To implement the city's comprehensive plan and the state of Washington's Growth Management Act, Chapter 36.70A RCW.

To allow flexibility in lot size and design for residential development, in order to enable development to attempt to achieve the zoned density.

To allow flexibility in residential design and creative site planning leading to superior residential and subdivision developments than generally are realized through conventional subdivision regulations.

To preserve protected critical areas and their buffers as defined in the Sequim critical areas ordinance.

To provide open space, recreational opportunities and other benefit features for enjoyment of future occupants.

To encourage preservation of cultural, scenic or natural features.

To encourage a diversity of housing units and types within and between neighborhoods at a variety of price points providing more affordable housing choices to the community.

To provide for maximizing efficiency of street layout, utility networks, and other public improvements.

To preserve and retain areas of trees or groupings of trees.

The site contains critical areas and their protected buffers, as defined and set forth by the city's critical areas ordinance.

A physical and/or topographic feature of importance identified through a site analysis (such as but not limited to rock outcroppings, significant stands of trees, and areas of cultural resources) exists on the site or in the neighborhood, which can be conserved and still leave the applicant adequate land for use by the planned residential development.

The property or its neighborhood has a historical character of importance to the community that will be protected by use of a planned residential development.

The property is adjacent to or across the street from property which has been developed or redeveloped under a planned residential development, and a planned residential development will contribute to or supplement the existing amenities, open space and values of the adjacent planned residential development.

The planned residential development design contains unique or innovative design concepts that could not be achieved without a planned residential development.

The proposed planned residential development is located in the R4-8 or MF or EOA zoning districts. Further, adequate perimeter landscaping, buffering or other compatibility provisions must be able to be provided through project design.

The proposed planned residential development provides an infill opportunity in the vicinity in which it is located.

A cottage housing development as standalone when at least 12 cottages are proposed or as part of a larger development proposal.

Lot Size Variety. When a PRD subdivision has an average lot size of 4,000 square feet or less, a variety of lot sizes are desired to provide for market variety, clustering and creativity. The PRD design will include at least three different lot size ranges distributed throughout the PRD. The applicant must demonstrate to the review authority how this requirement has been met through the required written narrative.

PRDs may include lot averaging where no lot is less than the minimum (3,000 square feet) or more than the maximum (14,500 square feet) lot size requirements of this section and serve as a means to provide diversity and excellence in site design, protection of critical areas, provision of open space, recreational amenities and a range of housing choices and prices.

Alleys. If a unit abuts an alley, the garage will be accessed from the alley whenever possible. When parking is accessed from the rear of the lot, garages must be separated at least 25 feet from garage face to garage face in order to provide safe vehicle back-out room.

Privacy. Dwellings on lots without direct frontage on a public street should be situated to respect the privacy of abutting homes and to create usable private yard space for the dwelling(s). The review authority will have the ability/discretion during the preliminary review process to establish alternate setbacks in order to accomplish this objective.

Project Design. Site design for the entire project (including open space areas, recreational amenities, any attached units and/or condominium areas, and building architectural renderings) must be submitted in support of the proposed PRD during preliminary review. The renderings will include possible footprint locations and housing elevations or generally identified architectural style. Open space areas and preliminary location of active recreational amenities, trails, conceptual landscaping and other amenities will also be identified.

Individual Identity. Home individuality will be achieved through the following methods:

Landscaping. A minimum 10-foot-wide landscaping strip will be provided along all public street frontage classified as a neighborhood collector to buffer the neighborhood from street traffic. The landscaping may be provided through a landscape easement on lots. If the landscaping is provided in an open space tract and permanently maintained by a homeowners' association, it may contribute to the project's open space requirement. No alteration to these landscaping areas may occur without the city's written permission.

Nonresidential development must be oriented towards serving the residents of the PRD community in which it exists and meet all design review criteria for similar development that occurs outside of a PRD. This includes building design, landscaping and parking. Reductions to parking may be granted through the approval process if the applicant can demonstrate the nonresidential component will only serve the immediate PRD community and, therefore, not have the parking demand of a similar use outside of the PRD.

When a PRD is proposed adjacent to an existing single-family residential zone which has been developed utilizing traditional city subdivision development standards and lot sizes (5,400 square feet or larger), the PRD will be designed and developed so as to be consistent with the single-family residential environment at its adjacent perimeter. The review authority may require the PRD to make provisions such as matching lot sizes, lot widths or house height and scale (or other provisions as deemed appropriate) for those lots that are located adjacent to the existing subdivision. Further, any proposed attached units will be clustered and located away from the established single-family subdivision.

When a PRD is proposed within or adjacent to an R4-8 zoning district (developed or un/underdeveloped), the perimeter of the PRD may be subject to screening provisions (this is in addition to subsection A of this section as applicable). The review authority may require the PRD to make such provisions as providing a six-foot sight-obscuring fence, a minimum 10-foot vegetated buffer (designated as an open space tract), or other provisions as deemed appropriate to provide adequate screening. No alteration to these landscaping areas may occur without the city's written permission.

The overall site density does not exceed the zoning district maximum or the allowable density bonus (see SMC § 18.35.110).

The attached units must be clustered and located within the interior of the project, along street frontages, or other areas which are appropriate and compatible with adjacent residential zones.

The attached units must be single-family in appearance.

Architectural renderings of the attached units must be submitted with the application.

The overall site density does not exceed the zoning district maximum or the allowable density bonus (see SMC § 18.35.110).

The attached units and apartment style building(s) must be clustered and located within the interior of the project, along major street frontages, or other areas which are appropriate and compatible with adjacent land possessing or zoned to accommodate detached single-family development.

The attached units must be single-family in appearance (see SMC § 18.35.080). This does not apply to apartment style building(s).

Architectural renderings of the attached units and apartment style building(s) must be submitted with the application.

Open space is intended to benefit the occupants of the planned residential development and will be improved with recreational amenities.

The open space design will be appropriate to the size, natural features and topography of the subject site. The design will include open space that is accessible for all residents through pedestrian connections. Further, the open space area(s) will be visible to at least half of the home sites. This may require multiple open space areas.

Open space is required based on the average lot size in the proposed development. The greater the deviation from the R4-8 standard lot size, the greater the open space requirement. This relationship is intended to mitigate the effects of smaller lot sizes including reduced recreation space on private lots, reduced setbacks between structures and overall intensity of the development. The required open space is a percentage of the gross project area.

The amount of open space required is set forth in Table 18.35.090.A. The determination of average lot size will be the sum of all individual lot square footage, divided by the total number of proposed lots.

For PRDs where no individual lots are proposed (i.e., commonly held ownership/condominium), the amount of open space required is tied to the proposed intensity of the PRD, so that as a project increases the number of units, the open space amount also increases in order to compensate for the loss of private yards and privacy, as well as providing for light, air, space, and recreational amenities throughout the PRD design. The amount of open space required will be based upon the number of units as prescribed below:

For projects with a combination of individual lots and units on commonly held ownership, total amount of open space required is cumulative. The amount of open space required will be calculated using Tables 18.35.090.A and 18.35.090.B percentage requirements for each respective area (i.e., area(s) of common ownership tract percentage and remainder of site percentage). Each area's acreage requirement will then be combined for the project's total open space requirement.

Critical area protection areas and required buffers as defined and required by the city's adopted critical areas ordinance may contribute to the above-required open space amount per the criteria below:

Stormwater management facilities may contribute to a project's required open space amount under the following circumstances:

Open space areas not proposed to be improved with recreational amenities or purposes will remain as natural vegetation or landscaped with groundcover, shrubs and trees consistent with the type and location of open space. Natural vegetation removal in preserved and approved open space will only be permitted for public safety reasons and after review and approval of the DCD director and a qualified professional arborist certified by either the International Society of Arboriculture or the National Arborist Association. Enhancement of critical area buffer vegetation will be as allowed and prescribed in Chapter 18.80 SMC, Critical and Environmentally Sensitive Areas Protection.

Passive and active recreational amenities (owned and maintained by the homeowners) are required to be provided for all PRDs and must be located within the required open space areas.

Table 18.35.100 provides guidance on the type of passive and active amenities in proposed PRDs. Other amenities may be permitted at the discretion of the review authority if the applicant can demonstrate the unlisted amenity provides similar purpose and function as those amenities that are listed. At a minimum, the following must be provided:

The location of the recreational amenities will be distributed throughout the PRD for use by all residents unless clustering related amenities will result in recreational opportunities which contribute to the project's overall recreational plan and provisions (e.g., a playfield located adjacent to a clubhouse, or walking paths and gazebo in conjunction with viewing areas).

All PRD amenity design will provide, when feasible, pedestrian linkages and connectivity between adjacent properties.

The density incentive is expressed as additional bonus dwelling units earned per amount of public benefit provided. When a range is specified, the additional bonus dwelling units will be determined by the DCD director during project review, using the criteria established in Table 18.35.110 for those public benefits.

Bonus dwelling units may be earned through any combination from Table 18.35.110; however, bonus units cannot exceed 25 percent increase above maximum density allowed in the underlying zoning district.

When bonus dwelling units are proposed, a PRD cannot also include accessory dwelling units within the proposed project.

A vicinity map showing the location of the property and surrounding properties. A copy of assessor's quarter section map may be used to identify the site.

Dimensions and orientation of the subject parcel.

Location of existing natural features and structures, including: (1) significant stands of trees and trees to be retained (species must be identified; dominant species for stands); (2) topography including identification of geologic hazard areas; (3) any known cultural assets; (4) streams, wetlands and other critical areas or environmental features; (5) aerial photography, if available, of subject site; (6) site and soils analysis for suitability of appropriate low impact development stormwater management facilities; and (7) identification of any adjacent off-site natural features which may have an impact on the subject site, as well as any existing or proposed open space, trail linkages or road connections.

Location of proposed lots, building footprints, and open space numbered as open space tracts.

Location of walls and fences, indication of their height and construction materials.

Elevation of the site at two-foot contour intervals for grades zero to 10 percent and at five-foot contour intervals for grades more than 10 percent.

Streets adjacent to, surrounding or intended to serve the property; curb cuts and internal pedestrian and vehicular traffic circulation routes.

Existing and proposed exterior lighting.

Landscape plan depicting the location and configuration of overall site landscaping, including protected critical areas.

Location and layout of off-street parking, on-street parking, and site circulation.

Preliminary utility plan depicting the location of utility and drainage facilities and related tracts or easements.

Site design for the entire project, including open space areas, pedestrian walkways and connections, recreational amenity details, outdoor features, building footprints and preliminary building elevations and/or general proposed architectural style.

Architectural elevations/renderings for any proposed attached unit structures.

Environmental checklist or, if required, environmental impact statement.

Preliminary draft of restrictive covenants.

Other architectural or engineering data which may be necessary to determine compliance with applicable regulations including any appropriate site design guidelines.

Other information may be required as identified at the pre-application conference and/or application form.

A written statement explaining how the proposed PRD meets the purpose and findings of this chapter.

The proposal, through its design and submitted supporting documents, has clearly demonstrated it meets the stated purposes of this chapter.

The proposal complies with all of the applicable provisions of this title, except those provisions from which deviation has been allowed under this chapter and SMC Title 17.

The proposal provides overall site design features through its conceptual architectural renderings for the entire project, and has included open space areas, pedestrian walkways and connections, recreational amenities, and outdoor features.

The proposal would not impair the integrity and character of the zoning district in which it is to be located.

The site is physically suited for the type and intensity of land use(s) being proposed.

The proposal would be compatible with existing and future land uses within the general area in which the proposal is to be located by providing screening or buffering between parcels and providing consistency between any existing single-family subdivisions and the proposal.

The proposal would preserve natural features and critical areas and would preserve and incorporate existing significant stands of trees (SMC § 18.24.032(C)(2)) within the project design as much as possible.

There are adequate provisions for water, sanitary sewer, and public utilities (electric, gas, phone) and services to ensure that the proposal would not be detrimental to public health and safety.

There will be adequate provisions for public access to serve the subject proposal, as well as providing for neighborhood connectivity as appropriate and as required by the city.

The proposal is consistent with the comprehensive plan and the city's adopted development standards.

There will not be significant unmitigated harmful effects upon environmental quality and natural resources.

The proposed location, size and design of the proposal would not be detrimental to the public interests, health, safety or welfare of the city.

Within five years following the approval of the planned residential development, the applicant will file with the city engineer a final plat or, if no subdivision is occurring, a final site development plan for review by the review authority. If the review authority finds that the final plat or final site development plan is consistent with the PRD as approved, and that all conditions of the development approval have been satisfied, the review authority will approve the final plat or final site development plan. The review authority may approve the final plat or final site development plan in phases if phasing is included in the original application and each phase does not depend on elements that will be built in another phase. Each phase must be able to stand on its own as if it was a separate project.

If the review authority finds evidence of a significant deviation from the original approved PRD, the review authority will advise the applicant to submit an application for amendment of the preliminary plan. An amendment will be considered in the same procedural manner as an original application and the amendments will be heard by the review authority of the initial application.

Upon request by the applicant and for demonstrated appropriate reasons, the review authority may approve, at its discretion, adequate financial guarantees of compliance with the final plat or final development plan consistent with Chapter 17.64 SMC.

A final draft of covenants, conditions and restrictions (CCRs) will include provisions that the project's homeowners' association will own, maintain and enforce all open space tracts, perimeter buffers, fences, recreational amenities, private roads, parking bays, and all other applicable project condition(s) regarding ownership, maintenance and enforcement of all commonly owned elements. Further, the face of the final plat or final development plan must include statement(s) that the project's homeowners' association will own, maintain and enforce all open space tracts, perimeter buffers, fences, recreational amenities, private roads, parking bays, and all other commonly owned elements. The city will not join the homeowners' association as enforcers of the project's CCRs nor will the city maintain private roads, alleys and other privately owned infrastructure and/or open space or recreational amenities.

A final draft of the project's CCRs and face of the final plat or final development plan must include the following statement:

During City Review of PRD Application.

After City Permit Approval. Upon written request by the property owner filed no less than 30 days prior to the date of permit expiration, the DCD director may grant an extension of time up to but not exceeding one year. Any extensions of time will be based upon finding: