EDMONDS – While the soil on a steep slope may not be able to be tightened up so it doesn’t slide, the regulations for building on or around it can be.
Such is the city of Edmonds’ plan for revamping the rules that relate to building in the steep north Meadowdale area. If the changes – a whole new chapter is proposed – are approved by the City Council, it will be the first update in regulations in the area since 1988, said city building official Jeannine Graf.
The City Council will hear public comments on the plans at its meeting scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 20 at the Public Safety Complex at 250 Fifth Ave. N.
Since the rules were last changed in May 1988, 33 single-family homes have been built in what the city calls the Meadowdale earth subsidence landslide hazard area.
In the winter of 1996-1997, parts of several homes were destroyed when melting snow and heavy rain caused areas of the hillside to slide downward toward Puget Sound. Afterward, a new stormwater collection system was installed above the hillside and new drain pipes were added to the system already in place. A few minor slides have occurred on private property in the area, but no major incidents or damage has been reported, city officials say.
“We’re collecting a lot of water that we didn’t collect before and keeping water out of the ground is a big objective in Meadowdale,” said assistant city engineer Don Fiene.
Still, “there will always be and continue to be erosion problems on these exposed bluff faces,” said Graf. “That will continue. There’s nothing you can do to stop that, but you can mitigate it. It’s possible to engineer and mitigate geological hazards to allow construction.
“The city makes a concerted effort to inform applicants and potential property purchasers of the risks associated with developing in Meadowdale,” Graf said.
She said the city is proposing the changes now because, first, it now has the ability to use electronic geographical informational systems (GIS) technology to improve its mapping of the potential landslide area. Also, the state is requiring jurisdictions this year to meet uniform international building and mechanical codes by July 1, Graf said. The city will hold a public hearing on these codes May 4.
The city hired Landau Associates, a geotechnical engineering firm located in Edmonds, to study city regulations and make some recommendations. Based on Landau’s review, city staff will make several recommendations to the City Council.
• New technology would enable the city to create a more detailed map of slope hazards in the area in general and on a lot-by-lot basis. This information would be used to require prospective builders to identify landslide hazards particular to the lot and to detail what measures were taken to correct or reduce the hazards. Currently, they are required only to show that the lot falls within a certain percentage of risk, which is assessed more by general area.
• Standards would be stricter for temporary erosion control measures and requirements governing placement of fill and protection of it afterward.
• The area subject to the regulations could be expanded by as much as 200 feet on the north, south and east sides. Landau’s recommendation is for 200 feet, to correct inaccuracies to the original map. Owners of land within the expanded zone area would be required to submit a preliminary report to the city to determine if the requirements of the landslide hazard area should apply to the property.
• An educational flyer was sent last month to all property owners in and within 200 feet of the currently defined landslide hazard area. About 400 of the flyers were sent out, Graf said. The pamphlet provides information to property owners and reducing landslide risks and mitigating landslides.
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