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14747 Berry Valley GO Feasibility presubmission notes The City of Yelm is an equal opportunity employer and provider PRE-SUBMISSION NOTES September 23, 2020 GO Feasibility proposes to construct a preliminary Subdivision development on a 14.72-acre parcel. The parcel is located at 14747 Berry Valley Road SE, Tax Parcel number 21724230400. CURRENT WATER SITUATION The State Subdivision Act, Chapter 58.17 RCW, requires that the City of Yelm make a written determination that appropriate provisions are made for potable water supplies as part of the preliminary land division process. While the City of Yelm has been proactive in water planning since 1994, when application was made with the Washington Department of Ecology for water rights sufficient to serve the City and its Urban Growth Area for 20 years of growth, the approval of these water rights by the Washington Department of Ecology, the Pollution Control Hearings Board, and the Thurston County Superior Court were overturned by the Washington State Supreme Court. Recent legislation provides that there will be 5 municipal water rights pilot projects, one of which is our water rights package. The project must be approved, and report back to a task force. While this gives us a path forward, the process has yet to be determined. Our water rights experts are working with us and Ecology to put our package together. Once the application is back in for review, we will have a better feel for how soon we can recommend approval of subdivisions again. We expect that the application will be resubmitted by the end of this month. DENSITY The property is zoned Low-density Residential which allows residential uses at a density of up to 4 units per acre. Gross area includes all land within the boundary of development, including open space, critical areas, buffers, streets, and public right-of-way. A survey is required to determine actual acreage for development purposes. Based on 14.72 acres, up to 59 units would be allowed. The proposal is unclear on the type of units proposed. The R-4 zoning allows for different types of residential uses such as single family, duplexes, townhome and planned residential development. Townhome and planned residential developments would allow a 15% density bonus, or up to 68 dwelling units. Page 2 of 7 PROCESS LAND USE There are several ways to subdivide the property: Short Subdivision: up to 9 lots – Administrative Review Administrative Subdivision: 10 -24 lots – Administrative Review with option of hearing Subdivision 25 or more lots. – Quasi-Judicial Review, hearing is required. A typical approval includes conditions designed to ensure the proposal is consistent with the development standards of the City. The project can only be denied if it will have significant environmental impacts or is inconsistent with City, County, or State development regulations. CIVIL PLAN REVIEW The City reviews site construction plans for constructability and consistency with the City's engineering standards and details. Civil construction plans detail all the proposed site improvements down to the size of water and sewer lines and the location of the water meter. Civil plans must be prepared by an engineer licensed in the State of Washington. The City may use a third party peer review service as well as a review by City staff. A first review typically takes 3 to 4 weeks. Additional reviews may be needed depending on the quality of the initial plans set. BUILDING LIFE/SAFETY Yelm has adopted the International Building Codes and reviews building plans for life/safety and consistency per these codes, as adopted by Washington State. Electrical permits and inspections are through the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries. A first review of structural plans typically takes 2 to 3 weeks. Additional reviews may be needed depending on the quality of the initial plan sets. CONSISTENCY WITH DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS POTABLE WATER There is a 10-inch main located in Berry Valley Road at or near your southeastern property corner Connection to City water service is required to serve the development. Water mains are required to be extended along all property frontages and internal streets. We would consider an exception to stop the line at the flood zone edge on the norther property line. You may propose a latecomer agreement to recoup costs when other properties connect to this line for development. Fire hydrants, with hydrant locks are required based on the International Fire Code. Any existing well(s) on the property must be decommissioned pursuant to Department of Ecology standards and any water rights associated with these wells shall be dedicated to the City of Yelm. Cross connection control is required for any onsite irrigation systems. Page 3 of 7 WASTE WATER There is a 6-inch located in Berry Valley Road at or near your southeastern property corner. Connection to City sewer service is required to serve the development. Sewer mains are required to be extended along all property frontages and internal streets. We would consider an exception to stop the line at the flood zone edge on the norther property line. You may propose a latecomer agreement to recoup costs when other properties connect to this line for development. Any existing on-site sewage disposal system(s) will need to be abandoned. The City of Yelm operates a Septic Tank Effluent Pumping (STEP) sewer system which includes a treatment tank on the property with effluent being pumped to the Wastewater Reclamation Facility for further treatment and reutilization. In some cases, duplex or other multi-family units may share a STEP tank. STORM WATER The City does not operate a storm water collection and treatment system, so storm water must be collected, treated, and infiltrated on the project site. The engineer preparing the civil plans will determine the required level of treatment and will prepare a storm water plan to the City for review as part of the civil plan review process. The City has adopted the most recent version of the Washington State Department of Ecology Storm Water Manual. ENVIRONMENTAL Maps indicate the property is subject to a high ground water hazard area, FEMA flood zone and wetland corridor, and contains soils moderately suitable as habitat for the Mazama Pocket Gopher, a protected species listed on the Washington Priority Species and Habitat List as well as the Federal Threatened Species List. A critical areas report is required to show all development outside of the FEMA flood zone. A topographical survey will show the location of flood elevation. Development must also be located more than 2 feet vertically or 50 feet horizontally, whichever is less, from the edge of a high ground water area. The bottom of any stormwater infiltration system must be located 6 feet above the high ground water elevation. The Thompson Creek corridor is identified as a wetland by the National Wetlands Inventory maps. Only those activities are allowed within wetland buffers that are shown not to degrade the functions and values of the wetland. The buffer is dependent on the classification of the wetland, and range from 50 to 250 feet. Thompson Creek is a fish and wildlife habitat conservation area. There is a 150-foot riparian zone along the creek in which no development shall take place. The critical areas report should also include a preliminary assessment review for the Mazama Pocket Gopher. Compliance with Yelm’s requirements under the Critical Areas Code does not ensure compliance with the provisions of the Endangered Species Act, and a federal permit may be required if pocket gophers are found on the property. This permit would be issued through the US Fish and Wildlife Service (360.753.5823). Page 4 of 7 TRANSPORTATION Frontage improvements are required. Berry Valley Road is considered a Neighborhood Collector Street to include a 16-foot travel lane, a 7’ planter strip, and a 5-foot sidewalk. Right- of-way dedication will be required. Subdivisions creating more than 24 dwelling units are required to provide more than one vehicular access from a collector street. Internal streets are considered Local Access Residential which require 11-foot drive lanes, 7.5 foot parking lanes, 6 foot planters and 5 foot sidewalk (one side). SITE DESIGN Residential dwelling units up to 4 units require 2 off-street parking stalls. Developments must relate to street frontages by defining the street edge and providing pedestrian connection to public sidewalks. Trash enclosures shall incorporate the architectural feature of the primary structure and landscaping. Trash enclosures should be located to the rear of the site, and not located between a street and building. The enclosure shall be constructed of CMU, wood or architectural steel, with gates of similar durable materials. Mailboxes for the site shall be cluster box units (CBU) and placed on site. LANDSCAPING Perimeter landscape is required, and typically includes an 8-foot planter strip with a combination of evergreen and deciduous trees, with shrubs and ground cover. For residential subdivisions, a solid wood fence may be considered. Streets are landscaped with planter strips and street trees. Parking landscaping includes a minimum of 24 square feet of landscape area for each parking stall proposed, each planting area must contain at least one tree. Above ground stormwater facilities require a perimeter landscape. OPEN SPACE Single family developments require 5% of the gross area in common open space. Multi-family requires 10%. Open space shall be dedicated to the homeowner’s association, and at a minimum provide usable space for active as well as passive recreation, convenient access, maintaining existing trees and significant vegetation and landscaping. Preserving flood zones and high ground water hazard areas may qualify when used as environmental education. Above ground stormwater treatment areas do not qualify as open space. BUILDING DESIGN Building setbacks are 15 feet from the front, 5 feet from the sides and 25 feet from the rear property lines, as well as 25 feet from a collector street. Flanking yards require a 15-foot setback, and maximum building height is 35 feet. Page 5 of 7 FEES & CHARGES LAND USE REVIEW Short or Administrative Subdivision $750 Preliminary Subdivision $2,000 CIVIL PLAN REVIEW Civil Plan Submission $250 + $54 per hour Consultant Review Actual Cost BUILDING PERMIT REVIEW Plan Review Based on value Building Permit Based on value Sewer SDC $6,394 Water SDC $6,725 Transportation Facility Charge SFR $1,511 Fire Impact Fee (per square foot) 0.36 School Impact Fee SFR $4,500 There are reduced fees for multi-family dwelling units. The property is subject to an assessment pursuant to Ordinance Number 847. As part of the assessment, the property is allowed a credit for Transportation Facility Charges. **Fees subject to change These notes are based solely on the site plan and description submitted September, 2020. They are meant to map out the process for approval and to point out any potential conflicts with City standards and are NOT meant to fully review the proposed project with all regulations. Page 6 of 7 18.64.020 Planned residential development. A planned residential development encourages imaginative design and the creation of permanent open space by preserving or creating environmental amenities superior to those generally found in conventional developments, and by preserving to the greatest possible extent the natural characteristics of the land, including topography, natural vegetation, waterways, and views. For single family residential developments, the inclusion of a variety of housing types such as duplexes or townhomes may qualify for density bonuses listed below. A. Density Bonus. The city may approve an increase in the dwelling unit density up to: 1. In the low density district, fifteen percent, rounded to the nearest whole number. 2. In the moderate density district, twenty percent, rounded to the nearest whole number. 3. In the high density district, twenty-five percent, rounded to the nearest whole number. B. Subdivision Requirements. A planned residential development shall be exempt from the specific design requirements of a standard subdivision, except that when any parcel of land in a planned residential development is intended for individual ownership, sale, or public dedication, procedural and applicable state laws pertaining to the subdivision and conveyance of land and the preparation of maps shall be followed. C. Relationship of Planned Residential Development Site to Adjacent Areas. The design of a planned residential development shall take into account the relationship of the site to the surrounding areas. The perimeter of the planned residential development shall be designed to minimize undesirable impact of the planned residential development on adjacent properties and, conversely, to minimize undesirable impact of adjacent land use and development characteristics on the planned residential development. D. Buildings may have common walls and, therefore, be built to the property line as in townhouse construction. Wherever buildings are separated, a minimum distance of 10 feet shall be maintained between such buildings. E. Landscaping. Natural landscape features which are to be preserved, such as existing trees, drainage ways, rock outcroppings, etc., may be accepted as part of the landscaping plan when such natural features contribute to the attractiveness of the proposed development. 18.64.050 Townhouse development. It is the intent of this section to provide for the development of townhouses within residential neighborhoods which may be conveyed as individually owned, separately platted lots. A townhouse is a one-family dwelling unit which is part of a group of two or more such units separated by common party walls having no doors, windows or other provisions for human passage or visibility through the common walls. Each one-dwelling unit in a townhouse is attached by not more than two party walls. A. Density Standards and Uses. 1. Density Bonus. The city may approve an increase in the dwelling unit density up to: a. In the low density district, fifteen percent, rounded to the nearest whole number. b. In the moderate density district, twenty percent, rounded to the nearest whole number. Page 7 of 7 c. In the high density district, twenty-five percent, rounded to the nearest whole number. 2. No more than four abutting townhouses or townhouse clusters within the townhouse project site shall have a common front building setback. Variations in the setback of front building faces shall be at least four feet. 3. No townhouse dwelling unit shall be located closer than 25 feet to any public right-of-way nor within 15 feet of a private drive, access road or common open parking area to the front or rear of such a dwelling unit. 4. Every lot containing a townhouse must provide each unit private space of at least 200 square feet, oriented to either the building front, rear and/or side, enclosed visually by fences or walls at least five feet in height or plantings to screen first level views from adjacent units. This space can include porches, patios and decks. 5. The minimum side yard requirement for end dwelling units in townhouse groups shall be the same as the underlying zone. For all dwelling units other than end dwelling units in subdivided townhouse developments, the common walls shall be designed with zero lot lines. 6. No portion of a townhouse, accessory structure or other building type in or related to one group or cluster of contiguous townhouses shall be nearer than 10 feet to any portion of a townhouse or accessory structure of another townhouse building or cluster. 8. When the only driveway is from the street, each pair of units must share a common curb cut. 9. Conversion of existing structures to a townhouse project will be permitted provided all townhouse development standards as outlined in this section can be satisfied.