500 Park Avenue seen from the North side. The neglected trees on the right once framed a pretty landscaped picnic area between the building and Park Avenue. I used to eat lunch there with colleagues.
With red-hot frustration in the community and three-million dollars in fines owed to the city, the owners of Garden Plaza finally seem close to removing the smaller of their two derelict office buildings on Park Avenue.
I’ve heard through unofficial sources that the demolition of 500 Park Avenue might happen in just a week or two, although I remain incredulous about this schedule after the history of delays on this project.
The smaller building is an easy way for the owner to begin the demolition. Its 3-story steel and glass construction will be easier to remove than the 7-story reinforced concrete building next to it.
The owners of the site ION Renton had a private meeting with city officials last week. They’re no doubt feeling the pressure, and moving forward with this building will be a good way to show some progress. And getting the smaller building out of the way would create more space for equipment when bringing the larger building down.
It’s been hard to watch the slow death of this once-beautiful office complex. I had enjoyed working in these buildings during my Boeing career. I’ll be glad to see this dying complex put out of its misery.
I remain concerned that the demolition permits do not seem to include the parking garage, although I’ve heard rumors that this decision might be reconsidered. I hope so, because the parking garage will be unusable without power, elevators and fire protection. The garage would remain for years as a 4-story dystopian nuisance if it stays in place after the buildings come out.
Structural demolition has not started yet, but it looks like it has. This view of the back of the 500 Park Avenue building (former Boeing 10-13) shows the vandalism that has occured since 2021.The 500 Park building is set back by a landscape buffer from the street. This will make demolition access easy without needing street closures. This demolition plan is available here.The demolition plan includes 535 Garden, but I have not heard when that demolition is predicted to commence. It will be more complex due to the 7-story height and the concrete construction. I have not seen any demolition permits issued for the parking garage. Plans are available here.An image of the building from 2021 that reminds me of the distinctive architecture of this once-pretty building. This was a view I enjoyed daily for a few years when I worked here. The sunny glass-column stairwells gave me access to other nearby Boeing buildings. The parking was convenient and accessible by a bridge on the other side.
“301.3.11.1 Abatement: A building or structure accessory thereto that remains vacant and open to entry after the required compliance date is found and declared to be a public nuisance. The code official is hereby authorized to summarily abate the violation by closing the building to unauthorized entry. The costs of abatement shall be a lien against the real property and may be collected from the owner in the manner provided by law.”
I wish Renton’s top officials would read the Renton Municipal Code. It may take them a few weeks, but it will dramatically help them better understand their options when faced with problems.
This week’s Renton Reporter quotes our Mayor as saying (incorrectly) that the city had two choices for dealing with the abandoned Park Avenue buildings; buying the buildings, or just waiting years for the owners to do something.
Renton “Garden Plaza” buildings on Park Avenue have fallen into ruin
But there was always a third option, the best one, that is perfectly clear in Renton’s Code: correcting the nuisance and billing the owner. I’ve been advocating for this option all along. This option would have saved these buildings, giving the owners an asset worth about $30 million dollars in today’s market, and saving North Renton from years of blight and crime.
By ignoring this preferred option, Renton achieved the following outcomes: the buildings are now in ruin; threats from fire, falling and other hazards grow worse by the day; the demolition permit, if it’s ever used, will leave a hazardous and unusable parking garage in place; barbed wire will soon frame the blighted site; the building ownership appears to be in a state of stalled foreclosure; and the process to get back to a healthy occupancy of this space might require environmental cleanup costs (per the Mayor’s estimate) in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Since the land value is assessed at $7 million, no one will want to spend $100 million cleaning it.
The Mayor is also quoted in the Renton Reporter as holding back on fines, even though the city regularly threatens residents with prompt $100-per-day fines for minor issues like not mowing grass or not scrubbing someone else’s graffiti off their fence. Regarding the Southern California firm that owns the deathtrap Park Avenue buildings, the Mayor is quoted as saying the city was “not fining them because we don’t normally fine businesses that in good faith are going to be building in Renton.”
If reading through Renton’s code was too hard, Renton’s leaders could have done a 30-second google search to get the advice from an organization that Renton helps fund just for such guidance, the Municipal Research Service Center. The MRSC suggests immediate repair of hazards by the city followed by billing the owner, and does not discuss buying the offending building as the Mayor suggested.
The City should still act to abate the hazards in this building before someone gets seriously injured or killed, although the City has already squandered the opportunity to save stakeholders tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars. And the next time one of these buildings goes vacant, Renton leaders should treat our ordinances as the law, and not a “pirate code” that can be arbitrarily altered at will.
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The MRSC guidance, Mayor’s full quotes, and the City’s Property Maintenance Code are all shown below, for reference. (Background on these buildings can be found here.)
Debris burns on one of the floors of the tall building at Renton’s Garden Plaza on Park Avenue
I received a link to an Instagram Post which shows the inside of the dilapidated Park Avenue (Garden Plaza) buildings. The owner of the Instagram account states in one of the comments that the photos were sent to him, so the time of the photos is unknown.
I also stumbled upon a youtube video from August 17, with thousands of views, showing the hazardous state of the inside of the buildings. It was obvious that no steps had been taken by the building owner to remediate interior hazards as of the time these images were captured.
The photos and video underscore the danger to anyone moving about within these buildings, and the fire danger these buildings represent to the community. Recently, even Renton’s firefighters and police officers have been instructed not to go into these buildings unless there is a critical life-saving emergency need. No one from the public should enter them. I’ve only included a few sample screenshots from the Instagram post in this blog entry.
The link to the photos was sent to me after this six-minute television news story was broadcast about these dangerous buildings and the negative impact the buildings are having on the community.
This image from the youtube video shows a deadly drop down an open elevator shaft. No one should be going anywhere near this hazard without fall protection. Given that the the building remains unacceptably physically open to workers, the unhoused, and curious explorers, the owners should immediately be installing safety railings and caution warnings on these elevator shafts to prevent falls.An open elevator shaft is visible in this image
This view inside the parking garage appears to include a pile of metal shavings (likely associated with metal theft activities.)Most of these windows are now gone on the east side of the three-story 10-13 building, and the structure is being damaged by the elements
pacnorthwest_media, which owns the Instagram account, explains that the pictures were sent to himTwo days ago when a concerned group of residents walked around the outside of the building we found at least four open fence openings, such as this person-size gap in the chain link. While we didn’t go onto the property, it looked like there were also unsecured openings into the inside of the buildings.This fence should not be relied upon to keep children out of this building
According to witnesses, a fireworks mortar lit on a downtown sidewalk on Sunday August 24th set these trees and occupied home on fire. The house could have burned to the ground if not for the immediate response of attentive neighbors and Renton Fire Authority.Emergency responders at the scene of August 24th fireworks blazeCarter Farmer, who lives within a few hundred feet of the fire, had previously spoken to Renton’s Mayor and City Council on July 7th, seven weeks before this fire. She had warned that ongoing fireworks were continuing to be a problem in her neighborhood, and she had asked for better enforcement of fireworks laws.
Fireworks are illegal in Renton. In 2006 Renton voters voted 62.57 % – 37.43% to keep them illegal, confirming a 2004 vote by Renton City Council that first made fireworks illegal. But enforcement of the ban has recently seemed spotty to non-existent, and many residents are now understandably complaining. Among them is Carter Farmer, a North Renton neighborhood resident who took the Mayor and Council to task at a council meeting on July 7th, demanding action, after having sent them numerous emails and suggestions on the subject in previous years. Ms. Farmer’s testimony can be watched here on the City’s Youtube Channel, at 41 minutes and 30 seconds in. About seven weeks after she gave her testimony, a home near hers was set on fire by fireworks.
Renton’s voters and Renton Council made fireworks illegal after there were simply too many documented incidents of structural fires and wildfires, emergency room visits, and distress by residents and animals caused by fireworks on our streets. In the year before the Council ban, both a new home and a City Parks Building burned to the ground after being set on fire by fireworks. As urban wildfires across the west become more deadly every year, the ban on fireworks only makes more sense.
The year that Council implemented the fireworks ban in 2004, we knew many residents would miss the excitement, brilliance, and percussion of Fourth of July fireworks, so we initiated a new tradition of a professional fireworks show at Coulon Park. While we knew that some residents may be tempted to light their own, we felt that holding the professional fireworks show and a city 4th of July celebration at our biggest beach park allowed us to direct fireworks enthusiasts to the show instead– providing a necessary alternative to lighting fireworks throughout the whole city. But a couple years ago the professional fireworks show was stopped, and this year Coulon Park was not even open for fourth of July BBQs after 7:00 PM.
My recommendation would be to restore the City 4th of July Celebration, and simultaneously warn residents that Renton intends to aggressively enforce the fireworks ban in future year, with more fireworks confiscations and fines for violators. Then, as we’ve done in the past, Council should insist on getting reports from Police and Fire Chiefs after each 4th of July with metrics about how many citations were issued and pounds of fireworks confiscated. And Council should hold public meetings to gather ideas from residents like Ms. Farmer regarding how to better enforce the ban.
Some of the fireworks being lit in Renton violate just city laws, but many are also in violation of state laws. Fireworks that send projectiles into the sky or make loud percussion sounds (booms) are not legal anywhere in the State of Washington outside of Reservation land (Reservation lands are subject to Federal Laws and Tribal laws, which allow some aerial and percussion fireworks when manufactured and sold to certain standards). Penalties for lighting fireworks that are illegal in the state could be made more severe than penalties for lighting fountains, ground-flowers, or smokers. In any case, all of these are illegal in Renton outside of licensed shows, based on a democratic decision by nearly two out of three of Renton’s voters. And while it may remain challenging to stop every violation on the evening of the 4th of July, there should be no tolerance for continued fireworks use through the summer– it’s just too dangerous to our residents’ lives and property.
I would enjoy hearing from readers on this topic. Please feel free to comment with your ideas, perspectives, and suggestions. You may leave comments anonymously if you choose.
I’ve written several posts about the derelict office buildings on Park Avenue, including how they got to this condition, what is currently being done about them, and what the future may hold for them.
To help residents and businesses better understand this issue, “For a Better Renton” has asked me to host one or more conversation walking tours around the outside of these buildings (staying in the public space outside the fence, so no personal protective equipment is required). Since I used to work in these buildings, and I also served on City Council from 1994-2021, I bring some unique experience to this discussion.
I want to keep the walk to a manageable group size to support a conversation, so we’re asking people to RSVP to 4aBetterRenton@gmail.com and let us know if you would like to participate. We’ll add additional times if we get more interest than we can reasonably accommodate in this first session.
The walk will begin at Park Avenue and North 6th Street, at 2:00 this coming Sunday, September 7, and last for about one hour. There’s not any parking on these block of Park Ave or North 6th, and nearby lots are private or blocked off, so if you are driving I recommend you look for parking a couple blocks west, on Pelly, Wells or Williams.
The following Saturday there will be a second walk around the neighborhood impacted by the Renton High School eminent-domain expansion, another subject I’ve written extensively about. That walk will be hosted by Sarah Becker.
Renton School District is demolishing homes and businesses obtained by threat of eminent domain
Below is the official announcement for both walks by “For a Better Renton,” which includes additional details:
For A Better Renton (www.4aBetterRenton.com) is hosting its first two “Field Trips” on September 7th and 13th. The purpose of these field trips is to give Renton residents a clear first-hand understanding of some of the issues facing our city, our neighbors, and the direct impact on our taxes, health, future, ability to draw new businesses and residents to our city, growth, and pride in where we live and work.
PARK AVENUE DERELICT OFFICE BUILDING We’ve asked Randy Corman, who served on Renton City Council for 28 years, 1994-2021 (with six years as Renton Council President) to lead the field trip and discussion at the derelict Park Avenue Building. Randy was also with Boeing, as a mechanical engineer and manager, for 33 years, and worked in the building we will ‘touring’. Date: September 7th Time: 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Meeting location: Park Ave & 6th (directly across the street from Mighty Mugs Coffee Stand)
We will commence walking the entire block, around the external of the building. We will start at the old main entrance and then work our way along Park first, then to 5th and then around the backside of the building. We will be joined by a business owner who has been directly impacted by the activities at this derelict building since it’s abandonment by the owner and property manager, ION Renton and AAA Management. We will share information on what the Mayor and City Council has/has not done regarding addressing this building, the current state, the potential future state, and Department of Ecology reports.
Please RSVP at 4aBetterRenton@gmail.com. We look forward to seeing you there.
RENTON HIGH SCHOOL EXPANSION/EMINENT DOMAIN Date: September 13th Time: 10:30 – 11:30 (with the potential to extend to 12 noon) Meeting location: Ikea Performing Arts Center parking lot – right next to Renton High School.
We will commence the field trip by walking clockwise down 2nd , take a right at Tobin, and continue on Logan. We will likely turn left on Logan and walk to the corner of Logan and Airport, then backtrack down Logan to 2nd.
We have asked Sarah to lead this field trip. She has spent a significant amount of time speaking at both City Council meetings and Renton School Board meetings. She was an active leader on helping secure over 500 signatures on a petition, along with 20+ businesses, and 3 associations – and the petition was presented to the school board and City Council and Mayor. She continues to stay abreast of all actions by the school board and city (the city owns Tobin Street).
We will also be joined by John Houston who has vivid memories of the trauma caused by the Renton School Board who used eminent domain to get his families property under the pretense of building a school – which they never did – and instead sold his families property to a developer. John, along with the support of Senator Hasegawa, got SB 5142 unanimously passed this year and signed into law by Governor Ferguson – though it does not help John and his family, it will help others whose property is taken under eminent domain. (Unfortunately it does not impact the 20+ homes (owners and renters) and 8+ businesses who are being displaced by the Renton School Board – again!) Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.
We will be joined by at least one, if not several, homeowners who are being displaced under this most recent ’eminent domain’ tactic by the Renton School Board.
Please rsvp at 4aBetterRenton@gmail.com
And a few other gentle reminders: RSVP’ing is important as we will have handouts/information for you to take home. And John will have a few of his recently published books on hand for sale. Please dress accordingly as we will be hosting these field trips regardless of weather. And wear comfortable shoes!
Renton Fire Authority must once again respond to the abandoned buildings on Garden and Park Avenue. Photo taken at about 8:30 PM today.
This evening there has been another fire call to the abandoned Park Avenue Buildings. Christopher Krystofiak, a firefighter with the Renton Fire Authority who helps with online media communication gave me the following details at 9:00 PM:
“Randy, it was black smoke from the roof. We have determined that all fire responses to this building will be defensive only due to the open elevator shafts and damage/hazards inside the building. Crews eventually located a small fire, quickly extinguished it and are releasing most of the apparatus as we speak.”
These buildings require an urgent fire response every time they catch on fire, as they lack the code required fire suppression systems. The systems were mined out of the buildings by metal thieves after lax security invited trespassers. If a fire spreads from floor to floor through the open elevator shafts it could turn into an inferno.
Renton Fire Authority responding to abandoned buildings on Garden and Park Avenue. Firefighters are using ladder trucks instead of the building’s stairwells to reach the roof due to the many hazards inside the building. Photo taken at about 8:00 PM today along Park Avenue (west side of building)More units were positioned defensively on the north side of the building, many from neighboring jurisdictions. If the fire had grown into an inferno, these rigs were positioned to reduce the chance of it spreading.
Staples receipt for costs Renton outsourced while supplying records to Superior Court; Logan Six applicants have been asked to pay this, even though it’s five times the published fee schedule.
The Renton Fee Schedule, approved by Renton City Council, is pretty clear. The City can charge residents 15 cents per page for printed or photocopied pages. The City Clerk can also waive these charges, and often does, for residents that have not used an excessive amount of photocopying or printing services in the past.
So why is the city charging 78 cents per page to Renton residents appealing the Logan Six project? The question has North Renton residents justifiably perturbed. They’ve been paying taxes to fund the Renton City Clerk’s office for decades, and now the first time they need copies of some city documents the city is gouging them. The City is not even using the photocopiers that taxpayers funded– they’re having the copies made at Staples, a retail store.
The high charge is five times the city’s published fee schedule, which is arguably illegal. But just as upsetting to North Renton residents, the usurious charge looks like an effort on the part of someone in the city to make it even more expensive and difficult for Superior Court to review this appeal. When the Council made the last-hour change to send appeals to superior court instead of hearing them themselves (claiming it was an improvement) they didn’t mention that the city would charge 78 cents per page for data sent to the court.
Even more frustrating, by using Staples, a retail store, instead of the Clerk’s office, the bill for the copying now includes sales tax which would ordinarily be exempt on public records per RCW 82.08.02525.
While currently open as of this writing, Coulon Beach swim area was closed during the Memorial Day weekend and the first above 80-degree day of the season.
Coulon Beach Park swim area was closed on this sunny Memorial Day weekend because of high bacterial counts. It was one of only two beaches on Lake Washington closed for this reason. Unfortunately this has become more common in recent years, with Coulon’s swim area sometimes closed for weeks at a time.
Renton’s Coulon Park swim beach was closed while most local beaches were open during this warm holiday weekend.
While it’s clear that ducks and geese are contributing to the problem, it’s less obvious to Park visitors that storm drains in western Renton Highlands, the Landing and even I-405 are also contributing to the problem by adding pollution to “Johns Creek” which empties next to Coulon’s swim beach.
Renton has been working for decades to improve the water quality in Johns Creek, and a Stormwater Management Action Plan (SMAP) is in place to improve it. Renton Stormwater utility fees, along with grants when they can be obtained, pay for this work.
Johns Creek is not the only creek that carries Renton’s surface water into Coulon Park; Kennydale Creek deposits Kennydale’s surface water about a mile to the north. But in addition to emptying further away from the swim beach, Kennydale Creek flows mostly in a natural creek bed open to the sun and air, which helps reduce bacteria levels. Johns Creek flows through many pipes and culverts, only in open air as it nears Coulon Park.
So to keep our swim beach open, businesses and residents in Renton Highlands, the Landing, Paccar, Southport and parts of North Renton should help keep our street gutters clean and spread the word that whatever flows into storm drains can flow right into the Coulon Beach Swim area.
The following photos and maps give more information about this little-known creek and the plans in place to improve it.
North Renton resident Matt Hanbey showed a poster at last night’s meeting displaying a timeline related to Council activities on the Logan Six project. In the previous Council Meeting the poster and much of Mr. Hanbey’s presentation was mysteriously left out of the video feed.
An apparent censoring of a poster exhibit at last week’s audience comment further illustrated the heightened tension that is preventing residents and council members from freely communicating at council meetings.
In a blog post on March 25th I described how our city leaders should find their way back to the type of council meeting communication we had with residents in past decades. Prior to the pandemic, audience comment was an interactive and solution-oriented portion of each council meeting, in which council members routinely asked questions of presenters, shared their own perspectives on issues raised, engaged in cooperative problem solving, and often referred resident’s concerns to the Administration or a Council Committee for review. But lately it seems the “communication” consists entirely of residents giving three-minute monologues, with no response other than a possible “thank you… Next”
Two weeks after my post, a member of the public brought a poster board exhibit to the audience comment that had a timeline on it, and for some unknown reason the video recording system did not capture any images of it. Instead of the usual protocol of recording an image of the speaker, the cameras moved from focussing on the speaker to showing the council for the entire three minutes. This left those of us watching the meeting online very confused about what was on the poster that seemed to be so controversial that it was being censored.
This is the view that remote viewers had of Mr. Hanbey’s presentation at the April 14 meeting. The poster Mr. Hanbey held (which was written, shown to Council, and is therefore probably a public record) was never shared with the remote viewers of the meeting. As a public record, it was even at risk of not being properly retained, except a quick-thinking staff member managed to take a photo of it.
This was a huge departure from past decades, in which residents were welcome and even encouraged to bring written exhibits to audience comment, usually in the form of paper that could be displayed for everyone in the chambers using a special projector next to the audience comment podium. Residents would use the projector to show such things as maps, lists, photos, calendars, timelines, event posters, and any other exhibit that improved communication between the resident and the Renton Council. In the pre-digital age we could see the data projected on a screen (from paper or view foils), and in later years we could see it on our monitors on the council dais. Residents would certainly challenge us back then like they do now. Concerns and complaints have always been a common reason for residents to attend a council meeting. But that did not stop Council from encouraging residents to show written documents with their testimony.
With this display option no longer readily apparent , Matt Hanbey brought a poster-board chart instead, and it then seemed to be censored on the video feed.
Thankfully, Mr. Hanbey contacted Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Ed VanValey after he realized he and his exhibit were not shown on the meeting video feed, and CAO VanValey agreed to remedy the mistake at the next council meeting. That subsequent meeting occurred last night, and as CAO VanValey said, the timeline poster and Mr. Hanbey’s testimony were broadcast. Hence, the confusion has apparently been corrected, but not before at least two speakers mentioned it in last night’s meeting.
Whoever censored this audience comment has apparently been retrained, but the underlying tension that sowed the censorship should still be addressed. Elected Officials must remember that (as the Declaration of Independence says) “governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed,” and that the residents that make their way to City Hall to speak with them are collectively their bosses. Council should engage with the public, the way any of us would engage with our employer, when issues are brought up or questions are raised.
Renton’s residents usually hold the answers to Renton’s problems, and it is Council’s job to gather these solutions and help implement them. Interacting during audience comment, including looking at the data the residents bring forth, is an important part of this assignment.
North Renton residents issue press release about their Logan Six appeal. This appeal was announced on Monday night after North Renton neighbors tried one final time to get assistance from Renton City Council. This is the statement in its entirety:
PRESS RELEASE
NO Logan 6!
Contact: Sheryl Friesz, Matt Hanbey
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RENTON ‘AHEAD OF THE CURVE’!? MORE LIKE ‘BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE!!’
Renton Neighbors Raise Funds, Hire Lawyer to Appeal Proposed Logan 6 Development.
Renton, WA (March 25, 2025) – Renton Neighbors, fed up with city, the mayor, and the city council are taking their issues to court:
“We’re fed up. We’ve tried to work with the city and our elected officials for more than eighteen months, including our city council members and mayor, but they played ostrich and dug their heads in the sand. So, we’re taking our issues to Superior Court.” “The message we’re sending— and have been sending– to the City, the Mayor, and the City Council is: we will not tolerate the inaction, lack of engagement, and disregard for process on developments, like Logan 6, that impacts all of Renton.”
The grass field in the center lower-half is the site of the proposed Logan Six development. The site was a former railroad easement, that has utilities buried in it.
It’s rare in Renton for neighbors to actively picket a new property development, like North Renton residents have with the new Logan Six project. Even Renton’s Hearing Examiner has said“The proposal has drawn more opposition from neighbors than any project the City has seen in several years”. So what has made Logan Six so controversial, even while Renton has so many apartments going in with few complaints in many other areas?
The answer springs from new policy interpretations that are unmanaged and unchecked by Renton City Council. And because of new “Missing Middle” zoning that is currently in work, this failure on the part of Renton Council to provide needed oversight, if not corrected, will soon grow until we see similar protests city-wide.
North Renton will soon be overwhelmed with cars and no parking on the west on Logan Ave, while to the east on Garden Ave they will have a four-story derelict, unusable parking garage
What the Public Safety Chair didn’t say in her statement was that the four-story parking garage on the site is not part of the demolition plan, and will be left in place after the demolition is complete. The sky bridges that connected the garage to the office building will be demolished along with the buildings.
The demolition permit covers the building on Park and the building on 6th. The parking garage, which is the large square in the center, will remain, as shown in this traffic plan.
I’ve not seen or heard of any structural, plumbing, electrical, or fire permits to restore this garage to usability. If these permits are not applied for and issued, it will mean the garage will probably remain unusable, hazardous, and abandoned for years to come after the demolition is complete.
Here is the Hearing Examiners Final Decision regarding the file Logan Six – LUA-22-000283 dated 3/3/2025. You can also find the Hearing Examiner’s decision at this link – LUA-23-000283. Also here is the HEX folder with the Land Use link (LUA-23-000283)
North Renton residents were protesting on Logan Ave yesterday. They’ll be doing it again today, starting at 3:30 PM.
North Renton residents have taken the unusual step of organizing protests after being denied an opportunity to work with Renton City Council on their concerns over two years.
Because of Renton City Council’s last minute change to their Hearing Appeals process, residents feel like they’ve never had a proper opportunity to discuss their concerns with the council, and may never get one. The residents consequently asked the Council this past Monday night to implement a moratorium to buy some time for Council and the community to work together on the North Renton concerns, but the Council rejected the motion in a 5 to 1 vote.
Residents feel the planned 100-unit Logan Six apartment project is oversized for its site, has inadequate parking, and should be using the Logan Ave arterial for access as opposed to residential side streets. For over two years City Council had said they were going to review the project on appeal if the residents had concerns following the Hearing Examiner’s review, but then the Council changed their minds on the eve of the Hearing Examiner’s review.
Everyone is currently awaiting the Hearing Examiner’s decision, due for release any day.
The initial submittal for Logan Six in 2022 included a street modification request. Final line of item 1: “The site is narrow, and without these modifications, the project would not be able to be built.” Council could have questioned the scale of the project on the record.
At last night’s council meeting, a Council Member told the audience that the State of Washington forced Renton to approve the Logan Six development with only one parking spot per unit.
While the State of Washington did implement parking regulations in 2020 that could potentially supersede a city’s parking regulations, the state standards specify a minimum standard of one spot per BEDROOM, as opposed to the lesser standard of one spot per unit that Renton has imposed on Logan Six. Here’s the State law on this topic. (Presumably the 0.75 spots per unit applies to studio “no-bedroom” units)
Cities planning under RCW 36.70A.040—Minimum residential parking requirements.
In counties and cities planning under RCW 36.70A.040, minimum residential parking requirements mandated by municipal zoning ordinances for housing units constructed after July 1, 2019, are subject to the following requirements:
….
(3) For market rate multifamily housing units that are located within one-quarter mile of a transit stop that receives transit service from at least one route that provides service at least four times per hour for twelve or more hours per day, minimum residential parking requirements may be no greater than one parking space per bedroom or .75 space per unit. A city or county may establish a requirement for the provision of more than one parking space per bedroom or .75 space per unit if the jurisdiction has determined a particular housing unit to be in an area with a lack of access to street parking capacity, physical space impediments, or other reasons supported by evidence that would make on-street parking infeasible for the unit.
Reason 2: the Council probably had an easy opportunity to stop this project after the first submittal in 2022 if they had wanted to. In the initial submittal for the project, the applicants provided a letter making it absolutely clear that they were concerned the site might be too small for the project.
In the relatively brief two page letter, the applicant says they need a Street Modification because of their overly narrow site. Then they say three times that without this modification, they could not build the project. Here are some excerpts:
“STREET MODIFICATION NARRATIVE
This narrative is provided to request and justify a street modification on the Logan 6 project. The applicant is requesting a street modification to retain existing improvements with. 1.5 feet of Right of Way dedication on Logan Avenue N, and to retain the existing curb-curb. pavement with, with a 0.5’ curb, 8-foot planting strip, 8-foot sidewalk, and 2-foot clear space for. 3rd and 4th Avenues N…..
The site is narrow, and without. these modifications, the project would not be able to be built….
The modification also allows for the project to be built at all, given the narrowness of the site….
The shown modification is required for the building to be done without incurring additional. costs. The site is narrow and if much more were given, the project would likely not pencil….”
Any of Renton’s eight elected officials could have questioned the requested modification, on the record, and consequently questioned whether the project may be too large and dense for the site. Even the rules governing quasi-judicial hearings do not bar Council members from asking questions about a project, on the record. Since the developer said three times they were concerned the project would not fit on the site, this would have been an opportune time to scale it to a better size.
Instead, Council did not ask any questions and City Staff appear to have approved the modification request, enabling the project to go forward.
So no, the State did not require this project to take its present form, pushing the street boundaries set for the zone with consequent minimal parking. That appears to be just a story.
