Chapter 14.28
SURFACE AND STORM DRAINAGE
Sections:
14.28.030 New development—Applicability.
14.28.035 Redevelopment—Applicability.
14.28.040 Additional requirements for redevelopment project sites.
14.28.060 Minimum technical requirements.
14.28.080 Exceptions—Variances.
14.28.390 Development in critical areas.
14.28.400 City engineer review and approval of required plans.
14.28.410 Establishment of regional facilities.
14.28.420 Bonds and liability insurance required.
14.28.430 City assumption of operation and maintenance.
14.28.440 Retroactivity relating to city maintenance.
14.28.450 Applicability to governmental entities.
14.28.010 Purposes.
The city council finds that this chapter is necessary in order to promote sound development guidelines and construction procedures which respect and preserve the city’s water resources; to minimize water quality degradation and control the sedimentation of creeks, streams, ponds, lakes and other water bodies; to protect property owners adjacent to developing and developed land from increased runoff rates which could cause erosion of abutting property; to protect downstream owners; to preserve and enhance the suitability of waters for contact recreation and fishing; to preserve and enhance the aesthetic quality of the waters; to maintain and protect valuable groundwater resources; to minimize adverse effects of alterations in groundwater quantities, locations, and flow patterns; to provide for the safety of city roads and rights-of-way; to decrease drainage-related damage to public and private property; to minimize impervious surfaces, native vegetation loss, and stormwater runoff and make low impact development (LID) the preferred and commonly used approach to new development and redevelopment; and to comply with requirements in the Phase II National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System stormwater permit as issued by the Washington State Department of Ecology. (Ord. 3528-16 § 1, 2016: Ord. 3168-10 § 1, 2010: Ord. 2196-97 § 1, 1997: Ord. 2182-96 § 1, 1996)
14.28.020 Definitions.
1. “Basin plan” refers to a detailed analysis for each drainage basin which compares the capabilities and needs for runoff accommodation due to various combinations of development, land use, structural and nonstructural management alternates. The plan recommends the form, location and extent of quantity and quality control measures which optimally would meet the legal constraints, water quality standards, and community standards, as well as identifying the institutional and funding requirement for plan implementation.
2. “Best management practice (BMP)” shall mean the schedules of activities, prohibitions of practices, maintenance procedures, and structural and/or managerial practices, that when used singly or in combination, prevent or reduce the release of pollutants and other adverse impacts to waters of Washington State.
3. “City engineer” shall mean the city engineer and/or his designee.
4. “Commercial agriculture” shall mean those activities conducted on lands defined in RCW 84.34.020(2) and activities involved in the production of crops or livestock or commercial trade. An activity ceases to be considered commercial agriculture when the area on which it is conducted is proposed for conversion to a nonagricultural use or has lain idle for more than five years, unless the idle land is registered in a federal or state soils conservation program, or unless the activity is maintenance or irrigation ditches, laterals, canals, or drainage ditches related to an existing and ongoing agricultural activity.
5. “Converted vegetation (areas)” shall mean the surfaces on a project site where native vegetation, pasture, scrub/shrub, or unmaintained nonnative vegetation (e.g., Himalayan blackberry, Scotch broom) are converted to lawn or landscaped areas, or where native vegetation is converted to pasture.
6. “Critical area” shall refer to areas that are highly susceptible to erosion or flooding such as steep or bare slopes, potential slides, floodplains, streambanks, drainage channels, silt bars, wetlands, bogs, marshes, and poorly drained areas.
7. “Detention facilities” shall mean facilities designed to hold runoff while gradually releasing it at predetermined maximum rates.
8. “Developer” shall mean the owning individual(s) or corporation(s) or their representative applying for the permits or approvals described in Section 14.28.030.
9. “Drainage area” shall mean the watershed or geologic and hydrologic subunits thereof that contributes stormwater runoff to and including the subject property.
10. “Effective impervious surface” means those impervious surfaces that are connected via sheet flow or discrete conveyance to a drainage system.
11. “Environmentally sensitive areas” (as defined in the city zoning code) means any of those areas of the city which are subject to natural hazards or those landform features which carry, hold, or purify water and/or support unique, fragile or valuable natural resources including fish, wildlife, and other organisms and their habitat. Sensitive areas include the following features: geologically hazardous areas; wetlands; streams; flood hazard areas; fish and wildlife conservation areas; and groundwater discharge areas (Section 37.040).
12. “Hard surface” shall mean an impervious surface, permeable pavement, or a vegetated roof.
13. “Impervious surface” means a nonvegetated surface area that either prevents or retards the entry of water into the soil mantle as under natural conditions prior to development and causes water to run off the surface in greater quantities or at an increased rate of flow from the flow present under natural conditions prior to development.
Common impervious surfaces include, but are not limited to, roof tops, walkways, patios, driveways, parking lots or storage areas, concrete or asphalt paving, or other surfaces which similarly prevent the natural infiltration of stormwater.
14. “Land disturbing activity” shall mean any activity that results in a change in the existing soil cover (both vegetative and nonvegetative) and/or the existing soil topography. Land disturbing activities include, but are not limited to, clearing, grading, filling, and excavation. Compaction that is associated with stabilization of structures and road construction shall also be considered a land disturbing activity. Vegetation maintenance practices, including landscape maintenance and gardening, are not considered land disturbing activity. Stormwater facility maintenance is not considered land disturbing activity if conducted according to established standards and procedures.
15. “Low impact development (LID)” shall mean a stormwater and land use management strategy that strives to mimic pre-disturbance hydrologic processes of infiltration, filtration, storage, evaporation and transpiration by emphasizing conservation, use of on-site natural features, site planning, and distributed stormwater management practices that are integrated into a project design.
16. “LID best management practices” shall mean distributed stormwater management practices, integrated into a project design, that emphasize pre-disturbance hydrologic processes of infiltration, filtration, storage, evaporation and transpiration. LID BMPs include, but are not limited to, bioretention, rain gardens, permeable pavements, roof downspout controls, dispersion, soil quality and depth, minimal excavation foundations, vegetated roofs, and water reuse.
17. “LID principles” shall mean land use management strategies that emphasize conservation, use of on-site natural features, and site planning to minimize impervious surfaces, native vegetation loss, and stormwater runoff.
18. “Maintenance” includes repair and maintenance activities conducted on currently serviceable structures, facilities, and equipment that involve no expansion or use beyond that previously existing and result in no significant adverse hydrologic impact. It includes those usual activities taken to prevent decline, lapse, or cessation in the use of structures and systems. Those usual activities may include replacement of dysfunctional facilities, including cases where environmental permits require replacing an existing structure with a different type structure, as long as the functioning characteristics of the original structure are not changed. One example is the replacement of a collapsed, fish blocking, round culvert with a new box culvert under the same span, or width of roadway. In regard to stormwater facilities, maintenance includes assessment to ensure ongoing proper operation, removal of built up pollutants (i.e., sediments), replacement of failed or failing treatment media, and other actions taken to correct defects as identified in the maintenance standards of the city’s stormwater management manual.
19. “Native vegetation” shall mean vegetation comprised of plant species, other than noxious weeds, that are indigenous to the coastal region of the Pacific Northwest and which reasonably could have been expected to naturally occur on the site.
20. “Natural location” of drainage system shall refer to the location of those channels, swales, and other conveyance systems as defined by the topographic contours existing for the subject property, from city of Everett aerial topographic maps dated April 8, 1969, and April 25, 1971. In cases where the above maps are inconclusive, “natural location” shall refer to the existing features unless it can be shown from documented maps or photographs that the features have existed less than ten years. In cases of disagreement, the decision of the city engineer as to “natural location” shall be final.
21. “New development” means the following activities: land disturbing activities, including Class IV general forest practices that are conversions from timber land to other uses; structural development, including construction, installation or expansion of a building or other structure; creation of hard surfaces; and subdivision, short subdivision, and binding site plans as defined and applied in Chapter 58.17 RCW. Projects meeting the definition of redevelopment shall not be considered new development.
22. “Permeable pavement” shall mean pervious concrete, porous asphalt, permeable pavers or other forms of pervious or porous paving material intended to allow passage of water through the pavement section. It often includes an aggregate base that provides structural support and acts as a stormwater reservoir.
23. “Pervious surface” shall mean any surface material that allows stormwater to infiltrate into the ground.
24. “Pollution-generating hard surface (PGHS)” shall mean those hard surfaces considered to be a significant source of pollutants in stormwater runoff. See the listing of surfaces under “pollutant-generating impervious surface (PGIS).”
25. “Planned residential development” shall mean a land development project comprehensively planned as an entity via a single site plan which permits flexibility in building siting (lot size, setback lines, etc.), mixture of housing types, usable open space and preservation of sufficient natural features.
26. “Pollutant-generating impervious surface (PGIS)” shall mean those impervious surfaces considered to be a significant source of pollutants in stormwater runoff. Such surfaces include those which are subject to: vehicular use; industrial activities (as defined in the city’s stormwater management manual); storage of erodible or leachable materials, wastes, or chemicals, and which receive direct rainfall or the run-on or blow-in of rainfall; metal roofs unless they are coated with an inert, nonleachable material (e.g., baked on enamel coating); or roofs that are subject to venting significant amounts of dust, mists, or fumes from manufacturing, commercial, or other indoor activities.
27. “Pollutant-generating pervious surface (PGPS)” shall mean any nonimpervious surface subject to vehicular use, industrial activities (as further defined in the city’s stormwater management manual), or storage of erodible or leachable materials, wastes, or chemicals, and that receive direct rainfall or run-on or blow-in of rainfall, use of pesticides and fertilizers, or loss of soil. Typical PGPS include permeable pavement subject to vehicular use, lawns, and landscaped areas including: golf courses, parks, cemeteries, and sports fields (natural and artificial turf).
28. “Pre-developed condition” shall mean the native vegetation and soils that existed at a site prior to the influence of Euro-American settlement. The pre-developed condition shall be assumed to be a forested land cover.
29. “Project site” shall mean that portion of a property, properties, or right-of-way subject to land disturbing activities, new impervious surface, or replaced impervious surface.
30. “Receiving water body or receiving waters” shall mean bodies of water or surface water systems to which surface runoff is discharged via a point source of stormwater or via sheet flow. Groundwater to which surface runoff is directed by infiltration.
31. “Redevelopment” shall mean a site that is already substantially developed (i.e., has thirty-five percent or more of existing impervious surface coverage), the creation or addition of hard surfaces; the expansion of a building footprint or addition or replacement of a structure; structural development including construction, installation or expansion of a building or other structure; replacement of hard surface that is not part of a routine maintenance activity; and land disturbing activities.
32. “Replaced hard surface” shall mean, for structures, the removal and replacement of hard surfaces down to the foundation. For other hard surfaces, the removal down to bare soil or base course and replacement.
33. “Replaced impervious surface” shall mean for structures, the removal and replacement of impervious surfaces down to the foundation. For other impervious surfaces, the removal down to bare soil or base course and development.
34. “Retention facilities” shall mean facilities designed to hold water for a considerable length of time and then consume it by evaporation, plant transpiration, or infiltration into the soil.
35. “Runoff control facilities” shall mean any facility installed or constructed in conjunction with a drainage plan for the purpose of treatment or abatement of urban stormwater runoff, excluding retention or detention facilities.
36. “Site” shall mean the area defined by the legal boundaries of a parcel or parcels of land that is (are) subject to new development or redevelopment. For road projects, the length of the project and the right-of-way boundaries define the site.
37. “Stormwater management manual” shall mean the most current Washington State Department of Ecology Stormwater Management Manual for Western Washington, along with any technical and administrative procedures established by the city engineer, which provide details for implementation of the provisions of this chapter. When the Washington State Department of Ecology issues a new or revised Stormwater Management Manual for Western Washington, the new or revised manual will, for the purposes of this chapter, take effect ninety days after such issuance, unless the city engineer establishes a different effective date.
38. “Stormwater site plan” shall mean the comprehensive report containing all of the technical information and analysis necessary for the city to evaluate a proposed new development or redevelopment for compliance with stormwater requirements.
39. “Subject property” shall mean the tract or tracts of land which is the subject of the permit and/or approval action, as defined by the full legal description of all parcels involved in the proposed development.
40. “Threshold discharge area” shall mean an on-site area draining to a single natural discharge location or multiple natural discharge locations that combine within one-quarter mile downstream (as determined by the shortest flowpath).
41. “Vehicular use” shall mean regular use of an impervious or pervious surface by motor vehicles. The following are subject to regular vehicular use: roads, unvegetated road shoulders, bike lanes within the traveled lane of a roadway, driveways, parking lots, unrestricted access fire lanes, vehicular equipment storage yards, and airport runways.
The following are not considered subject to regular vehicular use: paved bicycle pathways separated from and not subject to drainage from roads for motor vehicles, restricted access fire lanes, and infrequently used maintenance access roads.
42. “Wetlands” shall mean those areas that are inundated or saturated by surface or groundwater at a frequency and duration sufficient to support, and that under normal circumstances do support, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions. Wetlands do not include those artificial wetlands intentionally created from nonwetland sites, including, but not limited to, irrigation and drainage ditches, grass-lined swales, canals, detention facilities, wastewater treatment facilities, farm ponds, and landscape amenities, or those wetlands created after July 1, 1990, that were unintentionally created as a result of the construction of a road, street, or highway. Wetlands may include those artificial wetlands intentionally created from nonwetland areas to mitigate the conversion of wetlands. (Ord. 3688-19 § 1, 2019; Ord. 3528-16 § 2, 2016: Ord. 3168-10 § 2, 2010: Ord. 2196-97 § 2, 1997: Ord. 2182-96 § 2, 1996)
14.28.030 New development—Applicability.
A. All new development shall be required to comply with Minimum Requirement No. 2.
B. The following new development shall comply with Minimum Requirement Nos. 1 through 5 for the new and replaced hard surfaces and the land disturbed:
1. Results in two thousand square feet, or greater, of new plus replaced hard surface area; or
2. Has land disturbing activity of seven thousand square feet or greater.
C. The following new development shall comply with Minimum Requirement Nos. 1 through 9 for the new and replaced hard surfaces and converted vegetation areas:
1. Results in five thousand square feet, or greater, of new plus replaced hard surface area; or
2. Converts three-quarters acre, or more, of vegetation to lawn or landscaped areas; or
3. Converts two and one-half acres, or more, of native vegetation to pasture. (Ord. 3528-16 § 3 (part), 2016: Ord. 3168-10 § 3 (part), 2010)
14.28.035 Redevelopment—Applicability.
A. All redevelopment shall be required to comply with Minimum Requirement No. 2.
B. The following redevelopment shall comply with Minimum Requirement Nos. 1 through 5 for the new and replaced hard surfaces and the land disturbed:
1. Results in two thousand square feet, or more, of new plus replaced hard surface area; or
2. Has land disturbing activity of seven thousand square feet or greater.
C. The following redevelopment shall comply with Minimum Requirement Nos. 1 through 9 for the new hard surfaces and the converted vegetation areas:
1. Adds five thousand square feet or more of new hard surfaces; or
2. Converts three-quarters acre, or more, of vegetation to lawn or landscaped areas; or
3. Converts two and one-half acres, or more, of native vegetation to pasture. (Ord. 3528-16 § 3 (part), 2016)
14.28.040 Additional requirements for redevelopment project sites.
A. For road-related projects, runoff from the replaced and new hard surfaces (including pavement, shoulders, curbs, and sidewalks) and the converted vegetated areas shall meet all minimum requirements if the new hard surfaces total five thousand square feet or more and total fifty percent or more of the existing hard surfaces within the project limits. The project limits shall be defined as the length of the project and the width of the right-of-way.
B. Other types of redevelopment projects shall comply with all the Minimum Requirement Nos. 1 through 9 for the new and replaced hard surfaces and the converted vegetated areas if the total of the new plus replaced hard surface is five thousand square feet or more and the valuation of the proposed improvements, including interior improvements, exceeds fifty percent of the assessed value of the existing site improvements. (Ord. 3528-16 § 3 (part), 2016: Ord. 3168-10 § 3 (part), 2010)
14.28.050 Exemptions.
A. Forest Practices. Forest practices regulated under WAC Title 222, except for Class IV general forest practices that are conversions from timber land to other uses, are exempt from the provisions of the minimum requirements.
B. Commercial Agriculture. Commercial agriculture practices involving working the land for production are generally exempt. However, the conversion from timber land to agriculture and the construction of impervious surfaces are not exempt.
C. Oil and Gas Field Activities or Operations. Construction of drilling sites, waste management pits, and access roads, as well as construction of transportation and treatment infrastructure such as pipelines, natural gas treatment plants, natural gas pipeline compressor stations, and crude oil pumping stations are exempt. Operators are encouraged to implement and maintain best management practices to minimize erosion and control sediment during and after construction activities to help ensure protection of surface water quality during storm events.
D. Pavement Maintenance.
1. The following pavement maintenance practices are exempt: pothole and square cut patching, overlaying existing asphalt or concrete pavement with asphalt or concrete without expanding the area of coverage, shoulder grading, reshaping/regrading drainage systems, crack sealing, resurfacing with in-kind material without expanding the road prism, pavement preservation activities that do no expand the road prism, and vegetation maintenance.
2. The following pavement maintenance practices are not categorically exempt. The extent to which the minimum technical requirements apply is explained for each circumstance:
a. Removing and replacing a paved surface to base course or lower, or repairing the roadway base. If impervious surfaces are not expanded, Minimum Requirement Nos. 1 through 5 apply.
b. Extending the pavement edge without increasing the size of the road prism, or paving graveled shoulders. These are considered new impervious surfaces and are subject to the minimum requirements that are triggered when the thresholds identified for new or redevelopment projects are met.
c. Resurfacing by upgrading from dirt to gravel, asphalt, or concrete; upgrading from gravel to asphalt or concrete; or upgrading from a bituminous surface treatment (“chip seal”) to asphalt or concrete. These are considered new impervious surfaces and are subject to the minimum requirements that are triggered when the thresholds identified for new or redevelopment projects are met.
E. Underground Utility Projects. Underground utility projects that replace the ground surface with in-kind material or materials with similar runoff characteristics are only subject to Minimum Requirement No. 2, Construction Stormwater Pollution Prevention.
F. Combined Sewer System. Project sites, or portions of project sites, that potentially contribute stormwater to the city’s latest designated combined sewer system shall not be subject to the minimum requirements. The combined sewer system routes stormwater for treatment at the publicly owned treatment works. Requirements for detention and flow control are determined by evaluating the capacity of the combined sewer system. (Ord. 3528-16 § 3 (part), 2016: Ord. 3168-10 § 3 (part), 2010)
14.28.060 Minimum technical requirements.
A. Minimum Requirement No. 1—Stormwater Site Plan Preparation. A stormwater site plan (SSP) shall be prepared for city review and approval. Stormwater site plans shall use site-appropriate development principles to retain native vegetation and minimize impervious surfaces to the extent feasible. Stormwater site plans shall be prepared in accordance with the city’s stormwater management manual.
B. Minimum Requirement No. 2—Construction Stormwater Pollution Prevention. All new development and redevelopment projects are responsible for preventing erosion and discharge of sediment and other pollutants into receiving waters. Construction stormwater pollution prevention shall be provided in accordance with the city’s stormwater management manual.
C. Minimum Requirement No. 3—Source Control of Pollution. All known, available and reasonable source control BMPs shall be applied to the project site. Source control BMPs shall be selected, designed, and maintained according to Volume IV of the city’s stormwater management manual.
D. Minimum Requirement No. 4—Preservation of Natural Drainage Systems and Outfalls. Natural drainage patterns shall be maintained, and discharges from the project site shall occur at the natural location, to the maximum extent practicable. The manner by which runoff is discharged from the project site must not cause a significant adverse impact to downstream receiving waters and/or down-gradient properties. All outfalls require energy dissipation in accordance with the city’s stormwater management manual.
E. Minimum Requirement No. 5—On-Site Stormwater Management. On-site stormwater management BMPs shall be provided to infiltrate, retain, and disperse stormwater runoff on site to the extent feasible without causing flooding or erosion impacts. On-site stormwater management shall be selected, designed, constructed, and maintained in accordance with the city’s stormwater management manual.
F. Minimum Requirement No. 6—Runoff Treatment. The following projects require BMP selection, design, construction, and maintenance of stormwater treatment facilities in accordance with the city’s stormwater management manual:
1. Projects in which the total of pollution-generating hard surface (PGHS) is five thousand square feet or more in a threshold discharge area of the project; or
2. Projects in which the total of pollution-generating pervious surfaces (PGPS), not including permeable pavement, is three-fourths of an acre or more in a threshold discharge area, and from which there will be a surface discharge in a natural or manmade conveyance system from the site.
G. Minimum Requirement No. 7—Flow Control. The following projects that discharge stormwater directly or indirectly through a conveyance system into a fresh water body require selection, design, construction, and maintenance of flow control BMPs in accordance with the city’s stormwater management manual:
1. Projects in which the total of effective impervious surfaces is five thousand square feet or more in a threshold discharge area; or
2. Projects that convert three-fourths of an acre or more of vegetation to lawn or landscape, or convert two and one-half acres or more of native vegetation to pasture in a threshold discharge area, and from which there is a surface discharge in a natural or manmade conveyance system from the site; or
3. Projects that through a combination of hard surfaces and converted vegetation areas cause a fifteen-one hundredths cubic foot per second (cfs) increase or greater in the one-hundred-year flow frequency from a threshold discharge area as estimated using the Western Washington Hydrology Model or other approved model and fifteen-minute time steps.
If the discharge is to a stream that leads to a wetland, or a wetland that has an outflow to a stream, both this minimum requirement (Minimum Requirement No. 7) and Minimum Requirement No. 8 shall apply.
H. Minimum Requirement No. 8—Wetlands Protection. Projects that discharge stormwater into a wetland, either directly or indirectly through a conveyance system, shall do so in accordance with the city’s stormwater management manual.
The thresholds identified in Minimum Requirement No. 6—Runoff Treatment, and Minimum Requirement No. 7—Flow Control, shall also be applied to determine the applicability of this requirement to discharges to wetlands.
I. Minimum Requirement No. 9—Operation and Maintenance. A maintenance and operations manual is required for all stormwater facilities and BMPs designed and constructed in accordance with this chapter. The maintenance and operations manual shall be developed in accordance with the city’s stormwater management manual. (Ord. 3528-16 § 3 (part), 2016: Ord. 3168-10 § 3 (part), 2010)
14.28.070 Adjustments.
Adjustments to the minimum requirements may be granted by the city, provided the applicant prepares and the city approves a written finding of fact that addresses the following:
A. The adjustment provides substantially equivalent environmental protection.
B. Based on sound engineering practices, the objectives of safety, function, environmental protection and facility maintenance are met. (Ord. 3528-16 § 3 (part), 2016: Ord. 3168-10 § 3 (part), 2010)
14.28.080 Exceptions—Variances.
A. Exceptions/variances (exceptions) to the minimum requirements may be granted following legal public notice of an application for an exception or variance, legal public notice of the city’s decision on the application, and written findings of fact that document the city’s determination to grant an exception.
B. The city may grant an exception to the minimum requirements if such application imposes a severe and unexpected economic hardship. For the city to determine whether the application imposes a severe and unexpected economic hardship on the project applicant, the project applicant must consider and document with written findings of fact the following:
1. The current (preproject) use of the site; and
2. How the application of the minimum requirement(s) restricts the proposed use of the site compared to the restrictions that existed prior to the adoption of the minimum requirements; and
3. The possible remaining uses of the site if the exception were not granted; and
4. The uses of the site would have been allowed prior to the adoption of the minimum requirements; and
5. A comparison of the estimated amount and percentage of value loss as a result of the minimum requirements versus the estimated amount and percentage of value loss as a result of requirements that existed prior to adoption of the minimum requirements; and
6. The feasibility for the owner to alter the project to apply the minimum requirements.
C. In addition, any exception must meet the following criteria:
1. The exception will not increase risk to the public health and welfare, nor be injurious to other properties in the vicinity and/or downstream, and to the quality of waters of the state; and
2. The exception is the least possible exception that could be granted to comply with the intent of the minimum requirements. (Ord. 3528-16 § 3 (part), 2016: Ord. 3168-10 § 3 (part), 2010)
14.28.390 Development in critical areas.
Development which would increase the volume or rate of discharge due to any storm from the subject property shall not be permitted in areas designated as critical areas, as per Section 37.040, or in an adopted basin plan. Critical areas are those in which existing flooding, drainage, erosion and/or instability conditions present an imminent likelihood of harm to the welfare and safety of the surrounding community, or to the integrity of the surface water or groundwater system. Development shall not be permitted in these critical areas until such time as the existing community hazard is alleviated and it is adequately demonstrated that the proposed development will not cause a recurrence of the problem nor the occurrence of any new drainage-related problem. The city engineer may also designate as critical any area in which comparable problems would occur in the future due to any increase in volume or peak discharge. The requirements of this section shall apply regardless of any other city regulation. Where applications of the provisions of this section will deny all reasonable use of the property, the restrictions on development contained in this section may be waived for the subject property; provided, that the resulting development shall be subject to all the remaining terms and conditions of this chapter. All decisions based on the provisions of this section shall be compatible with the comprehensive drainage plan for the basin in which the subject property is located. For development in areas designated as critical, the developer shall provide information regarding volume and rate of discharge for a range of storms as specified in the city of Everett stormwater management manual. (Ord. 3168-10 § 4, 2010: Ord. 2196-97 § 4, 1997: Ord. 2182-96 § 4, 1996)
14.28.400 City engineer review and approval of required plans.
All plans prepared in connection with this chapter shall be submitted for review and approval by the city engineer. (Ord. 2196-97 § 5, 1997: Ord. 2182-96 § 5, 1996)
14.28.410 Establishment of regional facilities.
In the event that public benefits would accrue due to modification of the drainage plan for the subject property to better implement the recommendations of an approved basin plan, the city engineer may recommend that the city should assume responsibility for the further design, construction, operation and maintenance of the drainage facilities, or any increment of the responsibility of the facilities on the subject property. Should establishment of a regional detention facility at a location not contained in the subject property entail a greater public benefit, the city engineer may require the developer to participate in the cost of such an off-site regional detention facility in lieu of constructing on-site detention facilities. Such decision shall be made concurrently with review and approval of the plan as specified in this chapter. In the event that the city decides to assume responsibility for all or any portion of the design, construction, operation and maintenance of the facilities, the developer will be required to contribute a pro rata share to the construction cost of the facilities. The developer may be required to supply additional information at the request of the city engineer to aid in the determination by the city. Guidelines for implementing this section will be defined in the city of Everett stormwater management manual or by the city engineer. (Ord. 3168-10 § 6, 2010: Ord. 2196-97 § 6, 1997: Ord. 2182-96 § 6, 1996)
14.28.420 Bonds and liability insurance required.
A. The city engineer is authorized to require developers constructing retention/detention and/or other drainage treatment/abatement facilities to post surety bond(s) or other form of guarantee acceptable to the city.
B. Where such developers have previously posted, or are required to post, other such bonds on the facility itself or on other construction related to the facility, such person may, with the permission of the city engineer and to the extent allowable by law, combine all such bonds into a single bond; provided, that at no time shall the amount thus bonded be less than the total amount which would have been required in the form of separate bonds; and provided further, that such a bond shall on its face clearly delineate those separate bonds which it is intended to replace.
C. Performance Bond. Prior to commencing construction, the developer constructing the facility shall post a performance bond in an amount of one hundred twenty percent of the cost of construction per the approved drainage plans. After determination by the city engineer that all facilities are constructed in compliance with the approved plans, the performance bond shall be released. Alternatively, an equivalent cash deposit to an escrow account administered by a local bank designated by the city may be acceptable.
D. Maintenance Warranty Bonds. After satisfactory completion of the facilities and release of the performance bond by the city, the developer constructing the facility shall commence a two-year period of satisfactory maintenance of the facility. A warranty bond to be used at the discretion of the city engineer to correct deficiencies in said maintenance affecting public health, safety and welfare must be posted and maintained throughout the two-year maintenance period. The amount of the warranty bond shall be ten percent of the estimated construction cost of the drainage facilities. In addition, the warranty bond shall cover the cost of design defects and/or failures in workmanship of the facilities throughout the two-year maintenance period. Alternatively, an equivalent cash deposit to an escrow account administered by a local bank designated by the city may be acceptable.
E. Liability Insurance. The developer constructing the facility shall maintain a liability insurance policy in the amount of five hundred thousand dollars per individual, one million dollars per occurrence, and five hundred thousand dollars property damage, which shall name the city as an additional insured and which shall protect the city from any liability up to those amounts for any accident, negligence, failure of the facility, or any other liability whatsoever, relating to the construction or maintenance of the facility. Said liability policy shall be maintained for the duration of the facility by the owner of the facility; provided, that in the case of facilities assumed by the city for maintenance pursuant to Section 14.28.430, said liability policy shall be terminated when city council accepts the facility and city maintenance responsibility commences. (Ord. 3528-16 § 7, 2016: Ord. 3168-10 § 7, 2010: Ord. 2196-97 § 7, 1997: Ord. 2182-96 § 7, 1996)
14.28.430 City assumption of operation and maintenance.
The city may assume the operation and maintenance of retention/detention or other drainage treatment/abatement facilities after the expiration of the two-year operation and maintenance period in connection with the subdivision of land if:
A. All of the requirements of Section 14.28.420 have been fully complied with; and
B. The facilities have been inspected and accepted by the utility department after two years of operation in accordance with the city of Everett stormwater management manual; and
C. All necessary easements entitling the city to properly maintain the facility have been conveyed to the city and recorded with the Snohomish County auditor; and
D. The warranty bond required in Section 14.28.420(D) has been extended for one year, covering the city’s first year of operation and maintenance; and
E. The developer has supplied to the city an accounting of capital, construction, and operation and maintenance expenses or other items for the drainage facilities up to the end of the two-year period.
In the event that the city elects not to assume the operation and maintenance responsibility for the facilities, it will be the responsibility of the developer to make arrangements with the occupants or owners of the subject property for assumption of maintenance in a manner subject to the approval of the city engineer or in accordance with the city of Everett stormwater management manual. Such arrangements shall be completed and approved prior to the end of the two-year period of developer responsibility.
If the city elects not to assume operation and maintenance responsibility, the drainage facilities shall be operated and maintained in accordance with the arrangements as approved by the city engineer. The city may inspect the facilities in order to ensure continued use of the facilities for the purposes for which they were built and in accordance with these arrangements. (Ord. 3168-10 § 8, 2010: Ord. 2196-97 § 8, 1997: Ord. 2182-96 § 8, 1996)
14.28.440 Retroactivity relating to city maintenance.
A. If any developer constructing retention/detention or other drainage treatment/abatement facilities and/or receiving approval of drainage plans prior to the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter re-evaluates according to the requirements of this chapter the facilities and/or plans so constructed and/or approved and demonstrates to the city engineer’s satisfaction acceptable compliance with its requirements, the city may, after inspection, acceptance, and acknowledgment of the proper posting of the required bonds and insurance as specified in Section 14.28.430 of this chapter, assume operation and maintenance of the facilities.
B. In cases in which all or part of the drainage facilities are not accessible for maintenance purposes due to overlying structures or other causes, the city shall be indemnified from all costs and held harmless from damages and injuries which might occur due to failure of design or workmanship of those segments, and further will not be responsible for their maintenance, replacement, or rehabilitation. (Ord. 2196-97 § 9, 1997: Ord. 2182-96 § 9, 1996)
14.28.450 Applicability to governmental entities.
All municipal corporations and government entities shall be required to comply with the terms of this chapter when developing and/or improving land including, but not limited to, road building, and widening facilities, and parking lots within the areas of the city.
It is recognized that many other city, county, state, and federal permit conditions may apply to the proposed action and that compliance with the provisions of this chapter does not constitute compliance with such other requirements. (Ord. 3168-10 § 10, 2010: Ord. 2196-97 § 10, 1997: Ord. 2182-96 § 10, 1996)
14.28.460 Enforcement.
A. The city reserves the right to enter the subject property from time to time to ascertain that all drainage facilities are functioning. In the event deficiencies are found, the property owner shall make minor corrections as are necessary within thirty days of the date of notice by the city. More substantive corrections, as determined by the city, will be completed on a negotiated time schedule, but in no event will the schedule extend past six months.
B. Any person or persons violating this chapter or rule or regulation adopted hereunder, or by any act of commission or omission procures, aids, or abets such violation, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be punished by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars and/or imprisonment for a term not to exceed ninety days. Each day such violation continues shall be considered an additional misdemeanor offense.
C. Any condition which constitutes or will constitute a violation of any of the provisions of this chapter or rules or regulations adopted hereunder shall constitute a nuisance for which the city may seek legal or equitable relief to enjoin any acts or practices or abate any said conditions. In the event the property owner shall fail to make corrections within thirty days of the date of notice by the city, or on a timetable established by the city, not to exceed six months, the city may revoke the right to occupancy of the subject property, may charge the property owner with a misdemeanor punishable by fines, and may enter onto the subject property and take such corrective action as may be required to make the drainage facilities perform as required by the approved drainage plan. All costs for corrective measures and enforcement actions shall be borne by the property owner.
D. Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, whenever the city engineer finds that a violation of this chapter or rules or regulations adopted hereunder has created or is creating an unsanitary, dangerous, or other condition which, in his judgment, constitutes an immediate hazard, he may suspend or revoke any permit for which the approval of a drainage plan is required on the project or development where the violation exists and suspend or terminate operations under the permit immediately.
Any person causing material to be discharged to or enter the drainage system of the city shall be liable for all costs incurred by the city or others in cleaning up or correcting said action and may be charged with a misdemeanor punishable by fines.
E. Penalty or enforcement provisions provided herein shall not be exclusive, and the city may pursue any remedy or relief deemed appropriate.
The city council may institute a suit for a mandatory injunction directing a person to remove a structure or make the same comply with its terms. If the city council is successful in its suit, the respondent shall bear the costs of the action, including reasonable attorney fees.
The failure or refusal of the city to enforce any provision of this chapter, and as hereafter amended, shall not constitute a waiver or bar to prevent enforcement thereof against any person for a subsequent violation hereof, or for any other violation by any other person. (Ord. 3168-10 § 11, 2010: Ord. 2196-97 § 11, 1997: Ord. 2182-96 § 11, 1996)