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HomeMy WebLinkAboutklein lt2 � Denis Law Mayor � City Clerk-Jason A.Seth,CMC December 20, 2016 Lisa Klein AHBL 2215 N 30th St, Suite 300 Tacoma, WA 98403 Subject: Hearing Examiner's Order on Reconsideration Request RE: Sartori Elementary School (LUA-16-000692) Dear Ms. Klein: Enclosed please find the City of Renton's Hearing Examiner's Order on Reconsideration Request dated December 19, 2016, along with the Request for Reconsideration from Angela Laulainen dated December 12, 2016. Jason Seth, City Clerk, can be reached at (425) 430-6510 or jseth@rentonwa.gov. Thank you. Sincerely, t�: �. ��C�`�L–._.�--,,�t,.�-t— Melissa Hart Public Records Analyst cc: Hearing Examiner Matthew Herrera,Senior Planner Jennifer Henning, Planning Director Vanessa Dolbee, Current Planning Manager Brianne Bannwarth, Development Engineering Manager Craig Burnell, Building Official Jennifer Cisneros,Secretary, Planning Division Julia Medzegian,City Council Liaison Parties of Record (25) 1055 South Grady Way, Renton,WA 98057 • (425)430-6510/Fax (425)430-6516 • rentonwa.gov 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 BEFORE THE HEARING EXAMINER FOR THE CITY OF RENTON g } �Q RE: Sartori Elementary Schaol ) pg�ER C►N REC4NSIDERATICIN ) REQUEST 11 Freliminary Planned Urban � Development and Conditional Use ) 12 ) �3 LUA 16-000692, PPUD, CU-I-� � 1`� By email dated December 12, 2016, Angela Laulainen has requested reconsideration of the Hearing 15 Examiner's decision on the above-captioned matter. Since the reconsideration request affects parties af record and the interests of the City, the parties of record (including applicant) who testified at the 16 hearing and City staff will be given an opportunity to respond to the request for recansideration before a decision on the reconsideration request is issued. Any responses must be based upon 1� evidence that is already in the record. No evidence that has not been recorded at the hearing or 1$ entered as an exhibit at the hearing will be considered in the reconsideration request. To this end, the recess schedule appended to Ms. Laulainen's recansideration request is not admitted and will not be 19 cansidered by the hearing examiner. Similarly, Ms. Laulainen's comments about what she can hear in her home are also not adrnitted and not considered. 20 ORDER ON RECONSIDERATI(JN 21 22 1. Persons who testified at the hearing an the above-captioned matter or had written comment admitted into the record shall have until 4.00 pm, December 30, 2016 to pravide written comments 23 in response to the request for reconsideration submitted by Ms. Laulainen. The City Clerk shall promptly forward all responses to Ms. Laulainen to the email address she used to file her request 24 for reconsideration. 25 2. Ms. Laulainen shall have until January 6, 2017 at 4:00 prri to provide a written reply to the 26 respanses authorized in the preceding paragraph. PUD and CU - 1 1 � 3. All written comments authorized above may be emailed to the City Clerk's tJffice at (.'l1c�s��c�:rt�}to�n�a.�,��j�. In the alternative written cornments may be mailed or deiivered to 3 Cynthia Maya, City of Renton Records Management Specialist, Administrative Services/City Clerk Division, at lOSS South Grady Way, Renton, WA 9805"7. Mailed or delivered comments 4 must be received by the City by the deadlines specified in this Order. 5 � DATED this 19`�' day of December, 2016. .--- 7 � s..�-�� ��'.�..�. g Ph� A.t�lia�+cht� 9 City of Renton Hearing Examiner 1Q 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 z� 23 24 25 z� PUD and CU - 2 C,ynthia Mo,ya Subject: Request ta the Hearing Examiner for Reconsideratian: PROJECT NAME/NUMBER: New Sartori E(ementary School/LUAl6-000692, CU-N, PUD From: Enkeli <�nkeEi_ ICvahoo.com> 1'a: "isethC?renton��va.aov" <isethC�rentonwa.qov> Sent: Monday, December 12,2016 10:53 PM Subject: Request to the Hearing Examiner far Recansideration: PROJECT NAME/NUMBER; New Sartori Elementary 5chool/LUA16-C10Q692, CU-H, PUD Honorable Hearing Examiner, I am writing to ask for reconsideration on two aspects of the New Sartori E(ementary School project/LUA16-000692, CU-H, PUD. The two aspects of the decision are with respect to 1} traffic monitaring and 2} the location of the ball wal1. �irst, regarding the aspect of traffic, thank you for including a stipuiation that the queuing and parking elements of the proposal be moni�ored for ane year. This monitoring will collect valuable infarmation to heip mitigate any problems that will arise from the current p(an. I request that it also be stipulated that the ane-year monitoring be done by an outside organization, one that is not cannected in any way with Renton Schao( District. The traffic report which was ordered by Renton Schoal District and done by Heffron Transportation appeared ta be biased in favor of Renton School District's fast track agenda to push their pCans through and a(so reflected a general lack of knowledge of the Narth Renton Neighborhood. A lack of knowledge was apparent in several errors in the traffic report which did not came to the traffic experts' attention until pointed out in SEPA comments submitted by neighbors. For exampie, during the initial draft of the SEPA review, traffic experks wrongly quoted speed limits surrounding the site as all current(y at 20 miles per hour. The traffic pattern at the intersection of N. 4th and Garden was also misrepresented as a through street (both described as a through street in the SEPA review and illustrated on the map of the school as a through street). The updated report submitted for the Gity of Renton Land Use Application included inflated counts of vehicular trips to the schaol, taken from a manua( representing counts to a fully functioning eiementary school. This again demanstrated the lack of knowledge af aur neighborhood since Sartori has not been in use as an elementary school for decades. I request a non-biased organization be required to monitor the parking and queuing at the school. The City of Renton is more in touch with the North Renton Neighbarhoad and could be one choice to facilitate this monitoring. If not the City of Renton, it wauld be best to stipulate it is an organization other than Heffron Transportation, one that can be impartial, and one that will visit the site to gather the data for the report. The second aspect of the New Sartori Elementary School project which I request changes is the iocation of the ball wall in the covered play area at the sauth end of the block. This location is still toa close to the street and to the residences on Garden Avenue North. The schoal dis#rict stated at the hearing that they pu(led this area further to the west, however just a fifteen foot setback is not enough to offset the naise from the ball wall. This is not just typical playground noise that wil! emanate for a brief amaunt af time, but the ball wall is the most papular part of the playground where students line up to play "wall ball" and take turns for the entire recess to bounce balls against this wall. The fact z that it is a covered structure means that the sound of the balls will be greatly amplified. Usually also located near the bafl wall is four square which will add even more ball bouncing noise. The fact that it is a cement area with a cement wall makes the balls even louder. And it is not just a small window of time but the majority of each day we will hear constant ball bouncing. Elementary school recesses are spread out over the course of the day, so the bouncing ball noise will occur practically all day in order for all students to have access to the playground. I have attached the recess schedule for Lakeridge Elementary School as an example of a typical recess schedule. The homes on Garden are older homes that are located close to the street. The construction of our homes is such that the walls do not block out a lot of noise. We hear sirens from several blocks away, planes, buses, trains, helicopters, and when Boeing tests their jet engines, we hear the rumble till it stops and the windows rattle like crazy. Our homes are not expensive sound proof homes tucked away in a culdesac far from the activity of the city, but are situated close to the street. My porch steps are just fifteen feet away from the sidewalk. We hear all the noise inside the house from activity in the neighborhood and on the street. There will be no way to relax or take an afternoon nap with the constant noise of balls bouncing so close by. I ask that more attention be given to my concern of this play area too close to my home. In addition to having this amplified noise from the ball wall area, Garden Avenue residents will be dealing with the noise of school buses pulling through in the morning and after school. To place both the ball wall and the bus lane in this location will generate a consistency of noise throughout the day. It is too much noise for one location. I request that the school district move the ball wall to help lessen the noise. The ball wall could be moved to the hard surface play area where there is already a wall next to the school, or it could be moved entirely to another new location. They could otherwise get rid of the ball wall altogether and opt to keep the covered area in place with support pillars only and without any walls. Keeping the ball wall in its current location will result in substantial and undue adverse effects on adjacent properties on Garden Avenue North. Renton School District stated that they will plant trees on the east side of this structure, but the renderings submitted to the Hearing Examiner only show one tree and otherwise a wide pathway which does not block any sound from this play area. Most of this play area is connected to the walkway which goes from the school to the street, so it does not show any opportunity there for a landscape buffer. However, in my opinion, even a few trees planted near the structure will not be sufficient to block the sound, especially according to the renderings of their plan. It is for all of these reasons that the placement of the ball wall is contrary to "RMC 4-9-030(C)(3): Effect on Adjacent Properties" and indeed the proposed use at the proposed location does result in substantial or undue adverse effects on adjacent property. The City of Renton Comprehensive plan also promotes improving the livability of Renton's neighborhoods. Unless changes are made, the ball wall wifl affect the quality of life and the livability in my home. I again respectfully request that the school district relocate the ball wall or remove it altogether. Thank you for taking the time to consider my comments and requests. Most Sincerely, Angela Laulainen 314 Garden AVE N Renton, WA 98057 z