HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Committees - Land Use and Planning Board - 08/28/2017
Unless otherwise noted, the Land Use and Planning Board meets at 7 p.m. on the second and
fourth Monday of each month in Kent City Hall, Council Chambers, 220 Fourth Ave S, Kent, WA
98032.
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.
For additional information please contact Cheryl Trimble at 253-856-5454, or via email at
ctrimble@KentWA.gov.
Any person requiring a disability accommodation should contact the City Clerk’s
Office at 253-856-5725 in advance. For TDD relay service call Washington
Telecommunications Relay Service at 1-800-833-6388.
Land Use and Planning Board
Board Members: Katherine Jones, Chair; Jack Ottini, Vice Chair;
Shane Amodei, Frank Cornelius, Dale Hartman, Paul Hintz, and
Randall Smith
Staff Representatives: Matt Gilbert, Current Planning Manager;
Adam Long, Assistant City Attorney; Danielle Butsick, Planner/GIS
Coordinator
August 28, 2017
7 p.m.
Item Description Action Speaker Time Page
1. Call to order Chair Jones 1 min.
2. Roll Call Chair Jones 1 min.
3. Changes to the Agenda Chair Jones 1 min.
4. Approval of the May 8, 2017 Minutes YES Chair Jones 2 min. 1
5. Communications NO 2 min.
6. Notice of Upcoming Meetings NO 2 min.
7. Public Hearing: Final Plat Approval
Amendment
YES Matt Gilbert 20 min. 5
8. Workshop: Urban Separators [ZCA-
2016-2]
NO Danielle Butsick 30 min. 33
Date: May 8, 2017
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Place: Council Chambers
Attending: Katherine Jones, Chair; Jack Ottini, Vice Chair; Frank Cornelius; Dale
Hartman; Randall Smith; Charlene Anderson, AICP, Long Range Planning Manager;
Danielle Butsick, Long Range Planner; Adam Long, Assistant City Attorney
Agenda:
1.Call to Order
Chair Katherine Jones called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm.
2.Roll Call
3.Approval of Minutes
Vice chair Ottini Moved and Board Member Smith Seconded a Motion to Approve
the minutes of March 27, 2017. Motion Passed 5-0.
4.Added Items None
5.Communications None
6.Notice of Upcoming Meetings None
7.Public Hearing
Complete Streets Plan Amendments [CPA-2017-1]
Cornelius stated that this hearing considers proposed amendments to the
comprehensive plan, land use plan map and zoning district map.
Butsick presented six comprehensive plan docketed amendments for the 2015/2016
year; stating that amendments are submitted by residents, city council or staff.
These amendments were discussed at the Land Use and Planning Board Workshop
on February 27th. Staff recommends approval of these amendments to City Council.
The first amendment is administrative in nature; is related to the educational
services areas and facilities map; updates labels for Mill Creek Middle School and
Mount Rainier High School; adds the point and label for the Valley View Elementary
School.
The second amendment adds Mobile Home Park (MHP) zoning as an allowed zoning
designation under both low density multifamily and medium density multifamily
residential land use designations. Kent’s zoning code allows for mobile home zoning
in these land use districts. This amendment makes this table consistent with what
the zoning code says and fixes an inadvertent omission from the table.
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The third amendment is administrative. Economic and Community Development
was asked to amend the comprehensive plan and make it reflect the City’s decision
to surplus the Naden properties. The amendment updates language in the Park and
Recreation Element to reflect the City’s decision to surplus those properties and
recognize the new surplus process.
The fourth amendment changes the land use plan map and the zoning districts
map, rezones 43 acres at the intersection of S 180th Street and SR-167 from
General Commercial to General Commercial/Mixed Use, and makes these properties
consistent with properties zoned General Commercial/Mixed Use to the west as well
as some Renton residential and commercial areas to the north and east. Key
Changes based on this zoning re-designation allows for increasing maximum
heights from 35 to 65 feet, allows increases in lot coverage, decreases some
required setbacks, and allows property to be developed at a greater density. Staff
reviewed the specific criteria required to consider rezoning to mixed use and
concurs that these proposed amendments meet that criteria.
It is likely that residential development on any of these properties might contribute
to some traffic impacts. New development is required to bring the transportation
system in the vicinity of the development up to the current level of service. Any
impacts would be mitigated. There are no parks in close proximity to this property,
one criteria for rezoning to mixed use. The multifamily design guidelines require
150 sf of open space per unit for multifamily residential; that can include indoor
recreation such as racquet ball courts or gyms, balconies and rooftop decks.
The fifth amendment updates the Housing Element Data to reflect the data
provided by the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Comprehensive
Housing Affordability Study (CHAS) data report. This is a report that covers a range
of topics on housing affordability, substandard housing, overcrowded housing,
housing characteristics, and housing where households pay over 30 or 50 percent
of their income on rent. The newest data indicates that renters paying over 50
percent of their income for rent in Kent has risen from 3,443 to 4,230 households.
The sixth amendment changes the land use plan map to provide continuity with the
zoning map for an area that was left as MHP where the surrounding area was
rezoned to industrial. This land is designated as open space, urban conservancy in
our shoreline master program. The properties are part of a river bank that goes
down to the river. It is unlikely that it would be developed. We wanted to make
sure that our land use plan reflects what is in our zoning.
One comment was received from the public; a request to rezone a particular parcel
along 180th to allow for maximum height of 195 feet and allow for additional
flexibility in parking-such as reduced parking space sizes and a reduction in the
number of required spaces per hotel room or condo units. Staff is recommending
that this item be considered as a separate request unrelated to the rezone of these
properties as it differs from what the docket request was.
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Chair Cornelius Opened the Public Hearing. Seeing no speakers, Chair Cornelius
closed the public hearing and called for a motion.
Board Member Jones MOVED and Board Member Smith Seconded a Motion
to recommend to the City Council Approval of the proposed amendments to
the Comprehensive Plan, Land Use Plan Map, and Zoning Districts Map as
presented by Staff. Cornelius Called for a Vote. Motion Passed 4-0.
8. Nomination and Election of Officers
Board Member Smith MOVED and Board Member Ottini Seconded a Motion
to elect Katherine Jones as Land Use and Planning Board Chair for 2017.
Motion Passed 4-0.
Board Member Smith MOVED and Board Member Jones Seconded a Motion
to elect Jack Ottini as Land Use and Planning Board Vice-Chair for 2017.
Cornelius called for the vote. Motion Passed 4-0.
Pamela A. Mottram
Administrative Assistant I
Economic and Community Development
May 8, 2017
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ECONOMIC and COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Ben Wolters, Director
Phone: 253-856-5454
Fax: 253-856-6454
220 Fourth Avenue S.
Kent, WA 98032-5895
August 21, 2017
TO: Chair Katherine Jones and Members of Land Use and Planning Board
FROM: Matt Gilbert, Current Planning Manager; Adam Long, Assistant City Attorney
RE: SB 5674 – Recent Legislative Amendments to Chapter 58.17 RCW – Final
Plat Procedures
For Meeting of August 28, 2017
SUMMARY
On April 27, 2017 the Governor signed into law SB 5674. SB 5674 amends Chapter
58.17 RCW relating to the final approval of subdivisions of land.
SB 5674 provides an option for local government to change final plat approval from
a City Council action to an administrative action. Cities, towns, and counties now
have the authority to delegate final plat approval to an agency or appropriate
administrative personnel.
When land is subdivided into 10 or more lots the property owner is required to
advance through 4 general phases of permitting and construction before homes
may be built on the newly subdivided lots. These 4 phases are generally described
as follows:
Phase 1 - Preliminary Plat
Preliminary plat is the first step in subdividing land. It is intended to serve as the
method for a city to ensure consistency with requirements for zoning, density, lot
dimensions, environmental and general engineering requirements. Preliminary plat
applications are reviewed by traffic engineers, utility engineers, fire, building,
planning and development engineers. Preliminary plats trigger a requirement for a
public hearing and assign the final decision to the Hearing Examiner.
MOTION: Recommend Council adopt an ordinance amending chapters
12.01 and 12.04 of Kent City Code relating to the procedures used for
processing final plat approvals and delegating final plat approval
authority to the Planning Director.
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Phase 2 - Civil Engineering Review
Once the Hearing Examiner has approved the preliminary plat, the applicant may
now submit civil engineered drawings that provide a very fine level of detailed
information regarding road specifications, utility specifications, street lighting,
public landscaping, sidewalks, and grading. The engineered plans are reviewed by
traffic engineers, utility engineers, fire, building, planning and development
engineers. Upon a final determination that the plans meet all of the city’s
engineering design and construction standards the plans are signed by the City
Engineer. This milestone allows the developer to begin construction of the plat.
Phase 3 - Plat Construction
Plat construction consists of completing the work that is approved within the civil
engineering drawings. The developer will grade the site, install utilities, construct
the roads, and install the landscaping, lighting and sidewalks. Once all of these
features are installed/constructed, and the city inspectors have passed all of the
inspections (or bonded for unfinished features), the public improvements are
transferred into city ownership.
Phase 4 - Final Plat
Upon completion of the civil engineering improvements the applicant can now
submit their final plat application. Currently, this process serves as a close out
process before the plat is recorded with the County and the lots become official lots
of record. During the final plat process staff reviews all of the conditions of approval
included in the Hearing Examiner’s decision of preliminary plat, ensures that all
legal descriptions of new lots are correct, reviews the final plat documents that will
be recorded, and ensures that all necessary easements and covenants are in place.
Upon a determination that the final plat is approvable, staff prepares an ordinance
that is presented to City Council who takes final action to approve the plat. Once
the ordinance is effective the applicant can record the approved documents.
SB 5674 has the effect of amending RCW 58.17 by allowing a municipality to adopt
a local ordinance that modifies the approval process for final plats – the last of the
4 phases described above. In other words, the City of Kent has the option to shift
the final plat approval authority away from City Council and to an administrative
authority, e.g. Mayor, Department Director.
There are two primary advantages to shifting this authority. First, it saves the
applicant between 6 and 8 weeks of time. This is due to the time it takes to prepare
an ordinance, transmit the ordinance to Council, schedule the ordinance approving
the subdivision for City Council action, publishing the action in the newspaper, and
waiting the 5 days for it to become effective. The second advantage pertains to
efficiencies experienced by city staff. It eliminates the need for staff to prepare an
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ordinance and agenda bill, for administrative staff to load materials into the
computer system, and for staff to present at City Council. Each final plat consumes
a significant of time for preparation and presentation to City Council.
Additionally, Council has a very limited ability to deny or modify a final plat because
the quasi-judicial Hearing Examiner process will have already addressed the
majority of significant city code issues during preliminary plat process and because
the plat has already been fully developed during Phase 3.
EXHIBITS: Draft Ordinance; SB 5674
BUDGET IMPACT:
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ORDINANCE NO.
AN ORDINANCE of the City Council of the
City of Kent, Washington, amending Section
12.01.040 and Chapter 12.04 of the Kent City Code,
specifically sections 12.04.035, 12.04.115,
12.04.210, 12.04.221, 12.04.223, 12.04.225, and
12.04.227, relating to the procedures used for
processing final plat approvals.
RECITALS
A. The Kent City Council has an ongoing interest to simplify land
use decision making and to lower city and customer costs by increasing
efficiency.
B. Kent City Code currently establishes procedures for
processing final plats which include the requirement that final approval of
plats for subdivisions must be given by the City Council. This final approval
by Council is generally seen as merely a technical legal requirement, as
Council has a very limited ability to deny or modify a final plat because the
Hearing Examiner process has already addressed any significant code
compliance issues during the preliminary review process.
C. On April 27, 2017, the Governor signed into law SB 5674
which amends Chapter 58.17 RCW to allow local governments to adopt
procedures that shift final plat approval from a city council action to an
administrative decision by a specific city official or city department.
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D. There are significant advantages to shifting the final plat
approval from Council to an administrative process. It would save
substantial time and money for applicants, as well as reduce the
substantial amount of time and resources required to have staff prepare
and present final plats to Council.
E. To better serve subdivision applicants and city staff, the City
Council has determined to delegate its authority for final plat approval to
the Economic and Community Development Director.
F. SB 5674 allows local jurisdictions to make these modifications
through the adoption of an ordinance that may go into effect on or after
July 23, 2017.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF KENT,
WASHINGTON, DOES HEREBY ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
ORDINANCE
SECTION 1. - Amendment. Section 12.01.040 of the Kent City
Code entitled “Project permit application framework,” is hereby amended
as follows:
Sec. 12.01.040 Project permit application framework.
A. Process types. The following table lists the process types, the
corresponding applications, and, parenthetically, the corresponding final
decision maker and appellate body.
Process I Process II Process III Process IV Process V Process VI
Applications: Zoning permit
review (1) (7)
Administrative
design review (1)
(7)
Conditional use
permit (5) (10)
Planned unit
development (6)
(10) with change
of use
Final plat (6 1)
(10)
Zoning of newly
annexed lands (6)
(10)
Performance Shoreline Sign variance (5) Special use Area-wide
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Process I Process II Process III Process IV Process V Process VI
standards
procedures (1) (7)
substantial
development
permit (1) (9)
(10) combining
district (6) (10)
rezones to
implement new
city policies (6)
(10)
Sign permit (1)
(7)
Accessory
dwelling unit
permit (1) (7)
Special home
occupation
permit (5) (10)
Rezone (6) (10) Comprehensive
plan amendments
(6) (10)
Lot line
adjustment (1) (7)
Administrative
variance (1) (7)
Variance (5) (10) Development
regulations (6)
(10)
Administrative
interpretation (1)
(7)
Downtown design
review, all except
for minor
remodels (3) (7)
Shoreline
conditional use
permit (5) (9)
Zoning map
amendments (6)
(10)
Application
conditional
certification
multifamily tax
exemption (12)
(8), all other
multifamily tax
exemption (12)
(7)
Downtown design
review, only
minor remodels
(1) (7)
Shoreline
variance (5) (9)
Zoning text
amendments (6)
(10)
Development
plan review
(planning
director, building
official, or public
works director)
(7)
Midway design
review (1) (7)
Preliminary plat
(5) (10)
Site plan review
(planning
director, building
official, or public
works director)
(7)
Midway design
review (1) (7)
Administrative
approval/WTF (1)
(7)
Binding site plan
(2) (7)
Mobile home
park closure (11)
(7)
Short subdivision
(4) (7)
Planned unit
development (5)
(10) without a
change of use
(1) Final decision made by planning director.
(2) Final decision by binding site plan committee.
(3) Final decision made by downtown design review committee.
(4) Final decision made by short subdivision committee.
(5) Final decision made by hearing examiner.
(6) Final decision made by city council.
(7) Appeal to hearing examiner.
(8) Appeal to city council.
(9) Appeal to shoreline hearings board.
(10) No administrative appeals.
(11) Final decision made by manager of housing and
human services.
(12) Final decision made by economic and
community development director.
B. Process procedures. The following table lists the process types and
the corresponding procedures.
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Project Permit Applications (Processes I – V) Legislative
Process I Process II Process III Process IV Process V Process VI
Notice of
application:
Yes, for projects
requiring SEPA
review
Yes, for projects
requiring SEPA
review, short
plats, and
shoreline
substantial
development
permits
Yes No No
Recommendation
made by:
N/A N/A N/A Hearing examiner N/A Land use and
planning board
Final decision
made by:
Planning
director,
building official,
public works
director,
economic and
community
development
director, or
manager of
housing and
human services
as applicable
Planning
director,
downtown
design review
committee,
binding site plan
committee, or
short
subdivision
committee, as
noted in
subsection (A)
of this section
Hearing
examiner
City council,
based upon record
made before
hearing examiner
City council
Planning
director
City council
Open record
appeal:
Yes, if appealed,
then before
hearing
examiner
Yes, if appealed,
then before
hearing
examiner
No No No No
Open record
hearing:
No No Yes, before
hearing
examiner to
make final
decision
Yes, before
hearing examiner
to make
recommendation
to council
No Yes, before land
use and planning
board to make
recommendation
to city council,
and/or before city
council
Reconsideration: No No Yes, of hearing
examiner’s
decision
Yes, of hearing
examiner’s
recommendation
No No
Closed record
appeal:
Only if appeal
of denial of
multifamily
conditional
certificate, then
before the city
council
Only if
appealed, then
before the
shoreline
hearings board
if applicable
Only if
appealed, then
before the
shoreline
hearings board
if applicable
No No No
Judicial appeal: Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
SECTION 2. - Amendment. Section 12.04.035 of the Kent City
Code entitled “City functions,” is hereby amended as follows:
Sec. 12.04.035 City functions.
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A. Planning services office. The planning services office is responsible
for the administration and coordination of this chapter unless another
department or division is authorized to administer and enforce a specific
section.
B. Department of public works. The department of public works is
responsible for reviewing all engineering and technical requirements of
this chapter.
C. Fire department. The fire department is responsible for reviewing all
fire access and fire safety requirements of this chapter.
D. Department of parks and recreation. The department of parks and
recreation is responsible for reviewing all parks and open space dedication
requirements of this chapter.
E. Short subdivision committee. The short subdivision committee is
authorized to hold a public meeting and make a final decision on all short
subdivision plats.
F. Binding site plan committee. The binding site plan committee is
authorized to hold a public meeting and make a final decision on all
binding site plans.
G. Hearing examiner. The hearing examiner is authorized to hold a
public hearing and make a final decision on subdivision preliminary plats.
H. City council. The city council shall conduct any closed record appeal
from a hearing examiner’s final decision on a subdivision preliminary plat.
The city council planning director shall have sole authority to approve
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subdivision final plats. An appeal of a final plat decision shall be in superior
court.
SECTION 3. - Amendment. Section 12.04.115 of the Kent City
Code entitled “Application procedures,” is hereby amended as follows:
Sec. 12.04.115 Application procedures.
An application for a subdivision or short subdivision consists of the
following steps:
1.Preparation of the tentative plat of the proposed subdivision or Type
II short subdivision and submission of an application for a pre-application
conference;
2.Review of the tentative plat for pre-application conference by the
city and convene a meeting with the city resulting in the issuance of a pre-
application conference summary letter;
3.Preparation and submission of the preliminary plat of the proposed
subdivision to the hearing examiner for a public hearing and decision, or
preparation and submission of the preliminary plat of the proposed short
subdivision to the short subdivision committee for a public meeting and
decision;
4.Installation or bonding of improvements according to the approved
preliminary subdivision or short subdivision requirements and satisfaction
of all plat conditions;
5.Submission of the subdivision final plat to the city council planning
director for approval, or submission of the short subdivision final plat to
the short subdivision committee chairman for approval;
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6.Recordation of the approved final plat in the office of the King
County department of records and elections.
SECTION 4. - Amendment. Section 12.04.210 of the Kent City
Code entitled “Filing the final plat,” is hereby amended as follows:
Sec. 12.04.210 Filing the final plat.
A. A final plat or final short plat shall be prepared by a professional
land surveyor licensed in the state of Washington, based on the
Washington State Plane Coordination System, and be submitted to
planning services along with all forms required and with the number of
originals and copies requested.
B. The final plat or final short plat submitted for filing shall comply with
the conditions of preliminary approval and Chapter 58.09 RCW, Chapter
332-130 WAC, and Chapter 58.17 RCW. The original drawing shall be in
black ink on mylar or photographic mylar.
C. In addition to other requirements as specified in this section, the
final plat or final short plat shall contain or be accompanied by the
following:
1.Signature of the owner of the property on the face of the final
plat or final short plat mylar;
2.A notarized certificate of the owner, contract purchaser,
grantor of a deed of trust, or other holder of beneficial title to the property
being subdivided indicating that the subdivision or short subdivision is
made with free consent and in accordance with their desires, and if the
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subdivision or short subdivision is subject to deeding of property, the
notarized certificate shall be signed by all parties having any ownership
interest in the lands subdivided. For purposes of this section, ownership
interest shall include legal and equitable property interests, including, but
not limited to, present, future, contingent, or whole fee interests, together
with a beneficiary’s interest pursuant to a trust and contract interest
pursuant to a specifically enforceable contract for the purchase of the real
property;
3. Certification by the responsible health agencies that the
methods of sewage disposal and water service are acceptable;
4. Certification by the public works department that the
subdivider has complied with either of the following alternatives:
a. All improvements have been installed in accordance
with the requirements of these regulations; or
b. Certain improvements have been deferred according to
KCC 12.04.205(D), deferred improvements;
5. The subdivider shall furnish the city a current plat or short
plat certificate or title report from a title insurance company, produced no
more than forty-five (45) calendar days prior to final plat or final short plat
application, that documents the ownership and title of all interested
parties in the plat or short plat, subdivision, short subdivision, or
dedication and that lists all liens and encumbrances. The legal description
in the title report shall be identical to the legal description on the face of
the plat or short plat. The city reserves the right to require updates of the
certificate or title report at any time prior to signing the final plat or final
short plat by the short subdivision committee chairman;
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6. Any person signing for a corporation must provide
documentation that shows they have the authority to execute on behalf of
the said corporation;
7. Copies of any restrictive covenants as may be used in the
subdivision or short subdivision;
8. Certification of approval to be signed by the King County
assessor;
9. Certification of approval to be signed by the King County
recorder;
10. Certificate of approval by the chairman of the short
subdivision committee;
11. Copies of any bylaws for a homeowners’ association, if
created;
12. Approved printed computer lot closure on all lots, alleys, and
boundaries.
D. All subdivisions and short subdivisions shall be surveyed by a land
surveyor licensed in the state of Washington. All lot, tract, parcel, and
right-of-way corners and angle points shall be set in accordance with
Chapter 58.09 RCW. Street monuments shall be in accordance with city of
Kent design and construction standards and shall be installed per those
same standards. Sufficient intervisible monuments shall be set to ensure
that any property within the subdivision or short subdivision can be readily
resurveyed at a later time or as may be specified by the public works
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department. All final plats and final short plats shall be based on at least
two city of Kent horizontal control points and reference the North
American Datum of 1983/1991 Adjustment (NAD 83/91) or its successor
as may be adopted by the public works department survey section.
E. If any utility companies and/or utility districts have existing
easements within the proposed plat or short plat, the applicant or its
assigns shall have these easements removed or shall have their rights
subordinated to the city of Kent if they fall within dedicated right-of-way
or tracts for public use.
F. The final plat or final short plat must be submitted to planning
services for review as to compliance with all terms of the preliminary
approval; terms of bonding or the completion of all improvements; and
completeness and accuracy of survey data and platting requirements.
G. Before a final short plat is filed with King County, it shall be signed
by the chairman of the short subdivision committee when the plat is
determined to be in compliance with all applicable short subdivision
requirements.
H. After all final plat conditions for a subdivision have been met,
planning services shall set a date for a public meeting for the city council
planning director to consider the final plat.
I. Before the final plat of a subdivision is submitted to the city council,
it shall be signed by the city engineer, city finance director, and planning
director. After the final plat is approved by the city council, it shall be
signed by the mayor and the city finance director.
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JI. An approved final plat or short plat shall be filed for record with
King County and shall not be deemed approved until filed.
KJ. A conformed copy of the recorded plat or short plat shall be filed
with planning services and the public works department.
SECTION 5. - Amendment. Section 12.04.221 of the Kent City
Code entitled “Subdivision preliminary plat expiration,” is hereby amended
as follows:
Sec. 12.04.221 Subdivision preliminary plat expiration.
A. Subdivision preliminary plat approval shall remain valid for that
period of time specified in Chapter 58.17 RCW, plus one year. During this
period, an applicant must submit a final plat based on the preliminary plat,
or any phase thereof, and meeting all of the requirements of this chapter
and Chapter 58.17 RCW, to the city council for approval, or the
preliminary plat shall lapse and become void.
B. For preliminary plats approved between January 1, 2008, and
December 31, 2008, one extension of 15 months shall be granted to an
applicant who files a written request for extension with the economic and
community development department prior to the expiration of the
preliminary plat’s validity period, as provided in subsection (A) of this
section.
C. In the case of a phased subdivision, final plat approval by the city
council planning director of any phase of the subdivision preliminary plat
will constitute an automatic one-year extension for the filing of the final
plat for the next phase of the subdivision.
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SECTION 6. - Amendment. Section 12.04.223 of the Kent City
Code entitled “Decision on subdivision final plat,” is hereby amended as
follows:
Sec. 12.04.223 Decision on subdivision final plat. The city
council planning director shall approve, disapprove, or return the final plat
to the applicant for modification and/or correction within thirty (30)
calendar days of the date of the city’s determination of acceptance of the
final plat application, unless the applicant consents to an extension of such
time period.
SECTION 7. - Amendment. Section 12.04.225 of the Kent City
Code entitled “Subdivision final plat expiration,” is hereby amended as
follows:
Sec. 12.04.225 Subdivision final plat expiration. If a final plat
has not been submitted for recording within six (6) months after approval
by the city council planning director, the plat shall expire and be null and
void. One (1) extension of no longer than six (6) months may be granted
by the city council planning director. To revitalize a plat that has expired
under this section, the plat shall be resubmitted as a preliminary plat.
SECTION 8. - Amendment. Section 12.04.227 of the Kent City
Code entitled “Procedure for alteration of a subdivision or short
subdivision,” is hereby amended as follows:
Sec. 12.04.227 Procedure for alteration of a subdivision or
short subdivision.
A. An applicant requesting to alter a subdivision or short subdivision or
any portion thereof, except as provided in KCC 12.04.230, shall submit a
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plat alteration application to the permit center. The application shall be
accompanied by such submittal requirements as described in the
application form, and applicable fees, and shall contain the signatures of
all persons having an ownership interest in lots, tracts, parcels, sites, or
divisions within the subdivision or short subdivision or in that portion to be
altered.
B. The planning director shall have the authority to determine whether
the proposed alteration constitutes a minor or major alteration. Major
alterations are those that are not in response to staff review or public
appeal and substantially change the basic design, increase the number of
lots, substantially decrease open space, substantially change conditions of
subdivision or short subdivision approval, or other similar requirements or
provisions. Minor alterations are those that make minor changes to
engineering design or lot dimensions, decrease the number of lots to be
created, or increase open space, or other similar minor changes. Major
alterations shall be treated as new applications for purposes of vesting.
C. If the subdivision or short subdivision is subject to restrictive
covenants which were filed at the time of the approval, and the application
for alteration would result in the violation of a covenant, the application
shall contain an agreement signed by all parties subject to the covenants
providing that the parties agree to terminate or alter the relevant
covenants to accomplish the purpose of the alteration of the subdivision or
short subdivision or any portion thereof.
D. If the alteration is requested prior to final plat or final short plat
review and signature, a minor alteration may be approved with consent of
the planning and the public works directors. A major plat or short plat
alteration shall require consent of the short subdivision committee for
short subdivisions or the hearing examiner for subdivisions after public
21
notice and a public meeting or hearing is held. Planning services shall
provide notice of the application for a major plat or short plat alteration to
all owners of property within the subdivision or short subdivision, all
parties of record, and as was required by the original subdivision or short
subdivision application. The planning director shall have the authority to
determine whether the proposed alteration constitutes a minor or major
alteration pursuant to subsection (B) of this section.
E. If the alteration is requested after final plat or final short plat review
and signature, but prior to filing the final plat or final short plat with King
County, a plat or short plat alteration may be approved with consent of
the short subdivision committee for short subdivisions or the city council
planning director for subdivisions. Upon receipt of an application for
alteration, planning services shall provide notice of the application to all
owners of property within the subdivision or short subdivision, all parties
of record, and as was required by the original application. The notice shall
establish a date for a public meeting or hearing.
F. If the alteration is requested after filing the final plat or final short
plat with King County, a minor plat or short plat alteration may be
approved with consent of the short subdivision committee in the case of
short subdivisions or the city council planning director for subdivisions. If
the planning director determines that the proposed alteration is a major
alteration, pursuant to subsection (B) of this section, then the planning
director may require replatting pursuant to this chapter. Upon receipt of
an application for alteration, planning services shall provide notice of the
application to all owners of property within the subdivision or short
subdivision, all parties of record, and as was required by the subdivision or
short subdivision plat application. The notice shall establish a date for a
public meeting or hearing.
22
G. The city shall determine the public use and interest in the proposed
alteration and may deny or approve the application for alteration. If any
land within the alteration is part of an assessment district, any
outstanding assessments shall be equitably divided and levied against the
remaining lots, parcels, or tracts, or be levied equitably on the lots
resulting from the alteration. If any land within the alteration contains a
dedication to the general use of persons residing within the subdivision,
such land may be altered and divided equitably between adjacent
properties.
H. After approval of the alteration, the city shall order the applicant to
produce a revised drawing of the approved alteration of the subdivision or
short subdivision, which after signature the final plat or final short plat
shall be filed with King County to become the lawful plat or short plat of
the property.
I. This section shall not be construed as applying to the alteration or
replatting of any plat or short plat of state-granted shore lands.
SECTION 9. – Severability. If any one or more section, subsection,
or sentence of this ordinance is held to be unconstitutional or invalid, such
decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portion of this
ordinance and the same shall remain in full force and effect.
SECTION 10. – Corrections by City Clerk or Code Reviser. Upon
approval of the city attorney, the city clerk and the code reviser are
authorized to make necessary corrections to this ordinance, including the
correction of clerical errors; ordinance, section, or subsection numbering;
or references to other local, state, or federal laws, codes, rules, or
regulations.
23
SECTION 11. – Effective Date. This ordinance shall take effect and
be in force thirty days from and after its passage, as provided by law.
SUZETTE COOKE, MAYOR
ATTEST:
KIMBERLEY A. KOMOTO, CITY CLERK
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
TOM BRUBAKER, CITY ATTORNEY
PASSED: day of , 2017.
APPROVED: day of , 2017.
PUBLISHED: day of , 2017.
I hereby certify that this is a true copy of Ordinance No.
passed by the City Council of the City of Kent, Washington, and approved
by the Mayor of the City of Kent as hereon indicated.
(SEAL)
KIMBERLEY A. KOMOTO, CITY CLERK
24
CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT
SENATE BILL 5674
Chapter 161, Laws of 2017
65th Legislature
2017 Regular Session
LAND SUBDIVISIONS--FINAL PLAT APPROVAL--DELEGATION
EFFECTIVE DATE: 7/23/2017
Passed by the Senate March 3, 2017
Yeas 44 Nays 0
CYRUS HABIB
President of the Senate
Passed by the House April 12, 2017
Yeas 55 Nays 43
FRANK CHOPP
Speaker of the House of Representatives
CERTIFICATE
I, Hunter G. Goodman, Secretary of
the Senate of the State of
Washington, do hereby certify that
the attached is SENATE BILL 5674 as
passed by Senate and the House of
Representatives on the dates hereon
set forth.
HUNTER G. GOODMAN
Secretary
Approved April 27, 2017 11:21 AM FILED
April 27, 2017
JAY INSLEE
Governor of the State of Washington
Secretary of State
State of Washington
25
AN ACT Relating to the final approval of subdivisions of land;1
and amending RCW 58.17.100, 58.17.170, and 58.17.190.2
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:3
Sec. 1. RCW 58.17.100 and 1995 c 347 s 428 are each amended to4
read as follows:5
If a city, town or county has established a planning commission6
or planning agency in accordance with state law or local charter,7
such commission or agency shall review all preliminary plats and make8
recommendations thereon to the city, town or county legislative body9
to assure conformance of the proposed subdivision to the general10
purposes of the comprehensive plan and to planning standards and11
specifications as adopted by the city, town or county. Reports of the12
planning commission or agency shall be advisory only: PROVIDED, That13
the legislative body of the city, town or county may, by ordinance,14
assign to such commission or agency, or any department official or15
group of officials, such administrative functions, powers and duties16
as may be appropriate, including the holding of hearings, and17
recommendations for approval or disapproval of preliminary plats of18
proposed subdivisions.19
Such recommendation shall be submitted to the legislative body20
not later than fourteen days following action by the hearing body.21
SENATE BILL 5674
Passed Legislature - 2017 Regular Session
State of Washington 65th Legislature 2017 Regular Session
By Senators Palumbo and Fain
Read first time 02/02/17. Referred to Committee on Local Government.
p. 1 SB 5674.SL
26
Upon receipt of the recommendation on any preliminary plat the1
legislative body shall at its next public meeting set the date for2
the public meeting where it shall consider the recommendations of the3
hearing body and may adopt or reject the recommendations of such4
hearing body based on the record established at the public hearing.5
If, after considering the matter at a public meeting, the legislative6
body deems a change in the planning commission's or planning agency's7
recommendation approving or disapproving any preliminary plat is8
necessary, the legislative body shall adopt its own recommendations9
and approve or disapprove the preliminary plat.10
Every decision or recommendation made under this section shall be11
in writing and shall include findings of fact and conclusions to12
support the decision or recommendation.13
A record of all public meetings and public hearings shall be kept14
by the appropriate city, town or county authority and shall be open15
to public inspection.16
Sole authority to ((approve final plats, and to)) adopt or amend17
platting ordinances shall reside in the legislative bodies. The18
legislative authorities of cities, towns, and counties may by19
ordinance delegate final plat approval to an established planning20
commission or agency, or to such other administrative personnel in21
accordance with state law or local charter.22
Sec. 2. RCW 58.17.170 and 2013 c 16 s 2 are each amended to read23
as follows:24
(1) When the legislative body of the city, town, or county, or25
such other agency as authorized by RCW 58.17.100, finds that the26
subdivision proposed for final plat approval conforms to all terms of27
the preliminary plat approval, and that said subdivision meets the28
requirements of this chapter, other applicable state laws, and any29
local ordinances adopted under this chapter which were in effect at30
the time of preliminary plat approval, it shall suitably inscribe and31
execute its written approval on the face of the plat. The original of32
said final plat shall be filed for record with the county auditor.33
One reproducible copy shall be furnished to the city, town, or county34
engineer. One paper copy shall be filed with the county assessor.35
Paper copies shall be provided to such other agencies as may be36
required by ordinance.37
(2)(a) Except as provided by (b) of this subsection, any lots in38
a final plat filed for record shall be a valid land use39
p. 2 SB 5674.SL
27
notwithstanding any change in zoning laws for a period of seven years1
from the date of filing if the date of filing is on or before2
December 31, 2014, and for a period of five years from the date of3
filing if the date of filing is on or after January 1, 2015.4
(b) Any lots in a final plat filed for record shall be a valid5
land use notwithstanding any change in zoning laws for a period of6
ten years from the date of filing if the project is not subject to7
requirements adopted under chapter 90.58 RCW and the date of filing8
is on or before December 31, 2007.9
(3)(a) Except as provided by (b) of this subsection, a10
subdivision shall be governed by the terms of approval of the final11
plat, and the statutes, ordinances, and regulations in effect at the12
time of approval under RCW 58.17.150 (1) and (3) for a period of13
seven years after final plat approval if the date of final plat14
approval is on or before December 31, 2014, and for a period of five15
years after final plat approval if the date of final plat approval is16
on or after January 1, 2015, unless the legislative body finds that a17
change in conditions creates a serious threat to the public health or18
safety in the subdivision.19
(b) A subdivision shall be governed by the terms of approval of20
the final plat, and the statutes, ordinances, and regulations in21
effect at the time of approval under RCW 58.17.150 (1) and (3) for a22
period of ten years after final plat approval if the project is not23
subject to requirements adopted under chapter 90.58 RCW and the date24
of final plat approval is on or before December 31, 2007, unless the25
legislative body finds that a change in conditions creates a serious26
threat to the public health or safety in the subdivision.27
Sec. 3. RCW 58.17.190 and 1969 ex.s. c 271 s 19 are each amended28
to read as follows:29
The county auditor shall refuse to accept any plat for filing30
until approval of the plat has been given by the appropriate31
legislative body, or such other agency as authorized by RCW32
58.17.100. Should a plat or dedication be filed without such33
approval, the prosecuting attorney of the county in which the plat is34
filed shall apply for a writ of mandate in the name of and on behalf35
of the legislative body required to approve same, directing the36
auditor and assessor to remove from their files or records the37
unapproved plat, or dedication of record.38
p. 3 SB 5674.SL
28
Passed by the Senate March 3, 2017.
Passed by the House April 12, 2017.
Approved by the Governor April 27, 2017.
Filed in Office of Secretary of State April 27, 2017.
--- END ---
p. 4 SB 5674.SL
29
30
CITY OF KENT
LAND USE AND PLANNING BOARD
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
AUGUST 28, 2017
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City of Kent Land Use and Planning
Board will hold a Public Hearing on MONDAY, AUGUST 28, 2017 at 7:00 P.M.
in City Council Chambers, 220 Fourth Avenue South, Kent, WA 98032.
The Hearing Agenda will include the following item(s):
FINAL PLAT APPROVAL AMENDMENT
This is a public hearing to consider proposed administrative/procedural
amendments to Kent City Code Chapters 12.01 and 12.04 to delegate final plat
approval authority for subdivisions to the Planning Director pursuant to SB
5674.
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that any person wishing to submit oral or
written comments on this proposal may do so at the hearing or prior to the
hearing by e-mail to Matt Gilbert, Current Planning Manager, at
mgilbert@kentwa.gov. The public is invited to attend and all interested persons
will have an opportunity to speak. For further information or a copy of the staff
report or text of the proposed amendment, contact the Economic & Community
Development Office at (253) 856-5454. For documents pertaining to the Land
Use and Planning Board, please 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.
AD - For Publication Friday, August 18, 2017
S:\PUBLIC\City Clerk's Office\City Council\Advisory Committees\Land Use & Planning Board\2017\Public Notice\2017 Public Notices\08-28-17
Public Hrg Ntc Final.doc
31
32
ECONOMIC & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Ben Wolters, Director
Phone: 253-856-5454
Fax: 253-856-6454
220 Fourth Avenue S.
Kent, WA 98032-5895
Date: August 21, 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 Update and Consistency
Review Report
For Meeting of August 28, 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. The scope of work for the project
includes an inventory and characterization report of existing Urban Separators parcels, and a
consistency review report to assess consistency with county, regional, and local plans and
policies. Staff presented the preliminary inventory and characterization report to the LUPB in
April. The August 28th presentation will include updates to the inventory and characterization
report and the findings of the consistency review.
BACKGROUND: Kent’s comprehensive plan and King County Countywide Planning Policies
designate certain parcels in the City as Urban Separator. 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 effectively 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.
In April, ECD staff presented 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. More information has been
added to the inventory and characterization report, and the second phase of the project, the
consistency review report, has been completed. The inventory and characterization report and
consistency review report will lay the foundation for future work, including preliminary
alternatives analysis, and stakeholder and public engagement.
Staff will be available at the August 28th meeting to provide information, answer questions, and
receive feedback from the LUPB on the Urban Separators reports and next steps.
EXHIBITS: Draft Inventory and Characterization Report; Draft Consistency Review Report
BUDGET IMPACTS: None
CC: Ben Wolters, Economic & Community Development Director
Charlene Anderson, Long Range Planning Manager
MOTION: Information Only
33
34
Urban Separators Project, 2017 Parcel Inventory & Characterization
1
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 docket
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 Separator land use designation is used by King County and the City of Kent to
identify 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 communities, 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, visual, 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 city’s Urban Separators are also
designated Urban Separators in the Countywide Planning Policies.
In 2001, the Kent City Council passed Ordinance 3551 amending the Kent Comprehensive
Plan to provide for an Urban Separator land use designation consistent with the King County
Countywide Planning Policies (CPPs). The ordinance also established local flexibility for
designating and implementing the Urban Separator land use. The City Council adopted
corresponding zoning regulations that set standards for how parcels within Urban
Separators can be subdivided and developed. For instance, residential development must be
“clustered” when located in Urban Separators, 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 characteristicsattributes described for Urban Separators in this report
include current and potential 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 critical areas code in 2005, and comprehensively 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
impacts. 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 geological
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 critical areas, and primarily
35
Urban Separators Project, 2017 Parcel Inventory & Characterization
2
pertain to the Green River Valley seismic hazard area, where liquefiable soils are prevalent.
Kent City Code places restrictions on development in areas characterized by landslide
hazards and wetlands.
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 near 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 critical areas
code. 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 critical 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-density Urban Separators can help to maintain natural drainage
and reduce the potential for intrusion of pollutants into groundwater sources.
Providing access to transporation and utilities infrastructure, including roads, non-motorized
transportation, 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.
Access to transit and commercial shopping centers is also an important factor when
considering increasing residential density. Close proximity of residential uses to these
amenities can contribute to quality of life and liveability, and can reduce traffic and
congestion.
In total, there are 539 parcels in Kent designated as Urban Separators, in addition to 30
open space or reserved tracts. The total acreage of Urban Separator parcels is 1,442 acres,
with an average parcel size of 2.5 acres and a maximum size of 46 acres. Seven of the
sixteen focus areas, as described below, are included in the 2012 King County Countywide
Planning Policies; nine are reflected only in the City of Kent land use plan map.
Formatted: Font: 10 pt
Formatted: Font: Not Bold
36
Urban Separators Project, 2017 Parcel Inventory & Characterization
3
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 portions of parcels.
To create reporting areas or for the inventory and characterization of existing Urban
Separators, the parcels were grouped into 16 “focus areas” labeled A through P. Focus
areas were determined based on geographic proximity and similarity, and where practical,
date of annexation to the City of Kent. Figure 1, below, shows the Urban Separator focus
areas to be described.
Data 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,
regulatory floodway, seismic hazard, and FEMA 1% annual chance flood hazard zones A, AE,
and AH, and flood hazards. ; and Also included in the analysis were 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. WDFW-inventoried wildlife corridors were not included in GIS
analyses because of the sensitive nature of theseis data at fine scales; high-level data areis
available on the WDFW website, and wereas used to show the general vicinity of wildlife
resources.
Restricted and unrestricted acreage and percentage were calculated for each focus area
using critical areas GIS layers for landslide hazard, wetlands, and floodways. Kent City
Code explicitly prohibits development in these critical areas, and in the case of landslide
hazard areas requires a minimum 25-foot buffer where no ground disturbance or alteration
can take place; for wetlands this buffer is at a minimum 40 feet. Consistent with Kent City
Code, a 25-foot buffer was added to the landslide hazard layer, and a 40-foot buffer was
added to the wetland layer. It is important to emphasize that a 40-foot buffer is the
minimum buffer for wetlands in the city ; many inventoried wetlands would require larger
buffer areas, up to 225 feet. The buffered layers were combined with a regulatory floodway
layer to create a single “restrictive critical areas” layer, which was then overlayed with the
clipped version of the urban separators parcels layer described above. It is important to
note that there may be other site conditions that create development restrictions on some
properties, including, but not limited to the presence of other types of critical areas or
WDFW-inventoried wildlife corridors. This analysis was performed for instructive and
comparative purposes only and represents the minimum restricted area; actual critical
areas, wetland boundaries, and buffers would have to be determined through a delineation
and development application process.
Each focus area was also assessed for average residual development capacity. This was
37
Urban Separators Project, 2017 Parcel Inventory & Characterization
4
calculated through a GIS analysis using the minimum restrictive critical areas layer
described in the above paragraph. The “unclipped” Urban Separators parcel layer was
overlayed with the restrictive critical areas layer, and square footage was calculated for
restricted and unrestricted portions of each parcel. Cluster subdivisions in Urban Separators
require 50% of the unconstrained land area to be set aside for common open space
designed and intended primarily for the use or enjoyment of residents of a subdivision.
Consistent with these requirements, the unrestricted square footage for each parcel was
multiplied by 50% to determine the subdividable area. Minimum lot size for cluster
subdivisions in Urban Separators is 2,500 square feet; the subdividable area was divided by
2,500 to determine the maximum number of lots into which the parcel could be divided.
The maximum number of lots based on unconstrained land area was compared to the
maximum number of lots allowed by SR-1 zoning, and the lesser of the two numbers was
assigned to each parcel. Averages were then calculated and reported as development
capacity values for each of the sixteen focus areas.
It is important to note that this residual development capacity analysis does not take into
account fragmentation of unconstrained areas, nor does it account for shape and orientation
of the unconstrained land. Under certain conditions, parcels that meet the minimum square
footage may not be able to meet the minimum lot width of 30 feet, which would reduce the
maximum number of lots into which a parcel could be subdivided. Additional space would
also be required for site infrastructure, including subdivision access roads and storm water
drainage.; and clustered development regulations require spacing of 120 feet between
groups of up to eight individual lots.
Road access and utilities service areas were determined using a combination of Google
satellite imagery (Copyright, 2017), and Kent’s 2008 Transportation Master Plan and 2015
Comprehensive Plan.
Transit access was determined using King County Metro service maps and Google satellite
imagery with the distance-measuring tool. Access was determined using a 0.51/2-mile
maximum distance from the closest point of the focus area polygon. Transportation studies
indicate that people are willing to walk up to 1/2 mile for high-quality, high-capacity transit.
Lower-quality transit services typically have 1/4-mile walksheds. Similarly, access to
commercial shopping centers was determined using Google satellite imagery with the
distance-measuring tool. from the nearest point in the urban separator focus area. A
typical walkshed for daily activities is 1/4-mile. Commercial shopping centers included in
this inventory were commercial areas with clustered retail or individual large grocery or
department stores.
38
Urban Separators Project, 2017 Parcel Inventory & Characterization
5
Figure 1 – Urban Separator Focus Areas
39
Urban Separators Project, 2017 Parcel Inventory & Characterization
6
Findings
Focus Area A – “Contemporary Construction Annex”
Focus Area A, referred to in annexation documentation as “Contemporary Construction”,
was annexed to the City of Kent in 1978. The site is 19 18.5 acres, and entirely designated
Urban Separator. This area is not a King County designated Urban Separator; its
designation is only reflected in the City of Kent’s land use plan map. Portions of each parcel
were designated as an Urban Separator on Kent’s land use plan map by Ordinance 3769 in
2005 as a result of the city’s 2004 urban density study. The remaining split-designations
were resolved in 2007 by Ordinance 3842, establishing the entire area as 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. Parcels in this focus area average
roughly 2.7 acres in size.
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. See Table A-1 for an estimate of
restricted and unrestricted land in Focus Area A. Methodology and background information
is provided in the Methods & Data Sources section above. Areas are rounded to the
nearest tenth of an acre.
Table A – 1 Restricted Lands Analysis
Total Restricted Unrestricted
Acreage 18.5 Acres 13.8 Acres 4.7 Acres
Percent - 75% 25%
Figure A – Focus Area A, Contemporary Construction Annex
Formatted: Font: Bold
Formatted Table
Formatted: Font: Bold
40
Urban Separators Project, 2017 Parcel Inventory & Characterization
7
Three parcels in Focus Area A have sufficient unrestricted land area and are sufficiently
large that they have residual development capacity, meaning that they could potentially be
further subdivided under the current SR-1 zoning in a cluster subdivision. Average residual
development capacity for these parcels in Focus Area A is over three lots per parcel.
Focus 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-7. WDFW describes the area as steep
forested hill slopes along the Green River Valley, which are unstable, but provide wildlife
habitat and migration corridors.
Focus 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.
Transit service within 0.5 mile of Focus Area A includes King County Metro DART route 914
to Kent City Hall. The nearest commercial shopping center is approximately one mile away
and includes grocery stores, restaurants, big-box retail stores, and other various retail and
commercial uses.
The entire focus area is within Kent’s water and sewer utility service areas.
Figure A-1 – Focus Area A, Erodible Soils Figure A-2 – Focus Area A, Landslide Risk
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Figure A-3 – Focus Area A, Steep Slopes Figure A-4 – Focus Area A, Open Space, Resource
Lands, or Other Jurisdictions' Urban Separators
th Pl
Figure A-6 – Focus Area A, Restricted Lands Figure A-5 – Focus Area A, Seismic Hazard
Legend
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Figure A-7 – Focus Area A, Wildlife Corridor
S 267th St
Wo
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S 262nd Pl
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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
105 101.9 acres. This area is not a King County-designated Urban Separator; its
designation is only reflected in the City of Kent’s land use plan map. It was designated as
an Urban Separator on Kent’s land use plan map by Ordinance 3769 in 2005 as a result of
the city’s 2004 urban density study.
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 risk 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. See Table B-1 for
an estimate of restricted and unrestricted land in Focus Area B. Areas are rounded to the
nearest tenth of an acre.
Table B – 1 Restricted Lands Analysis
Total Restricted Unrestricted
Acreage 101.9 Acres 92.7 Acres 9.3 Acres
Percent - 91% 9%
Focus Area B contains seven parcels that could be further subdivided under the current SR-
1 zoning in a cluster subdivision. Average residual development capacity for these parcels
is more than three lots per parcel. This analysis excludes a 17-acre parcel owned by King
Figure B – Focus Area B, Ramstead
Formatted Table
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County Parks; it extends outside of Kent’s municipal boundary into the City of Auburn,
where much of it is designated as public and open space.
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 Focus 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 landslide 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.
Transit service within 0.5 mile from Focus Area B includes King County Metro route 914 to
Kent City Hall. The distance to the nearest commercial shopping center is about 1.5 miles
away. It includes grocery stores, restaurants, big-box retail stores, and other various retail
and commercial uses.
The entire focus area is within Kent’s water supply and sewer utility service areas.
Figure B-1 – Focus Area B, Erodible Soils Figure B-2 – Focus Area B, Landslide Risk
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Figure B-3 – Focus Area B, Steep Slopes Figure B-4 – Focus Area B, Wetlands
Figure B-5 – Focus Area B; Open Space, Resource
Lands, or Other Jurisdictions' Urban Separators Figure B-6 – Focus Area B, Seismic Hazard
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SE 272nd St
10
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Figure B-9 – Focus Area B, Wildlife Corridor
Figure B-7 – Focus Area B; FEMA 1% Flood Zone Figure B-8 – Focus Area B; Restricted Lands
Legend
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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, 87.1
acres in the southern portion were designated as Urban Separator. This area is not a King
County-designated Urban Separator; its designation is only reflected in the City of Kent’s
land use plan map. Focus Area C was designated Urban Separator on Kent’s land use plan
map in 2004 by Ordinance 3685.
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 permitted 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 designated 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 areas, including erodible
soils, landslide 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. See Table C-1 for an estimate of
restricted and unrestricted land in Focus Area C. Areas are rounded to the nearest tenth of
Figure C – Focus Area C, Impoundment Reservoir South
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an acre.
Table C – 1 Restricted Lands Analysis
Total Restricted Unrestricted
Acreage 87.1 Acres 57.1 Acres 30 Acres
Percent - 66% 34%
Focus Area C contains eight parcels that could be further subdivided under the current SR-1
zoning in a cluster subdivision. Average residual development capacity for these parcels in
Focus Area C is just less than four lots per parcel.
Focus Area C also has a WDFW-designated wildlife corridor for priority wetland habitat. The
WDFW designated wildlife corridor (Figure C-7) 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;
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.
Transit service within 0.5 mile includes King County Metro route 164, which runs every half
hour between Green River College and Kent Station. The nearest commercial shopping
center is 0.75 mile away, and includes a grocery store and restaurants; however, the
Bridges PUD allows some retail and commercial uses under certain conditions, so a
developer could potentially build on-site retail.
Focus Area C is served by the City of Kent’s water supply sytem, and the City of Auburn’s
sewer utility system.
Formatted Table
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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
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SE 296th Way
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Figure C-7 – Focus Area C, Wildlife Corridor
Figure C-6 – Focus Area C; Restricted Lands
Legend
Figure C-5 – Focus Area C; Open Space, Resource
Lands, and Other Jurisdictions’ Urban Separators
Legend
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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 124.4 acres. Kent established the Urban Separator designation for these
properties on the city’s land use plan map in 2001 by Ordinance 3551. This was the same
ordinance that amended Kent’s comprehensive plan to include the Urban Separator land use
designation. This area is included in the 2012 King County Countywide Planning Policies
Urban Separator mapsdesignations.
There are 47 separate parcels in Focus Area D; all are privately owned and average over 2.5
acres in size. Thirty-three parcels contain homes or other buildings, and 14 are vacant.
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 clinic, 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 small 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 the central
approximately one quarter of the focus area is within the Green River Valley seismic hazard
zone. See Table D-1 for an estimate of restricted and unrestricted land in Focus Area D.
Areas are rounded to the nearest tenth of an acre.
Table D – 1 Restricted Lands Analysis
Total Restricted Unrestricted
Figure D – Focus Area D, Meridian South
Formatted Table
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Acreage 124.4 Acres 38.9 Acres 85.4 Acres
Percent - 31% 69%
Focus Area D contains sixteen parcels that could be further subdivided under the current
SR-1 zoning in a cluster subdivision. Average residual development capacity for these
parcels in Focus Area D is greater than four lots per parcel.
Streams running through the center and southwest quadrant of the site serve as WDFW
priority habitat and breeding grounds for coho salmon and resident coastal cutthroat 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-9.
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.
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.
Transit within 0.5 mile is limited to King County Metro route 164, which runs every 30
minutes between Green River College and Kent Station. The nearest commercial shopping
center is about 0.75 mile away and includes grocery stores, restaurants and other retail and
services.
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
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Figure D-3 – Focus Area D, Landslide Risk Figure D-4 – Focus Area D, Steep Slopes
Figure D-5 – Focus Area D, Wetlands Figure D-6 – Focus Area D; Open Space, Resource
Lands, or Other Jurisdictions’ Urban Separators
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SE 282nd St
SE 288th St
13
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Figure D-9 – Focus Area D, Wildlife Corridor
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Figure D-7 – Focus Area D, Seismic Hazard Figure D-8 – Focus Area D, Restricted Lands
Legend
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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. Kent established the Urban Separator designation for these properties on the city’s
land use plan map in 2001 by Ordinance 3551. This area is included in the 2012 King
County Countywide Planning Policies Urban Separator mapsdesignations.
Focus Area E contains 16 individual parcels, which are both privately- and publicly-owned.
All but four parcels contain homes or other structures. 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 Oopen Sspace
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
Figure E – Focus Area E, Meridian East
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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.
See Table E-1 for an estimate of restricted and unrestricted land in Focus Area E. Areas are
rounded to the nearest tenth of an acre.
Table E – 1 Restricted Lands Analysis
Total Restricted Unrestricted
Acreage 52.5 Acres 14.4 Acres 38.1 Acres
Percent - 27% 73%
Focus Area E contains seven parcels that could be further subdivided under the current SR-1
zoning in a cluster subdivision. Average residual development capacity for these parcels in
Focus Area E is just more than three lots per parcel. This analysis excludes a 16-acre
property, which, although it is a single parcel, contains Soos Creek Estates mobile home
park, with 118 individual homes.
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-7) runs through Focus Area E, which according to the
WDFW Priority Habitat and Species dataset includes aquatic habitat and freshwater
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.
Transit routes within 0.5 mile include King County Metro route 168, an all-day route that
runs every 30 minutes between Maple Valley and Kent Station; and route 159, a peak-only
route that runs between downtown Seattle and Timberlane. The nearest commercial
shopping center is in Covington about 0.6 miles away and includes grocery and wholesale
stores, restaurants, and other various retail and commercial uses.
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 focus 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.
Formatted Table
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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
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SE 272nd St/SR-516
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Figure E-7 – Focus Area E, Wildlife Corridor
Figure E-5 – Focus Area E, FEMA 1% Flood Zone Figure E-6 – Focus Area E, Restricted Lands
Legend
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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 33.4 acres. The focus area is oriented diagonally northwest
to southeast and abuts slopes in the City of Covington to the east. Kent established the
Urban Separator designation for these properties on the city’s land use plan map in 2001 by
Ordinance 3551. This area is included in the 2012 King County Countywide Planning
Policies Urban Separator mapsdesignations.
The Meridian Northeast focus area includes 16 parcels, which average approximately 2 acres
in size and are primarily privately owned. All but four parcels contain homes or other
structures. 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 properties,
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 Soos 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 areas 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
Figure F – Focus Area F, Meridian Northeast
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Covington wetlands to the east. See figures F-1 through F-7 for maps of these critical areas.
See Table F-1 for an estimate of restricted and unrestricted land in Focus Area F. Areas are
rounded to the nearest tenth of an acre.
Table F – 1 Restricted Lands Analysis
Total Restricted Unrestricted
Acreage 33.4 Acres 16.3 Acres 17.1 Acres
Percent - 49% 51%
Focus Area F contains five parcels that could be further subdivided under the current SR-1
zoning in a cluster subdivision. Average residual development capacity for these parcels in
Focus Area F is greater than two lots per parcel.
Similar to Focus Area E, Focus Area F contains a WDFW inventoried wildlife corridor,
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.
Transit service within 0.5 mile of Focus Area F is limited to King County Metro route 158, a
peak-only route that runs between Timberlane and downtown Seattle. The nearest
commercial shopping center is in Covington about 2 miles away, and includes grocery and
wholesale stores, restaurants, and other various retail and commercial uses.
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-1 – Focus Area F, Aquifer Recharge Area Figure F-2 – Focus Area F, Erodible Soils
Formatted Table
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Figure F-5 – Focus Area F, Wetlands Figure F-6 – Focus Area F; Open Space, Resource
Lands, or Other Jurisdictions’ Urban Separators
Figure F-3 – Focus Area F, Landslide Risk Figure F-4 – Focus Area F, Steep Slopes
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Figure F-7 – Focus Area F, Seismic Hazards Figure F-8 – Focus Area F, FEMA 1% Flood Zone
Figure F-9 – Focus Area F, Restricted Lands
Legend
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SE 256th St
SE 260th St
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Figure F-10 – Focus Area F, Wildlife Corridor
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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 49.5 acres are
designated Urban Separator, and are all within this focus area. Kent established the Urban
Separator designation for these properties on the city’s land use plan map in 2001 by
Ordinance 3551. This area is included in the 2012 King County Countywide Planning
Policies Urban Separator mapsdesignations.
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 grass field. Other properties in the focus
area, 2-3 acres in size, are used for livestock and equestrian purposes. All but four parcels
contain homes or other structures.
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.
See Table G-1 for an estimate of restricted and unrestricted land in Focus Area G. Areas are
rounded to the nearest tenth of an acre.
Figure G – Focus Area G, Meridian Valley
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Table G – 1 Restricted Lands Analysis
Total Restricted Unrestricted
Acreage 49.5 Acres 16.7 Acres 32.8 Acres
Percent - 34% 66%
Focus Area G contains eleven parcels that could be further subdivided under the current SR-
1 zoning in a cluster subdivision. Average residual development capacity for these parcels
in Focus Area G is just less than two lots per parcel.
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-10 for a map
of the WDFW wildlife corridor. The Meridian Valley Urban Separator properties appear to
serve 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 arterial, 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.
No transit routes serve this focus area within 0.5 mile. The nearest commercial shopping
center is about 0.6 mile away, and includes a grocery store and other various commercial
office and retail uses.
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.
Formatted Table
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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
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Figure G-5 – Focus Area G, Wetlands Figure G-6 – Focus Area G; Open Space, Resource
Lands, or Other Jurisdictions’ Urban Separators
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Figure G-7 – Focus Area G, Seismic Hazards Figure G-8 – Focus Area G, FEMA 1% Flood Zone
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Figure G-10 – Focus Area G, Wildlife Corridor
SE237th Pl
SE 240th St
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Figure G-9 – Focus Area G, Restricted Lands
Legend
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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 233.3 acres. This area was part
of Kent’s potential annexation area at the time the city passed Ordinance 3551 adopting the
Urban Separator land use designation. Kent establishes land use designations for potential
annexation area lands. Consistent with existing King County land use designations, lands in
this focus area were designated Urban Separator on Kent’s land use plan map by the 2001
ordinance. This area is included in the 2012 King County Countywide Planning Policies
Urban Separator mapsdesignations.
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 larger 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.
Roughly the eastern half of Focus Area H is within an inventoried critical aquifer recharge
Figure H – Focus Area H, Soos Creek
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area. 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.
See Table H-1 for an estimate of restricted and unrestricted land in Focus Area H. Areas are
rounded to the nearest tenth of an acre.
Table H – 1 Restricted Lands Analysis
Total Restricted Unrestricted
Acreage 233.3 Acres 106.5 Acres 126.8 Acres
Percent - 46% 54%
Focus Area H contains thirty-four parcels that could be further subdivided under the current
SR-1 zoning in a cluster subdivision. Average residual development capacity for these
parcels in Focus Area H is just less than four lots per parcel.
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-8. 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 two2 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.
The easternmost third of the docketed parcel is within the critical aquifer recharge area. No
other 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. The property is
within the 53% of unrestricted lands in the focus area. 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 breeding 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.
No transit routes serve this focus area within 0.5 mile. The nearest commercial shopping
Formatted Table
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Figure H-2 – Focus Area H, Erodible Soils Figure H-1 – Focus Area H, Aquifer Recharge Area
center is about 1.5 miles away, and includes a grocery store, restaurants, a bank, and
various other commercial retail and service uses.
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-3 – Focus Area H, Landslide Risk Figure H-4 – Focus Area H, Steep Slopes
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Figure H-5 – Focus Area H, Wetlands Figure H-6 – Focus Area H; Open Space, Resource
Lands, or Other Jurisdictions’ Urban Separators
Figure H-7 – Focus Area H, Seismic Hazard Figure H-8 – Focus Area H, Docket Parcels
(Rezone Requested)
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Figure H-11 – Focus Area H, Wildlife Corridor
SE 208th St
14
8
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A
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E
SE 244th St
SE 240th St
13
2
nd
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S
E
11
6
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E
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Figure H-9 – Focus Area H, FEMA 1% Flood Zone Figure H-10 – Focus Area H, Restricted Lands
Legend
Figure H-8 – Focus Area H, Wildlife Corridor
SE 208th St
14
8
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A
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E
SE 244th St
SE 240th St
13
2
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S
E
11
6
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S
E
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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 38.5 acres. As with Focus Area H, this area was part of Kent’s potential annexation area
at the time the city passed Ordinance 3551 adopting the Urban Separator land use
designation. Consistent with existing King County comprehensive plan land use
designations, lands in this focus area were designated Urban Separator on Kent’s land use
plan map by the 2001 ordinance. The southern portion of the focus area is included in the
2012 King County Countywide Planning Policies Urban Separator maps, but. Despite it
being designated by King County as Urban Separator at the time of its annexation into the
City of Kent, the northern roughly one quarterportion of Focus Area I is designated Urban
Separator only in the city’s land use plan mapnot shown as such in the Countywide Planning
Policies. maps
There are 40 separate parcels in the Panther Lake Northeast Urban Separator focus area,
which average just less than 1 acre in size. Thirty-three parcels contain homes or other
structures; 7 are vacant. 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 critical 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
Figure I – Focus Area I, Panther Lake Northeast
Formatted: Widow/Orphan control
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contains 8 acres of inventoried wetland, primarily located in the southern segment and at
the far northeast perimeter.
See Table I-1 for an estimate of restricted and unrestricted land in Focus Area I. Areas are
rounded to the nearest tenth of an acre.
Table I – 1 Restricted Lands Analysis
Total Restricted Unrestricted
Acreage 38.5 Acres 17.6 Acres 20.9 Acres
Percent - 46% 54%
Focus Area I contains five parcels that could be further subdivided under the current SR-1
zoning in a cluster subdivision. Average residual development capacity for these parcels in
Focus Area I is just less than three lots per parcel.
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 focus area, the
majority of which is located in the eastern portion of the southern segment.
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.
Within 0.5 miles of Focus Area I, transit service includes route 157, a peak-only route that
runs from Lake Meridian Park and Ride to downtown Seattle. The nearest commercial
shopping center is roughly 1.4 miles away, and includes a grocery store, restaurants, a
bank, and various other commercial retail and service uses.
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
Formatted Table
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Figure I-3 – Focus Area I, Steep Slopes Figure I-4 – Focus Area I, Wetlands
Figure I-5 – Focus Area I; Open Space, Resource
Lands, or Other Jurisdictions’ Urban Separators
Figure I-6 – Focus Area I; Restricted Lands
Legend
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Figure I-7 – Focus Area I, Wildlife Corridor
SE 198th Pl
12
4
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SE 200th St
SE 201st Pl
SE 192nd St
11
9
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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
139.7 acres. This area is included in the 2012 King County Countywide Planning Policies
Urban Separator mapsdesignations. As with Focus Areas H and I, this area was part of
Kent’s potential annexation area at the time the city passed Ordinance 3551 adopting the
Urban Separator land use designation. Consistent with existing King County land use
designations, lands in this focus area were designated Urban Separator on Kent’s land use
plan map by the 2001 ordinance.
The focus area has 90 separate parcels, averaging roughly 1.5 acres. The largest four
parcels, 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-7). 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
Figure J – Focus Area J, Panther Lake
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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,
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 Countywide
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.
The easternmost and westernmost areas of Focus Area J are within the critical aquifer
recharge area for Renton’s water supply. 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.
See Table J-1 for an estimate of restricted and unrestricted land in Focus Area J. Areas are
rounded to the nearest tenth of an acre.
Table J – 1 Restricted Lands Analysis
Total Restricted Unrestricted
Acreage 139.7 Acres 48.5 Acres 91.2 Acres
Percent - 35% 65%
Focus Area J contains nineteen parcels that could be further subdivided under the current
SR-1 zoning in a cluster subdivision. Average residual development capacity for these
parcels in Focus Area J is greater than two lots per parcel.
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.
Within 0.5 mile, Focus Area J is served by transit route 169, an all-day route that runs every
Formatted Table
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Figure J-2 – Focus Area J, Landslide Risk
30 minutes between Kent Station and the Renton Transit Center. The nearest commercial
shopping center is about 0.5 mile away, and includes a , grocery store, restaurants, a bank,
and various other commercial retail and service uses.
Focus Area J is served by Soos Creek Water & Sewer District for water supply and sewer
utility service.
Figure J-4 – Focus Area J, Steep Slopes Figure J-3 – Focus Area J, Landslide Risk
Figure J-2 – Focus Area J, Erodible Soils Figure J-1 – Focus Area J, Aquifer Recharge Area
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Figure J-5 – Focus Area J, Wetlands Figure J-6 – Focus Area J, Open Space, Resource
Lands, or Other Jurisdictions’ Urban Separators
Figure J-7 – Focus Area J, Docket Parcels
(Rezone Requested) Figure J-8 – Focus Area J, Restricted Lands
Legend
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SE 196th St
SE 208th St
10
8
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E
Figure J-7 – Focus Area J, Wildlife Corridor
11
6
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E
SE 192nd St
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Figure K – Focus Area K, Wilson Road
Focus Area K – “Wilson Road”
The 300-acre “Wilson Road” annexation was annexed to the City of Kent in 1959. Of the
300-acre annexation, 36.3 acres are designated as Urban Separators, comprising Focus
Area K. This area is not a King County-mappeddesignated Urban Separator; its designation
is only reflected in the City of Kent’s land use plan map. It was designated Urban Separator
on Kent’s land use plan map in 2005 by Ordinance 3769 as a result of the city’s 2004 urban
density study.
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 coincident 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.
See Table K-1 for an estimate of restricted and unrestricted land in Focus Area K. Areas are
rounded to the nearest tenth of an acre.
Table K – 1 Restricted Lands Analysis
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Total Restricted Unrestricted
Acreage 36.3 Acres 18 Acres 18.4 Acres
Percent - 49% 51%
Focus Area K contains five parcels that could be further subdivided under the current SR-1
zoning in a cluster subdivision. Average residual development capacity for these parcels in
Focus Area K is just less than five lots per parcel.
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 blue 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 to 92nd Avenue S before
entering the area. The only direct access to the focus area is through local streets and
gravel driveways.
No transit routes serve Focus Area K within 0.5 miles. The nearest commercial shopping
center is about 1.5 miles away and includes a grocery store, restaurants, a bank, and
various other commercial retail and service uses.
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
Formatted Table
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Figure K-4 – Focus Area K, Steep Slopes Figure K-3 – Focus Area K, Landslide Risk
Figure K-5 – Focus Area K, Wetlands Figure K-6 – Open Space, Resource Lands, or Other
Jurisdictions’ Urban Separators
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S 192nd St
S 200th St
Figure K-9 – Focus Area K, Wildlife Corridor
92
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A
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S
S 196th Pl
Figure K-7 – Focus Area K, FEMA 1% Flood Zone Figure K-8 – Focus Area K, Restricted Lands
Legend
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Focus Area L – “Chestnut Ridge-Cloverdale”
Focus Area L, the Chestnut Ridge-Cloverdale Urban Separator, totals 52 51.8 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 Separator. 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. This area is not a King County-mappeddesignated Urban
Separator; its designation is only reflected in the City of Kent’s land use plan map. It was
designated Urban Separator on Kent’s land use plan map in 2005 by Ordinance 3769 as a
result of the city’s 2004 urban density study.
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-Cloverdale 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
Figure L – Focus Area L, Chestnut Ridge-Cloverdale
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through L-6.
See Table L-1 for an estimate of restricted and unrestricted land in Focus Area L. Areas are
rounded to the nearest tenth of an acre.
Table L – 1 Restricted Lands Analysis
Total Restricted Unrestricted
Acreage 51.8 Acres 46.9 Acres 4.9 Acres
Percent - 91% 9%
Focus Area L contains two parcels that could be further subdivided under the current SR-1
zoning in a cluster subdivision. Average residual development capacity for these parcels in
Focus Area L is approximately seventeen lots per parcel.; hHowever, this number is likely
much lower in practical terms because of the space required to provide access and
stormwater drainage to the developable portions of these parcels.
Focus Area L is not immediately adjacent to designated open space, and being centrally
located well within city limits, it does not abut other jurisdictions’ Urban Separators.
A WDFW inventoried wildlife corridor is present in the southern 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.
Transit service within 0.5 mile includes King County Metro route 157, a peak-only route
between Lake Meridian Park and Ride and downtown Seattle. A portion of the focus area is
adjacent to a commercial shopping center, which includes a grocery store. Within 0.5 mile
are additional commercial services and retail including restaurants.
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.
Formatted Table
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Figure L-2 – Focus Area L, Erodible Soils Figure L-1 – Focus Area L, Aquifer Recharge Area
Figure L-4 – Focus Area L, Steep Slopes Figure L-3 – Focus Area L, Landslide Risk
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Figure L-5 – Focus Area L, Wetlands Figure L-6 – Focus Area L, Seismic Hazard
Figure L-7 – Focus Area L, Restricted Lands
Legend
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Figure L-8 – Focus Area L, Wildlife Corridor
S 212th St
S 208h St
S 218th St
98
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S 218th St
96
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Focus Area M – “O’Connell-McCann”
Focus Area M, O’Connell-McCann, contains a total of 122 acres and 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. This area is not a King
County-mappeddesignated Urban Separator; its designation is only reflected in the City of
Kent’s land use plan map. The majority of the area was designated Urban Separator on
Kent’s land use plan map in 2005 by Ordinance 3769 as a result of the city’s 2004 urban
density study. A small, triangular segment was designated Urban Separator in 2006 by
Ordinance 3818.
There are 21 18 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.
Figure M – Focus Area M, O’Connell-McCann
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Figure M-2 – Focus Area M, Landslide Risk Figure M-1 – Focus Area M, Erodible Soils
See Table M-1 for an estimate of restricted and unrestricted land in Focus Area M. Areas are
rounded to the nearest tenth of an acre.
Table M – 1 Restricted Lands Analysis
Total Restricted Unrestricted
Acreage 122.1 116.2 Acres 5.9 Acres
Percent - 95% 5%
Focus Area M contains five parcels that could be further subdivided under the current SR-1
zoning in a cluster subdivision. Average residual development capacity for these parcels in
Focus Area M is greater than three lots per parcel.; hHowever, the shape, fragmentation,
and orientation on the developable portions of some of these parcels would place practical
limitations on subdivisions.
An inventoried agricultural resource area is present in the center of the focus area, as
shown in Figure M-5. Open space lands are adjacent to the north and south of Focus Area
M, as well as its eastern perimeter, along the Green River.
The majority of 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.
Within 0.5 mile, Focus Area M is served by King County Metro routes 180, an all-day route
between southeast Auburn and Burien Transit Center; 157, a peak-only route between Lake
Meridian Park and Ride and downtown Seattle; and 913, a DART route between Kent
Station, North Kent, and Riverview. The nearest commercial shopping center is roughly 1
mile away and includes restaurants and drive-through establishments along with hotels and
warehousing.
The City of Kent provides sewer utility and water supply service for Focus Area M.
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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-4 – Focus Area M, Wetlands Figure M-3 – Focus Area M, Steep Slopes
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Figure M-9 – Focus Area M, Wildlife Corridor
S 212th St
S 200th St
42
nd
A
v
e
S
S 216th St
S 204th St
Figure M-7 – Focus Area M, FEMA 1% Flood Zone Figure M-8 – Focus Area M, Restricted Lands
Legend
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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 107.3 acres. This area is not a King County-
mappeddesignated Urban Separator; its designation is only reflected in the City of Kent’s
land use plan map. Lands in Focus Area N were designated Urban Separator on Kent’s land
use plan map in 2005 by Ordinance 3769 as a result of the city’s 2004 urban density study.
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-9.
See Table N-1 for an estimate of restricted and unrestricted land in Focus Area N. Areas are
rounded to the nearest tenth of an acre.
Figure N – Focus Area N, Highlands North
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Figure N-2 – Focus Area N, Landslide Risk Figure N-1 – Focus Area N, Erodible Soils
Table N – 1 Restricted Lands Analysis
Total Restricted Unrestricted
Acreage 107.3 90.6 Acres 16.7 Acres
Percent - 84% 16%
Focus Area N contains seven parcels that could be further subdivided under the current SR-
1 zoning in a cluster subdivision. Average residual development capacity for these parcels
in Focus Area N is greater than ten lots per parcel. This number would be limited in practical
terms by the space required for access roads, storm water drainage, and other
infrastructure.
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.
Transit service within 0.5 mile of Focus Area N includes route 913, a DART route between
Kent Station, North Kent, and Riverview. Sound Transit has identified a site roughly 1.25
miles away for a new light rail station serving their southern expansion of the Link Light Rail
system, between University of Washington in Seattle and Federal Way. The nearest
commercial shopping center to Focus Area N is about 0.75 mile away, and includes
restaurants, retail, and commercial services.
Water supply service is provided by the Highline Water District for Focus Area N; sewer
utility service is provided by the City of Kent.
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Figure N-4 – Focus Area N, Wetlands Figure N-3 – Focus Area M, Steep Slopes
Figure N-6 – Focus Area N, Seismic Hazard Figure N-5 – Focus Area N; Open Space, Resource
Lands, or Other Jurisdictions’ Urban Separators
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Figure N-9 – Focus Area N, Wildlife Corridor
Figure N-7 – Focus Area N, FEMA 1% Flood Zone Figure N-8 – Focus Area N, Restricted Lands
Legend
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Focus Area O – “Highlands-Saltair”
The Highlands-Saltair Urban Separator focus area, Focus Area O, totals 170.1 acres and was
annexed to the City of Kent in two parts: as part of the 609-acre Kent Highlands annexation
in 1959, and the 1,212-acre Saltair Hills annexation in 1958. Of the Kent Highlands
annexation, 254 total acres are designated as Urban Separator; 146 141.3 acres are in
Focus Area O. Forty-one acres ofOf the Saltair Hills annexation, 28.8 were designated as
Urban Separator, all of which are in Focus Area O. This area is not a King County-
mappeddesignated Urban Separator; its designation is only reflected in the City of Kent’s
land use plan map. It was designated Urban Separator on Kent’s land use plan map in 2005
by Ordinance 3769 as a result of the city’s 2004 urban density study.
The western edges of Focus Area O contain inventoried critical 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.
Two 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 use
designation, and SR-1 zoning; and partially within King County agricultural resource lands.
Figure O – Focus Area O, Highlands-Saltair
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The average size of parcels in Focus Area O is six acres; only five of the 32 properties
contain structures within the Urban Separator designation. These are primarily single-family
residences and utility-related structures. The 2009 building footprint layer indicates the
presence of large agricultural or greenhouse buildings in the center of the focus area;
however, these have recently been demolished.
Kent’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.
The western edges of Focus Area O contain inventoried critical 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.
See Table O-1 for an estimate of restricted and unrestricted land in Focus Area O. Areas are
rounded to the nearest tenth of an acre.
Table O – 1 Restricted Lands Analysis
Total Restricted Unrestricted
Acreage 170.1 111.3 Acres 58.8 Acres
Percent - 65% 35%
Focus Area O contains thirteen parcels that could be further subdivided under SR-1 zoning
in a cluster subdivision. Average residual development capacity for these parcels in Focus
Area O under SR-1 zoning is over ten lots per parcel. As described above, however, there
are five split-zoned parcels in this area. Three of these have greater allowed density on the
portions outside of the Urban Separator designation, which includes multi-family residential
uses. For these parcels, subdivision into clustered single-family lots would be a less efficient
use for the unrestricted portions than a multi-family development. In fact, one of the split-
zoned parcels is currently developed as a condominium complex.
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.
Transit service within 0.5 mile of Focus Area O includes King County Metro routes 158, 159,
166, and 183. Routes 166 and 183 are all-day routes; 166 runs between Kent Station and
Burien Transit Center, and 183 runs between the Federal Way Transit Center and Kent
Station. Routes 158 and 159 are peak-only routes between Timberlane and downtown
Seattle. The nearest commercial shopping center is 0.3 mile away, and includes restaurants,
hotels, and commercial services. The next closest commercial shopping center is 1 mile
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away and includes additional restaurants, a grocery store, big-box retail, a bank, and other
various retail and commercial service uses.
Focus Area O is entirely within the City of Kent water supply service and sewer utility
service area.
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Figure O-2 – Focus Area O, Landslide Risk Figure O-1 – Focus Area O, Erodible Soils
Figure O-4 – Focus Area O, Wetlands Figure O-3 – Focus Area O, Steep Slopes
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Figure O-6 – Focus Area O, Seismic Hazard Figure O-5 – Focus Area O; Open Space, Resource
Lands, or Other Jurisdictions’ Urban Separators
Figure O-7 – Focus Area O, FEMA 1% Flood Zone
Figure O-8 – Focus Area O, Restricted Lands
Legend
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Figure O-9 – Focus Area O, Wildlife Corridor
W Meeker St
S 240th St
64
th
Av
e
S
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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. This area is not a King County-mappeddesignated Urban
Separator; its designation is only reflected in the City of Kent’s land use plan map. Focus
Area P was designated Urban Separator on the city’s land use plan map in 2007 by
Ordinance 3842.
There are 11 parcels in the Del Mar Urban Separator focus area, which 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.
There are no permanent No permanent structures are present 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.
Focus 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.
Figure P – Focus Area P, Del Mar
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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. See Table P-1 for an estimate of restricted
and unrestricted land in Focus Area P. Areas are rounded to the nearest tenth of an acre.
Table P – 1 Restricted Lands Analysis
Total Restricted Unrestricted
Acreage 76 74 Acres 2 Acres
Percent - 97% 3%
Focus Area P contains two parcels that could be further subdivided under the current SR-1
zoning in a cluster subdivision. Average residual development capacity for these parcels in
Focus Area P is approximately seven lots per parcel under SR-1 zoning. One of these
parcels, however, is split zoned, with the majority of the unrestricted portion of the parcel
residing in SR-6 zoning. For that reason, the residual development capacity for that parcel
should not be considered as development capacity in an Urban Separator . The shape and
degree of fragmentation of the second parcel also places limitations on its development, so
the development capacity in Focus Area P is, in practical terms, far less than this analysis
would indicate.
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.
Nearly the entire focus area is also within a WDFW-inventoried wildlife corridor, which is
identified as freshwater forested/shrub wetland and aquatic habitat.
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.
Focus 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.
Nearly the entire focus area is within a WDFW-inventoried wildlife corridor, which is
identified as freshwater forested/shrub wetland and aquatic habitat.
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Figure P-2 – Focus Area P, Landslide Risk Figure P-1 – Focus Area P, Erodible Soils
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.
Transit routes serving Focus Area P within 0.5 mile include King County Metro routes 190
and 183. Route 183 is an all-day route that runs between the Federal Way Transit Center
and Kent Station. Route 190 is a peak-only route that runs between Redondo Heights Park
and Ride and downtown Seattle. A commercial shopping center with a grocery store, banks,
restaurants, and various other retail and commercial services is present roughly 0.25 mile
away to the southwest.
Focus Area P is served by the Highline Water District for water supply service; Midway
Sewer District provides sewer utility service.
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Figure P-4 – Focus Area P, Wetlands Figure P-3 – Focus Area P, Steep Slopes
Figure P-5 – Focus Area P, Restricted Lands
Legend
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Figure P-6 – Focus Area P, Wildlife Corridor
S 272nd St
S 260th St
28
th
Av
e
S
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Conclusions
The findings of this inventory and characterization report show the various existing
ownership and development conditions, residual development capacity, adjacent land uses,
critical and environmentally sensitive areas, and infrastructure access for sixteen individual
focus areas comprised of lands designated Urban Separator on Kent’s land use plan map.
The analyses used GIS data and information from a variety of sources, including
Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife, King County, and City of Kent GIS data
as well as aerial imagery and information available from Google Maps.
The sixteen Urban Separator focus areas contain varying degrees of existing development
and access to infrastructure. They range from entirely vacant with large undivided lots to
primarily developed with many smaller parcels. Despite the presence of critical areas and
wildlife corridors that legally restrict development in much of the Urban Separator lands,
many of the focus areas have some residual development capacity in their unrestricted
portions, indicating that there is still room to increase density in these areas given existing
zoning and regulatory conditions.
All of Kent’s urban separator lands are within water service areas; those that are not served
by the City of Kent’s retail water service are served by one of several neighboring water
purveyors including Highline Water District, District 111, or Soos Creek Water & Sewer
District. Most urban separator lands, with the exception of a small segment of Focus Area
H, and the southern portion of Focus Area E, also have access to a public sewer system.
All urban separator focus areas have some degree of access to the city road network; some
are directly served by minor or major arterials or residential collectors, while others are
served only indirectly through local streets. A small number of urban separators are served
by the road network only at their external borders and lack internal roads.
Transit service is limited in most urban separator lands, and typically consists of one or two
routes; some of these are peak-only routes or dial-a-ride transit. Most urban separators do
have some level of commercial or retail service within one to two miles, although few have
these amenities within one quarter mile, the typical distance people are expected to be
willing to walk to accomplish daily tasks. The concentration of services in these areas is
generally low compared to more dense urban areas.
The information provided in this report is intended to inform the public and decision-makers
in considering requests to increase allowed residential development density on Kent’s Urban
Separator lands.
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Urban Separators Consistency Review Report
August 14, 2017
Introduction
In February, 2017 the city’s Economic and Community Development Committee
approved the scope of work for a project to consider increasing allowed
development density on parcels designated “urban separator” on the city’s land use
plan map. Urban separator parcels in the City of Kent are all zoned SR-1, which
primarily allows only single-family residential, at a density of one unit per acre.
The urban separator land use designation is a countywide designation, ratified by
King County and its cities in King County’s Countywide Planning Policies. Its
purpose is to establish permanent low-density lands that connect wildlife corridors;
protect resource lands and environmentally sensitive areas; create open space
corridors within and between urban areas; and provide health, environmental,
visual, and recreational benefits. Some of Kent’s urban separator lands have been
locally designated, separate from the countywide maps.
The Washington State Growth Management Act (RCW 36.70A), the state’s
regulatory framework for growth management, requires local jurisdictions to
coordinate on planning activities. Topics of regional significance, like urban
separators, are to be coordinated across jurisdictions. For this reason it is important
to evaluate whether proposals to modify Kent’s zoning or land use plan map
designations pertaining to urban separators are consistent with Kent’s plans as well
as county-wide and regional plans and policies. This consistency review documents
pertinent state, regional, countywide, and local policies and plans and implications
of changes to Kent’s urban separator lands.
The plans and policy documents reviewed include:
•Growth Management Act (RCW 36.70A)
•Vision 2040
o Regional Growth Strategy
o Multi-County Planning Policies
•Transportation 2040
•2012 King County Countywide Planning
Policies
•2015 Kent Comprehensive Plan
•2016 Kent Park & Open Space Plan
•2009 Shoreline Master Program
•Kent City Code
•2008 Kent Transportation Master
Plan
•2016 King County Comprehensive
Plan
•2016 King County Open Space Plan
Growth Management Act
The Washington State Growth Management Act (GMA), RCW 36.70A, is a
comprehensive regulatory framework for planning and growth management in
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Washington State. It requires cities and counties of a certain size, or that meet a
certain threshold for rate of growth, to plan for growth in a coordinated way within
their communities, and with neighboring jurisdictions, as a county and as a region.
Local governments must identify areas within their jurisdictions that can
accommodate growth, and plan to protect open space networks, resource lands,
and critical areas.
The GMA requires counties to establish Urban Growth Areas (UGAs), inside of which
urban densities must be allowed, and outside of which development must be strictly
limited. Delineated UGAs must be given priority for urban growth, particularly in
areas already characterized by urban development and served by existing
infrastructure. However, not all land within the UGA may be developed. Within the
UGA, counties and cities must designate open space corridors and greenbelts, and
use best available science to identify and protect the value and functions of critical
areas.
The designation of urban separators as permanently low-density residential areas is
one measure by which King County and the City of Kent meet this suite of
requirements. Urban Separators serve to preserve and connect open space
networks and greenbelts, and they act as buffers protecting critical areas and
resource lands.
Vision 2040
Vision 2040 is the regional planning document for the four-county Central Puget
Sound region, which includes Pierce, King, Kitsap, and Snohomish Counties. It
contains a Regional Growth Strategy to guide growth in a sustainable way, and
Multicounty Planning Policies by which local jurisdictions should plan to achieve the
growth targets outlined in the Regional Growth Strategy.
Vision 2040 policies and guidance are relevant to urban separators in two key ways.
The plan establishes high-level policies for how local jurisdictions should plan to
accommodate their share of the region’s anticipated growth, including how they
make land use decisions and infrastructure investments. Vision 2040 also speaks to
the ways in which the region’s environmental assets, including resource lands, open
space, and ecologically sensitive areas, should be protected and preserved.
Increasing allowed density in Kent’s urban separator parcels would intersect both of
these themes.
Regional Growth Strategy
The Regional Growth Strategy, a component of Vision 2040, describes the overall
strategy by which the Central Puget Sound region will plan for and accommodate
growth through the year 2040.
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The Regional Growth Strategy urges cities and counties in the region to channel
infrastructure investment to already built-up areas, especially regionally- and
locally-designated centers. Intensive growth should be directed to these areas in
order to maximize the use of existing infrastructure, facilitate efficient and lower-
cost investments in new infrastructure, and minimize the environmental impact of
urban growth.
Kent has two regionally-designated centers: a Manufacturing and Industrial Center
in its north-central valley and a Regional Growth Center in its downtown area. None
of Kent’s urban separator lands are within either of its designated centers, and
therefore have not been identified as target locations for increased residential
density or transportation investment. While this should not be taken to mean that
no growth or transportation investments will be made in Kent’s urban separator
lands, these areas should not be considered priority locations to receive regional or
local investment to accommodate significant growth.
While Kent’s urban separator lands are not intended to accommodate a substantial
portion of the city’s projected population growth, the urban separator designation
does support growth in Kent’s regional centers in a very important way. The
Regional Growth Strategy suggests that part of the appeal of regional centers for
new residents and businesses is their proximity to a variety of housing types. Low-
density residential areas, including urban separator lands, offer a unique urban
housing alternative; it contributes to a broad menu of housing options Kent can
offer existing and future residents.
Multicounty Planning Policies
To provide a mechanism for achieving consistency across cities and counties on
regional planning issues, consistent with requirements in the GMA, Vision 2040
contains a comprehensive set of Multicounty Planning Policies (MPPs). They
address environmental stewardship, development patterns, housing, economy,
transportation, and public services. These policies lay out a vision to achieve a high
quality of life while protecting the environment and using the region’s resources
wisely. Intentionally broad, the policies provide high-level guidance to cities and
counties when considering land use, transportation, and other local planning
decisions.
A general policy in the MPPs is that local jurisdictions in the Central Puget Sound
region are to coordinate planning efforts among other governments, agencies, and
tribes to ensure a common vision for planning efforts across borders, and on issues
of regional significance. Key partners invested in the topic of urban separators are
Kent’s neighboring cities to the north and south, Auburn and Renton, and King
County. Changes to urban separator designations in Kent should be made in
consultation with adjacent jurisdictions.
The MPPs recognize the ecological, aesthetic, and economic benefits of the natural
environment, and encourage conserving and connecting open space. Multi-County
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Planning Policies advocate for development to be compact and located to minimize
impacts to natural features. Local governments are encouraged to identify,
preserve, and enhance open space networks and linkages across jurisdictional
boundaries. They should also identify and protect wildlife habitat corridors and
native vegetation. The zoning and development regulations placed on Kent’s urban
separator lands, including low allowed density and mandatory clustering, are
intended to meet these purposes by promoting compact development and the
preservation and linkage of open space networks and wildlife habitat corridors.
The MPPs also speak to the importance of density; they cite the various challenges
associated with low-density development, including the relative expense of
extending infrastructure, fragmentation of environmental resources, and limitation
of transportation choices. They also cite environmental impacts like air pollution
and greenhouse gas production. High-density, compact development can be more
efficient and cost-effective to serve with infrastructure and services. Urban
separator lands in Kent are, by definition, characterized by low-density
development; however, compact or clustered development is required whenever
urban separator properties are subdivided. This is intended to achieve some of the
benefits of high-density development, like cost savings on infrastructure, and
reduce the impact of open space and habitat fragmentation.
As a region, Central Puget Sound cities and counties have committed to direct
growth and development to a limited number of regional growth centers. Kent has
both a regional Manufacturing and Industrial Center and a Regional Growth Center.
Policies in the MPPs compel local governments to focus a significant share of
population growth in designated regional centers. This concentration of
development in centers encourages compact communities and supports the efficient
use of land. Also important to effecting efficient land use is maximizing the
development potential of existing urban lands. This includes encouraging
development that achieves the density for which it is zoned. The 2017 Urban
Separator Inventory and Characterization report indicates that many urban
separator properties are not currently developed to the maximum density allowed,
meaning that even with the existing SR-1 zoning, there is still capacity to increase
density on these properties.
Housing policies in the Central Puget Sound region’s MPPs call for a range of
housing types and choices to meet the housing needs of all income levels and
demographic groups within the region. They place particular emphasis on
expanding the supply and range of housing, including affordable housing, within
and in close proximity to the region’s designated centers. Kent’s urban separator
lands are located outside of designated growth centers and thus are not specifically
targeted for increased housing density. They do, however, contribute to the
diversity of housing types and densities in the city and the region, and add to its
desirability for new residents and employers. As the most costly type of housing,
though, they rarely provide opportunities to achieve affordable housing goals.
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Transportation 2040
Similar to Vision 2040, the four-county Central Puget Sound region has developed a
shared, long-term strategy for meeting regional transportation needs through
strategic, sustainable, and environmentally conscious investment decisions.
Transportation 2040 aims to promote mobility and accessibility throughout the
region.
A fundamental link exists between land use and transportation; land use patterns
are influenced by the presence of transportation infrastructure like roads, paths,
trails, sidewalks, and railroads. Likewise, transportation investments are driven in
part by existing and planned land use regimes. For this reason it is important to
review policies and guidelines in Transportation 2040 and evaluate how they might
guide land use decisions, including those pertaining to urban separator lands.
Transportation 2040 supports the policies advanced by Vision 2040; it calls for local
governments to concentrate growth in regional and sub-regional (locally-
designated) centers in order to maximize use of existing transportation
infrastructure and make new transportation investments more efficient and less
costly to complete. Concentration of growth in centers is intended to lessen the
environmental impact of urban growth by reducing the length of vehicle trips and
promoting the use of non-motorized transportation modes through compact,
walkable development patterns.
A number of other goals to which the region aspires are reflected in Transportation
2040 policy guidance; these include increasing transit ridership and non-motorized
transportation, and reducing public expenditures by focusing new transportation
infrastructure investments in already urbanized areas. Transportation 2040
explicitly states that transportation investment will be prioritized for locations
throughout the region that are expected to accommodate the most growth,
especially centers and compact urban communities. These policies indicate a
regional preference for concentrating population growth and accompanying
transportation investment in a select number of centers, rather than promoting
significant growth in low-density or peripheral locations, such as Kent’s urban
separator lands, which would lead to more diffuse investment and reduced
efficiency.
King County Countywide Planning Policies (CPPs)
The King County Countywide Planning Policies (CPPs), established in 2012 and most
recently updated in 2016, are the guiding principles for planning and growth
management in King County and its cities. The policy document sets a vision for the
development and character of King County to be achieved by 2030. It establishes
an Urban Growth Area (UGA), within which nearly all urban development should be
contained, and sets population and employment growth targets for cities and the
county.
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Consistent with the Regional Growth Strategy, the CPPs strategically allocate
anticipated population and employment growth. Under current zoning and
regulatory conditions, including recent increases in allowed density in Kent’s
downtown and Midway areas, Kent has sufficient capacity to accommodate its share
of the region’s future growth.
Also emphasized in the CPPs, alongside policies on how to accommodate growth, is
how cities should designate and protect certain lands from dense development. The
CPPs state that urban separators should be designated as permanent low-density
areas within the UGA in order to protect resource lands, the rural area, and
environmentally sensitive areas. They should also create open space and wildlife
corridors within and between communities, and provide health, environmental,
visual, and recreational benefits. The CPPs identify a network of urban separator
lands, both within cities and in unincorporated King County, and institute a set of
policies to guide their continued management.
Kent’s urban separator lands are all located outside of either regionally-designated
center; most are at the city’s outer periphery. For this reason, none of these lands
are targeted for high concentrations of employment or residential growth. They do,
however, contribute to the goal of diversity in residential densities, serving as a
low-density alternative to more concentrated urban development.
Kent’s clustering requirements ensure development in urban separators is compact,
which supports the countywide goal of efficient use of public transportation and
other infrastructure. The CPPs also advocate for mixed-use development; a
compatible mix of uses in urban separator lands might include churches, open
space and parks, and agricultural or forest lands within or adjacent to residential
uses.
The CPPs state that use of existing land capacity for housing and employment
should be maximized. Many of Kent’s urban separator parcels are shown as vacant
or redevelopable in Kent’s 2015 vacant and redevelopable land map, which
indicates that these properties are not developed to the maximum density allowed,
as encouraged by the CPPs. The residual development capacity analysis, part of
the 2017 Urban Separators Inventory and Characterization Report, supports this
conclusion.
All county and city comprehensive plans, including Kent’s, must be consistent with
the CPPs. In order to alter the zoning designations or allowed uses on urban
separator properties in Kent, Kent’s city council must approve amendments to the
treatment of this land use designation in Kent’s comprehensive plan. Many of the
lands designated as urban separators in Kent’s land use plan map are also included
in urban separator maps adopted as part of the CPPs, so any changes to Kent’s
comprehensive plan regarding urban separators would also involve changes to the
CPPs. This would require countywide approval and ratification.
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Kent Comprehensive Plan
The Kent Comprehensive Plan, last updated in 2015, is the city’s overall vision for
how it should grow in the future. It outlines city policies for land use, parks and
recreation, utilities, housing, human services, transportation, capital facilities
management, shoreline management, and economic development. Its planning
horizon is 2035.
Policies in the comprehensive plan outline a vision for urban separators to be
established to protect ecologically sensitive areas and to create open space
corridors that provide visual, recreational, and wildlife benefits within and between
urban growth areas. Policy LU-19.1 in the plan clearly states that urban separators
will be low-density areas with no greater than one dwelling unit per acre.
The comprehensive plan encourages land use patterns that protect and enhance
urban separators. These land use patterns can include clustered development 1 and
zero lot lines that concentrate development and preserve permanent open space.
To further enhance open space corridor connectivity, plan policies call for the
creation of open space corridors within urban separators or that connect to urban
separators when new development occurs. These areas should link to urban
separator and open space lands in adjacent cities and in unincorporated King
County. Many of Kent’s urban separators do connect to other jurisdictions’ urban
separators,separators; although some of them, like the Chestnut Ridge-Cloverdale
urban separator, do not. The Panther Lake urban separator, initially designated in
the Soos Creek Community Plan and subsequently in the King County Countywide
Planning Policies, created a linkage between Soos Creek and Springbrook Creek
wetland areas to the west in Renton; however, current zoning and existing
development conditions in the adjacent lands in Renton do not reflect this
designation.
Kent’s comprehensive plan calls for coordination with other agencies to create a
regional approach to urban separators. This should include an inventory of local-
and county-designated urban separators that will help manage development
regulations. An inventory of urban separators in Kent was completed as the first
phase of the 2017 urban separators project.
The development capacity analysis in Kent’s 2015 comprehensive plan is instructive
in the consideration of increasing allowed development density, because it provides
an indication of Kent’s capacity to accommodate growth given its present land
inventory and existing zoning. The plan encourages the evaluation and modification
of land uses and densities to accommodate growth targets. However, the King
1 Clustered development is required when subdividing urban separator parcels in Kent.
Individual lots must be “clustered” in groups of 8 or fewer, and 50% of the unrestricted
(buildable) land in the subdivision must be preserved as open space, and where possible
must be oriented in such a way that it connects to other urban separators or open space
corridors. The open space area can be owned and managed collectively by the homeowners
or by the city.
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County buildable lands program and Kent’s 2015 development capacity analysis
indicate that Kent is expected to be able to accommodate its allocated growth
targets under current conditions.
The plan calls for this anticipated growth and supporting infrastructure investment
to be concentrated in the urban center and activity centers. None of the city’s
goals indicate high priority for investment in growth in low-density residential areas
that are not within or adjacent to commercial centers.
Relevant housing policies in Kent’s comprehensive plan speak to the diversity of
housing options offered within the city to accommodate growth targets.
Accommodating housing demand is described as Kent’s greatest land use
challenge; making efficient use of remaining land while providing desirable housing
options is a necessary but difficult balance to achieve. The Land Use Element
Background report in Kent’s comprehensive plan states that housing on large lots,
as encouraged by the urban separator land use designation, while desirable, is not
affordable for most families in Kent.
Policies in the Utilities Element, specifically relating to water and sewer service, say
that the city will ensure that public utilities service in the city and the service area
is adequate to accommodate anticipated growth without significantly degrading
service for existing customers. All of the urban separator lands are within water
retail service areas at this time; those outside of the City of Kent water franchise
service area are within one of several neighboring water or sewer districts,
including Highline Water District, Renton Water & Sewer District, District 111, or
Soos Creek Water & Sewer District. Most urban separators, with the exception of a
small segment of the Soos Creek urban separator and the southern portion of the
Meridian East urban separator, also have access to a public sewer system.
Sufficient capacity exists to extend service to new development in urban separator
lands; costs to install conveyance infrastructure would be borne by the developer.2
Relevant policies in other elements of Kent’s comprehensive plan, including the
Parks and Open Space Element, the Shoreline Element, and the Transportation
Element, are described in greater detail in the Parks & Open Space Plan, the
Shoreline Master Program, and the Transportation Master Plan, respectively; these
policies are described below.
Kent Park & Open Space Plan
Kent’s Park & Open Space Plan was last updated in 2016. The plan establishes
goals and policies for management of the city’s parks and open space lands and
facilities, and establishes priorities for city investment. Its relevance to urban
separators is in the relationship between the city’s existing open space and urban
separator lands.
2 Per interview with City of Kent Water System Manager.
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Kent’s 2016 Park & Open Space Plan takes a new approach to parks planning. It
emphasizes investment in existing parks and park assets rather than simply
continuing to acquire additional properties as promoted by former performance
measures.
With this focus on improving existing infrastructure rather than on purchasing new
park lands, privately stewarded open space will continue to play an important role
in providing habitat for urban wildlife, cleaning the air, absorbing storm water, and
providing other needed ecosystem services.3
Policies in the Park & Open Space plan emphasize the use of open space to improve
habitat connectivity and create linkages between parks, trails, and open space for
recreational use. They support connecting people to nature by promoting the
extension of trails through natural area corridors to provide high-quality and
diverse access to Kent’s environmental resources.
Clustering requirements for urban separators require 50% of the developable land
to be set aside as open space any time urban separator lands are subdivided. The
set-asides can provide opportunities to create linkages to parks and public open
space corridors. While some developers may choose to retain the open space for
the exclusive use of residents of the development, they have the option to turn
over ownership and management of the open space tract to the City of Kent.
Development in urban separators can be less cost-effective than in areas zoned for
greater density, so opportunities to make these open space connections may be
limited
Urban separators, in their function as “buffers”, also have the potential to limit
direct access to Kent’s natural areas to only a small number of individuals living in
single-family homes with large lots. This is typically the most expensive form of
housing, and is not affordable for many families in Kent. Low-density single-family
residential zoning around open space corridors like Panther Lake, the Green River,
and Soos Creek increases the travel distance to these corridors for most of Kent’s
residents, and prevents direct access for people in multi-family housing or other
more affordable and concentrated types of development.
Shoreline Master Program
Kent’s Shoreline Master Program (SMP), a state-mandated planning document,
contains a collection of policies that guide land use on Kent’s shorelines; the
policies ensure that important water-based uses are prioritized in shoreline
environments and that ecologically sensitive resources are protected from damage
resulting from development. The SMP designates shoreline types for lands
surrounding all waters of the state within Kent’s jurisdiction, and specifies priority
and allowed land uses for each shoreline designation.
3 Per interview with City of Kent Parks staff.
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Kent’s urban separator lands contain shorelines adjacent to waters of the state;
these shorelines are those around the Green River, Panther Lake, Big Soos Creek,
and Springbrook Creek. Shorelines along the Green River are also designated as
shorelines of statewide significance, meaning that, among other provisions,
statewide interests are prioritized over local interests in these areas. Within Kent’s
urban separator shorelines, there are two types of shoreline designations: “Urban
Conservancy – Low Intensity” (UC-LI), and “Urban Conservancy – Open Space”
(UC-OS). These designations serve to protect ecological functions while allowing
low-impact uses, or allow for public access and recreation.
These shoreline designations constitute regulatory requirements for retaining
established low-density lands, and must be considered when evaluating alternatives
for increasing allowed density in urban separator lands.
Kent City Code
Kent City Code (KCC) defines urban separators as “low-density lands that define
community or municipal identities and boundaries; protect adjacent resource lands,
rural areas, and environmentally sensitive areas; and create open space corridors
within and between urban areas which provide environmental, visual, recreational,
and wildlife benefits”. Zoning and development regulations in KCC pertaining to
urban separators apply to those lands designated as such in Kent’s comprehensive
land use plan map.
Per Kent’s comprehensive plan, all lands designated urban separator in the land use
plan map must be zoned for single-family residential uses at a density of one
dwelling unit per acre (SR-1). This zoning district establishes, among other
provisions, a minimum lot area of 34,700 square feet. Principally allowed uses in
this zoning district are limited to single family homes, including modular or
manufactured, or small group homes. Other uses can be allowed conditionally or as
accessory uses.
Code requirements for urban separators include mandatory clustering (KCC
12.04.263) when property that is wholly or even partially within the urban
separator land use designation is subdivided. This means that lots in a new
subdivision must be concentrated, in one or more “clusters” of up to eight individual
lots, on one half of the unconstrained portion of the property. At least fifty percent
of the area unconstrained by critical areas must be set aside as permanent open
space. In cluster subdivisions, lot area and dimensions may be smaller than would
otherwise be allowed in SR-1 zoning; the minimum area for a lot in a cluster
subdivision is 2,500 square feet.
The dedicated open space must be oriented and located to maximize connectivity
for protective buffers around environmentally sensitive areas and wildlife habitat.
It must also create connections with other open space tracts, parks, and trails; and
maintain scenic corridors. Any open space tracts created through a clustered
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subdivision may not be developed in the future, nor can they be altered in any way
that degrades environmentally sensitive areas, wildlife habitat, or resource lands;
or impedes scenic corridors, recreational benefits, and open space connectivity.
These provisions help to achieve the stated objectives of the urban separator
designation, including creation and preservation of open space corridors, and
providing recreation, environmental, visual, and wildlife benefits.
Protection of environmentally sensitive areas is also achieved in other ways through
KCC, supported by the urban separator land use designation. The City of Kent, as
required by the GMA, maintains inventories of environmentally sensitive and critical
areas, which include geological hazard areas like steep slopes, erodible soils,
landslide hazards, and volcanic and seismic hazard areas; critical aquifer recharge
areas; wetlands; frequently flooded areas; and fish and wildlife habitat conservation
areas. Development or other activity that could impact these sensitive or critical
areas is regulated by the city’s Critical Areas Code in Kent City Code 11.06. In
certain critical areas, development is prohibited and buffers must be established to
protect these areas and maintain native vegetative conditions. The urban separator
land use designation is used to maintain low-density development in and around
critical areas in Kent, particularly those at the outer edges of the city, where natural
features form municipal boundaries (ex. Soos Creek).
The majority of parcels in the urban separator land use designation contain at least
one category of critical area, as defined in KCC 11.06, so much of these lands
would be protected to some extent even without the urban separator land use
designation. However, about one third of urban separator parcels do not contain
inventoried critical areas; as a result, the urban separator designation extends
protections to lands beyond those which would be protected under the Critical
Areas Code.
Kent Transportation Master Plan
The City of Kent adopted a Transportation Master Plan (TMP) in 2008, which serves
as a blueprint for the city’s long-term transportation planning and strategic
investments. It contains an inventory of the existing transportation system,
standards for level of service to be provided by the city’s transportation
infrastructure, strategies for managing transportation demand, and descriptions of
locations where improvements are needed.
Land use and transportation planning are inexorably linked; they inform one
another in complex and iterative ways. Kent’s planned transportation infrastructure
investments influence decisions about land use, and its land use patterns, as well
as those of adjacent jurisdictions, drive transportation investments. The TMP
strives for consistency between land use plans and long-range transportation
planning; it emphasizes coordination between new development and transportation
projects to maintain sufficient service capacity.
Modification to land use plans, in this case to urban separator lands currently
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designated for permanent low-density residential uses, could impact existing
transportation improvement plans. Plans for future transportation improvements,
including those captured in the Transportation Improvement Program and Capital
Improvement Plan were developed under the expectation that these lands would
remain low-density. The TMP uses a “plan-based approach”, which means that
programs, services, and capital investments are consistent with the vision advanced
in the comprehensive plan. To amend the allowed density in urban separator lands
would require an assessment of the capacity of adjacent transportation
infrastructure to support increased development density; additional improvements
not previously anticipated may be necessary in these locations to maintain the
established level of service.
This concept of concurrency of transportation infrastructure with new development
is an important theme woven throughout the TMP. New development must include
provisions to maintain the level of service for potentially impacted routes by the
time the new development is in place; these provisions frequently include
developer-funded transportation improvements that accommodate or mitigate the
impacts of the development. Strategic alignment of land use policies and
transportation planning efforts, as supported by TMP policies, ensure transportation
investments are coordinated and predictable over time. It can help to more
effectively anticipate demand and manage growth while ensuring multi-modal
mobility.
In order to begin to shift travel modes from primarily single-occupant vehicles to
increased use of transit and non-motorized travel, the TMP supports Kent
comprehensive plan policies that encourage mixed-use activity centers and high-
density residential uses, especially downtown. In support of this land use
approach, a stated policy in the TMP is to prioritize projects that improve
transportation facilities and services within designated centers and along corridors
that connect centers.
This preference for promoting density and transportation investment in the city’s
centers is consistent with policies advanced throughout regional, countywide, and
local plans. With limited funds available to increase transportation infrastructure
capacity, the city, along with its regional partners, has established clear priorities
for directing investments where they are most cost-effective and efficient, and
support planned growth in its designated centers. This means that investments to
increase capacity outside of designated centers, including those potentially needed
to accommodate growth beyond what is currently planned in urban separator lands,
would be assigned a lower priority.
King County Comprehensive Plan
The King County Comprehensive Plan is the master planning document for
unincorporated King County. It was updated in 2016 and has a growth planning
horizon of 2006-2031. Policies in the King County Comprehensive Plan apply to all
areas under King County jurisdiction, which are those outside of incorporated cities.
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Their applicability to Kent’s urban separators is comparative only; both jurisdictions
must be consistent with the King County Countywide Planning Policies and Vision
2040. The tools and strategies in King County’s comprehensive plan serve as
examples for Kent. They provide insight into the ways in which Kent’s local partners
treat land use issues, and are demonstrative of alternative methods by which the
urban separator designation can be incorporated into land use planning.
Urban separators are defined in the King County Comprehensive Plan as corridors
of land that define community or municipal identities and boundaries, provide visual
breaks in the urban landscape, and link parks and open space within and outside of
the Urban Growth Area. They should include and link parks and other lands that
contain significant environmentally sensitive features, or contain historic resources.
The county employs several strategies for preserving urban separator lands in
unincorporated King County, which could serve as examples for Kent to consider.
King County Policy U-184 states that urban separators should be preserved through
park, trail, and open space acquisitions; incentive programs such as the Transfer of
Development Rights (TDR) program; the Public Benefit Rating System program;
and regulatory measures.
Through the TDR program, development rights for lands in the urban separator land
use designation may be transferred to lands outside of urban separators, preferably
to lands within city boundaries. Unincorporated commercial areas may also be
receiving sites, as can short subdivisions (less than 5 individual lots), when they
have been pre-determined as such. Formal subdivisions with 5 or more lots may
only be receiving sites if a subarea study has been completed. Although the zoning
designation for urban separators in unincorporated King County establishes a
maximum allowed development density of one dwelling unit per acre, development
rights can be transferred from these lands at a rate of four dwelling units per gross
acre. These development rights may be sold by property owners to developers of
other properties in order to obtain some financial benefit while preserving open
space and retaining ownership of the land itself.
The Public Benefit Rating System is another tool used by King County to help
preserve urban separator lands; it involves the reduction of assessed value of a
property (used for calculating property taxes) to reflect its “current use” value
rather than the “highest and best use” value that would otherwise apply. Points are
awarded for certain types of open space resources that provide appreciable benefits
to the public. These points translate into a percentage reduction of taxable value
for the portion of the property preserved as open space.
Regulatory measures to protect urban separators primarily include zoning
regulations, which establish the maximum density for all urban separator lands in
unincorporated King County at one dwelling unit per acre. The plan states that the
county should consider requests for increases in allowed density for lands zoned for
one dwelling unit per acre, unless the properties are environmentally significant, or
are urban separators. In other words, requests for increased density in urban
separator lands should not be considered.
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King County Open Space Plan
The King County Open Space Plan was updated in 2016; its policies are applicable
to all areas within unincorporated King County. Their applicability to Kent’s urban
separators is primarily comparative; both jurisdictions’ plans must be consistent
with the King County Countywide Planning Policies. Under certain conditions,
however, lands within incorporated areas, including Kent, are owned and managed
by King County and fall under the jurisdiction of the Open Space Plan.
King County’s Open Space Plan briefly mentions urban separators, in reference to
those forming a buffer along the Urban Growth Area boundary. The county’s stated
policy relative to these urban separators is for the county to acquire and retain
ownership of them. King County Parks owns much of the land near the eastern
boundary of Kent, along Soos Creek. If Kent were to employ a similar model,
several of Kent’s urban separators could be considered for public acquisition under
these criteria. This would be the case, in particular for properties along the city’s
eastern boundary with unincorporated King County, along Soos Creek.
Beyond acquisition, creative techniques to improve service, such as partnerships
and cost-sharing, are also encouraged. An alternative ownership model used
widely by King County is conservation easements; the county holds nearly 145,000
acres of conservation easements. A conservation easement is a tool used by the
county to dedicate high-conservation-value property to conservation without
owning the land outright. Through conservation easements on privately owned
property, King County maintains hundreds of miles of informal or backcountry trails
that provide passive (unprogrammed) recreation opportunities and form
connections with public open space. Some of Kent’s urban separator parcels are
adjacent to public open space lands, and depending on their size, recreational or
ecological conservation value, and whether they provide continuity and expand
public access, could be considered for acquisition or for conservation easements if a
similar model were instituted in Kent.
Conclusions
This report briefly reviews and synthesizes policies and guidelines advanced in
major planning documents relevant to land use decisions in the City of Kent. It is
intended to help guide decisions regarding potential amendments to the urban
separator land use designation. Plans reviewed include regional, countywide, and
local plans, ranging from high-level guidance to prescriptive policies and
regulations. Although many of these planning documents do not specifically
mention the urban separator land use designation, all have policies which are
relevant to the subject.
A number of themes are repeated frequently throughout the plans and guidance
documents reviewed in this report; one of these is the preservation and
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enhancement of connectivity for open space networks, critical areas, wildlife
corridors, and other natural resources like shorelines and resource lands. Planning
guidance consistently advocates for these areas to be protected from the negative
impacts of development to ensure they remain intact into the future and continue
to serve their beneficial functions. The urban separator designation is one of many
tools employed by the region, King County, and the City of Kent to this effect.
A second theme emerging from this review is that the substantial population and
employment growth expected in the region over the next decade should be directed
to already urbanized areas, particularly to designated activity centers. New
development must be coupled with adequate infrastructure to support it, and
compact urban development where supportive infrastructure already exists is the
most efficient and cost-effective way to meet this target. It also helps to minimize
the environmental impacts of growth. Buildable lands analyses indicate that Kent
has more than sufficient capacity to accommodate the city’s projected growth,
particularly through dense infill development in Downtown and Midway. If additional
capacity is needed, however, these policies suggest that priority should be given to
designated activity centers rather than low-density areas which have lower
concentrations of urban infrastructure and services. Kent’s urban separators would
fall under the latter category.
Concentrating growth and investment in activity centers also helps to achieve a
third recurring policy direction, which is to encourage compact, walkable urban
communities that promote the use of transit and non-motorized modes of
transportation. Kent’s designated centers have significant existing and planned
transit investment, and are well suited to accommodate multi-modal transportation.
Urban separator lands in Kent, most at the city’s periphery or characterized by
difficult topography, and situated among other lower-density land uses, have fewer
opportunities for walking, bicycling, or transit use for daily activities.
Concurrence on the subject of variety in housing types can also be found
throughout many of the plans reviewed for this report. A variety of housing types
draws new businesses and residents, and helps to maintain the diversity that
makes the region, and Kent in particular, a desirable place to live and work. Urban
separator lands offer a low-density residential alternative to other more
concentrated living arrangements in relatively close proximity to urban services.
They ensure that current and future residents are offered a wide range of housing
choices to fit the broad spectrum of needs and preferences.
Lastly, the importance of a regional approach to land use planning is emphasized
again and again in Kent’s guiding plans and policy documents. As a member of an
economically, socially, and physically interconnected region, the city works with and
learns from our regional partners, especially on issues of regional significance such
as urban separators. The approaches of Kent’s neighbors and partners, and the far-
reaching impacts of Kent’s land use decisions outside of its municipal boundaries,
cannot be discounted when considering amendments to the urban separator land
use designation.
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