Access to the subdivision entrance shall be by public road.
(Ord. 1169 § 1, III, AA, 2000; Ord. 1269 § 3, 2016; Ord. 1325 § 1 (Att. B), 2021)
All subdivision streets and roads to become part of the county public road system shall conform to the Lewis County road standards for urban and rural design or any variance granted thereto, as approved by the board[1], in effect at the time any preliminary plat of the subdivision is submitted for approval.
(Ord. 1169 § 1, III, BB, 2000; Ord. 1269 § 3, 2016; Ord. 1325 § 1 (Att. B), 2021)
[1]
Code reviser's note: Per the city, with the passage of Ordinance 1325, such variances would be granted by the hearing examiner rather than the board.
(1)
Allowance. Private roads that are accessed from a public right-of-way shall be allowed to serve no more than 15 lots.
(2)
Location. The road location is approved by the county engineer.
(3)
Construction Specifications. The private roads shall be constructed to no less than those standards for private roads contained in the Lewis County road standards for urban and rural design, as approved by the board by ordinance or resolution, in effect at the time any preliminary plat is submitted for approval.
(Ord. 1169 § 1, III, CC, 2000; Ord. 1269 § 3, 2016; Ord. 1325 § 1 (Att. B), 2021; Ord. 1367 Exh. C, 2025)
(1)
Access. Each lot shall be provided with satisfactory access by means of a public road connecting to an existing public road or by some other legally sufficient right of access which is permanent and inseparable from the lot. Existing forest service roads are not considered suitable access for subdivision purposes unless this provision is waived by the hearing examiner upon the recommendation of the forest supervisor of the appropriate national forest.
(2)
Design. Each lot shall be designed to provide an identifiable feasible building site taken as a rectangle of not less than 1,200 square feet with the narrowest dimension of not less than 16 feet and, if required, an identifiable feasible drain field area and well location.
(3)
Size. The minimum area of each lot shall be determined as follows:
(a)
When served by sanitary sewers and community or public water supply the minimum lot size shall be 6,000 square feet;
(b)
When served by individual septic tanks and drain fields and/or individual water supply, minimum lot sizes shall meet the requirements of the sewage disposal rules and regulations of the Lewis County board of health;
(c)
When other methods of sewage disposal are used, such as a community septic system, minimum lot sizes shall be as recommended by the Lewis County board of health or the Washington State Department of Health. If off-lot location of the community drain field is approved and if there is a public water supply then the minimum lot size provided in subsection (3)(a) of this section can be used.
(4)
Width. The minimum width for each lot as measured between the midpoints of the side lot lines shall be 60 feet. For urban growth areas - small towns, the minimum lot width shall follow standards of LCC § 17.17.100, Density and lot size.
(5)
Frontage. A minimum road frontage of 30 feet shall be required for each lot, except urban growth areas - small towns; see LCC § 17.17.100, Density and lot size.
(6)
Reverse Frontage Lots. No residential lot shall have road frontage along two opposite boundaries unless topographical features or the need to provide separation of lots from traffic arterials, commercial activities, or industrial activities justify the designing of reverse frontage lots. For such lots a strip of land not less than 10 feet wide in addition to any other minimum dimension required herein shall be provided along the lot line adjoining such arterials or other disadvantageous use across which there shall be no right of vehicular access.
(7)
Design. All lots shall be of compact design; lot lines shall be straight lines except insofar as they may follow the radius of a road curve and may form a three-, four-, or five- sided figure. No easement for access or unusual features as provided in LCC § 16.05.330(2) and (3) shall be permitted to bisect a lot.
(8)
Markers. Each lot shall have lot markers made of wood with lettering of lot and block numbers and located to be visible from the road and to be in place prior to final plat approval.
(Ord. 1169 § 1, III, CC, 2000; Ord. 1269 § 3, 2016; Ord. 1325 § 1 (Att. B), 2021; Ord. 1367 Exh. C, 2025)
(1)
Length. In general, blocks shall be as long as is reasonably possible, consistent with the topography and the needs of convenient access, circulation, control, and safety of street traffic and the type of land use proposed, but ordinarily block lengths shall not exceed 1,500 feet or be less than 500 feet.
(2)
Width. Except for reverse frontage parcels, the width of blocks shall ordinarily be sufficient to allow for two tiers of lots of depths consistent with the type of land use proposed; that is normally not less than 200 feet for the sum of two lot depths.
(3)
Super Blocks. For large parcels with access provided by a series of cul-de-sacs or loop streets entering from the periphery and for large parcels platted into half acre and larger lots, the criteria in subsections (1) and (2) of this section shall be disregarded in favor of considerations on an individual basis. Blocks of acreage-type lots shall have block lengths and widths that will lend themselves to later resubdivision in accordance with the standards prescribed in this chapter.
(4)
Crosswalks. In industrial and commercial plats, crosswalks of not less than 10 feet in width will be constructed at each intersection of roadways. Crosswalks may be required at the midpoint of any block exceeding 1,000 feet in length where such a crosswalk is deemed essential to provide circulation or pedestrian access to business concerns, schools, playgrounds, shopping centers, and other community facilities. The necessity of such crosswalks shall be left to the discretion of the administrator.
(Ord. 1169 § 1, III, EE, 2000; Ord. 1269 § 3, 2016; Ord. 1325 § 1 (Att. B), 2021)
(1)
Public Utilities. The subdivider shall submit a letter to the administrator from each of the proposed service utilities informing the administrator that the proposed utility construction is adequate and satisfies the needs of both the subdivider and the utility, and is adequate to meet the requirements of the subdivision. The letter shall inform the administrator as to the general construction plan agreed upon between the subdivider and the utility.
(2)
Unusual Facilities. Easements for unusual facilities such as high voltage electric transmission lines shall be of such width as is adequate for the purpose, including any necessary maintenance roads.
(3)
Watercourses. Where a subdivision is traversed by a watercourse, drainage way, waste way, channel, or stream, there may be required a stormwater easement or drainage right-of-way extending 15 feet landward from the ordinary high water mark and conforming substantially to the line of such watercourse, drainage way, waste way, channel, or stream.
(Ord. 1169 § 1, III, GG, 2000; Ord. 1269 § 3, 2016; Ord. 1325 § 1 (Att. B), 2021)
(1)
Public Water Supply. For connection to existing Group A public water systems, installation shall be to the design and construction standards of the supplying utility. For newly created Group A water systems and Group B water systems, installation shall meet Lewis County and Department of Health standards and specifications.
(2)
Sanitary Sewers. Installation of sanitary sewers shall be to the design and construction standards of the supplying utility.
(3)
Electrical Power, Telephone, Cable Television, and/or Natural Gas. Electrical power and telephone cable shall be provided to each lot. Natural gas and television cable may be required where feasible. Installation shall be to the standards of the supplying utility. Undergrounding shall be required except where determined by the supplying utility not to be feasible.
(Ord. 1169 § 1, III, HH, 2000; Ord. 1269 § 3, 2016; Ord. 1325 § 1 (Att. B), 2021)
(1)
When Required. The installation of fire hydrants and the sizing of water lines for fire flow shall be required for all subdivisions which either create a new Group A public water supply or connect to an existing Group A system.
(2)
Fire Flow Sizing. Water distribution mains on which fire hydrants shall be located shall be sized to the standards specified in a current Insurance Service Office's Guide for Determination of Fire Flow.
(3)
Hydrants. When hydrants are required, the spacing between hydrants shall be determined by the appropriate fire protection agency except in those instances where that agency fails to make such a determination in which case said spacing shall be that specified by a current Washington State Chapter, American Public Works Association Standards and Specifications.
(4)
Ingress - Egress. For subdivisions of 20 units or more, at least two ingress-egress routes may be required by the county fire marshal or fire protection agency.
(Ord. 1169 § 1, III, II, 2000; Ord. 1269 § 3, 2016; Ord. 1325 § 1 (Att. B), 2021)
(1)
When Maintenance Agreements Required. Maintenance agreements, in a form approved by the administrator, shall be required for all subdivisions which have private roads, common areas, recreation areas, or utility systems, any of which are jointly owned. These agreements shall be accompanied by a certificate from a private attorney assuring perpetual maintenance of the appropriate property or improvements and shall be submitted prior to final plat approval.
(2)
Minimum Contents and Requirements. All maintenance agreements shall at a minimum provide for the following:
(a)
Membership of lot owners in a property owner's association established for the maintenance and repair of the appropriate property or improvements;
(b)
An equitable means of assessment for maintenance or necessary improvement costs;
(c)
Ownership of all improvements; and
(d)
Any other matters necessary to guarantee a workable organization.
(3)
Encumbrance. Maintenance agreements shall be of record in the office of the Lewis County auditor and shall be referenced by identifying notation on the final plat.
(Ord. 1169 § 1, III, JJ, 2000; Ord. 1269 § 3, 2016; Ord. 1325 § 1 (Att. B), 2021)
Any subdivision which falls within an area of special flood hazard (100-year frequency floodplain) as identified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency shall comply with all the requirements of the National Flood Insurance Program and Chapter 15.35 LCC.
(Ord. 1169 § 1, III, KK, 2000; Ord. 1269 § 3, 2016; Ord. 1325 § 1 (Att. B), 2021)
(1)
Necessity of Dedications - Public Uses. The burden of proof for the necessity of reservations for public uses shall rest with the agency or individuals deeming it necessary.
(2)
When Required. The hearing examiner may require that suitable land be reserved for such public uses as parks, playgrounds, recreation areas, fire stations, schools, or utility facilities, and the preservation of natural features and amenities where such reservations would be appropriate. Such lands shall remain undeveloped for the period of time set by the hearing examiner to permit the affected agency to purchase the land.
(3)
General Requirements. Each required reservation shall be suitable in size, dimension, topography, and general character and shall have adequate road access for the particular purposes envisioned. The area shall be shown and marked on the final plat as being reserved for the intended purpose.
(Ord. 1169 § 1, III, LL, 2000; Ord. 1269 § 3, 2016; Ord. 1325 § 1 (Att. B), 2021)
(1)
A nonresidential subdivision shall be subject to all the requirements of plat approval set forth in this subdivision chapter. A nonresidential subdivision shall be subject to all the requirements of these regulations as well as such additional standards required by the hearing examiner.
(2)
In addition to the principles and standards in these regulations, which are appropriate to the planning of all subdivisions, the applicant shall demonstrate that the street, parcel, and block pattern proposed is specifically adapted to the uses anticipated and takes into account other uses in the vicinity. The following principles and standards shall be observed:
(a)
Proposed industrial parcels shall be suitable in area and dimensions to the types of industrial development anticipated;
(b)
Street rights-of-way and pavement shall be adequate to accommodate the type and volume of traffic anticipated;
(c)
Special requirements may be imposed by the hearing examiner with respect to street, curb, gutter, and sidewalk design and construction;
(d)
Special requirements may be imposed by the hearing examiner with respect to the installation of public utilities, including water, sewer, and stormwater drainage;
(e)
Reasonable effort shall be made to protect adjacent residential areas from potential nuisance from a proposed commercial or industrial subdivision, including the provision of extra depth in parcels backing up on existing residential areas and provisions for a noise and sight buffer and a permanently landscaped buffer strip when necessary;
(f)
Streets carrying nonresidential traffic, especially truck traffic, shall not normally be extended to the boundaries of adjacent existing residential areas.
(Ord. 1169 § 1, III, MM, 2000; Ord. 1269 § 3, 2016; Ord. 1325 § 1 (Att. B), 2021)