Yamhill Planning Commission denies 57‑lot subdivision, citing inadequate water availability

The Yamhill Planning Commission voted 4‑1 on Feb. 2, 2022, to deny SDV 21‑1, a proposed 57‑lot subdivision by developer Steve Raymond, concluding the record did not support a finding that adequate public water would be available for the development.

The commission’s decision relied on the subdivision criteria noticed for the hearing, specifically Yamhill Municipal Code section 11.08.040(C), which requires that “adequate public facilities shall be made available to serve the existing and newly created lots.” Chair Ken Moore presided over the continuation of the public hearing; no new public testimony was allowed because the record had been closed as of Dec. 15, 2021, with the written record left open to Jan. 12, 2022.

The denial followed extended deliberations over water-system capacity and seismic and storm vulnerabilities, and secondarily sewer and drainage issues. Commissioners and staff considered: the city’s 2018 Water Supply Master Plan, a December 2021 city‑engineer report (AKS/John Christianson), a staff report dated Jan. 13, 2022, public comments from residents and the Yamhill Neighborhood Association, and technical remarks from city public works staff.

City staff and consultants said available water rights and the master plan indicate overall water rights are sufficient but that system limitations in certain seasons can restrict production. “Significant system upgrades will be required to fully utilize the availability of the water rights,” Petra (city staff) read from the adopted master plan. City Engineer John Christianson told the commission that the proposed development’s domestic demand would be “about 5% of the total water the city produces,” a relatively small proportion of average annual production, but he cautioned that seasonal intake and system limits could reduce available supply during dry periods.

Public‑works staff member Jason Wofford described operational and system losses that contributed to the commissioners’…