Chapter 12.24
TRANSPORTATION CONCURRENCY
Sections:
12.24.030 Transportation concurrency required.
12.24.010 Purpose.
The purpose of this chapter is to implement RCW 36.70A.090(6), which requires that development approval be prohibited if the development causes the level of service on a transportation facility to decline below the standards adopted in the transportation element of the comprehensive plan unless transportation improvements or strategies to accommodate the impacts of development are made concurrent with the development. (Ord. 745 § 1, 1995).
12.24.020 Definitions.
For purposes of this chapter, the following words shall have the following meanings:
A. “Concurrent with development” shall mean that improvements or strategies are in place at the time of development or that a financial commitment is in place to complete the improvements or strategies within six years.
B. “Development” shall mean any new mixed use final plan, subdivision, short plat, or binding site improvement plan, but shall not include any action which is categorically exempt from threshold determinations and environmental impact statement requirements under the State Environmental Policy Act nor shall it include any action which would be exempt except for its location in an environmentally sensitive area.
C. “Director” shall mean the director of community development.
D. “Level of service standards” or “adopted level of service standards” shall mean the standards adopted in the transportation element of the Snoqualmie Vicinity Comprehensive Plan 1994, as such comprehensive plan now exists or may hereafter be amended, for service on identified categories of transportation facilities, including identified methodologies for determining levels of service.
E. “Strategies” may include increased public transportation service, ride sharing programs, demand management, and other transportation systems management techniques.
F. “Transportation facilities” shall mean all public roads and streets, intersections, and bridges for which level of service standards have been established in the Snoqualmie Vicinity Comprehensive Plan 1994. (Ord. 745 § 1, 1995).
12.24.030 Transportation concurrency required.
A. Development shall be prohibited, and all applications therefor shall be denied, if the development would cause the level of service on a transportation facility to decline below adopted levels of service standards, unless the transportation improvements or strategies to accommodate the new development are made concurrent with the development, subject to the provisions of subsection D of this section.
B. A traffic impact analysis shall be prepared by the applicant for development and submitted with the application, regardless of whether an environmental impact statement is required; provided, this requirement may be waived by the city council upon a written finding that the development applied for is within the known capacity of affected transportation facilities, as demonstrated by prior traffic impact analyses for other development. Such waivers shall be accounted for in monitoring existing capacity utilizing standardized traffic generation factors. The traffic impact analysis shall demonstrate that the traffic forecast to be generated by the development will not cause the level of service on affected transportation facilities to decline below adopted level of service standards.
C. All development approvals shall include a finding as to the application of this chapter, and those approvals for which transportation improvements or strategies are required under this chapter shall be expressly conditioned thereon. If a proposed development would cause the level of service to decline below adopted level of service standards on an affected facility, the proposed development may nonetheless be approved if the director finds that an improvement will be completed or a strategy will be implemented that will result in meeting adopted level of service standards on all affected transportation facilities at the time of development, or that a financial commitment is in place to complete the improvement or implement the strategy within six years. The finding required under this subsection shall be valid for a period equal to the duration of the approval for which it was made, but in no case longer than three years, except pursuant to subsection D of this section.
D. When a development is proposed in phases, or construction is proposed to occur over a period greater than three years, traffic impacts shall be reviewed as part of environmental review. In such cases, the city and the proponent of the development shall enter into an agreement identifying the improvements or strategies that will be required with each phase or time period of the development to meet transportation concurrency requirements. All implementing permits, including but not limited to subdivision and binding site improvement plan approvals and building permits, shall be conditioned that the improvements of strategies identified in the agreement are made concurrent with construction during such phase or time period or that a financial commitment is in place to complete the improvements or strategies within six years of construction. (Ord. 747 § 1, 1995; Ord. 745 § 1, 1995).
12.24.040 Administration.
A. The director shall be responsible for administration of the provisions of this chapter, and all staff reports to planning commission, hearing examiner and city council on development proposals shall include an analysis of the application of the requirements of this chapter.
B. The director shall by administrative order establish a transportation concurrency review program, which shall provide for monitoring capacity on transportation facilities within the city, and assess the cumulative impact of traffic forecasts of approved development upon capacity and anticipated levels of service. (Ord. 769 § 3, 1996; Ord. 745 § 1, 1995).