Chapter 17.125 ESSENTIAL PUBLIC FACILITIES

Chapter 17.125
ESSENTIAL PUBLIC FACILITIES

Sections:

17.125.010 Purpose.

The purpose of this chapter is to identify means of siting essential public facilities within the rural zones of Lewis County. Within incorporated IUGAs [UGA’s*] city criteria shall prevail. [Ord. 1170B, 2000]

17.125.020 Definitions.

(1) “Essential public facilities–major” means those facilities which are not required to be located in Lewis County, but which may be designated for Lewis County by the appropriate agency and which have the potential for material local impact. Such facilities include state prisons and correctional facilities administered by the Washington State Department of Corrections, regional or international airports operated by authorities not located in Lewis County, energy facilities proposed by a utility not headquartered in Lewis County.

(2) “Essential public facilities–local” means transportation, utility, and education facilities; special needs facilities; solid waste facilities; port facilities administered by ports; juvenile detention facilities; community jail and other facilities all administered by an agency or entity headquartered in Lewis County. Local general aviation airports owned and/or operated by municipal authorities shall be an essential public facility. [Ord. 1170B, 2000]

17.125.030 Procedure.

(1) Essential public facilities–major. All such facilities may be considered for Lewis County through a comprehensive plan amendment. The sponsoring agency may request such an amendment and such request shall be considered by the Lewis County Planning Commission, which shall make a recommendation to the Lewis County Board of County Commissioners. Areas of specific consideration shall include the need for the facility, the ability of the community to provide adequate public facilities and to meet adequacy requirements; and the ability of the community to adequately mitigate, or compensate where appropriate, local residences significantly impacted by the project.

(2) The comprehensive plan amendment shall include a master plan which may deal with all development related issues on the site. In such event the comprehensive plan amendment shall include both a rezone and a master plan approval which, if approved, would permit immediate development of the facility. Alternatively, the proponent may request a two-phase application in which the initial comprehensive plan designation would be a request for the land, together with guiding development criteria, and future development plans would be considered as part of a site wide master plan submitted pursuant to Chapter 17.120 LCC.

(3) Essential public facilities–local. All facilities identified as essential public facilities–local are considered allowed uses through the special use permit process identified in Chapter 17.115 LCC. [Ord. 1179, 2002; Ord. 1170B, 2000]

*[Note: interim UGA’s have been supplanted by UGA’s, as set forth in the Comprehensive Plan]