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Randy Corman
Charles, thanks for your excellent question! I’ve been at River Days staffing my Randy Corman for Mayor Booth for the past three days, so have just now found this question. I’ll post a detailed answer here tomorrow!
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Hi Charles! I agree with you that growth needs to be proactively managed to avoid overwhelming us or changing the things we like about our region. We need to directing growth in a way that improves our city. I participated in the creation of our city’s first Comprehensive Plan 25 years ago and have made countless decisions since then to ensure growth works for residents of Renton. This comprehensive plan was created under the voter-approved Washington State Growth Management Act, and this act has been effective at creating predictable growth in suburban areas like Renton. The business districts Renton created or improved during this time were pre-zoned for business, and almost universally liked by our citizens. The Landing, Southport, a revitalized downtown, and the IKEA business district all came about from strategic planning, and they are all providing great shopping, dining, and housing for our residents. They’ve also helped hold down Renton homeowner property taxes by giving us millions in new sales tax dollars and new assessed valuation, and they’ve helped fund our schools. We’ll continue to manage our zoning to ensure business does not overwhelm residential areas while bringing us the prosperity of jobs, tax revenues, and entertainment options.
Our housing supply should continue to grow in a way that protects existing neighborhoods while providing ample opportunities for new families and individuals. It should also be built consistent with the state Growth Management Plan and Renton’s comprehensive plan. To keep the price of housing from skyrocketing faster than inflation we need to keep a steady, sustainable level of new construction that meets the needs of Renton families and individual. We can do this without allowing unchecked growth by ensuring the housing goes into the areas we want it to, that it meets community standards, and that we have adequate infrastructure (roads, utilities, schools, etc) to support it per our growth management plan.
I would like to see us start building some smaller single-family homes again since they are more affordable, sustainable, and they typically fit into existing neighborhoods better. I’ll discount development fees based on square footage to encourage the creation of smaller single-family homes so that more people can afford to buy homes in our community. Currently, in addition to building permits, builders have to pay over $40,000 in development impact and utility connection fees before they can even begin building a house. The fees cover sewers, schools, transportation, fire impacts, water and storm water, etc. These fees are the same whether the builder creates a 900 square foot home or a 5000 square foot home, and most builders are building larger in part to better recoup these fees in the sale. I would like to pro-rate these fees based on square footage.
We have good opportunities to build more apartments in Renton, primarily by redeveloping land that has aging structures or has sat vacant in our commercial areas for decades. These projects improve our community when they are properly located in commercial areas, as the add to the vibrancy and give a boost to local businesses. Our downtown and highlands Sunset corridor are good examples of proper places for this growth. Under our comprehensive plan, Renton has more growth capacity in the heart of our city than any other suburban city, and I believe residents will favor this redevelopment. Some of our downtown buildings are historic beauties that we want to keep, but there are also many tired buildings from the 50s and 60s that are nearing the end of their useful life. These can be replaced with new housing over retail that most Renton residents see as an improvement, and help maintain the supply of new housing to keep prices down.
To keep our city livable and natural, I’ve helped protect our tree canopy, acquire permanent open space, build trails, add parks, improve shorelines, clean up pollution, and restore our natural environment wherever possible. Having nature all around us makes us healthier and happier, and we can maintain this open space while still meeting needs for business and housing.
To support this growth without adding even more cars, public Transit in Renton could be improved, and I have taken meaningful steps to correct this problem. I am confident Renton will catch up. In 2018 I presided over the creation of a unified Transit Plan for Renton as Renton’s Transportation Chair, which coordinates many separate activities by different transit agencies. I’ve served on the Metro Board and currently co-chair the Sound Transit Bus Rapid Transit Committee to ensure we get excellent transit service in the future. As Mayor, I’ll ensure that the plans get fully implemented. We’ll move our transit center from downtown to Rainier and Grady, to serve both Metro and Sound Transit Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). This BRT Station and another at Exit 7 will provide fast access to light rail in Bellevue and Tukwila. I represent Renton on the I-405 Executive Committee, and I have been working hard for many years to get I-405 widened so that the BRT buses can go full speed all times of the day. The new Transit Center will also be planned as a future light rail station, to ultimately connect to the Tukwila International Blvd Station via a (currently un-funded) 3.7-mile rail connection. If there is a Sound Transit 4, Renton will get the light rail. I will also work with Metro to complete two additional Rapid Ride lines to Renton, one that connects us to the south with Kent and Auburn, and a second one that connects us north with Bellevue and Issaquah. Renton will also see improved metro service in all neighborhoods, as light rail in Seattle and Bellevue frees up buses that get reassigned to Renton.
Starting in 2020, we will have a water taxi that connects us to Lake Union and potentially other locations on Lake Washington. I have ridden on the prototype, and it can get from Renton to the University of Washington in 18 minutes, even during peak hours, while offering bar services and Wi-Fi. Residents will pay about eight dollars for the crossing.
Today Renton Patch published detailed answers to questions by me and other candidates, and many of them pertain to growth and the effects of growth. Please check this out for some additional information on my views! Thanks, Randy
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Anonymous
Nice response, but had just read it in Patch. I did get some new info out of here. Thanks!
By the way, on the Boeing article, Law mentioned about Southport not being affected by Boeing’s halt which is pleasant to hear. Are there ANY tenants showing interest in Southport, if you know? I’m sure if one tenant makes the shot, more will follow.
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My interpretation of everything I have heard and seen is that there are well-known companies very interested in Southport, but there are non-disclosure agreements that are preventing information getting out about exactly who is looking at it. I have been in the new offices, and they are absolutely beautiful and have all the trappings of the most modern high tech offices. For instance, under the drinking fountains on every floot there are dog watering stations. And even though the buildings are nine stories tall, every other window can be opened about 4 inches to let natural breezes blow in from the lake. I am sure there is great interest in this property, but SECO has had to keep quiet about exactly who is looking at it.
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Thanks for the information, it is very insightful! Do you have an estimated projection date based on what you know that the public would be notified? I’m not expected an exact date, but maybe a month you predict the leasing would wrap up.
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I also do have one other question that I couldn’t find enough media on about Renton transit. Both WSDOT and Sound Transit are clearly giving Renton the lower-end projects.
They won’t give our 2000 BRT stalls, which is not fulfilling their ‘makeup’ for not giving us the actual need: light rail. Why does Issaquah need light rail? 15% of our population, and only Costco employment.
I doubt Sound Transit will offer an ST4 any time in the near future, and we need to fight for it separately as a penance of poor treatment.
And what about WSDOT? The connector was nice, but it’s soon going to become toll lanes. At least provide carpooling options. And honestly, the BRT at Grady and Rainier can’t even use the connector anyways so that plan is flawed as well. An HOV exit needs to be made for it, if it wants any effect. The main issue addressed would be the toll lanes. WSDOT will add a toll lane, but not a general purpose lane. 1 toll lane is good enough, as Renton hosts people that aren’t the most rich to frequently pay for toll. And buses should only need one lane too. It would be great for all 4 lanes, but I understand driving through the rugged south hills can make it difficult to add that many lands.
I noticed Ruth Perez was especially fighting, but failed due to these transit groups bias to the North. They are considering the type of people who live there and the economy over the actual traffic problem which truly matters. I-90 is a wide highway and Issaquah has no need for light rail. That money should be planned for light rail over the EastRail and downtown path instead.
So, my question is: Can you get us light rail before a far fetched ST4? Renton’s growth, especially in Southport, will portray the immediate need along with Sound Transit’s conspicuous, biased project deficit in Renton. And, what other ways can we tackle transportation without the assistance of these disgustingly partial transit groups?
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Thank you for your comments and the degree of study you have put into this. You deserve a full response and answers to all your questions, and I’ll try to get to that tomorrow. Meantime, I’m going to post this partial response that I prepared for a similar question on the Renton Reporter’s facebook page:
Renton officials, including me, did all we could to make ST3 fair for our residents. The Sound Transit board representation structure that was put in place by the state legislature is flawed, and the legislature has never done anything to fix it. We’ve repeatedly asked the legislature to change the structure or give Renton and other under-represented cities equal representation. As a late addition to ST3, we got Sound Transit to allocate money to do preliminary planning for a light rail station in Renton with a connection to Tukwila. We have to get the design done soon as Sound Transit 4 could be on the ballot in a few years time and would likely pass regardless of how Renton voters vote. We have to make sure our Renton station is designed and is part of any future Sound Transit expansion. I’ve been pressing to get this station designed, and we have started our early planning for it. Our second BRT station at Exit 7 and the funding for planning our future rail station were last minute additions that we received after Renton objected harshly to our inequitable treatment. Last year I got appointed to co-chair the Sound Transit BRT committee, and I am finally in a position where I have some authority to help Renton. I’ve already pressed the issue that I want a Landing/Southport BRT station in any future ST expansion, along with activation of our Link light rail station at Rainier and Grady. You can see from this video how hard I worked with media and the Sound Transit Board to object to the plan, and ultimately get the funding for the additional BRT station and the funding to plan our rail station. Please click this link to see the news video: https://q13fox.com/2016/05/26/renton-city-leaders-commuters-want-more-out-of-sound-transit-expansion/
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Thanks! I already saw that article. If you can get that done, this will indeed be perfect for current and future residents in Renton, it’s PAAs, and neighboring areas like Maple Valley and NE Kent.
Also, I did mention about how the buses would get direct express access to 405 if the connector at 167 is opposite to the station. Could you provide insight on that?
Sorry, since I think I’m overloading you with a lot so no need to rush. Thanks again!
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Sorry to disturb you again, but just found an interesting article on the Seattle Subway plan.
It provides a robust light rail loop that has a line running through Renton from Kirkland to the existing Interurban possibly in an ST4 around 2024. This will prove excellent as a good base for a future Kent-Renton line along 167 in the ST5 supposedly connecting the loop in Pierce County as well.
I think you should support this equitable design, which the article mentioned took into consideration the public comments on our transit plight. I’ve also noticed many people making fun of Renton’s plan making a TC near the freeway on article comment threads. Is it just a biased comment considering the Eastgate station is proximate to the highway as well, or is there a problem with it?
In conclusion, I was pleased by the Seattle Subway loop because it provided a route to Bellevue and the emerging tech opportunities of Kirkland. It will also give easy access to Southport for people in Newcastle/Factoria as well. Being on the council, I highly recommend promoting this plan.
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Thank you for reminding me about the “Seattle Subway” Plan and for sharing it here. I completely agree that this plan looks far more equitable for Renton, and was clearly designed by a team that was focused on laying out the right transit for our region based on where everyone travels. This Seattle Subway organization has been a powerful proponent of Sound Transit every time there is a ballot issue, so it would make sense for Renton to become more partnered with them. I will reach out to their organization and see how we can work together toward the alignments of their plan. Thank you for the great input!
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Question Mark
Randy, I appreciate your comments on Renton’s future growth, and I only wish I could support your mayoral candidacy with my vote. However, I live just outside the city in one of Renton’s PAAs.
King County, as reported in the Renton Reporter recently, appears to have alighted on the idea that the greater Skyway area will be annexed to Renton by 2025 [1] which is news to me. King County seems to like to spring these deals on us unexpectedly, although the question of annexation comes up frequently in public meetings in Skyway with county staff. Oh, to be a fly on the wall at the downtown Seattle county echo chamber(s)!
[1] http://rentonreporter.com/news/economic-growth-continues-for-king-county/
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Yes, I am in Maple-Heights Lake-Desire which will probably not be annexed to Renton ever, and if so possibly Maple Valley. I do hope Fairwood receives annexation because I know many who want this living there. Is the Maple-Heights Lake-Desire a PAA of Renton? The area is partially Kent/Tahoma in terms of schools, so taking in the Kent school borders along with Fairwood would be smart. I would vote Corman if I could. 👍
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Thanks for the great comments! Here is a link to a map which shows our existing city boundary (a few years ago) on top of our Potential Annexation Area (PAA). Lake Desire itself is in our PAA, but many neighborhoods around it are not. https://www.randycorman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Community-planning-areas-1.jpg
Residents in the larger tracts in our PAA typically find themselves split three-ways when it comes to their future, essentially keeping their situation unchanged. In West Hill some wish to annex to Renton, some wish to annex to Seattle, and some wish to remain in King County. Since they can not get 50+% to agree to any change, they remain in King County. Fairwood is similar, except instead of the Seattle option they have a percentage that would like to form their own city. With three options, they can’t get more than 50% on any option. Our East Plateau has had the same dynamic as Fairwood.
My view on annexation has always been that I want the affected neighborhoods to make the decision without pressure from Renton either way. Bringing a neighborhood in is like a marriage, and we only want to enter the relationship if that is what the residents want. I tell my colleagues who are more eager to annex these areas that we should stay focused on making Renton an increasingly nicer city with lower property taxes, and over time the Renton option will look more and more attractive. Thanks for the Renton Reporter Link! Very interesting information!
Please tell your Renton friends to vote for me! Randy
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You are welcome! They also have an online petition to implement the plan in ST4: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/approve-funding-for-st4-in-seattle/
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Oh wait, this is only for Seattle… But it can put aside extra money for the rest.. 😁
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Hi Randy, thanks for your current and past service to the City of Renton. one quick question about your platform, what do you think about the concept of “responsible growth”? I feel that this concept is key in my decision making for election choices, since I am feeling the economic and financial pinch of soon not being able to afford living in Renton, higher prices everywhere and more congestion and busy. Uncontrolled growth is no good. If you can address this and with a few specifics on tactics. I really like many of your positions because you do go into more details of the tactics, vs. just the main message points. Thanks