The information shown below was sent to all CAC members for review and comment. The CAC Approved of the proposed rezoning, shown in  Figure 1- Base Map , in the June 26, 2007 meeting and sent a letter of approval (Approval Letter) to Carol L. Creasey  Senior Planner  Clallam County Dept. of Community Development. The Pubilic Hearing as part of the County Commissioners Meeting at the county court house on October 23 passed final approval.
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June 8, 2007

The Clallam County Department of Community Development (DCD) requests input on a rezone/Comprehensive Plan Map amendment application to assist us in deciding on the appropriate SEPA threshold determination and in writing a staff report.  The rezone application consists of six property owners interested in a Type C amendment to rezone six parcels in the Clallam Bay-Sekiu Urban Growth Area from Urban Residential High (URH) to Urban Center (UC).  The six parcels total approximately 43 acres and are shown on Figure 1.  The applicant contends that there is a need to enlarge the current UC lands in Sekiu in order to allow business expansion and housing development.  In accordance with WAC 197-11-335, the County is soliciting information on the proposed rezone's potential impacts which lie within your jurisdiction or could benefit from your expertise.  As an agency being consulted you are requested to respond in accordance with WAC 197-11-550.  Clallam County DCD is seeking your input by June 18, 2007, at the latest.


Site Description

The parcels in consideration for the rezone are Parcel No.123219220220, 123219220170, 133224120000, 133224120100, 133224120150, and 133224120125 as shown in Figure 1.
The six parcels are located directly south of Highway 112 in the Clallam Bay- Sekiu UGA.
The size of the rezone area is about 43 acres: four parcels in the western section that add up to approximately 32 acres and two parcels in the eastern section that add up to approximately 11 acres.  There is an approximately 20 acre parcel zoned Industrial (M) in between the two areas requesting a rezone.  Five of the six parcels are undeveloped land.  The sixth parcel, Parcel No. 133224120150, has a church facility.  Parcel No. 133224120100 has been used for storing trailers. 

According to the topographic maps, the slope is relatively flat on these parcels.  There is a wetland mapped in the northeast section of Parcel No. 133224120100 and a stream in the south part of the parcel.  Hagen Consulting has categorized the wetland as a Category 3 and the stream as a Type Np (old type 5).  The Soil Survey of Clallam County Area, Washington ((1987) indicates that the main soil type is Ozette silt loam, which tends to be a deep, moderately well-drained soil on hillsides.  The loam is formed in "loess and glacial till derived mainly from sandstone and siltstone and is underlain by compact glacial till"..   




Applicant Request

The applicant is requesting that the County Comprehensive Plan be amended to change the zoning of these six parcels from their current zoning of URH to UC.  The applicant contends that the UC properties are unavailable and that acreage in the UC zone needs to be increased to allow business expansion and housing development in the Clallam Bay-Sekiu UGA.  The UC zoning allows 36 permitted uses while the URH only allows 14 of the 36 uses.  UC has only four prohibited uses while URH has those four land uses and an additional 19 that are prohibited. See Sheet A-CCC 33.13.010 Urban Residential High Density (URH) and Sheet B-CCC 33.15.090 Urban Center (UC) for information on land uses for each zone.  Both zones allow single family and multi-family residential development; however, the URH zone is free from commercial and industrial activities.  The URH allows a density of 3.48 dwelling units (du) per acre.  The density in the UC zone can have even higher densities ranging from 6.22 du/acre for a single-family dwelling with a minimum lot size of 7,000 sq ft. to more than 11.17 du/acre for five or more dwellings with a minimum lot size of 19, 500 sq ft. (Higher densities are allowed if in excess of 5 units and with minimum lot sizes in excess of 19,500 sq ft.  Higher densities are generally encouraged in UGAs.)  There is sewer available in the Clallam Bay - Sekiu UGA and capacity to handle additional development.  If business and residential development occur, there are likely to be impacts to roads and water services.

Currently there are approximately 673 acres zoned URH and approximately 290 acres zoned UC.  Figure 2 shows current zoning in the Clallam Bay-Sekiu UGA.  Table 1 shows some statistics concerning the approximate percentages of lands vacant, occupied, and developable for each zone under current zoning and the percentages if the rezone were accepted.

Table 1

Current Zoning                   
                Acres    % Vacant    % Occupied    % Developable    %UGA
    URH    673            60                    15                    67                59
    UC      290            51                    34                    80                 26
                   
Rezone Accepted                   
                Acres    % Vacant    % Occupied    % Developable    %UGA
    URH    630            58                16                    65                    55
    UC      333            57                30                    83                    29
                   

Pertinent Clallam County Criteria for Approval of Amendment

In considering an application for comprehensive plan and zoning map amendment, the Planning Commission and Board of County Commissioners are obligated to evaluate the amendment with regard to specific criteria contained in Section 33.35.090 of the Zoning Code, and Section 31.08.370 of the Comprehensive Plan. An amendment application should address these criteria. These criterion, or "Required Showing for an Amendment" provide the scope of consideration that the Planning Commission and Board must respond to in order to determine if a rezone is to be approved. The required showing includes the following:

CCC 33.35.090, Required showing for an amendment.
     The Planning Commission and the Board of County Commissioners shall determine that a proposed amendment is consistent with all the following criteria before approval:
(1) The proposed amendment is consistent with the County Comprehensive Plan.
(2) The proposed amendment is consistent with interlocal agreements, transportation, parks and recreation, capital facility, utility, watershed, and other applicable land use and environmental plans adopted by the County.
(3) The proposed amendment will not be detrimental to the public health, safety, and welfare.
(4) The proposed amendment is necessary due to changed conditions or circumstances from the time the property was given its present designation which warrants consideration of a different land use designation. This criterion only applies to Comprehensive Plan and zoning map amendments.
(5) The proposed amendment will not result in probable significant adverse impacts to the adequacy of public facilities and services including, but not limited to, transportation, sewer, water, storm water, utilities, and parks required to meet urban or rural needs, and will not place uncompensated burdens upon existing and planned services.

CCC 31.08.370, Required showing for an amendment.
The Planning Commission and the Board of County Commissioners shall determine that a proposed amendment is consistent with all the following criteria before approval:
(1) The proposed amendment is consistent with the spirit and intent of this title.
(2) The proposed amendment is consistent with the spirit and intent of CCC Title 33, Zoning, and with interlocal agreements, transportation, parks and recreation, capital facility, utility, watershed, and other applicable land use and environmental plans and policies adopted by the County.
(3) The proposed amendment will not be detrimental to the public health, safety, and welfare.
(4) The proposed amendment is necessary due to changed conditions or circumstances from the time the property was given its present designation which warrants consideration of a different land use designation.  This criterion only applies to Comprehensive Plan and zoning map amendments.
 (5) The proposed amendment will not result in probable significant adverse impacts to the adequacy of public facilities and services including, but not limited to, transportation, sewer, water, storm water, utilities, and parks required to meet urban or rural needs, and will not place uncompensated burdens upon existing and planned services.
(6) The cumulative effects of proposed amendments have been assessed and determined to be consistent with the spirit and intent of this title.

Schedule

Clallam County would appreciate receiving your input on the proposed rezone/Comprehensive Plan Map amendment application to assist us in deciding on the appropriate SEPA threshold determination and to provide us with your preliminary views on this issue to aid us in the evaluation for our staff report.  Please send your input to us by June 18, 2007, at the latest.  It is anticipated that a SEPA determination will be decided by June 21, 2007 and a public hearing will be held on this rezone application at the Clallam County Planning Commission meeting in July or August.  You will have additional opportunities to provide input after the SEPA determination and for the public hearing before the Clallam County Planning Commission.  DCD will send you notification of these events when the schedule is finalized.  If you should require additional clarification, please contact me at (360) 417-2423 or ccreasey@co.clallam.wa.us.

Sincerely,

Carol L. Creasey
Senior Planner
Clallam County Dept. of Community Development
223 4th Street, Suite 5
Port Angeles, WA  98382

Encl: Figure 1- Base Map
        Figure 2- Clallam Bay-Sekiu UGA
       
        Sheet A-CCC 33.13.010 Urban Residential High Density (URH)
        Sheet B-CCC 33.15.090 Urban Center (UC)