40.240.550    Approval Criteria for Siting of Dwellings on Forest Land

The approval of new dwellings and accessory structures on or immediately adjacent to lands within a Forest zone in the GMA shall comply with the following guidelines:

A.    The dwelling and structures shall be sited on the parcel so that they will have the least impact on nearby or adjoining forest operations. Dwellings shall be set back at least two hundred (200) feet from adjacent parcels within the Forest zone. The responsible official may grant a variance to this setback under the provisions of Section 40.240.150.

B.    The amount of forest land used to site dwellings, structures, access roads, and service corridors shall be minimized. This can include locating new dwellings and structures as close to existing public roads as possible, thereby minimizing the length of access roads and utility corridors; or locating the dwelling, access road, and service corridors on portions of the parcel that are least or poorly suited for forestry. Areas may not be suitable for forestry because of existing nonforest uses, adjacent dwellings, or land productivity.

C.    Dwellings shall be located to minimize the risks associated with fire. Dwellings should be located on gentle slopes and in any case not on slopes which exceed thirty percent (30%). Dwellings should be set back from slopes per Washington State Building Code. Narrow canyons and draws should be avoided. Dwellings should be located to minimize the difficulty in gaining access to the structure in the case of fire. Dwellings should be located to make the access roads as short and flat as possible.

D.    Grouping proposed development closer to existing development on adjacent lands may be used to minimize impacts on nearby or adjacent forest operations.

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