PED 2020-10-19 Item 1A - Discussion - Revisions to Subdivision Code

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1111111111111111111, of Tukwila Allan Ekberg, Mayor INFORMATIONAL MEMORANDUM TO: Planning & Economic Development Committee FROM: Jack Pace, Director, Department of Community Development BY: Jaimie Reavis, Senior Planner CC: Mayor Ekberg DATE: October 19, 2020 SUBJECT: Updates to subdivision procedures. ISSUE Revisions to Chapters 17 and 18 of the Tukwila Municipal Code are needed to establish a process to modify a previously approved preliminary approval for the subdivision of land, and to allow administrative review of final plat applications. Staff is requesting direction from the PED Committee to forward this issue to the Planning Commission for a public hearing. BACKGROUND Tukwila Municipal Code chapters 17 and 18 contain procedures for subdividing land. Two main areas have been identified for revisions: (1) The addition of a process to allow a proposal to be modified after preliminary approval has been issued but before an application has been submitted for final approval. (2) An update to allow administrative review of an application for final subdivision approval in conformance with recent changes in state law (RCW 58.17). The process for subdividing land in Tukwila involves two steps: (1) Preliminary Approval - a determination of approval or conditional approval made by the Short Subdivision Committee (i.e., representatives from Fire, Public Works, Planning, and Building) that an application for subdivision of land meets the applicable criteria. For an application involving 10 or more lots, the recommendations of the Short Subdivision Committee on the Preliminary Approval are referred to the Hearing Examiner or the Planning Commission for a public hearing and a Preliminary Approval determination (2) Final Approval - final review and signatures by all departments after the applicant has addressed any conditions of Preliminary Approval and has prepared the final documents to be recorded with King County. For an application with less than 10 lots, the final review is done by the Short Subdivision Committee and final signature is provided by the DCD Director. For an application involving 10 or more lots, the Final Subdivision Plat to be recorded with King County is signed by the directors of the Tukwila departments of Finance, Public Works, and Community Development, and review of project compliance with the conditions of Preliminary Approval and state and local requirements are referred to the City Council. City Council holds a public hearing, after which they issue a quasi-judicial decision on the Final Subdivision application. After Council approval of the Final Plat, it is signed by the Mayor and attested by the City Clerk.