The definition of a complete project permit application is defined in the relevant section of the zoning code, subdivision code, or, if applicable, development agreement adopted pursuant to this title.
(Ord. 98-10, 1998; Ord. 2000-07; Ord. 2025-003, 3/18/2025)
A pre-application conference is offered to all interested potential applicants. Applicants are encouraged but not required to request this conference except in the case of a Cluster Platting and Conservation Platting, Planned Unit Development, master planned resort, conditional use permit, shoreline substantial development permit, shoreline conditional use permit, shoreline variance, rezone and any preliminary plat over nine lots where a pre-application conference is required.
1. 
Prior to formal submittal of a project permit application, one or more optional conferences with appropriate County department representatives and other public agency representatives may be requested by the applicant. The date, time and place of such conferences shall be at the mutual agreement of the participants.
2. 
Such conferences are intended as informal discussion and review of possible applications to assist the possible applicant in discovery of appropriate County regulations, standards, application formats and review processes that would be required of a project.
3. 
Such conferences are not publicized and the public is not permitted to attend in order that a potential applicant's interests be protected.
4. 
A pre-application conference may be waived if the CDS Director or Planning Official determines that the proposal is relatively simple (has few, if any, development-related issues), is substantially similar to a prior proposal affecting the same property, or is substantially similar to other projects developed by the same applicant. In order to request a pre-application waiver, the applicant shall submit a completed pre-application waiver request form, a written narrative justifying the request for a pre-application waiver, and the required fee.
(Ord. 98-10, 1998; Ord. 2000-07; Ord. 2007-22, 2007; Ord. 2007-22, 2007; Ord. 2010-014, 2010; Ord. 2011-013, 2011; Ord. 2013-001, 2013; Ord. 2016-006, 2016; Ord. 2025-003, 3/18/2025)
1. 
Written application for the approval of proposed project activities such as: zoning variance; zoning conditional use; short plat, long plat or subdivision; binding site plans; shorelines substantial development/conditional use/variance; master planned resort; and site-specific rezone shall be filed in complete form in the Community Development Services office upon forms prescribed for that purpose by the administrator.
2. 
The written application shall be accompanied by a site plan showing the dimensions and arrangement of the proposed development or changes including all proposed land uses and structures; points of access, roads and parking areas; septic tank and drainfield and replacement areas; areas to be cut or filled; and natural features such as contours, streams, wetlands, hazardous slopes, etc. The administrator may require other drawings, topographic surveys, photographs, or other material essential to an understanding of the proposed use and its relationship to the surrounding properties.
3. 
Applications for project permits shall be signed by the owner(s) of the property.
4. 
Appropriate fee(s).
a. 
Eighty percent of all application fees are due at the time of application submittal. The remaining 20% is due prior to permit issuance. In the event the Department does not issue a decision within the time limits established in KCC § 15A.03.120, the remaining 20% of the permit fees shall be reduced up to the following amounts:
i. 
Ten percent of the full permit fee if the decision was delayed no more than 20% of the overall processing timeline.
ii. 
Twenty percent of the full permit fee if the decision was delayed more than 20% of the overall processing timeline.
Example
A non-administrative process has a maximum processing timeline of 170 days from the date of notice of complete application. If the department exceeds this timeline by up to 10% of the total allotted time (171-203 days), then 10% of the application fee will be refunded. In this scenario, if the Department issues a determination beyond 204 days, the applicant will receive a 20% reduction in the permitting fee. *This example excludes any timeline modifications established in KCC § 15A.03.120(4).
(Ord. 98-10, 1998; Ord. 2000-07; Ord. 2007-22, 2007; Ord. 2010-014, 2010; Ord. 2014-015, 2014; Ord. 2025-003, 3/18/2025)
1. 
Within 28 days after receiving a project permit application, the local permitting agency shall mail or provide in person a written determination to the applicant, stating either:
a. 
That the application is complete; or
b. 
That the application is incomplete and what is necessary to make the application complete. An incomplete application shall expire after 180 calendar days unless the requested supplemental information is submitted in complete form.
2. 
To the extent known by the permitting agency, the permitting agency shall identify other agencies of local, state or federal governments that may have jurisdiction over some aspect of the application.
3. 
A project permit application is complete for the purposes of this title when it meets the procedural submission requirements of Kittitas County and is sufficient for continued processing even though additional information may be required or project modifications may be undertaken subsequently. The determination of completeness shall not preclude Kittitas County from requesting additional information or studies either at the time of the notice of completeness or subsequently if new information is required or substantial changes in the proposed action occur.
4. 
Within 14 days after an applicant has submitted to the permitting agency additional information identified by the permitting agency as being necessary for a complete application, the permitting agency shall notify the applicant whether the application is complete or what additional information is necessary. In determining the number of days that have elapsed after Kittitas County has notified the applicant that the application is complete, the following periods shall be excluded:
a. 
Any period during which the applicant has been requested by Kittitas County to correct plans, perform required studies, or provide additional required information. The period shall be calculated from the date Kittitas County notifies the applicant of the need for the additional information until the earlier of the date Kittitas County determined whether the additional information satisfies the request for information or 14 days after the date the information has been provided to Kittitas County.
i. 
If Kittitas County determines that the additional information submitted by the applicant is insufficient, it shall notify the applicant of the continued deficiencies and the procedures under subsection (4)(a) of this section shall apply as if a new request for studies has been made.
b. 
Any period during which an environmental impact statement is being prepared following a determination of significance pursuant to Chapter 43.21C RCW, if Kittitas County and the applicant in writing agree to a time period for completion of an environmental impact statement.
c. 
Any period of administrative appeals of project permits, if an open record hearing or a closed record appeal, or both, are allowed. The time period to consider and decide such appeals shall not exceed:
i. 
Ninety days for an open record appeal hearing;
ii. 
Sixty days for a closed record appeal; and
iii. 
The parties to an appeal may agree to extend these time periods.
d. 
Any extension of time mutually agreed upon by the applicant and Kittitas County.
e. 
These time limits do not apply to a project permit application, if the project:
i. 
Requires an amendment to the comprehensive plan or a development regulation;
ii. 
Requires approval of a new fully contained community as provided in RCW 36.70A.350, a master planned resort as provided in RCW 36.70A.360, or the siting of an essential public facility as provided in RCW 36.70A.200;
iii. 
Is substantially revised by the applicant, in which case the time period shall start from the date at which the revised project application is determined to be complete.
f. 
If Kittitas County is unable to issue its final decision within the time limits provided, it shall provide written notice of this fact to the applicant. The notice shall include a statement of reasons why the time limits have not been met and an estimated date of issuance of the notice of final decision.
g. 
Applications shall be void if they remain incomplete for more than 180 days.
h. 
This section shall apply to project permit applications filed on or after the date of adoption of this title.
(Ord. 9810, 1998; Ord. 2000-07; Ord. 2014-015, 2014; Ord. 2025-003, 3/18/2025)
1. 
Once an application has been deemed complete, the Director may request the applicant to submit additional corrections, studies or other information on the proposed project. The Director shall set a reasonable deadline for the submittal of corrections, studies or other information when requested, and shall provide written notification of such requests to the applicant.
2. 
Failure by the applicant to meet such deadline shall be cause for the application to be void. However, an extension of such deadline may be requested by an applicant if the request is made prior to the expiration of the deadline. Extension requests shall be submitted in writing, include a justification of why an extension is warranted.
3. 
When considering a request for a deadline extension, the Director shall give consideration to the code provisions to which the project is vested, if any. In order to assure equity in permit processing between past, current, and future applicants, deadline extensions shall be limited to one extension after code provisions affecting the project have changed. Once code provisions have changed as to make the vested code substantially different than current code, a requested deadline extension of up to six months may be granted, but it shall be the final extension granted. The Director shall determine whether code changes have created substantially different regulations.
4. 
The Director shall provide a written, mailed response to the applicant with its decision on each extension request.
(Ord. 2010-014, 2010; Ord. 2013-001, 2013; Ord. 2018-021, 2018; Ord. 2025-003, 3/18/2025)
The fees for application related to this title shall be established by resolution and are referenced within Title 4 of the Kittitas County Code.
(Ord. 98-10, 1998; Ord. 2000-07; Ord. 2007-22, 2007; Ord. 2017-001, 2017; Ord. 2025-003, 3/18/2025)
Kittitas County shall provide a notice of application to the public and the departments and agencies with jurisdiction. If Kittitas County has made a SEPA determination of significance under Chapter 43.21C RCW concurrently with the notice of application, the notice of application shall be combined with the determination of significance and scoping notice. Nothing in this subsection prevents a determination of significance and scoping notice from being issued prior to a notice of application.
1. 
The notice of application shall be provided within 14 days after the determination of completeness in the following method:
a. 
Publishing notice, including at least the project location in other than a legal description, brief description of project, type of permit(s) required, comment period dates, and location where the complete application may be reviewed in the newspaper of general circulation in the general area where the proposal is located or in a local land use newsletter published by Kittitas County. Additional legal notice may be published for development applications located in the upper county in newspapers published at least weekly, in addition to the legal publishing requirement in the official county paper of record.
b. 
Notifying public or private groups with known interest in a certain proposal or in the type of proposal being considered.
c. 
Mailing to adjacent landowners. Adjacent landowners are the owners of real property, as shown by the records of the County Assessor, located within 500 feet of any portion of the boundary of the proposal's tax parcel or lot of record (real property). If the owner of the real property which is proposed for activity owns another parcel or parcels of real property which lie adjacent to the real property proposed for activity, notice shall be given to owners of real property located within 500 feet of any portion of the boundaries of such adjacently located parcels of real property owned by the owner of the real property proposed for activity. Mailed notice for Solar Power Production Facilities shall be provided in accordance with KCC § 17.61C.080(2).
d. 
Notifying the news media.
e. 
Posting notice via the Kittitas County Website.
f. 
Posting the site as outlined in KCC § 15A.03.110.
2. 
The notice of application shall include the following:
a. 
The date of initial application, the date of the notice of completion for the application, and the date of the notice of application.
b. 
A description of the proposed project action and a list of the project permits included in the application and, if applicable, a list of any additional studies requested to complete the application.
c. 
The identification of other permits not included in the application to the extent known by Kittitas County.
d. 
The identification of existing environmental documents that evaluate the proposed project.
e. 
The location where the application and any studies can be reviewed.
f. 
A statement of the public comment period, which shall be not less than 14 nor more than 30 days following the date of the notice of application. This comment period shall be pursuant to Table A at the end of this title.
g. 
Statement of the right of any person to comment on the application, receive notice of and participate in any hearings, request a copy of the decision once made, and any appeal rights.
h. 
Kittitas County will accept public comments at any time prior to the closing of the public comment period of the specific application.
i. 
The date, time, place and type of hearing, if applicable and scheduled at the date of notice of the application.
j. 
A statement of the preliminary determination, if one has been made at the time of notice, of those development regulations that will be used for project mitigation and of consistency.
k. 
Identify the designated permit coordinator.
l. 
Any other information determined appropriate by Kittitas County.
3. 
If the administrator has a reasonable basis for determining significant adverse environmental impacts are unlikely (pursuant to Chapter 15.04 KCC, SEPA Regulations) for a proposal, the notice of application comment period will suffice for purposes of compliance with Chapter 197-11 WAC, and a second comment period after issuance of the SEPA threshold determination will not be required; provided, the notice of application includes the following:
a. 
A statement indicating that the County expects to issue a DNS for the proposal; and
b. 
A statement indicating that the optional DNS process is being used, and that this may be the only opportunity to comment on the environmental impacts of the proposal; and
c. 
A statement indicating that the proposal may include mitigation measures under applicable codes, and the project review process may incorporate or require mitigation measures regardless of whether an EIS is prepared; and
d. 
A statement indicating that a copy of the subsequent threshold determination for the specific proposal may be obtained upon request.
4. 
A notice of application shall not be required for project permits that are categorically exempt under Chapter 43.21C RCW (SEPA), unless a public comment period is required or for projects identified in KCC § 15A.03.080, Projects exempt from the provisions of notice of application.
(Ord. 98-10, 1998; Ord. 2000-07, 2000; Ord. 2007-22, 2007; Ord. 2018-018, 2018; Ord. 2025-003, 3/18/2025)
The specific procedures for individual permit applications and independent administrative actions, including public comment period, public hearing, decision-making body, and appeals, are established pursuant to Table A at the end of this title.
(Ord. 98-10, 1998; Ord. 2000-07; Ord. 2025-003, 3/18/2025)
The following project proposals and land use actions shall be exempt from the provisions of notification when not associated with a larger, overall project. These projects allow an abbreviated application format and do not involve public review or hearing unless appeal to an administrative determination involving the underlying project is properly filed:
1. 
An act of subdivision not required to be accomplished by long plat, large lot subdivision short plat, or binding site plan;
2. 
Land use activity permitted without benefit of conditional use approval (administrative or quasi-judicial), as listed in KCC Title 17, Zoning;
3. 
Minor amendments or modifications to approved developments or permits. Minor amendments are those which may affect the precise dimensions or locations of buildings, accessory structures and driveways, but do not affect the overall project character, increase the number of lots, dwelling units, or density, or decrease the quality or amount of open space;
4. 
Building and associated construction permits, including, but not limited to, mechanical, plumbing, tank and manufactured home placement, etc.;
5. 
Sign permit;
6. 
Flood development permit;
7. 
Critical areas binding determination;
8. 
Septic and associated health permits, including vault privy, pool and food handler, etc.;
9. 
Well and/or community water system permit;
10. 
Approval to access onto county road;
11. 
Acts of right-of-way vacation;
12. 
Miscellaneous county actions related to use of public areas or facilities;
13. 
Those actions categorically exempt from SEPA review, pursuant to Chapter 15.04 KCC, except as may be required by KCC § 15A.03.060(4);
14. 
Those actions exempt from shoreline substantial development permitting process as set forth in WAC 173-27-040(2) and RCW 90.58.030.
(Ord. 98-10, 1998; Ord. 2000-07; Ord. 2007-22, 2007; Ord. 2014-015, 2014; Ord. 2016-006, 2016; Ord. 2025-003, 3/18/2025)
Project review shall include the following steps:
1. 
A notice of determination of completeness to the applicant.
2. 
A notice of application to the public and agencies with jurisdiction.
3. 
No more than one consolidated open record hearing and no more than one closed record appeal.
4. 
Provisions may be allowed by the local jurisdiction for any public meeting or required open record hearing that may be held on the project by another local, state, regional, federal, or other agency, in accordance with provisions of Chapter 36.70B RCW.
5. 
A single report by a representative of the administrator, stating all the decisions made as of the date of the report on all project permits included in the consolidated permit process. The report shall state any mitigation required or proposed under the development regulations or the agency's authority under RCW 43.21C.060. The report may be the local permit. If a threshold determination other than a determination of significance has not been issued by Kittitas County, the report shall include or append this determination.
6. 
A notice of decision.
7. 
Except as otherwise provided for in this title, Kittitas County shall issue its notice of final decision on a project permit application in accordance with KCC § 15A.03.120.
(Ord. 98-10, 1998; Ord. 2000-07; Ord. 2025-003, 3/18/2025)
Project review should start from the fundamental land use planning choices made in local comprehensive plans and regulations, include review of consistency and land use impacts.
1. 
Applicable comprehensive plans and regulations that identify the type of land use for the site, specify density, and identify and provide for funding of public facilities needed to serve the proposed development and site should be the standard for project review. Consistency should be determined in the project review process by considering four factors found in applicable plans or regulations:
a. 
The type of land use permitted at the site, including uses that may be allowed under certain circumstances, such as planned unit developments and conditional uses, if the criteria for their approval have been satisfied;
b. 
The level of development allowed, such as units per acre or other measures of density;
c. 
Infrastructure, such as the adequacy of public facilities and services identified in the comprehensive plan, to serve the proposed project; and
d. 
The character of the proposed development, such as compliance with specific development standards.
2. 
In determining consistency, the determinations made pursuant to this title shall be controlling.
3. 
Project review should not require additional studies or mitigation under Chapter 43.21C RCW (SEPA) where existing regulations have adequately addressed a proposed project's probable specific adverse environmental impacts.
4. 
Supplemental authority as specified by Chapter 43.21C RCW should be used to the extent that existing requirements do not adequately address a project's specific probable adverse environmental impacts.
5. 
Nothing in this title limits the authority of a permitting agency to approve, condition, or deny a project as provided in its development regulations adopted under Kittitas County comprehensive plan and development regulations and its policies adopted under RCW 43.21C.060. Project review shall be used to identify specific project design and conditions relating to the character of the development, such as details of site plans, curb cuts, drainage swales, transportation demand management, or other measures to mitigate a proposal's probable adverse environmental impacts, if applicable.
6. 
Consistency between the proposed project and applicable regulations or plan should be determined through a project review process that integrates land use and environmental impact analysis, so that governmental and public review of the proposed project, involving development regulations under Chapter 36.70A RCW, and environmental process under Chapter 43.21C RCW run concurrently and not separately.
7. 
During project review, Kittitas County or any subsequent reviewing body shall not reexamine alternatives to or hear appeals on the items identified in such Kittitas County comprehensive plan and development regulation standards, except for issues of code interpretation.
8. 
When holding a hearing on a project permit application, the hearing body should utilize the following issues outlined as a review guide: earth, air, water (including irrigation water and its conveyances), plants, animals, energy and natural resources, environmental health, land and shoreline use, housing, aesthetics, light and glare, recreation, historic and cultural preservation, transportation, public services, and utilities.
(Ord. 9810, 1998; Ord. 2000-07; Ord. 2025-003, 3/18/2025)
1. 
These provisions shall apply to all development applications, except for development applications processed administratively.
2. 
The applicant shall post the subject property with signs as required by Community Development Services.
3. 
Signs shall be posted on each road frontage on the subject property and shall be clearly visible and accessible.
4. 
Signs shall be posted and on site prior to issuance of a Notice of Application.
5. 
The sign shall be a minimum two feet by three feet and laminated and posted in a sturdy manner to remain on site until after the expiration of the notice of decision appeal period. It shall be the responsibility of the applicant to properly dispose of the sign.
6. 
At the time of development application, Community Development Services will identify the number of signs needed and the general location of each sign on the subject property.
7. 
It shall be the responsibility of the applicant to place the structure in which the sign will be posted on site. At such time the structure and sign is in place, the applicant shall return the signed affidavit of posting form to Community Development Services.
(Ord. 2007-22, 2007; Ord. 2014-015, 2014; Ord. 2025-003, 3/18/2025)
1. 
Administrative permits.
a. 
Administrative permits include those land use applications that do not require public notice or a public hearing.
b. 
Decisions on administrative application shall be made within 30 days of the deemed complete date. For administrative applications that do not require a deem complete step, a decision shall be issued within 65 days of the submittal date. These timelines can be modified when any of the criteria of KCC § 15A.03.120(4) are met.
2. 
Administrative permits with public notice requirement.
a. 
When an administrative permit requires public notice, a decision shall be issued within 100 days from the deemed complete date.
b. 
Preliminary short plat applications shall follow the determination schedule outlined in Chapter 58.17 RCW.
3. 
Non-administrative permits.
a. 
A non-administrative permit is a permit that requires public notice and an open record public hearing.
b. 
Decisions on non-administrative permits shall be issued within 170 days from the deemed complete date.
c. 
Preliminary plat applications shall follow the determination schedule outlined in Chapter 58.17 RCW.
4. 
Exceptions.
a. 
The permit timelines established in this section do not include:
i. 
Circumstances in which an applicant and the Department agree in writing upon an extension to the processing timeline.
ii. 
Any time in which the Department is waiting on the applicant to submit information necessary for application processing, which has been requested by the Department in writing.
iii. 
Multiple applications for the same project processed concurrently shall adhere to the longest decision schedule permit category involved.
iv. 
The timelines established in this section shall not apply to Development Agreements, Planned Unit Developments, Master Planned Resorts, Land Development Code amendments and Comprehensive Plan amendment applications.
5. 
Any written notice from the Department requesting additional information shall include a notice that non-responsiveness for 60 consecutive days may result in 30 days being added to the time for review. Non-responsiveness means that the applicant is not making demonstrable progress on providing additional requested information to the Department, or that there is no ongoing communication from the applicant to the Department on the applicant's ability or willingness to provide the additional information.
(Ord. 2025-003, 3/18/2025)