Chapter 17.118
MINIMUM RESIDENTIAL DENSITY

Sections:

17.118.010    Performance standard for urban residential density in the urban growth area.

17.118.010 Performance standard for urban residential density in the urban growth area.

New residential developments shall be required to meet a minimum density standard of four dwelling units or more per acre on average throughout the urban growth areas as established in the 1997 Skagit County Comprehensive Plan. Four dwelling units per acre shall be the minimum allowable density for developments, excluding a single-family home on an existing lot of record, and except where it cannot be achieved due to special flood risk designation, resource and critical area designations, restrictions on access, comprehensive plan requirements and recommendations, or other physical site constraints. Phasing or shadow platting may be used to satisfy the minimum density requirements if the applicant can demonstrate that these techniques would allow the eventual satisfaction of minimum density requirements through future development. The applicant must demonstrate that the current and proposed development will not preclude the provision of adequate access and infrastructure to future development. A property owner subdividing property shall submit to the city a shadow plat demonstrating that said property is capable of further subdivision at a density of four dwelling units per acre. The submitted shadow plat need only identify proposed rights-of-way and lot sizes yielding the required density. Said shadow plat is not binding and need not be recorded; provided, that any proposal seeking to further develop the subject property in a manner which differs from the original shadow plat shall demonstrate that said development accommodates appropriate rights-of-way and continues to yield a density of four dwelling units per acre. Amending a shadow plat shall be an administrative process. Projects, such as master plans, PUDs, preliminary and final plats, and other developments that have been approved prior to the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter are exempt from this requirement.

The city will monitor, on a semi-annual basis, the average densities of all new developments approved during that time period to determine if the density goal is being achieved. Project densities exceeding the four-unit-per-acre minimum developed or approved during any monitoring period may be carried over to assist in meeting the density goal. If necessary, the city may prescribe modifications or adjustments to the comprehensive plan, zoning and development standards and new residential developments to compensate for any identified shortfalls in achieving the density goal or standard. (Ord. 3215 § 1, 2004; Ord. 3174 § 1, 2004; Ord. 2944 § 1, 1999).