HomeMy WebLinkAbout3-7-2013 Letter PRE12-033March 7, 2013
Tara Tumber
Hunny Construction Inc.
10050 Rainier Avenue South
Seattle, WA 98178
SUBJECT: SIKH TEMPLE SIDEWALK EXTENSION
PRE12-033 and City of Renton Permit U120108
5218 Talbot Road South
Dear Mr. Tumber:
I appreciated meeting with you and Ed Sewall on the project site on March 4, 2013. At that time Mr. Sewall asked that we provide a photo history of disturbance on the site. Aerial
photos from 1996, 1999, 2003, and 2006 are enclosed. It appears that site disturbance occurred between 1999 and 2003. As I’ve mentioned in telephone conversations with you and at
our site meeting, there are still some items that are needed in order to process this sidewalk extension project.
Marking the northerly edge of the wetland boundary with a split rail fence and appropriate signage as well as restoring the wetland buffer to its pre-disturbance condition will both
aid in conforming to Code requirements as well as helping the Sikh Temple in determining the developable area for the subject property in the future. Please revise the “Sikh Temple
Wetland Mitigation Concept and Mitigation Plan” to show the required split rail fence to be placed on the northerly edge of the 50-foot wide wetland buffer, rather than within the wetland
buffer as currently depicted. Please also show buffer area seeding in a larger area within the full buffer; both the split rail fence and the buffer area seeding should extend easterly
approximately 370 feet to meet the existing natural vegetation in the wetland buffer area.
While the revised wetland concept and mitigation plan identifies the stream course, the stream course buffer, and the wetland buffer, there is no indication of how the hard-packed gravel
within the wetland buffer area would be prepared and planted with the indicated buffer area seed mix or how the critical areas will be protected during the work.
Furthermore, the proposed split rail fence must be installed along the 50-foot wetland buffer boundary (a detail of the split rail fence and signage must be included with the mitigation
plan). Also, the mitigation plan does not indicate planting performance
standards (the percentage of survival of the stake plantings and the seed mixes which would constitute success on an annual basis).
As I mentioned in previous letters to you (dated November 9, 2012 and January 8, 2013), the Contract Requirements for the Maintenance and Monitoring surety are as follows:
RMC 4-3-050G2 requires that, "for wetland and/or stream/lake mitigation plans, the [maintenance and monitoring] surety device shall be sufficient to guarantee that structures, improvements,
and mitigation required by permit condition perform satisfactorily for a minimum of five (5) years after they have been completed." Please provide draft (followed by a final) maintenance
and monitoring contract (or contracts) for our review and approval prior to execution of the contract. The draft contract language must ensure compliance with both the performance
standards of the approved mitigation and monitoring plan and the general requirements of the maintenance and monitoring standards of the Renton Municipal Code. In order to approve
your draft maintenance and monitoring contract, we will need to determine that the scope of the contract clearly covers the cost of plant maintenance and replacement as well. The language
in the contract must also guarantee that "structures, improvements, and mitigation perform satisfactorily for a period of 5 years" per RMC 4-3-050G2 (e.g. add provisions for plant replacement
and weed removal referencing compliance with the survival rates noted in the final approved wetland mitigation plan). The contract must include quarterly monitoring reports for the
first year and annual reports thereafter. Please a revised draft contract which addresses the above requirements including the cost of plant material replacement. The submitted mitigation
plan does not indicate performance standards and the draft contract does not address maintenance and replacement.
Please revise the mitigation plan and draft contract to reflect the above comments. When these revisions have been reviewed, I will inform you of the steps necessary to proceed.
In addition, because your proposed project would be over lands covered by water, an Environmental (SEPA) Review is necessary (application instructions attached). The application fee
for Environmental (SEPA) Review is $1,030.00 ($1,000.00 plus 3% Technology Surcharge Fee). I would be happy to discuss the application process with you.
Once the above plans are approved, in addition to your sidewalk permit, a construction permit will be needed prior to such time as wetland and wetland buffer restoration is to occur.
Please contact me at (425) 430-7382 or gwasser@rentonwa.gov if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Gerald C. Wasser
Associate Planner
cc: Ed Sewall, Sewall Wetland Consulting, Inc.
Kayren Kittrick, Development Engineering Supervisor
Jennifer Henning, Current Planning Manager
Jan Illian, Plan Reviewer
Donna Locher, Lead Code Compliance