Chapter 20.30 SPECIAL REVIEW

Chapter 20.30
SPECIAL REVIEW

Sections:

20.30.010 Special review fees.

Fees shall be collected to compensate the department for preapplication review, and special handling and review associated with any development permit set forth in this title. Special review fees include review pursuant to Chapter 19.35 KMC, Environmental Procedures; Chapter 18.55 KMC, Critical Areas; KMC 13.35.070, Engineering plans for the purposes of drainage review; fees to review any needed compliance monitoring; fees for written certification of code compliance or exemption; Endangered Species Act review and inspection fees; and processing fees for appeals to or from the zoning and subdivision examiner pursuant to Chapter 19.30 KMC.

A. Preapplication Fees. Preapplication fees shall compensate the department for preliminary review and evaluation of critical areas fees and for advising the permit applicant on environmental review prior to the submittal of a formal application for a permit. Preapplication review fees may be also be charged for review of permit applications required by other City agencies and for any requested services not associated with a permit application. Preapplication fees shall be hourly fees collected at the time preapplication review services are rendered.

B. City Environmental Procedures Fees. City environmental procedures (SEPA) fees shall be divided into two types:

1. Checklist fees to compensate for the copying, distributing, mailing and processing of the environmental checklist; and

2. Supplemental fees to compensate for review, processing, mailing and publication costs associated with the preparation of a determination of nonsignificance (DNS), a mitigated determination of nonsignificance (MDNS), a draft environmental impact statement (DEIS), a final environmental impact statement (FEIS), a supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS) and any addenda associated with the above environmental documents.

The checklist fee shall be a base fee payable upon development permit application submittal, and an hourly fee. The hourly fee shall apply following six hours of staff review of the checklist. In no case, however, shall the checklist fee exceed the total fee for the underlying permit. Supplemental fees shall be based on an hourly charge for time spent by City employees in the review, preparation, supervision of preparation and distribution of a DNS, a MDNS, a DS, a DEIS, a FEIS or a SEIS. Supplemental fees shall be charged for the preparation of and consultation on staff reports, permit conditions and public hearing testimony after the publication of a DEIS, FEIS, SEIS, or MDNS on the underlying permit. No supplemental fees shall be charged for any review or work performed in response to an appeal of a threshold determination. Supplemental fees shall also include all costs, if any, for experts and consultants not employed by the county, and for texts, printing or other actual costs required for the preparation and distribution of the DNS, MDNS, DS, DEIS, FEIS or SEIS. In no case shall supplemental fees be charged for review of the completed DNS, MDNS, DS, DEIS, FEIS or SEIS by City officials part of the decision-making process or for existing studies or general information already in City files. Supplemental fees shall be collected at regular intervals as the preparation of the DNS, MDNS, DS, DEIS, FEIS or SEIS proceeds, provided a deposit shall be collected prior to commencement of DNS, MDNS, DEIS, FEIS or SEIS preparation to cover initial costs. Any unexpended balance shall be refunded.

C. Critical Area Fees. Critical area fees are distinguished by the type of development permit under review, and are differentiated by the complexity of the review involved. As such, critical area review fees for residential building permits, shoreline permits and individual short subdivision applications shall be distinguished from critical area review in conjunction with commercial building permits, grading permits, subdivisions, planned unit developments, reclassifications, variances, conditional use permits and right-of-way use permits.

1. Complex Critical Areas Review. Complex critical areas review involving site visits, comprehensive review of technical studies or the development of special conditions of approval shall be charged a higher review fee than projects requiring only basic critical areas review involving limited review of special studies, and the assignment of standard conditions of approval.

2. Basic Residential Permit Critical Areas Fees. Basic residential permit critical areas review fees may be reduced in those instances where multiple permit submittals can be reviewed during a single combined site visit. Residential building permit review fees shall be waived for permits filed subsequent to shoreline permits involving critical areas review.

3. Special Fees. Special fees may be charged for the department’s processing and review of critical areas variances, reasonable use exceptions, inspection and monitoring or utility exemptions.

4. Hourly Fees. Hourly fees may only be charged as noted in this section or if authorized by a section manager, and only after an applicant has been notified that hourly charges are being assessed.

D. All appeals to the zoning and subdivision examiner, or from decisions of the examiner, shall be charged a fixed fee to help defray the cost associated with appeal processing. Appeal fees shall be paid at the time of appeal submittal.

E. Departmental review of road vacation requests, road standard variances and drainage standard variances shall be charged a fixed fee to help defray the cost associated with these reviews. These review fees shall be paid at the time of submittal for the review. Hourly fees may be charged for those review types that vary in review time. These review fees shall be collected at the time services are rendered. If a deposit is required, any unexpended balance shall be refunded.

F. Master Drainage Plan Fees. Master drainage plan review fees shall be hourly, based on all staff time required at preplanning and scoping meetings and review and monitoring of the master drainage plans. Fees shall be collected at regular intervals as the review of the master drainage plan proceeds.

G. Compliance Review Fees. Review fees shall be based on an hourly fee to compensate for the review and analysis of monitoring results needed to determine compliance with approved plans and conditions and the implementation of a contingency plan or determination of additional mitigation, if necessary.

H. Endangered Species Act Review and Inspection Fees. Endangered Species Act (ESA) review and inspection fees shall be collected to cover the costs to the department of the enhanced processing, inspecting and reviewing of permit applications, plans and development activity that are necessary to better protect the salmonid species that is proposed to be listed under the ESA. The fees are assessed as a fixed rate, imposed by the city council by resolution. [Ord. 02-0139 § 1; Ord. 99-0058 § 1; Ord. 98-0020 § 1 (KCC 27.24.010).]

20.30.020 Preapplication fees.

A preapplication fee shall be charged for all professional time spent by department personnel based on an applicant’s request for services, per hour, imposed by the city council by resolution. [Ord. 02-0139 § 1; Ord. 99-0058 § 1; Ord. 98-0020 § 1 (KCC 27.24.015).]

20.30.030 Special review fees.

The following special review fees shall be imposed by the City by resolution:

A. SEPA Review.

1. Environmental checklist:

a. Base fee;

b. After six hours, per hour.

2. Supplemental DNS, MDNS, or DS review, per hour.

3. MDNS deposit.

4. EIS deposit – a percent of total estimated cost.

5. DEIS, FEIS, SEIS or addenda preparation and review costs – including scoping, writing, editing, publishing, mailing, distributing and contract administration:

a. All fixed and contract costs; and

b. Time costs – per hour.

6. Post MDNS, DEIS, FEIS or SEIS publication work preparing or consulting on staff reports, permit conditions or public hearing testimony per hour.

B. Critical Area Review.

1. Review of residential building permits, shoreline permits, individual short subdivision, boundary line adjustments, right-of-way use permits:

a. Basic review without site visit.

b. Basic review with site visit.

c. Complex review, minimum plus per hour.

2. Review of commercial building permits, grading permits, subdivisions, PUDs, reclassifications, variances, conditional use permits and unclassified use permits:

a. Basic review.

b. Complex review, minimum plus per hour.

3. Flood plain determination – certificate of elevation, plus per hour.

4. Review of mitigation plan compliance – per hour

C. Appeals.

1. Appeals to the hearing examiner from decisions of the zoning adjustor or manager.

2. Appeals to the city council from recommendations of the hearing examiner.

D. Inspection and monitoring, per hour.

E. Departmental Review of Nondepartmental Permits.

1. Review of road vacation requests.

2. Review of road standard variances.

3. Review of drainage design adjustments:

a. Standard adjustment review, revisions and resubmittals, per hour.

b. Complex adjustment review, revisions and resubmittals, per hour.

c. Preapplication adjustment review, per hour, plus deposit.

d. Experimental design adjustment review, departmental portion only.

e. Support of water and land resources division adjustment review and monitoring, per hour.

F. Review and monitoring of master drainage plans, per hour.

G. Preapplication review, per hour.

H. ESA Review and Inspections.

1. Commercial building permit, except schools, for each 3,000 square feet, or fraction thereof, of floor area.

2. Commercial nonbuilding permit, for each 3,000 square feet, or fraction thereof, of floor area.

3. School building permit, for each 40,000 square feet, or fraction thereof, of total developed area including parking and play areas.

4. Multifamily residential permit, for each building.

5. Single-family residential permit, excluding mobile home, for each permit.

6. Final plat, for each lot.

7. Final short plat, for each lot.

8. Critical areas reasonable use or utility exception, pursuant to Chapter 18.55 KMC, for each permit.

9. Shoreline development permit, for each permit.

10. Clearing permit, for each permit.

11. Grading permit, for each acre or portion of acre disturbed or rehabilitated.

12. Time extension for clearing or grading permit, for each permit. [Ord. 02-0139 § 1; Ord. 99-0058 § 1; Ord. 98-0020 § 1 (KCC 27.24.020).]