CRA-10-0056 Landslide-Erosion-Wildlife Habitat-ESLHA-Wetland.pdf
CITY OF EDMONDS
CRITICAL AREAS RECONNAISSANCE REPORT
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Site Location: 16411 – 75 Place West Tax Acct. Number: 00513100008901
Determination:Study Required Determination #: CRA20100056
Owner: Lance Nylander Applicant: Dennis Titus
CRITICAL AREAS RECONNAISSANCE REPORT:STUDY REQUIRED
During review and inspection of the subject site, it was found that the site contains and/or is
adjacent to critical areas, including Geologically Hazardous Areas, Fish and Wildlife Habitat
Conservation Areas, and potential Wetlands pursuant to Chapters 23.40, 23.50, 23.80, and 23.90
of the Edmonds Community Development Code (ECDC). Additionally, the subject site is located
within the North Edmonds Earth Subsidence Landslide Hazard Area.
GENERAL CRITICAL AREAS REPORT REQUIREMENTS
Critical Areas Reports identify, classify, and delineate any areas on or adjacent to the subject
property that may qualify as critical areas. They also assess these areas and identify any potential
impacts resulting from your specific development proposal. If a specific development proposal
results in an alteration to a critical area, the critical areas report will also contain a mitigation plan.
You have the option of completing the portion of the study that classifies and delineates the critical
areas and waiting until you have a specific development proposal to complete the study. You may
also choose to submit the entire study with your specific development application.
Please review the minimum report requirements for all types of Critical Areas that are listed
in ECDC 23.40.090.D. There are additional report requirements for different types of
critical areas (see below).
Note that it is important for the report to be prepared by a qualified professional as defined
in the ordinance. There are options on how to complete a critical areas study, and there is
an approved list of consultants that you may choose from. You may contact the Planning
Division for more information.
General Mitigation Requirements for all Critical Areas are discussed in ECDC 23.40.110
through 23.40.140.
STUDY REQUIREMENT – EROSION HAZARD AREA
It appears that this property contains or is adjacent to an Erosion Hazard Area. Erosion Hazard
Areas include:
Those areas with Alderwood and Everett series soils on slopes of 15 percent or greater.
Any area with slopes of 15 percent or greater and impermeable soils interbedded with
granular soils and springs or ground water seepage.
Areas with significant visible evidence of ground water seepage, and which also include
existing landslide deposits regardless of slope.
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DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS ASSOCIATED WITH EROSION HAZARD AREAS
Development within an Erosion Hazard Area must meet additional criteria.
For erosion hazard areas with suitable slope stability, the only critical area study needed is
an erosion and sediment control plan prepared in compliance with the requirements set
forth in Chapter 18.30 ECDC as part of the construction documents. This option is at the
director’s discretion, per Edmonds Community Development Code section 20.80.050.G.
In areas where the slope stability is not suitable, projects within Erosion Hazard Areas will
require a report by a licensed Geotechnical Engineer or other qualified professional. Note
that it is important for the report to be prepared by a qualified professional as defined in the
ordinance.
Report requirements are given in ECDC 23.80.050, and more generally in ECDC
23.40.090.D.
Development standards are given in ECDC 23.80.060 and 23.80.070.
STUDY REQUIREMENT – LANDSLIDE HAZARD AREA
It appears that this property contains or is adjacent to a Landslide Hazard Area.
A Landslide Hazard Area is any area with a slope of forty percent (40%) or steeper and with
a vertical relief of ten (10) or more feet (except areas composed of consolidated bedrock).
Landslide Hazard Areas are further defined and illustrated in ECDC 23.80.020.B.
In addition to the general requirements for Critical Areas reports referenced above, specific
Critical Area report requirements for Landslide Hazard Areas are provided in ECDC
23.80.050.
DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS ASSOCIATED WITH LANDSLIDE HAZARD AREAS
Development is restricted within a Landslide Hazard Area and its buffer.
Projects that will intrude into these areas will require a report by a licensed Geotechnical
Engineer.
The criteria that are applied depend on the amount that the buffer is reduced.
The buffer can be reduced to a minimum of ten (10) feet (with an additional 15’ building
setback per ECDC 23.40.280) if a report is prepared that meets the standards listed in
ECDC 23.80.050. The alteration must also meet the requirements listed in ECDC
23.80.060.
In addition, proposals to reduce the buffer to less than ten (10) feet must comply with the
design standards listed in ECDC 23.80.070.A.3.
STUDY REQUIREMENT – FISH AND WILDLIFE HABITAT CONSERVATION AREAS
Since the site is located within a mapped fish and wildlife habitat conservation area, the City would
like to preserve as much of the native vegetation as possible.
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DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS ON A SITE WITH FISH AND WILDLIFE HABITAT
CONSERVATION AREAS
The applicant must submit a clearing/tree cutting plan with any development permit. Tree cutting
and clearing of native vegetation shall be limited to the footprint of development.
REPORT REQUIREMENTS – WETLANDS
It appears that the site may contain and/or be adjacent to potential wetlands; this is subject to
confirmation by a qualified biologist. Wetlands are areas inundated or saturated by ground or
surface water that support, under normal circumstances, vegetation adapted for life in saturated
soil.
Wetlands are generally rated according to their size, condition, function, and vegetation
types into four (4) different categories described in ECDC 23.50.010 and by use of the
“City of Edmonds Wetland Field Data Form” by the critical areas consultant.
Buffer widths for wetlands vary depending on the category of the wetland as listed in
ECDC 23.50.040.F.
In addition to the general requirements for Critical Areas reports referenced above, there
are specific Critical Areas report requirements for wetlands that are provided in ECDC
23.50.030.
Note for Lake Ballinger: See ECDC 23.50.010 regarding delineating wetlands around
Lake Ballinger. Provisions for protection of Lake Ballinger shorelines not meeting criteria
for jurisdictional wetlands are provided in the City of Edmonds Shoreline Master Program,
which requires a 35-foot setback from the Ordinary High Water Mark.
DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS ASSOCIATED WITH WETLANDS
Development proposals that encroach into wetlands or their buffers or building setbacks may be
allowed through the approval of certain processes.
The width of a wetland buffer may be reduced through buffer enhancement if the criteria
described in ECDC 23.50.040.F.3 can be met. The maximum amount that a buffer can be
reduced through buffer enhancement is 50%.
A buffer may also be modified through a process called buffer averaging. The criteria
applied to buffer averaging are listed in ECDC 23.50.040.F.4. The maximum amount that
the buffer width can be reduced at any single location through buffer averaging is 50%.
Development proposals that proposed encroachments into buffers beyond what is allowed
through the above methods require a Critical Areas Variance, or a Reasonable Use
Exception. If you think that you have a proposal that may require one of these processes,
please contact a Planner for more information.
Any time a development proposal requires an alteration to a wetland, a mitigation plan is
required as part of the Critical Areas report. In addition to the General Mitigation
requirements referenced above, mitigation requirements specific to wetlands are provided
in ECDC 23.50.050.
NOTE: There are specific performance standards for the subdivision of lands in wetlands
and wetland buffers. These are listed in ECDC 23.50.060.
NORTH EDMONDS EARTH SUBSIDENCE LANDSLIDE HAZARD AREA
The subject site is located adjacent to the designated North Edmonds Earth Subsidence Landslide
Hazard Area (ESLHA). Contact the Building Division for requirements related to the ESLHA.
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ALLOWED ACTIVITIES
Certain activities are allowed in or near critical area buffers as specified in ECDC 23.40.20. If you
have any questions about whether your proposed development qualifies as an allowed activity,
please contact a Planner for more information.
EXEMPT DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS
Certain development proposals may be exempt from Critical Areas Requirements (ECDC
23.40.230). If you think that a specific development proposal may be exempt, contact a Planner
for more information.
Jennifer Machuga, Planner July 1, 2010
Name Signature Date
NOTE: Cited sections of the Edmonds Community Development Code (ECDC) can be found on
the City of Edmonds website at www.ci.edmonds.wa.us.
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