Chapter 16.16
DESIGN CRITERIA, IMPROVEMENTS AND DEDICATIONS
Sections:
16.16.010 Review criteria generally.
16.16.030 Environmental impact.
16.16.032 Sanitary sewer requirements.
16.16.035 Extension of sanitary sewers.
16.16.040 Street, block and pedestrian way specifications.
16.16.060 Rights-of-way of streets, alleys, and pedestrian walkways.
16.16.080 Pavement widths for public highways.
16.16.090 Grades and curves – Streets and pedestrian ways.
16.16.120 Sidewalks, pathways, planter strips and street tree bulb-outs.
16.16.140 Improvements and dedications.
16.16.170 Top soil preservation.
16.16.010 Review criteria generally.
Whenever in this title a review is made by any agency of the city (including the city engineer, planning commission and/or the city council) of any subdivision, short subdivision, lot line adjustment or dedication, said agency shall inquire into the matters set forth in this chapter. (Ord. 25.H § 1(part), 1999: Ord. 25.G § 2(Exh. A)(part), 1996)
16.16.020 General criteria.
A. General criteria for review are as set out in this section:
1. The purposes set forth in BMC 16.04.010;
2. The proposed subdivision or short subdivision provides for such requirements contained in the official plans or portions thereof and development plans for the city;
3. Public acquisition or dedication of such lands within the subdivision or short subdivision that have been designated by the official plans for uses such as, but not limited to, parks, playgrounds, public buildings, and greenbelt areas, may be considered as conditions for approval.
B. The reviewing agency shall recommend approval, or shall approve, any application governed by this title only after determining and finding that the public use, interest, health, safety and general welfare are satisfied and provided for as set forth herein and any approval or recommended approval shall be deemed to include such finding and determination without the necessity of so stating on each occasion. (Ord. 25.H § 1(part), 1999: Ord. 25.G § 2(Exh. A)(part), 1996)
16.16.030 Environmental impact.
A. The city engineer and/or planning commission may require additional information from the applicant to determine whether the project must be reviewed under the provisions of the state of Washington Environmental Protection Act of 1971 (Chapter 43.21C RCW) and as the same may be amended and supplemented from time to time. Preliminary approval of the subdivision or short subdivision shall not be given until all requirements of the Act are fulfilled. If a sensitive area (as defined in Chapter 19.24 BMC) exists in the proposed subdivision or short subdivision, it shall not be altered. If a stream or natural drainage way that is not a sensitive area exists in the proposed subdivision or short subdivision, it shall not be altered until an assessment is made of the potential environmental effects.
B. The cost of the study and an environmental impact statement, if required, shall be borne by the applicant. The applicant shall be fully responsible for the adequacy and completeness of such studies and statement. He shall meet all requirements of SEPA and the guidelines promulgated by the council or environmental policy or any other authorized public body or agency. The applicant shall select an environmental consultant qualified and experienced in preparing environmental impact statements and who shall be approved by the city council to perform such tasks. (Ord. 25.H § 1(part), 1999: Ord. 25.G § 2(Exh. A)(part), 1996)
16.16.032 Sanitary sewer requirements.
All lots created by the subdivision process, including lots created by short subdivisions, must be served by a gravity-flow municipal sewage system. If gravity-flow is not possible, the use of grinder pumps or other artificial means shall be allowed. No more than one home may be connected to a single grinder pump. Neither pump stations nor public dedicated lifting systems of any kind shall be allowed. (Ord. 379 § 2, 2010: Ord. 25.H § 1(part), 1999: Ord. 25.G § 2(Exh. A)(part), 1996)
16.16.035 Extension of sanitary sewers.
Upon receipt of the application, the city engineer shall conduct a review of the proposed subdivision or short subdivision to determine if requirements to extend sewer and/or sewer easements to all neighboring properties would be necessary. Based on the city engineer’s recommendation, the planning commission or city council may, in the public interest, require extension of sewer and/or sewer easements to neighboring properties, and shall specify what sewer extension and/or easements shall be required as a condition of approval. The intent of this section is to permit latitude in requiring construction of sewer extension where the requirement would be excessive for the proposed subdivision. The city may share a portion of additional expenses for extra manholes, catch basins, oversizing or increasing the depth of a sewer in order to accomplish the purpose of this section. All easements will be granted to the city. (Ord. 430 § 2(Exh. B)(part), 2016: Ord. 25.H § 1(part), 1999: Ord. 25.G § 2(Exh. A)(part), 1996)
16.16.040 Street, block and pedestrian way specifications.
The layout of streets shall conform to the most advantageous development of adjoining areas, and the entire neighborhood, and shall provide for the following:
A. Street continuity of appropriate streets;
B. Streets continuing to boundaries of tract;
C. Streets generally following contour lines;
D. Streets intersecting at right angles, or as nearly as possible;
E. Street jogs shall be avoided;
F. Nothing less than full-width right-of-way for streets, and no boundary streets on the tract in which the plat is located, unless required to provide right-of-way streets designated by the official plan or portions thereof;
G. Alleys in business district at least twenty feet wide;
H. Utility easements twenty feet wide, will be permitted in lieu of alleys in residential areas; however, alleys are required if water lines are in, or proposed to be installed at rear of lots;
I. The width of blocks shall provide for two tiers of lots, each of which shall have a minimum depth of one hundred feet;
J. The length of blocks shall not exceed one thousand three hundred twenty feet;
K. In any block exceeding six hundred sixty feet in length, walks or pedestrian ways at a mid-block point shall be required, when determined to be essential to provide circulation or access to schools, playgrounds, etc.; the right-of-way of which shall be at least fifteen feet in width;
L. The number of streets intersecting with the existing or proposed major traffic streets or minor traffic streets, as shown on the official plan, shall be held to a minimum. Whenever the topography and general characteristics of the area to be platted require blocks of more than one thousand three hundred twenty feet, such reason shall be listed and supported by the design of the plat, subdivision or dedication. (Ord. 25.H § 1(part), 1999: Ord. 25.G § 2(Exh. A)(part), 1996)
16.16.060 Rights-of-way of streets, alleys, and pedestrian walkways.
A. Rights-of-way for major traffic streets and minor traffic streets as specified by the official plan shall be at least sixty feet in width in all cases with a ten-foot utility easement granted to the city on each side of the right-of-way.
B. Rights-of-way for neighborhood traffic streets and local neighborhood service streets shall be at least fifty feet in width in all cases with a ten-foot utility easement granted to the city on each side of the right-of-way.
C. All dead-end streets shall terminate in a circular turnaround design having a minimum right-of-way diameter of one hundred feet, unless a “T”- or “Y”-shaped paved space in the place of the required turning circle is approved by the city council. Right-of-way for the “T” or “Y” shall not be less than fifty feet with a ten-foot utility easement on each side of the right-of-way and around any circular, “T” or “Y” turnaround. Streets dead-ending at tract boundary shall provide a revocable easement in lieu of platted turnaround to automatically terminate at time of dedication of street extension.
D. Alleys and service drives shall have a minimum of twenty feet of right-of-way width.
E. Pedestrian walkways that are not in street right-of-ways shall have a minimum of fifteen feet of right-of-way width.
F. No portion of a right-of-way shall have a cross-sectional slope greater than five percent. (Ord. 25.H § 1(part), 1999: Ord. 25.G § 2(Exh. A) (part), 1996)
16.16.070 Street names.
All street names shall be approved by the city council and shall be in conformity to the county system whenever possible. (Ord. 25.H § 1(part), 1999: Ord. 25.G § 2(Exh. A) (part), 1996)
16.16.080 Pavement widths for public highways.
A. Major traffic streets shall have a pavement width of forty feet, curb to curb, not including the curbs.
B. Minor traffic streets, neighborhood traffic streets, and local neighborhood service streets shall have a pavement width of thirty-two feet, curb to curb, not including the curbs, in all sections of the street where there are no bulb-outs for street trees.
C. All neighborhood traffic streets and local neighborhood access streets shall be installed with bulb-outs for street trees, with the curb at the bulb-out placed twelve feet from the centerline of the pavement. One bulb-out, at least eight feet in length at the widest portion of the bulb-out, shall be installed for each lot that has a street frontage of seventy feet or more that is not cul-de-sac frontage. Two bulb-outs shall be installed for each corner lot where feasible. Whenever possible, bulb-outs shall be placed nearly opposite of each other along each side of the street. Driveways and street lights shall be located at least fifteen feet from the planned location of a street tree in a bulb-out.
D. The pavement of a turning circle at the end of a dead-end street shall have an outside diameter of eighty feet and shall be at least forty feet wide. Any “T”- or “Y”-shaped paved space that has been approved in place of a turning circle shall have a paving width of twenty-five feet.
E. Alley and service drives shall have a paving width of twenty feet.
F. No pavement width shall exceed the specified width except where additional width is required for bus stops or traffic turn lanes.
G. Pavement widths may be reduced for streets on which parking is not permitted. (Ord. 25.H § 1(part), 1999: Ord. 25.G § 2(Exh. A) (part), 1996)
16.16.090 Grades and curves – Streets and pedestrian ways.
A. Grades of major traffic streets shall not be greater than the WSDOT Standards.
B. Grades of minor traffic streets, neighborhood traffic streets, and local neighborhood service streets, service drives, and alleys shall not be greater than fifteen percent.
C. Grades of pedestrian ways shall be not more than fifteen percent unless steps designed in accordance with approved standards of the city engineer are provided in the plans. Whenever feasible, pedestrian ways shall meet ADA accessibility standards.
D. All changes in street grades shall be connected by vertical curves meeting the standards and requirements of the city engineer.
E. The radii of curvature on the centerline shall not be less than:
1. Major and minor traffic streets, three hundred feet;
2. Neighborhood traffic streets and local neighborhood service streets, one hundred feet;
3. Dead-end streets, alleys and service drives, one hundred feet.
F. A tangent of at least seventy-five feet in length between reverse curves shall be required. (Ord. 25.H § 1(part), 1999: Ord. 25.G § 2(Exh. A) (part), 1996)
16.16.100 Intersections.
At street intersections, property line corners shall be rounded by an arc, the minimum radii of which shall be ten feet. (Ord. 25.H § 1(part), 1999: Ord. 25.G § 2 (Exh. A)(part), 1996)
16.16.110 Street placement.
Streets shall be placed in the center of the street right-of-way. (Ord. 25.H § 1(part), 1999: Ord. 25.G § 2(Exh. A)(part), 1996)
16.16.120 Sidewalks, pathways, planter strips and street tree bulb-outs.
A. Sidewalks or pathways serving proposed shopping and retail land uses shall be at least eight feet wide.
B. Sidewalks or pathways serving areas proposed for single-dwelling-unit homes shall be five feet wide and shall be located in the right-of-way six inches from the property line. The distance between the property line and the sidewalk or pathway may be increased as necessary to accommodate steep slopes or to preserve the root structure of trees that are located within ten feet of the property line.
C. The planter strip areas between sidewalks or pathways and the curb shall have at least six inches of settled topsoil and shall be sodded or hydroseeded with lawn grass; those areas of bulb-outs and planter strips in which street trees will be planted shall have at least eighteen inches of settled topsoil.
D. Street trees of at least two-inch caliper and of a species specified by the city shall be planted in all bulb-outs and in specified planter strip areas at a spacing of fifteen to thirty feet apart. No street tree shall be planted within fifteen feet of a driveway, street intersection, utility pole, street light or existing tree. Barriers shall be provided to protect the bottom eight inches of the tree trunk from damage by machinery and to prevent grass from growing within one foot of the tree.
E. A stormwater drainage system shall be installed to intercept groundwater and surface water sheet flow along the property-line side of the sidewalk whenever the property slopes toward the sidewalk, and shall be installed in accordance with specifications provided by the city engineer. (Ord. 25.H § 1(part), 1999: Ord. 25.G § 2(Exh. A) (part), 1996)
16.16.130 Lots.
A. Every lot in a subdivision shall abut on a street by not less than forty-five feet. Every lot in a short subdivision that abuts on a street shall abut on that street by not less than forty-five feet.
B. The lot width shall be defined as the horizontal distance between the side lot lines as measured at right angles to the line comprising the depth of the lot, at the building line.
C. Lots shall allow the minimum width as regulated by the zoning ordinance at the building line.
D. Residential lots shall have a minimum area as specified in BMC Title 17.
E. Corner lots shall allow for the required setbacks from both streets as required by the zoning regulations of the area in which it is located.
F. Lots having frontage on two streets shall be avoided whenever possible.
G. Side lot lines shall be within twenty degrees of perpendicular to the centerline of the street in which the lot faces.
H. Side and rear lot lines shall be straight, or composed of straight line elements, except where bounded by curved street right-of-way.
I. No lot shall be divided by a city boundary line. (Ord. 25.H § 1(part), 1999: Ord. 25.G § 2(Exh. A)(part), 1996)
16.16.140 Improvements and dedications.
A. The city engineer shall define and specify the improvements necessary to meet the requirements of this section. Required improvements shall include, but are not limited to, installation of landscaping, streets, curbs, sidewalks, water connections, sewers or other approved sanitary facilities, drainage systems, undergrounding of utilities, and a drainage release provision to appear on the face of the final plat as filed with the county auditor.
B. All subdivisions or short subdivisions being developed or to be developed shall have all necessary power lines, gas lines, telephone wires, television cables, and other communications wires, cables or lines placed in underground location either by direct burial or by means of conduit or ducts, providing service to each lot or potential building site in the plat. All above-listed utilities in street crossings must be placed in conduits or ducts.
C. All underground utility installations or systems shall meet all appropriate utility requirements and written approval of the final installation of any such utility shall be obtained; further provided, that all such underground utility installations shall meet all city, state and local requirements.
D. If the appropriate utility determines that an underground system as proposed above cannot reasonably be installed according to accepted engineering practices, this requirement may be waived by the city council upon receipt of a written notice from said utility to the city council.
E. All utility easements within a proposed subdivision or short subdivision shall be approved by the appropriate utility company before final acceptance of the plat and shall be shown in the exact locations on the final drawing of said plat.
F. Nothing in this section or any other section of this title in relation to underground wiring shall apply to power lines carrying a voltage of fifteen KV or more, nor shall it be construed to prohibit the placement of pad-mounted transformers, terminal pedestals or other electrical and communications devices aboveground, as determined by the appropriate utility involved.
G. Monuments shall be placed at all street intersections, boundary angle points, points of curbs in streets, and at such intermediate points as required by the city engineer. Monuments shall be of a type specified by the city engineer and set as specified by the city engineer. All lot and block corners shall be set with an iron pipe or pin at least eighteen inches in length.
H. The subdivider shall dedicate land or construct improvements as required by the city pursuant to the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA). The land or construction may be for project improvements or system improvements, as those terms are defined in BMC 3.68.020. Dedication of land or construction of improvements, whether for project improvements or system improvements, shall be as required by the city in connection with subdivision or short subdivision approval. Dedication of land or construction of improvements for system improvements shall be subject to credits as provided for in BMC 3.68.060.
I. If the subdivider is required to dedicate an area or areas in the proposed subdivision or short subdivision, pursuant to SEPA, the dedication shall be in fee simple. The subdivider shall provide proof of ownership at both preliminary and final plat approval.
J. For purposes of meeting the land dedication requirement, the city will not accept areas that are unsuitable for development, due to the presence of steep slopes and wetlands, poor lot geometry, inaccessibility, inability to construct and install storm detention systems, encumbrance by power line easements, etc.; provided, that:
1. The city may accept areas dedicated for open storm detention systems that are designed to provide unfenced multipurpose use;
2. The city may give up to twenty-five percent credit for sensitive areas and their buffers; and
3. The city may give up to twenty-five percent credit for areas encumbered by an electrical utility easement if other uses do not further restrict the use of the area for parks or open space.
K. The postmaster’s requirements or recommendation shall be considered in all plats for mailbox considerations. There shall be not less than five feet clearance for sidewalks around mailbox installations. (Ord. 439 § 2 (Exh. B), 2016: Ord. 25.H § 1(part), 1999: Ord. 25.G § 2(Exh. A) (part), 1996)
16.16.150 Sensitive areas.
Where the city engineer, SEPA consultant and/or planning commission has determined that the land is unsuitable or inappropriate for subdivision due to flooding, inundation, swamp conditions, steep slopes, rock formations, hazardous soil conditions or other features likely to be harmful to the safety, welfare and general health of the future residents or adjoining residents, the land shall not be subdivided until the following conditions are satisfied:
A. Provision is made for construction of protective improvements by the developer and the improvements are approved by the city engineer;
B. Where topographical slopes are fifteen percent or more, the planning commission may impose additional requirements which will afford protection to future and adjoining residents;
C. The effect of alteration of the site has been assessed under the provisions of BMC 16.16.030;
D. No plat shall be approved which is situated in a flood control zone as provided in RCW 58.17.120, without approval of the Department of Ecology, state of Washington;
E. All relevant requirements of BMC Title 18 shall be met. (Ord. 430 § 2(Exh. B)(part), 2016: Ord. 377 § 2, 2010: Ord. 325 § 1(part), 2006; Ord. 25.H § 1(part), 1999: Ord. 25.G § 2(Exh. A) (part), 1996)
16.16.160 Tree preservation.
A. The subdivider shall strive to preserve natural foliage and trees. If preservation of the existing significant trees would enhance the appearance of the subdivision or reduce erosion and other negative environmental effects, the city may impose cutting restrictions on such significant trees.
B. Trees and other vegetation more than ten feet outside of areas required by approved development plans or building plans for streets, sidewalks, driveways, building foundations, patios and other impervious surfaces shall be retained and protected during the clearing process, except as specifically recommended by a certified arborist, mutually selected by the city and developer, to be removed.
C. Selected trees or areas of vegetation of particular aesthetic or wildlife value may be designated by the city for permanent protection in property deeds, in subdivision approval, by private or public covenant, or any other instrument of record.
D. Significant trees that are to be retained shall be protected during any construction in accordance with Chapter 17.50 BMC. Other trees that are to be retained shall be protected during any construction by fencing placed at a distance of one foot from the trees for every inch of tree diameter, or at a distance of two feet from the planned impervious surface, whichever is lesser. Any removal of vegetation around the trees within this area shall be by manual methods only; no development activity, including disturbance of the soil, damage to the trees, or placement of equipment or materials, shall take place within any such delineated area.
E. To assure protection of significant and other trees during construction or prior to final plat approval, the subdivider shall post a performance bond in accordance with Chapter 17.50 BMC.
F. If the subdivider or any person acting on behalf of the subdivider removes trees that are to be retained during construction or prior to final plat approval, the subdivider and such person shall be subject to the remedial measures and penalties of Chapter 17.50 BMC and the enforcement provisions of Chapter 17.50 BMC. The director shall determine the remediation measures, tree replacement and penalties for nonsignificant trees consistent with such remediation measures, tree replacement and penalties for significant trees in Chapter 17.50 BMC.
G. The city may also issue stop work orders, where appropriate, or orders requiring restoration of vegetation, provision of erosion control, hydroseeding of exposed slopes, and restoration of specific sites on properties where activities in violation of this chapter have taken place.
H. A minimum of four trees, which shall be deciduous trees that are three inches in diameter at six inches in height above natural grade or evergreen trees that are eight feet in height above natural grade, including natural trees and trees planted by the subdivider, shall remain on each lot of the subdivision. (Ord. 352 § 2, 2007: Ord. 25.H § 1(part), 1999: Ord. 25.G § 2(Exh. A) (part), 1996)
16.16.170 Top soil preservation.
In order to promote healthy growth of lawns, gardens and landscaping, and thereby minimize the amount of watering and use of fertilizers required to establish and maintain healthy plant growth and minimize non-point-source water pollution, the city encourages that all areas of the developed lots that are available for lawns, gardens or landscaping shall have the undisturbed native soil or approved topsoil. (Ord. 25.H § 1(part), 1999: Ord. 25.G § 2(Exh. A) (part), 1996)