Development Regulation Amendments - Limited Land Segregations
The Douglas County Board of Commissioners has initiated a proposed amendment to the County’s development regulations. The proposal would amend Douglas County Code Section 18.16.220(E), which allows the creation of “limited land segregations” in agricultural zoning districts and some rural zoning districts.
Limited land segregations allow owners of property to divide their land in instances where the owner does not have enough land to create a division that would otherwise meet standard lot size and density requirements of the zoning district. Presently, limited land segregations are allowed through the short subdivision process, as these types of divisions are intended to create just two lots.
RCW 58.17.060, regarding short subdivisions, specifies that “…land in short subdivisions may not be further divided in any manner within a period of five years without the filing of a final plat, except that when the short plat contains fewer than four parcels, nothing in this section shall prevent the owner who filed the short plat from filing an alteration within the five-year period to create up to a total of four lots within the original short plat boundaries…” In application, this means that:
- If four lots have been created via a short subdivision, not further lot can be divided for a five year period except through the major subdivision process; and,
- If less than four lots were created via a short subdivision and the person proposing to divide either of the lots within a five year period is not the person filing the original short subdivision, these lots can only be re-divided through the major subdivision process.
Recently, an application for a short subdivision proposing to create a limited land segregation was not accepted by Douglas County as the “parent” parcel was created by a short subdivision recorded less than five years ago and the applicant for the limited land segregation is not the original owner. The proposal now in process would remove the language specifying that a short subdivision must be the process used for creating a limited land segregation so that either the short or major plat process could be used to create additional lots.
The proposal is being transmitted to the Washington State Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development to initiate the initial review period, which will end at 5:00 PM on February 28, 2007. Comments from other interested persons, organizations and agencies are also invited. No hearings have been scheduled, although this matter could be set before the Douglas Count Planning Commission on March 19.
Comments should be addressed to:
Mark D. Kulaas, AICP, Director of Land Services
Douglas Co. Dept. of Transportation and Land Services
140 19th Street NW Suite A
East Wenatchee, WA 98802-4191
FAX: (509) 886-3954