40.240.800    General Management Area Scenic Review Criteria

The following scenic review guidelines shall apply to all review uses in the GMA:

A.    All Review Uses.

1.    New development shall be sited and designed to retain the existing topography and reduce necessary grading to the maximum extent practicable.

2.    New buildings and expansion of existing development shall be compatible with the general scale of existing nearby development. New buildings that are one thousand five hundred (1,500) square feet or less are exempt from this guideline. Findings addressing this guideline shall include but are not limited to:

a.    Application of the landscape setting design guidelines, if applicable.

b.    A defined study area surrounding the development that includes at least ten (10) existing buildings, not including existing buildings within urban areas or outside the National Scenic Area.

c.    Individual evaluations of scale for each separate proposed building in the application and each separate building in the study area, including:

(1)    All finished above ground square footage;

(2)    Total area of covered decks and porches;

(3)    Attached garages;

(4)    Daylight basements;

(5)    Breezeways, if the breezeway shares a wall with an adjacent building;

(6)    Dimensions, based on information from the application or on Assessor’s records.

d.    An overall evaluation demonstrating the proposed development’s compatibility with surrounding development. Buildings in the vicinity of the proposed development that are significantly larger in size than the rest of the buildings in the study area should be removed from this evaluation.

3.    Landowners shall be responsible for the proper maintenance and survival of any planted vegetation required by the guidelines in this section.

B.    Key Viewing Areas.

1.    The guidelines in this section shall apply to proposed development on sites topographically visible from key viewing areas.

2.    Each development shall be visually subordinate to its setting as visible from key viewing areas. New development shall be sited to achieve visual subordinance from key viewing areas, unless the siting would place such development in a buffer specified for protection of wetlands, riparian corridors, rare plants, or sensitive wildlife sites or would conflict with guidelines to protect cultural resources. In such situations, new development siting shall comply with this guideline to the maximum extent practicable.

3.    Determination of potential visual effects and compliance with visual subordinance policies shall include consideration of the cumulative effects of proposed development.

    A determination of the potential visual impact of a new development shall include written findings addressing the following factors:

a.    The amount of area of the building site exposed to key viewing areas;

b.    The degree of existing vegetation providing screening;

c.    The distance from the building site to the key viewing areas from which it is visible;

d.    The number of key viewing areas from which it is visible; and

e.    The linear distance along the key viewing areas from which the building site is visible (for linear key viewing areas, such as roads).

4.    The extent and type of conditions applied to a proposed development to achieve visual subordinance to its landscape setting shall be proportionate to its potential visual impacts as visible from key viewing areas. Conditions may include, and shall be applied, using the following priorities:

a.    Screening by topography;

b.    Siting (location of development on the subject property, building orientation, and other elements);

c.    Retention of existing vegetation on the applicant’s property;

d.    Design (color, reflectivity, size, shape, height, architectural and design details and other elements); and

e.    New landscaping on the applicant’s property;

f.    New berms or other recontouring on the applicant’s property, where consistent with other applicable provisions.

5.    New development shall be sited using existing topography and existing vegetation as needed to achieve visual subordinance from key viewing areas.

6.    Existing tree cover screening proposed development from key viewing areas shall be retained as specified in Section 40.240.800(C).

7.    The silhouette of new buildings shall remain below the skyline of a bluff cliff or ridge as visible from key viewing areas.

8.    The following guidelines shall apply to new landscaping used to screen development from key viewing areas:

a.    New landscaping (including new earth berms) shall be required only when application of all other available guidelines in this section is not sufficient to make the development visually subordinate from key viewing areas. Alternate sites shall be considered prior to using new landscaping to achieve visual subordinance. Development shall be sited to avoid the need for new landscaping wherever possible.

b.    If new landscaping is required to make a proposed development visually subordinate from key viewing areas, existing on-site vegetative screening and other visibility factors shall be analyzed to determine the extent of new landscaping, and the size of new trees needed to achieve the standard. Any vegetation planted pursuant to this guideline shall be sized to provide sufficient screening to make the development visually subordinate within five (5) years or less from the commencement of construction. If after five (5) years the vegetation has not achieved a size sufficient to screen the development, additional screening may be required by the responsible official to make the development visually subordinate.

c.    Unless as specified otherwise by provisions in this section, landscaping shall be installed as soon as practicable, and prior to project completion. Applicants and successors in interest for the subject parcel are responsible for the proper maintenance and survival of planted vegetation, and replacement of such vegetation that does not survive.

d.    The Scenic Resources Implementation Handbook shall include recommended species for each landscape setting consistent with the Landscape Settings Design Guidelines in Section 40.240.800(C), and minimum recommended sizes of new trees planted (based on average growth rates expected for recommended species).

9.    Conditions regarding new landscaping or retention of existing vegetation for new development on lands designated Gorge Small Woodland shall meet both scenic guidelines and defensible space requirements in Section 40.240.540(A).

10.    Unless expressly exempted by other provisions in this section, colors of structures on sites visible from key viewing areas shall be dark earth tones found at the specific site or in the surrounding landscape. The specific colors approved by the responsible official or examiner shall be included as a condition of approval.

11.    The exterior of buildings on lands seen from key viewing areas shall be composed of nonreflective materials or materials with low reflectivity. Continuous surfaces of glass shall be limited to ensure visual subordinance. The Scenic Resources Implementation Handbook includes a list of recommended exterior materials and screening methods.

12.    Any exterior lighting shall be sited, limited in intensity, shielded, or hooded in a manner that prevents lights from being highly visible from key viewing areas and from noticeably contrasting with the surrounding landscape setting, except for road lighting necessary for safety purposes.

13.    Additions to existing buildings smaller in total area than the existing building may be the same color as the existing building. Additions larger than the existing building shall be of dark earth tone colors found at the specific site or in the surrounding landscape. The specific colors approved by the responsible official or examiner shall be included as a condition of approval.

14.    Rehabilitation of or modifications to existing significant historic structures shall be exempted from visual subordinance requirements for lands visible from key viewing areas. To be eligible for such exemption, the structure must be included in, or eligible for inclusion in, the National Register of Historic Places or be in the process of applying for a determination of significance pursuant to such regulations. Rehabilitation of or modifications to structures meeting this guideline shall be consistent with National Park Service regulations for such structures.

15.    New main lines on lands visible from key viewing areas for the transmission of electricity, gas, oil, other fuels, or communications, except for connections to individual users or small clusters of individual users, shall be built in existing transmission corridors unless it can be demonstrated that use of existing corridors is not practicable. Such new lines shall be underground as a first preference unless it can be demonstrated to be impracticable.

16.    New communication facilities (antennas, dishes, etc.) on lands visible from key viewing areas, which require an open and unobstructed site, shall be built upon existing facilities unless it can be demonstrated that use of existing facilities is not practicable.

17.    New communications facilities may protrude above a skyline visible from a key viewing area only upon demonstration that:

a.    The facility is necessary for public service;

b.    The break in the skyline is visible only in the background; and

c.    The break in the skyline is the minimum necessary to provide the service.

18.    Overpasses, safety and directional signs and other road and highway facilities may protrude above a skyline visible from a key viewing area only upon a demonstration that:

a.    The facility is necessary for public service; and

b.    The break in the skyline is the minimum necessary to provide the service.

19.    New buildings shall not be permitted on lands visible from key viewing areas with slopes in excess of thirty percent (30%). A variance may be authorized if the property would be rendered unbuildable through the application of this guideline. In determining the slope, the average percent slope of the proposed building footprint shall be used.

20.    Driveways and buildings shall be designed and sited to minimize visibility of cut banks and fill slopes from key viewing areas.

21.    All proposed structural development involving more than two hundred (200) cubic yards of grading on sites visible from key viewing areas shall include submittal of a grading plan. This plan shall be reviewed by the responsible official or examiner for compliance with key viewing area policies. The grading plan shall include the following:

a.    A map of the site, prepared at a scale of one (1) inch equals two hundred (200) feet (1:2,400), or a scale providing greater detail, with contour intervals of at least five (5) feet, including:

(1)    Existing and proposed final grades;

(2)    Location of all areas to be graded, with cut banks and fill slopes delineated; and

(3)    Estimated dimensions of graded areas.

b.    A narrative description (may be submitted on the grading plan site map and accompanying drawings) of the proposed grading activity, including:

(1)    Its purpose;

(2)    An estimate of the total volume of material to be moved;

(3)    The height of all cut banks and fill slopes;

(4)    Provisions to be used for compaction, drainage, and stabilization of graded areas (preparation of this information by a licensed engineer or engineering geologist is recommended);

(5)    A description of all plant materials used to revegetate exposed slopes and banks, including type of species, number, size and location of plants, and a description of irrigation provisions or other measures necessary to ensure the survival of plantings; and

(6)    A description of any other interim or permanent erosion control measures to be utilized.

(Amended: Ord. 2006-08-21; Ord. 2008-06-02)

C.    All review uses within the following landscape settings, as delineated by the Columbia River Gorge Management Plan Landscape Settings map, shall comply with the following applicable guidelines:

1.    Pastoral.

a.    Accessory structures, outbuildings and accessways shall be clustered together as much as possible, particularly towards the edges of existing meadows, pastures and farm fields.

b.    In portions of this setting visible from key viewing areas, the following guidelines shall be employed to achieve visual subordinance for new development and expansion of existing development:

(1)    Except as is necessary for site development or safety purposes, the existing tree cover screening the development from key viewing areas shall be retained.

(2)    Vegetative landscaping shall, where feasible, retain the open character of existing pastures and fields.

(3)    At least one-half (1/2) of any trees planted for screening purposes shall be species native to the setting. Examples of native species appropriate for the area are identified in the Scenic Implementation Handbook.

(4)    At least one-quarter (1/4) of any trees planted for screening shall be coniferous for winter screening. Variances may be granted to this guideline when development is directly adjacent or adjoining a landscape setting where coniferous trees are not common or appropriate (as identified in the Scenic Implementation Handbook), and tree species ultimately selected for winter screening are natives characteristic to that setting.

c.    Compatible recreation uses include resource-based recreation uses of a very low- or low-intensity nature (as defined by Section 40.240.890), occurring infrequently in the landscape.

2.    Coniferous Woodland.

a.    Structure height shall remain below the forest canopy level.

b.    In portions of this setting visible from key viewing areas, the following guidelines shall be employed to achieve visual subordinance for new development and expansion of existing development:

(1)    Except as is necessary for construction of access roads, building pads, leach fields, etc., the existing tree cover screening the development from key viewing areas shall be retained.

(2)    At least one-half (1/2) of any trees planted for screening purposes shall be species native to the setting. Examples of native species appropriate for the area are identified in the Scenic Implementation Handbook.

(3)    At least one-half (1/2) of any trees planted for screening purposes shall be coniferous to provide winter screening.

c.    Compatible recreation uses include resource-based recreation uses of varying intensities. Typically, outdoor recreation uses should be low intensity, and include trails, small picnic areas and scenic viewpoints. Some more intensive recreation uses, such as campgrounds, may occur. They should be scattered, interspersed with large areas of undeveloped land and low-intensity uses.

3.    Rural Residential.

a.    Existing tree cover shall be retained as much as possible, except as is necessary for site development, safety purposes, or as part of forest management practices.

b.    In portions of this setting visible from key viewing areas the following guidelines shall be employed to achieve visual subordinance for new development and expansion of existing development:

(1)    Except as is necessary for site development or safety purposes, the existing tree cover screening the development from key viewing areas shall be retained.

(2)    Vegetative landscaping shall, where feasible, retain the open character of existing pastures and fields.

(3)    At least one-half (1/2) of any trees planted for screening purposes shall be species native to the setting or species identified in the Scenic Implementation Handbook as appropriate for the area.

(4)    At least one-half (1/2) of any trees planted for screening purposes shall be coniferous to provide winter screening.

c.    Compatible recreation uses should be limited to very low- and low-intensity resource-based recreation uses (such as scenic overlooks).

4.    Rural Residential/Pastoral.

a.    New development in this setting shall meet the design guidelines for both the Rural Residential setting and the more rural Pastoral setting with which it is combined unless it can be demonstrated that compliance with the guidelines for the more rural setting is impracticable. Expansion of existing development shall comply with this guideline to the maximum extent practicable.

b.    In the event of a possible conflict between the guidelines, the guidelines for the more rural Pastoral setting shall apply, unless it can be demonstrated that application of such guidelines would not be practicable.

c.    Compatible recreation uses should be limited to very low- and low-intensity resource-based recreation uses, scattered infrequently in the landscape.

5.    River Bottomlands.

a.    In portions of this setting visible from key viewing areas, the following guidelines shall be employed to achieve visual subordinance for new development and expansion of existing development:

(1)    Except as is necessary for site development or safety purposes, existing tree cover screening the development from key viewing areas shall be retained.

(2)    At least one-half (1/2) of any trees planted for screening purposes shall be species native to the River Bottomland setting. Public recreation development is encouraged to maximize the percentage of planted screening vegetation native to this setting.

(3)    At least one-quarter (1/4) of any trees planted for screening purposes shall be coniferous for winter screening. Variances may be granted to this guideline when development is directly adjacent or adjoining a landscape setting where coniferous trees are not common or appropriate (as identified in the Scenic Implementation Handbook), and tree species ultimately selected for winter screening are natives characteristic to that setting.

b.    Compatible recreation uses depend on the degree of natural resource sensitivity of a particular site. In the most critically sensitive River Bottomlands, very low-intensity uses which do not impair wetlands or special habitat requirements may be compatible. In other River Bottomland areas, nodes of moderate- or high-intensity recreation uses may be compatible; provided, that:

(1)    Their designs emphasize retention or enhancement of native riparian communities;

(2)    Structures and parking areas are visually subordinate; and

(3)    They are separated from other areas of concentrated recreation usage by stretches of natural appearing shoreline and adjacent uplands.

D.    All review uses within scenic travel corridors shall comply with the following applicable guidelines:

1.    For the purposes of implementing this section, the immediate foreground of a scenic travel corridor shall include those lands within one-quarter (1/4) mile of the edge of pavement of the Washington State Route 14.

2.    All new buildings and alterations to existing buildings shall be set back at least one hundred (100) feet from the edge of pavement of Washington State Route 14 (SR-14). A variance to this setback requirement may be granted pursuant to Section 40.240.150. All new parking lots and expansions of existing parking lots shall be set back at least one hundred (100) feet from the edge of pavement of SR-14, to the maximum extent practicable.

3.    Additions to existing buildings or expansion of existing parking lots located within one hundred (100) feet of the edge of pavement of SR-14 shall comply with subsection (D)(2) of this section to the maximum extent practicable.

4.    All proposed vegetation management projects in public rights-of-way to provide or improve views shall include the following:

a.    An evaluation of potential visual impacts of the proposed project as visible from any key viewing area;

b.    An inventory of any rare plants, sensitive wildlife habitat, wetlands or riparian areas on the project site. If such resources are determined to be present, the project shall comply with applicable guidelines to protect the resources.

5.    When evaluating possible locations for undergrounding of signal wires or powerlines, railroads and utility companies shall prioritize those areas specifically recommended as extreme or high priorities for undergrounding in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Corridor Visual Inventory prepared in April, 1990.

6.    New exploration, development (extraction or excavation), and production of mineral resources proposed within one-quarter (1/4) mile of the edge of pavement of SR-14 may be allowed upon a demonstration that full visual screening of the site from SR-14 can be achieved by use of existing topographic features or existing vegetation designed to be retained through the planned duration of the proposed project. An exception to this may be granted if planting of new vegetation in the vicinity of the access road to the mining area would achieve full screening. If existing vegetation is partly or fully employed to achieve visual screening, over seventy-five percent (75%) of the tree canopy area shall be coniferous species providing adequate winter screening. Mining and associated primary processing of mineral resources is prohibited within one hundred (100) feet of SR-14, as measured from the edge of pavement, except for access roads. Compliance with full screening requirements shall be achieved within time frames specified in Section 40.240.285(E).

7.    Expansion of existing quarries may be allowed pursuant to Section 40.240.285. Compliance with visual subordinance requirements shall be achieved within time frames specified in Section 40.240.285(D).

(Amended: Ord. 2006-05-04; Ord. 2008-06-02; Ord. 2021-12-02)