Chapter 17.58
SHORT SUBDIVISIONS
Sections:
17.58.030 Submittal requirements.
17.58.040 Criteria of approval.
17.58.060 Short subdivision standards.
17.58.070 Required improvements.
17.58.080 Approval expiration – Extension.
17.58.090 Limitations on further subdivision.
17.58.010 Purpose.
The procedures regulating short subdivisions are established to promote orderly and efficient division of lots on a small scale, to avoid placing undue and unnecessary burdens on both the applicant and the city, while promoting the public health and general welfare and complying with provisions of Chapter 58.17 RCW. (Ord. 2737 § 2 (Att. A), 2009)
17.58.020 Scope.
Any land being divided into four or fewer parcels, lots, tracts, or sites for the purpose of sale, lease, transfer or building development, and which has not been divided as part of a short subdivision within a period of five years, shall meet the requirements of this chapter. (Ord. 2737 § 2 (Att. A), 2009)
17.58.030 Submittal requirements.
Applications for short subdivisions shall be submitted to the community development services department consistent with Chapter 17.66 BMC. (Ord. 2737 § 2 (Att. A), 2009)
17.58.040 Criteria of approval.
A. The director shall make the following findings upon approving a short subdivision:
1. The application complies with the short subdivision standards contained in this chapter unless specifically varied through the process outlined in Chapter 17.62 BMC, Plat Variance;
2. The application complies with lot and plat design standards as required under Chapter 17.74 BMC, Subdivision Design Requirements, unless specifically varied through the process outlined in Chapter 17.62 BMC, Plat Variance;
3. That the subdivision and related dedication will serve the public interest;
4. Appropriate provisions are made for, but not limited to, the public health, safety and general welfare, for open spaces and drainage ways, for roads, streets, alleys and transit stops, for potable water supply, sanitary sewer, parks and recreation, and shall consider all other relevant facts including sidewalks and other pedestrian corridors, and amenities that preserve the quality of the neighborhood;
5. That all applicable requirements of Chapter 58.17 RCW et seq., not included in the above, have been met.
B. Written findings shall be submitted to the applicant and shall be retained in the project file at the community development services office. (Ord. 2737 § 2 (Att. A), 2009)
17.58.060 Short subdivision standards.
The standards contained herein are supplemental to the subdivision design requirements contained in this division.
A. Lands which the community development director or designee has found to be unsuitable due to flood, inundation, or swamp conditions likely to be harmful to the safety, welfare and general health of the future residents, and the community development director or designee considers inappropriate for development, shall not be subdivided unless adequate means of control have been formulated by the applicant and approved by the public works director.
B. All lots shall abut upon or have adequate access, by easement or private road, to a dedicated or deeded public right-of-way. In the event that an existing abutting public right-of-way does not meet the minimum width standards, additional right-of-way may be required as a condition of approval of a short subdivision.
C. Lots served by easement or panhandle shall be avoided where feasible and are not the preferred lot or access configuration.
D. Lots serviced by an access easement or panhandle shall be as follows:
1. Easement or panhandle shall be a minimum of 16 feet wide when serving one lot, 20 feet wide when serving two lots, and 24 feet wide when serving more than two lots; additional width may be required by the public works director;
2. Easement or panhandle area shall not be included in lot area for the purposes of calculating minimum lot size;
3. Wherever feasible, lots served by an easement or panhandle shall share a private drive with adjacent lots and reduce access points to the public right-of-way.
E. The minimum land area for each lot shall be no less than the minimum allowed by this code for the zoning district in which the proposed short subdivision is located, plus any additional area to be used for access easement or panhandle. (Ord. 2737 § 2 (Att. A), 2009)
17.58.070 Required improvements.
A. Prior to allowing recordation of any short subdivision, the community development director or designee shall determine that the following improvements are installed, constructed and available for each parcel created by the division of land:
1. Adequate water supply;
2. Adequate public sewer facilities, or Department of Health-approved septic design where no sewer is available;
3. Provision for appropriate deed, dedications and easements;
4. Storm drainage improvements and storm sewers;
5. Emergency services infrastructure;
6. Street and alley paving, and concrete curbs, gutters and sidewalks;
7. Street lights when necessary;
8. Adequate provisions for walkways, trails and other planning features that assure compliance with the parks and recreation plan and nonmotorized transportation plan, as amended;
9. Adequate access including private drives serving more than one lot.
B. All public facilities shall be constructed in accordance with BMC Titles 12 and 13 prior to recording of the short plat. All public improvements dedicated to the city shall be bonded prior to recording of the short plat.
C. Telephone lines and electric power lines and other similar utility services shall be placed underground.
D. Other improvements not specifically mentioned in this chapter, but found necessary due to conditions found on the site by the public works director, shall be required.
E. As-built drawings of all public improvements shall be required before the city will accept the improvements.
F. Survey and monumentation of short plats is required prior to recordation. (Ord. 2737 § 2 (Att. A), 2009)
17.58.080 Approval expiration – Extension.
A. Approval of any short subdivision shall expire and the short subdivision plat shall be considered invalid three years from the date of such short subdivision approval unless an extension of the approval period is granted by the director pursuant to this section. Upon expiration of short subdivision approval or any extension granted pursuant to this section, all construction work on the plat shall cease except any work required by the city for the purpose of public safety and/or protection of the environment.
B. Extensions shall be granted only in one-year increments. However, the director may grant a total of not more than two successive extensions as long as each extension is considered individually. (Ord. 2737 § 2 (Att. A), 2009)
17.58.090 Limitations on further subdivision.
Any lot created under the requirements of this chapter shall not be further divided for a period of five years without following the procedures for subdivision as set forth in this code, except that when the short plat contains fewer than four parcels, nothing in this section shall prevent the owner who filed the short plat from submitting an application to alter the short plat within the five-year period to create up to a total of four lots within the original short plat boundaries, in accordance with RCW 58.17.060. (Ord. 2737 § 2 (Att. A), 2009)