23.08.030 Performance standards.
A. Purpose. This section implements the goals and policies of the Bellingham comprehensive plan by establishing the minimum performance standards to guide the layout and design of all actions required to comply with this title while attempting to maximize unit yield. While alternative solutions can be proposed to meet these performance standards, none of the standards may be disregarded unless the director determines that a particular standard is not applicable to a specific proposal.
B. Community Design. The city of Bellingham has adopted neighborhood plans for each of its 25 unique neighborhoods. Each applicant for a subdivision must make reference to the applicable policies for the neighborhood as outlined in the appropriate neighborhood plan and describe how the proposed adjustment or land division addresses the policies within the neighborhood plan.
C. Natural features, that may or may not be regulated by other code provisions, including but not limited to trees, topography, shorelines, streams, wetlands, habitat, geologically hazardous areas, and associated critical area/shoreline buffers, should be incorporated into the overall land division design through preservation to the extent feasible.
D. Clearing and Grading.
1. In addition to demonstrating compliance with the land clearing (Chapter 16.60 BMC), grading (Chapter 16.70 BMC) and Lake Whatcom Reservoir (Chapter 16.80 BMC) regulatory provisions, as applicable, the proposed layout of a land division should include the following standards:
a. Clearing and grading limits are established to avoid impacting critical areas and/or their associated buffers, natural features as identified in subsection (A) of this section and adjacent properties;
b. Good engineering practices have been implemented to ensure the proposed grading:
i. Is the least necessary to protect slope stability and prevent erosion;
ii. Will not result in the excessive use of retaining walls and/or rockeries along lot lines, project’s exterior boundaries, streets and the exterior boundaries of the plat;
iii. Establishes suitable building sites, driveways, public streets, pedestrian corridors, and utilities that are not located on fill. The city may impose a condition of preliminary approval requiring the submittal of a geotechnical report prepared by a Washington State licensed geologist or geotechnical engineer for city review and approval; and
iv. Will not distribute site material resulting from grading to areas within the land division that would cause additional clearing or grading that would otherwise be unnecessary.
E. Dedication. Land dedicated for public infrastructure, including but not limited to right-of-way, utility, and parks and recreation purposes, is incorporated in the land division as necessary to:
1. Rights-of-Way and Utilities. Serve all lots proposed within the subdivision and to provide for orderly extension of public infrastructure for anticipated development in accordance with BMC Title 13 and the comprehensive plan; except this requirement may be waived if the city engineer determines that additional right-of-way will not be necessary for the future traffic circulation of the city, or for future road widening to accommodate anticipated development in the vicinity.
2. Parks and Recreation. Provide open space, trail, and recreation facilities pursuant to the adopted parks, recreation, and open space plan of the comprehensive plan and construct the facilities according to the city’s design standards for park and trail development, as amended.
F. Pedestrian Features. Incorporate pedestrian features into the overall plat design that provide for networks of walking and bicycle facilities that create access to community services and amenities such as schools, parks, shopping centers, public transportation stops, bicycle and pedestrian corridors identified in the city’s bicycle and pedestrian master plans within the proposed land division and to adjoining property that is not subdivided. Pedestrian features should be spaced at 500-foot intervals unless such an interval is not feasible due to a physical hardship that is not a result of the overall plat design.
G. Streets. In addition to demonstrating compliance with BMC Title 13, Streets and Sidewalks, and the city’s development guidelines and public works standards, the overall street layout for a division of land should incorporate the following:
1. Compliance with Comprehensive Plan and Neighborhood Plan. The alignment of arterial streets should be included in a location as nearly as possible with that shown in the most recently adopted city of Bellingham comprehensive plan, the appropriate neighborhood plan and zoning table (Chapter 20.00 BMC).
2. Vehicular and Pedestrian Circulation. Streets and trails proposed within a land division should:
a. Extend to and connect with existing streets abutting its perimeter to provide for the logical extension of streets and utilities for coordinated development of contiguous tracts or parcels of undeveloped land.
b. Include a street network that provides multiple routes within and in/out of a proposed division of land with a grid pattern or a network modified grid of curvilinear streets and/or alleys unless there are physical limitations including critical areas, significant natural features, conflicts with the existing built environment, or adverse topography that prevents such a street pattern.
c. Avoid single points of access, cul-de-sacs, and dead-end streets, unless the city determines such extension is not necessary due to physical conditions that exist on or adjacent to the site.
d. Public and private trails should also be considered in the design of a street network.
3. Access to Local and Arterial Streets. The land division should show all access locations for all lots and proposed streets to maximize safety consistent with BMC Title 13.
4. Safety. Street layouts shall be designed to maximize safety for all modes of transportation. The applicant shall provide, to the extent feasible, a street layout that promotes visibility and reduces user conflicts through the placement of parking areas and the use of curb bulb-outs, landscaping strips, meandering sidewalks and other means of ensuring pedestrian safety and reducing vehicular speed through residential areas.
5. Street Trees. The overall street network is designed to accommodate street trees that can be evenly spaced through all existing and proposed street frontages. To ensure the location of these trees will not conflict with proposed utilities, the required street tree permit and landscape plan shall be reviewed concurrently with the public facility contract application for the required infrastructure. If a location conflict arises, the priority is to redesign the utility location first to ensure a consistent planting schedule for the required street trees. An alternative planting plan should only be allowed if the city determines that there are no other alternative utility designs that would avoid a conflict between the utilities and trees. [Ord. 2018-12-036 § 2 (Exh. A)].