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A. Allowed Density. Density shall be calculated pursuant to LUC 20.25H.045.

B. Conservation Subdivision.

1. When Required. Proposals for residential subdivision within the Critical Areas Overlay District shall be processed as a conservation subdivision pursuant to this subsection B in the following cases:

a. The amount of critical area and critical area buffer on the site totals at least one acre; or

b. The site abuts a known salmon-bearing stream; or

c. The critical area or critical area buffer on the site abuts a critical area or critical area buffer on another site, or a site owned or managed by the City or other public agency for open space or park uses.

2. Tract Required. The property owner receiving approval of a residential subdivision pursuant to this section shall delineate the critical area and critical area buffer and set aside such areas in separate tracts, designated as Native Growth Protection Area(s) (NGPA) on the face of the final plat. The final plat shall contain the following restrictions for use, development and disturbance of such NGPA(s) in a format approved by the City Attorney:

a. An assurance that: the tract will be kept free from all development and disturbance except where allowed or required for habitat improvement projects, vegetation management, or new or expanded City parks pursuant to LUC 20.25H.055; and that native vegetation, existing topography, and other natural features will be preserved for the purpose of preventing harm to property and the environment, including, but not limited to, controlling surface water runoff and erosion, maintaining slope stability, buffering and protecting plants and animal habitat;

b. The right of the City of Bellevue to enter the property to investigate the condition of the NGPA;

c. The right of the City of Bellevue to enforce the terms of the NGPA; and

d. A management plan for the NGPA designating future management responsibility.

3. Dimensional Standards Modification. The dimensional standards set forth in LUC 20.20.010 are modified as follows for sites processed through the conservation subdivision process. All other dimensional standards and requirements of LUC 20.20.010 shall apply, including applicable footnotes:

Land Use District

R-1

R-1.8

R-2.5

R-3.5

R-4

R-5

R-7.5

R-10 (3)

R-15 (3)

R-20 (3)

R-30 (3)

Minimum Setbacks of Structures (feet) Front Yard (1) (2) (7)

25

20

10

10

10

10

10

10

10

10

10

Rear Yard (4) (7)

20

20

20

15

15

15

15

20

20

20

20

Side Yard (4) (7)

5

5

5

5

5

5

5

5

5

5

5

2 Side Yards (4) (7)

15

10

10

10

10

10

10

10

10

10

10

Minimum Lot Area Acres (A) or Sq. Ft.

22,750

13,000

8,775

6,500

5,525

4,680

3,055

5,525

5,525

5,525

5,525

Maximum Lot Coverage by Structures (percent)

(5)

(5)

(5)

(5)

(5)

(5)

(5)

(5)

(5)

(5)

(5)

Impervious Surface

(6)

(6)

(6)

(6)

(6)

(6)

(6)

(6)

(6)

(6)

(6)

Notes:

(1)Any garage or other structure shall be set back the minimum necessary to allow on-site parking on any driveway without blocking a sidewalk, for proposals without garages, there shall be sufficient area on the site to allow for required on-site parking without blocking a sidewalk.

(2)Where the front yard setback is reduced below the minimum setback established in LUC 20.20.010, all front yard setbacks along a public right-of-way shall be the same for each lot in the development, so that the minimum front yard setback is also the maximum front yard setback.

(3)Where there is a conflict between this subsection B.3 and the requirements of the Transition Area Overlay District, the provisions of the Transition Area Overlay District shall prevail.

(4)The required yard setback may not be reduced below the minimum required for the underlying land use district where the development abuts another subdivision or development with the same or lower density land use designation, where the majority of the lots in the abutting development meet or exceed the minimum dimensional requirements for its land use district.

(5) Lot Coverage:

The maximum lot coverage for each lot is determined by multiplying the maximum lot coverage in the underlying land use district by the lot coverage factor. The lot coverage factor is:

Lot coverage factor = 1 + ((required minimum lot size - actual lot size)/required minimum lot size)

The following example illustrates this calculation:

Underlying land use district, R-3.5

Maximum lot coverage for district is 0.35

Required minimum lot size is 10,000 square feet

Actual lot size in proposed conservation subdivision is 6,800 square feet

Lot coverage factor = 1 + ((10,000 - 6,800)/10,000) = 1.32

Allowed lot coverage = 0.35 x 1.32 = 0.46 (rounded to nearest hundredth)

(6) Impervious Surface: Impervious surface for the subdivision considered on the whole shall not exceed 50 percent, based on the total site size. The final plat shall designate the allowed impervious surface for each separate lot.

(7)A required minimum setback may not be reduced below that required to maintain the minimum separation between structures required by the International Building Code, as adopted and amended by the City of Bellevue, considering the location of existing structures on abutting properties.

4. Site Design.

a. Roads must be designed parallel to contours with consideration to maintaining consolidated areas of natural topography and vegetation. Access must be located in the least sensitive area feasible; and

b. Change in grade, cleared area and volume of cut or fill on the site must be minimized; and

c. Utilities and other facilities should be located to utilize common corridors wherever possible; and

d. Each lot with slopes in excess of 25 percent shall demonstrate provision for feasible driveway access to a future residence not to exceed 15 percent or provide for meeting emergency access and fire protection by other means allowed by applicable codes, and shall demonstrate feasibility of construction of a residence on the lot through a design consistent with the standards of this code. Shared driveway access and private roads should be utilized where significant reduction of grading can be accomplished compared to separate driveway access for each individual lot.

C. Conventional Subdivision. Proposals for residential subdivision not required to satisfy the provisions of subsection B of this section shall meet the following requirements:

1. Lot Location.

a. Lots which contain critical area or critical area buffers must be configured in a manner which, to the maximum extent possible, will allow a structure to be built on the least sensitive portion of the site; and

b. Lots which contain critical area or critical area buffers must be configured in a manner which will allow a designated building pad to be located outside of any critical area or critical area buffer.

2. Site Design.

a. Roads must be designed parallel to contours with consideration to maintaining consolidated areas of natural topography and vegetation. Access must be located in the least sensitive area feasible; and

b. Change in grade, cleared area and volume of cut or fill on the site must be minimized; and

c. Utilities and other facilities should be located to utilize common corridors wherever possible; and

d. Critical areas, critical area buffers, and retained significant trees shall be placed in Native Growth Protection Easements (NGPE) designated on the final plat document. The final plat shall contain the following restrictions for use, development and disturbance of the NGPE in a format approved by the City Attorney:

i. An assurance that: the NGPE will be kept free from all development and disturbance except where allowed or required for habitat improvement projects, vegetation management, and new or expanded City parks pursuant to LUC 20.25H.055; and that native vegetation, existing topography, and other natural features will be preserved for the purpose of preventing harm to property and the environment, including, but not limited to, controlling surface water runoff and erosion, maintaining slope stability, buffering and protecting plants and animal habitat;

ii. The right of the City of Bellevue to enter the property to investigate the condition of the NGPA or NGPE upon reasonable notice;

iii. The right of the City of Bellevue to enforce the terms of the NGPE; and

iv. A management plan for the NGPE designating future management responsibility.

e. NGPEs on individual lots within the plat shall be contiguous with NGPEs on other lots to the maximum extent feasible; and

f. Each lot with slopes in excess of 25 percent shall demonstrate provision for feasible driveway access to a future residence not to exceed 15 percent or provide for meeting emergency access and fire protection by other means allowed by applicable codes, and shall demonstrate feasibility of construction of a residence on the lot through a design consistent with the standards of this code. Shared driveway access and private roads should be utilized where significant reduction of grading can be accomplished compared to separate driveway access for each individual lot.

D. Additional Requirements for Plats with Areas of Special Flood Hazard.

1. All lots created through subdivision shall have adequate building space outside the 100-year floodplain, the floodway, and the channel migration zone.

2. Subdivisions shall be designed to minimize or eliminate flood damage and impacts to floodplain functions and values. Public utilities and facilities that are installed as part of such subdivisions, such as sewer, gas, electrical, and water systems, shall be located and constructed to also minimize or eliminate flood damage and impacts to floodplain functions and values. Subdivisions should be designed using natural features of the landscape and should not incorporate flood protection changes.

3. Subdivisions shall have adequate natural surface water drainage in accordance with locally adopted surface water management requirements to reduce exposure to flood hazards; and

4. Subdivisions shall show the 100-year floodplain, floodway, and channel migration zone on the preliminary and final plat and short plat maps and designate such areas as “no build,” when applicable.

5. Where detailed base flood elevation data has not been provided or is not available from another authoritative source, it shall be generated for subdivision proposals and other proposed developments which contain either 50 lots or involve five acres, regardless of the number of lots. (Ord. 6670, 7-18-22, § 36; Ord. 6521, 7-27-20, § 9; Ord. 5682, 6-26-06, § 2)