20C.70.15 Bear Creek Neighborhood Regulations.

20C.70.15-010 Bear Creek RA-5 Zone Density Bonuses – Purpose.

The RA-5 zoning district is applied to lands within the City that have significant limitations for urban development and which are unsuited to long-term resource production. These density bonuses provide for increased development potential in a manner that reduces the potential impact of natural hazards including flood plains, floodways, seismic hazards, and stream bank erosion hazards, and the public nuisances they may cause. Development allowed through these density provisions shall cluster housing away from the rural areas to protect them from negative impacts and the pressure to convert rural areas unsuited to urban development to urban uses. While not their primary purpose, the bonuses would also provide an opportunity to create an important public amenity, a trail along Bear and Evans Creek. This amenity would also benefit the property by making the development more attractive. These regulations are intended to implement Policies LU-62 and N-BC-10 of the Comprehensive Plan (RCDG Title 20B). (Ord. 1901)

20C.70.15-020 Requirements Applicable to All RA-5 Density Bonuses.

To use any of the density bonuses allowed by this section, all of the following requirements shall be met in addition to the other requirements in RCDG 20C.30.50, Clustering.

(1) For the purposes of RCDG 20C.70.15 only, “developable land” shall mean the lesser of (a) 29 percent of the land in the same or related ownership or (b) the land outside the zero rise floodway designated by King County, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) floodway, and Type I, II, and III wetlands in the RA-5 zoned land in the Bear Creek neighborhood. To the extent practicable, the developable land should comply with the criteria in Policy LU-23 and Policy LU-24 bullet 3, second sentence in the Comprehensive Plan.

(2) All development, except for that excluded by subsection (3), shall be clustered on the developable land.

(3) The following uses and facilities do not need to be clustered on the developable land to use the density bonuses in this section: open space, recreational-open space uses, and wetland, habitat, flood, and storm water mitigation, including relocation, replacement, enhancement and compensating storage.

(4) The maximum density allowed through the density permitted by RCDG 20C.30.25-140, Site Requirements Chart, and all bonuses, including but not limited to the bonuses in RCDG 20C.70.15-030, shall not exceed six housing units per gross acre of developable land. If the allowed density or bonuses are transferred to adjacent properties in the same or related ownership within another zoning district, the maximum number of housing units transferred shall not exceed six housing units per gross acre of developable land zoned RA-5.

(5) All of the land zoned RA-5 and in the same or related ownership shall be included in a subdivision, planned residential development, or master planned residential development. Where the total amount or land zoned RA-5 and in the same or related ownership is less than five acres and all the allowed housing units from that ownership will be transferred to land which is not zoned RA-5, the land does not have to be included in a subdivision, planned residential development, or master planned residential development.

(6) The developable land shall be located adjacent to existing urban uses.

(7) All housing constructed within the RA-5 zone shall be detached single-family housing.

(8) View corridors through the property from Avondale Road and Union Hill Road shall not be significantly altered.

(9) Adverse impacts to wildlife shall be avoided.

(10) The land remaining in the ownership after deducting the developable land shall be permanently maintained in open space or open space recreational use. Wetland, habitat, flood, and storm water mitigation, including relocation, replacement, enhancement and compensating storage, may be located and maintained on part of this land. A legally enforceable measure that runs with the land, is binding on all successors in interest, implements this requirement, and requiring City permission to change the use shall be recorded. A document that is acceptable to the City of Redmond shall be executed and recorded in the real property records of King County before construction begins.

(11) The total developable land shall not exceed 35 acres for the 120 acres of property in related ownerships which is north of Bear Creek and Evans Creek and runs from Avondale Road to the east. (Ord. 1901)

20C.70.15-030 Density Bonuses.

In addition to the number of housing units allowed by RCDG 20C.30.25-140, Site Requirements Chart, properties zoned RA-5 may use any of the following density bonuses:

(1) A density bonus of four housing units per five gross acres of total land area (equaling a total density of one housing unit per gross acre) provided that the housing units are clustered.

(2) A bonus of one housing unit per 268 linear feet of dedicated trail shall be given if a trail is dedicated along Bear and Evans Creek in a location and of a width acceptable to the City of Redmond. To obtain this bonus, the trail shall either include the owner’s entire frontage along Bear or Evans Creek or connect to trail easements or land owned by the City of Redmond on both sides of the dedication. The method of dedication and the type of ownership interest dedicated shall be subject to the review and approval of the City.

(3) A bonus of 0.8 housing units per acre shall be allowed for each acre of land permanently maintained in open space or open space recreational uses. To obtain this bonus, the land owner shall agree to permanently maintain all of the land (and lands covered by water) remaining in the ownership after deducting the developable land as open space or open space recreational uses.

(4) Optional Method of Calculating Bonuses. If the land owner clusters the development, dedicates the trail required by subsection (2) along their entire ownership which abuts Bear and Evans Creeks, and permanently dedicates all their undeveloped land as permanent open space, the land owner may calculate the bonuses allowed by subsections (1) through (3) by multiplying their developable land by six housing units per acre.

(5) If one of the bonuses provided for in subsections (1) through (3) is used, the site requirements for the R-1 zone established by RCDG 20C.30.25-140, Site Requirements Chart, shall be used. RCDG 20C.30.50-030, Site Requirements for Clustering, shall not apply in this case.

(6) If two or more of the bonuses provided for in subsections (1) through (3) are used or the bonus in subsection (4) is used, the site requirements for the R-6 zone established by RCDG 20C.30.25-140, Site Requirements Chart, shall be used. RCDG 20C.30.50-030, Site Requirements for Clustering, shall not apply in this case. (Ord. 1901)