HomeMy WebLinkAboutRS_Renton Station Swtichgear Building Critical Areas MemoMemorandum
1101 South Fawcett Avenue, Suite 200, Tacoma, Washington 98402, Telephone: 253.383.4940, Fax: 253.383.4923 www.geoengineers.com
To: Edward Smith, Olympic Pipe Line Company LLC
From: Adam L. Wright, PWS and Joseph O. Callaghan, Principal, GeoEngineers, Inc.
Date: September 29, 2021
File: 0894-180-01
Subject: Renton Station Switchgear Building Wetland, Stream and Flood Hazard Assessment
INTRODUCTION
GeoEngineers, Inc. (GeoEngineers) has been assisting Olympic Pipe Line LLC (Olympic) with permitting services
associated with a proposed new switchgear building at Olympic’s Renton Station facility, located at 2319 Lind
Avenue Southwest. The City of Renton (City) provided preliminary comments on Olympic’s permit submittal
package via email on August 24, 2021. This memorandum is intended to address comments regarding the
project’s proximity to critical areas, specifically wetlands, streams and flood hazard areas.
CRITICAL AREAS ASSESSMENT
A GeoEngineers’ wetland biologist visited the site on September 16, 2021 to assess the proposed development
area and adjacent undeveloped land. The existing facility, which encompasses the proposed development,
consists of impervious surfaces located approximately 5 feet higher than the surrounding undeveloped land.
Wetland conditions and the channelized Panther Creek were observed in the approximate mapped locations
adjacent to the facility as shown on the City COR Maps (Figure 1, Renton Critical Areas Map). Springbrook Creek,
a designated shoreline of the State, is located more than 200 feet west of the work areas. The 100-year
floodplain is also mapped outside the existing facility in these areas. A base flood elevation of 20 feet is mapped
along Panther Creek, depicted as the “SW 23rd Street Drainage Channel” on Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM)
panel 53033C0978G (Revised August 19, 2020). This 20-foot boundary roughly aligns with the top of the
facility fill slope and does not overlap proposed development.
Olympic’s proposed project will not impact wetland, stream or floodplain critical areas. The existing facility and
proposed upgrades are located above the wetland and stream elevations on existing developed surfaces. The
facility is fenced, including security and privacy features, and does not provide buffer function. Per Renton
Municipal Code 4-3-050B 1(g) this site appears to meet the definition of a “site separated from critical areas,
nonregulated,” specifically:
■ Separated from critical areas by pre-existing, intervening and lawfully created structures, roads or other
substantial existing improvements;
■ Separate from the critical area due to height or width; and
■ Substantially prevent or impair delivery of most functions from the subject upland property to the critical
area.
Memorandum to Edward Smith, Olympic Pipe Line Company LLC
September 29, 2021
Page 2
SUMMARY
GeoEngineers confirmed the presence of wetland, stream and floodplain habitat adjacent to Olympic’s Renton
Station facility. The existing site development is separated from these critical areas by the developed pad
height, as well as the fenced, paved and built-out condition. The facility does not provide critical area buffer
function, and the addition of the proposed switchgear building will not impact the existing condition of critical
areas adjacent to the facility.
Attachments:
Figure 1. Renton Switchgear Critical Areas Map
Disclaimer: Any electronic form, facsimile or hard copy of the original document (email, text, table, and/or figure), if provided, and any attachments are only a copy of the
original document. The original document is stored by GeoEngineers, Inc. and will serve as the official document of record.
4,509
376
WGS_1984_Web_Mercator_Auxiliary_Sphere
Figure 1. Renton Switchgear Critical Areas Map
This map is a user generated static output from an Internet mapping site and
is for reference only. Data layers that appear on this map may or may not be
accurate, current, or otherwise reliable.
THIS MAP IS NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION
Notes
None
Legend
255 0 128 255
Feet
Information Technology - GIS
RentonMapSupport@Rentonwa.gov
09/28/2021
Floodway
Special Flood Hazard Areas (100 year flood)
Environment Designations
Natural
Shoreline High Intensity
Shoreline Isolated High Intensity
Shoreline Residential
Urban Conservancy
Jurisdictions
Streams (Classified)
<all other values>
Type S Shoreline
Type F Fish
Type Np Non-Fish
Type Ns Non-Fish Seasonal
Unclassified
Not Visited
Wetlands
2019.sid
Red: Band_1
Green: Band_2
Blue: Band_3