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Dear Commissioners,
I suggest that you consider making a change to the Site Development Review (SDR) and the Legal Lot of Record (LLOR). This 2022 change is taking up a lot of time and money for both staff
and applicants, further discouraging people from developing in our county. A staff member has been hired solely to process SDRs, even though we are already short on staff time.
My suggestion is that the SDR is incorporated into:
1. A septic permit. The septic permit will need to consider the lot size, setbacks, and the location of the current home or the proposed house. The septic application will include the
soil logs and the septic design. The considerations for septic overlap with the same concerns of the SDR: Is the lot large enough? Are there any wetlands or shoreline considerations?
2. Building permit and ADUs. The SDR can also be incorporated into a building permit. This may not involve a septic permit, as some land has an existing septic system or sewer system.
The building permit may be for a new building, an addition, or an ADU.
3. Land clearing. An SDR can also be incorporated into a land or tree clearing permit.
4. If a buyer is researching whether a parcel is viable, they can conduct a CAM. With the overlays of wetlands, seismic shift, shorelines, and other information, this can be done fairly
quickly. Hopefully, a CAM can be accommodated within a reasonable time frame. Sellers of property are not willing to wait forever.
This SDR takes additional time for both the staff and the applicants.
Imagine: SDR application.... wait. Septic application... wait. Building permit... wait. It is no surprise that Jefferson County has a poor reputation for being able to build. Why struggle
when one can go to Kitsap, Clallam, or Mason without this struggle? Do we want affordable housing- or not? We need a broader tax base. We need to encourage building.
Sincerely,
Teri Nomura
161nomura@gmail.com <mailto:161nomura@gmail.com>
360-531-1602