21-101125-UP-ROW Mod Request_07-26-21-V1
July 26, 2021
City of Federal Way
Public Works Department
33325 8th Avenue South
Federal Way, WA 98003
Regarding:
File #21-101125-UP & 21-101126-SE
Federal Way Mixed-Use Development – Right-of-Way Modification Request
Dear Director of Public Works,
Pertaining to the Federal Way Mixed-Use Development, we are asking for a Right-Of-Way Modification
Request for the required street improvements and dedication of the right-of-way on 1st Avenue South
and South 348th Street. This request has been previously approved under permit #16-100879.
This request is being made per FWRC Section 19.135.070(1), “The improvement as required would not be
harmonious with existing street improvements, would not function properly or safely and would not be
advantageous to the neighborhood as a whole.”
The existing street condition at 1st Avenue South is a 58-foot paved street with curb and gutter, 6-foot
planter strip, 8-foot sidewalk and utility strip behind sidewalk. We request the required roadway
improvement construction be waived at this time from the required 72-foot-wide roadway with curb,
gutter, 6-foot-wide planter strips, 8’wide sidewalk and 3-foot-wide utility strips. To accommodate the
future roadway, the Owner will dedicate the 53-foot half-street right-of-way as required by the Public
Works Department, to meet the future improved roadway widths. Per the last approval letter dated
March 8, 2016, ”the width of this dedication varies due to the prior dedication that provided an unequal
strip of land that varies from 50-feet of half-street right of way at the south boundary of the project
property, to a 44.6-feet half-street right of way at the north end of the property. Dedication at the
northwest corner of the property will also be required that will provide a 25-foot radius at this corner.”
The existing street condition at South 348th is deemed as adequate with no additional improvements or
right-of-way improvements are required.
In addition, per FWRC 19.135.280, there may be only one driveway for each 330-feet of lot frontage.
Since the property does not have the needed 660-feet for multiple driveways, we request a modification
to allow for multiple driveways along 1st Avenue South and South 348th Street. The reasoning for this
request is as follows:
I have prepared this request to modify the City standard, per 3.2.14 Driveways C.4 of the City’s PWDS
March 2019, that restricts the number of driveways to one per 660’ of street frontage. The project is a
mixed-use development located in the SEC of the S. 348th Street with about 600’ of street frontage to
each Arterial Street. The site comprises 5 parcels of land and there are two existing driveways on 1st Ave.
S. and one on S. 348th Street. The proposed access provides two driveways on S. 348th Street with the
west driveway restricted to RT in/out only and the east driveway in LT in Rt in/out only. The driveways
meet the City’s 250’ minimum spacing requirement and are both projected to operate at good LOS and
have good visibility.
Access on 1st Avenue South is proposed via relocating and reconstructing two existing driveways and are
proposed to be full turning movements. The spacing of the tow driveways is about 230’ and was done to
provide maximum spacing away from South 348th Street and due to topography. Both driveways have
good sight lines and are projected to operate at good LOS.
Please see the projects full Traffic Impact Analysis for further details.
Please let us know if you have any questions regarding this request at bmaestas@gravesassoc.com. We
look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Benjamin Maestas