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HomeMy WebLinkAboutRE Emerald Heights Street Modification QuestionsFrom: Angelea Weihs Sent: Thursday, May 21, 2020 1:28 PM To: 'Phil Olbrechts' Cc: Vanessa Dolbee; Jonathan Chavez; Brianne Bannwarth Subject: RE: Emerald Heights Street Modification Questions Mr. Examiner, Thank you for your clarifying questions. Staff recommendation does require a modification. The requested modification is intended to increase the landscape strip from 8’, as required by RMC 4-6-060, to 11.5’ and use this increased width as bioretention. Staff is supportive of the modification to the standards of 4-6-060 as it is consistent with the Council Adopted Sunset Area Surface Water Master Plan and would be consistent with the modification approved for the development project located directly north of this site (Jefferson Highlands; LUA19-000163). This increased landscape strip can fit within the existing right-of-way and does not require any dedication from the applicant for this project, as the road is not centered in the right-of-way. Due to the current alignment in the right-of-way half street improvements from the right-of-way centerline, for this project, would actually be: 12’ of pavement width, .5’ curb, 11.5’ bioretention, 5’ sidewalk, and 1’ clear space at back of walk (30’ total). We will add this e-mail chain to the on-line file accessible to the public. If you have any remaining questions please let us know. Thank you, Angelea Weihs Associate Planner, City of Renton 1055 S. Grady Way Renton, WA 98057 (425) 430-7312 From: Phil Olbrechts <olbrechtslaw@gmail.com> Sent: Wednesday, May 20, 2020 3:27 PM To: Angelea Weihs <AWeihs@Rentonwa.gov> Subject: Re: Emerald Heights Street Modification Questions Thanks. So does the staff recommendation require a modification, or does its compliance with the green street specifications meet all City design standards? On Wed, May 20, 2020 at 3:07 PM Angelea Weihs <AWeihs@rentonwa.gov> wrote: Hello Phil, Staff recommends approval of a street modification, not as requested by the applicant, but rather a modified street that is consistent with the Sunset Area Surface Water Plan as a Green street, which serves to meet the needs of the applicant (does not require ROW dedication) while also meeting the SASWP. I have forwarded the questions below to engineering to formulate a more detailed response. Thanks, Angelea Weihs Associate Planner, City of Renton 1055 S. Grady Way Renton, WA 98057 (425) 430-7312 From: Phil Olbrechts <olbrechtslaw@gmail.com> Sent: Wednesday, May 20, 2020 2:40 PM To: Angelea Weihs <AWeihs@Rentonwa.gov> Subject: Re: Emerald Heights Street Modification Questions To clarify, my understanding from the staff report that the staff recommendation is consistent with the dimensions required for green streets comes from the following sentence quoted from page 30 of the staff report: "However, this street is identified in the Sunset Area Surface Water Plan as a Green street, which includes the following street section: 28 feet paved width, 0.5-foot curb, 11.5-foot rain garden, 5-foot sidewalk, and 1-foot of clear space at back of walk, street trees and storm drainage improvements (See Exhibit 14)." On Wed, May 20, 2020 at 10:11 AM Phil Olbrechts <olbrechtslaw@gmail.com> wrote: Hi Angelia, To facilitate the hearing next Tuesday, I thought it would be helpful to get my questions to you on the street modification of Emerald Heights in advance. If you could place this email in the on-line file accessible to the public we can then make it an exhibit at the hearing. You or engineering can respond to these questions at the hearing or in writing in advance. If the response is in writing we could also put the response in the on-line file. 1. The staff report doesn't identify exactly what's being modified. Is the modification limited to a three foot reduction in sidewalk width and a half foot reduction in rain garden width? 2. Is the recommended modification limited to modifying the standards imposed by the Sunset Area Surface Water Master Plan? The proposed modifications appear to be consistent with the standards imposed by RMC 4-6-060.F.2 for Residential Access streets as posted on-line, i.e. five foot sidewalks and 8 foot planter strips. Staff is recommending five foot sidewalks and a 11.5 foot rain garden. 3. Did staff combine the requirements of RMC 4-6-060.F.2 with the Sunset Area Surface Water Master Plan? What is the code authority for applying the Master Plan? Is it adopted by reference in the RMC, the City's public works standards or the City's comprehensive plan? 4. If the subject street qualifies as a "green street" under the Master Plan and complies with the design standards of a green street, why is a modification to the Master Plan standards even necessary? 5. Please show how the half street improvements add up to 30 feet. Adding up the 14 feet of paved width to the 11.5 foot rain garden, half-foot curb, five foot sidewalk and one foot clear zone recommended by staff results in 32 feet.