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Tribe_15-000522wrcitY;IoSeptember15,2015Community&EconomicDevelopmentDepartmentC.E.”Chip”Vincent,AdministratorKarenWalterMuckleshootIndianTribeFisheriesDivision39015—172ndAvenueSEAuburn,WA98092Subject:NoticeofCompleteApplicationWSDOT1-405/SR167-DirectConnectorProject,LUA15-000522,CARDearMs.Wafter:AllstatehighwaysaredesignatedbytheWashingtonStateLegislatureandcodifiedintheRevisedCodeofWashington(RCW).WSDOT’sdutiesincludelocating,designing,constructing,improving,repairing,operating,andmaintainingthesestatehighways.TheWashingtonStateDepartmentofTransportationfWSDOT)NorthwestRegionDesignBuildTeamispursuingthe1-405/SR167InterchangeDirectConnectorProjectinordertobuildanewflyoverrampconnectingtheHOTlanesonSR167tothecarpoollaneson1-405inRenton.Thisprojectwasrecentlyfundedinthe2015ConnectingWashingtontransportationpackage.ThisletterisinresponsetoyourAugust21,2015,emailcontainingcommentsreceivedforthe1-405/SR167InterchangeDirectConnectorProject.ThefollowingtextincludestheoriginalcommentsfollowedbyRenton’sresponses.Comment#1:WeareaskingforaRenton/WSDOT/MITFDplanningefforttodeterminewhenandhowthe19thAvenueSWpipedstream/culvertcanbemodifiedtoprovidefishpassage,thusenablingthefullbenefitofWSDOT’sreplacementculvertunderSR167.Renton’sResponse:WSDOThasindicatedthattheyhavetakentheleadinworkingwiththeCityofRenton(City)andtheMuck!eshootTribe(Tribe)throughoutthecompletedesignphase,andwillcontinuetoaccommodaterequestsandpartneringopportunitieswithintheconstraintsofthepublically-ownedroadwayright-of-wayandthelimitationsoftransportationfunding.RentonCityHall1055SouthGradyWay.Renton,Washington98057.rentonwa.gov Ms.KarenWalterPage2014September15,2015TheCitydoesnothavethebudgetthatwouldberequiredtoconverttheSW19thStdrainpipeintoanopenchannelfortheforeseeablefuture.Additionally,thereplacementoftheSW19thStstormsystemwithanewsystemthatisdeemedfishpassabletoWashingtonDepartmentofFishandWildlife(WDFW)andtheTribe’sstandards,isphysicallyunattainableduetoitbeinglocatedinaCitystreetandthesurroundingdevelopedproperties.Comment#2:WealsohaveaquestionaboutpotentialShorelinejurisdictionunderRenton’sSMPforthisprojectasthePantherCreekwetlandseastofSR167areshowntobewithinthe100yearfloodplainforSpringbrookCreekwhichisaregulatedshorelinewaterbody.Renton’sResponse:CityofRentonShorelineoverlaymapsshowthatdesignatedshorelineareasarelocatedwithin200feetofSpringbrookCreek.CORMaps,Renton’sonlineGISbasedinteractivemapforRenton-areainformation,doesnotshowcontiguousshorelinebetweenSpringbrookCreekandSR167.Theimpactedwetlandisseparatedfromthe100yearfloodplainforSpringbrookCreekbySR167(amajorthoroughfare)andisthereforenotcontiguoustoSpringbrookCreekShoreline.TheWSDOT1-405/SR167directconnectorprojectwillbeevaluatedforimpactstocriticalareas.Comment#3:WearealsoseekingtoensurethatpreviousmitigationsitesalongSR167arefullyprotectedfromthisproject.Renton’sResponse:WSDOThasshownthattheyhaveconstructedmitigationprojectswithinthePantherCreekwetlandinrecentyears.Forexample,whentheThunderHillsMitigationproject(permitNWS-2008-87)wasdeveloped,thefuturewideningofSR167wasknown.Thismitigationprojectwasdesignedandlocatedtoensurethatitwouldnotbeimpactedbythewideningproject.Roadwaywideningoccursoverextendedculvertwithinlimitsaccountedforwhencrossingwasconstructed.WSDOThasindicatedthattheypreservevegetationtoeveryextentpossibleandinaccordancewithWSDOTpolicy;however,itissometimesnecessarytodisturbvegetationtoprovidetransportationsafeservices.Comment#4:WehaveconcernsabouttheproposedgaspipelineroadwhichislocatedintheregulatedstreambufferforRollingHillsCreek.Renton’sResponse:Publicandprivateroadwaysareconsideredanallowedactivityinwetlandsandbufferswithinashorelinejurisdiction,providedthecriteriaofRMC4-3-090D.2.d.ix.bcanbesatisfied.WSDOThasindicatedthatthegravelserviceroadisastandardelementassociatedwiththeOlympicPipelineCompanypetroleumpipeline Ms.KarenWalterPage3of4September15,2015designandwork.Theprojectwouldrequitetherelocationofthepipelinetoavoidwideningtheroadwayovertheexistingfacility.LeavingthepipelineinitsexistinglocationwouldrequireallowingaccesstomaintainthepipelineunderSR167trafficlaneswhichwouldimpactsafetyandincreasetrafficcongestion.PipelineandHazardousMaterialsSafetyAdministration(PHMSA)requiresvegetationfreeright-of-wayoverpetroleumpipeline,suchthatthelinecanbeaeriallyinspectedonaregularbasis.WSDOTiscarryingforwardtheirproposedimprovementsinthepermitdocumentstoallowfullconsiderationofthecumulativeimpactsassociatedwiththeproject.Theconstructionoftheroadwillbereviewedunderaseparateconstructionpermit.Comment#5:WehaveconcernsregardingtheproposedstreamdesignfortherelocatedportionofRollingHillsCreek.Renton’sResponse:Basedontheproposedlocation,configuration,minimumdesignstandards,plantingplan,goals,objectives,andsuccessstandards,thenewchannelishighlylikelytoexceedtheexistingfunctionsandhabitatvalueprovidedbyexistingconditions.WDFWStreamRestorationGuidelinehavebeenestablishedasacontractualMandatoryStandardbyWSDOT.TheconceptualstreamdesignwithdetailswillbeadvancedbyWSDOTtofinaldesignandwillbesubmittedwiththeconstructiondrawingsforreview.Staffwillberecommendingconditionsofapprovalthatthefinaldesignisfeasible,compliantwithRentonMunicipalCodes,andsubjecttodepartmentalcompliancereview.Comment#6:Wearerequestingalongtermmaintenanceplanforthemitigationsite,includingplansforhazardtreeswhichhavebeenremovedalongSR167withoutmitigation.Renton’sResponse:WSDOTisproposingtoachieveprojectmitigationgoalsandobjectivesbymeetingperformancestandardswithinseven(7)yearsofconstruction.Theoverallgoaloftheapplicant’sproposedmitigationistoreplacestreamandriparianfunctionslostbythepermanentimpactstoRollingHillsCreek,whileprovidingafullyfishpassablestructureunderSR167.TheRollingHillsCreekRestorationsiteisproposedtoberegularlymaintainedforaminimumofthree(3)yearsandmonitoredforaminimumoffive(5)years.Proposedreportsubmittalswouldoccurinyears1,3,and5,withafinalcloseoutreportinyearlotbesubjecttoRMC4-3-050L.MonitoringreportswouldbesubmittedtotheCityofRenton,theWDFW,theDepartmentofEcology,andtheU.S.ArmyCorpsofEngineers,forreviewandcomment.WSDOTstaffwouldalsomonitorthesitetodetermineiftheperformancemeasuresandsuccessstandardsaremet. Ms.KarenWalterPage4of4September15,2015WSDOTmaintenancedivisiontypicallyconsultswithcertifiedarboristsintheregionallandscapearchitecturalofficetodetermineifatreeispotentiallyhazardouspriortoremoval.Ifthetreeisdeterminedtobedangeroustothetravellingpublic,theWSDOTmaintenancedivisionwouldremovethetreeifitisfoundtobewithinthesafetyclearzone(s).Streamrestoration/relocationareasproposedforthisprojectarelocatedinZone3,sotheseareaswouldnottypicallybedisturbedbyroutineWSDOTmaintenance.TheareasimmediatelyadjacenttoOlympicPipelinewouldbesubjecttoaerialinspectionsandtheyaremaintainedbyOlympicPipelineinavegetation-freecondition,asrequiredbythefederalgaspipelineregulations.Treesthathavebeencertifiedasdangerousbyaregisteredlandscapearchitect,certifiedarborist,ortheCity,andtheCityhasacceptedthedangerousdeterminationperRMC4-4-130C.2,mayberemovedwithoutaRoutineVegetationManagementPermit.However,treeslocatedwithincriticalareasand/ortheirbuffersneedaCriticalAreasExemptionfortheremovalofadangeroustree.Pleasecontactmeat(425)430-7289ifyouhaveanyquestions.Sincerely,ClarkH.CloseSeniorPlannercc:RobThomas,WSDOTIContactRossFenton,WSDOI/ContactLindaCooley,WSDOT/Contact