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Ocean Shores hearing examiner considers CUP for three-unit common-wall homes at 697 Sunset Ave. NE
Summary
A City of Ocean Shores hearing examiner heard a conditional use permit request Sept. 24 to allow a three-unit common-wall residential structure and subdivision at 697 Sunset Avenue NE; the panel discussed driveway access and maintenance for a gravel strip in the city right-of-way and left the record open for follow-up.
The City of Ocean Shores hearing examiner held a Sept. 24 hearing on a conditional use permit application from Ocean Design LLC to build a three-unit common-wall residential structure and subdivide the property at 697 Sunset Avenue Northeast to allow individual ownership. The hearing examiner admitted exhibits submitted before the hearing and left the record open for additional materials before issuing a written decision, likely within 10 working days.
The proposal, submitted by Ocean Design LLC in July, would place a three-unit common-wall structure on an approximately 11,954-square-foot lot in an R-5 zone where multifamily medium-density uses are allowed. City planner Christina Breault said the lot’s size yields a theoretical maximum density of about 1 unit per 2,100 square feet — “up to 5.7 dwelling units are allowed on the permitted area” — while the applicant proposes three units.
A central point of discussion was driveway access and maintenance. Larry Butler, the project’s professional land surveyor, said the applicant proposes parking accessed from a wide, underused strip within the Chance A La Muir right-of-way rather than from Sunset Avenue, and described the area as "this huge area of unused space." Butler said the plat shows no direct access from the roadway but allows a gravel strip in front of the lots to provide parking and reduce congestion at the intersection.
Planner Christina Breault told the examiner the city will likely add a condition addressing maintenance of the gravel driveway in the right-of-way. "I will likely include a condition related to this," she said, and the hearing examiner asked the applicant and city staff to propose specific language. Butler said he can add a note to the short plat concerning maintenance and upkeep.
The staff report noted applicable development requirements, including compliance with current building, construction and fire codes; adequate parking per Ocean Shores Municipal Code provisions; required storm drainage design before permits; landscaping per municipal code; and utility assessment or utility charge-in-lieu requirements for newly created parcels. The hearing examiner admitted the prefiled exhibits into the record and requested that any additional exhibits or proposed permit conditions be submitted while the record remains open.
No members of the public spoke at the hearing. The examiner said he would leave the record open for a day or two for follow-up from city staff or the applicant and then issue a written decision within about 10 working days.
The next steps are for the city and applicant to clarify the maintenance arrangement for the gravel driveway on the right-of-way and for the examiner to issue a written decision based on the record and applicable municipal-code criteria.
