HomeMy WebLinkAboutD_BassanoTownhomes_Street_Modification_210305DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY
AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
ADMINISTRATIVE STREET MODIFICATION
APPROVAL DENIAL
EVALUATION FORM & DECISION
PROJECT NAME: Bassano Townhomes
PROJECT NUMBER: LUA20-000290
PROJECT MANAGER: Michael Sippo, Civil Engineer III
APPLICANT: Joseph Bernasconi
JoeB@Windermere.com
ZONING CLASSIFICATION: CD (Center Downtown)
PROJECT LOCATION: 117 Wells Avenue S, Renton, WA 98057
SUMMARY OF REQUEST:
Pursuant to Renton Municipal Code (RMC) 4-9-250D, the applicant is requesting an Administrative
Modification from RMC 4-6-060F.2, Minimum Design Standards for Public Streets and Alleys, for Wells
Avenue South, a 2-lane Minor Arterial Road. The applicant is proposing the following modification:
A modified minor arterial street standard containing a right of way width of approximately 65-
feet. The modified street would contain two (2) 12-foot travel lanes, two (2) 8-foot parking lanes,
and 12-foot sidewalks with 0.5-foot curb with street trees in tree grates on both sides of the
street. A right-of-way dedication of 2.75-feet is proposed to accommodate the full width of the
12-foot sidewalk. The existing curb line would remain in its current alignment with the
modification.
BACKGROUND:
Wells Avenue South is classified as a 4-lane Minor Arterial Road. The code required minimum width for
minor arterials streets is 91-feet consisting of four (4) 11-foot vehicle lanes, two (2) 5-foot bike lanes with
curb, gutter, and two (2) 12-foot wide sidewalks with street trees. The current right-of-way width for Wells
Avenue South is 60-feet with approximately 39-feet of paved roadway and 10-foot sidewalks.
The City’s Transportation section and Economic Development section reviewed Wells Avenue South and
the surrounding area and have determined that the proposed modified street section along this roadway
is more suitable for this location of Wells Avenue South.
ANALYSIS OF REQUEST:
The Section 4-6-060Q.1 allows the Administrator to grant modifications provided the modifications meet
the following criteria (pursuant to RMC 4-9-250D.2):
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City of Renton Department of Community and Economic Development Admin. Modification Request Report & Decision
Bassano Townhomes –MODIFICATION LUA20-000290
Report of March 4, 2021 Page 2 of 4
Compliance Modification Criteria and Analysis
a. Substantially implements the policy direction of the policies and objectives of the
Comprehensive Plan Land Use Element and the Community Design Element and the
proposed modification is the minimum adjustment necessary to implement these
policies and objectives.
Staff Comment: The Comprehensive Plan’s Land Use Element Goal L-B is to “Continue to
build Renton’s Regional Growth Center consistent with VISION 2040 to provide compact,
pedestrian-oriented, mixed-use development to meet the demands of population and
employment growth, while reducing the transportation-related and environmental
impacts of growth.”
Keeping the existing roadway width and widening the sidewalk, as proposed in the
modification request, provides a compact, pedestrian oriented streetscape consistent
with Goal L-B. Maintaining the existing roadway section of two (2) parking lanes and two
(2) travel lanes instead of the minor arterial standard of four (4) travel lanes reduces the
transportation-related impact of growth, also consistent with Goal L-B.
The sidewalk and streetscape improvements will be consistent with the City’s Downtown
Streetscape Design Standards and Guidelines, complying with the Community Design
Element of the Comprehensive Plan.
Staff concurs the proposed modification implements the policy direction of the
Comprehensive Plan and is the minimum adjustment necessary. Community design
aspects of the Comprehensive Plan address walkable neighborhoods, safety, and shared
uses. The intent of the policies are to promote new development with walkable places
that support grid and flexible grid street and pathway patterns, and are visually
attractive, safe, and healthy environments. The requested street modification is
consistent with these policy guidelines. The proposed modification maintains the street’s
vehicle capacity while improving the sidewalk to meet current width, design, and street
tree standards.
b. Will meet the objectives and safety, function, appearance, environmental protection
and maintainability intended by the Code requirements, based upon sound
engineering judgment.
Staff Comment: The modification achieves these standards as follows:
Safety: By maintaining the existing roadway width and curb alignment, inconvenient
and/or potentially unsafe transitions on either end of the project frontage are not
required to transition back to the existing frontage improvements of adjacent
properties. Maintaining two (2) travel lanes instead of four (4) maintains the more
neighborhood character of the street (with many single-family properties with
frontage on Wells Avenue South) instead of the technical arterial classification.
Function: The proposed modification will provide a wider sidewalk than what
currently exists, meeting the plan goals of providing a pedestrian-oriented space.
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City of Renton Department of Community and Economic Development Admin. Modification Request Report & Decision
Bassano Townhomes –MODIFICATION LUA20-000290
Report of March 4, 2021 Page 3 of 4
Environmental Protection: Maintaining the existing roadway width will require the
minimum feasible amount of disturbance within the ROW, which will reduce the
environmental hazard potential associated with roadwork.
Maintainability: Maintaining the existing roadway width will not add any additional
maintainability costs/concerns whereas widening the roadway would require
additional pavement for the City to maintain.
The proposed modification would meet the objectives of function and maintainability
intended by the code requirements. City staff has reviewed Wells Avenue South and the
surrounding area and have determined that a modified minor arterial street section is
more suitable for the portion of Wells Avenue South adjacent to the site. The
determination was based on the fact that the right of way required to build a minor
arterial street per the standards found in RMC 4-6-060 would conflict with other existing
structures along this portion of Wells Avenue South In addition, this portion of Wells
Avenue South has an established curb line. Modification to this curb line for this property
frontage without modifying the curb line for the entire block would create a significant
safety hazard to motorists along this portion of Wells Avenue South.
c. Will not be injurious to other property(ies) in the vicinity.
Staff Comment: Staff has not identified adverse impacts to other properties from the
requested modification and in fact requiring the improvements along the property’s
frontage would cause potential hazards, see comments under criterion ‘b’.
d. Conforms to the intent and purpose of the Code.
Staff Comment: The applicant contends that an arterial is typically defined as a high-
capacity urban road. The intent and purpose of the code requiring a 91-feet ROW width
for Minor Arterials is to provide such roadways for high-capacity, higher speed limit main
thoroughfares. The existing character of Wells Avenue South in the vicinity of the project
is much more of a neighborhood street, with primarily existing single family residences
on both sides of the street and it would be inappropriate to provide the standard Minor
Arterial section in this area.
Staff concurs the proposed modification meets the intent and purposes of the Code.
Frontage improvements are being installed by the applicant at a rate that is practical and
safe for users. See also comments under criterion ‘b’.
e. Can be shown to be justified and required for the use and situation intended; and
Staff Comment: Staff concurs that the modification is justified as it is impractical to widen
the existing paved roadway for this particular frontage of property. It is however,
justifiable to improve the sidewalk and provide street trees thereby necessitating the
dedication of 2.75-feet of frontage to construct the improvements.
f. Will not create adverse impacts to other property(ies) in the vicinity.
Staff Comment: Maintaining the existing roadway width will prevent the creation of
potentially unsafe or inconvenient vehicular or pedestrian transitions at the boundary of
the project frontage, where the frontage improvements associated with this development
would have to tie back in to the existing improvements, confined within the existing 60-
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City of Renton Department of Community and Economic Development Admin. Modification Request Report & Decision
Bassano Townhomes –MODIFICATION LUA20-000290
Report of March 4, 2021 Page 4 of 4
feet ROW width. Modifying the existing curb line could also potentially create roadway
drainage issues. Additionally, as previously stated, a 15.5-foot ROW dedication on both
sides of Wells Avenue South would significantly reduce the redevelopment potential for
all of the properties with frontage on Wells Avenue South.
Staff finds the modification would not create adverse impacts to other properties in the
vicinity. See comments under criteria ‘b’ and ‘c’.
DECISION
The proposal satisfies 6 of the 6 criteria listed in RMC 4-9-250D.2 for the requested modification.
Therefore, the street modifications for the Bassano Townhomes Project located at 117 Wells Avenue
South, Renton, WA 98057, Project Number LUA20-000290 is approved.
_______________
Brianne Bannwarth, Development Engineering Manager Date
Any appeals of the administrative decision must be filed with the City Clerk, along with the required appeal
fee, by 5:00 pm, March 18, 2021. Due to Governor Jay Inslee’s Proclamation 20-25 (“Stay Home, Stay
Healthy”), the City Clerk’s Office is working remotely. For that reason, appeals must be submitted
electronically to the City Clerk at cityclerk@rentonwa.gov. The appeal fee, normally due at the time an
appeal is submitted, will be collected at a future date. Appeals to the Hearing Examiner are governed by
RMC 4-8-110 and additional information regarding the appeal process may be obtained from the City
Clerk’s Office, cityclerk@rentonwa.gov. If the situation changes such that the City Clerk’s Office is open
when you file your appeal, you have the option of filing the appeal in person.
If you have any further questions regarding this decision, feel free to contact the project manager, Michael
Sippo, at 425.430.7298 or msippo@rentonwa.gov.
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3/5/2021 | 10:08 AM PST