The purpose of this chapter is to designate, classify, and protect the critical areas of the Lake Stevens community by establishing regulations and standards for development and use of properties which contain or adjoin critical areas for protection of the public health, safety, and welfare. The purpose and intent of this chapter is also to ensure that there is no net loss of the acreage or functions and values of critical areas regulated by this chapter.
(a) 
A project proponent shall make all reasonable efforts to avoid and minimize impacts to critical areas and buffers in the following sequential order of preference:
(1) 
Avoiding impacts altogether by not taking a certain action or parts of an action; or
(2) 
When avoidance is not possible, minimizing impacts by limiting the degree or magnitude of the action and its implementation, using appropriate technology, or by taking affirmative steps, such as project redesign, relocations, or timing, to avoid or reduce impacts and mitigating for the affected functions and values of the critical area; and
(3) 
Reducing or eliminating impacts over time by preservation and maintenance operations during the life of the action.
(4) 
Compensating for unavoidable impacts by replacing, enhancing or providing substitute resources or environments.
(b) 
Protect the public from personal injury, loss of life, or property damage due to flooding, erosion, landslides, seismic events, or soil subsidence.
(c) 
Protect against publicly financed expenditures due to the misuse of critical areas which cause:
(1) 
Unnecessary maintenance and replacement of public facilities;
(2) 
Publicly funded mitigation of avoidable impacts;
(3) 
Cost for public emergency rescue and relief operations where the causes are avoidable;
(4) 
Degradation of the natural environment.
(d) 
Protect aquatic resources.
(e) 
Protect unique, fragile, and valuable elements of the environment, including wildlife and its habitat.
(f) 
Alert appraisers, assessors, owners, potential buyers, or lessees to the development limitations of critical areas.
(g) 
Provide City officials with sufficient information to adequately protect critical areas when approving, conditioning, or denying public or private development proposals.
(h) 
Give guidance to the development of Comprehensive Plan policies in regard to the natural systems and environment of the Lake Stevens Watershed.
(i) 
Provide property owners and developers with succinct information regarding the City's requirements for property development.
(Ord. 741, Sec. 2, 2007; Ord. 773, Sec. 2, 2008; Ord. 903, Sec. 51, 2013; Ord. 984 Sec. 3 (Exh. C), 2019)