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<br />ORDINANCE Exhibit A - Page 1 of 55 <br />EXHIBIT A <br /> <br />CHAPTER 19.37 CRITICAL AREAS <br />19.37.010 USER GUIDE. <br />Many areas of Everett have been or may become designated, identified, inventoried, classified or rated <br />as critical areas by the city or other public agencies. This chapter establishes regulations for <br />development within or near all critical areas. If you are interested in developing property identified as <br />containing or adjacent to steep slopes, lakes, streams, marine waters, wetlands, springs, erosion hazard <br />areas, landslide hazard areas, seismic hazard areas, or other unstable soil conditions, you should read <br />this chapter. This chapter contains more stringent requirements than other provisions within this title <br />for affected properties. These regulations supersede any less restrictive requirements contained <br />elsewhere in this title. No action may be undertaken by any person which results in any alteration of a <br />critical area or its buffer unless such alteration complies with the requirements of this chapter. <br />Alteration includes the terms “use” and “development” as defined in this title, and includes any <br />modification of the natural environment of critical areas or their buffer including any clearing, grading, <br />filling and/or excavation. Certain exceptions to the requirements of this chapter are listed in EMC <br />19.37.050. <br />19.37.020 PURPOSE. <br />Erosion, flood, landslide, and seismic hazard areas, streams, wetlands, protective buffers, and wildlife <br />habitat areas constitute critical areas that are of special concern to the city. The purpose of this chapter <br />is to designate, classify and protect the critical areas of the Everett community by establishing standards <br />for development and use of properties which contain or adjoin critical areas and thus protect the public <br />health, safety, and welfare by: <br />A. Preserving, protecting, and restoring critical areas by regulating development within such areas and <br />their buffers; <br />B. Mitigating unavoidable adverse impacts by regulating alterations when protection cannot be <br />required; <br />C. Protecting the public from personal injury, loss of life or property damage due to flooding, erosion, <br />landslides, seismic events, or soil subsidence; <br />D. Avoiding publicly financed expenditures to correct misuses of critical areas, which may cause: <br />1. Unnecessary maintenance and replacement of public facilities, <br />2. Publicly funded mitigation of avoidable impacts, <br />3. Public costs for emergency rescue and relief operations where the causes are avoidable, or <br />4. Degradation of the natural environment;