Staff Report Potential Revisions to Lcc Titles 16 and 17

Planning Commission Meeting

February 9, 20161 of 2

POTENTIAL REVISIONS TO LCC TITLES 16 AND 17

STAFF REPORT POTENTIAL REVISIONS TO LCC TITLES 16 AND 17

Date: January 29, 2016

To: Lewis County Planning Commission

From: Fred Evander, Senior Long Range Planner

RE: POTENTIALREVISIONS TO LCC TITLES 16 AND 17(BASED ON THE DRAFT CHANGESTO 17.05)

Attachments: Potential Changes to LCC 17.05– General Provisions (15 pages)

Draft Revisions to Titles 16 and 17 based on Changes to LCC 17.05 – Part 1 (111pages)

The purpose of this staff report is tointroduce potential revisions to Titles 16 and 17 of the Lewis County Code.

These changes are proposed to be made in tandem with the changes to LCC Chapter 17.05 (which were discussed at the Planning Commission meeting on January 12, 2016).

BACKGROUND

The existing Lewis County Code contains several duplicative and/or unorganized permit processing provisions. As noted at the meeting of January 12, the existing code contains:

• At least eight different ways to process a permit.
• At least eight different methods to provide notice for an application.
• At least twelve sections that explain the different application requirements for certain types of permits.
• At least seventeen sections that deal with themethods to appeal a permit.

This multitude of different provisions, as well as the unclear placement of the provisions within the code, makes the administration of the code difficult for staff and confusing for applicants.

PROPOSED CHANGES TO CODE

As written, the draft revisions are intended to streamline the processes for permit review, and consolidate the different methods of processing applications to promote improved clarity and understanding of the code.

The proposed code revisions would:

• Addressthe majority of permit review processes in Chapter 17.05 (see the attached document,Potential Changes to LCC 17.05), and
• Remove all similar or duplicative review processes that are scattered elsewhere throughout Titles 16 and 17 (see the attached document, Draft Revisions to Titles 16 and 17 based on Changes to LCC 17.05).

Sections that would be placed in the new Chapter 17.05 and removed from the remainder of Titles 16 and 17 primarily relate to:

• The different types of permit application.
• The required contents of an application.
• Requirements regarding how project review should occur.
• Specific requirements for sending out notice for applications.
• Standards about how public hearings are handled.
• Standards about the timing and duration of decisions.
• Standards about how to appeal land use decisions.

The proposed changes to Titles 16 and 17 would also add clarity to the various master plan review processesto attempt to better match the code to the requirements of the Growth Management Act. Revised sections would include:

• Changes to the standards for Major Industrial Development – Master Planned Locations (see draft section 17.20A in the Revisions to Titles 16 and 17, which is based on the requirements in RCW 36.70A.367).
• Changes to the provisions for Major Industrial Development – Master Planned Locations – Reclaimed Surface Coal Mine Sites (see draft section 17.20B in Revisions to Titles 16 and 17, which is based on RCW 36.70A.368).
• Alterations to the standards for Master Planned Resorts (see draft section 17.20E, which is structured using 36.70A.360).

All together, the changes would drastically simplify the code and would remove all or most of the duplicative provisions that are found within the code.

Additional potential changes to Titles 16 and 17 will be brought to the next Planning Commission meeting.

RECOMMENDATION

Staff recommends that the Planning Commission consider the proposed changes that could occur to Titles 16 and 17, based on the draft changes to Chapter 17.05. Additional potential revisions to the code will be brought to the Planning Commission meeting on February 23rd.

Planning Commission Meeting

February 9, 20161 of 2