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Home My WebLink AboutLindquist Alley Modification JustificationModificationJustificationTheapplicantisrequestingamodificationtoallowrelieffromtherequirementthatthesubjectpropertiesbeaccessedviaanunimprovedalleyinanunopenedpublicright-of-way.TheproposedmodificationtoallowvehicularaccesstothesubjectpropertiesviaN.29thStreetratherthantheunimprovedalleyaddresseseachofthefollowingmodificationrequirements:A.SubstantiallyimplementsthepolicydirectionofthepoliciesandobjectivesoftheComprehensivePlanLandUseElementandtheCommunityDesignElementandtheproposedmodificationistheminimumadjustmentnecessarytoimplementthesepoliciesandobjectives;ThemodificationproposaladherestoandimplementsthepoliciesandobjectivesoftheRentonComprehensivePlanLandUseElementandtheCommunityDesignElementbythefollowing:1)PolicyL-3states“encourageinfihldevelopmentofsingle-familyunitsasameanstomeetgrowthtargetsandprovidenewhousing”Thesetwosubjectpropertieshavesatvacantsincetheywerecreatedin1904.Thesubjectpropertiescannotcurrentlybeaccessedviatheunimprovedalleythatislocatedtothesouthoflotsbecausethealleyhasnoroadimprovementsandissubstantiallyencumberedwithencroachingshedsandotherpersonalproperty.Whiletheareabehindthepropertiesistechnicallypublicrightofway,itisquiteobviousthattheneighboringpropertyownershaveutilizedthealleyasanextensionoftheirbackyards,resultinginnumerousencroachmentsincludingfencesandshedsmakingassessinfeasibleoffthealley.AllowingaccessoffN.29tu1StencouragespolicyL-3byenablingwelldesignedsinglefamilyresidentialinfilldevelopmentwhiletakingintoaccountthehistoricnon-useofthealleyasanaccessroad,aswellasthedesiresoftheneighboringhomeowners.Thebuilderhasnodesiretodisrupttheneighborhoodbyconstructinganalleyaccessthatwillprovidenobenefittoexistinghomesandwillrequiretheremovalofseveralshedsandotherpersonalitems.2)PolicyCD-13oftheCommunityDesignElementstates“infilldevelopmentshouldbereflectiveoftheexistingcharacterofestablishedneighborhoodsevenwhendesignedusingdifferentarchitecturalstyles,and/orrespondingtomoreurbansetbacks,heightorlotrequirements.Infilldevelopmentshoulddrawonelementsofexistingdevelopmentsuchasplacementofstructures,vegetation,andlocationofentriesandwalkways,toreflectthesiteplanningandscaleofexistingareas”.TheproposedmodificationisconsistentwithPolicyCD-13becausetheproposedaccessisconsistentwiththeaccessfortheexistinghomesintheneighborhood,noneofwhichareaccessedfromthealley. TheCity’sDesignGuidelinesindicatesdesirefornewhomesitestobedesignedtominimizethevisualimpactofgaragesandemphasizethepedestrianorientedelementsofthehome.GreatattentionhasbeenmadebythebuildertoaccomplishtheintentoftheGuidelines.Theproposedhomes(seeattachedrenderings)willfitinnicelytotheestablishedneighborhoodwhereneitherexistingnornewdevelopmenthaveaccessfromanalley.Theproposedhomeswillincludepedestrianwalkwaystothefrontporchandwillnothaveaprominentlyfeaturedgarage.Morespecificallybothdesignsincorporatethefollowingtechniquesaimedtoemphasizethepedestrianelementsofthehomeandminimizethegarage.•Thegaragesarerecessedfromthefrontportionofthehome/porch.•Bothdesignscouldprovidedirectpedestrianconnectionfromthefrontdoortothesidewalk,ifdesired.•Thegaragewidthrepresentsnogreaterthan50%ofthewidthofthefrontfacadeatgroundlevel.•Thegaragedoorscouldcontainaminimumof30%glazingandarchitecturaldetailing(trim).B.Willmeettheobjectivesandsafety,function,appearance,environmentalprotectionandmaintainabilityintendedbytheCoderequirements,baseduponsoundengineeringjudgment;1)Safety:Alleysareharderforpoliceandfiretoaccessandserviceresidents.Policedepartmentsoftencomplainaboutmanagingandpatrollingalleysastheyandtypicallylightingisalsoaconcernforalleyareasthusmakingitharderforthepoliceandgeneralpublictoseeatnight.TypicallythefiredepartmentdoesnotaccessthehomesviaanalleyespeciallyiftheyhaveanoptiontoaccessviaafullpublicROWstreetinwhichtheselotswillhave.TherearenoapparentsafetyconcernsassociatedwithaccessingthehomesoffN.29thSt.ratherthanthealley.2)Function:AligningthesehomeswithaccessofftheexistingpublicROWvia2gthStwillfunctionjustasalltheotherexistinghomescurrentlyarefunctioningwhichcreatesameldingconditionbetweenolderhousingstock/designsfortheareawithnewerhomesbeingproposed.Addinganalleyaccesscreatesseparationbetweentheoldhomesintheneighborhoodandthenewhomes,andhasthepotentialtoreducethefrequencyofanddiscourageinteractionbetweenneighbors.3)Appearance:AfrontentryhomeoffN.29thStwillfitinnicelywiththeexistingstreetsceneonN.29thswhichtheneighborhoodisaccustomedto,andwillmostlikelypreferoverthealleyaccesspointthatwilldisruptmanypeople’squietenjoymentoftheirproperties/yards.4)EnvironmentalProtection:Buildinganalleyonlyaddsmoreimpervioussurfacestotheareawhichisnotgenerallyinthespiritofenvironmentalprotectionifit’snotneededforthesafetyandwelfareofacommunity.Alsothereisagreaterchanceofsavingadditionaltreeswithinthisareabynotconstructingroadimprovementsinthealley. C.Willnotbeinjurioustootherpropertyfies)inthevicinity;1)Theproposalwillnotbeinjurioustootherpropertiesinthevicinityastheproposalwillallowthenewhomestobesimilarindesigntotheexistinghomesinthearea—botholderandnewer.Contrary—avoidingthealleyaccesswillallowtheadjacentresidentstocontinuetoenjoytheirproperties/backyardswithoutthefeelandnoiseassociatedwithalleys.Mostresidentswouldactuallyfeeltheconstructionofanalleywouldbeinjurioustotheirpropertyandwebelievecitycouncilhasheardthisbeforefromtheseresidentsatsomepointintimeintherecentpast.D.Conformstotheintentandpurposeofthecode;1)RMC4-7450E.5states“ifthedeveloperorpropertyownerdemonstratesthatalleyaccessisnotpractical,theuseofalleysmaynotberequired.TheCitywillconsiderthefollowingfactorsindeterminingwhethertheuseofalleysisnotpractical:a.Size:Theproposalissimplytobuildtwohomesontwoexistinglots.Theimprovementsthatwouldbenecessarytoprovideaccessfromthealleywouldbedisproportionatetothescopeoftheproject.b.Topography:Thetopographyofthegeneralareaisnotconduciveforanalleyconfiguration.Thegradesforthisareaclimbaround100’overoneblock.Thiswouldcreatealotofcomplicationstobuildanalleywithhomesstackingoffofitandalloweasy/conduciveaccesstoagarage.c.EnvironmentalImpacts:Theexistingstreetnetworkprovidesadequateaccessandcirculationfortheneighborhoodandaddingaccessfromthealleywillonlycreateunnecessaryenvironmentalimpactsassociatedwithconstructionoftheroadimprovements.d.Ifsitecharacteristicsallowfortheeffectiveuseofalleys.”Thesitecharacteristics,includingthesubstantialencroachmentsinthealleyandthetopographydonotallowforeffectiveuseofalleys.Thepropertyconsistsof2existinglotsfrontingontoafullyfunctionalstreetthathasbeeninuseforyears.Constructionofanalleyinthisareanotonlywilldisruptthequietenjoymenttheseresidentshavebeenusetointhisareabutthepropertyonlybeing2existinglotsfitsintothecriteriaof“size”re:impactstothelotownerandadjacentpropertyownersinconstructinganalleyinthisarea.Alsobeingforcedtoconstructanalleyinthisareawouldnotprovideasecondaccesspointthusanemergencyvehicletryingtousethisareawouldnotbeabletoturnaroundeasily.Alleyconstructiontypicallyworkswithtwopointsofaccessandthiscouldnotbeachievedforthesetwolots.Section4-6-060ofthecity’sstreetstandardsrequiresaturnaroundforanaccessexceeding150’andtheeasternmostlotwouldexceedthatthresh-holdthusrequiringthishammer-headorculdesacturnaround.Thiswouldnotbeanefficientuseoftheareaandonlycreateadditionalunnecessaryimpactstothesurroundingproperties.E.Canbeshowntobejustifiedandrequiredfortheuseandsituationintended; 1)Ifalleyaccessisrequiredforthesetwoexistinglots,theconstructionscostswillbeconsiderable;Approximately200linealfeetofpavedroadwillberequiredinadditiontoassociatedstormwatertreatmentandothermiscellaneousimprovements.Thecostisnotjustifiedgiventhatadequateaccess,consistentwithresidentialdesignstandardsandthecharacteristicsoftheexistingneighborhood,isavailablefromN.29thStreet.Therequestedmodificationisjustifiedgiventhatitisnotpracticaltoaccessthelotsoffthealley,norwillrequiringalleyaccesscreatethepedestrianorientedneighborhoodtheCitydesires.Itmakessensetorequirealleyaccessforanewresidentialsubdivision,wherecharacteroftheneighborhoodcanbecreated,butitisnotappropriatetorequireforonlytwonewhomesonexistinglotsinanotherwisefullydevelopedneighborhood.F.Willnotcreateadverseimpactstootherproperty(ies)inthevicinity.1)Theproposalonlyinvolvesconstructinghomesonthe2residentiallotsinthelowerKennydaleareaofRenton.Thesubjectlotsweredevelopedin1904aspartoftheCDHillman’sLakeWashingtonGardenofEdenAdditiontoSeattleNo.;Platwhereover500lotswereoriginallyplatted.TheHillmanplatwasdesignedwithalleysbetweentherearlotlinesofthelots.Overtime,theHillmanplatwasbuilt-outwithstreets,utilities,andhomes.However,theproposedalleysnevergotbuilt-out/improved.Eventually,ownersintheHilimanplatpetitionedthecityforalleyvacationsasallthehomesweregainingaccessfromthestreetsinsteadofthealleys.Allbutafewofthealleyswerevacatedandalargeportionofthepropertieswhichbacktotheun-improvedalleystreatthealleysaspartoftheirbackyards.Whiletechnicallypropertyownerscannotclaimadversepossessionontheseareasfromthecity,therightthingtodofortheseownerssincethisareahasbeenthiswayforover100yearswouldbetovacatethemandallowthesepropertyownersthecontinuedquietenjoymentoftheseareasinperpetuity.2)Bynotconstructingthealley,viewcorridorsandneighborhoodconsistencyareprotected.PropertyvaluesofneighboringpropertieswillalsonotbeaffectedbyhomeshavingvehicularaccessfromN.29thStinsteadofanalley.