4-8-090 PUBLIC NOTICE REQUIREMENTS:
A. NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS:
1. Purpose: A neighborhood meeting is an applicant-hosted forum intended to assist in producing applications that are responsive to neighborhood concerns, and to reduce the likelihood of delays and appeals. The City expects an applicant to take into consideration the reasonable concerns and recommendations of the neighbors and other interested persons when preparing an application. Neighborhood meetings are not City-sponsored and neither delegates any authority to the public nor reflects the City’s perspective on the merits of the project.
2. Applicability: A neighborhood meeting is required for:
a. Preliminary plat applications;
b. Planned urban development applications;
c. Projects estimated by the City to have a monetary value equal to or greater than ten million dollars ($10,000,000), unless waived by the Administrator; and
d. Personal delivery device operation and associated device dispenser storage.
e. Exemptions: The construction or alteration of public facilities, the construction or alteration of airplane manufacturing facilities, and development within the employment area land use designation. (Ord. 6096, 12-5-2022)
3. Timing: A required neighborhood meeting shall occur after a pre-application meeting and before submittal of applicable permit applications. The meeting shall occur during a weekday evening, excluding Friday and federally recognized holidays. The meeting shall last a minimum of one hour, start no earlier than 5:00 p.m., and conclude no later than 9:00 p.m.
4. Location: The meeting shall be held at a location open to the public and that is in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and can accommodate a reasonable number of neighbors within the notification boundary. The public meeting shall be held within Renton city limits, at a location no further than two (2) miles from the project site, unless an alternate meeting location is approved by the Administrator.
5. Notice: Notices of the meeting shall contain the following statement and be provided as follows:
The intent of this meeting is to facilitate an informal discussion between the project developer and the neighbors regarding the project. While required by the City of Renton, this meeting is not conducted by the City of Renton and is in addition to any future public hearing or public comment opportunities available under City of Renton development review processes.
a. Mailing: The applicant shall send by regular mail a written notice announcing the neighborhood meeting to property owners within three hundred feet (300') of the property subject to the proposed development. The notice shall include the date, time and location of the meeting and briefly discuss the nature and location of the proposal. The notice shall be mailed not less than ten (10) calendar days and no more than forty (40) calendar days prior to the meeting date. The mailing list shall be obtained by the applicant and based on the most recent property tax assessment rolls of the King County Department of Assessments.
i. Neighborhood meetings for personal delivery device operation and associated device dispenser storage shall adhere to the following additional requirements:
(a) The applicant shall send by regular mail written notice to all property owners, tenants, and residents within the proposed boundary area, including those comprised within a three-hundred-foot (300') buffer surrounding the perimeter of the proposed boundary area; and
(b) Written notification shall include, at a minimum, the following elements: an illustration of the personal delivery device, operator contact name, title, phone number, email address, and a summary of local and State laws and regulations governing personal delivery device operation.
b. Meeting Location Sign: A sign at least two feet (2') by two feet (2') in area with minimum two-inch (2") lettering shall be placed at the main entrance of the building where the meeting will take place at least one hour prior to the meeting. Such sign shall state purpose of the meeting, the meeting is open to the public and that interested persons are invited to attend. This sign shall be removed by the applicant upon conclusion of the meeting. (Ord. 6096, 12-5-2022)
6. Meeting Procedure:
a. Content: The applicant shall provide a description of the proposed development to persons in attendance. Attendees may identify any issues they believe should be addressed in the application and recommend those issues be submitted for City consideration and analysis.
b. Materials: The applicant shall prepare and make available the following materials (if applicable) for review and discussion at the public meeting. Copies of presentation materials shall be offered to attendees.
i. A conceptual site plan/plat layout showing buildings, road layout, landscape, parking, open space areas, and abutting properties;
ii. An aerial photograph showing the subject property and abutting properties; and
iii. Other materials as determined by the Administrator.
c. Sign-In Sheet: A sign-in sheet shall be distributed to all attendees that specifies the date, time and location of the neighborhood meeting and requests the name, address, phone number and electronic mail address of each meeting attendee.
d. Notes: The applicant shall take notes of the discussion on the proposed development and/or accept written notes from attendees for submittal to the City.
7. Submittal Requirements: The applicant shall submit the following materials with the submittal of a complete development application:
a. A copy of the notice provided to surrounding property owners within three hundred feet (300') of the proposed development site;
b. A copy of the mailing list used to send out meeting notices;
c. An affidavit of mailing and posting notice(s);
d. A copy of the meeting sign-in sheet;
e. Copies of materials presented at the meeting;
f. Notes of the meeting including a summary of oral and written comments received; and
g. If no members of the public attended the neighborhood meeting and/or persons in attendance made no comments, the required submittal materials shall reflect the absence of comment, attendance, or both.
8. Consideration: The City shall consider as part of the development review process the concerns and issues raised by the neighbors and applicant at the neighborhood meeting, including any agreed-upon solutions or resolutions to outstanding issues or areas of contention. The City, however, shall not be bound in its decision-making by any agreements or understandings made between the neighbors and applicants. Nothing in this Section shall be construed to delegate design or project review decision-making authority to the participants in the public meeting.
9. City Involvement: The neighborhood meeting is intended to be a developer-neighborhood interaction. City staff members are not required to attend and/or participate in neighborhood meetings. The Director of the Planning Division shall be notified a minimum of seven (7) calendar days prior to the scheduled date of the meeting. The decision of City staff to attend shall not represent the City’s position on the merits of the development proposal and does not constitute an approval or denial of an application, now or submitted in the future.
B. PUBLIC OUTREACH SIGNS:
1. Purpose: Public outreach signs are intended to supplement information provided by public information signs by allowing an applicant to develop a personalized promotional message for the proposed development. The sign is also intended to provide the public with a better sense of proposed development by displaying a colored rendering of the project and other required or discretionary information that lends greater understanding of the project.
2. Applicability: A public outreach sign shall be erected prior to submittal of a complete application for:
a. Preliminary plats;
b. Planned urban developments; and
c. Projects estimated by the City to have a monetary value equal to or greater than ten million dollars ($10,000,000), unless waived by the Administrator.
d. Exemptions: The construction or alteration of public facilities, the construction or alteration of airplane manufacturing facilities, and development within the employment area land use designation.
3. Sign Standards: Public outreach signs required by this subsection shall conform to the following standards:
a. Sign Specifications: The sign shall be constructed and installed in accordance with specifications officially declared by the Administrator.
b. Location: The sign shall be erected at the approximate midpoint of the site’s street frontage and five feet (5') within the front lot line or as otherwise directed by the Department for maximum visibility.
c. Content: The sign shall convey, at a minimum, the information officially declared by the Administrator.
d. Duration: The sign shall not be removed until a temporary certificate of occupancy or a certificate of occupancy is issued.
e. Posting Evidence: The applicant shall submit an affidavit that states the date and location of the posting along with a photograph of the posted sign that provides some context of its location.
f. Administrator’s Discretion: The Administrator has the discretion to require additional public information signs and/or information provided by the applicant.
C. PUBLIC INFORMATION SIGNS:
1. Applicability: A minimum of one public information sign shall be required for all Type II and Type III Land Use Permits in accordance with the following standards, unless exempted by this subsection. The applicant shall be responsible for the procurement, installation and maintenance of the sign.
Exempt Permits: The following Type II and Type III Land Use Permits are exempt from the requirements of this subsection:
a. Additional animals permit;
b. Home occupation permit, special;
c. Temporary use permit – Tier II, except for temporary use permits for personal delivery device operation and device dispensers;
d. Temporary emergency wetland permit;
e. Development permit (special flood hazard);
f. Final plats;
g. Final short plats;
h. Final binding site plans;
i. Mobile home park, final;
j. Planned urban development, final; and
k. Environmental review. (Ord. 6096, 12-5-2022; Ord. 6126, 12-11-2023)
2. Sign Specifications: The sign shall be designed, constructed, and installed in accordance with specifications officially declared by the Administrator.
3. Timing: The sign shall be posted by the applicant prior to submittal of a complete application, yet no more than five (5) days beforehand.
4. Location: The sign shall be erected at the approximate midpoint of the site’s street frontage and within five feet (5') of the front lot line, or as otherwise directed by the Department for maximum visibility. View of the sign shall not be obstructed from the perspective of the abutting public right-of-way.
5. Content: The sign shall convey the information officially declared by the Administrator.
6. Duration: The sign shall not be removed until the appeal period has ended. Removal of the sign prior to the prescribed time frame may be cause for additional notice or appeal period. The sign shall be removed within seven (7) days following the end of the appeal period.
7. Posting Evidence: The applicant shall submit an affidavit that states the date and location of the posting, and a photograph of the posted sign that provides context of its location.
8. Administrator’s Discretion: The Administrator has the discretion to require additional signs and/or information be provided by the applicant.
D. NOTICE OF DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION:
1. Applicability: A notice of application is not required for actions classified as a Type 1 land use procedure under RMC 4-8-080G, and for actions specifically exempted under RMC 4-8-050, Exemptions from State Process Requirements, but is required for all land development permit applications subject to notice requirements.
2. Timing: Within fourteen (14) days of issuing a letter of completeness under RMC 4-8-100C, Letter of Completeness, the City shall issue a notice of development application. The notice shall, at minimum, include the following:
a. Applicant and/or owner name;
b. Project name and City file number;
c. Date of application acceptance;
d. Project location;
e. Project description;
f. A listing of all permits/approvals requested;
g. The date the fourteen (14) day public comment period expires;
h. A statement officially declared by the Administrator that explains how persons can obtain more information about the project from the Department and become a party of record. (Ord. 4587, 3-18-1996, Amd. Ord. 4722, 5-11-1998)
i. The date, time, and place of a public hearing if one has been scheduled. (Ord. 4507, 3-18-1996)
3. Notice: Notices of development application shall be provided as follows:
a. Notice shall be mailed to property owners within three hundred feet (300') of the boundaries of the subject property; and
b. Notice shall be posted on the City of Renton’s webpage for the Community and Economic Development Department – Planning Division.
E. NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATIVE DECISIONS:
The Department shall notify all parties of record, the project proponent and affected government agencies of any administrative decision subject to notice. Notification shall be made by U.S. Postal mail, or electronic transmittal (email) if agreed to by parties; however, the Department may also elect to post the notices of administrative decision at or near the project site. The notice shall include:
1. A description of the decision(s), including any conditions of approval.
2. A statement explaining where further information may be obtained.
3. Any threshold environmental determination issued for the project. If an application subject to an administrative approval requires an environmental threshold determination, the notice of administrative approval shall include the threshold determination and its appeal process.
4. The decision and a statement that the decision will be final unless an appeal to the Hearing Examiner is filed with the City Clerk within fourteen (14) days of the date of the decision. (Ord. 5853, 8-7-17)
F. NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING:
Public notice of a public hearing for all development applications subject to notification requirements shall be given as follows:
1. Time of Notices: Except as otherwise required, public notification of meetings, hearings, and pending actions, as defined by chapter 42.30 RCW, shall be made by:
a. Publication at least ten (10) days before the date of a public meeting, hearing, or pending action in the official newspaper if one has been designated or a newspaper of general circulation in the City,
b. Mailing (U.S. Postal or electronic transmittal (email) if agreed to by parties) at least ten (10) days before the date of a public meeting, hearing, or pending action to all parties of record, the project proponent and affected government agencies, and
c. Posting on the City’s webpage at least ten (10) days before the date of public meeting, hearing, or pending action.
2. Content of Notice: The public notice shall include a general description of the proposed project, the action to be taken, a nonlegal description of the property or a vicinity map or sketch, the time, date and place of the public hearing, where further information may be obtained, and the following, or equivalent, statement: “If the hearing on a pending action cannot be completed on the date set in the public notice, the meeting or hearing may be continued to a date certain and no further notice under this Section is required.” (Ord. 5853, 8-7-17; Ord. 6025, 9-13-2021)
G. NOTICE OF HEARING EXAMINER DECISION:
Notice of Hearing Examiner decisions subject to notice requirements shall be made by the Hearing Examiner’s office, or designee, to all parties of record, the project proponent, the Department, and affected government agencies. Notification shall be made by mail (U.S. Postal or electronic transmittal (email) if agreed to by parties) and shall include:
1. A description of the decision(s), including any conditional approval.
2. A statement explaining where further information may be obtained.
3. Any threshold environmental determination issued and its appeal process.
4. The decision date and a statement that the decision will be final unless an appeal to the City Council is filed with the City Clerk within fourteen (14) days of the date of the decision. (Ord. 5853, 8-7-17)
H. NOTICE OF CITY COUNCIL DECISION:
Notice of City Council decisions subject to notice requirements shall be made by the City Clerk’s office to all parties of record, the project proponent, the Department, and affected government agencies. Notification shall be made by mail (U.S. Postal or electronic transmittal (email) if agreed to by parties) and shall include:
1. A description of the decision(s), including any conditions of approval.
2. A statement explaining where further information may be obtained.
3. Any threshold environmental determination issued and its appeal process.
4. The decision date and a statement that the decision will be final unless the appropriate land use appeal, writ of review or appeal from the decision of the City Council is filed with the Superior Court within fourteen (14) days of the date of the decision. (Ord. 4587, 3-18-1996; Ord. 5853, 8-7-17)
I. FAILURE TO RECEIVE NOTICE:
Failure to receive such mailed notification as may be required pursuant to this Section shall have no effect upon the proposed action or application. (Ord. 5153, 9-26-2005; Ord. 5793, 4-25-2016)