Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutPermit L99-0046 - CITY OF TUKWILA - SENSITIVE AREA OVERLAY CODE AMENDMENTPermit L99-0046 CITY OF TUKWILA - SENSITIVE AREA OVERLAY CODE AMENDMENT City of Tukwila John W. Rants, Mayor Department of Community Development Steve Lancaster, Director MEMORANDUM TO: File # L99 - 0046 FROM: Steve Lancaster, DCD Director L DATE: June 23, 1999 RE: Administrative Zoning Code Amendment To Critical Area Sensitive Areas Overlay: Comprehensive Plan Amendment Comprehensive Land Use Plan Amendment Inventoried Watercourse Segments #15 -14 & #15 -16 "Watercourse" means a course or route formed by nature or modified by man, generally consisting of a channel with a bed and banks or sides substantially throughout its length along which surface water flows naturally other than the Green7Duwamish River. The channel or bed need not contain water year - round. Watercourses do not include irrigation ditches, stormwater runoff channels or devices, or other entirely artificial watercourses unless they are used by salmonids or to convey or pass through stream flows naturally occurring prior to construction of such devices (TMC 18.06.920). Watercourse #15 -14 Several weeks ago Lowell Johnson (home # 244 -2231) called me to discuss the subject watercourse swale that crosses his property in Tukwila. He resides at 12835 37th Avenue S. which is just north of S. 130th Street. Phil Fraser and I met on -site to look at the on -site drainage swale related to Mr. Johnson's plan to construct a garage near the swale. The swale is described as having significant blackberry cover and other plant species associated with upland habitat. Also, there is no defined channel bed formed by surface water flow. Lowell Johnson has requested that the City make a determination on the status of the swale area (see attached letter). Several newer, single - family homes were constructed just "upstream" from the Johnson property and may drain rooftop runoff to this swale area. However, there is no swale area above the Johnson property in the area of newer homes. The Johnsons report that flows are marginal and only occur from heavy rain events. Prior to annexation of this area, drainage alterations were likely made by King County or WSDOT. Also, the Public Works Dept. has performed some recent improvements that collected some of the runoff and routed it around this watercourse segment through the City's street pipes. 6300 Southcenter Boulevard, Suite #100 • Tukwila, Washington 98188 • (206) 431-3670 • Fax (206) 431-3665 • A • Watercourse Memo June 23, 1999 Page 2 I visited this site during the week of May 7, 1999 after significant rainfall. The flows were high in the pipe and catch basin located in 37th Avenue S. directly in front of the Johnson residence. These flows are conveyed under 37(1 Avenue S. through an old culvert to a well - defined watercourse channel. The watercourse channel below 37`" Avenue S. has a gravel stream bed and is more than 3 feet wide. It is referred to as Watercourse #15 -16 - located from 37" Ave S. to S. 128°' Street. This channel obviously receives frequent if not perennial flow and is an active drainage supported by surface water and groundwater that may originate on the upper, west side of Pacific Highway. The residential area west of Pacific Highway S., has significant groundwater discharge and wetland areas. A portion of these flows is conveyed under Pacific Highway and now flow around the Johnson property. The watercourse segment on the Johnson property probably had more frequent flow but it appears water has been diverted from this property. It was originally rated as a Type 3 Watercourse. As a related note, Mr. Johnson's neighbor has constructed a garage adjacent to the same swale area. This garage was permitted by the City —D98-0319 without environmental review. My recommendation is that this watercourse segment be removed from sensitive area regulation because it no longer conveys natural stream flow. Public Works should condition any new development on the Johnson property if there is a need to preserve a drainage area for conveying local surface water runoff. Watercourse #15 -16 This watercourse segment is located along the west side of 37`x' Avenue S., south of S. 130"i Street, and drains north to the same watercourse corridor immediately downstream of the Johnson property. To describe this segment, it is a straight channel (ditch) that conveys surface water runoff. The City's original watercourse inventory rated it as a Type 3 but only assigned it 2 points out of 10 points for this rating. This is a very low rating, which reflects little to no habitat. The watercourse rating system ranges from a total of 0 to 10 points for Type 3. Type 2 and Type 1 watercourses will have more than 10 points using the inventory rating methodology. Public Works has been maintaining it as a roadside drainage ditch by cleaning it out to keep its capacity for stormwater flows. 24 -inch and 18 -inch pipes drain to this channel from Pacific Highway S. and local flooding occurs during the winter rains. Because this drainage course is subject to flash flows, it is being scoured out and contributes to downstream sedimentation, it is not considered stable. The Sensitive Areas Ord. allows piping of Type 3 watercourses (TMC 18.45.080 D6). Public Works has scheduled this drainage for piping in the near future to eliminate the flooding and maintenance. z z w QQ6 JU UOQ W = u. J w O;. §Q co i d: w, z� O. z I— uj j p' 'oF... Lu I v` O: iii z _: 0 z Watercourse Memo June 23, 1999 Page 3 It is not clear whether this segment should have been identified as a regulated watercourse. It appears to be very marginal as a regulated watercourse since most of the flows are direct runoff from the Pacific Highway area. Without buffers and typical stream habitat and function, piping such a steep drainage would not appear to cause a significant loss. This evaluation is somewhat late relative to the piping project, but I recommend that this drainage segment also be removed from regulation. Cc: Jack Pace, Planning Manager Jim Morrow, Public Works Director Gary Schulz, Urban Environmentalist May 7`h,1999 Office of Public Works Tukwila City Hall 6200 Southcenter Blvd. Tukwila, WA 98168 To Mr. Phil Frazer and Mr. Garry Schultz, My husband and I contacted your office at the beginning of April 1999, because we would like to build a garage on our property. We wanted to know how this land is currently classified by the City of Tukwila. Ten days later, on approximately April 15th, you gentlemen were kind enough to find time to view the property in question and to speak with us. We were advised that it would be best to submit a letter to your office stating our concerns and requesting your classification of this land and hopefully permission to build on it. When we purchased this property 24 years ago, I believe that what ran in this area was "Robbins Spring Brook", but it has not run for many years now. We understand that the water was diverted further upstream. The old creek bed remains dry except for run off when it rains heavily for many days. In 1998, the neighbor behind us at 12840 35`h Ave So, put down pipes and gravel and filled in the creek bed on his property. No drainage problems have resulted from this that I am aware of. Should we be permitted to build, we would be sure to have the drainage meet city requirements. We want to be sure to go through the proper channels and have expert advice on the use of this land, before we further our building plans. We appreciate your attention to this matter. Please let us know your decision regarding the use of this land as soon as possible. Thank -you very much. Lowell and Glenna Johnson 12835 37th Ave. So. Tukwila, WA 98168 Tel: 206 - 244 -2231 • � c ..+.. vi._... hLiS' ii'.:. u.: A�; t '.:l'.'vlcvr.::5. {.r,��.�...... xJD.ii'lu..'.c.L: . ,11Son. Co (R. //I/ ac to 2.239 374(<4ue.' S , lti4- gal cn Mortgagor Ire xic Escrow Instructions for All Cash or New Mortgage Deal TO WASHINGTON ESCROW COMPANY, INC. • ESCROW NO. 43868 Gentlemen: Note and Mortgage WE /I HAND YOU HEREWITH KM for personal property included in this sale executed by the undersigned.- • -u TO DAVID D. COLE and CAROL R. COLE •said deed covering the following described reel estate, situate in the County of King _ _ . __•,.__ ,,State, of Washington: Lots 13 and 14, Block 1, Robbins Spring Brook Addition to Riverton, ' '• '""- ` according to plat recorded in Volume 16' of Plats,. page 57, in King_County Washington. _XXCEPT the North 25 feet of Lot 13. TOGETHER WITH portion of vacated alley adjacent to said Lots 13 and 14, in said block. WHICH YOU ARE AUTHORIZED TO DELIVER TO DAVIII D. COL and C1 R ITft. CZSLEE /61 t 0 `7'�.J�cAJfis /96/ 60, Easemepif- Cite -/ Det v "uai 1 , PC o (sQ...:, ,-� /S/ = ...,�S I I r Peor6r4 1 fopos.& r J� 4?s —) f e/iRp,it". ( 6.pdP4R at/' I L , ..(- $'G0 ><o _ N, i� • r4 Vie. o s,y A•G �. CI m cc_, - ©gym n cm 9 up ;° APPROVED PER PUBLIC WORKS Dqb o 3� Ll NA. `y'FMf+Y.CMWW'pY.TJiR•i,.(.A..y F Z J V i'0 O r'N 0 fA W` WI W O: 'LLQ. Z� 1— 0. LLI j U - ;OF = W — 0, 111 • Z f fl 1 _ Z