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A. Applicability to Development. Any application for approval of a permit for subdivision, short subdivision, site development plan, conditional use permit, building permit, changes in occupancy and other applications pertaining to land uses in the City of Snohomish, but not building permits for single-family residential dwellings, attached or detached accessory apartments, or duplex conversions, on existing tax lots will be subject to the provisions of this chapter.

B. City Engineer’s Recommendation – Approval.

1. In approving or permitting a development, the approval authority shall consider the City Engineer’s recommendations and act in conformity with this chapter.

2. The City Engineer shall only recommend approval of a development, if, in the City Engineer’s opinion, adequate provisions for City streets, access, and mitigation of the transportation impacts of the development are made as provided in the City’s development regulations, SEPA, and this chapter.

3. The City Engineer shall only recommend approval of a development if the development is deemed to be concurrent in accordance with this chapter.

C. Excessive Expenditure of Public Funds. If the location, nature, and/or timing of a proposed development necessitates the expenditure of public funds in excess of those currently available for the necessary street improvement or is inconsistent with priorities established to serve the general public benefit, and if provision has not otherwise been made to meet the mitigation requirements as provided in this chapter, the City may refuse to approve or grant a permit for development. As an alternative, the City may allow the developer to alter the proposal so that the need for street improvement is lessened or may provide the developer with the option of bearing all or more than the development’s proportionate share of the required street improvement costs.

D. Development Mitigation Obligations. Any application for approval of a permit for a development shall be reviewed to determine any requirements or mitigation obligations that may be applicable for the following:

1. Impact on street system capacity;

2. Impact on specific level-of-service deficiencies;

3. Impact on specific inadequate street condition locations;

4. Frontage improvements requirements;

5. Access and transportation system circulation requirements;

6. Dedication or deeding of right-of-way requirements;

7. Transportation demand management measures.

E. Street System Capacity Requirements. The direct traffic impacts of any development on the capacity of all intersections, arterials and non-arterials in the street system identified as needing future capacity improvements in the currently adopted Transportation Element will be mitigated either by constructing street improvements which offset the traffic impact of the development or by paying the development’s share of the cost of the future capacity improvements.

F. Level-of-Service Standards.

1. As required by RCW 36.70A.070(6)(a), standards for levels of service on City arterials have been adopted by the City in the Comprehensive Plan. The Department will plan, program and construct transportation system capacity improvements for the purpose of maintaining these adopted level-of-service standards in order to facilitate new development that is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan.

2. In accordance with RCW 36.70A.070(6)(b), no development will be approved which would cause the level-of-service on any arterial unit or intersection to fall below the adopted level-of-service standards unless improvements are programmed and funding identified which would remedy the deficiency within six (6) years.

3. When the City Council determines that excessive expenditure of public funds is not warranted for the purpose of maintaining adopted level-of-service standards on an intersection or arterial unit, the City Council may designate by motion such intersection or arterial unit as being at ultimate capacity. Improvements needed to address operational and safety issues may be identified in conjunction with such ultimate capacity designation.

G. Inadequate Pre-existing Street Condition.

1. Mitigation of impacts on inadequate pre-existing street conditions is required in order to improve inadequate streets in accordance with adopted standards, prior to dealing with the impacts of traffic from new development. If such inadequate conditions are found to be existing in the street system at the time of development application review and the development will put three (3) or more p.m. peak-hour trips through the identified locations, the development may be approved only if provisions are made in accordance with this chapter for improving the inadequate street conditions.

2. The City Engineer shall make determinations of street inadequacy in accordance with Department policies, standards, and procedures, as adopted pursuant to this chapter.

H. Frontage Improvements. All developments will be required to make frontage improvements in accordance with City standards, except where determined untimely by the City Engineer due to the absence of street frontage improvements in the vicinity or to scheduled public improvement projects.

I. Access and Transportation Circulation Requirements. All developments shall be required to provide for access and transportation circulation in accordance with the Comprehensive Plan and the development regulations applicable to the particular development, to design and construct such access in accordance with the adopted engineering design and development standards, and to improve existing streets that provide access to the development in order to comply with adopted design standards.

J. Right-of-Way Requirements. As provided for by RCW 82.02.020, all developments, as a condition of approval, will be required to deed or dedicate property, as appropriate pursuant to City standards, when to do so is found by the City Engineer or a City approval authority to be reasonably necessary as a direct result of the proposed development for improvement, use, or maintenance of the street system serving the proposed development.

K. Development Permit Application Completeness. For purposes of this chapter, permit applications for development shall be determined to be complete in accordance with the complete application provisions as defined in the applicable development regulations in accordance with Chapter 36.70B RCW. A development permit application shall not be considered complete until all traffic studies or data required in accordance with this chapter and/or as specified in a pre-application meeting conducted pursuant to this title are received. Review periods and time limits shall be established in this title in accordance with Chapter 36.70B RCW.

L. Authorization for Administrative Policies and Technical Standards and Procedures. The City Engineer is hereby authorized to produce and maintain administrative policies and technical standards and procedures in order to administer this chapter. The policies, standards, and procedures shall cover the transportation-related aspects of processing land use applications and shall set forth any necessary procedural requirements for developers to follow in order for their applications to be processed by staff in an efficient manner. The City Engineer shall produce administrative policies and technical standards and procedures on at least the following topics:

1. Traffic studies: scoping, elements, processing.

2. Level-of-service determination: methodology, data collection.

3. Transit compatibility: transit supportive criteria.

4. Inadequate street conditions: criteria for identification.

5. Frontage improvements: standards, variables.

6. Mitigation measures: extent, timing, agreements. (Ord. 2290, 2016; Ord. 2391, 2020)