HEX #19-003 Public Hearing Comment Letter - AndersonRECEIVED
October 8, 2019
City of Federal Way Hearing Examiner
Federal Way City Council Chambers
33325 9th Avenue South
Federal Way, WA 98003
RE: Creekside Common Townhomes
OCT 0 8 2019
CITY OF FEDERAL WAY
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Federal Way File Numbers: 18-100740-UP, 18-100743-SU, 18-0742-SE, 18-100741-UP
Parcel Numbers: 797820-0085, 797820-0086, and 797820-0090
Dear Examiner:
My name is Jacqueline Anderson. I am the president of the Homeowner's Association of
South Garden Court Condominium's in Federal Way, Washington. All unit owners in our
complex received a copy of the Notice of Land Use Public Hearing Creekside Commons
Townhomes. (Further referred to in this letter as CCT.)
I am submitting this comment letter prior to the hearing scheduled at Federal Way City
Hall on Thursday, October 10, 2019 for your consideration. Unfortunately, I am unable
to attend the public hearing due to scheduling conflict.
Our property borders the proposed plat of CCT to the south and southwest. South
Garden Court is a small complex of 32 units managed by Diamond Community
Management, Gig Harbor, Washington. We are governed by CC&R's and a board
comprised of homeowners.
Please review and respond to the following items:
Stormwater Drainage Technical Information Repo - is listed as one of the existing
Environmental Documents in this application. The northwest corner of our property is
adjacent with the southwest corner of the proposed CCT property. This corner of our
property is where the city drainage/sewer control is located. We have had longstanding
drainage issues in this area. This corner of our property has always suffered from poor
drainage, despite our continued efforts clean out catch basins, repair or replace French
drains, etc. What plans do you have in place to help mitigate additional drainage in that
area?
Wetland Buffer Enhancement Plan (Reduction of 2 /a} - While not visibly displayed on
the 300' Notification Area for Tax Parcel 797820-0085, 0086 & 0090, our property
responsibilities go west down the hill to the creek, beyond the west fence line of our
property. We are responsible for providing easement of access to the City of Federal
Way. We are responsible for clearing pathways through the undeveloped hillside
towards the creek bottom to the City of FW catch basins. We must clear the blackberry
bushes, maintain and clean out the catch basins on an annual basis. How will the
Wetland Buffer Enhancement Plan affect or assuage our cost and responsibility in the
ongoing maintenance of these catch basins? With 94 units, potentially to say a
guesstimate of 200 more people moving into CCT, won't new catch basins need to be
added or the existing ones considerably enlarged? What does the 25% reduction mean
and how will it affect our community?
Traffic Control Improvement - As mentioned above, roughly 94-200 more people will be
moving into the area, what plans are in place to help with traffic control? As of today,
336th Street running east to west from Weyerhaeuser Way towards Pacific Coast Hwy
is backed up, blocking driveways as far east as 20th Ave South by 4:00pm with daily
commuters. Will the roads be widened? Will additional stop lights and or stop signs be
added? Will more roundabouts be added to help control speed?
City/County Emergency Personnel & Vehicles - With so many new residents, when and
how many additional City and/or County personnel be added for emergency purposes
as well as police, fire department and rescue vehicles?
Fence Line Maintenance - Will CCT be developed with personal backyards or common
area developed all the way to our north fence line? If so, we ask that CCT include the
ongoing fence line maintenance in its costs.
Fence Line Easement — We would like to see a greenbelt of privacy trees and/or shrubs
planted on the south side of CCT rather than have personal yards or common area be
planted right up to our fence line. Is this a possible consideration for the site plans? If
so, we ask that the landscapers be mindful of tree root systems knowing that over time,
root systems will undermine fence line footing.
CCT Governing Documents - We have worked long and hard over the past 30 years to
maintain, recover and most recently increase our property values. What has helped has
been homeowner adherence to governing documents 'Covenants, Conditions,
Restrictions & Reservations' along with documented Rules and Regulations plus with a
Board of Homeowners to apply and enforce said documents. To preserve increasing
area real estate value please advise if CCT will be adopting and adhering to strict
governance as well?
These last two items are more of a new neighborly request:
Pest Control — Whenever undeveloped land is developed, rodents and critters such as
field mice, moles, squirrels, raccoons look to find new homes. We have pest control
measures in place that are checked monthly. When the Christian Faith Center to the
south of our property was developed, our property was inundated with new critters. We
kindly ask development of CCT include pest control measures at the onset of
development to help us mitigate an influx of new pests onto our property.
Exterior Lighting — Attached to this letter, I've included a copy of our complex building's
layout. Again, we kindly ask that when developing exterior lighting for CCT, that care is
taken so that the lighting doesn't shine directly into the second story windows of our
complex.
Thank you for your consideration. I'll look forward to your response to this letter. I would
like to be added to the mailing list as a Party of the Record to obtain Meeting Minutes
from the City of Federal Way.
VieIy,ine Anderson
South Garden Court
1830 S 336th ST #G 101
Federal Way WA 98003
360-981-6771
Cc: Benjamin Paulus, Blue Fern Development, LLC, 11232 120th Ave NE, Suite 204
Kirkland WA 98033
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