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Home My WebLink AboutERC Report 06-152ERC Report 06-152 STAFF REPORT City of Renton Department of Economic Development, Neighborhoods and Strategic Planning ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW COMMITTEE A. BACKGROUND ERC MEETING DATE December 18, 2006 Project Name East Renton Plateau Prezoning 0 2006-M-01) Applicant City of Renton File Number LUA06-152, PZ, ECF Project Manager Rebecca Lind Project Description The following zoning designations have been applied to the following areas: • Resource Conservation (maximum one dwelling unit per ten acres)– proposed for the southwest and westernmost portion of the mapped area (135.53 acres). • R-1 (maximum one dwelling unit per acre) – proposed for the eastern and southeast portion of the mapped area. Also, for a portion of the northeastern area acres). Within this R-1 zone there is a possible bonus for development proposals that meet specific criteria. A maximum bonus up to a total of two dwelling units/acre can be achieved (445.11 acres). • R-4 (maximum four dwelling units per acre) – proposed for essentially the remainder of the mapped area (1,350.41 acres). • R-8 (maximum eight dwelling units per acre) – proposed for a small area (7.34 acres) on a western tip of the mapped area. Project Location Area in unincorporated King County roughly bounded by the Urban Growth Boundary to the east and continuing generally along SE 132nd and SE 128th to the north, then west to the City limits of Renton, and to the south running along SE 143rd, SE 145th Pl, SE 148th St, SE 149th St. Exist. Bldg. Area gsf N/A Proposed New Bldg. Area gsf N/A Site Area 1938.4 acres Total Building Area gsf N/A SITE MAP See below. City of Renton EDNSP Department Environmental Review Committee Staff Report East Renton Plateau Prezone LUA-06-152, PZ, ECF REPORT AND DECISION OF Dec. 18, 2006 Page 2 of 4 ERC Report 06-152 City of Renton EDNSP Department Environmental Review Committee Staff Report East Renton Plateau Prezone LUA-06-152, PZ, ECF REPORT AND DECISION OF Dec. 18, 2006 Page 3 of 4 ERC Report 06-152 B. RECOMMENDATION Based on analysis of probable impacts from the proposal, staff recommends that the Responsible Officials make the following Environmental Determination: DETERMINATION OF NON-SIGNIFICANCE DETERMINATION OF NON - SIGNIFICANCE - MITIGATED. X Issue DNS with 14 day Appeal Period. Issue DNS-M with 15 days Comment Period with Concurrent 14 day Appeal Period. Issue DNS with 15 day Comment Period with Concurrent 14 day Appeal Period. Issue DNS-M with 15 day Comment Period followed by a 14 day Appeal Period. C. MITIGATION MEASURES None required for this non-project action. D. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS In compliance with RCW 43.21 C. 240, the following non-project environmental review addresses only those impacts that are not adequately addressed under existing development standards and environmental regulations. The proposed non-project prezoning will result in less density for future development than would be realized under the existing King county zoning for this area. Less overall density would be achieved in this area for the following reasons. 1. The entire 1,938.4 acres area is designated Urban Residential 4-12 dwelling units per acre in the King County Comprehensive Plan, and zoned R-4 in King County zoning. The area is Residential Low Density 4 dwelling units per net acre in the Renton Comprehensive Plan. In the proposed Renton zoning the R-4 area would be reduced to 1,350.41 acres. In the remaining area, 7.34 acres would be up-zoned to R-8, an additional 445.11 acres would be down-zoned to R-1 with a potential bonus to 2 du/net acre, and 135.53 acres would be down-zoned to Resource Conservation, (very low density 1 dwelling unit per 10 acres). 2. The Renton zoning system uses net density rather than the gross density system used in King County and as a result the achieved density in each zone is, on average, 20% less than is achieved in comparable County zoning. This difference occurs because in the Renton net density system the critical areas and road are deducted from the net developable area whereas in the County density system these areas are counted toward density. 3. King County zoning allows density bonuses up to 20% above the maximum density allowed in each zone. For example in County R-4 zoning two dwelling units per acre for a potential 6 du/gross acre could be achieved in the entire 1,968 acre area. These bonuses are achieved through either transfer of density from the rural area, affordable housing, energy efficiency, or location close to transit lines. Proposed Renton zoning would only allow a density bonus in the 445-acre R-1 zone, where a bonus of 1 dwelling unit per net acre could be achieved subject to design standards. City of Renton EDNSP Department Environmental Review Committee Staff Report East Renton Plateau Prezone LUA-06-152, PZ, ECF REPORT AND DECISION OF Dec. 18, 2006 Page 4 of 4 ERC Report 06-152 4. Major portions of the East Renton Plateau have critical areas. In the Renton system, overall density would be reduced through mapping of areas with pervasive critical areas into the lower density designations of R-1 and Resource Conservation. These designations are created to provide additional protections to lands with pervasive environmental constraints where, due to the location and extent of critical areas, the remaining net developable area is difficult to accumulate into larger parcels with the configuration needed to achieve a quality subdivision, and/ or the developable area occurs in disconnected pieces that are difficult to access with standard city road systems. The attached spread sheet shows the estimated change in potential units under the County R-4 zoning with bonus compared with the City zoning using the proposed RC, R-1, R-4 and R-8 zones. Under this assumption County zoning could achieve 6,535 units and City zoning 3,580 units. This is a net reduction of 2,956 units comparing existing County to proposed City zoning. King County completed a Final Supplemental EIS for the King County Comprehensive Plan in 1994. As a result of the overall reduction in density the proposed pre-zoning would likely result in fewer impacts on air from traffic (fewer trips) surface water and ground water (less impervious surface), vegetation removal and habitat (larger undeveloped portions of lots and fewer structures) and fewer demands for public services (lower population). E. COMMENTS OF REVIEWING DEPARTMENTS The proposal has been circulated to City Departmental / Divisional Reviewers for their review. Where applicable, these comments have been incorporated into the text of this report as Mitigation Measures and/or Notes to Applicant. _X__ Copies of all Review Comments are contained in the Official File. ____ Copies of all Review Comments are attached to this report. Environmental Determination Appeal Process Appeals of the environmental determination must be filed in writing on or before 5:00 PM January 5, 2007. Appeals must be filed in writing together with the required $75.00 application fee with: Hearing Examiner, City of Renton, 1055 South Grady Way, Renton, WA 98055. Appeals to the Examiner are governed by City of Renton Municipal Code Section 4-8-110. Additional information regarding the appeal process may be obtained from the Renton City Clerk’s Office, (425)-430-6510.