04-06-2021 Sount TransitSound Transit OMF-South
DEIS Staff Review Status
April 6, 2021 City Council Special Session
Presenting: Ryan Medlen, City Liaison to Sound Transit
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Agenda
Current status of review.
Overview of comments to date:
Procedural concerns
Transportation impacts
Land use impacts
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Current Status of Review
Staff from multiple City departments are reviewing the reports and conceptual design.
Review is not complete, this presentation highlights some of the key issues so far in the review.
Consultants have reviewed the technical transportation report included in the appendices and provided input as to the fiscal and economic impacts of the OMF-South alternatives.
Staff will send a technical review letter to Sound Transit with our complete findings before the close of the DEIS comment period.
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Operations & Maintenance Facility – South
City Staff DEIS Review - Procedural Concerns
Cost is not an environmental impact for SEPA but it is being presented as though it were an impact.
The decision as to what site is the preferred alternative should be based on environmental impacts.
Even if it were an impact, the level of detail presented is not commensurate with the implied importance.
Minimal information on operating costs.
Inadequate information to compare the costs of each alternative.
Clear that the mainline will be built for TDLE, but TDLE has not been built yet and will be built after OMF-South. The impacts of the mainline need to be considered part of this project.
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Operations & Maintenance Facility – South
City Staff DEIS Review – Transportation Impacts
Both Federal Way alternatives include improved public streets that are proposed to be vacated despite being part of the City’s current transportation planning.
These vacations will require Council approval. Additionally, the vacation process is expected to take 18 – 24 months, which will delay the start of construction.
Note: Image shows public right-of-way proposed to be vacated in one of the alternative sites. Neither alternative proposes all of these rights-of-way.
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Operations & Maintenance Facility – South
City Staff DEIS Review – Transportation Impacts
The project as presented is unable to meet block perimeter requirements at either Federal Way site.
Removal of improved public streets, including an alternate connection from 336th St. to 348th St. is a significant impact that is proposed to be left unmitigated.
Police response times will be impacted but the EIS does not include an analysis to determine the potential level of impact.
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Operations & Maintenance Facility – South
City Staff DEIS Review –Land Use Impacts
As presented by the FCS Group, there is an impact to the employment and tax base to the City with alternatives as well as the opportunity cost of losing vacant and underutilized land
for future development.
The DEIS considers the cumulative impacts of the OMF-South and TDLE, but inadequately for the Commercial Enterprise (CE) Zone for the following reasons:
The CE zone is only zone where certain uses are permitted – including major stores (ex. Costco, Home Depot) and some light industrial uses. Losing land in this zone has an impact on
potential relocations as well as future development.
Transit-oriented development does increase density, but residential is not a permitted use in the CE at this time or in any adopted plans.
Verbally note that all employment figures are estimates.
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Operations & Maintenance Facility – South
City Staff DEIS Review – Economic and Land Use Impacts
The 336th Street site does not consider or discuss potential impacts to the historic viewshed of Weyerhauser campus.
Staff will provide comments regarding how this project relates to all the comprehensive plan policies.
The conceptual designs provide limited room for landscape screening or other land use compatibility measures.
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Operations & Maintenance Facility – South
City Staff DEIS Review – Economic and Land Use Impacts
336th St. Site
Depending on the details, it is difficult to see how an adequate landscaping buffer along 336th will be provided when guideway clear zone requirements are considered.
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Operations & Maintenance Facility – South
City Staff DEIS Review – Economic and Land Use Impacts
344th St. Site
Christian Faith Center is zoned multifamily. No buffer is provided to the east which is inconsistent with our zoning code.
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QUESTIONS?
Are there any questions?
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