add to that, the estimated 1400 automotive trips a day from the proposed Hawks Landing development. The current infrastructure can in no way support the increases being proposed. There are no proposed plans to improve or widen the immediate roads or build the proper egress and ingress access roads to/from the proposed Quendall development. c. The proposal calls for N 43"' St to serve as the primary entrance to the Quendall property. This narrow, residential street is already the primary entrance for the residential neighborhood of Barbee Mill. This un-striped, 2-lane 135-ft long street, which has two stop signs and a railroad crossing, can in no way accommodate the proposed additional 2000 cars per day PLUS the cars of Barbee Mill residents. Furthermore, 43"' has already become plagued by a dangerous trends of drivers making hazardous u-turns and 3-point turns in the intersection of 43'd and Lake Washington Blvd. Given all this, it is shocking that the DEIS does NOT list NE 43'd St as a roadway condition concern. NE 43"' St is in no way sufficient to serve as the primary entrance for both Quendall and Barbee Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page 3 Mill it cannot safely and effectively accommodate the additional influx of 2000 cars per day. This proposal will result in intolerable traffic congestion, increased risk of accidents, noise pollution and egress problems for Barbee Mill Homeowners. i. 2000 additional cars/day will translate into 700 to 800 ft of traffic jams along Lake Washington Blvd, 43rd and Ripley Lane. The current infrastructure can in no way handle this increased volume. Lake Washington Blvd. is a narrow, 2-lane, scenic, curving, hilly, 25 mph road with bike lanes in both margins and many residential driveways. It is already extremely difficult to navigate Lake Washington Blvd given the present volume of traffic. Furthermore, it is already difficult with the present volume of traffic to enter or exit the Barbee Mill development at 43rd or 41 st during the peak traffic hours and/or on sunny summer days from Lake Washington Blvd. Lake Washington Blvd does not have the capacity to handle the 2000/day proposed additional cars (3400+ if you factor in Hawk's Landing). And, any serious infrastructure modifications to Lake Washington Blvd would adversely impact the surrounding neighborhoods, the environmentally sensitive May Creek and the Lake Washington shoreline. 1. As a demonstration, one need to look no further than the congestion, parking and traffic nightmare that was created on 1/14/11 when hundreds of Seahawk Fans (including children and pets) and their vehicles descended on the intersection of Ripley Lane and Lake Washington Blvd. Cars were parked all over 43rd, 44t", Lake Washington & Ripley Lane. It made it nearly impossible to enter/exit Barbee Mill on 43rd_ Fans also jammed the 30th Bridge and surrounding Kennydale neighborhoods, which has been proposed as an alternate travel route for the Quendall Property. 2. As a demonstration, congestion is also extremely heavy when during the Seahawk Training Days in August, despite the fact that the Sea hawks arrange for buses and parking in the Landing in their effort to mitigate what would be the adverse impact of an approximate 2000 cars per day from coming into and parking in the neighborhoods adjacent to Ripley Lane including Barbee Mill. 3. We do not understand why the proposal does not bring traffic directly into the center of the Quendall property via a new access road which would need to be built to cross Ripley Lane and that would be more capable of handling that volume of traffic. However, we are not sure that any development plan that calls for 2000 or more additional cars/day on area roads can be adequately addressed through existing, modified or new infrastructure. 4. The details of the traffic analysis for Lake Washington Blvd at 43rd have been left out of (Table 3.9-1) AND there is no mention in the proposal of improving 43rd. ii. We are concerned that frustrated motorists who are eager to avoid the traffic congestion on Lake Washington Blvd will either make Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page4 dangerous u-turns and/or choose to use Barbee Mill as a major arterial north/south bypass route for Lake Washington Blvd. The streets within Barbee Mill can in no way accommodate this increased traffic volume. This bypass traffic would present a tremendous risk and inconvenience for Barbee Mill residents. It would hamper ability to safely enter and exit our own neighborhood and residences. The added traffic on Barbee Mill's streets would create a public safety risks for residents as well as for area pedestrians, joggers, cyclists, children in strollers and pets that enjoy our streets. We are extremely concerned about the added danger of so many motorists trying to navigate the already hazardous blind curve at 42nd Oust shortly after you turn into Barbee Mill from 43'd). The bypass traffic would also generate significant noise pollution. We believe that this proposal and its traffic volume will not only impact Barbee Mill homeowner and community safety but that it will adversely impact and reduce property values and quality of life for Barbee Mill homeowners. d. Traffic on 1-405 at 44th and 301" is already one of the most frequently congested parts of the freeway in both the North and South lanes. Congestion occurs not only at peak traffic hours but throughout the majority of the day. The freeway, just as the neighboring roads, can in no way accommodate an additional influx of 2000 cars per day. Throughout the proposal, the applicant has stated that various traffic impacts could be mitigated through a coordinated effort with WSDOT. However, WSDOT went on record during the DEIS Scoping Summary stating that "the potential 1-405/NE 44 St interchange improvements project is not funded, and is not likely to be funded in the foreseeable future; the transporlation analysis should not assume that this project is complete or will occur." (Pg 5-EIS Scoping Summary) We believe that approving a major Quendall development plan without WSDOT commitment, funding, schedule and a plan in place to improve this interchange would have irreversible consequences and would cause a tremendous number of adverse impacts. 1. There are scenarios in the proposal that suggest using the 1-405 30'" street onramp/offramp (exit 6) and then routing cars through the hilly, residential neighborhoods in Kennydale along 30th, 40'", Burnett and Park. This is not a realistic alternative and is equally as dangerous as cars choosing to use Barbee Mill as a shortcut. And it could encourage drivers travelling northbound and southbound on Lake Washington Blvd to take a shortcut through Barbee Mill. e. Transportation-The proposal does not include any plans to develop, improve or encourage public transit in the vicinity. This means that there would be no alternative form of transportation for the estimated 2000+ daily visitors and tenants. It is not an environmentally responsible transportation design solution to place 2000 additional cars onto neighborhood streets and the lakefront in this residential community without providing realistic transportation alternatives. 1. In the Mayor's 2010 State of the City Address, he declared "/ believe that it is vital that we have the right infrastructure in place now to serve the needs of our future. We will continue to work with Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page 5 the state and regional transportation organizations to make critical investments to create an affective transportation system that allows goods and people to move efficiently." The Quendall proposal does not provide for any investments to create an affective transportation solution in the area NOR does it put the right infrastructure in place to serve the needs of the immediate area and alleviate traffic and noise and air pollution impacts and public safety risks. f. Parking-In the Proposal Alternative 2, there are surface level parking lots for 220 cars up placed right up against the entire north property line for Barbee Mill. This is in no way consistent with land use compatibility in the neighborhood and will adversely impact property values and quality of life. Nor is Proposal Alternative 1, which calls for a 6-story building to be placed right up against the north fence of Barbee Mill. We believe that it is not an acceptable plan to place parking lots, tall buildings and/or delivery entrances right up against the north Barbee Mill fence. i. We are concerned that if fees are charged for parking in the Quendall development, that visitors and tenants will seek out free parking in the adjacent neighborhood streets especially at Barbee Mill-which already suffers from insufficient street parking for residents and guests. 4) Public Safety Impact a. Cyclist Safety/Pedestrian/Runners Safety-Lake Washington Blvd was never meant to be a major thoroughfare. It is a hilly, scenic route through residential neighborhoods. It has no sidewalks and is very poorly lit at night. In fact, it is already quite dangerous on winter nights to turn into the Barbee Mill development at either 43"' or 44'" St as there are no streetlights at either intersection. Lake Washington Blvd (in addition to Barbee Mill streets) is currently used not only by vehicles but also by pedestrians walking their pets and children, joggers and bicyclists. Given that there are no sidewalks and poor lighting along the road, such an increase in cars would not only cause traffic gridlock and backups but would also present a tremendous safety hazard to all using the bike lanes and shoulders for purposes other than driving. i. As a demonstration, a Barbee Mill resident counted more than 140 cyclists using Lake Washington Blvd and crossing 43rd St in a 90- minute period on a recent summer Saturday morning. b. We are concerned that the proposed public access trail and above ground parking lots located right against Barbee Mill North fence would invite evening transient traffic and loitering that could lead to crime. This fence backs up against an existing quiet residential neighborhood. This would not only adversely impact quality of life for Barbee Mill residents but also reduce property values. c. We are concerned that the proposed traffic volume and insufficient infrastructure, would affect the ability of emergency vehicles and first responders to quickly access the Barbee Mill community (and Ripley Lane neighborhood) in the event of an emergency. This puts the lives and health of residents at risk. d. We are concerned that a newly accessible open public space, trails, and parking lots may become an attractive target to a criminal element and would bring an increase risk of crime, vandalism, gang activity, graffiti, Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page6 noise, and other negative and unwanted activity that would put neighborhood homeowners' safety and security at risk. 5) Light, Glare & Noise Impact a. We have tremendous concern over the amount of light and glare that would be emitted from the proposed high-density residential buildings (proposed to be as high as 90ft) and the evening and night-time restaurant patrons and shoppers in the retail development. We also are concerned about the noise pollution that would come from delivery trucks, giant HVAC units, 2000+ cars/day and ensuing traffic, residential tenants, office workers, retail shoppers and potential bar/restaurant patrons. The light, glare and noise from the proposed Quendall development would adversely impact quality of life and property values for the residents and homeowners of Barbee Mill. 6) Environmental Impact a. The true baseline character of the Quendall property is unknown until the EPA mandated remedial action is fully specified and completed. We believe that the DEIS proposes prematurely, approval of a BINDING site plan for specifications of square feet of various building types, number of parking spaces, roads, traffic and egress to and from the development. Approving the BINDING plan PRIOR TO completed the mandated remedial clean up of the Superfund sight is not only unwise and imprudent but the long term consequences and negative impacts are just too great. As homeowners, this is not the legacy we want to have to live with nor is what we want for our health, our quality of life and our property values. b. Mayor Law declared in his 2010 State of the City address that: "Clean, healthy air; high quality drinking water; and trails and green open spaces are key to keeping our city a great place to live and work. Expanding our tree canopy, creating a better trail system, and protecting our environment provide many benefits to the city and boosts property values by making neighborhoods greener." Unfortunately, the current proposal for Quendall runs completely contrary to the Mayor's pledge. c. Superfund Site Carcinogens & The Impact on The Environment-The EPA has tremendous concerns about the carcinogenic substances on the Quendall site, cleanup and the adverse impact the cleanup would have on the Lake, including fishing and swimming and on several species. We share this concern. (EPA ID# WAD980639215). 1. They state: "The primary contaminants of concern are carcinogenic PAHs and benzene. These contaminants are found in the soil and ground water throughout the site. These compounds are found at concentrations well above State cleanup levels for residential and industrial sites. At some locations on the site, creosote product has been found under the sw1ace. In some areas the product is four to six feet thick. Releases of these contaminants to Lake Washington are of particular concern. Lake Washington is used for a variety of recreational purposes including fishing and swimming. The southern end of Lake Washington, including the area where the site is located, is considered prime habitat for rearing of juvenile Chinook, which is a Federal Threatened Species, and other salmon stocks. The Cedar River, which enters Lake Washington approximately two Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page 7 miles from the site, supports the largest sockeye run in the contiguous United States. Lake Washington also supports several sensitive environments including habitat for bull trout and the bald eagle. In addition, there are two swimming beaches located within one half mile of the site." As homeowners at Barbee Mill, we enjoy having access to the shoreline in our development and do not want to see it adversely impacted by the release of contaminants nor do we want to put the health of our families at risk. d. We understand that the EPA has jurisdiction over the remediation and cleanup of the Superfund Site at Quendall Terminals. We are extremely concerned about what carcinogenic contaminants will be released into the air and water (through either surface or aquifer transfer) and into our neighborhoods and into our shoreline and May Creek as a result of the initial cleanup process. We are also extremely concerned about the adverse impact that the proposed mitigation, land filling, grading, piling driving and other redevelopment activities will have on our neighborhoods and our residents. Furthermore, the DEIS proposes no dust control measures during the construction process to minimize contaminant transportation to Barbee Mill Homes. We believe strongly that it is NOT PRUDENT OR RESPONSIBLE to approve any BINDING redevelopment proposal for this site until the remediation and cleanup of this critical Superfund site has been thoroughly planned and safely planned, executed and effectively completed by the EPA. To expedite the redevelopment process in order to pursue redevelopment income, puts at risk and adversely affects the health and lives of the immediate neighborhood residents, users of Lake Washington and the existing wildlife. Pursuing binding development agreements BEFORE Superfund cleanup would be an extremely poor decision with a tremendously risky outcome. e. Wetlands-The overall wetlands in the Quendall property are at least twice the size they are portrayed as in the EIS. In particular in the Southwest corner (a small blue dot labeled "H") is nearly an acre in total size, which is 50-times the size of what is portrayed in the DEIS. i. The Wetland buffer area for shoreline wetlands should remain at a minimum of 50 ft and should not be reduced for shoreline trails or buildings as currently proposed and shown on figure 2-7. ii. Substituting Wetland "I" or "J", which is nothing more than a drainage ditch, (per figure 2.6, 2.7 and 2.11) which are separated by Ripley Lane & the railroad tracks and have absolutely no continuity with the Quendall site are not adequate or appropriate solutions for mitigating onsite wetlands throughout the Quendall site including adjacent to Barbee Mill. f. Wildlife-The EIS makes no mention of existing wildlife or mitigation for their loss of habitat from the proposed construction. There are ospreys, eagles, herons, deer, hummingbirds, and other species living in the wetlands and natural habitat of the Quendall property. CONCLUSIONS 1) We recommend that the City does NOT PROCEED with the current BINDING proposal as outlined in the Draft EIS. Of the three alternatives proposed, we believe that the ONLY viable alternative is that of "NO ACTION." Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page 8 2) We certainly hope that Mayor Law meant what he pledged in his 2010 State of The City address when he stated: "By engaging citizens to participate in the process we are starting to create a picture of a city that is a leader in growth management." a. Mr. Mayor, City Council Members, City Planners and Hearing Examiner, as citizens of Renton we are participating in the DEIS public hearing process and we are loudly saying that the proposals outlined in the DEIS for the Quendall Terminal Redevelopment are in no way in alignment with that goal of responsible growth management and would have tremendous adverse impacts on the surrounding community. 3) Mayor Law also concluded his 2010 State of the City address with these words: "I am optimistic about the future. I am optimistic because people in our community are willing to step up and do what is necessary; because it is through partnerships that we tackle tough issues; and because we never quit planning for the future of this great community." a. So here we are, the people of Renton, stepping up and tackling the tough issues of a poorly thought out, extremely inappropriate and binding DEIS proposal that is completely out of character with the surrounding residential neighborhoods. IF approved and developed, the proposed Quendall development would be a devastating destruction to the shoreline of Lake Washington and to the surrounding community. This proposed redevelopment of the Quendall Terminal Property is definitely NOT what we want to see in the future of our great community. 4) We believe that this proposal would have a tremendously adverse impact on the existing adjacent neighborhoods especially our Barbee Mill community. The proposed Quendall development would negatively impact and affect traffic, public safety, quality of life and property values in Barbee Mill and surrounding neighborhoods. 5) As homeowners, taxpayers and citizens of the City of Renton, we urge the City of Renton to NOT approve this binding proposal for the redevelopment of the Quendall Terminal Proposal. The only one of its alternatives that is viable is that of "NO ACTION!" Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page 9 Vanessa Dolbee From: Vanessa Dolbee Sent: To: Wednesday, January 19, 2011 11 :08 AM 'Gary Sanford' Subject: RE: Qunedal Draft EIS Gary and Jan Sanford, Thank you for commenting on the Quendall Terminals DEIS. Your comments will be entered into the projects official file and will be addressed in the Final EIS. In addition, you will be added to the party of record list for the subject project. Once again, thank you for taking the time to comment of this project. If you have any additional questions please feel free to ask. 'Vanessa (f)o[6ee Senior Planner Department of Community & Economic Development City of Renton Renton City Hall -6th Floor 1055 South Grady Way Renton, WA 98057 425.430.7314 From: Gary Sanford (mailto:jefferyan619@msn.com1 Sent: Monday, January 17, 2011 8:13 PM To: Vanessa Dolbee Subject: Qunedal Draft EIS Please accept the attached letter as our statement/ testimony for the Quendall Terminal Draft EIS (LUA09-151) Thank you for your help Gary and Jan Sanford 1102 N42nd Pl Renton Wa 98056 425-276-5848 1 Date: Jan17, 2011 To: City of Renton Planning Department Attn: Vanessa Dolbee, Senior Planner 1055 S. Grady Way Renton, WA 98057 425-430-7314 vdolbee@rentonwa.gov From: Name: Gary R. and Janet L. Sanford Address: 1102 N 42nd Pl Renton WA 98056 Phone Number: 425 -276 -5848 Email Address: jefferyan619@msn.com City of Renton Planninq Division Subject: Public Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal Draft EIS (LUA09-151) Following are our comments regarding the redevelopment of the Quendall Terminal site as outlined in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). As homeowners, tax payers and citizens of the City of Renton, we believe that the proposed and binding Quendall development proposal has tremendous negative and adverse impacts to the environment, property, the neighborhood and our Barbee Mill community and should NOT be approved. 1) Size & Scale Impact a. Scale-The proposed scale, density and height of the buildings in both alternatives are completely out-of-scale, incompatible and inconsistent with all neighborhoods on the entire shoreline of Lake Washington. The typical height limit for buildings along the Lake is 35 ft. The proposed heights and densities exceed those of Downtown Kirkland, Carillon Point, Bellevue and Seattle's Lake Washington facing·neighborhoods. Furthermore, the proposed scale, density and height of the Quendall proposal are inconsistent and incompatible with adjacent neighborhoods, the East facing shoreline of Mercer Island. It will completely dwarf the residential neighborhood of Barbee Mill. b. The proposed buildings would be more than 40 ff ta//erthan the height of the Barbee Mill homes. And they would be more than double the height of all nearby residences! The proposed buildings are nearly 90 ft in height although they are marked as 77 ft on the applicants elevation drawings, which is 3/4 the height of the SeahawksNMAC Facility and the Boeing Airplane Factory. Again this is completely out-of-scale with the Barbee Mill neighborhood AND anything else along the Lake Washington shoreline. (DEIS 3.5-12) i. Figure 3.7-2 in the DEIS is an inaccurate and misleading rendering that attempts to conceal the height and visual impact of both proposal alternatives. c. The proposed arcMectural design resembles an industrial park and does not have the look or the feel of a residential neighborhood. It is certainly "not consistent with the existing urban character" (as claimed in DEIS 3.5- 12) of any of the immediate and nearby residential neighborhoods, Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page 1 including Barbee Mill. The proposed scale, density and character would be an eyesore no matter what angle it is viewed from within the adjacent neighborhoods or from lakefront properties along Mercer. d. The proposed design looks more like the Landing, which is sandwiched in between a shopping center and the country's second largest airplane factory and which is NOT located on the shores of one of the most beautiful lakes in the state and which is NOT located in the middle of an existing residential area. e. The Applicant claims that this area along the Lake Washington shoreline is currently a high-density urban environment. (DEIS 3.5-12) This statement is misleading and couldn't be farther from the truth as all neighboring areas are completely residential (with the exception of the Seahawks facility.) f. The proposed designs and project scope, scale and density are inappropriate for the shoreline of Lake Washington and do not in any way take advantage of the Lake front location and view. The buildings face each other instead of the Lake. The primary lake view outlook and central lakefront architectural feature is a semi-circular parking lot. i. The Mayor stated in his 201 O State of the City address that: "Renton still has some amazing watelfront property on Lake Washington."We couldn't agree more. However, this proposal in no way takes advantage of or capitalizes on this amazing piece of waterfront property. In fact, the proposal looks like the City of Renton has taken a giant step backwards by proposing a self- facing vs. lake facing, residential complex, retail and office park with limited green space and tree canopy. This is not responsible growth. Nor is it responsible stewardship and development of the largest piece of remaining undeveloped land along the shoreline of beautiful Lake Washington. 11. The proposal calls for a straight, walled, 2-story parking garage, approximately 1000 ft in length, to traverse the entire Lake Washington frontage of the Quendall development with absolutely no undulation. There is nothing in the architectural design to break up the negative, visual impact of this two-story wall facing the Lake. This scale of this lake-facing 2-story garage wall is unheard of in residential zoning and lakefront zoning and does not fit the character nor complement the adjacent neighborhoods. g. The proposed development does NOT complement or add value to the existing neighborhoods especially neighboring Barbee Mill. Instead, this development would be tremendously destructive to the property value for the surrounding neighborhoods (including Barbee Mill, Kennydale, Newcastle and the East-facing side of Mercer Island) and detrimental to the quality of life for residents. 2) Density Impact a. This proposal repeatedly and misleadingly (DEIS 3.9-1) describes the Quendall development as • compatible with the existing neighborhoods." This is preposterous and we strongly disagree. For example, Barbee Mill to the south has a planned density of 5 residential units per acre and contains no commercial (office or retail) space. The Quendall proposal is for 37 residential units per acre plus up to a Y. million square feet of commercial space that would accommodate up to 2000 daily visitors. Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page2 This is approximately 7 times the density of the local residential areas and is in no way "consistent with the existing urban character of the area." In fact, the existing character of the local area can only accurately be described as residential. Both proposal alternatives, present tremendous compatibility impacts with the surrounding neighborhoods. b. Commercial/residential buildings in Renton and in the greater Eastside area, have tended to have a history of high-turnover, high-vacancy and have not proven to be particularly commercially viable. Our concern is that tenants of apartments and commercial space will have no vested interest in the neighborhood, the community or in the future vision for the city of Renton. And that such a development, could wind up sitting vacant for many years to come. 3) Traffic, Transportation & Parking Impact a. The traffic impact assessment in the DEIS is completely unrealistic. To begin with, the analysis in the DEIS does not take into account the traffic study and analysis for the adjacent Hawk's Landing (Pan Abode) development, which estimated an additional 1400+ automotive trips a day flowing onto Lake Washington Blvd and adding to traffic congestion on the surrounding streets and 1-405 exit 7 on-ramps and off-ramps. i. Before this or any other area development proposal is approved, a new, comprehensive traffic analysis should be done that focuses on the combined traffic impact of: Quendall Terminal property, Hawk's Landing/Pan Abode property, SeakhawksNMAC Facility, Ripley Lane neighborhood, Barbee Mill, Kennydale neighborhood, 1-405 congestion, commuters trying to bypass 405 congestion on Lake Washington Blvd and the City's goal of providing direct access to Lake Washington from Park Dr & Sunset Blvd. This comprehensive traffic analysis should reflect all existing, proposed and potential developments and their collective impact on the immediate vicinity and existing neighborhoods. WSDOT analysis, future plans and funding for 1-405 must be factored into the traffic analysis and any infrastructure planning. (Reference: Hawk's Landing Mixed Use and SEPA Appeal File No.: LUA-09-060, ECF, SA-M, SA-H September 10, 2009) b. The proposal calls for an unacceptable increase in traffic with an estimated 2000 cars a day. Add to that, the estimated 1400 automotive trips a day from the proposed Hawks Landing development. The current infrastructure can in no way support the increases being proposed. There are no proposed plans to improve or widen the immediate roads or build the proper egress and ingress access roads to/from the proposed Quendall development. c. The proposal calls for N 43'" St to serve as the primary entrance to the Quendall property. This narrow, residential street is already the primary entrance for the residential neighborhood of Barbee Mill. This un-striped, 2-lane 135-ft long street, which has two stop signs and a railroad crossing, can in no way accommodate the proposed additional 2000 cars per day PLUS the cars of Barbee Mill residents. Furthermore, 43'" has already become plagued by a dangerous trends of drivers making hazardous u-turns and 3-point turns in the intersection of 43"' and Lake Washington Blvd. Given all this, it is shocking that the DEIS does NOT list NE 43'" St as a roadway condition concern. NE 43'0 St is in no way Comments Regarding Quendall Tenninal DEIS Page3 sufficient to serve as the primary entrance for both Quendall and Barbee Mill it cannot safely and effectively accommodate the additional influx of 2000 cars per day. This proposal will result in intolerable traffic congestion, increased risk of accidents, noise pollution and egress problems for Barbee Mill Homeowners. i. 2000 additional cars/day will translate into 700 to 800 ft of traffic jams along Lake Washington Blvd, 43'" and Ripley Lane. The current infrastructure can in no way handle this increased volume. Lake Washington Blvd. is a narrow, 2-lane, scenic, curving, hilly, 25 mph road with bike lanes in both margins and many residential driveways. It is already extremely difficult to navigate Lake Washington Blvd given the present volume of traffic. Furthermore, it is already difficult with the present volume of traffic to enter or exit the Barbee Mill development at 43'd or 41 st during the peak traffic hours and/or on sunny summer days from Lake Washington Blvd. Lake Washington Blvd does not have the capacity to handle the 2000/day proposed additional cars (3400+ if you factor in Hawk's Landing). And, any serious infrastructure modifications to Lake Washington Blvd would adversely impact the surrounding neighborhoods, the environmentally sensitive May Creek and the Lake Washington shoreline. 1. As a demonstration, one need to look no further than the congestion, parking and traffic nightmare that was created on 1 /14/11 when hundreds of Seahawk Fans (including children and pets) and their vehicles descended on the intersection of Ripley Lane and Lake Washington Blvd. Cars were parked all over 43rd, 44th, Lake Washington & Ripley Lane. It made it nearly impossible to enter/exit Barbee Mill on 43'". Fans also jammed the 30th Bridge and surrounding Kennydale neighborhoods, which has been proposed as an alternate travel route for the Quendall Property. 2. As a demonstration, congestion is also extremely heavy . when during the Seahawk Training Days in August, despite the fact that the Seahawks arrange for buses and parking in the Landing in their effort to mitigate what would be the adverse impact of an approximate 2000 cars per day from coming into and parking in the neighborhoods adjacent to Ripley Lane including Barbee Mill. 3. We do not understand why the proposal does not bring traffic directly into the center of the Quendall property via a new access road which would need to be built to cross Ripley Lane and that would be more capable of handling that volume of traffic. However, we are not sure that any development plan that calls for 2000 or more additional cars/day on area roads can be adequately addressed through existing, modified or new infrastructure. 4. The details of the traffic analysis for Lake Washington Blvd at 43'" have been left out of (Table 3.9-1) AND there is no mention in the proposal of improving 43'd_ Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page4 ii. We are concerned that frustrated motorists who are eager to avoid the traffic congestion on Lake Washington Blvd will either make dangerous u-turns and/or choose to use Barbee Mill as a major arterial north/south bypass route for Lake Washington Blvd. The streets within Barbee Mill can in no way accommodate this increased traffic volume. This bypass traffic would present a tremendous risk and inconvenience for Barbee Mill residents. It would hamper ability to safely enter and exit our own neighborhood and residences. The added traffic on Barbee Mill's streets would create a public safety risks for residents as well as for area pedestrians, joggers, cyclists, children in strollers and pets that enjoy our streets. We are extremely concerned about the added danger of so many motorists trying to navigate the already hazardous blind curve at 42"d Qust shortly after you turn into Barbee Mill from 43"\ The bypass traffic would also generate significant noise pollution. We believe that this proposal and its traffic volume will not only impact Barbee Mill homeowner and community safety but that it will adversely impact and reduce property values and quality of life for Barbee Mill homeowners. d. Traffic on 1-405 at 44th and 30th is already one of the most frequently congested parts of the freeway in both the North and South lanes. Congestion occurs not only at peak traffic hours but throughout the majority of the day. The freeway, just as the neighboring roads, can in no way accommodate an additional influx of 2000 cars per day. Throughout the proposal, the applicant has stated that various traffic impacts could be mitigated through a coordinated effort with WSDOT. However, WSDOT went on record during the DEIS Scoping Summary stating that "the potential l-405/NE 44 St interchange improvements project is not funded, and is not likely to be funded in the foreseeable future; the transportation analysis should not assume that this project is complete or will occur." (Pg 5-EIS Scoping Summary) We believe that approving a major Quendall development plan without WSDOT commitment, funding, schedule and a plan in place to improve this interchange would have irreversible consequences and would cause a tremendous number of adverse impacts. i. There are scenarios in the proposal that suggest using the 1-405 30th street onramp/offramp (exit 6) and then routing cars through the hilly, residential neighborhoods in Kennydale along 30th, 40th, Burnett and Park. This is not a realistic alternative and is equally as dangerous as cars choosing to use Barbee Mill as a shortcut. And it could encourage drivers travelling northbound and southbound on Lake Washington Blvd to take a shortcut through Barbee Mill. e. Transportation-The proposal does not include any plans to develop, improve or encourage public transit in the vicinity. This means that there would be no alternative form of transportation for the estimated 2000+ daily visitors and tenants. It is not an environmentally responsible transportation design solution to place 2000 additional cars onto neighborhood streets and the lakefront in this residential community without providing realistic transportation alternatives. Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Pages • 1. In the Mayor's 2010 State of the City Address, he declared"/ believe that it is vital that we have the right infrastructure in place now to serve the needs of our future. We will continue to work with the state and regional transportation organizations to make critical investments to create an affective transportation system that allows goods and people to move efficiently." The Quendall proposal does not provide for any investments to create an affective transportation solution in the area NOR does it put the right infrastructure in place to serve the needs of the immediate area and alleviate traffic and noise and air pollution impacts and public safety risks. f. Parking-In the Proposal Alternative 2, there are surface level parking lots for 220 cars up placed right up against the entire north property line for Barbee Mill. This is in no way consistent with land use compatibility in the neighborhood and will adversely impact property values and quality of life. Nor is Proposal Alternative 1, which calls for a 6-story building to be placed right up against the north fence of Barbee Mill. We believe that it is not an acceptable plan to place parking lots, tall buildings and/or delivery entrances right up against the north Barbee Mill fence. i. We are concerned that if fees are charged for parking in the Quendall development, that visitors and tenants will seek out free parking in the adjacent neighborhood streets especially at Barbee Mill-which already suffers from insufficient street parking for residents and guests. 4) Public Safety Impact a. Cyclist Safety/Pedestrian/Runners Safety-Lake Washington Blvd was never meant to be a major thoroughfare. It is a hilly, scenic route through residential neighborhoods. It has no sidewalks and is very poorly lit at night. In fact, it is already quite dangerous on winter nights to turn into the Barbee Mill development at either 43"' or 44th St as there are no streetlights at either intersection. Lake Washington Blvd (in addition to Barbee Mill streets) is currently used not only by vehicles but also by pedestrians walking their pets and children, joggers and bicyclists. Given that there are no sidewalks and poor lighting along the road, such an increase in cars would not only cause traffic gridlock and backups but would also present a tremendous safety hazard to all using the bike lanes and shoulders for purposes other than driving. i. As a demonstration, a Barbee Mill resident counted more than 140 cyclists using Lake Washington Blvd and crossing 43"' St in a 90- minute period on a recent summer Saturday morning. b. We are concerned that the proposed public access trail and above ground parking lots located right against Barbee Mill North fence would invite evening transient traffic and loitering that could lead to crime. This fence backs up against an existing quiet residential neighborhood. This would not only adversely impact quality of life for Barbee Mill residents but also reduce property values. c. We are concerned that the proposed traffic volume and insufficient infrastructure, would affect the ability of emergency vehicles and first responders to quickly access the Barbee Mill community (and Ripley Lane neighborhood) in the event of an emergency. This puts the lives and health of residents at risk. Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Pages d. We are concerned that a newly accessible open public space, trails, and parking lots may become an attractive target to a criminal element and would bring an increase risk of crime, vandalism, gang activity, graffiti, noise, and other negative and unwanted activity that would put neighborhood homeowners' safety and security at risk. 5) Light, Glare & Noise Impact a. We have tremendous concern over the amount light and glare that would be emitted from the proposed high-density res.idential buildings (proposed to be as high as 90ft) and the evening and night-time restaurant patrons and shoppers in the retail development. We also are concerned about the noise pollution that would come from delivery trucks, giant HVAC units, 2000+ cars/day and ensuing traffic, residential tenants, office workers, retail shoppers and potential bar/restaurant patrons. The light, glare and noise from the proposed Quendall development would adversely impact quality of life and property values for the residents and homeowners of Barbee Mill. 6) Environmental Impact a. The true baseline character of the Quendall property is unknown until the EPA mandated remedial action is fully specified and completed. We believe that the DEIS proposes prematurely, approval of a BINDING site plan for specifications of square feet of various building types, number of parking spaces, roads, traffic and egress to and from the development. Approving the BINDING plan PRIOR TO completed the mandated remedial clean up of the Superfund sight is not only unwise and imprudent but the long term consequences and negative impacts are just too great. As homeowners, this is not the legacy we want to have to live with nor is what we want for our health, our quality of life and our property values. b. Mayor Law declared in his 2010 State of the City address that: 'Clean, healthy air; high quality drinking water; and trails and green open spaces are key to keeping our city a great place to live and work. Expanding our tree canopy, creating a better trail system, and protecting our environment provides many benefits to the city and boosts property values by making neighborhoods greener." Unfortunately, the current proposal for Quendall runs completely contrary to the Mayor's pledge. c. Superfund Site Carcinogens & The Impact on The Environment-The The EPA has tremendous concerns about the carcinogenic substances on the Quendall site, cleanup and the adverse impact the cleanup would have on the Lake, including fishing and swimming and on several species. We share this concern. (EPA ID# WAD980639215). i. They state: "The primary contaminants of concern are carcinogenic PAHs and benzene. These contaminants are found in the soil and ground water throughout the site. These compounds are found at concentrations well above State cleanup levels for residential and industrial sites. At some locations on the site, creosote product has been found under the surface. In some areas the product is four to six feet thick. Releases of these contaminants to Lake Washington are of palticular concern. Lake Washington is used for a variety of recreational purposes including fishing and swimming. The sou/hem end of Lake Washington, including the area where the site is located, is Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page7 considered prime habitat for rearing of juvenile Chinook, which is a Federal Threatened Species, and other salmon stocks. The Cedar River, which enters Lake Washington approximately two miles from the site, supports the largest sockeye run in the contiguous United States. Lake Washington also supports several sensitive environments including habitat for bull trout and the bald eagle. In addition, there are two swimming beaches located within one half mile of the site." As homeowners at Barbee Mill, we enjoy having access to the shoreline in our development and do not want to see it adversely impacted by release of contaminates nor do we want to put the health of our families at risk. d. We understand that the EPA has jurisdiction over the remediation and cleanup of the Superfund Site at Quendall Terminals. We are extremely concerned about what carcinogenic contaminants will be released into the air and water (through either surface or aquifer transfer) and into our neighborhoods and into our shoreline and May Creek as a result of the initial cleanup process. We are also extremely concerned the adverse impact that the proposed mitigation, landfilling, grading, piling driving and other redevelopment activities will have on our neighborhoods and our residents. Furthermore, the DEIS proposes no dust control measures during the construction process to minimize contaminant transportation to Barbee Mill Homes. We believe strongly that it is NOT PRUDENT OR RESPONSIBLE to approve any BINDING redevelopment proposal for this site until the remediation and cleanup of this critical Superfund site has been thoroughly planned and safely planned, executed and effectively completed by the EPA. To expedite the redevelopment process in order to pursue redevelopment income, puts at risk and adversely affects the health and lives of the immediate neighborhood residents, users of Lake Washington and the existing wildlife. Pursuing binding development agreements BEFORE Superfund cleanup, would be an extremely poor decision with a tremendously risky outcome. e. Wetlands-The overall wetlands in the Quendall property are at least twice the size they are portrayed as in the EIS. In particular in the Southwest corner (a small blue dot labeled "H") is nearly an acre in total size, which is 50-times the size of what is portrayed in the DEIS. i. The Wetland buffer area for shoreline wetlands should remain at a minimum of 50 ft and should not be reduced for shoreline trails or buildings as currently proposed and shown on figure 2-7. ii. Substituting Wetland "I" or" J", which is nothing more than a drainage ditch, (per figure 2.6, 2. 7 and 2.11) which are separated by Ripley Lane & the railroad tracks and have absolutely no continuity with the Quendall site are not adequate or appropriate solutions for mitigating onsite wetlands throughout the Quendall site including adjacent to Barbee Mill. f. Wildlife-The EIS makes no mention of existing wildlife or mitigation for their loss of habitat from the proposed construction. There are ospreys, eagles, herons, deer, hummingbirds, and other species living in the wetlands and natural habitat of the Quendall property. Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page8 CONCLUSIONS 1) We recommend that the City does NOT PROCEED with the current BINDING proposal as outlined in the Draft EIS. Of the three alternatives proposed, we believe that the ONLY viable alternative is that of "NO ACTION." 2) We certainly hope that Mayor Law meant what he pledged in his 2010 State of The City address when he stated: "By engaging citizens to participate in the process we are starting to create a picture of a city that is a leader in growth management." a. Mr. Mayor, City Council Members, City Planners and Hearing Examiner, as citizens of Renton we are participating in the DEIS public hearing process and we are loudly saying that the proposals outlined in the DEIS for the Quendall Terminal Redevelopment are in no way in alignment with that goal of responsible growth management and would have tremendous adverse impacts on the surrounding community. 3) Mayor Law also concluded his 2010 State of the City address with these words: "/ am optimistic about the future. I am optimistic because people in our community are willing to step up and do what is necessary; because it is through partnerships that we tackle tough issues; and because we never quit planning for the future of this great community." a. So here we are, the people of Renton stepping up and tackling the tough issues of a poorly thought out, extremely inappropriate and binding DEIS proposal that is completely out of character with the surrounding residential neighborhoods. IF approved and developed, the proposed Quendall development would be a devastating destruction to the shoreline of Lake Washington and to the surrounding community. This proposed redevelopment of the Quendall Terminal Property is definitely NOT what we want to see in the future of our great community. 4) We believe that this proposal would have a tremendously adverse impact on the existing adjacent neighborhoods especially our Barbee Mill community. The proposed Quendall development would negatively impact and affect traffic, public safety, quality of life and property values in Barbee Mill and surrounding neighborhoods. 5) As homeowners, taxpayers and citizens of the City of Renton, we urge the City of Renton to NOT approve !his binding proposal for the redevelopment of the Quendall Terminal Proposal. The only one of its alternatives that is viable is that of "NO ACTION!" Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page 9 Vanessa Dolbee From: Vanessa Dolbee Sent: To: Wednesday, January 19, 2011 10:52 AM 'Ross Ohashi' Subject: RE: Quendall Terminal Draft EIS (LUA09-151) Mr. and Mrs. Ohashi, Thank you for commenting on the Quendall Terminals DEIS. Your comments will be entered into the projects official file and will be addressed in the Final EIS. In addition, you will be added to the party of record list for the subject project. Once again, thank you for taking the time to comment of this project. Vanessa <Do[6ee Senior Planner Department of Community & Economic Development City of Renton Renton City Hall -6th Floor 1055 South Grady Way Renton, WA 98057 425.430.7314 From: Ross Ohashi [mailto:taryntani@gmail.com1 Sent: Monday, January 17, 2011 7:56 PM To: Vanessa Dolbee Subject: Quendall Terminal Draft EIS (LUA09-151) Dear Ms. Dolbee, We were out of town and unable to attend the Jan 4 Public Comment Hearing Meeting re the proposed development directly adjacent to (north) the Barbee Mill community. Barbee Mill is a great residential community, and since we were not at the Hearing Meeting, we cannot speak for our fellow neighbors (although all we have spoken to feel just as strongly as we do). However my wife and I are ADAMANTLY opposed to the proposed Quendall Terminal project. This proposed project is COMPLETL Y out of character with ALL development on Lake Washington, and will DESTROY our quality ofliving and property values if allowed to go forward. There are numerous problems with the proposed development, including: * Size and scale NEGATIVE IMP ACT. * Traffic and parking NEGATIVE IMP ACT. * Density NEGATIVE IMPACT. 1 * Light and glare NEGATIVE I .CT. * Environmental NEGATIVE IMPACT. * Public safety NEGATIVE IMP ACT. In the interest of succinctness and brevity, we have not elaborated on the points above. Please do not hesitate to contact us directly if you need more detail. We respectfully request the City of Renton to NOT approve this binding propo~al for the redevelopment of the Quendall Terminal Proposal. The ONLY one of its alternatives that is viable is that of "NO ACTION!" Could you please reply so that we know you received my communication? Thank you in advance for your consideration. Ross & Ava Ohashi 1018N42ndPl Renton, WA 98056 425.890.3045 taryntani@gmail.com 2 Vanessa Dolbee From: Sent: To: Subject: Lynda, Vanessa Dolbee Wednesday, January 19, 2011 10:25 AM 'Priddy.Lynda@epamail.epa.gov' RE: Quendall Terminals Draft Environmental Impact Statement WAJ<r-151 Thank you for commenting on the Quendall Terminals DEIS. Your comments will be entered into the projects official file and will be addressed in the Final EIS. Once again, thank you for taking the time to comment of the DEIS. Vanessa Dolbee Senior Planner Department of Community & Economic Development City of Renton Renton City Hall -6th Floor 1055 South Grady Way Renton, WA 98057 425.430.7314 -----Original Message----- From: Priddy.Lynda@epamail.epa.gov [mailto:Priddy.Lynda@epamail.epa.gov] Sent: Friday, January 14, 2011 11:26 AM To: Vanessa Dolbee Cc: Nightingale, Barbara (ECY); McGraner, Patrick Subject: RE: Quendall Terminals Draft Environmental Impact Statement Hello Vanessa, Please find attached EPA's comments on the DEIS. If you have any questions, please call. Hard copy to follow. (See attached file: EPA cmts Quendall DEIS 01041.doc) Lynda Priddy, Environmental Scientist Office of Environmental Cleanup Region 10, US Environmental Protection Agency 206.553.1987 FAX 206.553.0124 e-mail: priddy.lynda@epa.gov. From: Vanessa Dolbee <VDolbee@Rentonwa.gov> To: Lynda Priddy/Rl0/USEPA/US@EPA Date: 01/07/2011 03:32 PM Subject: RE: Quendall Terminals Draft Environmental Impact Statement Lynda, 1 UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY REGION 10 Reply To: ECL-111 1200 Sixth Avenue, Suite 900 Seattle, Washington 98101-3140 Vanessa Dolbee, Senior Planner 13 January 2011 City of Renton Dept. of Community & Economic Development Renton City Hall -6th Floor 1055 South Grady Way Renton, WA 98057 Dear Ms. Dolbee: City of Henton ~ 11 ~nninr1 Division Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the December 2010 Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Quendall Terminals proposal. As you know and as mentioned in the DEIS, Quendall Terminals is listed on the National Priorities List and as such is a federal Superfund site (Quendall Superfund Site). EPA is in the process of determining the clean up for the Site to ensure protection of human health and the environment. Until EPA makes a cleanup decision, it seems that it would be difficult for the Proponent or the City of Renton to accurately define a baseline .. For example, EPA will not know what actions or restrictions will occur at Quendall Terminals until the cleanup decision is finalized and implemented. Therefore, the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) should clearly describe up front that the EIS's baseline assumptions that are tied to EPA's final cleanup decisions may change. Also, EPA recommends that the assumptions listed below also be included up front so that readers of the final EIS clearly understand which components of the baseline may change due to cleanup actions. EPA and the current property owners, who are also potentially responsible parties (PRPs), are in the process of completing a Remedial Investigation Report, including a Risk Assessment Analysis, (RI) and a Feasibility Study (FS). These Reports include information about the nature and extent of contamination and potential risks associated with exposure to that contamination and an evaluation of the remedies that could be implemented to mitigate contamination associated with Quendall Terminals. After the RI and FS Reports are approved, EPA will issue a Proposed Plan (PP) which will identify the steps that must be taken to ensure that the Quendall Terminals Site will be protective of human health and the environment. When the PP is finalized the public will be given a 30 day period to provide comments to EPA and a public meeting will be held, if requested. After EPA reviews all public comments, EPA will issue a Record of Decision (ROD) specifying the remedial action chosen to be implemented at the Site. EPA anticipates that the ROD will be issued in mid-2012. After the remedy is established in the ROD, EPA and the PRPs will enter into an agreement for the implementation of the remedy. EPA has reviewed sections of the DEIS that appear to be relevant to the Superfund project at Quendall Terminals. The DEIS does indicate that Quendall Terminals is a Superfund Site and that cleanup actions will occur at the Site in the future. EPA understands that the DEIS is a part of the process that is needed for Quendall Terminals to be commercially developed after the cleanup is completed. Also, as part of the EIS process, a baseline must be described against which the EIS is evaluated and from which a mitigation plan is approved for any post-cleanup redevelopment of the Quendall Terminals Site. In the case of Quendall Terminals, the baseline reflects assumed post- cleanup conditions at Quendall Terminals. Many of these assumptions are based on preliminary discussions with EPA in anticipation of potential future cleanup actions. Consequently, actual post-cleanup conditions at Quendall Terminals will not be known with certainty until the cleanup has been conducted. Some post-cleanup site conditions may be ascertained with some certainty in the ROD. Therefore, the assumptions in the DEIS for Quendall Terminals were developed with the knowledge that those assumptions that establish the baseline could be significantly different than post-cleanup site conditions. Accordingly, if the assumptions supporting the DEIS baseline significantly change, EPA understands that the EIS for Quendall Terminals would need to be modified to reflect actual post-cleanup conditions. EPA is providing the following comments to help clarify certain post-cleanup assumptions used in the DEIS. The baseline in the DEIS assumes that: 1) a soil (sand) cap will be placed over the "entire Main Property" EPA comment: the nature and extent of the cap is unknown at present 2) a shoreline cap of 3.2 acres will be installed and will consist of organoclay, sand, gravel, and topsoil. EPA comment: the nature and extent of the cap is unknown at present 3) three stormwater outfalls will discharge to the wetlands/lake. EPA comment: the location and number of storm water outfalls may be determined as part of the cleanup actions at Quendall Terminals. 4) setbacks for buildings, roads, parking and wetlands will be a specified distance from the shoreline 2 EPA comment: setback distances for various components of potential redevelopment can only be determined after the remedy has been implemented. 5) there will be a publically accessible trail along the shoreline and physical access to the shoreline of Lake Washington. EPA comment: the nature and accessibility of private or public access to the shoreline or nature trail will be generally determined in the ROD and specifically in remedial design. Trustees or other Agencies may also have input into nature trail and/or shoreline access. 6) a specific plan for shoreline/habitat mitigation/restoration with particular acreage assigned to different parties to compensate for wetlands that were filled as part of the cleanup action or to compensate for previous damages. EPA comment: Figures showing potential shoreline mitigation/restoration specifications, such as in Figures 2-6, 2-7, 2-11, and 2-12, are very detailed. The final specifications for shoreline mitigation/restoration may not be determined until the ROD and could possibly be modified based on in-field implementation issues. Trustees or other Agencies will be consulted and may also have input into the final specifications of any shoreline mitigation/restoration. EPA did not assist in developing the assumptions for wetland mitigation/restoration. The assumptions used in the DEIS are solely the responsibility of the applicant. 7) certain institutional controls and details of Operations and Maintenance Plans (OMPs) including Best Management Practices will result from the cleanup actions at Quendall Terminals. EPA comment: Details regarding institutional controls and the Quendall Terminals OMP will not be finalized until the completion of remedial action. However, it should be noted that EPA will prohibit underground construction ( except for utility corridors and piling support structures) if contamination above safe levels is left in subsurface soils or groundwater. 8) the ROD documenting the cleanup action will be available in late 2011. EPA comment: Best estimates, at present, are that the ROD will not be approved until mid-2012. 9) there will be no use of Lake Washington. EPA comment: Restrictions on the use of Lake Washington adjacent to Quendall Terminals will not be known until the ROD is approved. 3 The DEIS also states several times that "(a)s part of the cleanup process applicable cleanup methods will consider potential redevelopment plans" and "(a)s part of redevelopment, a pedestrian corridor/trail will also be constructed along the Lake Washington Shoreline during cleanup/remediation." The Superfund Program encourages coordination, to the extent practicable, between Superfund and PRPs seeking to redevelop a Superfund site after the site has been remediated. However, the extent to which coordination can be successful depends on ensuring that protection of human health and the environment are not compromised. Again, EPA appreciates the opportunity to submit comments and wants to acknowledge the significant work done by the Applicant and the City of Renton to try and reflect post- cleanup conditions at Quendall Terminals. Please call me at 206-553-1987 if you have any questions or concerns regarding EPA's comments. A formal letter will follow. Sincerely, Lynda Priddy Remedial Project Manager cc: Barbara Nightingale, Department of Ecology Jessica Winter, NOAA Glen St. Amant, Muckleshoot Tribe Clay Patmon!, Anchor QEA 4 • Vanessa Dolbee From: Vanessa Dolbee Sent: To: Friday, January 21, 2011 8:56 AM 'YVONNE AND GARY PIPKIN' Subject: RE: Resend -Comments RE: Quendall Terminals Mixed Use Development Dear Yvonne and Gary Pipkin, As you may already know, based on the Kennydale Quarterly Neighborhood Meeting e-mail, the City has extended the comment period to February 9, 2011 at 5:00 p.m. In addition, Chip Vincent, Planning Director, Suzanne Dale Estey, Economic Development Director, and myself will be attending the KNA meeting next week on Tuesday evening for a brief presentation and Q & A session. The City is hopeful that the combination of the extension and attendance at the KNA meeting will provide an opportunity for everyone to participate in this project. It is also important to note, that this will not be your last opportunity to be involved in the review process for the Quendall Terminals project. You have been added to the party of record list and will be notified of all other opportunities to be involved as we move through the land use review process. Additionally, we have received your comments and they have been placed in the official project file and will be addressed in the Final EIS. If you have additional questions please feel free to ask. Sincerely, 'Vanessa <Do{6ee Senior Planner Department of Community & Economic Development City of Renton Renton City Hall -6th Floor 1055 South Grady Way Renton, WA 98057 425.430.7314 From: YVONNE AND GARY PIPKIN [mailto:pipkinsea@msn.com1 Sent: Tuesday, January 18, 2011 7:31 PM To: Vanessa Dolbee Subject: Resend -Comments RE: Quendall Terminals Mixed Use Development Resend adding address to signature line in the e-mail. -----Original Message---- From: YVONNE AND GARY PIPKIN To: vDolbee@Rentonwa.gov Sent: Sunday, January 16, 2011 1:03 PM Subject: Comments RE: Quendall Terminals Mixed Use Development Vanessa, The purpose of this email is two-fold as follows: 1 1. Provide the City of Rento ith our comments (see attached let in regard to the Quendall Terminals Mixed Use Development. A copy of the letter content has also been submitted to the Renton City Council via e-mail today. 2. We request a four week extension to the comment period ending on January 25, 2011. This will allow ample time for everyone to understand this commercial project development and the impact to the neighborhoods. We understand the proposed site is still in the cleanup stage; therefore, there is no hurry to start the project. There is a monthly Kennydale Neighborhood Association meeting scheduled for 7 PM on January 25th. Unfortunately, this meeting occurs just past the current comment period deadline. If the comment period is extended, the sharing of information regarding the Quendall Terminals Mixed Use Development would occur during this monthly meeting. Comment forms would be distributed, collected, and delivered to you. Also, please keep in mind this huge development effort impacts not just Kennydale residents but also Newcastle and Mercer Island residents. • Newcastle Komo News published an article "Public hearing tonight for collection of 7-story, mixed- use buildings near Newcastle" on January 4, 2011 and the link is http ://newcastle. komonews. com/content/public-hearing-tonight-collection-7-story-mixed-use- build ings-near-newcastle. • Mercer Island Reporter published an article "Mercer Islanders will not be able to miss the shoreline development proposed in Renton across from Clarke Beach on January 9, 2011. The link is http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/east king/mir/news/113115189. html Thanks, Yvonne & Gary Pipkin 1120 N. 38th St. Renton, WA 98056 2 1120 N. 38" St Renton, WA 98056 January 16, 2011 City of Renton Planning Department Attn: Vanessa Dolbee, Senior Planner 1055 So. Grady Way, Sixth Floor Renton, WA 98055 C1tv of Renton 'i01nninq Division Subject: Quendall Terminals Proposed Mixed Use Development Ms. Dolbee: The proposed Quendall Terminals is a huge project with major impact. The multi-use, nine building project will bring in approximately 1,200 new residents, and up to 1,000 employees occupying offices. Additionally, many patrons will access the new restaurant / bar until after midnight. The proposed building height and bulk of each building would be similar to the Seahawks Training Center and the planned Hawk's Landing Hotel, and over shadow the newly developed Barbee Mill townhouses. This proposal is trying to disguise the push for major commercial occupancy. The character of the lower Kennydale / Newcastle neighborhoods is one of total residential quality that is enhanced by the relaxing view of the lakeside environment for all residents. The south end of Lake Washington Blvd. is Gene Coulon, a lovely park overseeing Lake Washington. It is a "one of a kind" park that everyone cherishes. Lake Washington Blvd. is a 25 MPH scenic drive that includes a shared walking / jogging I bicycle path which does not have a barrier from the traffic. As long time lower Kennydale residents, we have seen the City of Renton carefully plan the development and future of the city. We ask that this project be scaled back to capture the essence of a community with heart and soul rather than be sold down the river for commercial greed. This may not be the intent but it sure appears to be the case. Please continue to be innovative thinkers and guard our small town character in lower Kennydale. Sincerely, ~(_~ Yvonne Pipkin Gary C Pipkin Vanessa Dolbee From: Vanessa Dolbee Sent: To: Wednesday, January 19, 2011 10:57 AM 'Susan MacCaul Siegmund' Subject: RE: Comments regarding DEIS for Quendall Terminals (LUA09-151) Dear Susan MacCaul, Thank you for commenting on the Quendall Terminals DEIS. Your comments will be entered into the projects official file and will be addressed in the Final EIS. In addition, you will be added to the party of record list for the subject project. Once again, thank you for taking the time to comment of this project. Sincerely, 'Vanessa (J)o{6ee Senior Planner Department of Community & Economic Development City of Renton Renton City Hall -6th Floor 1055 South Grady Way Renton, WA 98057 425.430. 7314 From: Susan Maccaul Siegmund [mailto:smaccaul@mac.com1 Sent: Monday, January 17, 2011 8:05 PM To: Vanessa Dolbee Subject: Comments regarding DEIS for Quendall Terminals (LUA09-151) Hello Vanessa The attached document contains my comments regarding the DEIS for Quendall Terminals Redevelopment (LUA09-151). Please consider these officially submitted. Sincerely Susan MacCaul Siegmund I 006 N 42nd Pl Renton, WA 98056 425-572-5892 susansiegmund@me.com 1 • . . Date: January 17, 2011 To: City of Renton Planning Department Attn: Vanessa Dolbee, Senior Planner 1055 S. Grady Way Renton, WA 98057 425-430-7314 vdolbee@rentonwa.gov From: Name: Susan MacCaul Siegmund Address: 1006 N 42"d Pl, Renton, WA 98056 Phone Number. 425-572-5892 Email Address: susansiegmund@me.com City of Renton Piannin\l Division Subject: Public Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal Draft EIS (LUA09-151) Following are our comments regarding the redevelopment of the Quendall Terminal site as outlined in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). As homeowners, tax payers and citizens of the City of Renton, we believe that the proposed and binding Quendall development proposal has tremendous negative and adverse impacts to the environment, property, the neighborhood and our Barbee Mill community and should NOT be approved. 1) Size & Scale Impact a. Scale-The proposed scale, density and height of the buildings in both alternatives are completely out-of-scale, incompatible and inconsistent with all neighborhoods on the entire shoreline of Lake Washington. The typical height limit for buildings along the Lake is 35 ft. The proposed heights and densiti.es exceed those of Downtown Kirkland, Carillon Point, Bellevue and Seattle's Lake Washington facing neighborhoods. Furthermore, the proposed scale, density and height of the Quendall proposal are inconsistent and incompatible with adjacent neighborhoods, the East facing shoreline of Mercer Island. It will completely dwarf the residential neighborhood of Barbee Mill. b. The proposed buildings would be more than 40 ft taller than the height of the Barbee Mill homes. And they would be more than double the height of all nearby residences! The proposed buildings are nearly 90 ft in height although they are marked as 77 ft on the applicants elevation drawings, which is 3/4 the height of the SeahawksNMAC Facility and the Boeing Airplane Factory. Again this is completely out-of-scale with the Barbee Mill neighborhood AND anything else along the Lake Washington shoreline. (DEIS 3.5-12) i. Figure 3.7-2 in the DEIS is an inaccurate and misleading rendering that attempts to conceal the height and visual impact of both proposal alternatives. c. The proposed architectural design resembles an industrial park and does not have the look or the feel of a residential neighborhood. It is certainly 'not consistent with the existing urban character" (as claimed in DEIS 3.5- 12) of any of the immediate and nearby residential neighborhoods, including Barbee Mill. The proposed scale, density and character would Comments Regarding Quendall Temninal DEIS Page 1 be an eyesore no matter what angle it is viewed from within the adjacent neighborhoods or from lakefront properties along Mercer. d. The proposed design looks more like the Landing, which is sandwiched in between a shopping center and the country's second largest airplane factory and which is NOT located on the shores of one of the most beautiful lakes in the state and which is NOT located in the middle of an existing residential area. e. The Applicant claims that this area along the Lake Washington shoreline is currently a high-density urban environment. (DEIS 3.5-12) This statement is misleading and couldn't be farther from the truth as all neighboring areas are completely residential (with the exception of the Seahawks facility.) f. The proposed designs and project scope, scale and density are inappropriate for the shoreline of Lake Washington and do not in any way take advantage of the Lake front location and view. The buildings face each other instead of the Lake. The primary lake view outlook and central lakefront architectural feature is a semi-circular parking lot. i. The Mayor stated in his 2010 State of the City address that: "Renton still has some amazing waterfront property on Lake Washington."We couldn't agree more. However, this proposal in no way takes advantage of or capitalizes on this amazing piece of waterfront property. In fact, the proposal looks like the City of Renton has taken a giant step backwards by proposing a self- facing vs. lake facing, residential complex, retail and office park with limited green space and tree canopy. This is not responsible growth. Nor is it responsible stewardship and development of the largest piece of remaining undeveloped land along the shoreline of beautiful Lake Washington. ii. The proposal calls for a straight, walled, 2-story parking garage, approximately 1000 ft in length, to traverse the entire Lake Washington frontage of the Quendall development with absolutely no undulation. There is nothing in the architectural design to break up the negative, visual impact of this two-story wall facing the Lake. This scale of this lake-facing 2-story garage wall is unheard of in residential zoning and lakefront zoning and does not fit the character nor complement the adjacent neighborhoods. g. The proposed development does NOT complement or add value to the existing neighborhoods especially neighboring Barbee Mill. Instead, this development would be tremendously destructive to the property value for the surrounding neighborhoods (including Barbee Mill, Kennydale, Newcastle and the East-facing side of Mercer Island) and detrimental to the quality of life for residents. 2) Density Impact a. This proposal repeatedly and misleadingly (DEIS 3.9-1) describes the Quendall development as "compatible with the existing neighborhoods." This is preposterous and we strongly disagree. For example, Barbee Mill to the south has a planned density of 5 residential units per acre and contains no commercial (office or retail) space. The Quendall proposal is for 37 residential units per acre plus up to a l4 million square feet of commercial space that would accommodate up to 2000 daily visitors. This is approximately 7 times the density of the local residential areas .Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page 2 and is in no way "consistent with the existing urban character of the area." In fact, the existing character of the local area can only accurately be described as residential. Both proposal alternatives, present tremendous compatibility impacts with the surrounding neighborhoods. b. Commercial/residential buildings in Renton and in the greater Eastside area, have tended to have a history of high-turnover, high-vacancy and have not proven to be particularly commercially viable. Our concern is that tenants of apartments and commercial space will have no vested interest in the neighborhood, the community or in the future vision for the city of Renton. And that such a development, could wind up sitting vacant for many years to come. 3) Traffic, Transportation & Parking Impact a. The traffic impact assessment in the DEIS is completely unrealistic. To begin with, the analysis in the DEIS does not take into account the traffic study and analysis for the adjacent Hawk's Landing (Pan Abode) development, which estimated an additional 1400+ automotive trips a day flowing onto Lake Washington Blvd and adding to traffic congestion on the surrounding streets and 1-405 exit 7 on-ramps and off-ramps. i. Before this or any other area development proposal is approved, a new, comprehensive traffic analysis should be done that focuses on the combined traffic impact of: Quendall Terminal property, Hawk's Landing/Pan Abode property, SeakhawksNMAC Facility, Ripley Lane neighborhood, Barbee Mill, Kennydale neighborhood, 1-405 congestion, commuters trying to bypass 405 congestion on Lake Washington Blvd and the City's goal of providing direct access to Lake Washington from Park Dr & Sunset Blvd. This comprehensive traffic analysis should reflect all existing, proposed and potential developments and their collective impact on the immediate vicinity and existing neighborhoods. WSDOT analysis, future plans and funding for 1-405 must be factored into the traffic analysis and any infrastructure planning. (Reference: Hawk's Landing Mixed Use and SEPA Appeal File No.: LUA-09-060, ECF, SA-M, SA-H September 10, 2009) b. The proposal calls for an unacceptable increase in traffic with an estimated 2000 cars a day. Add to that, the estimated 1400 automotive trips a day from the proposed Hawks Landing development. The current infrastructure can in no way support the increases being proposed. There are no proposed plans to improve or widen the immediate roads or build the proper egress and ingress access roads to/from the proposed Quendall development. c. The proposal calls for N 43"' St to serve as the primary entrance to the Quendall property. This narrow, residential street is already the primary entrance for the residential neighborhood of Barbee Mill. This un-striped, 2-lane 135-ft long street, which has two stop signs and a railroad crossing, can in no way accommodate the proposed additional 2000 cars per day PLUS the cars of Barbee Mill residents. Furthermore, 43rd has already become plagued by a dangerous trends of drivers making hazardous u-turns and 3-point turns in the intersection of 43rd and Lake Washington Blvd. Given all this, it is shocking that the DEIS does NOT list NE 43"' St as a roadway condition concern. NE 43"' St is in no way sufficient to serve as the primary entrance for both Quendall and Barbee Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page 3 Mill it cannot safely and effectively accommodate the additional influx of 2000 cars per day. This proposal will result in intolerable traffic congestion, increased risk of accidents, noise pollution and egress problems for Barbee Mill Homeowners. 1. 2000 additional cars/day will translate into 700 to 800 ft of traffic jams along Lake Washington Blvd, 43"' and Ripley Lane. The current infrastructure can in no way handle this increased volume. Lake Washington Blvd. is a narrow, 2-lane, scenic, curving, hilly, 25 mph road with bike lanes in both margins and many residential driveways. It is already extremely difficult to navigate Lake Washington Blvd given the present volume of traffic. Furthermore, it is already difficult with the present volume of traffic to enter or exit the Barbee Mill development at 43'd or 41 st during the peak traffic hours and/or on sunny summer days from Lake Washington Blvd. Lake Washington Blvd does not have the capacity to handle the 2000/day proposed additional cars (3400+ if you factor in Hawk's Landing). And, any serious infrastructure modifications to Lake Washington Blvd would adversely impact the surrounding neighborhoods, the environmentally sensitive May Creek and the Lake Washington shoreline. 1. As a demonstration, one need to look no further than the congestion, parking and traffic nightmare that was created on 1/14/11 when hundreds of Seahawk Fans (including children and pets) and their vehicles descended on the intersection of Ripley lane and Lake Washington Blvd. Cars were parked all over 43'd, 441h, Lake Washington & Ripley Lane. It made it nearly impossible to enter/exit Barbee Mill on 43'd. Fans also jammed the 30th Bridge and surrounding Kennydale neighborhoods, which has been proposed as an alternate travel route for the Quendall Property. 2. As a demonstration, congestion is also extremely heavy when during the Seahawk Training Days in August, despite the fact that the Seahawks arrange for buses and parking in the Landing in their effort to mitigate what would be the adverse impact of an approximate 2000 cars per day from coming into and parking in the neighborhoods adjacent to Ripley Lane including Barbee Mill. 3. We do not understand why the proposal does not bring traffic directly into the center of the Quendall property via a new access road which would need to be built to cross Ripley Lane and that would be more capable of handling that volume of traffic. However, we are not sure that any development plan that calls for 2000 or more additional cars/day on area roads can be adequately addressed through existing, modified or new infrastructure. 4. The details of the traffic analysis for Lake Washington Blvd at 43"' have been left out of (Table 3.9-1) AND there is no mention in the proposal of improving 43"'. ii. We are concerned that frustrated motorists who are eager to avoid the traffic congestion on Lake Washington Blvd will either make Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page4 dangerous u-turns and/or choose to use Barbee Mill as a major arterial north/south bypass route for Lake Washington Blvd. The streets within Barbee Mill can in no way accommodate this increased traffic volume. This bypass traffic would present a tremendous risk and inconvenience for Barbee Mill residents. It would hamper ability to safely enter and exit our own neighborhood and residences. The added traffic on Barbee Mill's streets would create a public safety risks for residents as well as for area pedestrians, joggers, cyclists, children in strollers and pets that enjoy our streets. We are extremely concerned about the added danger of so many motorists trying to navigate the already hazardous blind curve at 42"d Uust shortly after you turn into Barbee Mill from 43'\ The bypass traffic would also generate significant noise pollution. We believe that this proposal and its traffic volume will not only impact Barbee Mill homeowner and community safety but that it will adversely impact and reduce property values and quality of life for Barbee Mill homeowners. d. Traffic on 1-405 at 44th and 30th is already one of the most frequently congested parts of the freeway in both the North and South lanes. Congestion occurs not only at peak traffic hours but throughout the majority of the day. The freeway, just as the neighboring roads, can in no way accommodate an additional influx of 2000 cars per day. Throughout the proposal, the applicant has stated that various traffic impacts could be mitigated through a coordinated effort with WSDOT. However, WSDOT went on record during the DEIS Scoping Summary stating that "the potential l-405/NE 44 St interchange improvements project is not funded, and is not /Jkely to be funded in the foreseeable future; the transportation analysis should not assume that this project is complete or will occur." (Pg 5-EIS Scoping Summary) We believe that approving a major Quendall development plan without WSDOT commitment, funding, schedule and a plan in place to improve this interchange would have irreversible consequences and would cause a tremendous number of adverse impacts. i. There are scenarios in the proposal that suggest using the 1-405 30'h street onramp/offramp (exit 6) and then routing cars through the hilly, residential neighborhoods in Kennydale along 30'h, 40th, Burnett and Parle This is not a realistic alternative and is equally as dangerous as cars choosing to use Barbee Mill as a shortcut. And it could encourage drivers travelling northbound and southbound on Lake Washington Blvd to take a shortcut through Barbee Mill. e. Transportation-The proposal does not include any plans to develop, improve or encourage public transit in the vicinity. This means that there would be no alternative form of transportation for the estimated 2000+ daily visitors and tenants. It is not an environmentally responsible transportation design solution to place 2000 additional cars onto neighborhood streets and the lakefront in this residential community without providing realistic transportation alternatives. i. In the Mayor's 2010 State of the City Address, he declared "I believe that it is vital that we have the right infrastructure in place now to serve the needs of our future. We will continue to work with Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page 5 .. the state and regional transportation organizations to make critical investments to create an affective transportation system that allows goods and people to move efficiently." The Quendall proposal does not provide for any investments to create an affective transportation solution in the area NOR does it put the right infrastructure in place to serve the needs of the immediate area and alleviate traffic and noise and air pollution impacts and public safety risks. f. Parking-In the Proposal Alternative 2, there are surface level parking lots for 220 cars up placed right up against the entire north property line for Barbee Mill. This is in no way consistent with land use compatibility in the neighborhood and will adversely impact property values and quality of life. Nor is Proposal Alternative 1, which calls for a 6-story building to be placed right up against the north fence of Barbee Mill. We believe that it is not an acceptable plan to place parking lots, tall buildings and/or delivery entrances right up against the north Barbee Mill fence. i. We are concerned that if fees are charged for parking in the Quendall development, that visitors and tenants will seek out free parking in the adjacent neighborhood streets especially at Barbee Mill-which already suffers from insufficient street parking for residents and guests. 4) Public Safety Impact a. Cyclist Safety/Pedestrian/Runners Safety-Lake Washington Blvd was never meant to be a major thoroughfare. It is a hilly, scenic route through residential neighborhoods. It has no sidewalks and is very poorly lit at night. In fact, it is already quite dangerous on winter nights to turn into the Barbee Mill development at either 43rd or 44th St as there are no streetlights at either intersection. Lake Washington Blvd (in addition to Barbee Mill streets) is currently used not only by vehicles but also by pedestrians walking their pets and children, joggers and bicyclists. Given that there are no sidewalks and poor lighting along the road, such an increase in cars would not only cause traffic gridlock and backups but would also present a tremendous safety hazard to all using the bike lanes and shoulders for purposes other than driving. i. As a demonstration, a Barbee Mill resident counted more than 140 cyclists using Lake Washington Blvd and crossing 43rd St in a 90- minute period on a recent summer Saturday morning. b. We are concerned that the proposed public access trail and above ground parking lots located right against Barbee Mill North fence would invite evening transient traffic and loitering that could lead to crime. This fence backs up against an existing quiet residential neighborhood. This would not only adversely impact quality of life for Barbee Mill residents but also reduce property values. c. We are concerned that the proposed traffic volume and insufficient infrastructure, would affect the ability of emergency vehicles and first responders to quickly access the Barbee Mill community (and Ripley Lane neighborhood) in the event of an emergency. This puts the lives and health of residents at risk. d. We are concerned that a newly accessible open public space, trails, and parking lots may become an attractive target to a criminal element and would bring an increase risk of crime, vandalism, gang activity, graffiti, Comments Regarding Quendall Tenminal DEIS Page6 noise, and other negative and unwanted activity that would put neighborhood homeowners' safety and security at risk. 5) Light, Glare & Noise Impact a. We have tremendous concern over the amount light and glare that would be emitted from the proposed high-density residential buildings (proposed to be as high as 90ft) and the evening and night-time restaurant patrons and shoppers in the retail development. We also are concerned about the noise pollution that would come from delivery trucks, giant HVAC units, 2000+ cars/day and ensuing traffic, residential tenants, office workers, retail shoppers and potential bar/restaurant patrons. The light, glare and noise from the proposed Quendall development would adversely impact quality of life and property values for the residents and homeowners of Barbee Mill. 6) Environmental Impact a. The true baseline character of the Quendall property is unknown until the EPA mandated remedial action is fully specified and completed. We believe that the DEIS proposes prematurely, approval of a BINDING site plan for specifications of square feet of various building types, number of parking spaces, roads, traffic and egress to and from the development. Approving the BINDING plan PRIOR TO completed the mandated remedial clean up of the Superfund sight is not only unwise and imprudent but the long term consequences and negative impacts are just too great. As homeowners, this is not the legacy we want to have to live with nor is what we want for our health, our quality of life and our property values. b. Mayor Law declared in his 2010 State of the City address that: "Clean, healthy air; high quality drinking water; and trails and green open spaces are key to keeping our city a great place to live and work. Expanding our tree canopy, creating a better trail system, and protecting our environment provides many benefits to the city and boosts property values by making neighborhoods greener." Unfortunately, the current proposal for Quendall runs completely contrary to the Mayor's pledge. c. Superfund Site Carcinogens & The Impact on The Environment-The The EPA has tremendous concerns about the carcinogenic substances on the Quendall site, cleanup and the adverse impact the cleanup would have on the Lake, including fishing and swimming and on several species. We share this concern. (EPA ID# WAD980639215). 1. They state: 'The primary contaminants of concern are carcinogenic PAHs and benzene. These contaminants are found in the soil and ground water throughout the site. These compounds are found at concentrations well above State cleanup levels for residential and industrial sites. At some locations on the site, creosote product has been found under the surface. In some areas the product is four to six feet thick. Releases of these contaminants to Lake Washington are of particular concern. Lake Washington is used for a variety of recreational purposes including fishing and swimming. The southern end of Lake Washington, including the area where the site is located, is considered prime habitat for rearing of juvenile Chinook, which is a Federal Threatened Species, and other salmon stocks. The Cedar River, which enters Lake Washington approximately two Comments Regarding Quendall Tenminal DEIS Page 7 miles from the site, supports the largest sockeye run in the contiguous United States. Lake Washington also supports several sensitive environments including habitat for bull trout and the bald eagle. In addition, there are two swimming beaches located within one half mile of the site." As homeowners at Barbee Mill, we enjoy having access to the shoreline in our development and do not want to see it adversely impacted by release of contaminates nor do we want to put the health of our families at risk. d. We understand that the EPA has jurisdiction over the remediation and cleanup of the Superfund Site at Quendall Terminals. We are extremely concerned about what carcinogenic contaminants will be released into the air and water (through either surface or aquifer transfer) and into our neighborhoods and into our shoreline and May Creek as a result of the initial cleanup process. We are also extremely concerned the adverse impact that the proposed mitigation, landfilling, grading, piling driving and other redevelopment activities will have on our neighborhoods and our residents. Furthermore, the DEIS proposes no dust control measures during the construction process to minimize contaminant transportation to Barbee Mill Homes. We believe strongly that it is NOT PRUDENT OR RESPONSIBLE to approve any BINDING redevelopment proposal for this site until the remediation and cleanup of this critical Superfund site has been thoroughly planned and safely planned, executed and effectively completed by the EPA. To expedite the redevelopment process in order to pursue redevelopment income, puts at risk and adversely affects the health and lives of the immediate neighborhood residents, users of Lake Washington and the existing wildlife. Pursuing binding development agreements BEFORE Superfund cleanup, would be an extremely poor decision with a tremendously risky outcome. e. Wetlands-The overall wetlands in the Quendall property are at least twice the size they are portrayed as in the EIS. In particular in the Southwest corner (a small blue dot labeled "H") is nearly an acre in total size, which is 50-times the size of what is portrayed in the DEIS. i. The Wetland buffer area for shoreline wetlands should remain at a minimum of 50 ft and should not be reduced for shoreline trails or buildings as currently proposed and shown on figure 2-7. ii. Substituting Wetland "I" or "J", which is nothing more than a drainage ditch, (per figure 2.6, 2. 7 and 2.11) which are separated by Ripley Lane & the railroad tracks and have absolutely no continuity with the Quendall site are not adequate or appropriate solutions for mitigating onsite wetlands throughout the Quendall site including adjacent to Barbee Mill. f. Wildlife-The EIS makes no mention of existing wildlife or mitigation for their loss of habitat from the proposed construction. There are ospreys, eagles, herons, deer, hummingbirds, and other species living in the wetlands and natural habitat of the Quendall property. CONCLUSIONS 1) We recommend that the City does NOT PROCEED with the current BINDING proposal as outlined in the Draft EIS. Of the three alternatives proposed, we believe that the ONLY viable alternative is that of "NO ACTION." Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page 8 2) We certainly hope that Mayor Law meant what he pledged in his 2010 State of The City address when he stated: "By engaging citizens to participate in the process we are starting to create a picture of a city that is a leader in growth management." a. Mr. Mayor, City Council Members, City Planners and Hearing Examiner, as citizens of Renton we are participating in the DEIS public hearing process and we are loudly saying that the proposals outlined in the DEIS for the Quendall Terminal Redevelopment are in no way in alignment with that goal of responsible growth management and would have tremendous adverse impacts on the surrounding community. 3) Mayor Law also concluded his 2010 State of the City address with these words: "I am optimistic about the future. I am optimistic because people in our community are willing to step up and do what is necessary; because it is through partnerships that we tackle tough issues; and because we never quit planning for the future of this great community." a. So here we are, the people of Renton stepping up and tackling the tough issues of a poorly thought out, extremely inappropriate and binding DEIS proposal that is completely out of character with the surrounding residential neighborhoods. IF approved and developed, the proposed Quendall development would be a devastating destruction to the shoreline of Lake Washington and to the surrounding community. This proposed redevelopment of the Quendall Terminal Property is definitely NOT what we want to see in the future of our great community. 4) We believe that this proposal would have a tremendously adverse impact on the existing adjacent neighborhoods especially our Barbee Mill community. The proposed Quendall development would negatively impact and affect traffic, public safety, quality of life and property values in Barbee Mill and surrounding neighborhoods. 5) As homeowners, taxpayers and citizens of the City of Renton, we urge the City of Renton to NOT approve this binding proposal for the redevelopment of the Quendall Terminal Proposal. The only one of its alternatives that is viable is that of "NO ACTION!" Comments Regarding Quendall Terminal DEIS Page 9 Ms. Vanessa Dolbee, Senior Planner Lawrence E. Hard Attorney at Law January 12, 2011 Department of Community & Economic Development Planning Division 1055 S. Grady Way Renton,WA 98057 Dear Ms. Dolbee: I have been asked to review several statements submitted by Renton citizens in response to the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Quendall site. After practicing environmental law for many years, I am surprised that a project of this magnitude is being considered prior to further study of the significant negative environmental impacts of the proposed project to the property and surrounding neighborhood. I would respectfully request and urge you to consider these comments thoughtfully and provide detailed responses to the issues and questions raised in the responses to the DEIS. Sincerely, (~J.,[( c-1rnk_ V ~:;;e~ce E. Hard Attorney at Law WSBA #1753 CITY OF RENTON RECEIVED iAN 1 4 2011 BUILDING DIVISION 4316 N.E. 33,d Street• Seatcle, Washington 98105-5302 • (206) 669-8686 • (206) 524-3103 Fax