09-0672 Preliminary Comments on Dittoe Wall Proposal.pdfCITY OF EDMONDS • 1215' AVENUE NORTH • EDMONDS, WA 98020
PHONE: 425.771.0220 • FAx: 425.771.0221 ® WEB: www.ci.edmonds.wa.us
DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT: PLANNING • ENGINEERING • BUILDING
January 12, 2010
Mr. and Mrs. Dittoe (via mail and email)
1136 _ 81h Ave. S
Edmonds, WA 98020
email: jondittoe@yahoo.com
RE: PRELIMINARY COMMENTS FOR PLAN CHECK # BLD20090672
DITTOE SLIDE REPAIR LOCATED AT 1136 — 8TH AVE. S
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Dittoe:
The Building, Planning, and Engineering Divisions have reviewed your preliminary proposal
submitted on October 27, 2009 for the slide repair at your property addressed 1136 — 8h Avenue
South. The following preliminary comments have been provided by each reviewing division. Please
note that additional comments may follow submittal of your full plans:
1. Building Division Comments:
a. A soils report by Galli Group (new geotechnical engineer of record) will be required to be
submitted as part of the building permit application in accordance with IBC 1802.
b. Plans and structural calculations must be stamped and signed by a State licensed
Professional Engineer.
c. Peer review by the City's Geotechnical Consultant and Structural Consultant will be
required. The applicant is responsible for full cost of peer review fees.
d. Special Inspections, as well as continued monitoring, will be required for the project and
will be determined during review of the building permit application.
2. Planning Division Comments:
a. Due to the presence of critical areas on and/or adjacent to the subject site, the proposal is
subject to the City's critical area code requirements. Based on the City's critical areas
reconnaissance of the property (File No. CRA2008005 1), the site contains and/or is
adjacent to an erosion hazard area, landslide hazard area, wetland, stream, and mapped fish
and wildlife habitat conservation area. Thus, you will need to show compliance with the
applicable critical areas code sections, including Edmonds Community Development Code
(ECDC) 23.40, 23.50, 23.80, and 23.90. Reports by qualified professionals must be
submitted showing compliance with these code sections.
b. Pursuant to ECDC 23.40.240, a restoration plan will be required with the full permit
submittal.
c. Access to the site through the unimproved alley will not be permitted due to negative
impacts the access would have on the critical areas and critical area buffers.
d. All rockeries and retaining walls shall comply with minimum setback requirements if they
exceed three feet in height over original grade.
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e. Your narrative states that the adjacent wetland is Category 3. Pursuant to ECDC
23.50.040.17, a 50 -foot buffer is required from Category 3 wetlands. No information was
provided on the location and type of the stream, so it is unclear at this time if the project
will be even further impacted by the buffer from the stream. Although the code allows for
the possibility of wetland buffer reduction of up to 50% with buffer enhancement, the
proposed wall is less than 25 feet from the wetland. Thus, the proposed wall would not
comply with the wetland standards of ECDC 23.50. The only way to be able to locate the
new wall (or the "rock -filled toe berm") any further west than the existing wall would be to
obtain approval of a critical areas variance pursuant to ECDC 23.40.210.A, Itshould be
noted, however, that it does not appear that the proposal would comply with the criteria of
approval for a critical areas variance, as locating the new wall any further west than the
existing wall would not be the minimum impact necessary on the critical area. Therefore,
staff would be likely to recommend denial of the request to the Hearing Examiner.
Depending on the aspects of an updated proposal, staff might be supportive of a request for
a critical areas variance for the "rock -filled toe berm" portion only to be located further
west than the existing wall; however, this would depend on if the applicant could show that
the proposal would comply with the criteria of ECDC 23.40.210.A. Review of a critical
areas variance application is costly and takes several months. Additionally, the final
decision is made by the Hearing Examiner, and approval is not guaranteed. Due to these
reasons and the fact that staff is likely to recommend denial of a critical areas variance for
the preliminary proposal as shown, it may be in your best interest to repair the existing wall
or construct a new wall to the east of the existing wall in order to avoid the need for a
critical areas variance.
f. Due to the extensive critical areas on and adjacent to the subject site, there is a likelihood
that peer review of all critical areas reports and delineations of critical areas and buffers
will be required, particularly if a critical areas variance is applied for. The applicant is
responsible for full cost of peer review fees.
g. It shall be noted that permits from the Corps of Engineers and/or Department of Ecology
may be required depending on the final scope of work. You may wish to contact these
agencies individually for information on applicable permit requirements.
3. Engineeriny, Division Comments:
a. Access from the unimproved right of way west of property will not be permitted due to
extent of impact such access would require. All slide repair construction, erosion control
and slope stability measures shall be contained within private property.
b. Please provide a detailed plan for slide repair that does not include access from the
unimproved right of way. Plans must have approval of the geotechnical engineer of record.
Include construction sequence, route of access, specific instructions from geotech regarding
placing of erosion control measures and any temporary drainage system if needed, other
measures to prevent further erosion of soils on private and City properties. Methods
employed shall have least impact to City property.
c. Provide drainage requirements for proposed wall and other drainage, temporary or
permanent, to be installed or impacted by construction activity.
d. Site plan shall include route of access, any easements, location of current utilities including
storm system, and location of erosion control measures.
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e. Details of erosion and sediment control measures consistent with City of Edmonds
Standard Details shall be include in plans.
f. A right of way permit will be required for construction vehicles and materials stored in the
right of way on 8th Ave S.
g. Please provide copy of survey completed in April of 2008. Property stakes shall be
confirmed prior to commencement of construction activities.
h. Special inspections will be required by the geotech of record for all erosion control and
drainage.
Please note that your geotechnical engineer of record must continue monitoring the site on a
weekly basis and provide the city with the weekly monitoring reports through the end of the
project. Additionally, in order to show that you are working towards your full permit submittal,
please submit a schedule by Wednesday, January 20, 2010 outlining your timeline for completion.
Please make your submittal of the work schedule to Linda Thornquist, Permit Coordinator, Monday
through Friday, between 8:00 am and 4:30 pm. Please note that when you are prepared to make your
full permit submittal, we close for permit intake promptly at 3:45pm.
If you have any questions, the following are the contacts for each division's comments:
Leif Bjorback
JoAnne Zulauf
Jen Machuga
Building Division
Engineering Division
Planning Division
(425) 771-0220, ext. 1380
(425) 771-0220, ext. 1324
(425) 771-0220, ext. 1224
Sincerely,
Development Services Department - Planning Division
Jen Machuga
Planner
Cc: Mr. Paul Stoltenberg (via mail and email)
The Galli Group
5034 — 18th Ave. NE
Seattle, WA 98105
email: p.stoltenberg@comcast.net
JoAnne Zulauf, Engineering Technician
Leif Bjorback, Assistant Building Official
Linda Thornquist, Permit Specialist
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