20.20.350 Essential public facility (EPF).
A. Applicability. This section applies to each essential public facility (EPF) within the City except where a specific use is otherwise identified and regulated in the use charts in LUC 20.10.440 and Chapter 20.25 LUC. The requirements of this section shall be imposed at the establishment of any such EPF use, and upon any addition or modification to any such EPF use or structure housing that use.
Any EPF specifically identified and regulated in the use charts in LUC 20.10.440 and Chapter 20.25 LUC shall be subject to the permitting procedures and requirements for that use, and shall not be subject to this section.
B. Additional Submittal Requirements. In addition to the application materials required for any permit required to construct or modify the EPF, the applicant shall submit the following material:
1. Information demonstrating compliance with any existing multi-jurisdictional siting criteria in selecting the proposed location for the EPF; and
2. Information regarding all alternative sites considered for the proposed EPF, including information about why such alternative sites were not selected.
C. Decision Criteria. In addition to the decision criteria applicable to any permit required to construct or modify the EPF, the City may approve, or approve with modifications, a proposal to construct or modify an EPF if:
1. The location and design are consistent with any planning document under which the proposing agency, special district or organization operates, as determined by the person or body having authority to interpret such document;
2. The location, design, use and operation of the EPF complies with any applicable guidelines, rules, regulations or statutes adopted by state law, or any agency or jurisdiction with authority;
3. A building which houses all or a majority of an EPF must be compatible with the architectural form of surrounding buildings. This requirement is not applicable to an EPF where significant elements of the facility are not housed in a building or to isolated minor elements such as utility meters;
4. An EPF may be permitted in a Neighborhood Business or Residential Land Use District (R-1 through R-30), only if there is an operational or other need that requires locating in that district to achieve the purpose or function of the EPF;
5. The City may approve a request to exceed the height limit for the underlying land use district if the applicant demonstrates that:
a. The requested increase is the minimum necessary for the effective functioning of the EPF; and
b. Visual and aesthetic impacts associated with the EPF have been mitigated to the greatest extent technically feasible;
6. If the City determines that the EPF is potentially dangerous to human life, appropriate protective measures may be required.
D. Conditions. The City may impose conditions on the location, design, use or operation of the EPF within the scope of the City’s authority in order to mitigate identified environmental, public safety or other impacts of the EPF. (Ord. 5876, 5-18-09, § 12; Ord. 5457, 7-21-03, § 3)