Lacey City Zoning Code
16.84 Site
Plan Review
16.84.010 Site plan review required, application and committee membership.
A. Site plan review and approval shall be required for any of the following activities:
1. The use of land for the location of any commercial, industrial or public building or activity, and for the location of any building containing more than two dwelling units or lot with more than one residential structure other than a permitted accessory dwelling.
2. A change of land use at an existing site or structure when the new activity requires either a change of occupancy according to the Building Code or is a change of land use according to the Standard Industrial Classification code and, in the opinion of the community and economic development director, results in an intensification of land use and will require new development conditions to comply with existing regulations. This provision may not apply to malls (buildings with ten or more tenants sharing common parking) where original conditions to establish the mall complex anticipated a range of tenants and existing facilities and where it can be shown existing infrastructure can accommodate the new intensified use.
3. Expansion of an existing commercial, industrial, public or multifamily structure or use. Provided residential duplexes are exempt.
4. A remodel of an existing structure where the remodel is fifty percent or more of the assessed valuation of existing structures. The remodel value shall be calculated according to methodology described in Chapter 14.04 LMC adopting the Building Code. The value of existing structures shall be the most recent value assigned by the county assessor. The fifty percent threshold shall be cumulative over the most recent five years, including calculations of all previously exempt remodels, but shall not include life/safety improvements or normal maintenance not requiring a building permit. Remodels of residential duplex, triplex, and quadraplex shall be exempt from site plan review.
5. Uses and activities within designated environmentally sensitive areas or their buffers pursuant to the requirements of LMC Title 14.
B. An application, in completed form, shall be filed for site plan review and approval with the department of community and economic development. An application shall not be in completed form under this section if it fails to contain any of the information and material required under LMC 16.84.060.
C. The site plan review committee shall consist of the following members: Lacey staff planner, who shall serve as chairman; city manager; and the city director of public works, or their designees in their temporary absence. (Ord. 1539 §132, 2019; Ord. 1220 §55, 2004; Ord. 1208 §74, 2003; Ord. 1192 §187, 2002; Ord. 1154 §18, 2001; Ord. 1098 §19(C), 1999; Ord. 1080 §16, 1998; Ord. 1044 §28, 1996; Ord. 912 §14, 1991; Ord. 583 §2.03(A) (part), 1980).
16.84.015 Presubmission conference.
Prior to the submission of a site plan review application, the applicant shall attend a presubmission conference in accordance with Section 1B.020 of the City of Lacey Development Guidelines and Public Works Standards. (Ord. 1192 §188, 2002).
16.84.020 Review by the site plan review committee (SPRC).
A. The SPRC shall review a site plan in accordance with the full administrative review process and timelines outlined in Section 1C.040 of the City of Lacey Development Guidelines and Public Works Standards. The site plan shall be approved or approved with conditions to conform to the standards, provisions and policies of the city as expressed in its various adopted plans and ordinances. Whenever the SPRC disapproves a site plan, it shall set forth in writing its findings, which shall specify the particular standards, provisions and policies to which the site plan fails to conform and the reasons why it fails to conform.
B. The site plan review committee (SPRC) shall have the prerogative of refusing to rule on a site plan review if in the opinion of the SPRC the site plan is sufficiently complex that it should be reviewed by the hearings examiner according to the quasi-judicial process in Section 1C.050 of the City of Lacey Development Guidelines and Public Works Standards. The SPRC shall decide to transfer review authority to the hearings examiner within fourteen days of the Determination of Completeness, according to Section 1B.070 of the City of Lacey Development Guidelines and Public Works Standards. (Ord. 1192 §189, 2002; Ord. 1035 §25, 1996; Ord. 583 §2.03(A)(1), 1980).
16.84.025 Appeals.
16.84.030 Repealed
Repealed by Ord. 1192. (Ord. 912 §15, 1991; Ord. 583 §2.03(A)(2), 1980).
16.84.040 Repealed
Repealed by Ord. 1192. (Ord. 583 §2.03(B), 1980).
16.84.050 Repealed
Repealed by Ord. 1192. (Ord. 583 §2.03(C), 1980).
16.84.060 Contents of application.
Each application for site plan review shall contain the following information in clear and intelligible form:
A. The title and location of the proposed development, together with the names, addresses and telephone numbers of the record owner or owners of the land and of the applicant, and, if applicable, the names, addresses and telephone numbers of any architect, planner, designer or engineer responsible for the preparation of the plan, and of any authorized representative of the applicant;
B. The proposed use or uses of the land and buildings;
C. A site plan drawing or drawings at a scale of not less than one inch for each fifty feet which shall include or show:
1. The location of all existing and proposed structures, including, but not limited to, buildings, fences, culverts, bridges, roads and streets on the subject property,
2. The boundaries of the property proposed to be developed and, if the property is to be divided pursuant to a final binding site plan, the boundaries of each proposed lot within the property,
3. All proposed and existing buildings and setback lines,
4. All areas, if any, to be preserved as buffers or to be dedicated to a public, private or community use or for open space under the provisions of this or any other city ordinance, information regarding percentage of area covered, locations and general types of landscaping,
5. All existing and proposed easements,
6. The locations of all existing and proposed utility structures and lines,
7. The stormwater drainage systems for existing and proposed structures,
8. All means of vehicular and pedestrian ingress and egress at the site and the size and location of driveways, streets and roads,
9. The location and design of off-street parking areas showing their size and locations of internal circulation and parking spaces,
10. The location of all loading spaces, including, but not limited to, truck loading platforms and loading docks,
11. Location and area, in square feet, of all signs;
D. Topographic map or maps which delineate contours, both existing and proposed, at intervals of two feet, and which locate existing lakes, streams and forested areas;
E. The existing zoning district of the proposed development site and any other zoning district within three hundred feet of the site;
F. All special districts, including, but not limited to, fire, school and water districts, in which the proposed development shall be located and all such districts within three hundred feet of the proposed development;
G. The proposed number of square feet in paved or covered surfaces, whether covered by buildings, driveways, parking lots, or any other structure covering land; and the total amount of square feet in the entire proposed development site;
H. The proposed number of dwelling units and number of bedrooms in the development;
I. The proposed number of square feet in gross floor area for each commercial and industrial use;
J. A description of each proposed commercial and industrial use;
K. The written recommendations of the health department, the building department, engineering department and fire department as to any portion of the site plan application covering areas within their respective jurisdictions.
L. For properties containing wetlands or wetland buffers pursuant to Chapter 14.28 LMC, all informational requirements specified in Chapter 14.28 LMC shall be included in the applications. (Ord. 1058 §2, 1997; Ord. 912 §16, 1991; Ord. 583 §2.03(D), 1980).
16.84.070 Additional information for review.
The SPRC, hearings examiner or city council may require the applicant to submit any additional information or material which it finds is necessary for the proper review and hearing of the application. (Ord. 583 §2.03(E), 1980).
16.84.080 Amendment of site plan.
A site plan granted approval by the SPRC, hearings examiner or by the city council may be amended. If, in the opinion of the director of community and economic development, the modifications are considered minor, no additional review process shall be required. If the modifications are considered significant by the director of community and economic development, then the site plan shall be modified by the same procedures provided under LMC 16.84.020(A). (Ord. 1539 §133, 2019; Ord. 1220 §56, 2004; Ord. 1192 §194, 2002; Ord. 583 §2.03(F), 1980).
16.84.090 Repealed
Repealed by Ord. 1192. (Ord. 583 §2.03(G), 1980).
16.84.100 Duration of approval.
A. Approval of the site plan shall be effective for eighteen months from the date of approval by the site plan review committee. During this time, the terms and conditions upon which approval was given will not change. Within eighteen months of the date of approval a grading and/or building permit must be issued and work (site preparation) started, or the approval shall automatically terminate. In addition, if the approved site plan calls for a division of land pursuant to a final binding site plan, such final binding site plan must be submitted for final approval within such eighteen-month period.
B. However, upon the application of the owner or representative, the site plan review committee shall extend the approval period for one six-month time period unless since the initial approval substantive change has been made in the regulations, ordinances, requirements, policies or standards which impact the site.
C. Knowledge of expiration date and initiation of a request for extension of approval time is the responsibility of the applicant. The city shall not be held responsible for notification of expirations, although it may notify the applicant of date of expiration. All requests for additional time must be submitted to the community development department prior to expiration of site plan approval. (Ord. 1427 §1, 2013; Ord. 1192 §196, 2002; Ord. 1058 §3, 1997; Ord. 691 §42, 1984).
16.84.105 Noncompliance - Penalty.
If the enforcing officer determines that there has been continuing noncompliance with the conditions of site plan review approval previously granted by the Site Plan Review Committee, such officer may schedule a meeting before such committee for purposes of determining whether such approval shall be revoked, suspended or modified. Notice of such meeting shall be provided to the current land owner and the applicant whose project has been approved. At the conclusion of such meeting, the Site Plan Review committee may revoke, suspend or modify a site plan review approval previously granted for the project or uses listed, if such committee determines that there has been continuing noncompliance with the conditions of such permit or other regulations governing such use. (Ord. 1220 §57, 2004).
16.84.110 Repealed
Repealed by Ord. 1539. (Ord. 1220 §58, 2004; Ord. 1058 §4, 1997).