§ 22.56.260. Essential public facilities siting process.

A.

The following uses are considered essential public facilities and shall require a special use permit as indicated in each individual zone. Additionally, the siting process outlined in Section 22.56.260B shall be followed.

1.

Airports;

2.

Terminal facilities;

3.

State education facilities;

4.

Large scale state or regional transportation facilities;

5.

Prisons, jails and other correctional facilities;

6.

Solid waste handling facilities;

7.

Inpatient facilities including substance abuse facilities (including but not limited to intensive inpatient facilities; long term residential drug treatment facilities; recovery house facilities);

8.

Mental health facilities (including but not limited to congregate care facilities; adult residential treatment facilities; evaluation and treatment centers);

9.

Sewage treatment facilities (not including individual or community waste-water treatment systems);

10.

Emergency communication towers and antennas;

11.

Secure community transition facilities.

B.

Essential public facilities identified as special uses in the zoning district shall be subject, at a minimum, to the following requirements:

1.

Essential public facilities classified as follows:

a.

Type One. Multicounty Facilities. These are major facilities serving or potentially affecting more than one county. These facilities include, but are not limited to, regional transportation facilities, such as regional airports, state correction facilities, and state educational facilities.

b.

Type Two. These are local or interlocal facilities serving or potentially affecting residents or property in more than one jurisdiction. They could include, but are not limited to, county jails, county landfills, community colleges, sewage treatment facilities, emergency communication towers and antennae, secure community transition facilities, and inpatient facilities (e.g., substance abuse facilities, mental health facilities, and group homes). (Note: Such facilities which would not have impacts beyond the jurisdiction in which they are proposed to be located would be Type Three facilities.)

c.

Type Three. These are facilities serving or potentially affecting only the jurisdiction in which they are proposed to be located.

In order to enable the county to determine the project's classification, the applicant shall identify the proposed service area of the facility and the approximate area within which the proposed project could potentially have adverse impacts, such as increased traffic, public safety risks, noise, glare, emissions, or other environmental impacts.

2.

Provide early notification and involvement of affected citizens and jurisdictions as follows:

a.

Type One and Two facilities. At least ninety days before submitting an application for a Type One or Type Two essential public facility, the prospective applicant shall notify the affected public and jurisdictions of the general type and nature of the proposal, identify sites under consideration for accommodating the proposed facility, and identify opportunities to comment on the proposal. Applications for specific projects shall not be considered complete in the absence of proof of a published notice regarding the proposed project in a newspaper of general circulation in the affected area. This notice shall include the information described above and shall be published at least ninety days prior to the submission of the application.

The Thurston Regional Planning Council may provide the project sponsor and affected jurisdictions with their comments or recommendations regarding alternative project locations during this ninety day period.

(Note: The purpose of this provision is to enable potentially affected jurisdictions and the public to collectively review and comment on alternative sites for major facilities before the project sponsor has made their siting decision.)

b.

The requirements of subsection B2a above do not apply to the expansion of existing facilities where the gross floor area of the facility (excluding accessory buildings), as of the effective date of this provision, is increased by less than twenty-five percent for Type One essential public facilities, or is increased by less than sixty percent for Type Two facilities. For land-based facilities, such as regional airports and landfills, the requirements of subsection B2a above do not apply to the expansion of existing facilities where the facility capacity (excluding accessory buildings) or gross land area, as of the effective date of this provision, is increased by less than twenty-five percent for Type One facilities or is increased by less than sixty percent for Type Two facilities.

c.

Type Three facilities. Type Three essential public facilities are subject to the county's standard notification requirements for special uses.

3.

Should any of the above-listed facilities be proposed to be sited in the Tumwater UGA, they should be consistent with the intent of the underlying zoning of the proposed site.

4.

Essential public facilities shall not have any probable significant adverse impact on critical areas or resource lands, except for lineal facilities, such as highways, where no feasible alternative exists (adapted from county-wide planning policy 4.2(a)).

5.

Major public facilities which generate substantial traffic should be sited near major transportation corridors (adapted from county-wide planning policy 4.2(b)).

6.

Applicants for Type One essential public facilities shall provide an analysis of the alternative sites considered for the proposed facility. This analysis shall include the following:

a.

An evaluation of the site's capability to meet basic siting criteria for the proposed facility, such as size, physical characteristics, access, and availability of necessary utilities and support services;

b.

An explanation of the need for the proposed facility in the proposed location;

c.

The site's relationship to the service area and the distribution of other similar public facilities within the service area or jurisdiction, whichever is larger; and

d.

A general description of the relative environmental, traffic, and social impacts associated with locating the proposed facility at the alternative sites which meet the applicant's basic siting criteria. The applicant shall also identify proposed mitigation measures to alleviate or minimize significant potential impacts.

e.

The applicant shall also briefly describe the process used to identify and evaluate the alternative sites.

7.

The proposed project shall comply with all applicable provisions of the Tumwater Joint Plan, Zoning Ordinance, and other county regulations.

C.

The following table shall denote Thurston County's policies for siting and expansion of essential public facilities within existing zones in the Tumwater UGA:

Tumwater UGA Essential Public Facility

Siting Policies for County Zoning

EPF Code

Tumwater UGA Zones

RSR

SFL

SFM

MFM

MFH

MU

NC

GC

CD

LI

HI

BP

GB

OS

A

B

P

C

S

S

S

S

D

S

S

S

S

S

E

S

S

S

S

F

S

S

G

S

S

S

S

H

S

S

S

S

I

S

S

J

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

K

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

S

 

Figure 22.56.260A

Figure 22.56.260A Notes:

S means special use.

P means permitted use.

Areas without a P or S mean use is not permitted.

Legend:
RSR	= Residential/sensitive resource
SFL	= Single-family low density
SFM	= Single-family medium density
MFM	= Multifamily medium density
MFH	= Multifamily high density
MU	= Mixed use
NC	= Neighborhood commercial
CD	= Commercial development
GC	= General commercial
LI	= Light industrial
HI	= Heavy industrial
BP	= Business park
GB	= Greenbelt
OS	= Open space

 

EPF (Essential Public Facility) Codes

Tumwater UGA List of Essential Public Facilities
Essential Public Facility Code	Essential Public Facility
A	Airports
B	Terminal facilities
C	State education facilities
D	Large scale state or regional transportation facilities*
E	Prisons, jails and other correctional facilities
F	Solid waste handling facilities
G	Inpatient facilities including substance abuse facilities (including but not limited to: intensive inpatient facilities; long term residential drug treatment facilities; recovery house facilities)
H	Mental health facilities (including but not limited to: congregate care facilities; adult residential treatment facilities; evaluation and treatment centers)
I	Sewage treatment facilities (not including individual or community waste-water treatment systems)
J	Emergency communication towers and antennas
K	Secure community transition facilities

 

Figure 22.56.260B

(Ord. 13040 Attach. G § 2, 2003; Ord. 12807 §§ 16—18, 2002; Ord. 12463 §§ 59, 74, 75, 2001; Ord. 11500 § 42, 1997: Ord. 11274 § 2 (part), 1996)