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KITTITAS COUNTY <br />DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS <br />PUBLIC WORKS — BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS <br />STUDY SESSION STAFF REPORT <br />STUDY SESSION DATE: April 8, 2019 <br />TOPIC: Weihi Road Design Alternative Update <br />ACTION REQUESTED: Direct Staff on Securing Slope Easements <br />LEADS AFF: <br />Mark R. Cook <br />RECONIMENDATION: <br />Direct staff on the issue of securing slope easements. <br />BRIEFING SUMMARY: <br />• Weihl Road Improvement Design is ready to bid <br />• Attempts at securing slope easements have stalled <br />a While preparing the required State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) application, <br />a Department of Natural Resource (DNR) designated Type 2 stream was found <br />The designated stream is an abandoned irrigation supply <br />G SEPA will likely delay the project several months <br />BACKGROUND: <br />The Wefl Road Improvement District has been formed and the project is ready to solicit <br />for constriction bids. Recently, the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) gave <br />direction for staff to pursue possible slope easements from two property owners. The <br />slope easements are expected to significantly lower project costs. One property owner is <br />expressing interest while the other owner has been non-responsive. PW is late in <br />preparing the project SEPA application. Wh5e exempt from County permits, the amount <br />of project grading is driving the need for state compliance with a SEPA application. <br />During preparation of the SEPA checklist last week, stats learned that the DNR stream <br />layer (critical areas) is designating the abandoned irrigation supply at Red Bridge Road as <br />being a Type 2 stream. <br />DISCUSSION: <br />Submitting the SEPA checklist with the Type 2 stream designation will likely trigger a <br />Joint Aquatic Resources Permit Application (SARPA). This action will likely lead to US <br />Army Corps of Engineer review and possible fish passage mitigation requirements from <br />the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife. PW rarely sees the JARPA <br />process concluding in under four months. PW has initiated a review of possible SEPA <br />exemption and is attempting to understand the Type 2 designation process. - His unlikely <br />Page 1 of 4 <br />z PUBLIC WORKS BOARD OF COUNTY: COMMISSIONERS WORK SESSION STAID: SORT <br />