Chapter 20.46
SITE PLAN REVIEW COMMITTEE
Sections:
20.46.040 General site plan form and contents.
20.46.050 Detailed site plan form and contents.
20.46.060 Preliminary site plan conference.
20.46.080 Relationship of review to other permits.
20.46.100 Amendment of site plan.
20.46.110 Duration of approval.
20.46.010 Purpose.
A. It is the purpose of the site plan review committee (SPRC) to examine certain land development proposals through a comprehensive site plan review process which insures compliance with the adopted plans, policies and ordinances of the city. It is a further purpose of the SPRC to establish an efficient and uniform procedure that will coordinate interdepartmental review of land development within the community.
B. The site plan review committee shall have the responsibility to act as the environmental review body, in an advisory role to the responsible official, for review of environmental checklists, draft and final environmental impact statements and supplemental environmental impact statements. As established in Chapter 21.08 of this code, the city manager or designee as the responsible official shall make the threshold determination and issue a determination of non-significance, or a determination of significance on any project which requires an environmental review under SEPA.
20.46.020 Membership.
The site plan review committee shall consist of the following: the director, who shall serve as chairman; the director of the public works department; the fire chief; the police chief; the director of the parks and recreation department; and the chief building inspector; or their designated representatives. The city manager shall be an ex officio member.
20.46.030 Application.
An application for site plan review shall be made through the development authorization application process generally described in Chapter 20.14. The director will determine the processing level and application contents, including whether the proposal requires a general site plan (Section 20.46.040) or a detailed site plan (Section 20.46.050). (Ord. 2008-06 § 64, 2008).
20.46.040 General site plan form and contents.
A. General Site Plan Form. All general site plans shall be legibly drawn to scale and submitted in such number and format as requested by the department, prepared in accordance with Chapter 19.40, Table of Required Information.
B. General Site Plan Contents. The general site plan shall include:
1. The legal description of the land (when required by the reviewing official);
2. North arrow and scale of drawing;
3. Name of applicant and project name and address;
4. Actual dimensions and shape of the subject property;
5. The sizes and location, measured from the property line(s), of existing structures on the lot to the nearest foot;
6. The location and dimensions of proposed structures and uses;
7. Parking areas;
8. Proposed landscaping and site screening;
9. Locations of ingress and egress;
10. Any other information required by the reviewing official to clarify the proposal, assess its impacts or determine compliance with this code;
11. Delivery vehicle routes and turning motions based on vehicle size and type;
12. The location and, where ascertainable, sizes of all existing buildings, wells, watercourses, bodies of water, one-hundred-year floodplain, floodway, critical areas, overhead and underground utilities, railroad lines, municipal boundaries; section lines, township lines, and other important features existing upon, over or under the land proposed to be subdivided. (Ord. 2012-09 § 21, 2012: Ord. 2008-24 § 12, 2008: Ord. 2000-6 § 2(part), 2000: Ord. 95-5 § 1(part), 1995).
20.46.050 Detailed site plan form and contents.
A. Detailed Site Plan – Form. All detailed site plans shall be legibly drawn to scale and submitted in such number and format as requested by the department, prepared in accordance with Chapter 19.40, Table of Required Information. Where necessary, the plan may be on several sheets accompanied by an index sheet showing the entire site.
B. Detailed Site Plan – Contents. The detailed site plan shall show the following where applicable:
1. The title and location of the proposed development, together with the names, addresses and telephone numbers of the record owner or owners of the land and of the applicant, and, if applicable, the names, addresses and telephone numbers of any architects, planners, designers or engineers responsible for the preparation of the plan, and of any authorized representative of the applicant;
2. The proposed use or uses of the land and buildings;
3. A site plan drawing or drawings, at a scale of not greater than one inch for each fifty feet, which shall include or show:
a. The location of all existing and proposed structures including, but not limited to, buildings, fences, culverts, and bridges;
b. The boundaries of the property proposed to be developed;
c. All proposed and existing buildings and setback lines;
d. All areas, if any, to be preserved as buffers or to be dedicated to a public, private or community use or for open space under the provisions of this or any other city code, information regarding percentage of area covered, locations and general types of landscaping;
e. All existing and proposed easements;
f. The locations of all existing and proposed utility structures and lines;
g. Location of all fire hydrants;
h. Size and location of all existing and proposed rights-of-way and paved surfaces;
i. All existing and proposed stormwater facilities and stormwater drainage systems as required by Chapter 13.16;
j. All means of vehicular and pedestrian ingress and egress to and from the site and the size and location of driveways, streets and roads;
k. The location and design of off-street parking areas showing their size and locations of internal circulation and parking spaces;
l. The location of all loading spaces including, but not limited to, loading platforms and loading docks where trucks will load or unload; and
m. Location, type, height and area, in square feet, of all signs;
4. Topographic map or maps which delineate contours, both existing and proposed, at intervals of two feet, and which locate existing wetlands and streams;
5. The existing zoning district of the proposed development site and any other zoning district within three hundred feet of the proposed development;
6. All special districts including, but not limited to, fire, school and water districts, in which the proposed development shall be located, and all such districts within three hundred feet of the proposed development;
7. The proposed number of square feet in paved or covered surfaces, whether covered buildings, driveways, parking lots, or any other structure covering land; and the total amount of square feet in the entire proposed development site;
8. The proposed number of dwelling units and number of bedrooms in the development;
9. The proposed number of square feet in gross floor area for each residential, commercial and/or industrial use;
10. A description of each proposed commercial and industrial use;
11. The written recommendations of the health department, building department, engineering department and fire department as to any portion of the site plan application covering areas within their respective jurisdictions;
12. Delivery vehicle routes and turning motions based on vehicle size and type;
13. The location and, where ascertainable, sizes of all existing buildings, wells, watercourses, bodies of water, one-hundred-year floodplain, floodway, critical areas, overhead and underground utilities, railroad lines, municipal boundaries, section lines, township lines, and other important features existing upon, over or under the land proposed to be subdivided;
14. Any other information specified by the reviewing official, such as:
a. Proposed ownership pattern;
b. Operation and maintenance proposals (i.e., homeowner’s association, condominium, co-op or other);
c. Solid waste disposal facilities;
d. Lighting;
e. Water supply;
f. Public transportation;
g. Community facilities;
h. General timetable of development;
i. Floodproofing or other measures to protect against flooding;
j. Information on design methods to conserve energy; or
k. Information on adjacent properties;
15. A detailed site plan for development in the floodplain overlay district shall also include the following information:
a. Elevation in relation to the one-hundred-year flood level of the lowest floor (including basement) of all structures;
b. Elevation in relation to mean sea level to which any structure has been floodproofed;
c. Certification by a registered professional engineer or architect that established floodproofing standards have been met; and
d. Description of the extent to which any watercourse will be altered or relocated as a result of the proposed development. (Ord. 2017-45 § 62, 2017: Ord. 2012-09 § 22, 2012: Ord. 2008-24 § 13, 2008).
20.46.060 Preliminary site plan conference.
Prior to applying for a site plan review, a developer may present to the site plan review committee a preliminary site plan which shall contain in a rough and approximate manner all the information required on a site plan application. The purpose of the preliminary site plan conference is to enable the developer to obtain input of the site plan review
committee on development standards, utility services and procedural issues. Information presented for preliminary site plan discussion shall be considered confidential. None of the opinions or suggestions of the site plan review committee in preliminary site review conference shall be considered binding in the formal site plan approval process initiated under Section 20.46.070.
20.46.070 Review, decision.
A. Applications before the site plan review committee shall be reviewed and evaluated based upon city-adopted policies, programs, and ordinances, and shall be in keeping with the Walla Walla Comprehensive Plan. To accomplish this, SPRC recommendations and decisions made by the approving authority under this code may include, but not be limited to, conditions of approval for site improvements, public improvements (streets, sidewalks, landscaping, etc.) and for the dedication of right-of-way necessary for public facilities.
B. The SPRC shall have the prerogative of deferring its review if, in the opinion of the SPRC, the site plan is sufficiently complex that it should be reviewed by the planning commission or hearing examiner. All decisions to defer shall be made during the comment period for the proposal.
C. The SPRC shall within the comment period for the proposal approve, disapprove or approve with conditions any site plan submitted to it and accepted for review unless this time period is extended by mutual agreement, in writing, between the applicant and the site plan review committee. The action taken by the site plan review committee will be submitted to the development services department for subsequent action on the development authorization application.
D. Any time required to review and approve, disapprove or approve with conditions any environmental checklist and make a threshold determination, and to develop and review an environmental impact statement as required under the provisions of SEPA shall not be included under the time constraints of this chapter.
E. The decision of the site plan review committee shall be given the effect of a recommendation to the approving authority.
F. The foundation for project review and decision making shall be the city’s comprehensive plan and development regulations. The city’s review of a project permit application will include determination as to whether the proposed project is consistent with applicable regulations or comprehensive plan and concurrency requirements. The determination of consistency shall be based on review of the city’s adopted service levels, the applicable development regulations, or in the absence of a relevant development regulation, upon the comprehensive plan. The city’s review will emphasize existing requirements and adopted standards, with the use of supplemental authority as specified by Chapter 43.21C RCW to the extent that existing requirements do not adequately address a project’s specific probable adverse environmental impacts. (Ord. 2012-09 § 23, 2012: Ord. 2008-06 § 65, 2008: Ord. 00-6 § 2(part), 2000: Ord. 97-14 § 43, 1997: Ord. 95-5 § 1(part), 1995).
20.46.071 SPRC approval.
Whenever the site plan review committee approves, or approves with conditions, a site plan, it shall set forth in writing its findings which support such approval. All transmittals approving a specific project proposal shall include a listing of permits required for the project (including applicable fees required) and a designated contact person.
20.46.072 SPRC denial.
Whenever the site plan review committee recommends disapproval of a site plan, it shall set forth in writing its proposed findings which shall specify the particular standards, provisions and policies to which the site plan fails to conform and the reasons why it fails to conform.
20.46.080 Relationship of review to other permits.
The review and approval of site plans is considered a part of the city’s development permit application approval process. Following approval of a site plan requiring review under the provisions of this code, a development permit may be issued by the development services department provided all other requirements of development permit application and ordinances of the city have been complied with.
20.46.090 Performance bond.
It may be required as a condition of approval of a site plan that the applicant furnish a performance bond to the city to secure the applicant’s obligation to complete the provisions and conditions of the site plan as approved.
20.46.100 Amendment of site plan.
A site plan granted approval by an approving authority may be amended by the same procedures provided under this code for original site plan approval.
20.46.110 Duration of approval.
A. Approval of the site plan shall be effective for eighteen months from the date of approval by the approving authority unless otherwise stated. During this time, the terms and conditions upon which approval was given will not change. If application for a building permit is not made within the eighteen-month period, the approval shall automatically terminate.
However, upon the application of the owner or representative, the director may extend the approval period for up to six months unless substantive change has been made in the regulations, ordinances, requirements, policies, or standards which impact the site since the initial approval.
B. Knowledge of expiration date and initiation of a request for extension of approval time is the responsibility of the applicant. The city shall not be held responsible for notification of expirations, although it may notify the applicant of date of expiration. All requests for additional time must be submitted to the development services office prior to expiration of site plan approval.