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County engineer proposes design-standard amendment for short-plat access roads serving four or fewer lots
Summary
Cowlitz County staff presented a draft memo to add a "type D bridal driveway and access road" to the county—s design standards so short plats creating four or fewer lots have a distinct standard. Staff said the memo will accompany a public hearing and that building and planning interprets ownership questions for subdividing adjoining lots.
Cowlitz County engineers proposed amending the county—s design standards to add a "type D bridal driveway and access road" tailored to short plats that create four or fewer lots.
County Engineer Susan Eugenius told the board the draft memo implements changes directed by the board to follow revisions in the short-plat code. She said the memo and the updated standards will appear on the agenda on the same day as the public hearing and, if adopted, will take effect immediately.
"Adding that type d bridal driveway and access road to our standards so that the others will not apply to it," Eugenius said, describing the intent to provide a specific standard for those short-plat access situations. She said she had worked through the language with Doug Jensen to ensure it covered the county's needs.
A commissioner asked how the rule applies when adjoining lots have separate ownerships. Eugenius said building and planning interprets ownership for subdivision purposes. If adjoining parcels are held under separate ownership—such as separate LLCs—building and planning may allow successive short plats rather than a single long subdivision, which could permit multiple short-plat developments without constructing a larger road.
Eugenius asked the board for questions or concerns and said staff will bring the draft memo forward for the public hearing and adoption on the agenda day.
