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Home My WebLink AboutCI-163 Department of Community and Economic Development Planning Division ADMINISTRATIVE POLICY/CODE INTERPRETATION ADMINISTRATIVE POLICY/CODE INTERPRETATION #: CI-163 MUNICIPAL CODE SECTIONS: RMC 4-6-060.J REFERENCE: N/A SUBJECT: Shared Driveway Standards BACKGROUND: As a result of Renton Municipal Code (RMC) amendments adopted by Ordinance 5727 and based on Docket Item 103 (D-103), Private Street Standards, shared driveways allow access for up to four residential lots; however, RMC does not state the limit of the number of dwelling units. Because residential lots in the R-10 and R- 14 zones allow multifamily housing, it’s necessary to state the limit on the number of dwelling units that may use a Shared Driveway for access. DECISION: Shared driveways may provide access to four single-family lots and up to four attached dwelling units. JUSTIFICATION: The lack of a standard for the number of attached units that may be accessed by a shared driveway presents a conflict with the legislative intent of code revisions for D-103. A public hearing for D- 103 was held on September 3, 2014, and in that presentation, staff presented a written summary of proposed changes, which included a limit of four residential lots or four dwelling units. Therefore, the lack of a standard for attached dwellings is a result of staff’s error, an error that conflicts with the Planning Commission’s recommendation and the City Council’s legislative intent. ADMINISTRATOR APPROVAL: _______________________________________ C. E. “Chip” Vincent EFFECTIVE DATE: _______________________________________ APPEAL PROCESS: To appeal this determination, a written appeal--accompanied by the required filing fee--must be filed with the City's Hearing Examiner (1055 South Grady Way, Renton, WA 98057, 425-430-6515) no more than 14 days from the date of this decision. Section 4-8-110 of the Renton Municipal Code provides further information on the appeal process. DISCLAIMER: Excerpts from the Renton Municipal Code shown below may not contain the most recently codified text. In such instances, code amendments implemented through this Administrative Code Interpretation shall be construed to affect the current code and past/future Administrative Code Interpretations not yet codified in the same manner as shown below. Should any conflicts result the Administrator shall determine the effective code. CODE AMENDMENTS NEEDED TO IMPLEMENT DETERMINATION(S): 4-6-060 STREET STANDARDS J. SHARED DRIVEWAY STANDARDS: 1. Where Permitted: Shared driveways may be allowed for access to no more than four (4) or fewer residentially zoned lots and no more than four (4) residential units, as listed in RMC 4-2-060.C, provided: a. At least one of the four (4) lots abuts a public right-of-way and the street frontage of the lot is equal to or greater than the lot width requirement of the zone; b. The subject lots are not created by a subdivision of ten (10) or more lots; c. A public street is not anticipated by the City of Renton to be necessary for existing or future traffic and/or pedestrian circulation through the short subdivision or to serve adjacent property; d. The shared driveway would not adversely affect future circulation to neighboring properties; e. The shared driveway is no more than three hundred feet (300') in length; and f. The shared driveway poses no safety risk and provides sufficient access for emergency vehicles and personnel. 2. Minimum Standards: Shared driveways shall be within a tract; the width of the tract and paved surface shall be a minimum of sixteen feet (16'); the Fire Department may require the tract and paved surface to be up to twenty feet (20') wide. If a shared driveway abuts properties that are not part of the subdivision, an eight foot (8') wide landscaped strip shall be provided between the shared driveway and neighboring properties. The landscape strip shall be within a tract and planted with a mixture of trees, shrubs, and groundcover, as required in RMC 4-4-070. The shared driveway may be required to include a turnaround per subsection H of this Section. No sidewalks are required for shared driveways; however, drainage improvements pursuant to City Code are required (i.e., collection and treatment of stormwater), as well as an approved pavement thickness. The maximum grade for the shared driveway shall not exceed fifteen percent (15%), except for within approved hillside subdivisions. (Ord. 5841, 6-12-2017) 3. Signage Required: Appurtenant traffic control devices including installation of “No Parking” signs, as required by the Department of Community and Economic Development, shall be provided by the applicant. Lots served by the shared driveway shall be addressed to the public street to which the shared driveway connects. (Ord. 5907, 12-10-2018) 4. Tract Required: The shared driveway shall be wholly within a tract. The tract shall be shown and recorded on the face of the plat to be preserved in perpetuity. The owners of the subject lots shall have an equal and undivided interest in the ownership of the tract. 5. Easement Required: An access easement shall be recorded with the King County Recorder’s Office and be shown on the face of the plat to encumber the entirety of the tract. The easement shall prohibit any temporary or permanent physical obstructions within the easement including, but not limited to, the parking of non-emergency vehicles. 6. Timing of Improvements: The shared driveway must be installed prior to recording of the plat unless approved for deferral. 7. Lot Type and Orientation: The Administrator may permit lots that only front a shared driveway to be designated as a corner lot. If permitted by the Administrator, lot width, lot depth and yard setbacks shall be measured consistent with the corner lot designation (see illustration below). 8. Maintenance: The applicant shall ensure the shared driveway can be continually maintained to minimum standards listed in this section by the owners of the lots served by the driveway to the satisfaction of the City of Renton, prior to the recording of the short plat. 9. Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions: Covenants, conditions and restrictions, which are approved by the Administrator, shall be recorded with the King County Recorder’s Office. The applicant shall provide a copy of the recorded document. These covenants shall provide for, at a minimum, the following: a. Maintenance, repair, operation, and payment of taxes for the commonly owned tract and facilities; and b. These covenants shall run with the land and be irrevocable and binding on all the property owners, including their assigns, heirs, and successors. 10. Exception for Joint-Use Driveway Extending from Emergency Turnaround: A driveway that extends from the terminus of an emergency turnaround (excluding cul-de-sacs) and provides access to no more than two (2) lots shall be permitted as joint-use driveway that does not take access from a public right-of-way (see illustration below). The joint-use driveway shall be constructed to City standards prior to recording the short plat, and a reciprocal access easement for the benefit of the two (2) lots, in a form satisfactory to the City Attorney, shall be recorded with the King County Recorder. STAFF CONTACT: Paul Hintz, 7436