Written by For those of you following the final SMP approval process, here is an additional email chain we exchanged at city hall yesterday. (Latest email is on top, earliest on the bottom).
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Email with my questions about SMP regarding flood risk and parks impact
For those of you following the final work on the Shoreline Master Program, here is a copy of an email I sent to city hall on Friday summarizing my questions about flood risk and possible parks impacts. (Marcie Palmer raised the parks question on Monday night, so she may be asking her own questions about this).
I believe the staff is also following up on questions raised by the public at last Monday’s council meeting.
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To: Renton Council President Don Persson
Dear Don-
At our last council meeting I raised some questions regarding the SMP that staff offered to look into for me. I appreciate their willingness to follow up on them. I am sending this email to give more specifics about my questions, and a couple examples, in order to hopefully save as much time as possible.
I am interested in hearing from Public Works regarding the risk of increased sedimentation occurring in the Cedar River bed downtown as a result of SMP provisions regarding shoreline stabilization. In particular, I would like confidence that we are not increasing the risk of significant river channel migration (either over time or dramatically during a flood) immediately upstream of our downtown commercial zone, with the resulting dislodged deposits reducing under-bridge flow capacities at Bronson, Wells, Williams and Logan bridges. Since flood water was lapping at the bottoms of several of our bridges in a storm less than two years ago, I am concerned we do not have any capacity left under these bridges. It’s of course a balance– ecological concerns dictate that we have the most natural Cedar River possible, while safety concerns dictate that we keep the river in a strongly defined and stable channel where it travels through the the urban area.
Note that per a suggestion given at the council meeting, I checked on the City of Kent’s SMP as an example of an approved document for a river-front city. When I read through this 203-page document, I could not find any section that required property owners with developed sites to remove existing serviceable bulkheads, whether on the Green River or on a lake. The main discussion of shoreline stabilization on the Green River is focused on the Federal Army Corps of Engineers recommendations to enhance the levees by increasing their width. This would be done as a multi-jurisdiction (federal-state-county-city project), using public funds. There seemed to be nothing in the Kent SMP requiring that existing serviceable bulkheads be removed for work being done in the upland areas of waterfront property (away from the shoreline.) If possible, I would like staff to comment on whether I understand this correctly.
On the issue Marcie brought up about the impact the SMP might have on our waterfront parks, I have similar questions as Marcie.
For example, if we wanted to add over 1000 square feet of additional parking lot, pathways, or sports courts at any of our parks we would consult the table on page 192 of the SMP (under section F-1 –partial compliance for non-single family development), and find we have a “Moderate Alteration”. The table says we would need to (among other things) replace any solid decking on all our piers and docks with light-penetrating surfacing materials. Such a change at Coulon Park could cost millions of dollars, and would require many additional permits for over-water work. (We could also face this same issue at Kennydale Beach Park.) Furthermore, we might find that adding the new light-penetrating surface to the docks is not sensible without simultaneously updating the support structure of the docks (i.e. we don’t want to put a new surface over a support system that only has 10 or 15 years of life left.) This could further complicate our ability to install a simple parking or other improvement.
As a second example, if we were trying to update the restrooms at Kennydale Park, they would likely need a 25% expansion due to ADA rules. The same table in the SMP would identify this as a “Major Alteration” and require that we replace the dock surfaces with light-transmitting materials AND evaluate removal of the shoreline stabilization. ( It probably would be feasible from an engineering standpoint to remove the bulkhead at Kennydale Beach Park, and it may be a good idea sometime in the future, but it does not make sense to me that we would have to require it upon a restroom reconstruction.) This could likely make a restroom upgrade cost-prohibitive and impede gradual improvement of our parks facilities.
I would like to see our Community Services Department analyze this concern so that council knows what the impacts will be if we approve the SMP as written.
Thanks!
Randy Corman
Renton City Council
Bellevue Councilman mauled by a bear while visiting Lake Wenatchee
A Bellevue Councilman has been mauled by a bear !!!… and airlifted to Harborview from the attack site near Lake Wenatchee. He is reportedly in stable condition. Please keep Councilman John Chelminiak in your thoughts and prayers. More information can be found here on King5.com.
I wish to understand how bulkhead rules would affect gravel buildup under bridges
Now that the SMP is finally moving back to the full council, I want to explore whether the latest proposed bulkhead rules could impact the risk of floods in Renton. In particular, I am worried about sand going downstream and plugging up the space under our bridges. Obtaining dredging permits from Department of Ecology and Fisheries is becoming extremely difficult, expensive, time consuming and unreliable.
The following three images are still shots from a Renton Reporter video which documented the Cedar River impacts in Renton from the January 2009 flood. Click here to see the Renton Reporter video and article about the 2009 flood.
In January 2009, flood waters came within inches of reaching capacity below several Renton bridges. If there had been another foot of sand at the bottom of the channel, there would not have been enough room for flood waters to go under. Water would have likely backed up behind the bridges (turning the bridges into dams) until the water completely submerged them or cut a new channel through a nearby neighborhood. If this had happened, damage to bridges and property could have reached the tens of millions of dollars.
(above)From Renton Reporter video, showing high water in Cedar River through Renton
From Renton Reporter video, sand washouts upstream in the Cedar River
(Above) Maple Valley Highway and one of the DOT bulkheads was damaged by the Cedar River. Replacement of this bulkhead structure and related repairs to the supported highway were estimated at approximately four million dollars.
Above, the Stoneway site, with a sandbag levee in 1933.
Above, the upstream end of the current Stoneway bulkhead, which has never been damaged by river flooding. This 1200 foot long bulkhead likely helps prevent sand from washing downstream, under Renton’s library and bridges. The owners of the Stoneway site feel that our SMP may cause them to remove this bulkhead.
Geotechnical Engineer itemizes concerns about rules for existing bulkheads in Renton’s draft SMP
The issue of how Renton’s updated Shoreline Master Program addresses existing bulkheads on Renton’s waterways has really heated up in the last two weeks. This is different than in the case of NEW bulkheads, where we seem to have largely achieved agreement among property owners (at least the vocal ones), DOE officials, and city officials. (For background on this issue, see my previous blog entry HERE.)
Yesterday we received an email from an expert in geotechnical engineering. In his email he itemizes significant concerns regarding the way we are addressing existing bulkheads.
I feel the concerns have enough merit that we should at least discuss them as a full council. I’m hoping to do this on Monday night. And because this issue could have impacts of tens of millions of dollars on both public and private property, I may wish to refer this topic into Committee of the Whole for a couple of weeks. I’ll explore this on the floor of the council on Monday night, and see if I can get support.
I have my own related concerns about ever-growing deposits of sand and silt under out downtown bridges, and the way these deposits put our downtown properties at risk during storms. Getting dredging permits becomes more difficult each year, and yet we are embarking on rule-making which will increase the potential for these deposits to build up. If I get a chance later today, I will try to describe this concern in more detail.
You can read the email from the Geotechnical expert below. I have also attached his resume for those who wish to know more about him.
Time to go through your closets; Renton Clothes Bank struggling to meet the need
Susan Bressler, a Renton Reporter columnist and tireless community volunteer, is reminding us that the Renton Clothes Bank needs extra citizen support during this time of prolonged recession. While the need is greater than ever, the Renton Clothes Bank has lost some of it’s traditional financial backing from other financially-pinched agencies and organizations.
Susan has worked hard over the years to keep clothing flowing into the Clothing Bank. I often see her moving multiple 30-gallon bags of clothes from St Mathews Church out to her car so she can drive them to the Bank for distribution to kids and adults who need them. In addition to clean wearable clothing donations, cash is also extremely appreciated to keep the lights on and to purchase new underclothing and items for babies.
Susan wrote an informative and touching article on this topic for this week’s Renton Reporter. In her article, she tells of a boy who attended school with his shoes repaired by duct tape, and a little girl who had to wear her father’s boxer shorts when she ran out of underwear. With your past assistance, The Renton Clothes Bank has worked hard to prevent such situations– and with your continuing commitment, they can keep making a difference in our community.
Click here to read Susan Bressler’s article in the Renton Reporter.
One of our most vulnerable citizens needs our help
Please spread the word!
Concerned citizens are holding a special concert for the benefit of, and in honor of, a little girl from our community who had to undergo a liver transplant earlier this year. Little Annie Rowan was mere days away from losing her life when Children’s Hospital performed a miracle transplant on her. While she now has a promising chance of long-term survival, she is still on nine medications and she faces a lifetime of medical treatment.
You can help Annie and her family with past and future medical costs by attending the special “Rock ‘N’ Opera” concert at Benaroya Hall on September 30, 2010 at 7PM in the Nordstrom Recital Hall. You can buy tickets and learn more about this concert by clicking here.
If you can’t make the concert but you want to learn more, donate, or help in other ways click here to go to Annie’s page.
Here is a very touching video that gives a glimpse of Annie’s frightening, then hopeful journey during 2010.
For more information about how you can help Annie, please call Kress Franzen at the website or phone number below:
Kress Franzen
Public Relations Committee chair for COTAforAnnieR.com
425.341.3332
(Thanks to my council colleague Marcie Palmer for bringing this event to my attention)
Interesting old photo of Stoneway property prior to the permanent bulkhead
Sandbag levee protecting Stoneway property in Renton, in 1933. Click here to go the the University of Washington archive source for this photograph.
After my previous blog entry I searched online for a photo of the Stoneway Cedar River bulkhead, a concrete structure that I have seen many times during rafting trips. I never found a photo of the current bulkhead, but I found this photo from 1933, before the bulkhead was built. The sandbags in this photo illustrate why the “Stoneway Docks” Company felt they needed a permanent bulkhead.
As a reminder, the dam which provides some flood protection on Cedar River (and forms the Chester Morse reservoir) was built in 1900, 33 years before this photo was taken.
I think this photo is looking west along the Stoneway site, with the NARCO brick company immediately across the river (current home of the offleash dog park), and Renton Hill in the background– I’ll ask astute readers to please tell me if I’m mistaken on the angle of the photo.
Cities having “fire sales” to get cash for assets– billions of dollars in public property for sale
The Wall Street Journal reports that:
“Cities and states across the nation are selling and leasing everything from airports to zoos—a fire sale that could help plug budget holes now but worsen their financial woes over the long run.
California is looking to shed state office buildings. Milwaukee has proposed selling its water supply; in Chicago and New Haven, Conn., it’s parking meters. In Louisiana and Georgia, airports are up for grabs.”
You can read the full article by clicking here .
It’s an interesting article. I would be reluctant to put city assets up for sale for the reasons stated in the article. My experience is that most times we have privatized a city function, such as turning over the management of the downtown parking garage to Diamond Parking, we have drawn some complaints from citizens. I can’t imagine negotiating a long-term lease with a private company which lets them make profits from street parking.
What do you think? Are there any city assets you readers suggest we sell?
“Eyes on the Landing” will keep your vision sharp, and keep you looking sharp
Friend and in-law Donna Jones (left), pictured here with my wife Cathy, is partnering with Dr. Evie Lawson of Bellevue to open a stylish and convenient optometry and eye glass supply down at the Landing.
A fashionable optometry is coming to the Landing. This one is very special to me, because one of the partners in the business is my dear friend and in-law Donna Jones. Donna, who is the mother of my son-in-law, has many years of experience managing a successful and fashionable optometry in Bellevue. In the new “Eyes on the Landing” Donna will be partnering with New England College of Optometry graduate Dr. Evie Lawson. Ms. Lawson is an avid sportswoman, and has years of experience as a practicing optometrist. Whatever your lifestyle and fashion preferences, Evie and Donna will be sure to give you friendly personal service and the sharpest vision you can get. They will also offer eye glass accessories and related items and advice. Their new store will be across the street from “The Rock”, on the opposite side of the parking garage entrance from the Balanced Athlete. Their address is 822 North 10th Place, Suite A, Renton.
The business is locally owned, and both owners have strong ties to the community. Donna is married to 1979 Renton High graduate Bob Jones, and she and Bob are raising their children in the East Renton area near Cedar River. Dr. Evie Lawson makes her home with her husband and son in Bellevue.
They can work with most insurance companies. Look for them to open in a few weeks. Click here to visit the website for “Eyes on the Landing”
36 new officers, including five detectives, plus seven police support staff would protect West Hill
In this entry on Tuesday, I wrote about the debate regarding whether council should go to ballot with annexing West Hill.
Many people have been wondering how the policing would change on West Hill if it were annexed to Renton.
Today, I spoke with Renton Police Chief Kevin Milosevich to get the numbers directly from the source.
And the law enforcement proposal is impressive. Renton would dedicate 36 police officers, including 5 detectives, to patrol and investigate crimes on West Hill. West Hill would be covered by an all-new police “West Sector”; Renton police currently divide the city into a North Sector and a South Sector.
The new West Sector would have one new Patrol Commander, four new patrol sergeants, 24 new patrol officers, and two motorcycle officers– all dedicated to patrolling the West Hill. In addition, there would be a new detective supervisor and four new detectives dedicated to crime resolution on West Hill. When scheduled around the clock, this works out to a typical presence of seven officers. This will surge up to nine officers during the hours the motorcycle officers are patrolling. The numbers on patrol will occasionally dip below seven during times of significant illness or vacation, but would never drop below a minumum of five commisioned armed officers at any hour of the day or night.
This compares to our understanding that King County typically staffs West Hill with two deputies, which drops to one if one is needed for transport or back-up elsewhere.
In summary, it appears Renton would provide approximately three or four times as much police presence on West Hill as King County currently provides, with greater dedication of detective support.
In addition, Chief Milosevich tells me that the Renton plan would also provide seven non-commissioned police personnel dedicated to West Hill crime resolution, prosecution, and prevention, and animal control. New evidence technicians, records specialists, a training export, a community crime prevention/block watch coordinator, and a new animal control officer would fill these needs.
Finally, Developmental Services would be providing a new code enforcement officer for West Hill, specifically to enforce clean-up of derelict buildings and other code-violation nuisances. King County just has a few of these inspectors covering the whole county, so this would be a major increase in attention to code enforcement. And for those owners who need permits to repair their derelict buildings, Renton has the staffing and procedures to process these much quicker than King County.
Katie, our oldest, celebrates her 25th birthday!
We are celebrating 25 years of having Katie in our lives. I vividly recall the early morning wake-up, two weeks ahead of schedule. Katie was born just a few hours after we reached the hospital.
Here’s Katie with her husband Brandon, as we all know her now (at The Rock Pizza)
Here is a shot of me and Katie in our first fun-filled year together (in the front yard of our current home in Renton.)
Happy Birthday Katie!
Seattle Weekly declares Renton’s Cedar River Trail best alternative to Burke Gilman
Renton’s Cedar River Trail won the “Seattle Weekly’s Best of 2010 Award” for being the best alternative to the Burke Gilman Trail. Hats off to our Renton Parks and Recreation staff (and the other departments who support them) for their excellent work on this trail.
Flags across Washington at half staff to honor fallen Navy Petty Officer Jarod Newlove from Renton
Our hearts are with Petty Officer Newlove’s friends, family, and fellow service men and women. Received today from the Governor’s office:
Subject: August 5 Flag Lowering
Governor Chris Gregoire has directed that Washington State and United States flags at all state agency facilities be lowered to half-staff Thursday, August 5, 2010, in memory of U. S. Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Jarod Newlove, 25, of Renton, who died from wounds sustained from an incident in Logar Province, Afghanistan, on July 23.
Flags should remain at half-staff until close of business Thursday (especially for those agencies on furlough on Friday), or first thing Friday morning, August 6.
Other government entities, citizens and businesses are encouraged to join this recognition.
Renton council debates whether to put annexation of West Hill on the ballot
(Above) West Hill has many beautiful homes with residents that take great pride in their neighborhoods and their rural-county way of life.
The area also could use attention in code enforcement, policing, and economic development, but not everyone agrees on what form this should take or how it can be paid for.
The Renton City Council is once again deliberating on whether to go to the ballot with potential annexation of the West Hill Neighborhood (which is made up of Bryn Mawr, Lakeridge, Skyway, Earlington, Campbell Hill, Panorama, Skycrest, and Hill Top.) I last discussed this issue in my blog in 2008 HERE , with detail and pictures.
The West Hill was in our original Potential Annexation Area (PAA) as defined in our first growth management plan in 1993 under Mayor Clymer. But when Mayor Tanner took office in 1996, he urged removal of West Hill from our PAA after an analysis showed that it would cost Renton taxpayers up to 40 million dollars to annex the area (a number which has remained remarkably unchanged in the last 15 years). Then, in a heated and passionate council meeting in 2005, Mayor Keolker succeeded in getting a divided council to put West Hill back into our PAA, largely on the premise that putting it back into our PAA was the only way we could evaluate funding options. The reasoning that prevailed went like this: if we put West Hill back in our PAA we could request county and state funding assistance for additional study and ultimately for servicing the area. If the county and state agreed to provide us the money we needed, we could then consider annexing. If we ultimately could not get any money (or West Hill chose not to annex), we could take the area back out of our PAA.
Now, after many years of study and fund raising efforts, the state has come though with about half of the money we would need to service West Hill during the first ten years without impacting current residents of Renton– the state can provide us about 2.5 million per year for ten years. Unfortunately, the County has not been able to promise any significant assistance, so we would find ourselves running a deficit of about 1.5 million per year for the first ten years trying to service West Hill, and significantly more than that after ten years if we did not get some sort of major economic revitalization out of their retail corridors by that time.
This has left Mayor Law recommending against annexing the area, and the council divided on what action to take next. The state funding offer comes with a time line in which council has until next week to set an election date for West Hill– if no date is set by next week, the twenty-five million dollars in state funding (2.5 million per year) will not be available.
Some council members are ready to say West Hill Annexation is dead, while others are pushing strongly to promote it, while others might put it on life support. We’ve been told that setting an election date does not mean we are obligated to go through with annexation…it just means we will hear from West Hill whether they want to annex. So some council members were interested in understanding whether we could tentatively set an election in 2012, and then decide by the end of 2011 whether we would would go through with the election or call it off. This would give the county and others more time to find additional money. I was interested in this option yesterday, but I am increasingly less interested because of the confusing messages it sends and the low probability of more money turning up.
Council has been hearing from West Hill and existing Renton residents that are split on this issue. Some in Renton have suggested that the existing citizens of Renton should be allowed to vote on this annexation as well. I’ve heard one other council member express this sentiment as well. We’ve not talked about this, and I don’t know whether it would be supported by a majority of council, but it would not be out of the question for the council to ask for an advisory vote from existing citizens. We would want to be sure we picked an election where everybody was already receiving ballots in order to keep the costs down.
We intend to resolve this issue on Monday August 9th, first at Committee of the Whole which starts at 5:30, followed by final debate and action at the council meeting at 7:00 PM. I’m not certain at this point exactly what I will do. I will possibly vote no to further discussion of West Hill annexation, in which case I will also recommend that we once again remove West Hill from our potential annexation area (so that West Hill would be free to petition Seattle or Tukwila for governance); or I will vote to put annexation on the ballot in mid-2012 with the call-off the election at the end of 2011 if there is no additional money available. I might also float the idea of an advisory vote of existing Renton residents.
As always, I would love to hear from the citizens of Renton and West Hill on this topic. Send your letters and emails to Renton City Hall, and feel free to engage in debate here on my blog.
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