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HomeMy WebLinkAboutRES 3082CITY OF RENTON,WASHINGTON RESOLUTION NO.3082 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF RENTON,WASHINGTON,ADOPTING A PARK AND RECREATION FACILITIES MITIGATION POLICY AND FEE AND DECLARING IT A SEPA POLICY. WHEREAS,the City of Renton has a Parks Master Plan;and WHEREAS,the City has determined that there are presently park and recreation needs being unmet in the City;and WHEREAS,new development is quickly creating a demand for additional park and recreational facilities;and WHEREAS,the City Council has been presented with a Park and Recreation Mitigation Fee Policy which seeks to impose on new development a portion of the cost to meet the needs created by new development under the Parks Master Plan;and WHEREAS,on February 14,1994 the City adopted a prior resolution adopting a Park and Recreation Facilities mitigation policy and fee and declaring it a SEPA policy;and WHEREAS,that policy and fee underwent subsequent SEPA review which arguably requires the City to readopt the resolution; NOW,THEREFORE,THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF RENTON, WASHINGTON,DO RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS: SECTION I.The above recitals are found to be true and correct in all respects. SECTION II.The City Council of the City of Renton hereby adopts the Park and Recreation Facilities Mitigation Fee Policy which is attached hereto as a policy of the City of Renton. SECTION III. RESOLUTION NO.3082 The City Council of the City of Renton adopts the Park and Recreation Facilities Mitigation Fee Policy as a SEPA policy. SECTION IV.The City Council directs the staff and administration to utilize this policy as guidance in mitigating the environmental effects of new development.However,should any applicant refuse to avail itself of the Park and Recreation Facilities Mitigation Fee Policy,then the City staff and administration shall independently analyze the environmental impacts of the proposed development on the park and recreation facilities of the City.The City staff may require the applicant to prepare studies for the City to assist it in such independent analysis.Mitigation would then be imposed on the basis of the independent analysis.Likewise,should the staff reviewing a project determine that there are specific attributes of the project that make this mitigation policy inadequate or unworkable,then the staff is authorized to require additional studies and/or environmental review and to impose mitigation outside the scope of this policy. PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL this 1st day of August ,1994. dh~~~~Marilyn Clerk APPROVED BY THE MAYOR this 1st day of __A_u_g_u_s_t ,1994. RESOLUTION NO.3082 RES.399:7/20/94 3 DEVELOPMENT IMPACT MITIGATION POLICY FOR PARK AND RECREATION FACILITIES INTRODUCTION The City's Park and Recreation :plan provides development policies and design standards for various types of parks,open space areas,trail systems and special recreation facilities.This plan provides a strategy for offering recreation services based on needs created by expected population growth. Currently the City is deficient in certain types of park land and facilities.This need is expected to become even more critical as the City continues to undergo strong growth pressures.In order to meet these needs,new financial resources will be required. The impact of new development can be partially mitigated by requiring developers to dedicate park land,contribute monies for the acquisition and/or development of new park sites,assist in improving existing park sites or provide recreation opportunities within a project itself This mitigation will be in proportion to the need created by the new development.The policies described herein discusses how impact mitigation will be 'used to help partially offset and the costs of growth in Renton.The cost of correcting existing deficiencies and the cost of satisfying a portion of the needs created by growth will be funded by public monies. GENERAL APPROACH Residential development occurring in the City of Renton is subject to the impact mitigation fee policy stated herein.Projects specifically excluded are: (1)Construction or location of any residential structures of four dwelling units or less; (2)Option to be considered by City Council:low income housing which IS aefined for purpose of this policy to include: (a)Housing constructed under a governmentally assisted financing program under which the development is rent controlled for low-income housing and/or the owner is contractually required to maintain the development as low-income housing for a specified period of time no less than ten years,or the housing is constructed by a Housing Authority as low income housing as defined by the Housing Authority.Should there be any question as to whether or not a development falls Within this definition,the administering person should look to the intent of the section which is to exempt housing from payment of this fee when that housing is dedicated to the poor and infinn.,For purposes of defining the term "poor,"if no other .criteria applies,then a person would be defined as "poor"when they qualify for supplemental social security income under the then existing rules. It is the intent of this policy to require developers to pay for park improvements based on the impact of their development upon the City's park and recreation system.Impacts are measured by the expected number of users within a proposed project.Section V and VI of the Comprehensive Park and Recreation Master Plan provides participation rates and demand for recreation areas and facilities based on a per capita basis.Standards developed in Section vm convert this demand into quantifiable amounts of park areas and facilities based on a desired level of service by the City.Fees are to be collected at time building permit is issued. LOCATION OF IMPROVEMENTS For planning purposes the City has been divided into six areas.However,the park system provides not only neighborhood parks and community parks,but also regional or community-wide facilities and area-wide facilities such as portions of trails that connect up with county-wide and multi-county trails.Planning for the various park facilities generally involves expenditure of funds for park land acquisition well in advance of construction of improvements.Funds for both acquisition and development of park facilities must be accumulated over a period of time.If parks fees generate~ under this policy can be accumulated and spent on the most desirable project,then there is a substantial likelihood that the mitigation policy will result in actual mitigation by providing existing .developed and usable facilities. It will remain a goal of the park planning process to provide neighborhood parks in each planning area as well as providing community,regional and area-wide parks. Since the planning will be done on a City-wide basis,all new development covered by this policy will contribute to the fund.Certain development will have existing park facilities near the development which have·been paid for,in whole or in part,by mitigation fees paid by others more geographically distant..The fee of the development near the existing park will then go to pay for a park facility elsewhere in the municipality.In this manner,the park system will be treated as an integrated whole to provide the maximum benefit to the entire populace of the City. MITIGATION ALTERNATIVES Park and facility impact mitigation can be achieved by one or a combination of the following methods described below.. 1..The City can agree to land dedication by the developer.Dedication of wetlands,shorelines areas or sensitive areas may be permitted,but only to the degree that such dedication shall satisfy a recreational need of the City.Accumulation of undevelopable or sensitive areas without significant recreational values shall be discouraged as a parks mitigation policy,but may be encouraged to satisfy other City policies. 2.The developer can pay a fee based on the formula described herein. 3.The developer can provide certain on-site facilities or areas that will help satisfy a portion of the neighborhood and community park needs. 4.The developer can agree to ·construct needed facilities in a nearby park. Page 2 5.The developer can propose a combination of the above alternatives that is satisfactory to the City.. 6.Governmental developers such as the'school district may meet the mitigation policy by dedication of land,contracting to provide facilities such as gymnasiums,ballfields,open space and similar recreational facilities,which contract shall provide for defined hours of use, description of the facilities or acreage to be provided,and which contract shall be permitted in nature as long as the facility is being utilized in such a fashion that recreational demands are created.Any such contract shall be approved by the City as detailed below. After the developer selects one of the above mitigation alternatives,the proposal must be reviewed by the staff of the Department of Parks and Recreation and The Board of Parks Commissioners.and approved by ERC before the City can enter into an agreement per Section 2.9.4 Sec F,Ordinance 3706.Specific mitigation measures will be considered on the basis of the City's Park and Recreation Plan,The Trails Plan,The Comprehensive Plan and other related City documents.Further mitigation may be imposed by a decision maker under the State Environmental Policy Act (SEP A). MITIGATION FEES -RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT, A.FINDINGS AND PURPOSE The greatest park and facility need in the City of Renton is for neighborhood and community parks. These types of park areas·traditionally receive the most use by local residents but are the most difficult to acquire because they are also prime sites for residential or other types of development. To a lesser extent,residents also use and enjoy community-wide facilities such as trail systems and gerieral open space but they are generally easier to acquire. It is assumed that a significant portion of general open space will be undevelopable and will be acquired through the development process because of their environmental sensitive classification (steep hillsides,wetlands etc.)Current zoning restrictions protect this ..type of land from development,.Linear parks mostly consist of power line and pipeline easements and are already in public ownership ..Linear park areas will mostly be used for open space and trail systems. The'Comprehensive Park and Recreation Plan recommends a standard of 1.2 acres per 1.000 population for neighborhood parks and 1.1 acres per 1,000 population for community parks.See Section vm for park definitions,development policies and design standards. B.IMPACT FEE EALCULATIONS The formula for calculating the impact fees and a sample exercise is shown below.The formula is: •Assumes an average cost per acre of R-l zoned property at $30,000 for park land acquisition and development cost of $75,000 per acre for neighborhood and community parks.The actual cost will be determined at the time of the application. Page 3 •Based on 2.62 persons per single family dwelling unit and 1.7 persons per multi- family unit. Source:Washington State Office of Financial Management,1989. (R)IF =(C x S)x D where 1,000 (R)IF =Residential Impact Fee C =Average cost per acre for acquisition and development (1). *To be updated annually by the Parks Department. S =Combined standard (in acres/1,OOO residents)for neighborhood and community parks (1.2 acres +1.1 acres =2.3 acres) D =Average number of occupants per dwelling unit (2) Sample Exercise: $105,000 x 2.3 x 2.62 = 1,000 $110,000 x 2.3 x 1.75 = 1,000 $632.73 x 50%=316.36/single family unit $442.75 x 50%=221.37/multi-family unit C.:MITIGATION POLICIES (Residential Development) 1.The City recognizes the high cost of park acquisition and development would impose a substantial burden on the developers of single-family and multi-family units.Therefore the City chooses to impose only one half of the impact fee that would be calculated using the formulas outlined in section B.The other 50%of the fee will be provided through direct contribution by the City,through governmental grants or otherwise.For example,the City:s recent purchases of land along May Creek,Honey Creek,the wetlands purchase in the valley from Glacier Park,the NARCO purchase,the Black River Corporate Park purchases and the Puget Power purchase along the Cedar River are all examples of the City's contribution. 2.Developers can meet up to 33%of their share of the park impact fee value by providing on-site active recreation areas and facilities as long as they meet the needs and standards established in the Park and Recreation Plan.·Conformance to the needs will be based on the type amount of space and facilities proposed.·These facilities are listed in the design standards of the Comprehensive Park and Recreation Plan. To calculate the value of on-site improvements,only land and facilities common to a neighborhood or community park will be considered and any trail must be an expansion or extension of current plan.These values will be established by the Park and Recreation Department utilizing cost information determined from similar projects.In no case will landscaped areas and narrow greenbelts be counted as part of the on-site improvements. Page 4 The above requirements are over and above that which may be required as open space in multi- family and planned unit developments.Credit will not be given for internal walkways or sidewalks for use by the project's residents only. 3.A land donation will only be considered if it meets the minimum design and location criteria or it is or will become part of a large park site.If the donated site is to become part ofa larger park site,the City must be assured that the remaining parcel(s)will be acquired. 4.-Construction or fees paid for improvements to a local existing park or facility must meet the needs of the new development as well as the surrounding neighborhood.Any improvements to an existing park must be in confonnance to an existing master plan,capital improvement plan or documents found in the Park and Recreation Plan. rev2-941w Cityl1:12:as. Page 5