Pierce County Department of Planning and Land Services, 2401 South 35th Street, Tacoma, WA (253) 798-7037 Initial Project Review Major Amendment to Preliminary Plat: Hawks Ridge Division 1 Application Numbers: 825643, 815584, and 801846 Tax Parcel Numbers: 0318023096 and 0318023097 Frederickson Advisory Commission (FAC) Public Meeting: February 22, 2016, at 7:00 p.m., at Bethel Learning Center, 21818-38 th Avenue East, Spanaway, WA 98387 Proposal: Applicant requests a Major Amendment to an approved 47-lot single-family subdivision to: Realign the original access road onto 200 th Street East, 150 feet west of, instead of across from, the future access into the future plat of Ridge at Southwood, Division II. Add a second access point onto 200 th Street East, 270 feet west of the realigned original access point. Install a barricade across the southern access point onto 202 nd Street East until Pierce County permits the access to be opened. Revise the internal plat road network by connecting two former cul-de-sacs and creating an internal circulation loop. Reduce the size of the storm drainage tract, revise the layout of the park tract; revise the boundary between the open space slope tract and the abutting plat lots, and remove the existing singlefamily home. After an earlier review of a request for a Minor Amendment approval, the Pierce County Hearing Examiner directed that a Major Amendment application be submitted since the earlier request exceeded the criteria for a Minor Amendment due to the change of access points. Project Location: 2511-202 nd Street East, Spanaway, WA, within the SW 1/4 of Sec. 2, T18N, R3E, W.M., in Council District #3. Review Summary: County staff has reviewed this proposal for compliance with all applicable policies, codes, and regulations. The County finds, based on an initial project review, that the proposal appears to be consistent with the applicable codes and regulations and that staff will be recommending approval of the proposal, subject to conditions. Zone Classification: Moderate Density Single-Family (MSF). Page 1 of 12
State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA): As part of the original preliminary plat review, a Mitigated Determination of Nonsignificance (MDNS) was issued on March 9, 2007, with a comment period ending on March 26, 2007. As part of the earlier Minor Amendment review, a second MDNS was issued on October 20, 2015. The second MDNS eliminated the requirement to extend the 2-way left turn lane on 22 nd Street East to the intersection with 202 nd Street East, along with associated tapering, with the requirement to construct 200 th Street East to a local road feeder classification for the entire length between 22 nd Avenue East and the eastern access point of Hawks Ridge I. No further environmental review is required for the Major Amendment request. County Contact: Robert Jenkins, Senior Planner, 253-798-7016, rjenkin@co.pierce.wa.us Pierce County Online Permit Information: http://palsonline.co.pierce.wa.us/palsonline/permitinfo?applpermitid=825643 Project Data: Application Date: January 6, 2016, with SEPA application submitted on August 28, 2015, in conjunction with earlier Minor Amendment application IPR Mailed Date: February 12, 2016 Owner: Applicant/Agent: Owner/Applicant: Agent: Silver Creek Project LLC 3322 164 th Street SW Lynnwood, WA 98087 Apex Engineering 2601 South 35 th Street Tacoma, WA 98409 Hawks Ridge LLC P.O. Box 73790 Puyallup, WA 98409 Larson & Associates LLC Attn: Bill Diamond / Scott Clark 9027 Pacific Avenue, Suite 4 Tacoma, WA 98444-6247 bdiamond@rrlarson.com sclark@rrlarson.com Public and Legal Notice January 8, 2016: Notice of Application and Public Meeting Notice, was sent to property owners within a radius of 300 feet, but not less than two parcels deep, around the exterior boundaries of the subject property. January 20, 2016: The site was posted with a Public Notice sign, confirmed with a Declaration of Posting. February 10, 2016, Legal Notice was published in the official County newspaper (Tacoma News Tribune), advertising the public meeting to be held by the Frederickson Advisory Commission. Page 2 of 12
2014 Aerial Photo Zoning Map Page 3 of 12
Site Photos Site as viewed from 202nd Street East - April 2012 22nd Avenue looking south from 200th Street East - April 2012 Page 4 of 12
22nd Avenue looking south from 202nd Street East - April 2012 22nd Avenue looking north from 202nd Street East - April 2012 Page 5 of 12
Approved Preliminary Plat Site Plan for Hawks Ridge Division 1 Proposed Major Amendment Site Plan Page 6 of 12
Traffic Impact Analysis Site Plan - Ridge at Southwood Division II and Hawks Ridge Division 1 Approved Preliminary Plat Site Plan for Rexden Estates Page 7 of 12
Public and Agency Review Comments Comments were received from neighboring property owners on the west side of 22 nd Avenue East regarding the earlier Minor Amendment. They expressed concern that the replacement mitigation would not correct the bow in 22 nd Avenue East at which the neighbors have observed numerous accidents due to the horizontal curve in the road. Public Works and Development Engineering have determined that shifting the access into Hawks Ridge Division 1 north to 200 th Street East will adequately mitigate the traffic impacts of the new subdivision and correcting the curvature issue on 22 nd Avenue East would not be a responsibility of this plat. The curvature issue was addressed in the 2014 preliminary plat approval for Rexden Estates immediately to the west of the curvature section of 22 nd Avenue East. If Rexden Estates is developed, it will be the responsibility of that developer to straighten this section of 22 nd Avenue East and correct this potential safety issue. No additional public comments have been received to date on the Major Amendment. Comments have been received on the Major Amendment from the following departments and agencies: Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), Pierce County Fire Prevention Bureau, Pierce County Public Works Sewer Utility, and the Development Engineering section of Planning and Land Service (PALS). Comments were received on the earlier Minor Amendment from the following departments and agencies: Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), Pierce County Fire Prevention Bureau, Pierce County Public Works (PW) Traffic Engineering, Pierce County PW Sewer Utility, the Washington State Department of Ecology, and the Cartography, Development Engineering and Resource Management sections of PALS. The BPA requested that the applicant submit an application for use of the BPA power easement running through the property. The Sewer Utility, Fire Prevention Bureau, Resource Management, and Cartography had no specific concerns related to the minor amendment request. Traffic Engineering and Development Engineering reviewed and approved a new traffic impact analysis that allowed revised traffic mitigation, as discussed above. The Department of Ecology had comments that are addressed by County regulation. Comments received on this proposal may be found by accessing the Online Permit Information referenced on page 1. The substance of these comments is reflected, where appropriate, in the conditions at the end of this report. The only significant comments dealt with traffic mitigation. Site Characteristics The two-parcel site is square shaped and 9.18 acres in size. The site is located at the top of a ridge that slopes steadily 32 feet up from 22 nd Avenue East. The site slopes steeply down 38 feet to the east at the southeast corner of the property. The majority of the site is located at the top of the ridge and is level or moderately sloping. The western half of the site is characterized by pasture and farmland. The eastern half of the site is characterized by stands of mostly coniferous trees and a house and barn. The southeast corner contains a heavily wooded steep slope. Page 8 of 12
The site abuts 200 th Street East on the north and 202 nd Street East on the south; 202 nd Street East is a paved street with shoulders serving four large lot single-family parcels; 200 th Street East is a gravel driveway providing access to a single-family parcel east of the project site. Both streets are public road rights-of-way. Surrounding Land Use / Zoning Designation LAND USE ZONING (Title 18A) North Approved 67-lot single-family subdivision (Ridge at Southwood Division II) Moderate Density Single Family (MSF) Northeast Wooded and undeveloped Employment Center (EC) South Large-lot single-family homes MSF East Large-lot single-family home MSF West Single-family home and associated farmland MSF Utilities/Public Facilities Utility service and public facilities are proposed as follows: Water - Sewer- Power - School- Rainier View Water Pierce County Puget Sound Energy Bethel School District Governing Regulations Title 19A Comprehensive Plan - January 1, 1995, as amended Title 17A Construction and Infrastructure Regulations Site Development and Stormwater Drainage Title 18 Development Regulations - General Provisions Title 18A Development Regulations - Zoning Title 18D Development Regulations - Environmental Title 18E Development Regulations - Critical Areas Title 18F Development Regulations - Land Division and Boundary Changes Title 18H Development Regulations - Forest Practices Title 18J Design Standards and Guidelines Permit History The 53-lot preliminary plat application was submitted for review on October 3, 2001. Preliminary plat approval for a reduced 47-lot single-family subdivision was granted by the Pierce County Hearing Examiner on July 27, 2007. The preliminary plat approval expires on July 27, 2017, unless a one-year time extension is requested and approved by the Pierce County Hearing Examiner. Page 9 of 12
The original plat approval includes the following requirements: o Curb, gutter, sidewalks and street trees along internal plat roads. o Street trees along the 200 th and 202nd Streets East frontages. o Sidewalks along the 200 th and 202 nd Streets East frontages within the plat. o A 6-foot high solid board fence along the western plat boundary. o An internal park. A Minor Amendment application was routed for review on September 2, 2015. In response to a Minor Amendment request to modify a mitigating condition of the 2007 MDNS, the Traffic Section of the Office of the County Engineer Division reviewed a revised Traffic Impact Analysis (TIA) prepared for the project by Heath & Associates for the Minor Amendment request and determined that access to 200 th Street East could be allowed for all lots in the development if 200 th Street East was constructed to local road feeder classification the entire length between 22 nd Avenue East and the eastern access point of Hawks Ridge I. The new mitigation would replace the mitigation identified in the March 9, 2007, MDNS. A deviation was required to allow more than 20 lots with a single access and a loop road exceeding 700 feet long. The access to 202 nd Street East was to be blocked with bollards, and be used only for emergency vehicle access. Permanent full access to 202 nd Street East could require additional traffic studies and or roadway improvements to 202 nd Street East and or 22 nd Avenue East. Only Lots 16 and 17 were allowed direct access to 200 th Street East. A replacement Mitigated Determination of Nonsignificance (MDNS) was issued on October 20, 2015, with a comment period ending on November 3, 2015, and an appeal deadline of November 17, 2015. There were no appeals filed. In a December 8, 2015 letter, the Pierce County Hearing Examiner determined that the proposed change in location and types of access into the plat exceeded the threshold for approval as a Minor Amendment and directed that a Major Amendment application be submitted for review. The current Major Amendment proposal is the same as submitted earlier as a Minor Amendment. Initial PALS Staff Review for Consistency with Land Use Policies and Regulations State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) As part of the original preliminary plat review, a Mitigated Determination of Nonsignificance (MDNS) was issued on March 9, 2007, with a comment period ending on March 26, 2007. As part of the earlier Minor Amendment review, a second MDNS was issued on October 20, 2015. The second MDNS eliminated the requirement to extend the 2-way left turn lane on 22 nd Street East to the intersection with 202 nd Street East, along with associated tapering, with the requirement to construct 200 th Street East to a local road feeder classification for the entire length between 22 nd Avenue East and the eastern access point of Hawks Ridge I. No further environmental review is required for the Major Amendment request. Page 10 of 12
Title 18A, Development Regulations General Provisions A Major Amendment to an approved preliminary plat cannot be approved unless it complies with the following findings of Section 18.130.040.A.3.: a. The proposed major amendment addresses all applicable conditions of approval for the original permit; b. Appropriate provisions are made for, but not limited to, the public health, safety and general welfare, for open spaces, critical areas, drainage ways, streets or roads, alleys, other public ways, transit stops, potable water supplies, sanitary wastes, parks and recreation, playgrounds, schools and school grounds and all other relevant facts, including sidewalks and other planning features that assure safe walking conditions for students who walk to and from school; and c. The public use and interest will be served. Per 18A.130.040.B. and Current Planning Policy CP2014-06, the Hearing Examiner has the authority to approve or deny any proposed major amendment and may impose additional or altered conditions and requirements as necessary to assure that the proposal conforms with the intent of the Comprehensive Plan, applicable community plans, and other applicable County codes and state laws. Additional requirements are to be imposed where reasonable based on the stage of plat development and the requests being made in the Major Amendment application. During the earlier Minor Amendment review staff found the following: o The plat will continue to be developed for single-family detached homes. o Condition No. 1 of the preliminary plat approval is being amended through the October 20, 2015, replacement MDNS. o Condition No. 31 is being revised to reflect the new location of the on-site park. The changes to both of these conditions will not alter the intent of the original condition. o The Traffic Section of Public Works and the Development Engineering Section of PALS have determined that the traffic mitigation in the 2015 MDNS will be equivalent to the mitigation in the 2007 MDNS in mitigating traffic impacts of the new plat. It is not the responsibility of this plat to correct the potential safety issue on 22 nd Avenue East resulting from the horizontal curve issue raised by adjacent neighbors. o No expansion to the perimeter boundary is proposed. o Density will be unchanged with the revised plat design. o There is no reduction in designated open space. Title 18A, Development Regulations - Zoning The original and current zoning of the parcels is Moderate Density Single-Family (MSF), which allows single-family detached homes. The internal front yards may be shallower under the current version of Title 18A, but setbacks along external plat boundaries have not changed, i.e., 15 feet along 200 th and 202 nd Street East and 10-foot rear yards on the east and west. The only exception is proposed Lot 17, which would now have a 5-foot side yard, rather than a 10-foot rear yard facing the property to the east. Page 11 of 12
Title 18J, Development Regulations Design Standards and Guidelines The original preliminary plat approval imposed many of the current county-wide design standards. Street trees will be provided internally and externally. Curbs, gutters, sidewalks and street lights will be required. On-site recreation will be provided at 348 square feet per dwelling unit, i.e., 16,384 square feet of active recreation area. The minimum required in 2001 was 342 square feet per dwelling unit. The current standard is 500 square feet per dwelling units for a total of 23,500 square feet of total open space. Of which, only 5,875 square feet must be active and the remainder can be passive. The approved plat does not comply with current tree conservation requirements. It is unknown how many tree units and significant trees will be retained in the wooded steep slope at the southeast corner of the plat. It is unknown how many significant trees will be removed from the developed portions of the plat. The storm drainage facility is not required to be screened from view under the original plat approval. Hawks Ridge Division 1 MA IPR-RJ.docx Page 12 of 12