HomeMy WebLinkAboutKlein Ltr w/responses �
Denis Law Mayor
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City Clerk-Jason A.Seth,CMC
December 28, 2016
Lisa Klein
AHBL
2215 N 30th St, Suite 30Q
Tacoma, WA 98403
Subject: City of Ren#an's Respanse& Rentan Schoal District Response
RE: Sartori Eiementary Schoal (LUA-1b-080692)
Dear Ms. Klein:
Enclosed please find the City of Renton's Response ta the Request for Reconsideration
dated December 22, 2016, as well as the Renton 5choo) District's Response to Hearing
Examiner's Order on Reconsideration Request dated December 28, 2016.
I can be reached at {425) 430-6510 or jseth@rentonwa.gov. Thank you.
Sincerely,
�
ason A. S t , CMC
City Clerk
cc: Hearing Examiner
Matthew Herrera,Senior Planner
Jennifer Henning, Planning Director
Vanessa Dolbee,Current Planning Manager
Brianne Bannwarth, Development Engineering Manager
Craig Burnell, Building Official
Jennifer Cisneros,Secretary, Planning Division
lulia Medzegian,City Council liaison
Parties of Record(2S}
1055 Sauth Grady Way,Renton,WA 98057 • {425}430-65101 Fax (425}430-651b • rentanwa.gav
Denis I.aw Mayor �`
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Community&Economic Development C.E."Chip"Vincent,Administrator
December 22, 2016
Mr. Phil Olbrechts
Hearing Examiner
City of Renton
1055 South Grady Way
Renton,WA 98057
SUBlECT: City Response t�Request for Reconside�ation
New Sartori Elementary Scho�l.315 Garden A�e.N., lUA16-000692, PFUD, Cl!-H
pear Mr. Examiner:
As the Froject Manager for the New Sartori EEementary School Preliminary Planned Unit
Development and Conditianal Use Permit land use application, please accept the following
response to Ms.Angie Laulainen's timely request for reconsideration of the Nearing Examiner's
decision an the aforementioned application.The request for reconsideration is based on two
separate matters.The�rst related to the one-year monitoring requirement (Hearing Examiner
decision condition#26)for#he parking and queuing plans that were identifced as mitigation
measures in the State Environmenta!Policy Act(SEPA) threshold determination (Exhibit 7).The
second re{ateci to the location of the "bal!wall" {Hearing Examine�decision condition#3) and the
claim of substantial or undue adverse effects on adjacent property caused by noise emanating
from the wall.
Monitoring of Parking and Queuing Plans
Ms. Laulainen requests in her recansideration that the Hearing Examiner's decision condition#26
be amended to require a "..non-biased organization be required to monitor the parking and
queuing at the school."A request is also made to consider the City of Renton to be the
organization that conducts the monitoring.
The City has no objection in the applicant's use of anather quali�ed professional transportation
consultant to carry out the Nearing Examiner condition ta monitor parking and queuing pEans for
flne-year as stipulated in#he conditian.The City does object to being the responsible organization
to carry out the monitaring duties as reflected in the candition.As a regulatory agency,the City's
duty is to con�rm compliance of the Mearing Examiner's decision, not perform consultant type
services for the applicant.
1055 South Grady Way,Renton,WA 98057• rentonwa.gov
Hearing Examiner Olbrechts
Page 2 of 2
December 22,2016
As is typica{in land use applications, an applicant prepares the required submittal materials that
identify compliance with the jurisdiction's de�elopment regulations.Those suhmittal materials are
required to be prepared by qualified professionals such as registered architects and landscape
a�chitects, licensed geotechnical engineers, and in the case of transportation reports—licensed
civil engineers.The applicant's transportation report�Exhibit 11)was prepared by a Washingtan
State licensed civil engineer,the�eby meeting the qualified p�afessional criterion far a traffic study
set forth in Renton Munrcipa!Code(RMCj 4-8-120D.20.
The burden to comply with land use permit conditions falls upvn the app1icant and there#ore the
applicant should prepare the monitoring repor#s,via a qualified prafessional, and the City's duty is
to review the monitoring ta confirm the reports meet the intent of the Hearing Examiner's
condition.
While the City would not object to another qualified professional preparing the monitoring
reports, no evidence is provided in the request for reconsideration that the applicant's
t�anspflrtation consultant is unqualified to comply with the Hearing Examiners decision.
Location of the"bali wall"
The request far reconsideration also claims the Iocation of a ball wall,or covered play area as
indicated an the application's site plan (Exhibit 2), is toa close to Garden Ave N and the residences
across this street. Noise impacts are a SEPA issue,which the applicant(Renton School District)was
the Lead Agency for review. Any mitigation associated with the SEPA review has been made a
condition of project approval (condition #i)of the Hearing Examiner's decision.The development
and ongoing operation of the school will be required to comply with the City's noise level
regulations set forth in RMC 8-7-3.
Staff requests the Hearing Examiner uphold the original decision issued on November 27, 2016.
S�t'@�y,r '�' �
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Matthew Herrera,AICP
Seniar Planner
cc: Jennifer Henning,Planning f?Irector
Vanessa Dalbee,Current Planning Manager
Brianne Sannworth,Developrnent Engineering Manager
Cynthia Moya,City Clerk Specialist
lan Fitz-James,Civil Engfneer II
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FACiLITiES, OPERATIONS AND MA(NTENANCE CENTER
CAPITAL PRt3JECTS OFFICE
7812 S 124�''Street,Seattie,WA 98178-4834
425-204-4403, Fax 425-2Q4-4476
December 28, 2016
Phii A. Olbrechts
City of Renton Hearing Examiner
c/o Cynthia Maya
City of Renton Records Management Specialist
Administrative Services/City Clerk Division
IOSS South Grady Way
Renton, WA 98057
RE: Applicant Response to Hearing Examiner's Order on Reconsideration Request
Sartari Elementary Schoal tLUA-16-000692}
Dear Mr. 016rechts:
We are in receipt of the Reconsideratian Request dated December 12, 2016 and your Response dated
December 19,2Q16. �our response alla�ved far written comments to be submi#ted by December 30,
2016 from those persons who testified at the hearing. I spoke at the hearing as a representative for the
applieant,the Rentan Schc�ol District,and this letter provides my comment. This letter is organized by
each topic listed on the Reconsideration request letter.
Traf�c Monitoring
Ms. Laulainen requested that the ane year monitoring of the queuing and parking impacts be done by
an autside organization, one that is not connected in any way with Renton School District. She cites
several reasons far nat trusting the District's traffic consultant and references information found in the
Draft Transportation Report dated August 26, 2016 (Exhibit 10).
The referenced draft report was reviewed and commented on by the City and neighbors during the
informal 37-day SEPA 1`�lotice of Consultatian comment period. The information and comments
obtained during that timeframe was useful in preparing both the Final Transportation Repart dated
October 2016 and the Mitigated Determinatian of Non-significance issued an October 21, 2016
(Exhibit 7). While nat specifically an Exhibit listed with the Staff Report,the Final Transportation
Report was listed as an environmental document in the SEPA Checklist and its recomrnended
mitigation measures were included within the MDNS, therefore it shauld be admissible as it is not new
information. A copy of the Fina1 Transportation Report can be provided upon request.
Launching Learning to Last a Lifetime
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The Reconsideration letter cites several "errors" in the Draft Transportation Report. These comments
are very similar as those provided during the SEPA comment periad and prior to the Transportation
Report revisions. The changes made between the draft and final report are summarized as follows:
• The District acknawledged that the current speeds in the vicinity range from 25-30 mph. Travel speads were
reflected correctly in the draft Transportation Technical Report;they were stated incorrectly in the Draft SEPA
Checktist and conected in the final SEPA checklist.The report and checklist anticipated that a school zone with 20
mph limits will be implemented around the site as part of the praject.
• The traffic pattern at the intersection of N.4"'and Garden was correctly analyzed and took into consideration the
island and the intersection turn restrictions. The description of the direction of traffic was revised in the Final
'['ransportation Report to provide better ctarity in an attempt to alleviate the confusion.
• The cia'sm that the trafftc study inctuded inflated counts of vehicular trips to the school is untrue. The Report and
related operational ana(yses assumed no credit(or reduction}far the removal of the existing use af the Sartori
Education Center.Section 3.2?of the Draft repart stated:
"Typically, tra�c impact crnalyses accozint f'or the removal of existing zrses to determinc the net increase rn ri•a�ic
associated with a netiv development. In those cases, tra�c from existing trses to be removed woz�ld be sz�btracted
before the ne�v development's traf�c is adrlecZ. Hativever, srnce some of the btrildings on the site were vacant at the
time that traffic cotrnts rvere taken at sizrdy area intersectian,rco vehiele trip credit far the remaval o,f these acses
was applied to the 2018 "with project"traffic volz��ne forecasts or operational analysis. The esfimcrte of tra�c
generatzon hy existing z�ses and the net charrges expected due lo the project are�ravided as a matter of
disclosarre...."
To eliminate any poientiaS confusion,the above paragraph and the presentation af the estimated net change in trips
was removed from the Final report.
The Transportation Repart was prepared in accordance with standard traffic engineering practice as outlined by
the Institute of Transpartation Engineer$(ITE} in its Transportation ImpactAnalyses for Site Develapment-An
ITE Recommended Practrce(I7"E,2tJ05). The analyses and repart were also prepared consistent with the Ciiy of
Renton's TrafFic Irnpact Analysis Policy Guidelines for iVew Development{Rev. January 2Q16). The report stated
that the prajeck would result in increased tra�c that would add delay to the study area. It aiso noted the
potential for event-related parking impacts and possible queue spili over during peak afternoon dismissal
periods. It recommended mitigation measures to address these potential impacts and determined that, with
these measures,the project wauld not resuit in significant adverse impacts. The roadway network can
accommodate the project and wauid continue to operate at levels that meet the City's aperational standards.
The District stands behind the Transportation Repart prepared by Heffron Transpartation, Inc. and reminds the
Hearing Examiner that Ms. Laulainen did not present expert testimony to contradict the findings and did not
appeal the SEPA Determination. The District daes not know at this time if Heffron or another transportation
engineering consultant wi(I be utilized for the required manitoring, but will ensure that the seiected contractor
follow the industry professionaf standards. Ftarther, Condition #26 requires the City of Renton to review and
approve the monitoring report,and in our opinion this requirement provides sufficient oversight.
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Location of the Ball Wall
The Reconsideration letter cites concern for noise associated with the ball wall that is presumed to be located
fifteen feet from the school property line. The ball wail is actually located more than 43 feet from the property
line and at least 100 feet from Ms. Laulinen's properly line. The ball wall was originally closer to the property
line (as shown in the City's presentation, Exhibit 28) and the City had recommended in the stafF report
Condition #3 that the baii wall be located outside the 15-foot setback. The District responded by moving the
ball wall further. The modi�ed location was presented at the hearing in the applicant's presentation (Exhibit
30), although the specific distances were not called out in the presentation or site plan.
GARDEN AVENUE NORTH
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Site Plan in Exhibit 2� � �Site Plan irs Exh3bit 30
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t•tea.�ur�r»rnt�adrle�!tc�Sita Plan in Exhi�it 3�
The piay area is purpaseiy located adjacent to the existing residences on Garden Ave N so that lower scale
elements are near residences and the schaol building is ariented in anticipation of future growth of a civic
boulevard along Park Ave N,a commercial arterial street. Additionaliy,the field location orients the more
open/green areas of the schooi near the residences and provides easy access for resident use.
The District believes that the naises generated by the baii wali and piayground are typicai of any schooi use and
determined that it didn't qualify as an adverse impact when it issued the SEPA MDNS. As noted abave, noise
issues are largely SEPA-related and an appeai of the SEPA Determination was not filed.
Thank you for the apportunity ta comment. �Ve respectfully request an expedited decision in this
matter.
Sincerely,
i��%'Cc'G��'`„"�ll�� �:---7 Al
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Matt Feldmeyer, Architect
Facilities Project Manager
Ce: Rick Stracke, Executive Director of Facilities Planning, Renton Schooi District Facilities,
Maintenance,and Operations—Capital Prajects Office
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