HomeMy WebLinkAboutRES 4239CITY OF RENTON, WASHINGTON
RESOLUTION NO. 4239
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF RENTON, WASHINGTON, DECLARING THAT THE
SUNSET AREA IS A "REDEVELOPMENT AREA" AND "INVESTMENT PRIORITY
AREA".
WHEREAS, the Sunset Area (as reflected in the attached Sunset Area Vicinity Map) is
one of Renton's older commercial and residential areas and is in need of revitalization; and
WHEREAS, since the late 1990s, the City has viewed the Sunset Area (a.k.a. the
Highlands) as a high-priority redevelopment area targeted for improvement and investment;
and
WHEREAS, in December 2003, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 5061 designating
the Highlands as a "residential targeted area" for the purpose of allowing a limited property tax
exemption for qualifying new owner-occupied or rental multi-family housing in the Highlands to
help support capital investment and redevelopment in the area; and
WHEREAS, in the Fall of 2006, the City convened the Highlands Task Force on Land Use
and Zoning which resulted in the City Council adopting changes in May 2007, to the City's land
use policies and zoning codes to stimulate redevelopment in the area; and
WHEREAS, in August 2007, the City convened the Highlands Phase II Task Force to study
additional neighborhood issues which resulted in recommendations that the City Council
prioritized and adopted in the Highlands Action Plan in early 2009; and
WHEREAS, in July 2008, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 5400 establishing the
Highlands as a designated residential targeted area for low-income housing serving households
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RESOLUTION NO. 4239
at or below 80% of the median income to help support development of new high-quality
affordable housing; and
WHEREAS, in June 2009, the City commissioned a Community Investment Strategy study
to prioritize additional public investment in the 269-acre Sunset Area study area which resulted
in the City Council's adoption of the Sunset Area Community Investment Strategy in November
2009;and
WHEREAS, the highest priorities for the Sunset Area Community Investment Strategy
included support for the Renton Housing Authority's Sunset Terrace Redevelopment; and
WHEREAS, in February 2010, the City Council amended RMC 4-1-210 to allow the waiver
of development and mitigation fees to encourage new owned-occupied housing in the Sunset
area and help support redevelopment in the area; and
WHEREAS, in June 2010, the City and the Renton Housing Authority partnered together
to conduct a Sunset Area Community Planned Action NEPA/SEPA Environmental Impact study.
The study was completed in April 2011 and resulted in the City Council's adoption of the Sunset
Area Community Planned Action in June 2011, to help facilitate and support private and public
investment and redevelopment in the Sunset Area over the next 20 years; and
WHEREAS, in August 2011, the City Council further amended RMC 4-1-210 to allow for
the waiver of development and mitigation fees to encourage new multi-family rental housing in
the Sunset area and help support redevelopment in the area; and
WHEREAS, in 2012, 27% of the households in the Sunset Area lived in poverty; the
median average household income was $39,318 [more than $16,000 less than the city as a
whole ($55,950) and more than $29,000 less than King County ($68,775)]; 75% of the students
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RESOLUTION NO. 4239
at the neighborhood elementary school qualified for free or reduced fee lunch; and 35% of
students at the neighborhood elementary school had limited English proficiency; and
WHEREAS, in April 2014, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 4214 designating the
Sunset Area as an "Economic Target Area" with the intention to leverage public investment to
attract additional private investment, particularly through the federal New Markets Tax Credit
program, to stimulate new commercial and residential development in the neighborhood and
to facilitate the creation of partnerships with other public and private organizations to help
address disparities in access to education, social services, health care, and economic and
employment opportunities for Sunset Area residents; and
WHEREAS, the Sunset Area is a high-priority investment area for the City and the
Renton Housing Authority; and
WHEREAS, the City, the Renton School District, and the Renton Housing Authority have
invested or committed more than $66 million to date in public investments in the Sunset Area
to support the Sunset Area Community Revitalization and/or the Sunset Terrace
Redevelopment; and
WHEREAS, the City is seeking to leverage public and private investment in the Sunset
Area to help address the needs of Renton's Sunset Area residents; and
WHEREAS, the City is working with the Renton Housing Authority, the King County
Housing Authority, the Renton School District, Neighborhood House, and other public and
private entities to create a U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department (HUD) Choice
Neighborhoods Initiative (CNI) implementation grant application for the Sunset Area
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RESOLUTION NO. 4239
Transformation Plan. The HUD CNI grant would potentially provide up to $30 million to support
the Sunset Area Community Revitalization efforts;
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF RENTON, WASHINGTON, DOES
RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION I. The above recitals are found to be true and correct in all respects.
SECTION II. The Sunset Area is declared a "Redevelopment Area" and an "Investment
Priority Area" with the intention to leverage additional public and private investment to
stimulate new commercial and residential development in the neighborhood and to facilitate
the creation of partnerships with other public and private organizations to help address
disparities in access to education, social services, health care, and economic and employment
opportunities for Sunset Area residents.
PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL this 12th day of_J_a_n_u_a_r__:.y _____ , 2015.
APPROVED BY THE MAYOR this 12th day of __ J_a_n _ ___;_ ___ _,
Denis Law, Mayor
Az=~,~~
Lawrence J. Warren, City Attorney
RES:1657:12/29/14:scr
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