Ordinance 3676-19 - Laserfiche WebLink

AI. The planning director shall only allow a buffer width reduction when the proposal includes a critical areastream and buffer enhancement plan that improves the functions of the buffer and the critical areastream.An enhanced buffer shall not result in more than a fifty percent reduction in the standard buffer width for buffers that arc unvegetated, sparsely vegetated, or vegetated with buffer width averaging. B2. A mitigation/enhancement plan shall be prepared per in accordance with Section 37.180.E of this chapter.The plan shall include a comparative analysis of buffer functions prior to and after enhancement,together with proposed buffer width reduction,will result in an increase in the buffer and stream functions when compared with the function of the standard buffer.At a minimum, the report shall address soils, slopes, existing and proposed vegetation, temporary irrigation, maintenance, monitoring and contingency. C3-. If a limited portion of the buffer has been previously legally altered and meets the criteria in this section, a buffer width reduction may be approved for that portion of the required buffer only. D4. The following criteria shall be used to determine when a required buffer is degraded and substantial legal alterations are present: 1a. The required buffer area has been graded or substantially altered and has not been substantially revegetated (i.e.,the buffer is covered with gravel, impervious surface, mowed lawn, or is vegetated with primarily invasive species such as reed canary grass, Himalayan blackberry, purple loosestrife, or other nonnative invasive species covering more than seventy-five percent of the buffer area). 2b. Substantial clearing of the buffer was authorized and substantial revegetation with native species has not occurred. 3e. A buffer that has been logged in the past but that has been revegetated with an overstory of willow, cottonwood, alder,evergreen, or mixed evergreen/deciduous overstory, and an understory shrub layer of noninvasive species does not constitute substantial alteration. ED. Riparian Wetland.Any stream adjoined by a riparian wetland shall have the buffer which applies to the wetland, unless the stream buffer requirement is more protective, in which case the stream buffer requirement shall apply. F. Lake buffers. Lakes have the following buffers of native vegetation: a. Lakes used by salmonids: one hundred feet; b. Lakes with no salmonid use: fifty feet. If a wetland or stream occurs along the fringe of lake,the buffer shall be the greater of that required for the lake or for the wetland or stream. total area on the lot contained within the averaged buffer is not less than that required within the standard buffer. The city may require buffer width averaging in order to provide protection to a vegetative or habitat fq,atures into the buffer. Averaging shall not adversely impact the functions of the stream system. In either case,the adjusted minimum buffer width shall not be less than seventy five percent of the standard buffer width. -- - - ._ • e. _ . Planning Commission Resolution 19-04 Page 51 Critical Areas March 19, 2019