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Anacortes planning commission reviews broad permit-streamlining package for AMC Title 19
Summary
Planning staff presented proposed amendments to Anacortes Municipal Code Title 19 to streamline permit processing: optional advance site plan review, a new site construction permit for engineering review, an administrative-exception pathway for small numeric reductions (5–10%), and elimination of fence permits for fences up to 7 feet; staff will publish a revised draft for public comment and return Sept. 15.
Planning Manager Libby Grage presented a study-session overview July 14 of proposed amendments to Anacortes Municipal Code Title 19 intended to streamline the city’s permit review process and implement Mayor’s Executive Order 2026-02 (April 2026).
Grage told the Planning Commission the package retools how the city defines and sequences project, building and construction permits, offers applicants the option to obtain site plan review before investing in engineered construction plans, and creates a dedicated site construction permit for engineering review of utilities, roads and stormwater on larger projects. "These proposed code amendments are intended to implement the mayor's executive order," Grage said, describing changes aimed at making the permit process more efficient, predictable and easier to understand.
Why it matters: staff said the changes are meant to give applicants earlier certainty about land use, critical-area mitigation and site layout so they can decide whether to invest in detailed construction documents. Under the proposal, an approved site plan would function similarly to preliminary plat approval: it would establish compliance with zoning and site-design criteria and govern subsequent construction and building-permit reviews until it is modified, expired or revoked.
Key provisions outlined - Site plan review: The draft clarifies the purpose and timing of site plan review (current code in AMC 19.30), allows submission of conceptual site plans before building-permit-level engineering, and provides for limited expiration/vesting rules so subsequent construction permits consistent with an approved site plan will be honored for a defined term. - Site construction permit: A new chapter would create a permit specifically for engineering review (stormwater, utilities, grading) primarily aimed at multifamily projects of four units or more and nonresidential developments with shared infrastructure. - Building permit chapter: A separate chapter would clarify how building permits interact with project and site construction permits and when consolidated review is appropriate. - Administrative exceptions and departures: Staff proposed relocating existing "departures" and adding a new administrative-exception process (proposed Chapter 19.21) that would permit limited reductions to objective numeric standards (presented as a 5–10% range) when narrowly tailored criteria are met. The new chapter explicitly excludes critical areas and shoreline regulations and would require findings to be recorded in the project file for transparency. - Fence permits: The draft would remove the city’s building-permit requirement for fences up to 7 feet, mirroring a state building-code exemption; zoning limits (maximum heights, front-yard limits, sight-triangle rules) would remain in the code and noncompliance would be handled through code enforcement rather than a pre-construction permit.
Commissioner feedback and staff clarifications: Commissioners asked whether the site plan option would apply to single-family homes as well as larger projects; Grage said the code language is broadly applicable but that many applicants will still submit site plans concurrently with building permits. Commissioners raised concerns about monitoring and enforcement: staff said annual monitoring reports for mitigation often stop after five years and code-enforcement complaints or staff observation typically trigger later enforcement. On the administrative-exception range, commissioners discussed whether 5% is too small and 10% too large; staff proposed leaving a 5–10% range in the draft for public comment and returning a recommendation later.
Timing and next steps: Grage said staff will revise the draft based on commission feedback, publish a revised draft for written public comment (at least two weeks), and schedule a planning-commission public hearing for Sept. 15. If the commission makes a recommendation, staff will forward the revisions to the City Council for consideration.
Votes at a glance: The meeting recorded procedural votes to excuse Commissioner Sage (motion moved and seconded; carried unanimously) and to approve the June 9 minutes (motion carried unanimously). Neither vote affected the substance of the Title 19 package.
What’s next: Staff will post the revised draft and notice of availability, accept written comments prior to the public hearing, and return the permit-streamlining package to the commission on Sept. 15 for public hearing and potential recommendation to City Council.
