County staff to add ‘Type D’ driveway standard to short-plat rules for four-or-fewer-lot access

Cowlitz County Public Works said it is drafting an amendment to the county’s short-plat design standards to add a Type D driveway/access-road standard for properties proposing four or fewer lots.

County Engineer Susan Eugenis presented a draft memo that would amend design standards to address the short-plat code changes, adding the Type D driveway and access road to the standards so other standards would not apply to those short plats. “This draft memo will also be on the agenda the day the public hearing is to be presented to the board and adopted after the hearing so it can go place that day,” Eugenis said.

Commissioners asked for clarification about how the standard would apply when adjacent parcels have separate ownership. Eugenis said building and planning interprets ownership and that if lots are under separate ownership — for example, different LLCs — each could qualify as a short plat and avoid long-subdivision road requirements. “If they're in separate ownerships under separate LLCs, it is my understanding…that if it's a separate ownership, then the long subdivision wouldn't apply,” she said, adding that Building and Planning would make final determinations.

Eugenis said she worked with Doug Jensen on the draft language and that the amendment aims to ensure the Type D access is recognized as the applicable standard for short plats of this size. Public Works will present the memo to the board at the public hearing and seek adoption so the standard takes effect the same day.

No formal vote or adoption occurred at this meeting; staff will place the draft memo on the public hearing agenda and return with Building and Planning’s interpretations if requested.