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Neighbor raises traffic, parking and privacy concerns over Sage Crest apartment expansion
Summary
A neighbor told the council he is concerned Phase 2 of the Sage Crest apartment development will produce hundreds of vehicle trips, insufficient parking and three-story buildings located six feet from rear yards; he asked for a combined traffic study and additional information from city staff.
A Wenatchee resident told the City Council on May 15 that a planned expansion of the Sage Crest apartment project could create traffic and parking problems and reduce privacy for adjacent homes.
Chris Krelli, who said he lives near Maple Street and monitors a local irrigation lateral, described earlier approvals for 60 units in 2019 and said a proposed Phase 2 (referred to in public comment as Sage Crest West) now describes 95 units in preliminary materials and — as he later read on the city website — 102 total apartments across multiple buildings.
Krelli urged the city to combine traffic counts from Phase 1 and Phase 2 to determine whether the combined development will exceed the threshold that requires a full transportation study. He said the preliminary report listed 675 new daily vehicle trips for Phase 2, below a 750-trip threshold, and questioned how the city concluded no additional intersection or driveway mitigation was needed.
"So we're talking about, what, 1,000, 1,500 new cars taking trips up Maple Street," Krelli said, relating his estimate to parking concerns and the street's existing curbside parking. He also said plans showed 33 parking spaces for 102 apartments and that some two-bedroom units would likely increase demand for off-site parking.
Krelli said he had requested the city's updated traffic numbers "a couple weeks ago" but had not received them and asked the council to ensure that the traffic analysis and parking plans are adequate. He also said a six-foot vinyl fence was proposed along property lines and expressed concern about three-story buildings sited close to existing backyards.
Council members did not take action during the public comment period on the development; staff indicated they had been in contact with residents and that the development review process was ongoing. Krelli said he planned to return with the lab director and growers for additional meetings.
The public comment record shows neighborhood concerns about parking, sightlines, and whether the project-level traffic analysis considered cumulative trips for both phases. Krelli identified specific addresses he said would face balconies overlooking backyards and asked for further city follow-up and the traffic study documents.
