40.540.030    Short Plats

A.    Purpose.

    The purpose of this section is to provide a process to divide property into nine (9) or fewer lots in the urban area, or four (4) or fewer lots in the rural area, with a level of review that is proportional to the effect those lots may have on the surrounding area.

(Amended: Ord. 2006-05-01; Ord. 2007-06-05; Ord. 2019-03-05)

B.    Preapplication Review for a Preliminary Short Plat.

    A preliminary short plat shall be subject to preapplication review as provided in Section 40.510.020(A) unless waived as permitted by that section. An applicant for preapplication review of a preliminary short plat shall submit the requisite fee, a completed preapplication review form provided for that purpose by the responsible official, and the information listed in Section 40.510.050.

(Amended: Ord. 2019-03-05)

C.    Preliminary Short Plat Application.

1.    An applicant for review of a preliminary short plat shall submit the requisite fee, a completed application review form provided for that purpose by the responsible official, and one (1) copy of the information listed in Section 40.510.050.

2.    Counter-complete and fully complete review of a preliminary short plat application shall be conducted as a Type I process. Review of the application shall be conducted as a Type II process. Appeal and post-decision review of Type I and II actions are permitted as provided in Chapter 40.510.

(Amended: Ord. 2019-03-05)

D.    Approval Criteria for a Preliminary Short Plat.

    The responsible official shall approve a preliminary short plat if the applicant has sustained the burden of proving that the application complies with the approval criteria in Section 40.540.040(D) or that the application can comply with those criteria by complying with conditions of approval, and those conditions are adopted.

(Amended: Ord. 2019-03-05)

E.    Approval Criteria for Tracts for Nonbuilding Purposes.

1.    Tracts established for the purpose of providing utilities, access or stormwater facilities shall not apply to the maximum number of lots permitted through the short plat process. A covenant(s), or a note(s) on the plat, shall be recorded to ensure tracts will be used only for the intended nonbuilding use.

2.    A tract established through platting, whether or not designated as a nonbuilding tract, shall not be considered a legal lot of record. A separate platting process shall be required to convert a previously platted tract to a legal lot of record.

(Amended: Ord. 2019-03-05)

F.    Expiration of Preliminary Short Plat Approval.

    The expiration and extension of preliminary short plat approvals are determined pursuant to Section 40.500.010(B).

G.    Final Short Plat Application.

    An applicant for review of a final short plat shall submit the requisite fee, a completed application review form provided for that purpose by the responsible official, and copies of the information as required by Section 40.540.070. Review of a final short plat shall be conducted as a Type I process.

H.    Waiver of Survey Requirement.

    Survey requirements may be waived by the County Engineer if the following conditions exist:

1.    The short plat contains no more than two (2) lots, and approval has not been granted to the same owner for other lots within the property in which the proposed short plat is located.

2.    The short plat is not a further division of a previously recorded, unsurveyed short plat.

3.    The short plat is not located within any area designated as urban or suburban residential by the comprehensive plan.

4.    The estimated cost to survey the property, including necessary ties, would exceed ten percent (10%) of the valuation of the land as listed or as on file with the records of the County Assessor. Estimates must be obtained from two (2) firms. Each estimate submitted must be in writing and be prepared by a land surveyor registered in the state of Washington.