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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Committees - Land Use and Planning Board - 05/22/2017ECONOMIC and COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Ben Wolters, Director Phone: 253-856-5454 Fax: 253-856-6454 220 Fourth Avenue South Kent, WA 98032-5895 LAND USE & PLANNING BOARD WORKSHOP AGENDA MAY 22, 2017 7:00 PM BOARD MEMBERS: Katherine Jones, Chair; Jack Ottini, Vice Chair; Frank Cornelius, Dale Hartman, Randall Smith CITY STAFF: Charlene Anderson, Long Range Planning Manager; Danielle Butsick, Long Range Planner/GIS Coordinator This is to notify you that the Land Use and Planning Board will hold a Workshop on MONDAY, MAY 22, 2017 at 7:00 P.M. The workshop will be held in Kent City Hall, City Council Chambers, 220 Fourth Avenue S, Kent, WA. No public testimony is taken at LUPB workshops; however, the public is welcome to attend. The workshop agenda includes the following item(s): URBAN SEPARATORS [ZCA-2016-2] Presentation of findings in parcel inventory and characterization. Danielle Butsick For documents pertaining to the Land Use and Planning Board, access the City’s website at: http://kentwa.iqm2.com/citizens/Default.aspx?DepartmentID=1004. Any person requiring a disability accommodation should contact the City Clerk’s Office in advance at (253) 856-5725. For TTY/TDD service call the Washington Telecommunications Relay Service at (800) 833-6388. For general information, contact Economic & Community Development Department, Planning Division at (253) 856-5454. ECONOMIC & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Ben Wolters, Director Phone: 253-856-5454 Fax: 253-856-6454 220 Fourth Avenue S. Kent, WA 98032-5895 Date: May 22, 2017 TO: Chair Katherine Jones and Members of Land Use and Planning Board FROM: Danielle Butsick, Long-Range Planner/GIS Coordinator RE: Urban Separators Inventory and Characterization Report For Workshop of May 22, 2017 SUMMARY: The City received multiple requests from property owners during the 2014 and 2015 comprehensive plan amendment docket process to consider changes to zoning or allowed development density of Urban Separator parcels. City Council approved the addition of an Urban Separators analysis to the department’s work plan for 2017. Staff presented a scope of work for the project to ECDC in January, which included as its first task an inventory and characterization report of existing Urban Separators parcels. Staff will present the draft report to the board and will be available to receive feedback and answer questions. BACKGROUND: Kent’s comprehensive plan and King County Countywide Planning Policies designate certain parcels in the City as Urban Separator land use. Urban Separators are intended to create visual definition within and between urban areas, buffer rural or resource lands, and connect wildlife and critical area corridors. This designation limits development on these parcels to one residential unit per acre, as all Urban Separators are zoned SR-1, the lowest density allowed under Kent’s zoning code. Docket applicants cited neighborhood context and adjacent densities as points to consider when evaluating alternatives for potential changes in zoning designations or development restrictions. ECD staff produced a draft inventory and characterization report documenting conditions in existing Urban Separator parcels, including adjacent land uses, presence of inventoried critical areas and current development characteristics. The inventory and characterization report will lay the foundation for future work, including a consistency review, preliminary alternatives analysis, and stakeholder and public engagement. Staff will be available at the May 22nd Workshop to provide information, answer questions, and receive feedback from the LUPB on the Urban Separators report and next steps. EXHIBITS: Draft Inventory and Characterization Report; Powerpoint presentation BUDGET IMPACTS: None CC: Ben Wolters, Economic & Community Development Director Charlene Anderson, Long Range Planning Manager MOTION: For Information Only 1 2 City of Kent Urban Separators Project, 2017 Parcel Inventory and Characterization Introduction The City of Kent received three docket requests between 2014 and 2017 to consider land use plan map amendments and zoning amendments for certain parcels currently designated as Urban Separator on the city’s land use plan map, and zoned SR-1. All three doc ket applicants requested that the city consider allowing increased development density on the referenced parcels, citing existing development on adjacent properties and greater density in neighboring zoning districts as justification. This report inventories and describes the currently designated Urban Separators; it is the city’s first step in considering the requested changes. The Urban S eparator land use designation is used by King County and the City of Kent to ide ntify and preserve low-density buffer areas within and between urban areas. Countywide policies direct King County and its municipalities to designate Urban Separators as permanent low -density areas. These low-density lands are intended to protect forest and agricultural resource lands, rural communitie s, and environmentally sensitive areas . They are intended to preserve open space and connect wildlife corridors within and between communities while also providing public health, environmental, vis ual, and recreational benefits. Countywide policies also provide for a process by which amendments can be made to designated Urban Separators. Not all of the City’s Urban Separators are also designated Urban Separators in the Countywide Planning Policies. In 2001, the Kent City Council passed Ord inance 3551 amending the Kent Comprehensive Plan to provide for an Urban S eparator land use designation consistent with the King County Countywide Planning Policie s (CPPs). The City Council adopted corresponding zoning regulations that set standards for how parcels within Urban S eparators can be subdivided and developed. For instance, residential development must be “clustered” when located in Urban S eparators , concentrating development in a small segment of the property and reserving the remainder as undeveloped land or open space. Urban Separators in Kent are all zoned for single -family residential development at a density of one residential unit per acre (SR-1), the lowest residential density provided in Kent’s zoning regulations. The factors and characteristics described for Urban Separators in this report include current development conditions, property ownership and land use, presence of critical and environmentally sensitive areas, adjacent land uses and resource lands, and transportation and utility infrastructure access. These characteristics play various roles in the extent to which lands can or should be developed, and are briefly described in the following paragraphs. The City of Kent adopted a c ritical areas code in 2005, and compre hensively updated it in 2015, which describes critical or environmentally sensitive areas to be protected from development through setbacks, preservation, or other means of minimizing potential impac ts . Maps inventorying these critical areas are included in the code by reference, but actual delineation of the critical areas occurs on a case-by -case basis. Sensitive areas that may be buffered or preserved by the Urban Separator designation may include ge ological hazard areas, such as landslide hazard, erodible soils, or steep slopes, where intensive development could increase hazardous conditions or put the development itself at risk. Seismic hazard areas are also included in the city’s inventoried critic al areas, and primarily pertain to the Green River Valley seismic hazard area, where liquefiable soils are prevalent. 3 Areas at risk from flooding are identified by the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) as those with a 1% annual chance of experiencing flooding, and are often referred to as the 100-year flood zone. Although defined as critical areas in Chapter 11.06 Kent City Code, , flood hazard regulations are located in a separate chapter which describes policies and standards for development intended to reduce flood losses. Low- density Urban Separators serve as additional buffers to absorb floodwaters that extend beyond regulatory flood zone delineation. Low-density development can also prevent localized flooding in low -lying areas ne ar flood zones by preserving storm water absorption capacity. Wildlife habitat, which provides food, protective cover, nesting, breeding, or movement for certain fish and wildlife species, is also considered a critical area in the city’s c ritical areas c ode. Wildlife habitat corridors are another example of environmentally sensitive areas buffered or preserved by the low-density development regulations for Urban Separators. Urban Separators may also serve to connect wildlife habitat in multiple locations , preventing habitat fragmentation and facilitating movement within and between habitat areas. The Growth Management Act requires local jurisdictions to identify important resource areas, including forest and agricultural lands. These lands may also be buffered or protected by the Urban Separator designation, by physically separating them from the potential “spillover effects” of intensive development, like polluted storm water runoff, accidental brush fires, and damage from recreational users. Often, the Urban Separator designation is used to buffer open space areas such as parks, natural areas, or shorelines to preserve their character and maintain their integrity as recreational and environmental resources. The c ritical areas code also calls for protection of critical aquifer recharge areas to ensure that development does not have the potential to contaminate important groundwater sources or impede recharging of the aquifer by causing excessive runoff or otherwise reducing permeability. Low -densit y Urban Separators can help to maintain natural drainage and reduce the potential for intrusion of pollutants into groundwater sources. Providing ccess to transporation and utilities infrastructure, including roads, non-motorized transporation, water supply infrastructure, and sewer utility infrastructure can influence the cost of developing vacant lands or increasing density of previously developed properties. Without established access to infrastructure, or with insufficient capacity, the cost of development can dramatically increase; directing development to areas lacking this infrastructure through zoning may not be practical or appropriate. Methods and Data Sources All City of Kent parcels within the Urban Separator land use designation were selected and extracted for analysis using GIS tools. Two versions of the Urban Separator parcels layer were made; one retained the entire extent of all parcels, including those that are split between the Urban Separator land use designation and other designations . The second was “clipped” to the extent of the Urban Separators land use designation, excluding portions of parcels designated under land uses other than Urban Separators. Average parcel sizes were calculated using the unclipped version, which included the entirety of the parcel; figures pertaining to total Urban Separator acreage used the second version, which excludes non- Urban Separator portio ns of parcels. To create reporting areas or for the inventory and characterization of existing Urban Separators, the parcels were grouped into 16 “f ocus areas” labeled A through P. Focus areas were determined based on geographic proximity and similarity , and where practical, 4 date of annexat ion to the City of Kent . Figure 1, below, shows the Urban Separator focus areas to be described. Dat a used for analysis for the purposes of this report include King County Parcel Viewer 2.0 for property ownership information; Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Priority Habitat and Species (PHS) data; and City of Kent Critical Areas GIS layers including steep slopes, erosion hazards, landslide hazards, wetlands, critical aquifer recharge areas, seismic hazard, and flood hazards; and City of Kent parcels, annexation history, and 2009 City of Kent building footprint data. Data have varying dates of publication, but all layers used are the most recent versions available in the City of Kent GIS database as of February, 2017. City of Kent parcel data were downloaded from the King County GIS website, and cannot be considered entirely accurate. Recent land surveys in King County have revealed up to 15 feet divergence from GIS data, so area calculations should be considered rough estimates. Actual parcel lines and acreage would have to be determined via survey. Roa d access and utilities service areas were determined using a combination of Google satellite imagery (Copyright, 2017), and Kent’s 2008 Transporta tion Master Plan and 2015 Comprehensive Plan. Figure 1 – Urban Separator Focus Areas 5 Focus Area A – “Contemporary Construction Annex” Foc us Area A , referred to in annexation documentation as “Contemporary Construction”, was annexed to the City of Kent in 1978. The site is 19 acres, and entirely designated Urban Separator. There are five single -family homes on the 19-acre site, and seven separate parcels. Six of the parcels are privately -owned; one of these is vacant . The seventh parcel is retained by the City of Kent for storm water drainage purposes. The privately -owned parcels range in size from 0.9 acres to over five acres. The majority of the site is wooded and has steep slopes; highly erodible soils are also present throughout much of the area. The extreme southwest corner of the site is part of the Green River Valley seismic hazard zone. Below are maps indicating the location of steep slopes , erodible soils , and landslide hazard areas. Foc us Area A is bounded to the south and west by King County Urban Separators and agricultural resource lands. It also connects a wildlife corridor identified by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) as a priority terrestrial habitat area. The wildlife corridor (center) is indicated in purple in Figure A -6. WDFW describes the area as steep forested hill slopes along the Green River Valley, which are unstable, but provide wildlife habitat and migration corridors. Foc us Area A is served by local streets including Woodland Way S., a residential collector arterial, and the 97th Avenue S. cul-de-sac street. Other nearby collectors and arterials, as identified in the 2008 Transportation Master Plan (TMP) are SE 277th Street, a minor arterial, to the south; and 104th Avenue SE, alternately a residential collector arterial and a residential collector, to the east. The entire focus area is within Kent’s water and sewer utility service areas. Figure A – Focus Area A, Contemporary Construction Annex 6 Figure A-1 – Focus Area A, Erodible Soils Figure A-2 – Focus Area A, Landslide Risk Figure A-3 – Focus Area A, Steep Slopes Figure A-4 – Focus Area A, Open Space, Resource Lands, or Other Jurisdictions' Urban Separators 7 th Pl Figure A-6 – Focus Area A, Wildlife Corridor S 267th St Wo o d l a n d W a y S S 262nd Pl Figure A-5 – Focus Area A, Seismic Hazard 8 Focus Area B – “Ramstead” Focus Area B was annexed to the City of Kent in 1994 as part of the 596-acre “Ramstead” annexation. Of the 596-acre annexation site, the portion designated as Urban Separator is 105 acres. The area is bisected by S 277th Street, and includes 12 parcels, averaging roughly 8 acres . The largest two parcels are 32 and 39 acres, respectively, and are both owned by the City of Kent. The Ramstead Urban Separator parcels are almost entirely wooded with highly erodible soils and steep slopes with landslide risk. No buildings or structures are present in the focus area. A 5-acre inventoried wetland area is present on the west side of the area. Figures B-1 through B-4 depict erodible soils, landslide ris k areas, steep slopes, and wetlands , respectively. The west side of the focus area is also within the Green River Valley seismic hazard zone and is subject to the FEMA 1% annual chance flood. The Ramstead area connects two wildlife corridor areas, although S 277th Street physically separates them and prevents their contiguity. The wildlife corridors in Focus Area B are steep terrestrial habitat, similar to that described in Focus Area A. In fact, the northern segment of the wildlife corridor present in Fo cus Area B is a continuation of the corridor present in Focus Area A. Focus Area B also connects to City of Auburn Urban Separators to the southeast and City of Auburn open space areas to the southwest, including Mary Olsen Farm, North Green River greenbelt, and Auburn Golf Course. These open space areas and Urban Separators are characterized by steep slopes, erodible soils, and land slide hazards. Streets serving the focus area include S 277th Street, listed as a minor arterial in the 2008 TMP, and Green River Road S., a residential collector arterial. As there is no development in Focus Area B, no local streets are extended within its boundaries. The entire focus area is within Kent’s water supply and sewer utility service areas. Figure B – Focus Area B, Ramstead 9 Figure B-1 – Focus Area B, Erodible Soils Figure B-2 – Focus Area B, Landslide Risk Figure B-3 – Focus Area B, Steep Slopes Figure B-4 – Focus Area B, Wetlands 10 Figure B-5 – Focus Area B; Open Space, Resource Lands, or Other Jurisdictions' Urban Separators Figure B-7 – Focus Area B; FEMA 1% Flood Zone Figure B-6 – Focus Area B, Seismic Hazard 11 SE 272nd St 10 8 th Av e S E Figure B-8 – Focus Area B, Wildlife Corridor 12 Focus Area C – “Impoundment Reservoir South” Focus Area C was annexed to the City of Kent in 1987 as part of a 156-acre annexation area , referred to as the Impoundment Reservoir Annexation. Of the annexation site, 87 acres in the southern portion were designated as Urban Separator. This area is not within Kent’s contiguous boundary. There are 89 separate parcels on the site; 75 of these parcels, totaling 9 acres, have been graded and are ready for construction of single-family homes . As of February, 2017 none of the 75 lots have been pe rmitted for construction; however, Kent has issued civil permits for utilities and roads, which have been installed to access the parcels. These privately owned properties are within the Bridges Planned Unit Development (PUD), and they average roughly 0.4 acres . The PUD allows some commercial uses within the area designated Urban Separator. A large portion of the acreage in Focus Area C is owned by the City of Kent; the largest single parcel is owned by the city and is split - designated and split -zoned Urban Separator/SR-1 and SR-3. In addition to the privately - owned and city -owned parcels, twenty tracts averaging 0.3 acres have been reserved to remain undeveloped. The remaining 65 acres in the Impoundment Reservoir Annexation area that are not designat ed Urban Separator are zoned SR-3; most of the buildable lots in this area have recently-built (within the last five years) single -family homes. A substantial portion of Focus Area C consists of inventoried critical area s, including erodible soils, lands lide risk, 32 acres of wetlands, and a small area with steep slopes. Refer to Figures C-1 through C-5 for Focus Area C critical areas. Focus Area C also has a WDFW-designated wildlife corridor for priority wetland habitat. The WDFW designated wildlife c orridor (Figure C -6) is roughly aligned with the city -designated critical wetland area. As the site is not within Kent’s contiguous boundary, there are no City of Kent parks nearby; Figure C – Focus Area C, Impoundment Reservoir South 13 Figure C-1 – Focus Area C, Erodible Soils Figure C-2 – Focus Area C, Landslide Risk Figure C-3 – Focus Area C, Steep Slopes Figure C-4 – Focus Area C, Wetlands however, the site is immediately adjacent to Auburndale II Park to the west. Auburndale II is part of the City of Auburn’s park system, and is a wooded 9.3-acre property with a network of gravel walking trails. Adjacent to Focus Area C to the northwest are City of Auburn Urban Separator parcels zoned R1 (one residential unit per acre), which have inventoried critical areas characterized by steep slopes, erodible soils, and landslide hazards. A network of local streets is present throughout Focus Area C, serving the residential lots within the Bridges development. City of Auburn streets form the boundaries of the focus area, including 124th Avenue SE, SE 304th Street, both of which are identified as minor arterials in Auburn’s 2015 Transportation Comprehensive Plan. Focus Area C is served by the City of Kent’s water supply sytem, and the City of Auburn’s sewer utility system. 14 SE 296th Way 12 4 th Av e S E 11 8 th Av e . S E Figure C-6 – Focus Area C, Wildlife Corridor Figure C-5 – Focus Area C; Open Space, Resource Lands, and Other Jurisdictions’ Urban Separators 15 Focus Area D – “Meridian South” The Meridian South focus area, Focus Area D, was annexed in 1996 as part of a 3,329-acre annexation. Of the annexation site, 239 total acres are Urban Separator; properties in this focus area total 124 acres . There are 47 separate parcels in Focus Area D; all are privately owned and average over 2.5 acres in size . Three of the parcels at the northeast corner of the site are split -zoned; together, they extend approximately 0.2 acre into the SR-6 zoning district to the east. Present uses in Focus Area D are primarily low -density residential and Reber Ranch, which includes a veterinary c linic, dog park, farm and feed store, and equestrian center. Focus Area D has coincident erodible soils and landslide risk in the southwest quadrant of the site. There is also a s mall region of steep slopes at the extreme southwest corner. Nineteen acres of designated critical wetlands exist throughout the focus area; the largest contiguous wetland runs north-south across its entire length. The Meridian South focus area is also entirely within a designated critical aquifer recharge area, and t he central approximately one quarter of the focus area is within the Green River Valley seismic hazard zone. Streams running through the center and southwest quadrant of the site serve as WDFW priority habitat and breeding grounds for c oho salmon and resident coa stal c utthroat trout. The streams running through Focus Area D also create a linkage between aquatic habitat corridors to the north, south, and east. These wildlife corridors can be seen in Figure D-8. Focus Area D connects to City of Auburn Urban Separator parcels zoned R1, immediately to the south and west , as can be seen in Figure D-6. The adjacent Auburn Urban Separators, like Focus Area D, contain wetlands, landslide risk, and erodible soils. Figure D – Focus Area D, Meridian South 16 Focus Area D is served by a minor arterial, 132nd Avenue SE, to the south and a residential collector arterial, SE 282nd Street, to the north. Local streets off of these arterials serve the residential uses within the focus area. Focus Area D is within the District #111 water supply service area; sewer utility service is provided by Soos Creek Water & Sewer District. Figure D-2 – Focus Area D, Erodible Soils Figure D-1 – Focus Area D, Aquifer Recharge Area Figure D-3 – Focus Area D, Landslide Risk Figure D-4 – Focus Area D, Steep Slopes 17 Figure D-5 – Focus Area D, Wetlands Figure D-6 – Focus Area D; Open Space, Resource Lands, or Other Jurisdictions’ Urban Separators Figure D-7 – Focus Area D, Seismic Hazard 18 SE 282nd St SE 288th St 13 2 nd Av e S E Figure D-8 – Focus Area D, Wildlife Corridor 14 0 Av e S E 19 Focus Area E – “Meridian East” Focus Area E, Meridian East, was annexed to the City of Kent in 1996 as part of a 3,329- acre annexation generally referred to as the Meridian annexation. Of the annexation area , 239 total acres are designated Urban Separator; properties in this focus area total 52.5 acres. Foc us Area E contains 16 individual parcels, which are both privately - and publicly -owned. All three of the properties in the northeast segment are state-owned; two of these properties , with total acreage of six and seven acres, respectively, are owned by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR). A third, three -acre property is owned by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). Neither of these properties is entirely within the Urban Separator designation; each is split between Urban Separator and open space designations. Soos Creek Estates is located in in the northwesternmost segment of the focus area. This mobile home park contains 118 individual mobile homes. The southern segment of the focus area is primarily privately owned, with parcel sizes ranging from 0.5 to 4.5 acres. Publicly owned properties include City of Kent Fire Station 75 at the north of the southern segment on the south side of S 272nd Street, and a 0.5-acre wooded property to the south of the fire station owned by King County Parks. This King County Parks property abuts Soos Creek at its eastern border. Focus Area E is entirely within a critical aquifer recharge area. It also contains roughly 19 acres of inventoried wetland. In the easternmost portion of the focus area, north of Kent Kangley Road, is a narrow band of inventoried steep slopes. The eastern portion of the focus area, along Soos Creek, is subject to the FEMA 1% annual chance flood. Figure E – Focus Area E, Meridian East 20 The focus area abuts several open space corridors, including those that connect to Soos Creek. Urban separators in the City of Covington span the entire northern and eastern perimeter of the Meridian East focus area. A wildlife habitat corridor (Figure E-6) runs through Focus Area E, which according to the WDFW Priority Habitat and Species dataset includes aquatic habitat and f reshwater forested/shrub wetland . Streams in the inventoried habitat corridor carry coho salmon, steelhead, Chinook salmon, resident coastal cutthroat trout. The streams in the area are also identified as breeding grounds for coho salmon. Focus Area E is served by SR-516/Kent Kangley Road, with local streets and driveways spurring off of Kent Kangley road to access residential uses. The focus area is bounded to the west by 156th Avenue SE, a residential collector arterial. The majority of Focus Area E is served by District #111 for water supply services, although small portions to the east are served by the Covington Water District. The northern segment of the foc us area, north of SE Kent Kangley Road, is served by Soos Creek Water & Sewer District for sewer utility service; the southern segment is not served by a public district, and properties in this area are on private septic systems. 21 Figure E-1 – Focus Area E, Aquifer Recharge Area Figure E-2 – Focus Area E, Steep Slopes Figure E-3 – Focus Area E, Wetlands Figure E-4 – Focus Area E; Open Space, Resource Lands, or Other Jurisdictions’ Urban Separators 22 SE 272nd St/SR-516 15 2 nd Av e S E Figure E-6 – Focus Area E, Wildlife Corridor Figure E-5 – Focus Area E, FEMA 1% Flood Zone 23 Focus Area F – “Meridian Northeast” Focus Area F was annexed to the City of Kent in 1996 as part of the above referenced 3,329-acre Meridian annexation. Of the annexation site, 239 acres are Urban Separator; the parcels in this focus area total 33 acres. The focus area is oriented diagonally northwest to southeast and abuts slopes in the City of Covington to the east. The Meridian Northeast focus area includes 16 parcels, which average approximately 2 acres in size and are primarily privately owned. The City of Kent owns three parcels in the northern segment of the focus area, which total roughly 9 acres. These publicly -owned parcels are adjacent on their eastern borders to City of Kent -owned open space properties and King County Parks propert ies, including a segment of Soos Creek Park. The entirety of Focus Area F’s eastern border is adjacent to open space or City of Covington Urban Separators; the southern boundary of the south segment abuts a portion of Soos Creek Park. The vicinity of S oos Creek is subject to the FEMA 1% annual chance flood; most of Focus Area F is outside of the flood zone, but it does cross into small segments along the eastern border of the focus area. See Figure F-8 for a map depicting the Focus Area F flood zone. Inventoried critical areas are present throughout the Meridian Northeast focus area; the northern half of the focus area is within the inventoried critical aquifer recharge area, as is a segment at the far southeast. Erodible soils and landslide hazard are as cut through the center of the focus area ; these areas also align with the seismic hazard zone. There are 16 acres of inventoried wetland present, along the area’s eastern side; these connect to City of Covington wetlands to the east. See figures F-1 through F -7 for maps of these critical areas. Similar to Focus Area E, Focus Area F contains a WDFW inventoried wildlife corridor, Figure F – Focus Area F, Meridian Northeast 24 characterized by freshwater forested/shrub wetland habitat, and Soos Creek/Meridian Valley Creek stream habitat carrying steelhead, Chinook salmon, coastal cutthroat trout, and coho salmon. The stream is inventoried breeding grounds for coho salmon. Focus Area F is served by SE 256th Street, a minor arterial per the 2008 TMP, and is borderd to the west by 148th Avenue SE, a residential collector arterial. Residential uses are served by local streets and gravel driveways. Water supply service is provided to Focus Area F by District #111; it is served by the Soos Creek Sewer & Water District for sewer utility service. Figure F-3 – Focus Area F, Landslide Risk Figure F-4 – Focus Area F, Steep Slopes Figure F-1 – Focus Area F, Aquifer Recharge Area Figure F-2 – Focus Area F, Erodible Soils 25 Figure F-5 – Focus Area F, Wetlands Figure F-6 – Focus Area F; Open Space, Resource Lands, or Other Jurisdictions’ Urban Separators Figure F-7 – Focus Area F, Seismic Hazards Figure F-8 – Focus Area F, FEMA 1% Flood Zone 26 SE 256th St SE 260th St 15 2 nd Av e S E 148 th Av e S E Figure F-9 – Focus Area F, Wildlife Corridor 27 Focus Area G – “Meridian Valley” Focus Area G was annexed to the City of Kent in 1997 as part of the 902-acre annexation generally referred to as Meridian Valley. Of the annexation site, 50 acres are designated Urban Separator, and are all within this focus area . The 30 individual parcels within Focus Area G are all privately owned ; the focus area also includes a 1-acre undevelopable tract. Development on the site is primarily single -family residential with an average lot size of 1.5 acres; the largest parcel is over 8 acres and includes a residential structure and a manicured gras s field. Other properties in the focus area, 2-3 acres in size, are used for livestock and equestrian purposes. Focus Area G is entirely within Kent’s inventoried critical aquifer recharge area , and it contains roughly 2 acres of inventoried wetlands. Its eastern border, as well as narrow bands through its center, contain inventoried critical areas for erodible soils, landslide hazards, and steep slopes. The eastern portion of the Meridian Valley focus area is also within the seismic hazard zone. Figures G-1 through G-7 graphically depict these critical areas. To the east of Focus Area G is Soos Creek Trail and its associated park system, owned by King County Parks. The Soos Creek FEMA 1% annual chance flood zone runs adjacent to Focus Area G to the east , without actually reaching into the focus area. Farther east beyond the Soos Creek Trail system, and to the southeast of Focus Area G, are City of Covington Urban Separator properties. The Meridian Valley Urban Separator focus area is adjacent to a WDFW inventoried priority habitat area for freshwater forested/shrub wetland habitat and Soos Creek, which carries Chinook salmon, coho salmon, and coastal cutthroat trout. Refer to Figure G-8 for a map of the WDFW wildlife corridor. The Meridian Valley Urban Separator properties appear to serve Figure G – Focus Area G, Meridian Valley 28 as a buffer between these habitat areas and single-family residential areas zoned SR-4.5. Focus Area G is served to the east by SE 240th Street and 148th Avenue SE, a minor arterial and residential collector arte rial, respectively. 148th Avenue SE connects to a second minor arterial, SE 256th Street, to the south. A residential collector, 144th Avenue SE, bisects the focus area in a north-south orientation. Just to the north of the focus area is the trailhead for Soos Creek Trail, a 7-mile paved multi-use non-motorized trail running northwest - southeast. Soos Creek Sewer & Water District provides sewer utility service for Focus Area G; water supply service is provided by District #111 for the segments south of SE 240th Street, and by Soos Creek Water District for the segment to the north. Figure G-1 – Focus Area G, Aquifer Recharge Area Figure G-2 – Focus Area G, Erodible Soils Figure G-3 – Focus Area F, Landslide Risk Figure G-4 – Focus Area G, Steep Slopes 29 Figure G-5 – Focus Area G, Wetlands Figure G-6 – Focus Area G; Open Space, Resource Lands, or Other Jurisdictions’ Urban Separators Figure G-7 – Focus Area G, Seismic Hazards Figure G-8 – Focus Area G, FEMA 1% Flood Zone 30 144 th Av e S E Figure G-9 – Focus Area G, Wildlife Corridor SE237th Pl SE 240th St 148 th Av e S E 148 th Av e S E 145 th Pl SE 31 Focus Area H – “Soos Creek” The Soos Creek focus area was annexed to the City of Kent in 2010 as part of the Panther Lake annexation, which totaled 3,346 acres. Of the larger annexation site, 438 acres are designated Urban Separator; parcels in this focus area total 233 acres. Focus Area H contains 101 individual parcels, and 4 reserved undevelopable tracts. The average size of these parcels is just over 2 acres; however, the parcels vary widely in size from less than one acre to over 26 acres. The majority of the Focus Area H properties are privately owned, although the largest parcel, at just over 26 acres, is owned by the City of Kent. The city also owns a 6-acre parcel, which is contiguous with this la rger property. Three parcels near the center of the focus area, including the 26-acre City of Kent parcel, are split -designated between Urban Separator, zoned SR-1; and Single Family Residential, zoned SR-4.5. One parcel, which is privately owned, is split -designated between Urban Separator, zoned SR-1; and Single Family Residential, zoned SR-8. Of the 101 properties, 84 contain structures of some kind; 17 are vacant. Uses in this area are primarily single - family residences and associated structures, as well as a public elementary school, a dog daycare and kennel, and private equestrian uses. In the northern half of the focus area, an 8-acre single -family residential subdivision built in the late 1970s is present, in which parcels average .25 acre in size. Inventoried critical areas for erodible soils, landslide risk, and steep slopes cut through the center of the focus area, running parallel to the slopes in unincorporated King County to the east. The northernmost segment of the focus area also has incidence of erodible soils and landslide hazard. Three major (>1 acre) inventoried wetland bodies, as well as several smaller wetland bodies, are present in Focus Area H, with a total area of 37.5 acres of wetland. Large wetland bodies (8-10 acres) are also present outside of the focus area to the west , and are part of the wildlife corridor described below. The southern half of the focus area is subject to seismic hazards. Figure H – Focus Area H, Soos Creek 32 Figure H-1 – Focus Area H, Erodible Soils King County open space and greenbelts, including the Soos Creek Trail system, span the entire east and north borders of Focus Area H, and the FEMA 1% annual chance flood zone crosses slightly into the focus area on the far eastern edge. The City of Kent received a docket request in 2014 to consider rezoning a 2.3 acre parcel in the northwest segment of Focus Area H. A map indicating the location of the parcel is shown in Figure H-7. The request was to consider rezoning this particular parcel to match that of the parcels to the west, which are zoned SR-6. Current zoning, not controlling for any site constraints would allow 2 dwelling units on the parcel, if subdivided. By rezoning the parcel to SR-6, allowed density would increase to a total of 12 dwelling units on the property, if subdivided. No inventoried critical areas are present on the docket property, although a small (<1/10 acre) wetland body is present on the property directly to the south, and large wetland bodies are present to the west and southeast within 1,000 to 1,200 feet. It is surrounded on three sides by properties zoned SR-1; it is bordered to the west by 132nd Avenue SE. On the west side of 132nd Avenue SE, properties are zoned SR-6. A wildlife corridor inventoried by WDFW as priority wetland or emergent wetland habitat runs northwest to southeast adjacent to the east side of the focus area. Also in this wildlife corridor are streams carrying coastal cutthroat trout, coho salmon, and Chinook salmon. It is a bre eding area for coho salmon. Focus Area H is served by an east -west minor arterial at the northern end, SE 208th Street and a north-south minor arterial that forms the northern portion of the focus area’s western border. The southern portion of the focus area can be accessed north-south through 140th Avenue SE and east -west through SE 133rd Street, both residential collectors. The focus area is served by Soos Creek Trail to the east, for non-motorized transportation. The Soos Creek Water & Sewer District provides water supply and sewer utility service for Focus Area H. A small segment south of SE 244th Street does not have sewer utility service. Figure H-2 – Focus Area H, Landslide Risk 33 Figure H-3 – Focus Area H, Steep Slopes Figure H-4 – Focus Area H, Wetlands Figure H-5 – Focus Area H; Open Space, Resource Lands, or Other Jurisdictions’ Urban Separators Figure H-6 – Focus Area H, Seismic Hazard 34 Figure H-7 – Focus Area H, Docket Parcels (Rezone Requested) Figure H-8 – Focus Area H, FEMA 1% Flood Zone Figure H-8 – Focus Area H, Wildlife Corridor SE 208th St 14 8 th Av e S E SE 244th St SE 240th St 13 2 nd Av e S E 11 6 th Av e S E 35 Focus Area I –“Panther Lake Northeast” Focus Area I was annexed to the City of Kent in 2010 as part of the 3,346-acre Panther Lake annexation. Of the annexation site, 438 acres are Urban Separator; this focus area is 39 acres. There are 40 separate parcels in the Panther Lake Northeast Urban Separator focus area, which average just less than 1 acre in size. There are 3 reserved undevelopable tracts, totaling less than .5 acre . In the center of the site is a 4.5 acre subdivision, with 22 parcels averaging less than .25 acre each. The remaining 18 parcels average over 1.5 acres in size. All but one of the 40 parcels are privately owned; the largest of these is over 9 acres. The second largest property, at roughly 3.6 acres in size, is owned by the City of Kent. All three of the reserved tracts are vacant, as are four of the 40 parcels, including the 3.6-acre City of Kent property. Inventoried crit ical areas in Focus Area I include bands of erodible soils and landslide hazard across the northern half of the focus area, and small slivers of erodible soils and landslide hazard areas at its southeasternmost edge, which extend into unincorporated King County. Small slivers of steep slopes are present in the northwest and southeast. Focus Area I contains 8 acres of inventoried wetland, primarily located in the southern segment and at the far northeast perimeter. Focus Area I is adjacent to King County open space and greenbelts, including the Soos Creek Trail system, along its entire eastern and northern border. To the south and to the west, properties are zoned SR-6; those to the southwest are zoned SR-1. A wildlife corridor, inventoried by WDFW in the PHS database, is adjacent to the focus area to the east. It contains wetland and emergent wetland habitat, as well as freshwater forested/shrub wetland. Priority wetland habitat is also present within the f ocus area, the majority of which is located in the eastern portion of the southern segment. Figure I – Focus Area I, Panther Lake Northeast 36 124th Avenue SE, a residential collector arterial, runs north-south along the western border of Focus Area I. Local streets and driveways, including the SE 198th Place cul-de-sac serve the residential uses in the focus area. At the northernmost edge of the focus area is the trailhead for Soos Creek Trail, a paved, multi-use path which runs along its entire eastern perimeter. Focus Area I is served by Soos Creek Water & Sewer District for water supply and sewer utility service. Figure I-1 – Focus Area I, Erodible Soils Figure I-2 – Focus Area I, Landslide Risk Figure I-3 – Focus Area I, Steep Slopes Figure I-4 – Focus Area I, Wetlands 37 Figure I-5 – Focus Area I; Open Space, Resource Lands, or Other Jurisdictions’ Urban Separators Figure I-6 – Focus Area I, Wildlife Corridor SE 198th Pl 12 4 th Av e S E SE 200th St SE 201st Pl SE 192nd St 11 9 th Av e S E 38 Focus Area J – “Panther Lake” Focus Area J was also annexed in 2010 as part of the 3,346-acre Panther Lake annexation. Of the annexation site, 438 acres are Urban Separator; parcels in this focus area total 140 acres. The area has 90 separate parcels, averaging roughly 1.5 acres. The largest four parc els, however, range from 6 to 16 acres. Nearly all of the parcels have structures on them; only seven are entirely vacant. Structures include single family homes and the New Hope Presbyterian Church. Property ownership in in the Panther Lake focus area is primarily private. Two properties out of 90 are publicly owned , each just under one acre; one of these is owned by the City of Kent, and one is owned by the State of Washington. The city received a docket request to consider rezoning a contiguous group of 8 parcels at the southwest corner of the focus area from SR-1 to SR-6 or SR-8 (see Figure J -6). The parcels on the docket request have an average size of just over ½ acre; the largest single parcel is 1.3 acres. Not controlling for any site constraints, and dependent upon confirmation of legal lot size via survey, current zoning would allow for less than one dwelling unit per parcel, if subdivided. A rezone to SR-6 would result in average allowable density of four dwelling units on each of the eight parcels . The city’s adopted density calculation method, KCC 15.02.096, does not allow rounding in density calculations for subdivisions of less than four lots; three of the parcels have development potential under SR-6 of less than two units, so these parcels would not be allowed to subdivide under SR-6 zoning. A rezone to SR-8 would likely allow an average of just less than six dwelling units on each parcel; depending on legal lot survey results, the smallest parcel may be too small to subdivide even under SR-8 density . Properties adjacent to the south are zoned MR-G, for low-density multifamily. To the west, Figure J – Focus Area J, Panther Lake 39 across 108th Avenue SE, diagonally, are properties zoned SR-6; diagonally to the east are properties zoned SR-8. No critical areas are present on these 8 properties; however, there are inventoried wetlands on parcels directly to the south, as well as an 83-acre inventoried wetland body (Panther Lake), less than 500 feet from the nearest property. To the southwest is a mobile home park, Pantera Lago Estates, and an apartment complex called Windsong Arbor. Focus Area J abuts the City of Renton to the west. The 2011 King County County wide Planning Policy (CPP) Urban Separators South Overview map shows a City of Renton Urban Separator corridor immediately to the west of the City of Kent Panther Lake parcels, which connects to Kent Urban Separator parcels as far west as SR-167. This CPP-mapped Urban Separator corridor appears to create a continuous linkage between Soos Creek wetlands to the east of Focus Area J, wetlands surrounding Panther Lake, and wetlands at the SR-167 corridor. The City of Renton’s comprehensive land use map designates these parcels as low -density single family; the City of Renton parcels are variously zoned R-1, RC (resource conservancy), and R-4 (four residential units per acre ). Although depicted as Urban Separators on countywide maps, the City of Renton does not consider those properties zoned R-4 as Urban Separators. A small portion of Focus Area J is inventoried critical area for erodible soils, steep slopes, or landslide risk. Over 40 acres of the site is inventoried wetland ; the focus area parcels surround Panther Lake, a priority wetland habitat area in the WDFW Priority Habitat and Species database. The database also shows two locations in the immediate vicinity of Focus Area J used by bald eagles as nesting and breeding grounds. The Panther Lake focus area is bounded to the west by SR-515/108th Avenue SE, a principal arterial in Kent and Renton. SE 208th Street, a minor arterial, runs east -west at the southern border of the focus area; and SE 196th Street, a residential collector arterial, forms the northern border. A network of local streets and driveways serve the residential uses off of the arterials. Focus Area J is served by Soos Creek Water & Sewer District for water supply and sewer utility service. Figure J-1 – Focus Area J, Erodible Soils Figure J-2 – Focus Area J, Landslide Risk 40 Figure J-3 – Focus Area J, Steep Slopes Figure J-4 – Focus Area J, Wetlands Figure J-5 – Focus Area J, Open Space, Resource Lands, or Other Jurisdictions’ Urban Separators Figure J-6 – Focus Area J, Docket Parcels (Rezone Requested) 41 SE 196th St SE 208th St 10 8 th Av e S E Figure J-7 – Focus Area J, Wildlife Corridor 11 6 th Av e S E SE 192nd St 42 Focus Area K – “Wilson Road” The 300-ac re “Wilson Road” annexation was annexed to the City of Kent in 1959. Of the 300-acre annexation, 36 acres are designated as Urban Separators, comprising Focus Area K. Focus Area K is made up of 11 parcels, averaging just over 3 acres each. The largest parcel is 9.5 acres , and is split between 9 acres in the City of Kent and .5 acre in the City of Renton; both segments are designated Urban Separator. Seven of the 11 parcels have structures built on them, and 4 are vacant. Ten of the parcels are privately owned; the second largest parcel, at 6.3 acres, is owned by the City of Renton. The southernmost 4 parcels are entirely within a critical aquifer recharge area, along with small slivers of an additional two parcels. Focus Area K has c oincident inventoried erodible soils and landslide risk areas through the center of the site; patches of inventoried steep slopes are also present in various locations. Roughly 1.7 acres of inventoried wetlands are present on the site; a narrow band crosses its entire width east to west toward the southern portion of the site. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) PHS data show documented incidence of residential coastal cutthroat trout and breeding areas for coho salmon in Springbrook Creek at the northern perimeter of the site. The site creates a linkage between WDFW PHS wetland habitat to the north and to the east in the City of Renton, including Springbrook Trout Farm, where b lue heron, kingfisher, woodpecker, and osprey are frequently sighted. Focus Area K is directly adjacent to SR-167, which runs north-south at its western border, but there is no direct connection. S 200th Street, a residential collector arterial, approaches the southeast corner of the focus area, but turns 90 degrees south t o 92nd Avenue S before entering the area. The only direct access to the focus area is through local streets and gravel driveways. Figure K – Focus Area K, Wilson Road 43 The southern half of Focus Area K is served by Soos Creek Water & Sewer District for water supply and sewer utility service ; the northern half if served by Renton Sewer & Water District. Figure K-2 – Focus Area K, Erodible Soils Figure K-1 – Focus Area K, Aquifer Recharge Area Figure K-4 – Focus Area K, Steep Slopes Figure K-3 – Focus Area K, Landslide Risk 44 Figure K-5 – Focus Area K, Wetlands Figure K-6 – Open Space, Resource Lands, or Other Jurisdictions’ Urban Separators Figure K-5 – Focus Area K, FEMA 1% Flood Zone 45 S 192nd St S 200th St Figure K-6 – Focus Area K, Wildlife Corridor 92 nd Av e . S S 196th Pl 46 Focus Area L – “Chestnut Ridge -Cloverdale” Focus Area L, the Chestnut Ridge-Cloverdale Urban Separator, totals 52 acres. It was annexed to the City of Kent in three parts in 1958, 1977, and 1993, respectively. The southwestern segment was annexed to Kent in 1958 as part of the 300-acre Cloverdale annexation, of which 14 acres have been designated as Urban S eparator. Kent annexed the southeastern part of Focus Area L in 1977 as part of the 59-acre Lien annexation; 10 of the total 59 acres have been designated Urban Separator. The 187-acre Chestnut Ridge annexation included the northern portion of Focus Area L, and contains a total of 28 acres designated as Urban Separator. There are eight individual parcels in the Chestnut Ridge -Cloverdale Urban Separator focus area . The King County parcel GIS data also shows a sliver of a privately owned parcel on the northeasternmost corner of the focus area , which appears to be part of a larger parcel to the south, across S 208th Street , and outside of the Urban Separator. This parcel sliver also appears to be within the street right -of-way, and may reflect an error in the King County data . Seven parcels comprise the southern segment of the focus area, and are all owned by the City of Kent. The northern segment is privately owned. There are no structures on the Focus Area L properties. The entire Chestnut Ridge-Clo verdale Urban Separators focus area is within the designated critical aquifer recharge area. A large portion of the northern segment contains erodible soils and landslide risk, as do portions of the southern segment . Isolated slivers of steep slopes are present throughout Focus Area L, and the 52-acre area contains over 18 acres of wetland. The eastern portion of the northern segment is subject to seismic hazards, as is the northern edge of the southern segment. Maps of these areas are shown in Figure L-1 through L-6. Focus Area L is not immediately adjacent to designated open space, and being centrally Figure L – Focus Area L, Chestnut Ridge-Cloverdale 47 Figure L-2 – Focus Area L, Erodible Soils Figure L-1 – Focus Area L, Aquifer Recharge Area located well within city limits, it does not abut other jurisdictions’ Urban Separators. A WDFW inventoried wildlife corridor is present in the sout hern segment of Focus Area L. This corridor contains freshwater forested/shrub wetland habitat, and a stream that carries coho salmon, Chinook salmon, and coastal cutthroat trout. It is also a breeding area for coho salmon. Focus Area L is served by a principal arterial, S 212th Street, which bisects it running east - west and along its northeast border. S 208th Street, a residential collector arterial, runs east -west along the northern edge of the focus area. S 218th is a residential collector arterial, running east -west and then north south at the southern end of Focus Area L. The northern portion of Focus Area L, north of S 212th Street and west of S 212th Way, is served by Soos Creek Water & Sewer District for water supply service; the southern half is served by the Kent Water Franchise. Sewer utility service is provided by the City of Kent. 48 Figure L-4 – Focus Area L, Steep Slopes Figure L-3 – Focus Area L, Landslide Risk Figure L-5 – Focus Area L, Wetlands Figure L-6 – Focus Area L, Seismic Hazard 49 Figure L-7 – Focus Area L, Wildlife Corridor S 212th St S 208h St S 218th St 98 th Av e S S 218th St 96 th Av e S 50 Focus Area M – “O’Connell-McCann” Focus Area M, O’Connell-McCann, was annexed to the City of Kent in three separate annexations, between 1968 and 1971. The central portion was annexed in 1968, as part of the 131-acre Kaltenbach annexation; 68 of the 131 acres annexed are designated Urban Separator. The north and western portions of the focus area were annexed to the city as part of the 68-acre O’Connell annexation in 1971. Of the 68-acre annexation, 33 acres are designated Urban Separator. The small southern segments were annexed to the city in 1970. This portion was part of the McCann annexation, which totaled 125 acres, of which 21 acres are designated Urban Separator. There are 21 separate parcels in Focus Area M, with an average size of approximately 6 acres. Six of the parcels have structures on them, primarily single -family homes and agricultural buildings; the remaining 15 are vacant. Focus Area M contains no erodible soils or landslide hazard areas; however, there are segments of these critical areas adjacent to the focus area. Maps below in Figure M-1 and M-2 show these areas. A very small sliver of inventoried critical area for steep slopes is present in the southern segments , shown in Figure M-3. Nearly the entire focus area is within an inventoried wetland, totaling 114 acres. The Green River Valley seismic hazard area covers all but a narrow sliver at the western edge of the focus area, and most of the area is also within the area identified by FEMA as the 1% annual chance flood zone, or 100- year flood. An inventoried agricultural resource area is present in the center of the focus area, as shown in Figure M-5. Open space lands area adjacent to the north and south of Focus Area M, as well as its eastern perimeter, along the Green River. Figure M – Focus Area M, O’Connell-McCann 51 Figure M-2 – Focus Area M, Landslide Risk Figure M-1 – Focus Area M, Erodible Soils T he majority o f Focus Area M is within a WDFW priority wildlife corridor, identified as freshwater emergent wetland, freshwater forested/shrub wetland, and waterfowl concentrations. These wildlife habitat areas also extend into the agricultural and open space lands surrounding the Urban Separator focus area. Focus Area M is served by a principal arterial, the S. 212th Street and Orillia Road corridor, to the west and south. The 42nd Avenue S., 37th Place South, and Riverview Boulevard S. residential collector arterial corridors connect to the focus area to the southwest. The City of Kent provides sewer utility and water supply service for Focus Area M. 52 Figure M-4 – Focus Area M, Wetlands Figure M-5 – Focus Area M; Open Space, Resource Lands, or Other Jurisdictions’ Urban Separators Figure M-6 – Focus Area M, Seismic Hazard Figure M-3 – Focus Area M, Steep Slopes 53 Figure M-7 – Focus Area M, FEMA 1% Flood Zone Figure M-7 – Focus Area M, Wildlife Corridor S 212th St S 200th St 42 nd Av e S S 216th St S 204th St 54 Focus Area N – “Highlands North” Focus Area N was annexed in 1959 as part of the 609-acre annexation area generally referred to as the Highlands. Of the Highlands annexation area , 276 acres are designated Urban Separator; this focus area is 107 acres. Eleven individual parcels are present within Focus Area N; their average size is just less than 10 acres. The City of Kent owns nine of the parcels, and two are privately owned. One of the properties, at the far northwest of the focus area, contains a single -family residence. The remaining 10 properties, totaling 104 acres, are vacant. Steep slopes, erodible soils, and landslide risk characterize the western edges of Focus Area N, as well as broad bands through its center and surrounding Veterans Drive. The eastern half of the focus area is within the Green River Valley seismic hazard zone, and much of this area is also subject to the FEMA 1% annual chance flood. The Highlands North Urban Separator focus area is adjacent to SeaTac’s Grandview Off - Leash Dog Park to the west, and Kent’s Green River Trail and Green River Natural Resources Area to the east. Over 35 acres of inventoried wetland are present in Focus Area N. Much of the inventoried wetland is also included in the WDFW priority habitat and species inventory as freshwater forested/shrub wetland and aquatic habitat. This wildlife corridor can be seen in Figure N-7. Focus Area N is served by Veterans Drive, a minor arterial, which runs east -west and bisects the focus area. Frager Road, a paved bicycle path along the west side of the Green River, offers non-motorized transportation access. Local streets to the north and west, and the Riverview Boulevard S. residential collector arterial, serve residential areas adjacent to the Urban Separator focus area. Figure N – Focus Area N, Highlands North 55 Figure N-2 – Focus Area N, Landslide Risk Figure N-1 – Focus Area N, Erodible Soils Figure N-4 – Focus Area N, Wetlands Figure N-3 – Focus Area M, Steep Slopes Water supply service is provided by the Highline Water District for Focus Area N; sewer utility service is provided by the City of Kent. 56 Figure N-6 – Focus Area N, Seismic Hazard Figure N-5 – Focus Area N; Open Space, Resource Lands, or Other Jurisdictions’ Urban Separators Figure N-7 – Focus Area N, FEMA 1% Flood Zone 57 Figure N-7 – Focus Area N, Wildlife Corridor 58 Focus Area O – “Highlands-Saltair” The Highlands -Saltair Urban Separator focus area, Focus Area O, was annexed to the City of Kent in two parts: the 609-acre Kent Highlands annexation in 1959, and the 1,212-acre Saltair Hills annexation in 1958. Of the Kent Highlands annexation, 254 t otal acres are designated as Urban Separator; 146 acres are in Focus Area O. Forty -one acres of the Saltair Hills annexation were designated as Urban Separator, all of which are in Focus Area O. The western edges of Focus Area O contain inventoried crit ical areas for erodible soils, landslide hazard, and steep slopes. All but the westernmost perimeter is within the Green River Valley seismic hazard area. Also present throughout the focus area are areas subject to the FEMA 1% annual chance flood, shown in Figure O-7. There are 32 individual properties in Focus Area O, five of which are split -designated between Urban Separator and other land use designations. One 14-acre parcel in the southern portion of the focus area is split between Urban Separator and Medium Density Multifamily; this property is owned by the Westridge Townhomes Condominium complex. T wo properties in the center of the focus area, 10 acres and 51 acres, respectively, are split -designated Urban Separator and Transit -Oriented Community. Both are owned by the City of Seattle. Two parcels at the far southeast end of the focus area are split between the City of Kent and unincorporated King County. One is just less than two acres; the other is roughly 0.7 acre. These properties are partially within the Urban Separator land us e designation, and SR-1 zoning; and partially within King County agricultural resource lands. The average size of parcels in Focus Area O is six acres; only five of the 32 properties contain structures. These are primarily single -family residences and utility -related structures . The 2009 building footprint layer indicates the presence of large agricultural or Figure O – Focus Area O, Highlands-Saltair 59 Figure O -2 – Focus Area O, Landslide Risk Figure O -1 – Focus Area O, Erodible Soils greenhouse buildings in the center of the focus area; however, these have recently been demolished. Ken t’s Riverbend Golf Course is adjacent to the south of the largest segment of Focus Area O, indicated as open space in Figure O-5 below. King County agricultural resource lands are present off of the southeast edge of the focus area. A WDFW -inventoried wildlife corridor is present on the west side of the focus area, identified as freshwater forested/shrub wetland and aquatic habitat. This corridor has documented incidence of coho salmon, as does the Green River habitat area adjacent to the focus area to the east, which also carries bull trout, coastal cutthroat trout, steelhead, and pink salmon during odd-numbered years. The east -central region of the focus area contains a bald eagle breeding area. The largest portion of Focus Area O is served directly only by Frager Road, to the east, which connects to W. Meeker Street, a minor arterial, to the south. The narrow segment to the south, which includes the Old Fishing Hole, can also be accessed from W Meeker Street and Frager Road. The smaller segment to the west is bordered to the east by Reith Road, a minor arterial, but otherwise is accessed only through local streets and private driveways. Foc us Area O is entirely within the City of Kent water supply service and sewer utility service area. 60 Figure O -4 – Focus Area O, Wetlands Figure O -3 – Focus Area O, Steep Slopes Figure O -6 – Focus Area O, Seismic Hazard Figure O -5 – Focus Area O; Open Space, Resource Lands, or Other Jurisdictions’ Urban Separators 61 Figure O -7 – Focus Area O, FEMA 1% Flood Zone Figure O -7 – Focus Area O, Wildlife Corridor W Meeker St S 240th St 64 th Av e S 62 Focus Area P – “Del Mar” The Del Mar Urban Separator focus area, Focus Area P, was annexed to Kent in 1997 as part of a 578-acre annexation referred to as “Del Mar”. Of the annexation site, 76 acres are designated as Urban Separator. A small area at the northeast edge of the focus area contains inventoried critical areas for erodible soils, landslide risk, and steep slopes. No other critical areas are present in Focus Area P, with the exception of inventoried wetlands. The Del Mar focus area is almost entirely inventoried wetland, with over 72 acres in total. There are no permanent structures on the 76 acres in Focus Area P. A mobile home is situated such that it abuts the north boundary of an Urban Separator parcel, and satellite imagery shows temporary vehicle storage that extends inside the boundaries of this parcel. Foc us Area P contains one parcel that is split -designated Urban Separator and SF -6, for single family residential at a density of 6 dwelling units per acre. The parcel is slightly less than 14 acres; the southeast 5.2 acres are designated SR-6, and approximately 8.6 acres to the northwest are designated as Urban Separator. Properties in the Del Mar Urban Separator focus area are both privately and publicly owned. Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) owns the 14-acre split - designated parcel described above, and the City of Kent owns two of the largest parcels, as well as one smaller parcel at the far north of the focus area. Nea rly the entire focus area is within a WDFW -inventoried wildlife corridor, which is identified as freshwater forested/shrub wetland and aquatic habitat. Figure P – Focus Area P, Del Mar 63 Figure P-2 – Focus Area P, Landslide Risk Figure P-1 – Focus Area P, Erodible Soils Figure P-4 – Focus Area P, Wetlands Figure P-3 – Focus Area P, Steep Slopes The only direct connections to the Del Mar Urban Separator focus area are through local streets and driveways, although it is bordered to the west by SR-509/Pacific Highway S. and to the south by S. 272nd Street. Pacific Highway S. is a principal arterial, and S. 272nd is a minor arterial. One direct access point to the center of the focus area is through 28th Avenue S. and the King County Roads Engineering Shop property. Foc us Area P is served by the Highline Water District for water supply service; Midway Sewer District provides sewer utility service. 64 Figure P-5 – Focus Area P, Wildlife Corridor S 272nd St S 260th St 28 th Av e S 65 66 Ci t y o f K e n t – Ec o n o m i c a n d C o m m u n i t y D e v e l o p m e n t UR B A N S E P A R A T O R S LU P B – Ma y 2 2 , 20 1 7 In v e n t o r y a n d C h a r a c t e r i z a t i o n R e p o r t 67 Ci t y o f K e n t – Ec o n o m i c a n d C o m m u n i t y D e v e l o p m e n t Ma y 2 2 , 2 0 1 7 – Ur b a n S e p a r a t o r s Pr e s e n t a t i o n S n a p s h o t • Ur b a n S e p a r a t o r s O v e r v i e w – Pu r p o s e & H i s t o r y • Hi g h -Le v e l P r o j e c t G o a l s • In ve n t o r y R e p o r t O v e r v i e w • Ne x t S t e p s 68 Ci t y o f K e n t – Ec o n o m i c a n d C o m m u n i t y D e v e l o p m e n t Ma y 2 2 , 2 0 1 7 – Ur b a n S e p a r a t o r s Th e R o l e o f U r b a n Se p a r a t o r s • Ur b a n S e p a r a t o r s a r e i n t e n d e d t o : – Cr e a t e vis u a l d e f i n i t i o n , “ t r a n s i t i o n a l s p a c e ” w i t h i n a n d be t w e e n u r b a n g r o w t h a r e a s , o r b u f f e r r u r a l a r e a s – Pr e s e r v e la n d fo r p a r k s , t r a i l s – Co n n e c t wi l d li fe c o r r i d o r s , w e t l a n d s – Bu f f e r re s o u r c e l a n d s ( a g r i c u l t u r e , f o r e s t ) 69 Ci t y o f K e n t – Ec o n o m i c a n d C o m m u n i t y D e v e l o p m e n t Ma y 2 2 , 2 0 1 7 – Ur b a n S e p a r a t o r s Hi s t o r y o f U r b a n Se p a r a t o r s • Co u n t y w i d e d e s i g n a t i o n b e g i n n i n g i n 1 9 9 2 C P P s • Ke n t O r d . 3 5 5 1 i n 2 0 0 1 – Am e n d m e n t t o C o m p . P l a n – Se t s t a n d a r d s f o r d e v e l o p m e n t i n U S ( c l u s t e r i n g , S R -1) 70 Ci t y o f K e n t – Ec o n o m i c a n d C o m m u n i t y D e v e l o p m e n t Ma y 2 2 , 2 0 1 7 – Ur b a n S e p a r a t o r s Pr o j e c t B a c k g r o u n d • Pr o p e r t y o w n e r r e q u e s t s t o c o n s i d e r i n c r e a s e d d e n s i t y • Co n s i d e r n e i g h b o r i n g p a r c e l d e n s i t i e s , n e i g h b o r h o o d co nte x t • Oc t o b e r , 2 0 1 6 – Ci t y C o u n c i l a p p r o v e d a d d i t i o n o f U r b a n Se p a r a t o r s a n a l y s i s t o 2 0 1 7 w o r k p r o g r a m 71 Ci t y o f K e n t – Ec o n o m i c a n d C o m m u n i t y D e v e l o p m e n t Ma y 2 2 , 2 0 1 7 – Ur b a n S e p a r a t o r s Pr o j e c t G o a l s 1) De t e r m i n e m o s t d e s i r a b l e l a n d u s e f o r Ur b a n S e p a r a t o r p a r c e l s 2) De v e l o p a s t r a t e g y c o n s i s t e n t w i t h : – CP P s – MC P P s – GM A – Ke n t C o m p r e h e n s i v e P l a n – in f r a s t r u c t u r e , t r a n s p o r t a t i o n , C I P s 3) Im p l e m e n t z o n i n g c o d e o r Co m pr e h e n s i v e P l a n a m e n d m e n t s a s id e n t i f i e d 72 Ci t y o f K e n t – Ec o n o m i c a n d C o m m u n i t y D e v e l o p m e n t Ma y 2 2 , 2 0 1 7 – Ur b a n S e p a r a t o r s 7 73 Ci t y o f K e n t – Ec o n o m i c a n d C o m m u n i t y D e v e l o p m e n t Ma y 2 2 , 2 0 1 7 – Ur b a n S e p a r a t o r s Pa r c e l C h a r a c t e r i s t i c s : – Pr o p e r t y A t t r i b u t e s : • Si z e of p a r c e l s • Pr op e r t y o w n e r s h i p – pu b li c o r p r i v a t e ? • De v e l o p e d ? V a c a n t ? • La n d u s e – re s id e n t i a l , c o m m e r c i a l , et c ? • Ac c e s s t o r o a d s , u t i l i t i e s i n f r a s t r u c t u r e 74 Ci t y o f K e n t – Ec o n o m i c a n d C o m m u n i t y D e v e l o p m e n t Ma y 2 2 , 2 0 1 7 – Ur b a n S e p a r a t o r s Pa r c e l C h a r a c t e r i s t i c s : – En v i r o n m e n t a l A t t r i b u t e s / C r i t i c a l Ar e a s : • We t l a n d s • La n d s l i d e h a z a r d • Er o d i b l e s o i l s • St e e p s l o p e s • Se i s m i c h a z a r d ( l i q u e f i a b l e s o i l ) • Fl o o d h a z a r d • Cr i t i c a l a q u i f e r r e c h a r g e 75 Ci t y o f K e n t – Ec o n o m i c a n d C o m m u n i t y D e v e l o p m e n t Ma y 2 2 , 2 0 1 7 – Ur b a n S e p a r a t o r s Pa r c e l C h a r a c t e r i s t i c s : – Ne i g h b o r i n g / A d j a c e n t U s e s : • Ne i g h b o r i n g p a r c e l d e v e l o p m e n t d e n s i t y • Op e n S p a c e a n d P a r k s • Re s o u r c e L a n d s – Ag r ic u l t u r e / F o r e s t • Ac c e s s t o r o a d s , w a t e r , s e w e r in f r as t r u c t u r e 76 Ci t y o f K e n t – Ec o n o m i c a n d C o m m u n i t y D e v e l o p m e n t Ma y 2 2 , 2 0 1 7 – Ur b a n S e p a r a t o r s Fo c u s A r e a H 77 Ci t y o f K e n t – Ec o n o m i c a n d C o m m u n i t y D e v e l o p m e n t Ma y 2 2 , 2 0 1 7 – Ur b a n S e p a r a t o r s Fo c u s A r e a H 78 Ci t y o f K e n t – Ec o n o m i c a n d C o m m u n i t y D e v e l o p m e n t Ma y 2 2 , 2 0 1 7 – Ur b a n S e p a r a t o r s Fo c u s A r e a H 79 Ci t y o f K e n t – Ec o n o m i c a n d C o m m u n i t y D e v e l o p m e n t Ma y 2 2 , 2 0 1 7 – Ur b a n S e p a r a t o r s Fo c u s A r e a J 80 Ci t y o f K e n t – Ec o n o m i c a n d C o m m u n i t y D e v e l o p m e n t Ma y 2 2 , 2 0 1 7 – Ur b a n S e p a r a t o r s Fo c u s A r e a J 81 Ci t y o f K e n t – Ec o n o m i c a n d C o m m u n i t y D e v e l o p m e n t Ma y 2 2 , 2 0 1 7 – Ur b a n S e p a r a t o r s Fo c u s A r e a J 82 Ci t y o f K e n t – Ec o n o m i c a n d C o m m u n i t y D e v e l o p m e n t Ma y 2 2 , 2 0 1 7 – Ur b a n S e p a r a t o r s 83 Ci t y o f K e n t – Ec o n o m i c a n d C o m m u n i t y D e v e l o p m e n t Ma y 2 2 , 2 0 1 7 – Ur b a n S e p a r a t o r s Ne x t S t e p s 1) Co n s i s t e n c y r e v i e w – CP P s , M C P P s , i n f r a s t r u c t u r e p l a n s 2) P r e l i m i n a r y al t e r n a t i v e s a n a l y s i s – re z o n e ? c o d e am e n d m e n t s ? 3) Co n s u l t a t i o n an d Pu b l i c E n g a g e m e n t – ci t y l e a d e r s h i p , ot h e r d e p a r t m e n t s , K i n g C o u n t y , a n d t h e p u b l i c 84 Ci t y o f K e n t – Ec o n o m i c a n d C o m m u n i t y D e v e l o p m e n t Ma y 2 2 , 2 0 1 7 – Ur b a n S e p a r a t o r s Qu e s t i o n s? 85