Chapter 17.36
DEVIATIONS FROM STREET DESIGN STANDARDS
Sections:
17.36.010 Generally.
An applicant for a short subdivision or subdivision who believes the design standards of Chapter 17.32 are inappropriate for the short subdivision or subdivision they are proposing may, as part of their submittal, request a deviation from those standards. All requests for deviations shall be reviewed as a Type II action and be processed in compliance with Title 19 and a recommendation regarding the requested deviation shall be made to the planning commission by the administrator and public works director. Recommendations shall be incorporated into the staff report.
(1) The exception request shall specify the design standards they desire to follow and the justification for using those standards rather than those specified in Chapter 17.32. Such justification may require preparation of a traffic study (including motorized and nonmotorized) at the applicant’s expense as determined by the administrator;
(2) The planning commission shall review and evaluate all such requested exceptions to the standards of Chapter 17.32, with regard to the following factors:
(A) The comprehensive plan for the area and the suitability of the proposed standards in terms of the plan;
(B) The intensity and intended use of the proposed short subdivision or subdivision: the level of vehicle or pedestrian traffic expected; and level of guarantee, by zoning or commitments prohibiting further subdivision, so that further increases in traffic or density will not occur;
(C) The relationship of the proposed nonstandard street or other improvement to the overall street system or improvements in the area and possible need to extend those streets or improvements to serve adjacent properties that might be further divided; and
(D) The opportunity, by reducing the standards in accordance with subsections (2)(A), (B) and (C) of this section, to accomplish a preservation of the natural environmental setting of the area being subdivided. This would occur as a result of having narrower cleared rights-of-way, less need for cuts and fill on cross slope roadways, and by the ability to more closely follow existing terrain if slope standards were relaxed. The intended end result would be less disturbance of vegetation, watercourses, wetlands, topography, and riparian habitat.
(3) If the request is for a short subdivision, the planning commission shall consider the request at a public hearing and make a recommendation to the city council.
(4) If the request is part of the application for a subdivision, the request shall be reviewed in conjunction with the subdivision review and the planning commission shall specifically recommend approval, approval with modification, or disapproval of the deviation request as part of their recommendation regarding the subdivision to the city council. (Ord. 1895 § 1, 2020).