HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 37 - 08-14-2020 - Hearing Exhibit - COR 14 - Second Declaration of Vanessa DolbeeITEM NO. 37
HEX-000419
COR 14
Second Declaration of Vanessa Dolbee
HEX-000420
SECOND DECLARATION OF VANESSA DOLBEE IN SUPPORT
OF CITY’S FINDING OF VIOLATION – Page 1
Renton City Attorney
1055 S. Grady Way
Renton, WA 98057-3232
Phone: 425.430.6480
Fax: 425.430.6498
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
IN PROCEEDINGS BEFORE THE CITY OF RENTON HEARING EXAMINER
IN RE THE MATTER OF THE REQUEST FOR
HEARING BY RENTON HOTEL INVESTORS, LLC
AND KING COUNTY
NO. CODE-20-000321
SECOND DECLARATION OF VANESSA
DOLBEE IN SUPPORT OF CITY OF RENTON’S
FINDING OF VIOLATION REGARDING RED
LION DE-INTENSIFICATION SHELTER
I, Vanessa Dolbee, declare as follows:
1.I am competent to testify in this matter and have personal knowledge of the
facts stated herein.
2.This is my second declaration made in this matter. I reincorporate the following
statements regarding my position and my knowledge of this matter:
a.I hold the title of Current Planning Manager within the City of Renton’s
the “City’s”) Department of Community & Economic Development (“CED”). I was hired
by the City in 2008 as a planner and was subsequently promoted in 2013 to the position
HEX-000421
SECOND DECLARATION OF VANESSA DOLBEE IN SUPPORT
OF CITY’S FINDING OF VIOLATION – Page 2
Renton City Attorney
1055 S. Grady Way
Renton, WA 98057-3232
Phone: 425.430.6480
Fax: 425.430.6498
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
of Current Planning Manager. My statements in this declaration are grounded in my
personal knowledge and in the skills, training, education, and knowledge that I have
gathered as a result of my position and my years with the City of Renton.
b. I am familiar with the June 30, 2020 Finding of Violation (“FOV”) that the
City issued to King County, the Downtown Emergency Service Center, and Renton Hotel
Investors, LLC in this matter.
c.The property at issue in the FOV is the former site of a Red Lion Hotel &
Conference Center, located at 1 S Grady Way, Renton Washington; King County Parcel
No. 3340401630 (the “Property”).
3. In my capacity as Current Planning Manager, I am generally familiar with the
properties in the City’s CA zone that are estab lished as “Hotel” land uses, and I searched the
City’s online “COR Maps” mapping program to more closely review “Hotels” that are
established on CA-zoned properties in the City.
4. In my role as Current Planning Manager, I regularly receive information about
how properties throughout the City are being used and operated. To my knowledge, prior to
the COVID-19 pandemic curtailing the lodging industry, not one of the Hotels established
throughout the City’s CA zoning districts was operating in a manner similar to the Property’s de-
intensification shelter. Specifically, to my knowledge, not one of them had a long-term single
payor; had restricted access such that the general public could not rent a room; or offered meal
service at no cost.
HEX-000422
SECOND DECLARATION OF VANESSA DOLBEE IN SUPPORT
OF CITY’S FINDING OF VIOLATION – Page 3
Renton City Attorney
1055 S. Grady Way
Renton, WA 98057-3232
Phone: 425.430.6480
Fax: 425.430.6498
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
5. To my knowledge, because no Hotels in CA zones have operated similarly to the
de-intensification shelter at the Property, the City did not take enforcement action against the
de-intensification shelter while choosing to not take enforcement action against similarly-
operated businesses.
6. As I explained in my previous declaration, the operations of the Red Lion shelter
are analogous to the “congregate residence” land use that is recognized in the Renton
Municipal Code. A classic example of a “congregate residence” land use is a fraternity or
sorority house – operations that are not traditionally associated with providing housing for
persons with disability. “Congregate residences” are not allowed in the CA zone. See RMC 4-2-
060 (zoning use table).
7. It is my understanding that more than 200 people are residing at the Red Lion
shelter. The CA zone is a non-residential zone; no type of multi-resident use is allowed outright
anywhere in the CA zone:
Attached dwellings” (flats and townhomes) are only allowed in the CA zone if
part of a mixed-use development. (The de-intensification shelter does not even
meet the definition of an “attached dwelling” because its rooms are not
dwelling units” under RMC 4-11-040);
Congregate residences” are not allowed in the CA zone;
Temporary multi-resident housing alternatives are not allowed in the CA zone:
Diversion facilities” and “Diversion interim service facilities” are not allowed in
the CA zone; and
Even medically-related, full-care temporary housing alternatives are not
allowed outright in the CA zone: “Convalescent centers” and “medical
HEX-000423
SECOND DECLARATION OF VANESSA DOLBEE IN SUPPORT
OF CITY’S FINDING OF VIOLATION – Page 4
Renton City Attorney
1055 S. Grady Way
Renton, WA 98057-3232
Phone: 425.430.6480
Fax: 425.430.6498
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
institutions” are only conditionally allowed in the CA zone.1
8. Since I began employment with the City in 2008, I am aware of no instances in
which the City granted a CA-zoned property a rezone to a different zoning designation for the
purpose of constructing a standalone residential use on that property.
Signed at ___________, Washington this ____ day of August, 2020, under penalty of
perjury under the laws of the State of Washington.
By:
Vanessa Dolbee
1 Sources: RMC 4-2-060 (zoning use table); RMC 4-2-080 (conditions associated with zoning use table).
HEX-000424
SECOND DECLARATION OF VANESSA DOLBEE IN SUPPORT
OF CITY’S FINDING OF VIOLATION – Page 5
Renton City Attorney
1055 S. Grady Way
Renton, WA 98057-3232
Phone: 425.430.6480
Fax: 425.430.6498
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
DECLARATION OF SERVICE
I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of Washington that on
a true and correct copy of the foregoing document was served upon the
parties listed below via the method indicated:
Renton Hotel Investors, LLC:
Sumeer Singla
Williams, Kastner & Gibbs PLLC
ssingla@williamskastner.com
X] E-mail [ ] United States Mail [ ] Legal Messenger [ ] E-Service
King County:
Howard Schneiderman
Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney
Howard.Schneiderman@kingcounty.gov
Youn-Jung Kim
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney
Jina.Kim@kingcounty.gov
Lena Madden
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney
Lena.Madden@kingcounty.gov
X] E-mail [ ] United States Mail [ ] Legal Messenger [ ] E-Service
August 12, 2020
HEX-000425
SECOND DECLARATION OF VANESSA DOLBEE IN SUPPORT
OF CITY’S FINDING OF VIOLATION – Page 6
Renton City Attorney
1055 S. Grady Way
Renton, WA 98057-3232
Phone: 425.430.6480
Fax: 425.430.6498
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
DESC:
Daniel Malone
Downtown Emergency Service Center (DESC)
dmalone@desc.org
X] E-mail [ ] United States Mail [ ] Legal Messenger [ ] E-Service
DATED this ________ day of ___________, 2020, at Maple Valley, Washington.
s/ Stephanie Rary
Stephanie Rary, Paralegal
12th August
With a copy to:
Elaine L. Spencer, WSBA #6963
Northwest Resource Law PLLC
espencer@nwresourcelaw.com
Lisa Chaiet Rahman, WSBA #51531
Northwest Resource Law PLLC
lrahman@nwresourcelaw.com
X] E-mail [ ] United States Mail [ ] Legal Messenger [ ] E-Service
HEX-000426