Thurston County Critical Areas Ordinance Update July 24, 2012 Board of County Commissioners This Page Intentionally Left Blank Critical Areas Ordinance Table of Contents Adopting Ordinance (No. 14773) …………….........................................................................1 Attachment A: Best Available Science and Information List ………................................31 Attachment B: Title 24 – Thurston County Critical Areas Ordinance……..........................89 Chapter 24.01 General Provisions…………………..........………………………………...........90 Chapter 24.03 Definitions………………………………………………………............……......96 Chapter 24.05 Administrative Provisions……………………....................................................125 Chapter 24.10 Critical Aquifer Recharge Areas……………………………............…………..134 Chapter 24.15 Geologic Hazard Areas……………………………………............……………156 Chapter 24.16 Seismic Hazard Area………………………………………............……………182 Chapter 24.17 Volcanic Hazard Area…………………………………............………………..183 Chapter 24.18 Mine Hazard Area……………………………………………............…………186 Chapter 24.20 Frequently Flooded Areas…………………………………............……..……..191 Chapter 24.25 Fish and Wildlife Habitat Conservation Areas……………............…………....214 Chapter 24.30 Wetlands……………………………………………............…………………...268 Chapter 24.35 Special Reports……………………………………................………………….320 Chapter 24.40 Critical Area Review Permit………………………............……………………364 Chapter 24.45 Reasonable Use Exception…………………………………............…………...367 Chapter 24.50 Nonconforming Uses, Structures and Lots……………............………………..370 Chapter 24.55 Subdivision in Critical Areas………………………................………………...378 Chapter 24.60 Critical Area Signs and Fencing…………………………............……………...380 Chapter 24.65 Critical Area Tracts and Delineations……………............……………………..383 Chapter 24.70 Surety Agreements and Bonds………………………............………………….385 Chapter 24.90 Emergency Authorization……………………………............…………………388 Chapter 24.91 Amendments…………………………………………............………………….390 Chapter 24.92 Enforcement, Violations, and Penalties…………………............……………...392 Critical Areas Ordinance Table of Contents Attachment C: Chapter 17.15 – Agricultural Uses and Lands Critical Areas Ordinance 397 Attachment D: Chapter 17.30 – Noxious Weed Containment……………………..……….439 Attachment E: Chapter 20.30C – Summit Lake Overlay Zone………………………..…...445 Attachment F: Thurston County Zoning Ordinance (Title 20) Variety of Rural Residential Density Amendments…….…………………………………...451 Attachment G: Zoning Ordinance for the Lacey Urban Growth Area Density Amendments (Title 21)………..……………………..………………………………465 Attachment H: Olympia UGA Zoning Ordinance Density Amendment (Title 23)….....................................................................................…….477 Attachment I: Thurston County Code Reference Changes – Chapters 2.05 & 2.06, Titles 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, & 23………………………………...481 Page 1 of 607 ORDINANCE NO. ____________ AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE THURSTON COUNTY CODE FULFILLING THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE GROWTH MANAGEMENT ACT (36.70A RCW) TO UPDATE THE CRITICAL AREAS REGULATIONS BY ADDING A NEW TITLE FOR NONAGRICULTURAL USES CALLED THE THURSTON COUNTY CRITICAL AREAS ORDINANCE (TITLE 24 TCC); AND AMENDING VARIOUS SECTIONS IN CHAPTER 17.15 TCC TO BE THE AGRICULTURAL USES AND LANDS CRITICAL AREAS ORDINANCE AND TO ONLY APPLY TO AGRICULTURAL USES; AND AMENDING CHAPTER 2.05, CHAPTER 2.06, AND CHAPTER 13.56; AND AMENDING BUILDINGS AND CONSTRUCTION (TITLE 14 TCC) CHAPTER 14.21, CHAPTER 14.37, CHAPTER 14.37, AND CHAPTER 14.48; AND AMENDING ENVIRONMENT (TITLE 17 TCC) CHAPTER 17.09, CHAPTER 17.25, AND ADDING CHAPTER 17.30 NOXIOUS WEEDS; AND AMENDING PLATTING AND SUBDIVISION (TITLE 18) CHAPTER 18.04, CHAPTER 18.08, CHAPTER 18.10, CHAPTER 18.12, CHAPTER 18.16, CHAPTER 18.24, CHAPTER 18.28, CHAPTER 18.30, CHAPTER 18.32, CHAPTER 18.47, AND CHAPTER 18.48;AND CHAPTER 19.14; AND AMENDING THE THURSTON COUNTY ZONING ORDINANCE (TITLE 20 TCC) CHAPTER 20.03, CHAPTER 20.05, CHAPTER 20.06, CHAPTER 20.07, CHAPTER 20.08A, CHAPTER 20.08C, CHAPTER 20.08D, CHAPTER 20.09, CHAPTER 20.09A, CHAPTER 20.09B, CHAPTER 20.09C, CHAPTER 20.09D, CHAPTER 20.10A, CHAPTER 20.11A, CHAPTER 20.13A, CHAPTER 20.15, CHAPTER 20.21A, CHAPTER 20.23, CHAPTER 20.27, CHAPTER 20.30, CHAPTER 20.30A, CHAPTER 20.30B, ADDING CHAPTER 20.30C, AND AMENDING CHAPTER 20.31, CHAPTER 20.32, CHAPTER 20.33, CHAPTER 20.37, CHAPTER 20.39, CHAPTER 20.40, CHAPTER 20.44, CHAPTER 20.52, CHAPTER 20.54, CHAPTER 20.56, CHAPTER 20.60, AND CHAPTER 20.62; AND AMENDING THE ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE LACEY URBAN GROWTH AREA (TITLE 21 TCC) CHAPTER 21.03, CHAPTER 21.06, CHAPTER 21.10, CHAPTER 21.12, CHAPTER 21.13, CHAPTER 21.15, CHAPTER 21.18, CHAPTER 21.21, CHAPTER 21.39, CHAPTER 21.44, CHAPTER 21.50, ADDING CHAPTER 21.53, AND AMENDING CHAPTER 21.54, CHAPTER 21.66, CHAPTER 21.70, CHAPTER 21.75, CHAPTER 21.81, CHAPTER 21.93, AND CHAPTER 21.102; AND AMENDING THE TUMWATER UGA ZONING ORDINANCE (TITLE 22 TCC) CHAPTER 22.04, CHAPTER 22.08, CHAPTER 22.10, CHAPTER 22.12, CHAPTER 22.14, CHAPTER 22.16, CHAPTER 22.20, CHAPTER 22.28, CHAPTER 22.30, CHAPTER 22.31, CHAPTER 22.43, CHAPTER 22.46, CHAPTER 22.47, CHAPTER 22.50, CHAPTER 22.54, CHAPTER 22.56, CHAPTER 22.62, AND CHAPTER 22.64; AND AMENDING THE OLYMPIA UGA ZONING ORDINANCE (TITLE 23 TCC) CHAPTER 23.02, CHAPTER 23.04, CHAPTER 23.05, CHAPTER 23.06, CHAPTER 23.20, CHAPTER 23.36, CHAPTER 23.38, CHAPTER 23.37, CHAPTER 23.38, CHAPTER 23.48, CHAPTER 23.50,CHAPTER 23.57, Page 1 of 607 Page 2 of 607 CHAPTER 23.64, CHAPTER 23.72, AND CHAPTER 23.73; AND PROVIDING FOR OTHER MATTERS PROPERLY RELATED THERETO. WHEREAS, the Growth Management Act (GMA) requires the adoption of development regulations that designate and protect critical areas in accordance with RCW 36.70A.60 and RCW 36.70A.170; and WHEREAS, in 1980 Thurston County (County) adopted Ordinance No. 6708 for the physical limitations of land and environmentally sensitive areas which included protections for geologically hazardous areas, critical aquifer recharge areas, wetlands, anadromous fish rearing habitats, and marine bluffs prior to the enactment of the GMA and related regulations in the Thurston County Code (TCC); and WHEREAS, the County designated critical areas and adopted protective regulations under the GMA on December 20, 1993 (Ordinance No. 10528) with amendments adopted on June 3, 1996 (Amended Ordinance No. 11200); April 14, 1997 (Amended Ordinance No. 11398); December 15, 1997 (Amended Ordinance No. 11590); October 1, 1999 (Amended Ordinance No. 12032); July 28, 2009 (Amended Ordinance No. 14260); July 20, 2010, (Amended Ordinance No. 14380); January 25, 2011 (Amended Ordinance No. 14478); July 26, 2011 (Amended Ordinance No. 14542); January 24, 2012 (Amended Ordinance No. 14706); and WHEREAS, Section 36.70A.130 (1) RCW requires the County to take legislative action to review its critical areas designations and its development regulations protecting critical areas and to revise them if needed to comply with the requirements in Chapter 36.70A RCW; and WHEREAS, in 1995, the GMA was amended to require that cities and counties must substantively consider best available science in developing policies and development regulations to protect the functions and values of critical areas and to give special consideration to conservation or protection measures necessary to preserve or enhance anadromous fisheries [RCW 36.70A.172]; and WHEREAS, in light of this amendment to the GMA related to inclusion of best available science and the requirement in Chapter 36.70A.130 RCW to periodically review development regulations, the County has conducted a review of its existing critical areas regulations together with a review of the best available science; and WHEREAS, conserving and restoring viable populations of native species, maintaining the broad range of existing populations of healthy native plants and animals, and protecting the health of populations currently at risk is consistent with the development of critical areas regulations in Washington State; and WHEREAS, Title 365-190 WAC contains provisions for the Minimum Guidelines to Classify Agriculture, Forest, Mineral Lands and Critical Areas; and WHEREAS, Title 365-195 WAC contains procedural criteria for determining and including Best Available Science in development regulations; and Page 2 of 607 Page 3 of 607 WHEREAS, WAC 365-196-485 provisions for the relationship of critical areas regulations to the Comprehensive Plan; and WHEREAS, the GMA requires a process of early and continuous citizen participation for amending comprehensive plans and development regulations; and WHEREAS, the County has invited public participation and comments in conformance with Chapter 2.05 TCC via the formation of stakeholder committees, meetings with stakeholder groups, Planning Commission Public meetings, Board of County Commissioner Public meetings workshops, news releases, newsletters, YouTube Videos, dedicated CAO internet website, Thurston County Television, a dedicated email address, and communication of activities and meetings through a subscriber based web mail service; and WHEREAS, under the schedule established in RCW 36.70A.130 (4), the deadline established for the County to comply with the update required by RCW 36.70A. 130 (1) is December 1, 2005; and WHEREAS, the Board of County Commissioners has made findings of fact relating to critical areas designations and development regulations referenced in this ordinance supporting said amendments which