Chapter 12.08
TRANSPORTATION CAPACITY MANAGEMENT
Sections:
12.08.030 Transportation capacity test.
12.08.050 Administrative reconsideration.
12.08.060 Appeal to the city council.
12.08.010 Intent.
The city of Yakima is required by the State Growth Management Act, Chapter 36.70A RCW, to ensure that proposed development not be approved unless transportation improvements or strategies to accommodate the impacts of such development are established concurrently with any proposed development that would otherwise reduce the level of service of a transportation facility below the standards adopted in the transportation element of the city’s comprehensive plan. The intent of this chapter is to establish a transportation capacity management system to ensure that transportation facilities and services needed to maintain adopted minimum comprehensive plan level of service standards are available concurrently with, or within a reasonable time after, new development, occupancy, or use. This chapter implements the goals, policies and implementation strategies of the capital facilities plan element of the Yakima urban area comprehensive plan. (Ord. 2000-5 § 1 (part), 2000: Ord. 98-68 § 1 (part), 1998).
12.08.020 Definitions.
A. “Applicant” means a person or entity that has submitted a complete application for a development or building permit.
B. “Available transportation capacity” means currently unused transportation capacity within a transportation facility.
C. “Concurrency” means that adequate transportation facilities are available when the impacts of development occur or a financing plan is adopted which will fund required improvements within six years.
D. “Development permit” means any land use or development approval which may be granted by the city of Yakima.
E. Level of Service Standards. The “level of service standards” used in transportation capacity tests are those standards specified in the current adopted or transportation element of the capital facilities program.
F. “Planned capacity” means transportation capacity for a transportation facility that is not yet available, but for which the necessary facility construction, expansion or modification project is included in the current adopted capital facilities plan and scheduled to be completed within six years.
G. “Transportation capacity” means the volume of transportation activity (motor vehicles/lane/unit time) that can be reasonably and safely accommodated by a transportation facility, as stated in the transportation plan, final report, dated February 1998 (or as revised, supplemented, or replaced), which is appended to the capital facilities element of the comprehensive plan. For the purposes of this chapter, transportation capacity shall be measured as eight hundred vehicles per lane during peak hour, pursuant to city council Ordinance 2000-4.
H. “Transportation capacity test” means the comparison of the transportation capacity required by proposed development and the available capacity, including planned capacity.
I. “Transportation facility” means the classified streets identified in the capital facilities element of the comprehensive plan. (Ord. 2000-5 § 1(part), 2000: Ord. 98-68 § 1 (part), 1998).
12.08.030 Transportation capacity test.
A. Application. The city’s review of all applications for development permits and for building permits for projects not exempted by YMC 12.08.040 shall include a transportation capacity test conducted by the city traffic engineer.
B. Procedures. The transportation capacity test will be performed by the city traffic engineer in conjunction with review of proposed development projects and building permit applications. The department of community and economic development shall notify the applicant of the test results.
1. If the unused capacity of transportation facilities affected by a project is equal to or greater than the capacity required by the project, the transportation capacity test is passed.
2. If the unused capacity of transportation facilities affected by a project is less than the capacity required by the project, the transportation capacity test is not passed. The project may not be approved unless transportation improvements or strategies to provide capacity required by the project are established concurrently with the project.
3. In the event a proposed project does not pass the transportation capacity test, the applicant may:
a. Modify the application to reduce the transportation capacity required by the project;
b. Demonstrate to the city’s satisfaction that the project will require less transportation capacity than would normally be required by similar projects and that, therefore, unused transportation capacity is adequate;
c. Propose transportation improvements or strategies to provide the capacity required by the project development.
C. Test. Proposed developments that would reduce the level of service below the minimum level of service standard cannot be approved. For transportation facilities, available and planned transportation capacity will be used in conducting the transportation capacity test. The city will maintain administrative policies which describe the methodology for calculating the capacity analysis. Such policies shall be available for public information at the time of application.
D. Fees. A fee as listed in the city of Yakima master fee schedule adopted by city council via resolution shall be paid for each transportation capacity test, except that this fee shall be waived for one subsequent test within six months of a test for which the fee was paid. (Ord. 2023-012 § 5, 2023; Ord. 2000-5 § 1 (part), 2000: Ord. 98-68 § 1 (part), 1998).
12.08.040 Exemptions.
A. No Significant Impact. Development permits for projects which, as determined by the city traffic engineer, create less than ten p.m. peak hour trips, as estimated using the Institute of Transportation Engineers Trip Generation Manual, 6th Edition (or more recent) on any transportation facility are exempt from the requirements of this chapter. A list of exemption threshold will be maintained as part of the administrative policies.
B. The director of community and economic development, with the recommendation of the city traffic engineer, shall be responsible for determining other types of development to be included under this exemption.
C. Building Permit Applications Filed Before Effective Date of the Ordinance Codified in this Chapter. Complete building permit applications submitted before the effective date of said ordinance are exempt from the requirements of this chapter.
D. Single-Family Homes. Single-family homes on lots platted before the effective date of said ordinance are exempt from the requirements of this chapter.
E. Accessory Dwelling Units. All accessory dwelling units, as defined in this code, are exempt from the requirements of this chapter.
F. Accounting for Capacity. The transportation capacity for development permits exempted under subsections C and D of this section shall be taken into account. Traffic counts shall be maintained and regularly updated by the city of Yakima and used for monitoring purposes. (Ord. 2000-5 § 1 (part), 2000: Ord. 98-68 § 1 (part), 1998).
12.08.050 Administrative reconsideration.
The applicant may request administrative reconsideration of the results of the transportation capacity test within fifteen days of the notification of the test results by filing with the department of community and economic development a formal request for reconsideration specifying the grounds thereof, using forms authorized by the department of community and economic development. Each such request for administrative reconsideration shall be accompanied by a fee of one hundred dollars. Upon filing of such request, the director of community and economic development shall notify the city traffic engineer of such request. The city traffic engineer shall reconsider the test results and issue a determination either upholding the original determination or amending it. (Ord. 2000-5 § 1 (part), 2000: Ord. 98-68 § 1 (part), 1998).
12.08.060 Appeal to the city council.
The applicant may appeal the results of the transportation capacity test within fifteen days after the city traffic engineer issues notice of decision on a request for administrative reconsideration by filing with the department of community and economic development a formal appeal of the transportation capacity test specifying the grounds thereof, using forms authorized by the department of community and economic development. Each such appeal to the city council shall be accompanied by a fee of one hundred fifty dollars. Upon filing of such appeal, the department of community and economic development shall notify the city clerk of such appeal. The city council shall review the test results and issue a determination either upholding the original determination or amending it. (Ord. 2000-5 § 1 (part), 2000: Ord. 98-68 § 1 (part), 1998).