Planning commission backs removal of large agricultural buffer, recommends other landscaping code changes

The North Bend Planning Commission voted to recommend that the City Council adopt proposed amendments to Title 18 that would remove a longstanding 150-foot designated agricultural buffer in some locations and make multiple other landscaping-code changes.

City planning staff said the package of amendments is intended to resolve conflicting code language, encourage sustainable landscaping and simplify the city’s landscape maintenance assurance process. “The purpose of these amendments is to remedy code that may no longer be necessary, to solve existing language conflicts, promote sustainable landscaping methods, and simplify the city's landscape maintenance assurance device,” said Chase Rick, a city planning intern who led the drafting work.

Staff described several core changes. The commission was asked to consider either (a) removing the 150-foot buffer that applies near designated agricultural lands, or (b) reducing and clarifying it so it applies only to privately owned designated agricultural parcels. Staff recommended removing the buffer as duplicative, noting the presence of other physical buffers such as the Snoqualmie Valley Trail and utility corridors.

The proposal would also shorten the required landscape maintenance bond from three years to one year. "A one-year bond will address construction and planting defects; a three-year bond moves into long-term maintenance that the city should not be managing," a staff planner explained during discussion. Staff said other bonds remain longer where appropriate: sidewalk infrastructure currently requires a typical two-year bond and tree-protection bonds are held through the life of construction.

Staff proposed raising the threshold that triggers a maintenance bond from $5,000 to $7,000 so fewer small projects would require bonding. The draft also resolves a conflict in fence-height rules by harmonizing the maximum setback height at 3.5 feet, adds graphics to clarify setback lines, encourages use of native and drought-resistant plantings, clarifies irrigation and encourages rain barrels, and updates map and figure references to match the 2024 comprehensive plan.

Commissioners asked several clarifying questions about where bonds start and end for phased projects, how the different bond types interact, and why the city previously used a three-year maintenance period; staff said a one-year maintenance period typically covers construction defects and installation issues, while other bonds cover long-term items such as sidewalks and tree protection. Mr. Stringfellow, the property owner referenced in staff materials, had submitted comments supporting buffers’ original intent, staff said, but staff concluded the buffer as written is duplicative in many locations.

After discussion, a commissioner moved that the commission recommend approval of the Title 18 landscape amendments as presented and express a preference for Alternative 1 (remove the designated agricultural buffer). The motion was seconded and recorded as the commission’s recommendation to the City Council; the transcript does not record a roll-call vote or tally in the meeting record.

The recommended package will be forwarded to the City Council for further review and possible adoption. Staff noted that some buffer protections remain in other code sections—title and disclosure requirements alert purchasers that parcels are adjacent to designated agricultural lands and to expect typical agricultural impacts such as dust or odors.

Details recorded in the meeting packet and staff presentation will be shared with the Council as part of the formal submittal.