Chapter 20.84
SITE PLAN REVIEW
Sections:
20.84.020 Site plan review, when required—Committee membership.
20.84.030 Review by the site plan review committee (SPRC).
20.84.050 Contents of application.
20.84.060 Additional information for review.
20.84.070 Amendment of site plan.
20.84.090 Duration of approval.
20.84.010 Intent.
It is the specific intent of this chapter to assure:
A. That orderly growth and development is accomplished through a review process;
B. That the developer/applicant is provided with all necessary information on city requirements and standards;
C. That in the case of complex developments, all levels of city government have participated in the review process. (Ord. 2209 § 2 (part), 2008: Ord. 2024 § 1 (part), 1999).
20.84.020 Site plan review, when required—Committee membership.
A. Site plan review and approval shall be required prior to the initial or additional use of land or activity, where city services will be provided within the boundaries of the Centralia comprehensive plan. Specifically:
1. The construction or location of any building in which two or more dwelling units would be contained;
2. The construction or location of any public, commercial or industrial building;
3. Annexations;
4. Rezones;
5. Subdivisions, short and long;
6. As required by this zoning code.
B. Prior to applying for site plan review, a developer may file with the SPRC a summary site plan or proposal, with adequate copies, which shall contain in a rough and approximate manner all the information required in the site plan application. The purpose of the summary site plan is to enable a developer filing the plan to obtain the advice of the SPRC as to applicability of the intent, standards and provisions of this chapter to the plan. After filing of a summary site plan, the SPRC shall make available to the developer its written advice regarding the compatibility of the preliminary site plan with the intent, standards and provisions of this chapter. This preliminary advice is not to be construed as an approval or disapproval outright of the proposal.
C. An application, in completed form, shall be filed for site plan review and approval with the department of public works. An application shall not be in completed form under this section if it fails to contain any of the information and material required under CMC 20.84.060.
D. The site plan review committee shall consist of the following members: the director of community development, the city manager, the building official, and the water/wastewater utilities administrator, the city light director, the city engineer, the fire chief, police chief, city attorney or their designee. (Ord. 2209 § 2 (part), 2008: Ord. 2024 § 1 (part), 1999).
20.84.030 Review by the site plan review committee (SPRC).
A. The SPRC shall approve, disapprove or approve with conditions any site plan submitted in compliance with Chapter 20.02 CMC. The action taken by the SPRC will be submitted to the building official for subsequent action on the building permit application. An applicant can request a preliminary site plan review with the understanding that the committee response is advisory in nature and is not intended to be construed as final approval.
B. The SPRC shall review a site plan and approve, or approve with conditions, site plans which conform to the standards, provisions and policies of the city as expressed in its various adopted plans and ordinances. The SPRC shall make the determination of complete application to the applicant as required in Chapter 20.02 CMC and shall make a determination of consistency in accordance with Chapter 20.02 CMC on projects that require SPRC approval. Whenever the SPRC disapproves a site plan, it shall set forth in writing the 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.
C. The decision of the SPRC shall be final unless appealed in accordance with Chapter 20.02 CMC. (Ord. 2209 § 2 (part), 2008: Ord. 2147 § 22, 2005: Ord. 2024 § 1 (part), 1999).
20.84.040 Appeals.
A. The hearing examiner shall not approve or disapprove a site plan or proposal different from that approved or disapproved by the SPRC. The intent of this section is to ensure that the hearing examiner and the SPRC make decisions based on the same set of plans or proposal. If the hearing examiner receives a site plan or proposal different from that considered by the SPRC, the site plan or proposal shall be referred back to the SPRC for further consideration.
B. The hearing examiner shall hear site plan applications referred or appealed to the hearing examiner and approve, or approve with conditions, site plans which conform to the standards, provisions and policies of the city as expressed in its various plans and ordinances. Similarly, the hearing examiner shall disapprove site plans which do not conform to such standards, provisions and policies. (Ord. 2209 § 2 (part), 2008: Ord. 2147 § 23, 2005: Ord. 2024 § 1 (part), 1999).
20.84.050 Contents of application.
Each application furnished by the building department for site plan review shall contain the following information in clear and intelligible form:
A. The title and location of the proposed development, tax parcel number, address, if any, together with the names, addresses and telephone numbers of the owner or owners of record of the land and of the applicant, and, if applicable, the names, addresses and telephone numbers of any architect, planner, designer or engineer responsible for the preparation of the plan, and of any authorized representative of the applicant;
B. The proposed use or uses of the land and buildings;
C. Nine copies of a site plan drawing or drawings at a scale of not less than one inch for each fifty feet which shall include or show:
1. The location of all existing and proposed structures including, but not limited to, buildings, fences, culverts, bridges, roads and streets on the subject property;
2. The boundaries of the property proposed to be developed;
3. All proposed and existing buildings and setback lines;
4. 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 ordinance, information regarding percentage of area covered, location and general types of landscaping. Landscaping shall be designed and installed to define, soften or screen the appearance of off-street parking areas from the public right(s)-of-way and abutting properties, to enhance the physical design of the building(s) and site, and to minimize the encroachment of the proposed use on neighboring land uses. Particular attention should be paid to the use of planting to break up parking areas. The landscape shall be preserved in its natural state, insofar as practical, by minimizing tree and soil removal, retaining existing vegetation where desirable, and keeping the grade changes in character with the general appearance of neighboring areas. Landscaping shall be provided as part of the overall site plan design and integrated into building arrangements, topography, parking and buffering requirements. Landscaping may include trees, bushes, shrubs, groundcover, perennials, annuals, plants, grading and the use of building and paving materials in an imaginative manner;
5. All existing and proposed or needed easements;
6. The locations of all existing and proposed utility structures (including cross-connection devices) and lines;
7. The stormwater drainage systems for existing and proposed structures;
8. All means of vehicular and pedestrian ingress and egress to and from the site and the size and location of driveways, streets and roads;
9. The location and design of off-street parking areas showing their size and locations of internal circulation and parking spaces;
10. The location of all loading spaces including, but not limited to, loading platforms and loading docks where trucks will load and unload;
11. Location and area, in square feet, of all designs;
D. The SPRC may require a map or maps which delineate contours, both existing and proposed, at intervals of two feet, and which locate existing lakes, streams and forested areas;
E. The existing zoning district of the proposed development site and any other zoning district within two hundred feet of the site;
F. 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 two hundred feet of the proposed development;
G. The proposed number of square feet in paved or covered surfaces, whether covered by buildings, driveways, parking lots, or any other structure covering land; and the total amount of square feet in the entire proposed development site;
H. The proposed number of dwelling units and number of bedrooms in the development;
I. The proposed number of square feet in gross floor area for each commercial and industrial use;
J. A description of each proposed commercial and industrial use;
K. The written recommendations of the water and wastewater utilities department, the building department, public works department including solid waste utility management, police and fire departments or any other city department affected as to any portion of the site plan application covering areas within their respective jurisdictions. The written recommendations shall be furnished to the applicant within ten working days after receipt of the application;
L. Any additional information required for subdivisions, short subdivisions, mineral resource lands, critical areas and any infrastructure designs necessary to assure consistency with the requirements of the city of Centralia. (Ord. 2209 § 2 (part), 2008: Ord. 2024 § 1 (part), 1999).
20.84.060 Additional information for review.
The SPRC, community development or hearing examiner may require the applicant to submit any additional information or material which it finds is necessary for the proper review and hearing of the application. (Ord. 2209 § 2 (part), 2008: Ord. 2147 § 24, 2005: Ord. 2024 § 1 (part), 1999).
20.84.070 Amendment of site plan.
An approved site plan may be amended by the same procedures provided under this title for original site plan approval. (Ord. 2209 § 2 (part), 2008: Ord. 2147 § 25, 2005: Ord. 2024 § 1 (part), 1999).
20.84.080 Performance bond.
It may require 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. (Ord. 2209 § 2 (part), 2008: Ord. 2024 § 1 (part), 1999).
20.84.090 Duration of approval.
A. Approval of the site plan shall be effective for six months from the date of approval by the site plan review committee. 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 six-month period, the approval shall automatically terminate.
B. However, upon the application of the owner or representative, the site plan review committee may extend the approval period for a six-month time period, with an additional six-month period if deemed appropriate by the committee, unless since the initial approval substantive change has been made in the regulations, ordinances, requirements, policies or standards which impact the site.
C. 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 building department prior to expiration or site plan approval. (Ord. 2209 § 2 (part), 2008: Ord. 2024 § 1 (part), 1999).
20.84.100 Fees.
Fees shall be as required in Chapter 20.99 CMC, Fees. (Ord. 2209 § 2 (part), 2008: Ord. 2024 § 1 (part), 1999).