Home & Garden 2013

2013 Home

& Garden

Remodeling a home for easy living in later years – 12

Mason Bees: Your own hard-working pollinators – 8

2013 Port Townsend & Jefferson County Building Code – 24

INSIDE

Building Codes for Jefferson County, City of Port Townsend

Supplement to the Wednesday, March 20, 2013 Port Townsend and Jefferson County Leader

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2013 Home & Garden ❖ 3

Contents

Index to Advertisers

Reliable contractors

Local association regroups as market changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Page 6

Mason bees

Introduce your own hard-working pollinators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Page 8

Aging in place

Remodel, build a home for easy living in later years. . . . . . . . . . . . . .Page 10

‘How to’ with Habitat

Making a home more accessible . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Page 13

Xeriscaping

Zero water landscaping uses the principles of nature . . . . . . . .Page 14

Lumber with a story

Northwest Timbers LLC repurposes old wood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Page 18

Before you buy or build

Please take some good advice. . . Page 22

2013 Building Codes

Here’s the city, county rule book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Page 24

By the numbers

10-year permit, value history . . .Page 38

2013 Home & Garden Guide PUBLISHER Scott Wilson

COVER Steve Mullensky

SPECIAL SECTION EDITOR Patrick J. Sullivan

COPY EDITORS Robin Dudley Lynn Nowak Sunny Parsons

MARKETING Catherine Brewer Tami Hewitt Carla Patton Sara Radka LAYOUT Chris Hawley

4 ❖ 2013 Home & Garden

CONTACT Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader 226 Adams St. Port Townsend, WA 98368 360-385-2900 ptleader.com

Anderson Construction . . . . . . . . . .21

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Habitat for Humanity. . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Stapf Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Hadlock Building Supply . . . . . . . .40

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Hope Roofing & Construction . . . .21

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Kitsap Credit Union . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 KSI Kelley Shields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 L.D. Richert Construction . . . . . . . . . 5

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2013 Home & Garden ❖ 5

Building on a new normal JCHBA growing again; offer ‘how-to’ sessions

By Patrick J. Sullivan No one has felt the construction market downturn more than people actually drawing plans, pounding nails and excavating for landscaping.

Membership in the Jefferson County Home Builders Association peaked at 97 in 2007, just as the local housing construction boom was tailing off.

There were 31 dues-paying members and associates when Lizanne Coker was hired in November 2012 to be the association’s executive director. Membership in early March stood at 42, and Coker has a wave of changes coming this year to make the entity more accessible and informed.

The association’s coming out party starts April 20 with a special all-day Home & Garden Show at the Port Townsend Community Center.

“We want to be your go-to spot for information on homebuilding in Port Townsend and Jefferson County,” said Coker, 47, who moved to Port Townsend in 1998 with her husband, architect Kevin Coker.

“As a director, I feel it is my job to make sure the public can reach all of my members and my members can reach the public.”

LOCAL MARKET Anyone paying attention knows the building industry in Jefferson County today is nowhere near its crescendo of 2003-2006. New construction actually peaked in 2005 in both the city and county. The so-called bottom began to fall out in 2008, and most of the real estate and development related numbers stopped falling by 2011, with minor improvement in 2012.

Long gone are the heady days when contractors were so busy that work could be turned away, or stacked up two years in advance. A lot of contractors have done well to keep key staff members employed and at least stay in business until better times return.

“The people who have remained,

Jefferson County Home Builders Association Executive Director Lizanne Coker talks with Rich Stapf Jr. in a 1955 Port Townsend home deconstructed by the longtime association member. Photo by Patrick J. Sullivan

obviously, were able to downsize enough to get through and they have picked up new work,” Coker said. “Some people who were smaller [businesses] took jobs with other people. Some businesses closed and they have moved elsewhere or gone on to do something else.”

The home builders’ group was formed in 1983. For 2013, Fred Kimball of Kimball Woodworks returns as association president; second vice president is Kevin Coker of Coker Design Works LLC; Lawrence Graves of Carl’s Building Supply is treasurer and Ann Raab of Olympic Design Group is secretary.

A new website (same web address, jeffcohomebuilders.com) debuts this year along with a new, more accessible business directory of members and associates.

MEMBER BENEFITS Along with marketing the association as a whole, Coker is tasked with keeping up on changes in local, state and national rules and policies. For example, member benefits include being kept up-to-date on changes regarding state Labor and Industries laws, from hiring prac-

6 ❖ 2013 Home & Garden

tices to being a contractor.

“A lot of rules have changed,” Coker said. “Part of my job is making sure our members have the information they need regarding L&I changes.”

Locating and cultivating rebate opportunities is another member service, from rebates for buying a certain brand of pickup, rebates on the purchase of certain construction materials, and rebates from the state based on an accident-free performance.

The PUD’s purchase of Puget Sound Energy assets in East Jefferson County effective April 1, 2013 is bringing changes. Coker said the association is a direct conduit for PUD transition paperwork.

“We are helping to make the transition far less painful than it could be without someone to help coordinate for our members,” Coker said.

REMODELING CHOICE The association in 2013 is tapping into the trend that many homeowners are exploring remodeling options, both from the do-it-yourself perspective and by hiring a contractor.

Coker said a trend in the building industry is people who are “doing less on the large remodel and more on the unique remodel. Those staycations that everyone is taking?

We are not traveling, so let’s make our home more friendly.”

Rec rooms are changed to media rooms, a plain old deck is renovated into an outside kitchen and dining area, and a backyard shed becomes a dedicated garden center.

Bathrooms, always a good candidate for renovation, are part of the “aging in place” trend, Coker said, of homes meant to be more accessible as people age (see story on page 10).

Landscaping choices are also leaning toward ease of long-term maintenance. “The sessions we are hosting this year will talk about the choices, from the right soil, the right plants and how to create a lowmaintenance but very pretty yards,” Coker said.

New types of paints on the market have broadened the palate, and the association’s info sessions intend to help homeowners decide what works best for their situation.

“A lot of it is making the right

Home & Garden show set A Home and Garden Show sponsored by the Jefferson County Home Builders Association is 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 20, upstairs in the Port Townsend Community Center.

It’s free.

Also on April 20 is an Earth Day celebration at the Port Townsend Farmers Market, on Tyler Street outside the community center. There is no other special Earth Day festival planned for Port Townsend that day.

The Home and Garden Show sessions are aimed both at do-ityourselfers and at people who may be looking for information to help them select a contractor.

Session topics are: Aging in Place, Low Impact Gardens, Green Building, Easy to Maintain Roofing, New Trends in Painting, Alternative Building Options, Affordable Housing, Designing the Low Maintenance Yard, a Community Garden update with Local 20/20, and Working with Jefferson County Public Utility District 1 (call before you dig, etc.)

Public outreach continues from 10 a.m. to noon in the PT Community Center on the third Saturday each month (starting April 20). The association also intends to bring free monthly presentations to Port Hadlock; the schedule was still being set at press time March 21. choice for the right materials,” Coker noted.

Association members want to help a property owner make the most of the property and project, Coker said.

“The reality is, the single best investment for your money for most people is your house. You need to take care of your house. A well-maintained house will hold its value, and the owners may be more prepared to sell when conditions are right.”

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2013 Home & Garden ❖ 7

Mason bees work for you Nonaggressive, hard-working pollinators great for your backyard

By Allison Arthur Orchard mason bees – mildmannered, fuzzy little builder bees native to North America – are going to resolve a war in my backyard this year.

Esmeralda, a resident female blacktail deer, and I coexist most of the year. But come fall when the transparent apples ripen, she and her offspring become my bitter enemies. I go out to pick up apples and what do I see? Little deer bites all over every single one. Esmeralda and clan have morphed into an army of Goldilockses – everyone is trying to find the apple that’s “just right.”

Trouble is, since I’ve taken up canning, there aren’t enough apples for them and me.

Which is where those mason bees come into play. Or to work, in my case.

Mason bees are not honeybees and they aren’t bumblebees. They were named “mason” because they are builder bees. They construct compartments in wood for their nests and use mud or clay to plug those nests to keep out predators until they are ready to emerge and do business.

Their claim to fame is simply that they are fabulous pollinators of fruit flowers – like my transparents and plum trees, and maybe the cherry trees, too, if I’m lucky.

But it’s the war over the transparents that I want to end.

So, on a cold winter morning in January, I ventured to Wild Birds Unlimited along U.S. Highway 101 in Gardiner, where co-owner Christie Lassen was giving an hour-long introduction to the wonderful world of mason bees. OK, so there was a $5 recommended donation, which Lassen then passed on to benefit the Northwest Raptor Center. I don’t have a beef with raptors, so I paid up.

Lassen explained that mason

Mason bees are smaller than a honeybee and shiny dark metallic blue. They are shy and fly away when disturbed. They gather nectar while foraging and are considered excellent pollinators.

Photo from British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture

Christie Lassen of Wild Birds Unlimited in Gardiner shows how to clean an orchard mason bee during a free talk at the store earlier this year. The store stocks mason bees, but often sells out early. Mason bees are native to North America and Canada. Photo by Allison Arthur

bees are gentle, beneficial and nonaggressive – they don’t really sting you, but if you are allergic to bee stings, you should take precautions. Mason bees are smaller than a honeybee and shiny dark metallic blue, Lassen said, enthusiastically sharing how a mason bee works.

They hibernate from fall until spring when the daytime temperature gets to be a consistent minimum of 57 degrees. Then the males – who are up front in the nest hole to protect the females in the nest’s rear – start to emerge.

The boys hang out and just wait for the girls to emerge a few days to a week later.

At this point, Lassen gets really excited about what happens, because apparently last year the front of her store was abuzz with, well, wild and passionate bee sex.

Anticipating what will follow after the passion wears out, it is important for the beekeeper to have created a place for the now

8 ❖ 2013 Home & Garden

pregnant female mason bee to lay her eggs. That requires making one. They can be purchased, of course, but if you happen to have a good piece of wood, ideally hard wood that doesn’t splinter, then you can make your own by drilling straw-like holes 5/16 of an inch in diameter at least 6 inches deep (best to get the book for complete directions). Females live about four to eight weeks and can fill four tubes with an average of eight eggs each.

In other words, buy some bees and you’ll make more bees.

But here’s the key thing: A female mason bee will visit about 60,000 blossoms in her short lifespan, which is one of the reasons farmers and backyard gardeners like me who are at war with deer love mason bees.

One woman taking the class said her apple trees produced so much fruit last year, she barely knew what to do with it all. Those

are the words I wanted to hear.

Oh, and she’s still learning about bees.

Lassen also talked about the flowers and bushes that mason bees like, including yellow and purple flowers as well as plants with “profuse or compact flower clusters.”

These bees like the sun, so it’s important to give your mason bee nests a southern exposure and place them about 100 yards from the trees you want them to pollinate. Because they need to plug their nests to keep them from predators, you also need to supply them with a bit of mud or clay.

It was clear from Lassen’s talk that she’s become as smitten with the mason bee as anyone can be.

She buzzed on about how to keep them, how to clean them, how to make them happy in a small cardboard jewelry box (with a hole in it) in the frig, and to be sure to keep them with a cup of water

nearby. They are alive, after all.

Of course, there’s so much to learn about these sweet little guys, I had to buy the book for $12. The Orchard Mason Bee, by Brian L. Griffin of Bellingham, is an easy read and an excellent resource.

Clearly, there is more to the mason bee than meets the eye, and Griffin has spent a good time studying them. The book is rich in detail.

With a little investment – I’ll be buying two tubes of bees for this year for less than $20 – I expect to recoup my investment in apples for applesauce, which I will put up, not surprisingly, in Mason jars – no relationship to mason bees, it turns out.

Last year, I had to buy apples for applesauce because the trees did not produce well. The boxes of store-bought apples were on the front porch for only one night.

The next day, there was a trail of apple chunks down the steps and out into the yard.

Esmeralda had had the audacity to help herself to my special organic apples. War was declared.

But being a peace-loving Port Townsend woman who believes in détente, I opted for a diplomatic way of solving my problem. And I found the mason bee.

I’m hoping the hard-working little fellows will bring a sense of tranquility to my backyard – and pollinate enough apples for both me and Esmeralda to enjoy.

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2013 Home & Garden â?– 9

Trend is ‘aging in place’ Counters, cabinets, bathrooms: Remodel or build a home meant to last

By Tristan Hiegler A good home is a place to raise a family and a place to grow old. However, as the population of Jefferson County ages, local builders and remodelers are seeing an increased need and demand for better accommodations for senior residents.

Thomas Parcher, owner of Tk2b Construction, said he’s recently started doing “aging in place” remodel jobs. Aging in place is a design philosophy that allows for safety and convenience features to be built into homes for seniors.

“It just helps them stay. A lot of people don’t want to leave but the home just doesn’t fit them,” Parcher said.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines aging in place as “the ability to live in one’s own home and community safely, independently, and comfortably, regardless of age, income, or ability level.”

Port Townsend’s Ann Raab, owner of Olympic Design Group and GreenPod Development, said her company is committed to creating comfortable living spaces for people who are growing older.

“The goal is to promote choice and independence which enhances or preserves the physical and mental functions while balancing the safety and security needs unique to each person,” Raab said.

INCREASING DEMAND Parcher said designing or remolding a home for seniors is something he has a personal connection to, as he has had to install certain features for his elderly father. He said he sees aging in place building as an increasing national trend, noting the age 55plus communities are doing well for builders.

According to the National Association of Home Builders

A lever-style handle is ideal for people with hand or arm problems because it provides a wider gripping and pushing surface.

A nationwide trend in the housing industry is “aging in place” features in new construction and especially remodels. GreenPod Development owner Ann Raab demonstrates how cabinet height can be adjusted to provide an easier range of motion for users. Photos by Tristan Hiegler

(NAHB), builder confidence in the 55-plus housing market is up over the same time last year.

According to the NAHB website, Parcher is one of two certified aging in place specialists that have received special training from the association. The other is Brent Sasse with West Harbor Homes in Port Ludlow.

“Especially here in Port Ludlow, where we do most of our work, we’re seeing a lot more people interested in these kinds of installations,” Sasse said of aging in place design.

“I’ve really noticed it in the last two years,” he said, adding his company handled about half a dozen aging in place remodels in 2012.

WHEN TO START? Parcher said it certainly could

10 ❖ 2013 Home & Garden

be prudent for people to start planning ahead if they plan on staying in their homes for the next several years or decades.

“It might be one of those things where they’re looking at life insurance or thinking for retirement,” he said of starting a remodel process.

Sasse said his priority is getting into a home and assessing the resident’s needs. He said he likes to spend several hours walking through a home, moving from room to room with the resident to determine their challenges.

“It’s so important, that oneto-one with them,” Sasse said.

“I think that’s 50 percent of it, is getting it right and getting it comfortable for them.”

Making an accurate assessment of how a person moves involves putting them in every

room and seeing how they move through it, Sasse said. He said he’d have people get in and out of empty tubs, shower stalls and potential problem areas.

“I think the most important thing for a contractor is to meet with a homeowner,” Sasse said.

SAFE PODS Raab said the modular, environmentally friendly homes manufactured by Port Townsendbased GreenPod Development have many features designed to accommodate the elderly.

She said the pods are custombuilt and cover a variety of price points. Raab said the homes could be hooked up to emergency alert systems, such as a pull cord one could use in a medical emergency, a feature she plans to include in future display homes.

GreenPod currently has two display units at the intersection of State Routes 19 and 20, near the former Courtesy Ford, now U-Haul property.

The key for seniors, according to Raab, is to engage in a variety of daily tasks such as cooking, gardening and cleaning. She said it’s also important to have an active social life, based around the home.

“Our findings suggest the more complex your daily behavior, the longer you live,” Raab said. “We try to keep people very active and green. They can stay very involved in the living of life in a healthy environment.” “[The home is] also a social center for friends and family to gather,” Raab added. “It’s a source of independence and stability in the midst of loss and change related to aging.”

BATHROOM SAFETY One of the key areas that all three builders said needs additional safety features is the bathroom.

Parcher said it’s important for residents with mobility issues to install grab bars in showers and bathtubs. He said the bars help when people lose their balance or simply need help getting themselves in or out of a tub.

Sasse said certain manufacturers have started producing towel rails that double as easy-tomount, easy-to-use grab bars.

“The big manufacturers are starting to pick up on it too and go with it,” he said of aging in place features. “They’re incorporating it into other things they build.”

Raab said she builds zeroContinued on Page 12

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Aging: Comfort, practicality, efficiency Continued from Page 10

clearance showers in her pods.

A zero-clearance shower has no lip or divider that would impede someone in a walker or a wheelchair or with general mobility concerns.

The pod showers can also have shower heads attached to a flexible hose, Raab said.

“The advantage of this is they can be in a wheelchair and still shower all of their body,” she said.

KITCHEN STORAGE Raab said an important aspect of designing for senior residents is their range of motion. She said she brings appliances and drawers within a certain distance of each other, concentrating everything so someone doesn’t have to bend down or reach up as much.

“You don’t want people to have to bend over a lot. That range of motion gets harder and harder. You want everything at this easy level for them,” she said.

Raab also designs kitchen cabinets that can easily be pulled out so residents don’t have to reach and root around in the back.

Parcher said appliances like microwaves can be placed in unexpected locations to make them more accessible. “[People can consider] moving microwaves lower. Microwaves, a lot of times, with the fans, are located above the stove. Maybe it’s in a cabinet,” Parcher said. “It’s redesigning your kitchen. Who is going to be using it and at what level?”

He said designing a kitchen for easy accessibility is almost the opposite thought process from childproofing an area. Parcher said everything gets a little lower, a little easier to access, with aging in place, as opposed to putting everything out of children’s reach.

HALLS, DOORS, STAIRS Parcher said wider hallways for wheelchairs and walkers are a good design choice. He added that carpet could make using those devices harder, so installing tile or another hard surface is a good idea.

Throw rugs aren’t good to have in a hallway or room, Parcher said, as they can be a

This zero-clearance shower allows residents in wheelchairs and with mobility issues to get into the shower stall without problems. The drain at the edge keeps water from flooding into the rest of the bathroom.

Photos by Tristan Hiegler

This shower head, attached to a flexible hose, is ideal for people in wheelchairs as the hose’s base level can be adjusted.

height and width of all stairs in a home consistent to help residents with poor eyesight.

Reflective materials can be placed on stairs or at the bottom of stairs, Raab said, in order to help people keep track of where they are.

Slider doors that disappear are practical in small-space homes like the GreenPod from Port Townsend business owner Ann Raab, and are also excellent “aging in place” options.

tripping hazard.

“It’s a different surface,” he said. “You throw a rug in there, it could be complete trip hazard where you want everything to be universal.”

He said replacing hinged doors that swing out or into a

12 ❖ 2013 Home & Garden

room could help make way for wheelchairs and other devices.

He recommended something called a pocket door.

“It’s a sliding door that goes into the wall,” Parcher said. “It doesn’t take up space.”

Parcher said it’s also important

to put in lever handles on doors, which are easier to grip and put pressure on, rather then a knobtype handle.

As far as stairs go, Parcher said small treads could be put on each stair to allow for a better grip. He added it’s important to keep the

WELL LIT Raab said having clear, well lit hallways is essential to preventing trips and falls.

Parcher said when it comes to lighting, it’s important to have lever switches as opposed to flip switches. He said the broader surface area of a flip switch makes it easier for someone with arthritis or other issues to turn the lights off and on.

Sasse said timed motion sensors can be installed in homes so the lights come on when someone walks in the room and turn off then they leave.

He added that motion sensors can be installed in kitchen and bathroom faucets as well, making washing hands and plates that much easier.

“What’s nice is we’re tying everything together,” Sasse said.

“Now we’re tying in everything for aesthetics and energy savings.

The cost savings for energy costs of all these things are incalculable.”

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‘How to’ with Habitat: Making a home more accessible

By Collin Jacobsen For many, home ownership means having a safe place to raise a family and, eventually, an affordable home during retirement.

Habitat for Humanity of East Jefferson County builds homes with the elements of universal design, a term used to describe a home that can be accessible to everyone, with long-term affordability in mind.

Although you may not notice the 3-foot-wide doors or the nostep entry in a Habitat home, these features make it easier for families to age in place. At least one bathroom in each home has a 5-foot turn circle to accommodate a wheelchair. These elements also allow the home to be visited by friends and family members with limited mobility.

A person with limited mobility can enter a visitable home with assistance and maneuver a wheelchair or walker inside the home.

This typically makes the home more welcoming to grandparents and friends with disabilities.

One of the benefits of building a visitable home is that a few inexpensive upgrades can make the home fully accessible. A fully accessible home integrates options such as grab bars, open cabinets under sinks and shower seats, among other things.

To make the home affordable for the long term, Habitat uses James Hardie siding, 30-year roofing and slab foundations that require less maintenance than other construction materials and methods. In addition, all new Habitat homes are Energy Star– certified, which keeps utility bills affordable during retirement.

When all of these features are integrated into the home during construction, the cost is minimal, especially compared to the cost of retrofitting a home for accessibility.

Here are some additional changes you can make to happily age in place and make your home welcoming to people with disabilities: • Install lever-style doorknobs.

• Lower the height of light

switches and thermostats.

• Add or install a nonslip surface in the kitchen and bathroom.

• If building or retrofitting a home, install extra framing for grab bars to attach to and ensure that you have a bedroom, full bath and kitchen all on one level.

Assistance with minor retrofits is available to low-income families through charitable organizations such as the Boeing Bluebills. By partnering with the Bluebills, Habitat has also been able to build wheelchair ramps for low-income seniors in Quilcene.

Remember, it is better to start early in your planning to successfully age in place. For additional information about aging in place, visit tinyurl.com/axlcnl4.

Collin Jacobson is construction manager for Habitat for Humanity of East Jefferson County and a certified National Association of Home Builders Aging in Place specialist.

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2013 Home & Garden ❖ 13

This xeriscaping-style lawn and garden along Lake Leland (Olympic Mountains in the background) grows without any chemical applications or special watering. Photo by Mike McFadden

Xeriscaping your lawn

Zero-water landscaping uses the principles of nature

By Viviann Kuehl Imagine a garden that looks good, requires no watering, demands little or no upkeep and is good for the planet.

That’s what xeriscaping is all about. The idea is to use plants suited to the environment and rely only on the water that nature provides.

That’s what nature does, says Mike McFadden, a Washington State University Master Gardener certified in this practice, and it works.

“The challenge we have is a lingering, long wet spring and a hot dry summer, so we go from lush plant growth to an arid situation,” notes Sarah Fairbank, Master Gardener coordinator for Jefferson County.

The garden at McFadden’s

Lake Leland home, shared with his wife, Joy, is a testament to the efficacy of this approach, mixing beauty and harvest potential into a seamless whole.

McFadden has an expansive lawn, looking as smooth as green velvet spread out on a table, which he never waters. The couple points out that it is simply mowed field grass on a watershed draining to the lake, which they have taken advantage of to keep the lawn so green.

In other parts of the yard, McFadden has created raised beds to keep plants out of the water. Ornamental grasses (blue oat, Mexican feather grass and brown grass) mix with syranga, mint, asters, lavenders, clump bamboo, carnations, blueberries, snowberry, iris, spring bulbs, wisteria, orange and yellow witch

14 ❖ 2013 Home & Garden

hazels, flowering red quince and red-flowering currant to create a lovely harmony in the garden by the house’s patio, where a sign reads “Bird and Breakfast,” an apt acknowledgement of the attractions birds have to the garden.

The couple enjoys bird watching as part of the garden.

A row of trees, including cedar, juniper, holly and hawthorn, stands by the highway. Screening the property lines, an empress tree, daphne, viburnum, weeping birch and sequoia combine to form a graceful backdrop.

Behind a low swale to direct water, an orchard of a dozen peach, apricot, cherry, Asian pear, plum and apple trees thrive, providing several hundred pounds of fruit each year.

There is an herb garden tucked in by the garage wall, complete

with an old metal bedspring for climbing peas.

The exposed roots of an old cedar stump on its side serve as a climber for wisteria on the other side of the house, and grapes and honeysuckle have their own spots near the eaves.

Even with all the variety of plants and plantings, the impression is of a beautiful simplicity, and it’s done without any watering or commercial fertilizers.

“We don’t use any chemicals at all,” says McFadden, although he does feed the blueberries and rhododendrons by tossing coffee grounds around them.

“We don’t dare use anything because the kids eat out of the garden,” notes Joy McFadden.

The seasonal labor amounts to pruning plants back in the dormant season and harvesting fruit

in summer, although you do have to weed, says Mike McFadden.

MOMENTUM NEEDED Anyone can do this, he says, but the trick is to get the momentum going.

“Everything kind of grows on its own. The problem is getting started. It’s not a ‘stick ’em in the ground and get out of their way’ type of thing. It’s like a baby. You need to feed it, and eventually it can feed itself.”

It may take a year or so to establish plants, and they need to be carefully chosen for climate and soil compatibility, he cautioned.

“Zones are strictly advisory,” McFadden points out, with the heat hours (the hours above 50 degrees in a season or year) of particular sites varying from

The Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader

“Everything kind of grows on its own. The problem is getting started.

It’s not a ‘stick ’em in the ground and get out of their way’ type of thing.

It’s like a baby. You need to feed it, and eventually it can feed itself.”

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900 to 2,100 hours within our zone, but local nurseries can give a good idea of how well a plant might do.

“The soil is really important,” notes Joy. “If it’s acidic, if it’s alkaline, basically the pH of the soil, is very important. You need to know if it’s rocky, if it’s sandy, what kind of drainage it has. That encumbers a lot.”

If plants don’t thrive in their garden, the McFaddens simply remove them, to be replaced by others.

“Gardening is an experiment,” affirms Joy, an avid gardener.

The McFaddens’ experiment of xeriscaping does not extend to roses and strawberries, which get watered about twice a year.

Although some people do maintain zero water use by utilizing catchment water from a roof to supplement during low water times, the McFaddens have chosen pleasure and simplicity over purity, they explain.

COUNTY CAN HELP The choices for low-impact landscaping are many, says Michelle McConnell, associate planner and long-range planning lead for Jefferson County Department of Community Development.

McConnell’s office, at 621 Sheridan St., near the Port Townsend QFC, offers extensive help with those choices, for free, thanks to an EPA grant that extends through June.

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Zero: Master Gardeners can help you Continued from Page 15

the office to check out the resources, browse to see what inspires, research any topic of interest and bounce ideas off the experts.

Available for the public are brochures/handouts, posters, two computer stations with 300 bookmarked websites, reference books that are beautiful and full of technical information, and a personal coaching service through which people can consult one-on-one with a knowledgeable professional regarding options.

A brochure listing local professionals who have completed training in low-impact development (LID) is available.

There are slideshows loaded on the computers for anyone to come watch, including an introduction to LID, bioretention/rain gardens, permeable pavement, green/vegetated roofs, rainwater catchment, minimal excavation foundations, and site planning.

OFFICE HOURS County office hours are 9 a.m.noon and 1-4:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday. Coaching appointments are available Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon, and on Wednesday from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.

Workshops are scheduled for professionals and homeowners.

The next LID workshop for homeowners takes place on Thursday, May 2, through the WSU Extension office.

Demonstration gardens are being created in Port Townsend, Quilcene and Sequim.

“The main focus of the grant is to really increase awareness about low-impact development and encourage people to use it,” says McConnell. “LID is a newer and alternative method of managing stormwater runoff that better mimics nature, and the tools are commonly used in rain gardens and bioretention.”

These tools include permeable pavement, porous asphalt, interlocking paver blocks, rainwater catchment and reuse, vegetated rooftops, minimal excavation for foundations, site planning and preparation, and soil

The McFaddens’ home has an expansive lawn, looking as smooth as green velvet spread out on a table, which Mike McFadden never waters. The couple points out that it is simply mowed field grass on a watershed draining to the lake, which they have taken advantage of to keep the lawn so green. Photo by Mike McFadden

amendment.

The tools and techniques can be applied to plots as small as a backyard garden up to entire communities. Help is available for all applications, from making changes to existing gardens to planning new construction.

“We are working really hard to give better customer service, and we are often the most knowledgeable in what’s required and what’s possible,” says McConnell. “We can give ideas a once-over, a firstlevel look at options and code requirements.”

Mimicking the natural system has proven to be more effective at removing pollutants than the conventional stormwater approach.

Particles of gas, oil, brake dust and other compounds go right into local streams and bays as a part of runoff, but compounds

16 ❖ 2013 Home & Garden

WSU Master Gardeners welcome you

Want to learn more and get involved?

Washington State University Extension’s Master Gardener Program provides science-based sustainable gardening training in exchange for a commitment to use that knowledge in the Master Gardener’s community.

A course offering a thorough grounding in the principles of sustainable gardening and hands-on technique training meets once a week over 13-14 weeks each year in early spring. Cost is about $200, varying by year.

Leave a message at 379-5610, ext. 211, for more information.

The Watershed Stewardship Resource Center has a number of opportunities for people to get involved.

Volunteers are needed for many parts of the grant project, from being a greeter at the resource center to helping with the installation and maintenance of its demo gardens. Anyone interested can contact Michelle McConnell, project manager, at 379-4484 or wsrc@co.jefferson.wa.us. are naturally absorbed and broken down in soil.

“There’s quite a bit of research in Washington state that shows that LID is effective in reducing pollution,” notes McConnell.

“Research is being done to figure out whether some plants are bet-

ter than others at uptake of these compounds, but it has often been seen that natural processes like plants and soils can break down pollutant compounds. There’s a lot of value in having the polluted runoff go into soil instead of into built facilities.

“It is a cost-effective alternative, and it’s much more aesthetically pleasing because it’s a beautiful planted area,” she says. “And it’s part of the recovery of Puget Sound. It all links together.”

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2013 Home & Garden ❖ 17

Building history’s lumber Northwest Timbers specializes in wood with a past

By Allison Arthur Alex Sutton expects to enjoy two kinds of old-growth forests once her house is built overlooking the Carbon River and Mount Rainier in Pierce County.

When she looks out the window, she’ll see a panorama of living old-growth forest.

When she looks down and walks on her floor, she’ll see wood that tells a story of forests long ago and timbers that have already had one life in a warehouse at the Port of Oakland, Calif.

“It’s real stuff. It has history,” Sutton said as she considered the flooring she is buying in Port Townsend from Pacific Northwest Timbers LLC, one of a handful of Washington companies that salvages heavy timber and plank stock from posts, beam, joists and rafters, and resaws them into new purposes, like flooring, to save on cutting down more forests.

“I want my floor to be the focal point of my house. I didn’t want a cookie-cutter look,” Sutton said of why she chose to buy one-of-akind flooring made from timbers that once supported buildings that housed thousands of workers in Oakland for a half century or more.

And yes, she was aware that buying reclaimed wood would save on cutting new trees – like the ones she enjoys out her window.

A dentist and glass artist, Sutton brought a large earth-toned glass plate with the head of a horse painted into it to the Port Townsend yard to see how the colors of her work matched the grain of the reclaimed wood. She liked what she saw and took samples home to play with different varnishes.

No sooner had Sutton gone than a Seattle couple stopped by wanting barn wood to use on a wall

they are dressing up. They were looking for rustic wood to add texture to a room.

So who is willing to pay up to two to five times more for that old wood with a history?

“Often the end user is politically savvy and wants to do their part in contributing to sustainable forest management practice,” said Jake Jacob, sales manager and estimator for the company.

“Most of the people who buy this product are concerned about the environment,” agrees owner Marc Mandel, “But we also have clients who are not concerned about the environment and they’re interested either in the high quality of the wood or the rustic look of the wood.”

CALIFORNIA CONNECTION Pacific Northwest Timbers, which opened in 2009, has a sister company in Crossroads Recycled Lumber LLC of North Fork, Calif.

Jacob and Mandel were friendly rivals in the reclaimed wood business years ago when Jacob had a business in Tacoma and Mandel had an enterprise in Bellingham.

Today, Jacob lives in Port Townsend and does sales and job estimations while Mandel splits his time between Port Townsend and Crossroads’ 135-acre yard in North Fork.

Wood from the California shop fed the Port Townsend timber yard in Glen Cove when it started.

Collaborating with other businesses in the industry is common.

The company also works cooperatively with Edensaw Woods, which is a few blocks from the Port Townsend yard, on Seton Road.

Over the years, Jacob and Mandel have bought salvaged wood from all over the Northwest, including from shipwrecks off the Washington and Oregon coasts.

18 ❖ 2013 Home & Garden

Jake Jacob stands next to salvaged timbers at the Pacific Northwest Timbers LLC yard just outside Port Townsend. Jacob says some engineers call for reclaimed wood in buildings because it is stable and seasoned. Photo

by Allison Arthur

“We stick to the West Coast, from the Mexico border to the northern tip of Vancouver Island.

That is the forest for us,” Jacob said.

Take a tour of the muddy yard and discover the large beams, called cants, that were recovered from a ship that sank off Ocean Shores in 1921.

But for the most part, timbers are re-harvested – salvaged – from large industrial buildings at places

such as ports and warehouses where Douglas fir, western red cedar and Ponderosa pine were used to construct America’s growing resourcebased industrial economy.

Very few residential homes have the kind of timber that is typically salvaged for resale, Jacob said.

HONORING THE PAST Mandel has a history with wood – and appreciates the story wood

tells as well as the future stories reclaimed wood will tell.

He honed his skills doing construction and demolition work as well as logging and working at a sawmill. He remembers doing demolition work in the 1980s and 1990s.

“Doing demolition work you’d see this good wood worth Continued on Page 20

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2013 Home & Garden ❖ 19

Old timber looks new once it’s been resawn. Engineers like aged timber because it is more stable than green timber that still could have excessive moisture in it, says Jake Jacob of Pacific Northwest Timbers. Photo by Allison Arthur

Timbers reclaimed from the Port of Oakland project, built in 1941 (pictured) have been salvaged and are being repurposed into flooring. Photo courtesy Pacific Northwest Timbers LLC

“We’re honoring the past, the lumber, the workers, the engineers, the architects, the carpenters and the guys who logged and milled the wood.”

David Greene of Pacific Northwest Timbers gets ready to saw through an “artifact,” salvaged lumber that has been given a new lease on life.

Continued from Page 18

saving,” he said. “Back in those days, we used to stack it up on the side of the road and people would drive by and buy it. You’d sell it dirt cheap because you didn’t want to have dump fees.”

He remembers watching the wood being wasted.

“I’ve seen a whole building 200 feet wide by 800 feet long with 12inch by 12-inch by 30-foot long beams just crushed into splinters and loaded in end dumps and just hauled off,” he said.

A building like that could well have a million board feet of lumber in it – enough lumber to build 100 new houses.

What grates on Mandel is that it wasn’t just the lumber that was going to waste; it was labor those buildings represented.

“We’re honoring the past, the lumber, the workers, the engineers, the architects, the carpenters and the guys who logged and milled the wood,” he said of reclaiming the wood.

“I think part of the reason the U.S. is falling behind in the world economy is because we haven’t properly built on our past. We’ve thrown so much away.”

And the quality of that old wood isn’t something that is easily grown, Mandel said. “Yes, trees are renewable, but you can’t generate a 1,000-year-old tree or a forest in 50 years.”

“Today, they are cutting second, third and fourth growth and it’s not the same. It grows really fast. It has wide growth rings. It just can’t hold a candle to the fantastic old-growth timber,” Mandel said.

OLD – AND GREEN Although the timbers were cut 100 years ago or more, the wood is considered “green” – as in being certified by the U.S. Green Building Council and certified as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). LEED certification aims to reduce waste sent to landfills and conserve energy and

20 ❖ 2013 Home & Garden

Jake Jacob sales Pacific Northwest Timbers LLC

Dentist Alex Sutton brought her glasswork to Pacific Northwest Timbers LLC in Port Townsend to match with flooring for a house she is building that overlooks the Carbon River. She wants the flooring to be a focal point and she opted for recycled wood that has a history. Photo by Allison Arthur

water.

Timber and lumber sold by Pacific Northwest Timbers also has been certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, an international nonprofit organization dedicated to “protecting forests for future generations.” The FSC certification is a way of validating that the wood

has had a prior life and is authentic.

All that work to find, salvage and market wood that has been reclaimed does increase the cost. It takes time and labor to pull nails, stack, organize and truck the lumber. And if it needs to be resawn, something yard manager David Greene does regularly, every bro-

ken-off nail, screw, bolt and staple needs to be removed before milling.

An example: A 1-foot-by-1foot-by-30-foot beam might cost $700 new. A reclaimed beam from old-growth lumber might cost twice as much.

Still, Jacob said engineers love the wood because it’s dry and seasoned, unlike the new wood.

“Engineers sometimes call for reclaimed wood,” said Jacob, noting green wood has a tendency to move as it dries. The old wood is

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Design | Craftsmanship | Organization

Examples of local uses To see examples of salvaged timbers, check out the floors of Simon Mace Art Gallery and the Cellar Door Restaurant in Port Townsend. The Port Townsend Food Co-op has a dining room table made from materials from Pacific Northwest Timbers.

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FUTURE STORIES The reclaimed wood also is telling future stories – in the form of new and unusual uses.

And it’s not just found underfoot in flooring. It’s used in siding, paneling, doors, windows and mantelpieces. It’s even been used for “historic pens,” pens made using wood from famous ships and buildings.

Reclaimed wood also is used in boats and bars.

Diamond Knot Craft Brewing Co. of Mukilteo was eyeing using timber salvaged from a Canadian ship that wrecked in 1921 off the Pacific Coast for a bar.

The Canadian Exporter was carrying some 3 million board feet of lumber to Asia when it went into fog and ran aground. There were only 13 timbers salvaged from under water and some of them weighed in at 4,000 pounds each, Jacob said.

The largest of those weighed 10,000 pounds, soaking wet.

At the last minute, Diamond Knot opted instead to use timber from a banana warehouse at the Port of Stockton for its bar, Jacob said.

The uniqueness of the timbers is what attracts people like Sutton.

She wasn’t just looking for any flooring. She was looking for the wood to talk, to be a “centerpiece,” as she called it, and tell a story about how wood from old-growth forests, maybe even Washington, had had a life in a port in California and then, instead of being wasted, went on to live again in her home overlooking a standing oldgrowth forest.

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2013 Home & Garden ❖ 21

Before you buy or build, take some advice

By Patrick J. Sullivan You may like to watch a horror story on a movie screen, but no one wants his or her experience with property purchase, construction or remodel to turn into a nightmare.

Here is some realistic advice from local professional sources on how to avoid having your dream project – large or small – go terribly wrong.

REGISTERED, BONDED Start with a contractor or subcontractor who is registered with the state Department of Labor & Industries.

“It takes 10 minutes to figure out if your person is a registered builder in this town,” said Lizanne Coker, Jefferson County Home Builders Association executive director. “Ten minutes. Most people, they don’t

bother. That’s the dangerous side to home building and repairs. It’s not as prevalent in this area because we are a small town and many references are word of mouth. But in large cities if you don’t check with your building association, Better Business Bureau or Labor and Industries, that is a risky decision because if something goes wrong or someone gets hurt, you have no recourse.”

A person may think, “I’m saving money” by hiring someone who is flying under the radar, Coker noted.

“By hiring someone who is not registered or bonded you are immediately taking a chance. The new rules with Labor and Industries are very strict.

If you are hiring someone to do work who is unregistered and not bonded, you run the risk of them being an employee on your watch which means that you may be responsible

Sometimes this is what your home improvement project comes to – a pile of broken bricks. At least this is a 1955 ranch-style house being deconstructed, rather than a well-meaning project gone horribly wrong. Photos by Patrick J. Sullivan

for their injuries if any occur.”

Now this is what a quality project looks like, courtesy of a Jefferson County Home Builders Association member business. Tim Callahan of Schweizer Construction Co. installed a copper roof on this section of a Port Townsend “Happy Valley” home.

22 ❖ 2013 Home & Garden

READ THE DIRECTIONS It does not make much sense to design a house for a specific building lot before determining if the house is even legal according to local codes.

Rich Stapf Jr. of Stapf Construction believes the city and county “get a bad rap” in terms of what some may allege are cumbersome permit policies, at best. An experienced builder who wants the smoothest path puts effort into the permit.

“There’s a rulebook. Follow the rule book,” Stapf said of codes. “If you don’t have the ability to put together a complete permit application, find someone to do it for you.”

When a property owner skips on a permit process, perhaps perceiving it as something minor, there may be a problem when the house eventually goes up for sale.

For example, the county assessor’s staff doing property valuation appraisals hits a roadblock when encountering a home with second-story additions and/or electrical changes done without permits.

“You need to think about the permitting and inspection process from the standpoint of safety,” said Jefferson County Assessor Jack Wester-

man III. “I know it seems like a hassle to go through the permit process.

It’s not only in your best interests if you are going to sell or try to get insurance, it’s also in the best interest of safety of your family. You don’t want to be the person who has a neighbor kid hurt on your property connected to something for which you did not have a permit.”

KNOW YOUR BOUNDARIES Another basic piece of advice that sounds simple but is often overlooked is knowing the exact boundary of the property you are preparing to buy (or perhaps, to sell).

Although a land survey is not required in Washington state, getting one eliminates potentially costly headaches.

“You are not required to have a survey to buy or sell property,” Westerman said. “To get certain types of title insurance you need a survey. For general title insurance you don’t.”

For longtime local builder Rich Stapf Jr. of Stapf Construction, there is no substitute for a property survey.

“A survey is the cheapest insurance you can get,” Stapf said. “I would not buy a piece of property, a home or acreage, without a survey.”

A search may lead you to a survey

of one side of the property in question, and the cost of a new survey often depends on whether existing surveys cover some of the area.

“Unless you get a survey, you are not going to know exactly where your lines are,” Westerman said.

When buying property, do not rely on an existing fence, the line of utility poles or what a longtime neighbor says to be true regarding your property boundary, said John McDonagh, a Planner II with the City of Port Townsend.

At least half the time, some of those physical landmarks are wrong.

The City of Port Townsend has pioneer-day plats, and the sizes of lots and road rights of way (and the utility lines underneath) vary greatly from addition to addition.

“Don’t be penny wise and pound foolish,” McDonagh said. A property survey should cost less than $2,000, and is more than worthwhile in the long run, he said.

At the least, a seller or buyer could rent a metal detector to scan for existing metal survey markers used in many cases to mark property boundaries.

The Jefferson County Assessor’s Office has surveys on file cross-referenced into specific additions and

The Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader

blocks. A customer needs to know a block number, for example, to locate a pre-existing survey. Knowing a parcel number allows search by section, township and range.

“We can sort of lead you to recorded surveys of an area,” he said.

However, a survey is no guarantee.

“Truth be told, you get different surveyors surveying the same piece of property and they may survey different lines, and that’s how you end up in court,” Westerman noted.

JEFFERSON COUNTY Carl Smith, director of the county’s Department of Community Development (DCD), offered his “top five” tips for the buyer or builder.

1. Make sure your proposed project is allowed on your site before investing significant time and money.

Simple questions can be answered by DCD planning staff during regular “coaching” hours: Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon and Wednesday 1 p.m. to 4:30 pm.

More detailed reviews are available through a “pre-application” meeting with all relevant departments, for a cost of $885. The DCD’s Watershed Stewardship Resource Center is available.

2. Do an initial check through the county’s GIS tool at maps.co.jefferson.wa.us to ascertain information such as the zoning of your site and if any critical areas or protected species are believed to be on your site or nearby, and to determine if they might affect your project. Special studies by consultants may be needed for this information.

If you need more reassurance about permit needs due to critical areas, applying for a Site Plan Approval Advance Determination (SPAAD) may be in your best interest.

3. Think about your site comprehensively, given site constraints, septic soil conditions, well location, and desired locations for structures. Plan now; conduct clearing later.

4. Determine septic constraints and permit needs early. Environmental health sanitarian specialists are available Monday-Thursday from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. for questions concerning septic systems. Check with the county Public Works Department to see if a “road approach” permit or other requirement is applicable.

5. Get all the necessary forms and submit a complete application.

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2013 Home & Garden ❖ 23

The Port Townsend & Jefferson County

2013 Building Codes CONTENTS Chapter 1: Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 When is a building permit required?

Customer assistance meetings Chapter 2: Other Permits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Chapter 3: Building Permits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 How to apply Building permit fees Chapter 4: Building Plans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Chapter 5: Inspections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Chapter 6: Certificate of Occupancy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Chapter 7: Smoke Detectors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Chapter 8: Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Washington State Energy Code Alternatives Energy inspections

CHAPTER 1:

Getting Started ▼ When Is a Building Permit Required?

The City of Port Townsend and Jefferson County have adopted the following codes: 2012 International Building Code - WAC 5150, 2012 International Residential Code - WAC 51-51, 2012 International Mechanical Code WAC 51-52, National Fuel Gas Code (NFPA 54) - WAC 51-52, Liquefied Petroleum Gas Code (NFPA 58) - WAC 51-52, 2009 International Fire Code - WAC 51-54, 2009 Uniform Plumbing Code and Uniform Plumbing Code Standards - WAC 51-56 and 51-57, Washington State Energy Code, as amended - WAC 51-11.

The IBC requires a building permit before constructing, enlarging, altering, repairing, moving, converting or demolishing a structure unless expressly exempted.

Exemptions include: residential detached, accessory one-story tool and storage sheds less than 200 square feet in floor area and commercial storage sheds less than 120 square feet in floor area; fences up to six feet high; movable cases, counters and partitions not over five feet nine inches high; platforms, walks and driveways

Chapter 9: Wood Heat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Chapter 10: Septic Permits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Chapter 11: Manufactured/Mobile & Modular Homes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Chapter 12: Shorelines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Jurisdiction of the act Shoreline setback Chapter 13: SEPA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Critical areas (city) Service fees Chapter 14: Subdivisions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Chapter 15: Easements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Chapter 16: Jefferson County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Chapter 17: Port Townsend Lots of record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Letter to the Assessor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Description of zoning districts . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Design review. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Home occupations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 B&Bs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Setbacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Building height limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Fences and hedges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Lot coverage & min. lot requirements. . . . . . 33 Outbuildings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Streets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Zoning district tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 Latecomer agreements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Sign code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Temporary use permits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 “Grandfathered” buildings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 “Grandfathered” uses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Zoning exceptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Variances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Conditional use permits. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Planned unit developments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Rezones, appeals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Tree cutting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Chapter 18: Growth Management Act . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

not more than 30 inches above grade and not over any basement or story below; retaining walls four feet and less measured from top of wall to bottom of footing unless supporting a surcharge or impounding Class I, II, or III-A liquids; and painting, wallpapering and similar finish work.

Exemptions should be checked in advance.

All work must meet zoning and other requirements, even if a building permit is not required.

Many informational handouts are available at the City’s Development Services Department and at the Jefferson County Department of Community Development.

Please call prior to starting your project, as double permit fees may be assessed for work that is undertaken without a permit.

NOTE: All residential building permits now require smoke and CO2 alarms to be installed, or updated to meet or exceed WAC 51-510315.

are required unless the applicant demonstrates to the director it is unneccesary.

projects that require work in a city right-of-way.

The Street and Utility Development permit is used for applications for water and sewer connections and/or main extensions, and stormwater and/or street improvements. Street and Utility Development Permit applications are available at the City’s Development Services Department; the completed application must have a site plan showing the work to be done. As a general rule, a building permit will not be issued without an accompanying Street and Utility Development Permit; however, Street and Utility Development Permits may be issued prior to a building permit when the street and utility work is needed prior to building.

If only minor Public Works improvements are needed for the development (e.g., when development of a lot in a Planned Unit Development) where all utilties are stubbed in, a Minor Improvement Permit (MIP) may be substituted for the Street and Utility Development Permit.

The minimal fee for an MIP is $160 and it is typically used for driveways, culverts, sidewalks, parking improvements, and cable, phone and power service.

Street and Utility Development or Minor Improvement Permits not tied to a building

Port Townsend Pre-application conferences are required for all Type I project applications proposing impervious surfaces of 5,000 sq. ft. or more and/or non-single family structures of 5,000 feet or more. Pre-application conferences for Type 1A, II and III actions

How to Get More Information CITY OF PORT TOWNSEND The Development Services Department (DSD) is located in City Hall, 250 Madison St., Suite 3, and is open between 8 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., and 1:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. On Wednesdays, the office opens at 9 a.m. after a staff meeting. Appointments for commercial and multi-family projects may be made by calling the front desk at 360-379-5095.

Development Services Department (DSD): Rick Sepler, Public Services Director; Michael Hoskins, Building Official; John McDonagh, Senior Planner; Judy Surber, Senior Planner/Planning Manager; Suzanne Wassmer, Land Use Development Specialist.

Public Works: Ken Clow, P.E., Public Works Director; David Peterson, P.E., City Engineer; Alex Angud, Engineering Tech; Samantha Trone, P.E., Development Review Engineer.

JEFFERSON COUNTY The Department of Community Development at 621 Sheridan St. is open between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Monday through Thursday; closed on Friday. The phone number is 360-379-4450.

Jodi Adams, office coordinator; Stacie Hoskins, planning manager; Michelle McConnell, long range lead associate planner and SMP update; Michelle Farfan, associate planner and FHM lead; David W. Johnson, associate planner and Port Ludlow lead; Zoe Lamp, associate planner and DRD lead; Donna Frostholm, associate planner/wetland scientist; Colleen Zmolek, assistant planner coach; Shannon Glass, assistant planner coach; Jim Coyne, building inspector lead; Frank Benskin, plans examiner; Lisa Keller, Community Development Tech III, and Director Carl Smith.

Be Sure to Check for Building Code Updates The information pertaining to building code and permit requirements contained in the 2013 Home and Garden Magazine is current as it goes to press. However, building codes, zoning and other regulations

24 ❖ 2013 Home & Garden

Jefferson County Pre-application conferences are required for all Type II and Type III project applications and Type I project applications proposing impervious surfaces of ten thousand (10,000) square feet or more and/or non-single family structures of five thousand (5,000) square feet or more. Pre-application conferences for all other types of applications are optional.

CHAPTER 2:

Are Other Permits Required? ▼ Depending on the nature and location of the project, other permits may be required in addition to a building permit. Other permits could include: Energy Code: If your project includes heated space, the Washington State Energy Code requires applicants to adhere to all energy code requirements.

Street and Utility Development Permit (SDP): Port Townsend - A Street and Utility Development permit is required for all development

– Continued on page 25

are updated regularly by the city and county. Therefore, it is recommended that you contact Jefferson County (360-379-4450) or the City of Port Townsend (360-379-5095), as appropriate, before starting work.

This should be read in conjunction with the jurisdiction’s codes. If there are any errors in this document, the code prevails. Fees are based on those in effect at the time of publication. Please double-check fees with the jurisdiction.

Online Permit Information You can also find zoning, building code and permit information online.

For the City of Port Townsend, go to: http://www.cityofpt.us/DSD.htm For the Port Townsend Municipal Code (PTMC), go to: http://www.codepublishing.com/wa/porttownsend.html For Jefferson County, go to: http://www.codepublishing.com/WA/JeffersonCounty For Jefferson County information and application forms, go to: http://www.co.jefferson.wa.us/commdevelopment/Permit&Applications.htm Electrical Permits Whether you live in the city or the county, all electrical permits are handled by the Washington Department of Labor and Industries (L&I).

The local L&I office is located at 1605 E. Front Street, Suite C, Port Angeles, WA 98362-4628. Office hours are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays; an inspector is available to answer questions from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.

Call 360-417-2700 for general information. To schedule an inspection, call 360-417-2722 by at least 4 p.m. on the business day prior to the desired inspection. The L&I inspector serving Jefferson County and the City of Port Townsend is Len Moser.

For convenience, electrical permit applications are available at the Puget Sound Energy office, 181 Quincy Street, and the County Permit Center, 621 Sheridan Street.

The Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader

– Continued from page 24

Manufactured Home Siting Permit:

(Chapter 296 - 150M WAC, Manufactured and Mobile Homes.)

Manufactured homes may be placed anywhere within the City of Port Townsend’s residential zoning districts. Maps of these areas are available at DSD. Manufactured homes must also meet the following requirements: 1. Set on a permanent foundation with the space from the bottom of the home to the ground enclosed by poured concrete or concrete or masonry blocks so that no more than one foot of the perimeter foundation is visible above the ground; 2. Originally constructed with and now has a composition of wood shake or shingle, coated metal, or similar roof with a minimum 3.12 pitch; and 3. Originally constructed within 3 years of the date proposed for placement. The placement of manufactured homes that were constructed more than 3 years prior is prohibited.

The title of manufactured homes must be eliminated through the state Department of Licensing as a condition of building permit approval.

Manufactured homes require building permits and street development permits. Fees for manufactured home permits are based on the foundation valuation plus the cost of any site-built structures.

Wood, Pellet, and Propane Stove Installations:

Require mechanical permits and inspections by the city or county Building Official and Fire Department. (Chapter 10, IRC.) Mechanical permits are required for installation of new or replacement propane containers (both above ground and underground), appliances and/or piping. Most mechanical permits are issued while you wait.

Inspection is required for tank placement (setbacks) and piping tests.

Critical Areas Permit:

The Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader

Port Townsend: A critical areas

permit may be required if it is determined the site is near or within a critical area such as a seismic area, wetland, steep slope, or critical drainage corridor. (See PTMC, Chapter 19.05, Critical Areas.)

Jefferson County: Jefferson County requires Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) review for all permit applications except where the footprint of the structure is not changed (e.g., remodels, plumbing permits).

Construction in the Intertidal Zone:

May also require additional permits from the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and approval from the Department of Natural Resources per the Aquatic Land Management Act. City or county staff will help you initiate these applications.

SEPA:

For projects not exempt, an environmental checklist must be submitted in compliance with the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA).

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Missing insulation in wall cavity 54.6

53.0

120

41.4 72.7

36.1

Home Inspections • Pest Inspections Energy Efficiency Audits

(Flat roof surveys, moisture detection, faulty wiring)

360-643-3592 www.pacificinspectionservices.com

HPC:

Design review by the Historic Preservation Committee is required for all proposals within the historic district of the City which are also within the C-III or P-1 zoning districts (uptown and downtown business districts). It is also required for bed and breakfast inns and other uses within the historic district which require a conditional use permit. Residences are not included. Design review is also required within the Special Overlay Design Review District (north of the ferry terminal to Point Hudson and east of the bluff). (See PTPC, Chapter 17.30, PT Zoning: Design Review.)

Sign Permit:

Sign permits are required for new signage as well as those replaced, revised, re-erected and relocated.

– Continued on page 26

Tim Halpin Licensed Home Inspector. Level 1/Building Science Thermographer WA state SPI # 68450

chimacum corner farmstand

permit will expire unless the work is completed within 12 months after issuance of the permit. All Street and Utility Development or Minor Improvement Permits tied to a building permit are valid as long as the building permit remains active with the Building Department.

Drainage: Port Townsend – All new development within the City must have a plan for handling stormwater on-site. The 2005 Department of Ecology’s Stormwater Management Manual for Western Washington was adopted by the City in February 2007. Applicants must submit a drainage plan. The level of drainage plans varies depending on the complexity of the project. Copies of the requirements are available at DSD.The City’s Engineering Design Standards and Department of Ecology handouts describe in detail the requirements for drainage plans. Additional requirements may be imposed for sites within or near Environmentally Sensitive Areas.

Jefferson County first adopted a Stormwater Management Ordinance on November 4, 1996. The current stormwater management standards are contained in the Jefferson County Code, Sec. 18.30.070. Avoiding impacts related to erosion, sedimentation, and stormwater runoff from land clearing development is vital, consequently all projects require review under this ordinance and many projects will require the use of best management practices as outlined in the WA State Department of Ecology Stormwater Management Manual for Western Washington, 2012 edition, as amended.

Separate plumbing and/or mechanical permits: Are required for changes or additions to existing plumbing, heating or ventilation if not part of the building permit.

Clearing and Grading Permit: If not part of the building permit, a separate clearing and grading permit is required prior to any land-disturbing activity for the city, and may be required for Jefferson County, including grading, clearing, grubbing, filling, excavating or stockpiling. There are a few exemptions that can be made by the Building Official; call the City for specific information.

Any land-disturbing activity of 7,000 sq. ft. or more, or within an environmentally sensitive area, requires a stormwater management permit.

Call Jefferson County for specifics.

Demolition Permit: A demolition permit is required to ensure that structures are removed from the Assessor’s tax rolls and that the site is left in a safe, sanitary condition.

Moving Permit: If not part of a building permit, a separate moving permit is required to move a house or other building.

Lifting a house for foundation

work or other purpose requires a building permit prior to lifting.

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2013 Home & Garden ❖ 25

– Continued from page 25

Administrative review or committee design review for signs within the historic district is also required. Contact DSD for more information.

(City Chapter 17.76, PT Zoning: Sign Code.)

(County: refer to JCC Section 18.30.150.)

CHAPTER 3:

How to Apply for a Building Permit ▼ If the property is in Jefferson County outside of the Port Townsend city limits, apply at the Jefferson County Department of Community Development at 621 Sheridan St. in Port Townsend. In the City of Port Townsend, applications are taken by the city’s Development Services Department on the third floor of City Hall, 250 Madison St. Building permits submitted to the City are accepted from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and from 1:30 to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday; Wednesday 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

For commercial project submittals, appointments are required. Please call 360-379-5095.

Permit applications may be submitted to Jefferson County Department of Community Development. It is recommended to contact permit tech prior to submittal to check on availability or obtain a submittal time and date for application submittal. Please call 360-3794450. Planner of the day is available 9 a.m.-noon Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and available 1-4:30 p.m. on Wednesdays.

Applications require information concerning the construction and project site and help determine a project’s compliance with zoning and building codes. You will need the name, mailing address and telephone number of both owner and contractor; contractor’s Washington state registration number (also a City of Port Townsend business license is required of contractors for work performed within the

city); construction site nine-digit parcel number and legal description (parcel numbers may be obtained from the County Assessor’s office); floor area of planned and existing buildings; and the existence of any applicable plat or other restrictions on the use of the property. Other plans, showing foundation, floor framing, section drawings (from foundation to roof) and elevations may also be required.

Building plan review fees are collected at the time of application (see Building Permit Fees).

Once you apply for a building permit with the necessary forms and information, the time it takes to issue the permit is site specific and varies depending on the time of year and the volume of permit applications. Larger commercial or multifamily residential projects may take longer.

Per the International Building Code, a building permit may expire during the plan review process and may also expire once the permit is issued. Expiration of plan review:When a permit has not been issued within 180 days following the date of application for want of information from the applicant, the application and plan review expire. However, the code authorizes the Building Official to extend this time for one additional 180-day period when it is determined that circumstances beyond the control of the applicant prevented action to secure the permit. Expiration of the Building Permit: CITY - Once issued, the permit expires if work does not begin within 180 days. Not unlike the one-time plan review extension, the Building Official may extend the permit for one additional 180-day period on written request by the permittee showing that circumstances beyond the control of the permittee have prevented action from being taken. If the permit expires, new fees will be required to issue a new permit.

COUNTY - The issued permit expires after one year, however, extensions may be granted.

Contact county to find out current renewal policy.

Considering Application for a Jefferson County Building Permit?

Here’s information you’ll need during your project The building permit must be posted at the job site. The building inspector will sign the permit for each stage of construction that has been satisfactorily completed. Stages of construction may include all or most of the following: 1. Footings and setbacks (rebar must be in place).

2. Foundation (rebar must be in place).

3. Under-slab plumbing (10 foot head of water). Underground insulation.

4. Framing and plumbing (done at same time; roof completed, windows installed, and electrical approved; water must be in lines). Air-seal of utility penetration. Shear wall and hold downs.

5. Masonry chimney.

6. Shear wall 7. Insulation.

8. Sheetrock nailing (before taping).

9. Stormwater 10. Zoning, as required 11. Final (including safety features and woodstove).

Jefferson County Department of Community Development, 621 Sheridan, Port Townsend (360) 379-4455: 24-hour inspection number (360) 379-4450: information number PERMITS ARE VALID FOR ONE YEAR ONLY. Contact Department of Community Development for current renewal policy.

Inspections must be requested by 3 pm the day before the inspection is needed and can be called in 24 hours a day at (360) 379-4455. Please note – inspections for Mondays must be called in by 3 pm on Thursday due to our office currently being closed on Fridays. Please use a land line to ensure the clarity of your request. Inspections are available to all areas Mon - Thurs except for the West End which are done by appointment only. Please provide your building permit number when calling for inspections.

Please plan to be ready for your inspection.

All permit owners will be charged a reinspection fee if the job site is not ready when the inspector arrives. Although you may request a specific day according to the schedule, we regret that we are unable to accept requests for specific times of day. All inspections will be conducted between 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on the requested day.

26 ❖ 2013 Home & Garden

Building Permit Fees

Building permit fees are based on project valuation, or the estimated value per square foot for each type of construction to replace the building or addition. Standard replacement value figures have been adopted by the city and county.

Other city fees will be assessed for house number assignment, water and sewer connections, public works and fire review, and storm water reserve capacity catch-up fees (Other Permits, Chapter 2).

System Development Charges (SDCs)

(City Only) System development charges are fees charged to new development projects to ensure that, rather than being subsidized by the general ratepayers, “growth pays for growth.”

Any person requesting a water or sewer connection within the City, or a water connection in Jefferson County within the City’s water service area, or an upsize of existing service, must pay SDCs. Contact the City’s Development Services Department at 360-379-5095 to find out what fees are applicable to your project. Fees may also be found on the City’s website at www.cityofpt.us; go to City Hall, Departments, Development Services Department, Fee Schedules.

CHAPTER 4:

Building Plans ▼ Building permit applications are accompanied by plans and specifications drawn to scale and in sufficient detail to judge that the project will be constructed in accordance with building codes and all relevant regulations.

The plans should clearly show what you intend to build, how it will be placed on your property, and how it will be constructed. All plans should be detailed enough to allow construction from the plans.

In the city and the county, two sets (three sets for commercial projects) of the following plans are required: plot plan, typical framing detail, floor plan, foundation plan and elevation (vertical view).

Port Townsend requires a third set of site plans for commercial projects or if utilities or street development or street access are involved. Most plans are drawn by local builders, designers and homeowners. However, the building official may require plans, computations and specifications be prepared by a licensed engineer or architect, and if so, those plans must be “wet-stamped.”

If an architect or engineer (licensed in the state of Washington) has prepared and stamped your plans, one set must have an original signature and wet stamp on each page.

(The other set may be copies.) At plan submittal all lateral and structural calculations (by architect or engineer) such as strapping, nailing, shearwalls, beam sizes, grade and species of lumber, truss design, holddowns, etc. shall be clearly depicted on the plans and in the details.

Plans shall also include elevations, foundation, floor (structural), roof plans, cross sections and floor plans with all rooms labeled.

The package of plans must include: Plot Plan

• setbacks from property lines and all existing buildings with special attention toward buildings within 10 feet (whether on applicant’s lot or neighboring lot) • street names, road easements and easements of record

• off-street parking • existing and/or proposed septic tank/drainfield location, if applicable (include extra set of plans for County Health Dept.)

• property lines and dimensions, including all interior lot lines • legal description • any accessory buildings • slope of land (including grade and direction, and top of slope) elevations • if waterfront property, show bank height, setback between building and top of bank, all creeks, rivers, wetlands, etc.

• existing and proposed utilities: service lines and pipe size (pipe size: PT only) • drainage plans • building lines and exterior dimensions • temporary erosion and sediment control Foundation Plan

• footings, piers & foundation walls (including interior footings) • foundation vents • posts and beams (sizes and spans) • floor joists, size, spacing, direction • plumbing sizes and locations through foundations • type and location of vapor barriers Floor Plan

• room uses and sizes • window, skylight and door locations; sizes • plumbing fixtures • smoke detector locations • stairway: rise, run, handrails, dimensions etc.

• hot water tank, furnaces, woodstove, fireplaces • attic and crawl space access • wall bracing, both interior and exterior Wall Section

• footing size and depth below finish grade • foundation wall, height, width and reinforcement (horizontal and vertical rebar placement) • finish grade • thickness of floor slab • floor joist size and spacing • floor sheathing, size and material • wall stud size and spacing • ceiling height • wall sheathing and siding, size and material • rafters, ceiling joists, trusses, seismic anchors • roof sheathing, roofing material, roof pitch, attic ventilation • insulation material and R-value in walls, floor, ceiling and slab • headers, dimensions, insulation • anchor bolts and pressure-treated plates • sheet rock thickness; fire resistive, if required • type and location of vapor barriers • framing to be used: standard, intermediate or advanced Exterior Elevations

• exterior views on front and all sides • windows • decks, steps, handrails, guardrails, landings • chimneys • finish grade • height of building per IBC Energy/Ventilation

For processing of applications under the – Continued on page 27 The Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader

– Continued from page 26

Washington State Energy Code (WSEC) and 2009 International Residential Code (IRC), it is important that submittals also include: • location and size (cfm) of whole house ventilation fan and controls • location and size of all other exhaust fans • all exhaust duct runs and their points of termination • type and location of all outside air inlets • termination point of appliance vents • floor area • type of heat • windows and doors, brand names, class, type, U-values • all insulation R-values in walls, floor, ceiling and slab Water and Sewer Plans

Plans for new construction projects should also include water and sewer site plans. A minimum of three sets of engineering plans are required for street development permits. In unincorporated areas, a water service agreement from the water supplier should also be presented. Unless the property is served by city sewer service, an on-site sewage disposal permit from the Jefferson County Environmental Health Department is also required.

If the nature of the work is such that some of the required plans, calculations or construction inspection requirements are not necessary, the building official may waive those requirements.

CHAPTER 5:

Inspections ▼ The building construction process involves a number of inspections. Some inspections may be omitted or combined with others, depending on the type of project. After each stage of construction is satisfactorily completed, the inspector will sign the permit posted on the site. WA State law requires that the building permit be posted on the site and that an approved set of plans also be available at the site; if plans are not on site, a re-inspection fee is charged. Inspections are made at each of the following stages of residential construction: City - Development Services Department

1. Temporary erosion and sediment control 2. Footings and setbacks (rebar and forms must be in place) 3. Foundation walls or slab (rebar and forms must be in place) 4. Under-slab plumbing 5. Drainage installations, if required (before drain lines are covered) 6. Floor framing (over crawl space prior to decking) 7. Exterior sheathing, alternate braced wall panels, and engineered sheer walls require inspection prior to cover.

8. Framing, mechanical and plumbing (done at same time with roof completed, and windows and doors installed). Electrical inspection required prior to framing inspection. (Electrical inspections are made by the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries; call 360457-2683 in Port Angeles). Air-seal of utility penetration. Shear walls and hold downs.

9. Masonry chimney 10. Insulation 11. Drywall nailing The Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader

12. Public Works Final 13. Planning Final 14. Building Final / C of O Public Works Department

City: The Public Works Inspector will inspect all of the improvements approved through the Street and Utility Development or Minor Improvement Permit. The Public Works inspector must sign-off on all Public Works improvements prior to any building permit final inspection. Contact the City at 360-379-5095 to schedule inspection.

County: 1. Footings and setbacks (rebar must be in place) 2. Foundation (rebar must be in place) 3. Under-slab plumbing (10-foot head of water). Underground insulation.

4. Framing and plumbing (may be done at same time; roof completed, windows installed, and electrical approved; water must be in lines).

Air-seal of utility penetration. Shear walls and hold downs.

5. Masonry chimney 6. Shear wall 7. Insulation 8. Sheetrock nailing (before taping) 9. Stormwater 10. Zoning, as required 11. Final (including safety features and woodstove) (Septic and road approach permits are to be finaled prior to C of O.) How to Call for an Inspection

Port Townsend - Building inspection requests are made by calling the 24-hour inspection line, 360-385-2294. Inspections requested before 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday will be made the following day. Calls made before 3 p.m. Friday will be made on Monday.

When requesting an inspection, leave the permit number, the name listed on the permit, the address of the construction, the type of inspection requested, the day for which the inspection is requested, and on-site or cellular phone number.

The inspection card and approved plans must be available to the Inspector at the job site. Inspections will not be made unless these items are on the site. Reinspection fees will be charged for return visits ($50).

The Public Works inspection can be requested at 360-385-2294. Permits and plans must be available at the site. A minimum of 24 hours notice should be provided for public works inspections. The City reserves the right to reject any installation not inspected by the Public Works inspector.

Jefferson County - Requests for inspections outside of the Port Townsend city limits must be made prior to 3 p.m. the business day before the inspection. Due to the department being closed on Fridays, Monday inspection requests must be received by 3 p.m. Thursday of the previous week.

The City and County recognize the costs to builders whenever work must stop to wait for inspection. Every effort is made to visit the job site when requested to avoid delays. Nevertheless, critical work such as concrete pours or drywall taping should not be scheduled until the required inspections have been made and passed. A reinspection fee is charged each time the inspector must return for reinspection of work not ready at the initial inspection. No additional inspections will be made until all reinspection fees have been paid.

CHAPTER 6:

Certificate of Occupancy ▼ A certificate of occupancy (C of O) is a written statement which certifies that the structure has passed all inspections and is ready for occupancy.

When a commercial or multi-family structure passes final inspection, a certificate of occupancy is automatically issued. A certificate of occupancy is optional for single-family houses and is issued only upon request.

CHAPTER 7:

Smoke Detectors ▼ All new homes need a smoke detector in each sleeping room, in addition to those in the hallways adjacent to sleeping rooms, and one on each floor. All smoke detectors must have electric power and battery backup. For all projects requiring a permit, smoke detectors must be installed in all areas as required in the IBC for new construction. Battery-powered smoke detectors are adequate for complying with smoke detector requirements in existing construction. See smoke detector information under woodstoves.

Carbon Monoxide Alarms

For new construction, an approved carbon monoxide alarm shall be installed outside of each separate sleeping area in the immediate vicinity of the bedrooms in dwelling units within which fuel-fired appliances are installed and in dwelling units that have attached garages.

Where required in existing dwellings. Where work requiring a permit occurs in existing dwellings that have attached garages or in existing dwellings within which fuel-fired appliances exist, carbon monoxide alarms shall be provided in accordance with Section R315.1.

CHAPTER 8:

Washington State Energy Code ▼ The Washington State Energy Code (WSEC) is enforced statewide for residences heated by gas, oil, heat pumps and electric resistance. Although wood heat may be used as back-up heat, it may not be listed as a primary heat source within the city of Port Townsend, but is allowed by state law in portions of Jefferson County.

WSEC compliance must be included with an application for a building permit. With few exceptions, all new construction of heated space, including remodels and additions, must meet energy code standards; this applies to both residential and commercial projects.

Alternatives

There are three very different ways to show your building complies with the WSEC: 1. Prescriptive Approach. The simplest but most restrictive path, this approach is based on a ratio of window area to floor area. It requires that each exterior wall, floor, window and ceiling meet specified heat loss standards.

2. Component Performance Approach. This approach compares the heat loss rate of your home, as designed, to a house of “standard design” built to WSEC requirements. It allows you to trade increased insulation in one area for less in another, or perhaps more window or skylight area.

3. Systems Analysis Approach. This is the most flexible but most complex approach. It compares building heat losses and gains, giving credit for solar and thermal mass. The computed annual energy consumption must be no greater than a building of “standard design” under the prescriptive approach.

Additions and Remodels

Residential remodels and additions must comply with the 2009 WSEC. However, additions less than 750 square feet are not required to comply if improvements are made to the existing building to compensate for the nonconforming addition.

Mechanical Ventilation

The 2009 International Residential Code (IRC) requires a mechanical ventilation system in all new construction of residential occupancies, and in residential additions which are larger than 500 square feet or include a “wet room” such as a bathroom, laundry or kitchen.

The ventilation system has two separate, but related, tasks to accomplish: 1. Source Specific Ventilation: A mechanical ventilation system which removes stale air from rooms where excess water vapor or cooking odor is produced (such as bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms, spas, or similar uses) provides source specific ventilation.

2. Whole House Ventilation: To provide good air quality in other rooms, or whole house ventilation, the system must: - Remove stale air from the bedrooms and other living spaces; -Distribute sufficient outdoor air to all habitable rooms IRC defines “habitable” space as that used for “living, eating, sleeping, or cooking.” Bathrooms, closets, or hallways are not habitable rooms.

Energy Inspections

Washington State Energy Code (WSEC) requires a building air leakage (blower door) and duct test prior to final inspection. There are three common problems found in insulation inspections: 1. Inadequate vapor retarder. The WSEC requires a vapor retarder be installed between the inside wall covering (sheet rock, etc.) and the insulation. Typically, this is accomplished with kraft-faced batt insulation face-stapled to the framing studs, or through stapling 4-mil polyethylene to the insulated walls before installing sheet rock or paneling. Approved vapor barrier paint may also be used.

- Roof/ceiling assemblies in which the ventilation space above the insulation is less than an average of 12 inches must also have a vapor retarder between the inside ceiling covering and the insulation. The vapor retarder must meet the same impermeability rating as for walls.

- Blown or poured loose-fill insulation may be used in attic spaces where the slope of the ceiling is not greater than three feet in 12 feet and there is at least 30 inches of clear distance from the top of the bottom chord of truss or ceiling joists to the underside of the roof sheathing at the roof ridge.

- Insulation must be cut around electrical boxes and installed tightly against each box, not pushed behind the boxes.

2. Insulation baffles at eaves. Ceiling insulation often shifts or compresses where attic space narrows at the eaves where the roof meets the top of the walls. This blocks the flow – Continued on page 28

2013 Home & Garden ❖ 27

– Continued from page 27

of air, where eave vents are installed, resulting in moisture problems in the attic. To prevent this, baffles must be installed to deflect the incoming air above the insulation.

3. Caulking. To reduce infiltration of outside air, the energy code requires outside joints to be caulked or sealed. Exterior joints around windows and door frames; openings between walls and foundations; between walls and roof and between wall panels; openings at penetrations of utility services through walls, floors and roofs and rim joists exposed in stairwells; and all other such openings in the building envelope shall be sealed, caulked, gasketed, or weatherstripped to limit air leakage.

CHAPTER 9:

Woodstoves, Fireplace Inserts, Pellet Stoves, Masonry and Concrete Fireplaces ▼ In recent years, both lending institutions and insurance companies have become increasingly cautious in lending on or insuring structures containing solid fuel appliances (woodstoves, fireplace inserts, and pellet stoves). Improper installation of these heating units has resulted in a significant increase in home fires.

The City of Port Townsend requires a Mechanical Permit and Jefferson County requires an Installation Permit for retrofitting a woodstove or installing a new wood stove in an existing structure. Inspection is required, and in new construction the wood stove installation may be included in the building permit.

A woodstove may not be installed as the sole source of heat but may be utilized as a secondary source of heat in the city of Port Townsend.

Common errors in woodstove installation include: not enough clearance from walls or combustible surfaces, inadequate hearth extension, installing the pipe sections with the crimped end toward the chimney, or improper venting of pellet stoves. A final woodstove permit is your assurance that the stove was properly installed per the International Building Code and the International Mechanical Code. Note: When any work requiring a permit is done in a dwelling, smoke detectors must be installed per the International Building Code. The essential smoke detector requirements are: One in each sleeping room and one in any hallway leading to a sleeping room. Also, each floor, including basements, must have a smoke detector. Battery-powered smoke detectors are adequate in dwelling areas where no new construction is being done.

All solid-fuel burning appliances require an outside source of combustion air supply and doors on woodstoves and fireplaces. The requirement for “tight-fitting” metal or glass doors reduces heat loss and back drafting.

As houses become tighter under the new energy code, attention must be paid to the need for an adequate supply of air for combustion without detracting from indoor air quality. Therefore, a six-inch (or two 3-inch) duct for fireplaces and the manufacturer’s recommended duct design for woodstoves must be installed from the firebox to outside air.

When a woodstove is installed in an existing building and the location of the woodstove prohibits direct connection to outside air, an approved wall make-up air inlet must be installed as close to the appliance as possible into the room in which the appliance is located. The

28 ❖ 2013 Home & Garden

duct must also have a barometric damper to minimize heat loss to the outside. Woodstoves must be Washington State certified.

The State Building Code Council has adopted two state-wide amendments to the International Building Code pertaining to the testing, certifying and labeling of factory-built masonry and concrete fireplaces. Essentially, a factorybuilt masonry or concrete fireplace must have a certification label. The Department of Energy (1-800-523-4636) maintains an approved woodstove and fireplace list.

CHAPTER 10:

Onsite Septic Systems ▼ Why Septic Is Needed

Because soil varies, the ability of each soil to absorb sewage effluent also varies. Serious health problems can arise from an overloaded or poorly designed septic system.

While most of us are acquainted with the topsoil on our property, systems must rely on the lower soils. Glaciers left deposits of till and silt over much of the area. These and clay soils can create hardpan soils which restrict water absorption. Impermeable soils keep sewage near or at the surface, or may cause back-up into the house.

When Is a Permit Required?

Any place where people live, work, or congregate that is not served by a sanitary sewer needs to have a permitted on-site sewage system. New construction to replace or remodel an existing structure requires a new permit.

Temporary uses (more than 30 days) such as camps or recreational vehicles also require a permit.

Applications must include plans designed by a licensed engineer or licensed septic designer.

Plans are drawn to scale and show the required distances between a well, septic tank, surface water, and buildings.

Prior to approval, the Jefferson County Environmental Health Department evaluates the soil on the site from a minimum of four test holes. Often, soil evaluation must be conducted during the wet season. Both primary and reserve drain fields are required and soil must be approved for each. The system should be designed for greater than typical capacity.

If approved, permits are issued for the specific site, not the family or business. Permits are valid for three years. Applications are made at the Jefferson County Department of Community Development or Environmental Health Department.

New on-site septic systems are only allowed in the City of Port Townsend for new single family residential development which is greater than 260 feet from the nearest city sewer main and which is not subject to any of the following: a) Subdivision, short subdivision and planned unit development (PUD) approvals subject to the Subdivision Ordinance PTMC Title 18 (as stated in PTMC 13.22.010) b) Review and threshold determination under the State Environmental Policy Act Implementing Ordinance (Chapter 19.04 PTMC) or c) Permit requirements of the Environmentally Sensitive Areas Ordinance (Chapter 19.05 PTMC). On-site septic systems must be approved by the Jefferson County Health Department.

If an on-site septic system within the City of Port Townsend fails (at any time), connection to the City’s system is required unless the near-

est portion of the parcel is greater than 260 feet from the nearest sewer main, in which case the septic system may be repaired to serve the property, provided it can be upgraded to Jefferson County Health Department requirements.

CHAPTER 12:

Shoreline Master Program ▼

Waste water and sewage (effluent) must be treated to prevent disease. Effluent flows from the house to a septic tank, from where it flows into drain lines that carry it to absorbing soils.As it filters down through the soil, it is purified by soil bacteria. Two to four feet of good soil must exist below the drain field pipes to treat the effluent.The amount varies due to soil types.

Soil types range from gravel to sand, sandy loam, loam, to clays. If the effluent flows or percolates (percs) too quickly, it may reach ground water without adequate purification, polluting neighboring wells or springs.

If it percs too slowly, the effluent backs up into the house or resurfaces. Sandy soil requires less area than finer, loamy soils. Conventional septic systems cannot be used in clay or other impervious soils.Approved alternative systems can overcome some site limitations.

On-Site-Septic systems (OSS) are effective if the following conditions exist: 1. Properly designed and installed system.

2. Adequate soil conditions.

3. System is not overloaded, neglected or impeded by excessive wastes from the house or business.

4. Solid wastes are kept at a minimum. Septic systems can handle only human excrement, toilet paper and wash water. Garbage disposals may be too much.

5. Clear liquid is visible through annual visual inspections.

6. Pumped out every three to five years.

7. The drain field is protected from vehicles.

Enacted in 1971, the Washington State Shoreline Management Act recognizes shorelines as among the most valuable and fragile of the state’s natural resources. Shoreline Act policy aims to maximize public access to the waterfront, provide for uses which are water dependent or water related and to protect and restore shoreline resources. Some projects are exempt from the shoreline permit process, but all projects must comply with the policies of the Shoreline Master Program and the Shoreline Management Act. The Jefferson County Shoreline Master Program regulates all shoreline activities outside the City limits and the Port Townsend Shoreline Master Program regulates all shoreline activities within the City limits. Port Townsend adopted an updated Shoreline Master Program in February 2007, and can be found on the City website home page under “City Plans.” A pre-application conference is required for all project proposals.

Should a shoreline permit be necessary, an Army Corps of Engineers permit and a Department of Fish and Wildlife hydraulics permit may also be necessary. All application forms are available at City Hall and at the County Department of Community Development as well as online at www.co.jefferson.wa.us and at www. cityofpt.us.

After a shoreline permit has been applied for, the application is advertised to allow public comment. A public hearing may be conducted.

After final action by the city or county, the application is reviewed by the Washington State Department of Ecology (DOE). The DOE may accept, modify or reject decisions on shoreline variances or shoreline conditional use permits. The entire process takes approximately 4 months, depending on the complexity of the project, the quality of project planning, and the number of projects already submitted.

Also see Chapter 18.25 of the Jefferson County Code.

CHAPTER 11:

Jurisdiction of the Act

Manufactured/Mobile and Modular Homes ▼

The Shoreline Management Act’s jurisdiction includes all marine waters of the state; all freshwater areas of the state except rivers and streams with a mean annual flow of under 20 cubic feet per second and except lakes under 20 acres in areas; their associated wetlands; and the upland areas extending 200 feet landward.

In general, if you plan to develop within 200 feet of these shorelines or to establish a permanent structure near or on the water, you will probably be required to have a shoreline permit.

Very small projects may be exempt from the shoreline permitting process; however, exempt projects must still be reviewed by city and county staff to ensure consistency with the Master Program. A formal exemption must be issued prior to working on an exempt project.

Septic Inspections

Two inspection approvals are required for septic systems. One comes at the time of application and includes a visit to the site.The second comes at the time of installation.

A Septic System Primer

Manufactured/mobile and modular homes are treated the same as site-constructed homes with respect to setbacks, water, sewage disposal, drainage, stormwater, footing drains, roof drainage and the like. A siting permit is required for both manufactured/mobile and modular homes.

Modular homes are built in a factory to the standards of the International Building Code (IBC) and are installed on a conventional foundation and require a foundation plan and the appropriate inspections. Manufactured homes are built to Federal Housing and Urban Development specifications. Manufactured homes do not require a conventional foundation and may be installed per the manufacturer’s installation instructions. The blocking, plumbing, skirting, steps, and porches are inspected as part of a Manufactured Home permit.

In conformance with the City’s comprehensive plan, manufactured homes are allowed in all residential zones as long as they are no more than three years old and meet other requirements (see City staff). Mobile homes and trailer homes are not allowed in any residential zone.

Shoreline Setback

Single Family Residences typically require a shoreline exemption approval. On sites containing critical areas, critical area buffers may also apply, requiring increased setbacks from bluff tops or the water’s edge.

Exceptions to this standard may be discussed with City or County planners.

– Continued on page 29 The Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader

– Continued from page 28

CHAPTER 13:

State Environmental Policy Act ▼ The State Environmental Policy Act, or SEPA, is a set of regulatory procedures based on the simple notion that environmental values and consequences must be considered, along with technical and economic considerations, by state and local government officials when making decisions.

The SEPA process starts when someone submits a permit application or when a government agency proposes to take some official action. Not all permit activities or governmental proposals require SEPA review. There are over 200 minor actions and development activities which are exempt from the SEPA process, ranging from normal repair and remodeling to the construction of up to nine new homes.

Generally speaking, the SEPA process will apply to your project if the proposal involves a subdivision of land, involves a shoreline or wetland, is a conditional use, requires a comprehensive plan amendment, or is commercial, industrial, or multi-family residential in nature.

The SEPA process is two-fold. First, it attempts to understand and evaluate the environmental consequences of a proposal. (The term environment applies to the natural environment as well as the built environment. Therefore, SEPA is used to understand the effects a project would have on migratory waterfowl as well as how a proposal may impact a local transportation system.) And second, SEPA attempts to reduce potential adverse impacts or to find a less environmentally harmful way of doing the same thing.

SEPA’s procedure begins with an Environmental Checklist. This questionnaire serves as an environmental disclosure statement. It is from this questionnaire and/or supplementary information, that the City or County will determine whether the impacts “may have a probable significant adverse environmental impact.” Should this be the case, an environmental impact statement (EIS) will be prepared.

If, however, the identified impacts may be mitigated or conditioned, or if the project is modified to reduce the impacts, then a determination of non- significance (DNS) or mitigated determination of non-significance (MDNS) may be issued. Some projects have no impacts that require mitigation so a determination of nonsignificance (DNS) is made.

The SEPA Responsible Official is responsible for making the threshold determination. The Jefferson County SEPA Responsible Official has jurisdiction outside the City. Once the local determination has been issued, other private, local and state agencies,

tribes, as well as the public have the opportunity to review the determination and offer additional comments for consideration. A determination of non-significance is not considered final until 14 days after issuance of the threshold determination, pending comments. Depending on the comments received, the original determination may be (1) withdrawn, (2) the project’s impacts may be further mitigated or modified, or (3) left as originally issued.

The SEPA threshold determination process, as it is called, takes a minimum of 40 days to complete after a complete environmental checklist is submitted and usually runs concurrently with other permit review. An “optional DNS process” may be utilized when the responsible official makes a threshold determination and issues a DNS or MDNS. Check with the City and County for further details.

If the City/County determines that a proposal is likely to result in significant adverse environmental impacts, an EIS provides more opportunity for the public, agencies, and tribes to participate in assessing impacts and developing mitigation and / or alternatives. If you have questions about the applicability of SEPA to a project you may have in mind, feel free to contact the planning staff.

Critical Areas (City Only) Amended 2005

The Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader

Under the Growth Management

Act, the City was required to identify and protect environmentally sensitive areas. As defined by the state, Critical Areas are to include wetlands and streams, frequently flooded areas, aquifer recharge areas, fish and wildlife habitat, and geologically hazardous areas including steep slopes, seismic hazards, and soils with high erosion rates. The city adopted an Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESA) ordinance as required under the GMA in November 1992. Revisions to the ordinance were approved in 2005 and the title was changed to “Critical Areas Ordinance” or CAO. State law now requires the use of “best available science” in developing policies and implementing regulations to protect the functions and values of critical areas.

As the City grows and densities become greater, cumulative effects from development may pose problems to the public health and safety from such hazards as increased flooding and landsliding. The City is beginning to see increasing numbers of development applications in Critical Areas as the more easily developed lots become scarce and as property buyers seek the scenic views or rural characteristics that typify many Critical Area sites. Most of the Critical Areas in the City are still largely undeveloped.

– Continued on page 30

Service Fees City of Port Townsend

Development service fees reflect the actual cost in staff time and hearing examiner services to process land use applications. A list of fees is available on the city’s website, www.cityofpt.us. From the home page, go to City Hall, Departments, Development Services Department, Fee Schedule.

The schedule reflects a “base fee” for Development Services staff review.

Applicants will be notified if processing time exceeds the base fee at which time applicants will be billed for staff time at a rate of $50/hour.

City Engineer Staff Review of land use projects are billed at $50/hour. Applicants may request an estimate of the review fee.

Customer Assistance Meetings (CAMS) incur a $100 fee for two hours of staff time; $50/hour will be charged for more than two hours. One half of the base fee ($50) may be credited to a subsequent, associated pre-application/ land use application if submitted within the 12 months of the CAM. These fees help us continue to provide building and development services to our citizens.A copy of the complete fee schedule is available on request.

(Fees are subject to change. Please verify with staff prior to submitting an application).

Jefferson County

The Jefferson County DCD requires pre-applications for conditional use permits. Make sure your proposed project is allowed on your site, before investing significant time and money. Simple questions can be answered by DCD planning staff during our regular “coaching” hours at offices, 621 Sheridan St. in Port Townsend: Monday,Tuesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon; Wednesday 1 p.m. to 4:30 pm. More detailed review is available through a “pre-application” meeting with all relevant departments, for a cost of $885.

A pre-application meeting is intended to guide customers through the process and provide code provisions. The pre-app process is considered extremely useful as all areas of permit review meet together with the applicant to discuss the project.

Obtain a Pre-Application Conference form from DCD and submit with a check in the amount of $885. The fee is comprised of: $380 Development Review Division (billed for additional time if exceeds four hours); $156 Environmental Health; $76 Building Division; $152 Fire Code (billed for additional time if exceeds two hours); $121 Public Works.

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– Continued from page 29

The intent of the ordinance is to provide certain safeguards to Critical Areas by encouraging good site planning and construction techniques which minimize development impacts. For each type of Critical Area, such as wetland or steep slope, there are specific standards which will guide development to avoid or address a particular hazard, or protect or maintain a natural process or resource.

A Critical Areas permit is required for a “development proposal.” (See 19.05.030) Development proposals include activities requiring a development permit (e.g., a building permit, clearing and grading permit or street development permit). If you suspect that your property contains or is near a Critical Area, it is recommended that you contact a planner with the City Development Services Department prior to commencing land-altering activities.

Typically, the Critical Area application process begins once an application for a development proposal has been submitted.

The City has maps available for use by the public showing the general location of Critical Areas. Once the City has determined that your property is in a mapped Critical Area or may meet the criteria for a Critical Area, you may be required to obtain a Critical Area permit.

The Critical Area permit process begins with a required pre-application consultation with

city staff to discuss the project. Next you or your contractor submits a site construction plan which includes a field inventory of your site and, possibly, a survey to determine the property lines on your site.

If your site has a Critical Area located on it, you may also be required to hire a qualified critical area consultant to prepare a Special Report describing the Critical Area’s location, its functions, or any potential hazard, and ways in which the project minimizes impacts or avoids the sensitive area. Upon approval of the site plan and any required reports, a pre-construction meeting is required between City staff, the applicant, consultants and contractors to review specific project details and methods of construction.The last step involves City staff approving field marking on the site before permitted activities may begin.

If your site is uncomplicated, you may be able to complete most of the paperwork by yourself.

There are some surveys and reports, such as a wetland delineation and mitigation plan, which must be handled by qualified experts. Your contractor will not necessarily be qualified to complete all of the paperwork for you, but will be able to hire the necessary experts, or you can hire them yourself.You can represent yourself at the meetings with City staff. The meetings are a good opportunity for you to ask questions. For many projects, the City may request your contractor, consultants, or subcontractors to attend, so that everyone understands the process and

Shoreline Buffers and Setbacks – Jefferson County Current SMP The current Shoreline Master Program (JCC 18.25) requires residential structures to be located away from the water’s edge, as determined by bank/bluff height: Bank Height 0 – 10 feet 11 – 30 feet >31 feet

Residential Setback 30 feet from Ordinary High Water Mark 30 feet from top of bank 1 foot setback for every foot of bank height, not to exceed 100 feet

There is an exception that allows a proposed building to be at the same setback as nearby dwelling units that are closer than the standard setback.

Current CAO The Critical Areas Ordinance (JCC 18.22) requires a protective buffer plus a building setback along sensitive environmental features, regardless of location along the shoreline, such as: Type of Critical Area Landslide Hazard Fish & Wildlife Habitat Conservation (i.e. marine shores, streams and lakes) Wetlands

Standard Buffer 30 feet 50 – 150 feet

Building Setback + 5 feet + 5 feet

25 – 350 feet

+ 5 feet

There are also a few options to adjust the standard critical area buffer if certain criteria are met.

New SMP The Shoreline Master Program (SMP) is undergoing revision with the update process anticipated to be complete in 2013. Once the new SMP provisions are in effect the following standard buffers and setbacks will apply to most use and development activities near the water: Type of Shoreline Marine Stream/River Lake

Standard Buffer 150 feet 150 feet 100 feet

Building Setback + 10 feet + 10 feet + 10 feet

There will also be several options to adjust the standard shoreline buffer if certain criteria are met. If a buffer/setback has already been legally established (via recorded plat, SPAAD, etc.) it will be honored.

Check with the Watershed Stewardship Resource Center for up to date information:

360.379.4450 | WSRC@co.jefferson.wa.us | 621 Sheridan Street, Port Townsend

30 ❖ 2013 Home & Garden

regulations.

Processing time varies for Critical Area permits. It is dependent on the property and its development constraints and the types of information required to prepare a construction plan which minimizes critical area impacts to the greatest feasible extent.

Land Use Permits

Prior to submitting a land use application (e.g., subdivision, shoreline, revisions to shoreline management permits, Critical Area permits, variance, conditional use, binding site plans, and site specific rezones consistent with the Port Townsend comprehensive plan), staff suggests applicants apply for public information and technical assistance. There are three types: 1. A “Customer Assistance Meeting” (CAM) is $100 for two hours of staff time for the property owner (or potential purchaser or business with the property owner’s permission). It is designed to assist a potential applicant through the land use process and / or provide preliminary infrastructure requirements. A $50 per hour fee will be charged over two hours. One half of the $100 base fee ($50) may be credited to a subsequent associated pre-application if submitted within 12 months of the CAM. 2. A “Pre-Application Conference” ($150 for three hours of staff time, to $250 for five hours of staff time, plus $50 per additional staff hour, depending on the proposal) provides a written report including planning, building and general public works information pertinent to a specific development proposal. The purpose of a pre-application conference is to acquaint the applicant with the requirements of the Port Townsend Municipal Code and to allow an exchange of information and ideas based upon the applicant’s preliminary sketch of the proposal. Issues commonly addressed at a pre-application conference include permit requirements, the process, timing, public notice requirements, application fees, and submittal requirements.

3. A “Technical Conference” ($250, plus $50 per hour over five hours of staff time) provides public works requirements that remain valid for one year from the date of review. It may be required by the public works director when streets or infrastructure is extended.

CHAPTER 14:

Subdivisions (short & long) & Binding Site Plans ▼ Zoning or development codes in the city and county regulate the type and intensity of development that may occur in the community. Subdivision codes govern the process of dividing a single parcel of land into two or more parcels for further sale or development.

This process is regulated to ensure that the lots which are created are usable, adequately served by roads and utilities and compatible with the neighborhoods in which they are situated.

Port Townsend adopted a new subdivision code (PTMC Title 18) in 1997. In Port Townsend the Uniform Development Code identifies three different types of subdivisions: a full subdivision (10 or more lots), a short subdivision or short plat (nine lots or fewer) and a binding site plan (available for division of mixed use, commercial or industrial zoned property and for residential condominiums).

The requirements are slightly different for

each, since a larger subdivision requires more in the way of roads and utilities.

The Jefferson County Code (Chapter 18.35) ensures that proposed subdivisions will include adequate provisions for such things as water supply, sewage disposal, and roads. This is to safeguard that property will be divided into buildable lots, this being in compliance with Washington State law and the Jefferson County Code.

Short subdivision or short plat: This is the division or splitting of property into four or fewer lots. The city and county lot limits may differ.

Long subdivision or long plat: This is the division or splitting of property into five or more lots. (If the date of the last subdivision is less than five years ago, a long subdivision is required to create additional lots.)

In Port Townsend, short plats and binding site plans are primarily administrative, while full subdivisions require a public hearing. In the county short plats are an administrative function, but long plats must go through the subdivision review process outlined below.

Subdivision review involves a two step process: preliminary and final. The preliminary plat presents information that allows for a detailed review of the project. The final plat is designed to assure that all the conditions and improvements required during preliminary approval are implemented.

The time period for the subdivision process varies, depending upon how long the applicant takes in presenting the final plat. The preliminary plat process takes up to 120 days from determination of completed application. State law now states the time limit at nine years..

CHAPTER 15:

Easements ▼ An easement is generally the right of a person to go upon land owned by someone else and use it for various specified purposes. Normally, though not always, an easement runs across one piece of land for the use and benefit of one or more nearby owners, or the general public.

Most common examples are easements for utility lines (e.g., water, sewer, storm drain, electrical power) and for access (e.g., roads, driveways, trails, ingress-egress). An easement often includes the right to do work to the property so that the easement can be used (e.g., digging, grading, filling, leveling, graveling, etc.), and can vary in width or length.

Easements may be created by a written document; be implied by circumstances; become established through continuous use; or by other means under the law. Because easements may affect the title to or use of land, property owners should take great care to inspect the title and the property to ensure the easement is valid and sufficient. Legal assistance is advised.

The Jefferson County Auditor’s Office has a file of recorded easements.

CHAPTER 16:

Jefferson County ▼ Special Considerations for Jefferson County Projects: Address Numbering – Continued on page 31 The Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader

– Continued from page 30

The Department of Community Development assigns addresses in Jefferson County. Structures are required to have an address so that the fire department or aid car can find your structure in the case of emergency. The U.S. Postal Service also can serve you with an assigned and posted address.

Floodplains

Jefferson County participates in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) offered through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Areas adjacent to streams, rivers, and marine shorelines that are subject to flooding fall within the jurisdiction of the Jefferson Flood Damage Prevention Management Ordinance. These regulations govern development and construction within floodplains. These areas have been designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and depicted on special maps. Consult the Department of Community Development and Chapter 15.15 JCC. The minimum requirements of the NFIP protect the public health, safety, and welfare of the community by protecting buildings from the 100year, or 1% chance flood, the program was not intended to address other floodplain management concerns, such as fish and wildlife habitat. On September 22, 2008, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) issued a Biological Opinion that required changes to the implementation of the National Flood Insurance Program in order to meet the requirements of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in the Puget Sound watershed. As a result, development proposed within the floodplain in eastern Jefferson County shall demonstrate through a habitat assessment that the development project will not have an adverse effect on listed species or designated critical habitat or provide concurrence from National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) that the project is compliant with the Endangered Species Act. Habitat Assessment guidance is located at http://www.fema. gov/about/regions/regionx/nfipesa. shtm.

Road Approach

Road approach permits are required any time you wish to construct an approach (driveway) to access a county road or state highway.

You will need to apply for a permit at the Department of Public Works or Washington State Department of Transportation. Complete instructions for completion of the application and approach construction standards are available at the Department of Community Development.

Water

Washington State requires that proof of potable (safe for drinking)

water be provided prior to building permit issuance. For each building permit necessitating potable water, evidence of available and adequate water supply must be submitted with the building permit application (JCC 18.40.100).This usually means that a well must be drilled and tested, or a tap commitment must be obtained from an approved water company.

Check with the Department of Community Development for more information.

Zoning

The Jefferson County Code (JCC) governs how areas of the County are developed. Designed to prevent haphazard development, it deals with the relationship of uses and structures to the neighborhood as a whole and also to the individual piece of property. Zoning is based upon the Comprehensive Plan, which is a policy developed by and for the citizens of Jefferson County. The Comprehensive Plan guides land use decisions for all of us. JCC consistency review and/or permit approval is required for any commercial or industrial development in Jefferson County, home business, cottage industry, temporary use, etc. Consult with the Department of Community Development to become familiar with the JCC, which implements the Comprehensive Plan or log on to www.co.jefferson.wa.us Site Plan Approval Advance Determination (SPAAD)

A Site Plan Approval Advance Determination, or SPAAD, is to allow a prospective buyer, owner or developer of land a means of obtaining advance determinations of the site requirements and constraints to particular parcels without undertaking the risk or expense of applying for a “triggering” building or other development permit. The process is intended to reduce the cost of development and aid in the facilitation of pre-development financing for applicants.

Advanced site plan approval may be granted without an accompanying building or development permit only upon completion of an administrative review process to ensure consistency with the performance standards of the JCC. SPAAD approval is effective for five years from the date of original approval and will expire after five years if a building permit has not been issued. A SPAAD is not immune from changes in state or federal laws which are enacted or have an effective date after the date of the site plan approval and which may affect the performance and implementation of the site plan and associated use or activity.

Environmentally Sensitive Areas

Your permit application will be reviewed by the Department of Community Development at the time of application. The intent of the review is to promote site development that

The Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader

is consistent with individual land owner’s goals while protecting environmental resources, which are valuable to everyone. Jefferson County requires an application and fee for removal or trimming of trees and/ or removal or pruning vegetation if located within a landslide hazard area, stream and /or wetland buffer or within 150 ft. of the marine shoreline.

Please check with the Coach on duty to discuss your particular proposal.

(See Chapter 18.22 of the Jefferson County Code) Comprehensive Plan

Comprehensive land use planning is a systematic process designed to incorporate community vision with existing conditions in the community.

The plan develops clear policies to regulate appropriate future development, and implements the Growth Management Act (GMA) and other applicable state and federal regulations. The GMA requires communities to consider thirteen goals and several elements. On August 28, 1998, the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners unanimously adopted a Comprehensive Plan to guide and focus County growth over the next twenty years. The plan complies with the Growth Management Act. The Plan is published in two volumes; both volumes are available at public libraries and community centers as well as on the Internet at www. co.jefferson.wa.us. Copies are also available at the Jefferson County Department of Community Development, 621 Sheridan Street.

Based on the requirements of the Growth Management Act, Countywide Planning Policies, community input, and Growth Management Hearings Board rulings, Jefferson County determined that the County’s land use and rural strategy for rural commercial lands must include the following key policy guidelines: 1. The County must ensure that rural areas of more intensive residential, commercial and industrial development are contained in a manner that preserves rural character.

2. The County must ensure that rural commercial development located outside designated Urban Growth Areas is appropriately scaled to serve the needs of the local rural community and the traveling public and to protect and enhance rural character.

In terms of single family residence building permits, lots which were legally created and that meet Health Department standards for septic and water, setback requirements, critical areas restrictions and other applicable regulations may be developed even if the land use map indicates a lower density.

Now that the Plan is adopted, the County has developed regulations consistent with the Plan, most of which are contained in the Jefferson County Code (JCC) or community plans.

The Department of Community

Development is guided in developing land use regulations by the Planning Commission. All Planning Commission meetings are public and are advertised in the governmental meetings section of the Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader.

Residential Zoning Districts

Refer to the Port Townsend Municipal Code (PTMC) Title 17 for information pertaining to all residential zoning districts. See Table 17.16.030.

Setbacks for R-I and R-II have changed.

Permitted and Conditional Uses

CHAPTER 17:

Port Townsend ▼ Lots of Record (PTMC 18.18)

This process is required: • When development of 2 to 9 lots platted before 1937 requires a building or other land use permit and the extension of public water and/or sewer utilities and/or the opening and development of an unopened street.

• When certification of one lot of record is needed.

• When lots must be consolidated to meet minimum building site size requirements through restrictive covenants.

Letter to the Assessor

When multiple lots of record that are under one (or more) tax parcel number are proposed to be divided for the purposes of sale, trade or transfer, and new, separate tax parcel number(s) are requested from the Jefferson County Assessor, the applicant can apply for a “letter to the Assessor” process. City staff will research the property and fax a letter to the Jefferson County Assessor’s office about whether the division of lots into separate tax parcels complies with the City’s subdivision code. The letter will contain basic information about current zoning, minimum lot size and the presence of any critical areas mapped on the property. A copy will be mailed to the property owner. The property owner must first pay any property taxes due to the Jefferson County Treasurer’s office and submit a signed letter confirming the request. This process is not a substitute for the Lots of Record process. If you have multiple lots for sale, please contact the planning staff ahead of time if you wish to discuss development requirements.

Description of Zoning Districts (PTMC Title 17)

Property in Port Townsend, as in most cities, is classified into zoning districts to preserve public safety, to protect property values, and to facilitate provision of public services.

Basically, zoning in Port Townsend is a means to assure that nearby uses are compatible and that buildings are placed to reduce fire risks and to provide adequate open spaces for light and air. All land within the City is divided into 16 zoning districts as shown on the official zoning map.

These maps are posted at DSD in City Hall and found on the city website at www.cityofpt.us under Public Works. The districts, purposes, uses and major restrictions are as follows:

Each zoning district permits some uses outright “P”, allows others with a Conditional Use Permit “C”, and prohibits others “X”.

All use tables are within PTMC Title 17 Zoning online at: http:// www.codepublishing.com/wa/porttownsend.html.

Overlay Districts

The Overlay District is a special designation that uses specific standards and requirements which are applied in addition to the basic zoning classification.

The Special Design Review Overlay District (north of the ferry terminal to Point Hudson and east of the bluff) requires Historic Preservation Committee Design Review and mandatory compliance.

The Special Height Overlay District extends from the waterline to the bluff in the historic commercial downtown area. Height limits vary from 25 to 50 feet and are shown on the “Official Height Overlay Map,” available at DSD. Formula Retail and Restaurant Establishments (PTMC 17.54)

Chapter 17.54 regulates the location of new or expanded “formula retail” establishments within Port Townsend.

The purposes of the Formula Retail development standards are to regulate the location and operation of formula retails and restaurant establishments in order to maintain the City’s unique Victorian Seaport and surrounding rural character, the diversity and vitality of the community’s commercial districts, and the quality of life in Port Townsend residents. Businesses meeting the definition of “formula retail” establishments are regulated in the C-II General Commercial zoning district and prohibited in the C-I/MU, C-II/MU, C-I, C-II, C-II(H), C-III, M-C, and the M-II(B) Point Hudson zoning districts, and the downtown historic overlay district. “Formula retail” means a type of retail sales or rental activity and retail sales or rental establishment, including restaurants, hotels and motels, which along with fourteen or more other establishments, maintains two or more of the following features: 1. Standardized array of merchandise or standardized menu 2. Standardized façade 3. Standardized décor and color scheme 4. Uniform apparel 5. Standardized signage 6. Trademark or service mark The following businesses are exempt from Chapter 17.54 formula – Continued on page 32

2013 Home & Garden ❖ 31

business regulations: auto sales; auto tire sales and service; banks; gas (fueling) stations and convenience stores selling gasoline or other fuels; grocery stores; health care; and services, including professional services (for example, real estate offices, insurance offices, copy centers, and mail centers). Contact the city’s permit center or go to www.codepublishing.com/wa/ porttownsend.html for a complete copy of this ordinance.

form of a recommendation that is made to the Development Services Director, who makes a final decision. The HPC’s recommendation and the Director’s decision are based on locally adopted guidelines for signage, murals, awnings, exterior mechanical equipment, new additions and new construction. The review process also uses the Secretary of the Interior’s guidelines developed by the National Park Service. Information on the paint palette and all other guidelines are available at the Development Services Department.

Historic Design Review (PTMC 17.30)

Home Occupations (PTMC 17.56)

– Continued from page 31

Port Townsend’s National Historic Landmark District (NHLD) is a special community asset. Its impact on community character and quality of life are significant. Established by the National Park Service in 1976, the NHLD is approximately 475 acres in size and contains over 800 commercial, government, religious, residential and maritime trade buildings. In 1986, the Port Townsend Historic Preservation Committee (HPC) was created to provide design assistance and review for projects that involve historic structures (including bed and breakfast inns and other conditional uses).

Its mission is to assist in creating projects that are both economically feasible and supportive of community goals. Check the City’s website for the next scheduled meeting of the MPC, typically the first and third Tuesdays of each month at 3 p.m. at City Hall in the 3rd Floor Conference Room.

Scope of HPC Review

Design review involving the HPC is required, and compliance with the outcome is mandatory, for any development project in the non-residential zones of the NHLD that requires a building or sign permit. Also, a change in paint color in these areas is subject to the following: If colors are selected from the pre-approved color palette, administrative review only is required. Other colors require a review and recommendation by the HPC. Paint colors for residential buildings are exempt from design review; however, any new additions or changes to a historic home, whether within the NHLD or outside, is also required. A map showing designated historic homes within the NHLD is available at the Development Services Department and online at the city’s web site.

HPC Design Review Exemptions

Exempt from design review are emergency repairs, ordinary maintenance and repairs, and interior remodeling or decoration.

Pre-application Consultation

All projects subject to Land Use Permit Pre-Application Consultation that also require design review with the HPC will be reviewed for code compliance as part of the land use permitting process. Information on the HPC review process will be provided during the pre-application process and a separate HPC pre-application consultation may be required in addition to submittal of application materials for review at a regular HPC meeting.

HPC Process and Use of Guidelines

Once a complete design review application is received, the HPC’s review must be completed within 45 days unless there are companion applications associated with the project (such as a shorelines permit). HPC review takes the

32 ❖ 2013 Home & Garden

A Home Occupation Permit is required for any home business activities that generate more than five customer or business visits per week. It is a one time fee, currently $162.50.

Although businesses are generally not permitted in residential zoning districts, small home businesses may be permitted if certain conditions are met.

A home occupation permit may be issued only if the business is fully enclosed within the primary residence or accessory structure, occupies no more than 50 percent (but not more than 500 square feet) of the primary structure and provides for adequate parking. At least one resident of the house must be engaged in the business and no more than three persons who are outside the immediate resident family may be employed. Noise levels and appearance must be compatible with the neighborhood and the business may not be subdivided from the residential property for sale or lease.

There may be no more than five business visits per day. Hours for deliveries or non-resident employment are limited to 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Friday. A 3-square-foot sign is permitted which must be mounted flat to the house and may not be internally illuminated.

(A sign permit is not required.) Home occupations also require a city business license.

Certain types of business activities are not eligible for a home occupation permit because of their incompatibility with the maintenance of residential neighborhood character: medical or professional clinics having more than five visits a day; retail activities, except for merchandise crafted on site or items clearly accessory to a service; stables, kennels, animal husbandry or farming activities except as provided in Chapter 17.16 PTMC; vehicle repair, automobile detailing or automobile servicing activities; any activities involving more than five customer or business visits per day; and other uses not allowed outright or conditionally in residential zones.

The following business activities are exempt from requiring a home occupation permit but must otherwise comply with the intent and provisions of the home occupation chapter: • Activities that involve no more than five vehicle visits per week • No non-resident employees • Only activities which are incidental to the residential use of the property • Instructional activities involving up to ten non-residents which occur no more than one time per week • Childcare services involving 12 or fewer children, including children who reside in the home (provided that these services comply with PTMC Chapter 17.52 Day Care Facilities) Bed & Breakfast Inns and Tourist Homes (PTMC 17.08 & 17.84)

These transient accommodations in residen-

tial zones are defined as providing lodging for periods of no more than 29 consecutive days.

Only guest rooms may be rented, not entire houses. Accessory structures are only allowed if the B&B or the tourist home was established prior to June 1, 1989. A bed and breakfast inn is defined as a building with a central kitchen which provides the primary residence for the owner or operator and which offers guest rooms. Food may be served to guests. Food handling is under the jurisdiction of the Jefferson County Health Department.

A tourist home is defined as the primary residence of the owner and may offer up to two guest rooms for sleeping purposes only. A bed and breakfast inn or tourist home may only be established with a conditional use permit in any of the residential zones (R-I, R-II, R-III and R-IV), but not in any other zone. (See “Conditional Use Permits” under Zoning Exceptions later in this chapter.)

Lodgings with three or more units require a transient accommodation permit from the State of Washington and all units require a lifesafety inspection. Previously approved transient accommodations may apply to increase the number of guest rooms through a Modified Conditional Use Permit application.

setback (yard) areas.

The front lot line is typically adjacent to a street right-of-way or access easement which affords the principal means of access to the property.This line is the legal property line separating private property from the street rightof-way or private access easement. The actual placement of street or sidewalk paving is not a reliable guide to locating the front lot line as few streets in Port Townsend are constructed in the center of the right-of-way.

On corner lots (fronting on two intersecting streets) the property owner determines which is to be considered the front for zoning purposes. Street addresses are assigned separately based on postal and emergency vehicle considerations. Surveys are required for new construction and additions.

The Zoning Ordinance defines the height of a building as the vertical distance from average natural grade to the average height of the highest roof surface (see Building Height Diagram from PTMC 17.08.020, page 35).

For more information on how height is calculated, contact the Development Services Department at 379-5095.

Setback (Yard) Requirements

Modulation

How To Determine Building Height

Buildings are required to set back from propZoning Table 17.16.030 refers to “modulaerty lines or other buildings to preserve light, tion”, which applies within the R-I and R-II resiair and open space, as well as to reduce fire dential zoning districts. Modulation is a means hazards by impeding the spread of fire and pro- of breaking up the apparent bulk of continuous viding adequate space for firefighting. City Required exterior walls as seen from a street. To break of Port Townsend setbacks are measured from property lines to up the bulk, the code requires any wall over Development Services Department building lines and do not apply to250 decks less Street, Suite 3 Madison Portroof Townsend, WA 98368 than 30 inches above the ground. The or Phone (360) 344-4619 Fax – Continued on page 33 eaves may extend up to two(360) feet 379-5095 into required

Daylight Plane Restrictions What is a daylight plane?

A daylight plane is a two-dimensional space that sits on the property. The residence must fit completely within this designated space.

How is a daylight plane measured?

The daylight plane is measured at the required side setbacks, at average grade, up a distance of 10’ for a single story residence and 19’6” for two or three story residences, and inward toward the center of the property at an angle of 45 degrees.

EXAMPLE: The following diagram shows the daylight plane for a residential lot with a required 5 foot side yard setback.

Daylight Plane

ELEVATION DRAWING

45 Degrees

30’ Height Limit

10’ * or 19’6” ** Property Line

5’ Side Yard Setback

* Single Story Residence ** Two or Three Story Residences

Exceptions to the daylight plane rule: Chimneys, vents, flues, eaves and antennas are allowed to intrude into the daylight plane. Gables and dormers are also allowed to intrude with certain size limitations.

The Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader

– Continued from page 32

20 feet in length that faces the street be modulated in or out at least two feet for a minimum of eight feet in length. Besides creating walls that are stepped back or projected forward, other ways to modulate can include a projecting overhang of two feet or more, a porch, a dormer, a bay window, a trellis that attaches to the building, and other “bump out” structures that can create depth and shadows at least 2 feet in depth for an 8-foot span. Note: modulation does not apply to one- or two-car garages, unless they include a second story.

Fences and Hedges (PTMC 17.68)

Fences up to 6 feet in height do not require a building permit but must meet City standards for placement. Fences are allowed on the property line, but have height limits of 4 feet (solid fence) in a front yard or along any right of way.

Fences, walls and other site obscuring installations or features are allowed on the property line. However, the burden shall rest upon the property owner to demonstrate to the satisfaction of DSD the lot line locations (by a survey or other means).

Maximum heights are the following: • When abutting a public street right-of-way whether opened or unopened • A solid fence shall not exceed four (4) feet in height • Any portion between four and six feet in height shall be no less than 50 percent open (when viewed perpendicular to the property line).

• Any portion between six and eight feet in height shall be no less than 90 percent open • When not abutting a public street right-of-way • The maximum height shall be eight feet An arbor, defined as any detached latticework or archway, may not be attached to a fence or wall within the required setback area (see residential zoning table 17.16.030). However, one arbor per property side used as an entrance or gate is allowed as a portion of the fence. No portion may exceed ten feet in height.

Temporary deer fences with temporary stakes do not require building permits. DSD has a preapproved deer fence design for those more “permanent” wire fences.

Please note that any fence over six feet requires a building permit and may require engineering review.

There are special rules regulating retaining walls; please contact DSD before constructing any wall.

Fences, walls, arbors or vegetation cannot block traffic visibility, and may be only 30 inches tall in

the “sight triangle” at a traffic intersection. The height of hedges is regulated only when the hedge creates a potential safety hazard to traffic visibility.

Hedges in the “sight triangle” are subject to required maintenance including trimming and / or removal. Hedges shall be sufficiently set back at time of planting so mature vegetation does not encroach into the street right-of-way. Fences, walls, arbors and hedges are not allowed within public rights-of-way.

Lot Coverage and Minimum Lot Requirements

The zoning code sets out the maximum portion of the lot or building site which may be covered with buildings (defined as structures over 30” above grade) as well as the minimum area and width of the lot required for development in each zone.

Outbuildings

Outbuildings such as garages, storage sheds, garden sheds or tool sheds which are accessory to and on the same lot as a dwelling are subject to the same setbacks as the dwelling.

Outbuildings must be on the same parcel as the dwelling, or on a second parcel that is legally tied to the first. A restrictive covenant may be required to be prepared by the City, signed and recorded with the County by the applicant.

Port Townsend Engineering Design Standards

The City of Port Townsend has adopted Engineering Design Standards Manual (EDS Manual), which identifies minimum requirements for development of water, sewer, stormwater, erosion control, and transportation improvements. The EDS Manual contains text and drawings which should be referred to for all development projects in the City and within the City’s water service area. The EDS Manual and the Port Townsend Municipal Code are available for review at DSD and on the City’s website.

The EDS manual is also for sale for $50 per copy and $20 for a disk copy which includes the design drawings.

Contact Dave Peterson, City Engineer, with specific questions regarding Engineering Design Standards.

Unopened Streets and Alleys

There are many “unopened” streets and alleys in Port Townsend.

Pedestrians and bicyclists have the right to use unopened streets and alleys. Property owners who landscape in unopened rights of way should do so in a manner that does not impede access and should be aware that any improvements made may have to be removed if the right of way is developed in the future. Improvements and maintenance expenses are assumed by the property owner. New residence(s) site plans need also to show what landscaping is being proposed in right-of-way when submit-

The Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader

ting for building and/or Public Works permits.The City shall be notified of any landscaping done within public rights-of-way prior to the work being done. Rightsof-way may not be used for fences, rockeries, buildings or other obstructions to public access. Removal of trees or other vegetation must be approved in advance by the city.

Private Uses of Right-of-Way (ROW) - landscape, fences, rockeries,

trees) Ordinance 3057, approved by the City Council on March 5, 2012, defines what uses residential owners may make to the ROW next to their property. Because many City streets are currently much narrower than the platted ROW, the street edge or curb is usually not the beginning of your property. Also, many ROWs are not developed with streets.

The current code (which dates to the 1990s) prohibits structures and fences in the ROW area between a street and property line or in undeveloped streets, but does allow minor landscaping.The Ordinance continues this approach, but does provide some definition of what constitutes minor landscaping. The concept is that landscaping in the ROW is and should be encouraged, but not the point where it “privatizes” the ROW (turns the area from public to private space).

Minor landscaping is landscaping that meets the following standards: 1) Does not interfere with streetside parking or pedestrian traffic within 8 feet of the edge of any street. In this area, only grass or similar ground cover is appropriate. The concern is that owners should not be allowed to landscape to the point that street parking is moved in front of someone else’s property.

2) Does not interfere with sight lines at intersections, or otherwise present a hazard.

3) Generally consists of low plantings, and does not serve as a “living fence,” solid hedge or screen to prevent passersby from viewing structures on private property. Plantings or features that do not meet this standard would have the effect of privatizing the public space. (Owners who desire privacy would erect fencing or plant landscaping on their private property and not in the ROW.) 4) May consist of landscape features (wood, rocks) that are consistent with these standards.

The Ordinance spells out some descriptions (specific heights and other measures) that are not requirements but are intended to define landscaping and features that would fit within the standards of “minor landscaping.”

For example, shrubs are considered minor if they are less than 3 feet in height at maturity (or less than 2 feet within 10 feet of an intersection or driveway.)

Planting of trees in the ROW area requires a no fee permit (to allow the Public Works Department to make

sure the tree is appropriate for the location giving regard to effect on utilities and views). No trees may be cut in the ROW without City approval.

The Ordinance provides for the Public Works Director to issue “departures” to allow structures or uses in the ROW based on special circumstances, for example, to allow a retaining wall in the ROW if necessary to prevent erosion.

The Ordinance states: “It is not the intent ... that the Public Works Department seek out and/or abate long-standing conditions or situations that violate the standards in this section, so long as the use or structure did not present a safety hazard, was removed if it interfered with City improvements, did not interfere with views from street ends, was not intensified, and was removed if the property redeveloped. Subject to these limitations, long-standing landscaping or trees in the ROW would

be allowed to remain.”

Before you plan that rock wall, fence, or planting project, or cut trees or other significant vegetation, be sure you know where your property ends and the public ROW begins. If you utilize the ROW, check the Ordinance ( cityofpt.us, then Documents, then City Council, then Ordinances), or the Municipal Code 12.040.070 and .075 (City Departments, then City Council, then Municipal Code).

If you have any questions, please contact Public Services at 379-5095.

Parking (PTMC 17.72)

Chapter 17.72 provides offstreet parking requirements applicable to new development and redevelopment within the City of Port Townsend. The parking code is intended: to implement Comprehensive Plan parking management – Continued on page 34

Private Uses of ROW: What Is Allowed in Landscaping Areas?

Low landscaping (shrubs, plants, grasses) Trees allowed with permission of Public Works No fences

Exception: To allow for some variation in height, for every 25 feet of frontage, minor landscaping may extend up to 5 feet in height for a distance not to exceed 5 feet in width. This exception does not apply to the area within 10 feet of an intersection.

Planting area if there is no constructed curb or sidewalk – developed street. If there is no constructed curb or sidewalk, then the area that may be landscaped is between the traveled way (street) and the property line, but not within or affecting any established pedestrian path, and not within 8 feet of the street (to allow for parking).

Graphic and Measurements are for illustrative purposes only.

2013 Home & Garden ❖ 33

– Continued from page 33

policies and strike a more appropriate balance between providing parking for automobiles and promoting alternative transportation modes (e.g., transit, walking and bicycles); to promote economic development and historic preservation; to reduce the creation of new impervious surfaces through lower required parking ratios,

establish maximum parking limits and shared parking facilities; to reduce traffic congestion and hazards; to provide accessible, attractive, well-maintained and screened off-street parking facilities; to provide aesthetically pleasing parking facilities in proportion to individual land use needs; and to assure the maneuverability of emergency vehicles.

The off-street parking requirements apply to all new development and redevelopment within

Port Townsend, with the following exceptions: 1. New development or redevelopment within non-residential areas of the National Register Historic Overlay District (includes the uptown and downtown historic commercial districts)

2. Upper floors of commercial and mixed use buildings in all commercial and mixed use zoning districts outside the historic district.

All development is subject to the bicycle – Continued on page 35

City of Port Townsend TABLE 17.16.030 Residential Zoning Districts – Bulk, Dimensional and Density Requirements

34 ❖ 2013 Home & Garden

The Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader

– Continued from page 34

parking requirements. If parking is provided it is subject to the minimum dimensions, landscaping, maintenance, and maximum parking space ratios of Chapter 17.72.

Chapter 17.86 Variances includes specific criteria for variance requests to either exceed the maximum parking requirements of Chapter 17.72 or to provide less parking than would normally be required.

The minimum dimensions of a standardsized, perpendicular parking space are 9 feet by 19 feet. If the requirement is for more than 10 spaces, one-half of the spaces may be compactsized spaces, 8 feet by 16 feet. The code sets out varying dimensions for diagonal and parallel parking spaces.

Landscaping requirements for parking facilities are described in Subsection 17.72.190 of the PTMC. This section applies to all off-street parking facilities in the city except those that are accessory to single or two-family dwellings.

In cases where the City Council anticipates development may cause parking congestion, requirements in addition to those cited in Section 17.72 PTMC may be imposed pursuant to a conditional use permit or environmental determination. Be sure to check with the Development Services Department to determine the parking requirements for your project.

Latecomer Agreements

The City has adopted ordinances authorizing latecomer agreements for streets (Chapter 12.26 PTMC) and utilities (Chapter 13.04 PTMC). Latecomer agreements are 15-year contracts which allow for reimbusement to the developer by other property owners for a portion of the costs associated with design and construction of street(s) and/or utilities.

For street latecomer agreements the estimated total cost for the improvements must be at least $2,500. For utility latecomer agreements the estimated total cost for the improvements must be at least $2,500 for each utility (water, sewer or storm drainage facility) or $4,000

Figure 502.1(5) “Building height” means the vertical distance from the average natural (preexisting) grade to the highest point of the coping of a flat roof or the deck line of a mansard roof or the average height of the highest gable of a pitched or hipped roof.

The Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader

for all utilities. Latecomer Agreements must be set up prior to starting construction of the street(s) and or utilities. The city charges $200 for each agreement to set up, collect and distribute the funds over the life of the agreement.

The City also collects recording fees from the applicant for the finaled latecomer document, which is recorded at the Jefferson County Auditor’s office.

Port Townsend Sign Code (PTMC 17.76)

The Port Townsend Sign Code aims to enhance the natural beauty of the city, promote economic vitality and fair competition, and ensure public safety through care in sign placement and control of distraction and clutter.

With few exceptions, a sign permit must be issued by the city before a sign may be erected.

For signs located within the National Landmark Historic District, sign designs must be reviewed for compliance with the Historic Preservation guidelines prior to issuance (see “Design Review” earlier in this chapter, page 31). The HPC has adopted approved fonts and colors. If they’re used on the sign, DSD may issue a permit with Administrative HPC review. Be sure to obtain a sign permit and the necessary design review, if applicable, before the sign is made to assure that it complies with the code.

The current sign permit fee is $43, plus $10 for each additional sign on the permit. For monument and projecting signs, add $50 for building review.Administrative HPC design review is $33, and HPC committee design review is $58.

The code prescribes a maximum sign area for buildings and businesses within each zoning district.

The code encourages monument directory signs for multiple business complexes. These signs are allowed in addition to allowable sign area for each individual business. The code also permits sandwich board signs in the Historic Commercial District only, under certain guidelines.

In 2010, after 3 years of public process the Sign Code was amended. One of the biggest changes is about sandwich board signs. They are only allowed on Water Street or Lawrence Street if the business does not have a street window display fronting on Water Street or Lawrence Street. Sandwich boards are therefore allowed for Historic District businesses on upper stories, in lower levels, behind other businesses and not located on Water Street or Lawrence Street. This reverts back to the original purpose of sandwich board signs, which is to provide advertising for businesses not located on these main streets. Sandwich boards need up-to-date liability insurance, proper construction and maintenance, and HPC and sign permit approval.

Generally, each store-front business in the Commercial Historic District is allowed 40 square feet of sign area. If the length of the store front is longer than 40 feet, one square foot of sign area is allowed for each lineal foot of the store front. Special provisions are made for multiple-tenant buildings and second-floor businesses.

In other commercial districts, each building is allowed a minimum of 100 square feet of sign area, while each business in a multiple business complex is allowed at least 32 square feet of sign area. However, if the length of the building exceeds 100 feet or the length of the store front in a multiple business complex exceeds 32 feet, one square foot of sign area is allowed per one lineal foot of the store front for the business.

Banner Signs are allowed for announcements of community events in Port Townsend, and may be erected across State Highway 20, between Benedict Street and Decatur Street. Such signs shall be limited to 30’ in width and 24” in height per sign face, and the banner and bracing systems must be designed and constructed to support the weight of the sign and the vertical and lateral forces which may occur from winds, snow or seismic activity. A community announcement sign permit is required for all banner signs. Call Peach Stebbins at 360-379-5047 to apply. First time banner is $188 and $163 for a repeat banner.

In residential districts, identification signs are limited to 16 square feet for schools, churches and public buildings. Multifamily housing complexes and non-residential uses allowed in residential zones are allowed a 24-square-foot identification sign.

Home occupations (separate permit required) and residences may have a wall-mounted sign up to three square feet, and no sign permit is required.

Signs exempted from the ordinance include signs which are not readable from a public right-of-way, historic site plaques, window signs with letters less than six inches in height, barber poles, national flags, and government traffic and directional signs.

Some signs may be erected without a permit as long as they meet the other requirements of the code. Among these are parking lot identification signs, real estate signs, garage sale signs, political signs and temporary construction signs

(up to 16 sq. ft.).

Examples of prohibited signs include blinking, revolving or flashing signs; single-pole signs; roof-mounted signs; signs which create a safety hazard or conflict with traffic control signs or signals; streamers; signs with any sign face larger than 25 square feet which is illuminated by internal lighting; and all freestanding signs (sandwich boards) for businesses located outside of the Commercial Historic District.

Permit applications and copies of the sign code are available at the Development Services Department. Please consult the code for complete provisions, or call Suzanne Wassmer at 360-385-0644.

Temporary Use Permits (PTMC 17.60)

A temporary use permit is required by the City of Port Townsend for anyone who operates out of a temporary structure on private property adjacent to a public right of way. The business must be operated only in the assigned location; no mobile vending is permitted.

Other requirements for obtaining a temporary use permit include permission from the owner of the property, Port Townsend business license, Washington State Retail Sales Tax Number, and Jefferson County Health Department permit where applicable for food / beverage services.

A temporary use permit may be used for 6 months, with a possible two-month extension.

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Pre-approved Deer Fence Design The deer fence shown below may be built in all residential zones without a building permit, if it is constructed consistent with the dimensions and materials indicated.

CHANGES IN DESIGN/MATERIALS/DIMENSIONS WILL REQUIRE A BUILDING PERMIT IF THE FENCE EXCEEDS SIX (6) FEET IN HEIGHT. Fences may be placed on property lines if the property owner can verify the true property line locations. Temporary deer fences (with temporary stakes) do not require building permits.

2 inch x 6 inch pressure-treated

Wire in-fill (“hog wire” type) minimum 3-inch openings

top and bottom rails

8 foot Maximum Height.

If any

portion of

the fence

exceeds 6

feet, a

building permit is

required.

4 inch x 4 inch pressure-treated posts

8 feet maximum post spacing

Min. 18”

Min. 8” (Hole diameter)

Concrete post holes, Minimum 8 inches in diameter, Minimum 18 inches deep If you have any questions, prior to building a fence please contact the City of Port Townsend If you have any questions, prior to building a fence please contact the City of Port Townsend Development Services Department staff at (360) 379‐5095, or visit our office at Development Services Department staff at (360) 379‐5095, or visit our office at 250 Madison Street Suite 3, Port Townsend, WA 98368 Monday through Friday 8 AM–5 PM. 250 Madison Street Suite 3, Port Townsend, WA 98368 Monday through Friday 8 AM–5 PM.

Created on 2/4/2011 Revised: _______________

2013 Home & Garden ❖ 35

– Continued from page 35

Fee is $89 for the first year and $48 subsequently.

“Grandfathered” Nonconforming Buildings (PTMC 17.88)

Many of the structures built in Port Townsend prior to the zoning code of 1971 do not meet the physical restrictions of the zoning code. Front setbacks are often less than required in residential zones and some garages are built right up to the property line. They do not conform to height limits, lot coverage or other provisions which would apply to the structure if built under today’s zoning rules.

Such buildings (called “legal, nonconforming” or “grandfathered” buildings) are allowed to remain and are indeed some of our most prized historic structures. Necessary maintenance and incidental alterations are allowed, but alterations may not increase the degree of nonconformity of the building. Additions or expansions of the building must meet the requirements of the zoning code.

Basically, you may add to a nonconforming structure as long as the addition does not protrude into any of the required setbacks or exceed height limits or lot coverage restrictions. If these limitations result in a hardship or neighboring properties are already built in the way you wish to build, then you may wish to consider applying for a variance.

(See Variances, below.)

“Grandfathered” Nonconforming Uses (PTMC 17.88)

In addition to nonconforming buildings, discussed above, there are also businesses, storage yards, shops, etc., which were legally established prior to passage of the zoning code, but which could not be legally established today. These are called legal, nonconforming or “grandfathered” uses because they are allowed to continue even though the use is not permitted by the zoning code within the zoning district in which it is housed. A hotel or auto repair garage in a residential zone are examples of nonconforming uses. The building may or may not be conforming; the zoning code treats uses as a separate matter from buildings.

Legal, nonconforming uses are allowed to continue, to change ownership and to be maintained, but no changes other than necessary maintenance and repairs are permitted.

If the use is discontinued for 365 days the property may no longer be occupied by a nonconforming use.

Zoning Exceptions

The City Council has provided two ways to consider exceptions to zoning regulations: variances and conditional uses.

Variances (PTMC 17.86)

Like most zoning codes, the Port Townsend zoning code regulates all properties within a zoning district identically, regardless of individual site characteristics. Therefore, there may be situations where, because of some unusual site characteristic, the strict application of zoning standards may produce an especially difficult and unreasonable burden for a property owner. A variance allows a property owner to be relieved from meeting one or more provisions of the zoning code.

36 ❖ 2013 Home & Garden

Before granting a major variance, the Hearings Examiner must be satisfied that each of the criteria set forth in the zoning code is met in the application. These are: 1. The variance will not constitute a grant of special privilege inconsistent with the limitation upon uses of other properties in the vicinity and zoning district.

2. The variance is necessary because of special circumstances relating to the size, shape, topography, location or surroundings of the subject property, to provide it with use rights and privileges permitted to other properties in the vicinity and in the zoning district.

3. The granting of the variance will not be materially detrimental to the public welfare or injurious to the property or improvements in the vicinity and zoning district.

4. The special circumstances make the strict enforcement of the zoning code an unnecessary hardship.

5. The special circumstances are not the result of the actions of the applicant.

6. The variance is the minimum necessary to fulfill the purpose and need of the applicant.

7. The variance is consistent with the purposes and intent of the zoning code.

8. The variance is consistent with the goals and policies of the Port Townsend Comprehensive Plan.

9. The fact that property may be utilized more profitably will not be an element of consideration before the decision maker.

A variance cannot be used to permit a use which is not otherwise permitted in a zoning district (for example, a variance cannot be used to allow an animal kennel in an R-II zone).

Variance applications are available at the Port Townsend Development Services Department (DSD). Completed applications are submitted to DSD after a mandatory preapplication conference. City staff makes a determination of completeness within 28 days of submittal. Once an application is deemed complete, a final decision will be made within 120 days. Public notice is required. The applicant will receive a draft recommendation prepared by DSD staff prior to the openrecord hearing. At the hearing, city staff will make a recommendation to the Hearings Examiner to grant or deny the application. The Hearings Examiner will make a final decision on the application. The Hearings Examiner may also place conditions on the variance to minimize adverse impacts on neighboring properties.

Some minor variance applications may be handled administratively without a public hearing. A minor variance would permit one of the following: A. up to 5% below the minimum lot size or lot width for infill development; B. up to 5% below the minimum lot area for PUDs; C. up to 20% of one setback in residential zoning districts.

Citizens are given a 20-day comment period before the final decision is made by the DSD Director. The Director’s decision may be appealed to the Hearing Examiner.

Conditional Use Permits (PTMC 17.84)

The City Council has determined that there are certain uses which may be established only by a conditional use permit.

Council has found these uses may be located

in certain areas if specific conditions assure compatibility with neighboring properties are met.

As is the case with a variance, there are specific criteria outlined in the zoning code for a conditional use application. Before receiving a conditional use permit, the applicant must satisfy each of the criteria set forth in the zoning code. These are: 1. The conditional use is harmonious and appropriate in design, character and appearance with the existing or intended character and quality of development in the immediate vicinity of the subject property and with the physical characteristics of the subject property; and 2. The conditional use will be served by adequate public facilities including streets, fire protection, water, sanitary sewer and storm water control; and 3. The conditional use will not be materially detrimental to uses or property in the immediate vicinity of the subject parcel; and 4. The conditional use has merit and value for the community as a whole; and 5. The conditional use is consistent with the goals and policies of the Port Townsend Comprehensive Plan; and 6. The conditional use complies with all other applicable criteria and standards of the Port Townsend Municipal Code; and 7. The public interest suffers no substantial detrimental effect. Consideration shall be given to the cumulative impact of similar actions in the area.

A public hearing before the Hearings Examiner is required for some applications. The Hearings Examiner may impose additional conditions on a particular use if it is deemed necessary for the protection of the surrounding properties, the neighborhood, or the general welfare of the public.

The process for a conditional use permit application is the same as for a variance request which is outlined above.

Just as a variance cannot authorize a use which is not permitted by the zoning code, a conditional use permit cannot decrease the physical requirements (setbacks, height limits, parking, etc.) set forth in the code.

In the event the City Council becomes aware of a neighborhood problem arising from an establishment operating under a conditional use permit, the Council may hold a public hearing to examine the extent of the problems and may impose additional conditions or rescind the permit. In order to maintain the conditional use permit, the use must not be abandoned for over one year (PTMC 17.84.140).

Planned Unit Developments (PTMC 17.32)

Zoning districts and density requirements serve the purpose of separating different land uses and determining to what extent individual lots can be developed in terms of height, lot coverage, etc. There may be situations; however, which call for more flexibility, such as when a large tract of land is developed by a single owner in a coordinated fashion. This type of development is permissible under the Port Townsend zoning code as a Planned Unit Development (PUD). The PUD process provides an alternative to traditional development under prescriptive zoning and subdivision standards. It enables applicants to take advantage of incentives, including flexible zoning standards, modifica-

tion of requirements of the city’s engineering design standards, and bonus densities in appropriate circumstances, in exchange for public benefits. A PUD application must be accompanied by an environmental checklist and is processed with either an application for subdivision or binding site plan approval.

A proposed PUD is reviewed by the Hearings Examiner at a public hearing. The minimum area allowed for a PUD is 40,000 sq. ft. in the R-I and R-II districts and 20,000 sq. ft. in the R-III and R-IV districts. There is no minimum area for the C-I/MU and C-II/MU districts. The Hearings Examiner will review the PUD proposal and give preliminary approval, subject to conditions, upon finding that the minimum criteria have been met.

The proposed PUD must conform to the Port Townsend Comprehensive Plan, SEPA, all provisions of the zoning code and engineering design standards which are not proposed for modification, ESA ordinance and any other applicable regulations. Utilities and other public services necessary to serve the needs of the proposed PUD shall be made available. A proposed PUD may be denied because of flood, inundation or swamp conditions. If the Hearings Examiner approves a PUD application, the developer is required to sign an agreement stating that the development will follow the city’s guidelines.

Rezones

The City of Port Townsend official zoning map divides the City into various zoning districts. The Zoning Code outlines the requirements and permitted uses for each district. Since the passage of the State Growth Management Act, there must be consistency between the zoning map and the Comprehensive Plan Land Use Map, and the process for changing the zoning map is now part of the annual update of the Comprehensive Plan (see Title 20.04 for details).

Appeals

In order to streamline the permit process, the City Council has delegated several permitting decisions to the Development Services Department (DSD) Director. Examples are: environmental determinations; sensitive area permits; and minor conditional use permits or variances. If anyone is unhappy with the decision that the DSD Director makes, s/ he may appeal the decision to the City Hearing Examiner. The Hearing Examiner hears appeals in a manner similar to the way a judge hears cases - listening to facts presented and making a decision based upon applicable city codes. The specific appeal periods, procedures and fees for making an appeal are found in the Port Townsend Municipal Code Chapter 20.01.

Tree Cutting In Port Townsend

On Private or Public Land (excluding public rights-of-way): In September 2003, the City Council adopted standards for the retention, planting, and conservation of trees on public and privately owned land. These standards, contained in Chapter 19.06 of the municipal code, were intended to prevent indiscriminant tree cutting on vacant land prior to development and require a minimum number of trees, expressed in “tree units,” to be incorporated into new commercial, multifamily, public, mixed use, and residential sub– Continued on page 37

The Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader

– Continued from page 36

division developments. In meeting the tree credit requirements, the retention of existing trees is preferred over planting new trees.

The ordinance includes exemptions for certain tree cutting activities including: • Any tree cutting on lots zoned residential (R-I, R-II, R-III, R-IV) that are 40,000 sq. ft. or less in size and also contain an existing single family residence; • Limited tree cutting on lots zoned residential that are greater than 40,000 sq. ft. in size and also contain an existing single family residence; • The removal of four trees defined as “hazard trees” (documentation from a qualified tree professional may be required); • The removal of trees associated with an approved building permit or other project permit issued

by DSD, however some projects (e.g. multi-family and commercial) are still subject to minimum tree conservation standards; • Tree removal that meets the definition of “tree thinning” on vacant land requires a written exemption.

For tree cutting on vacant land where no construction is proposed, tree removal beyond adopted “thinning standards” requires a tree conservation permit, the preparation of a tree conservation plan, and the removal of no more than 40% of the tree units or applicable tree canopy cover from the site.

Tree cutting in environmentally sensitive areas (ESAs) such as wetlands or steep slopes require a separate ESA permit or exemption.

For further information, or to determine if a tree removal activity requires a written exemption or a permit, please contact DSD prior to tree cutting.

On Public Right of Way: Enacted in 1987, and modified in 1997, the Street and Park Ordinance aims to maintain and preserve the beauty of trees situated along public rightsof-way. A Minor Improvement Permit is required to trim or cut trees and shrubs within any street or alley right-of-way. The ordinance applies to unopened as well as developed streets and alleys.

Whenever trees are approved to be removed within a public rightof-way, it is the responsibility of the developer (party removing trees) to arrange compensation to the underlying owner for the loss of the trees.

CHAPTER 18

Growth Management Act ▼ City of Port Townsend: The State’s Growth Management Act (GMA) requires cities and

counties to make long range plans.

The goals of the GMA include orderly provision of services to urban areas, protection of natural resources, affordable housing, directing growth into suitable areas, and other goals that improve the quality of life. Local jurisdictions develop their own plans that address these goals, and must at a minimum address land use, housing, transportation, capital facilities, and utilities. Port Townsend and Jefferson County coordinate planning decisions through a framework of County-wide Planning Policies that have been jointly adopted.

Comprehensive Plan

In 1996 Port Townsend adopted a new Comprehensive Plan which considers 14 state planning goals and includes five elements, or chapters, which are intended to guide land use development decisions into the next century. These elements are land use, housing, transportation, capital facilities, and utilities. The City has also adopted an additional and optional element which addresses economic development.

The purpose of the Comprehensive Plan is to guide growth and development over the next 20 years by defining: 1. How much population and job growth should occur, and where it should be located; 2. What type of transportation, utilities and public facilities are needed to serve the future population and employment base; 3. Where people will live and what type of housing they will need; and 4. How much it will cost to provide the necessary utilities and public facilities to carry out the community’s vision. The City’s Comprehensive Plan, adopted in July, 1996, includes maps showing new land use categories for different uses, as well as goals and policies to guide local officials and the public in figuring out how Port Townsend will look, grow, and function in the future.

Development proposals are now evaluated on the basis of their compliance with the plan. Other development regulations, like the subdivision and zoning codes, have been revised to be consistent with the goals, policies and land use map of the Comprehensive Plan.

Proposals that only apply to specific parcels of land must have the consent of the property owners and are subject to an application fee. Site-specific proposals may be made by submitting a Comprehensive Plan Amendment/Formal Application to DSD by March 1.

The process for changing the land use and zoning for specific parcels of land is lengthy, and there is no guarantee that the proposals will be approved.

The Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader

To find out more about the process for changing the Comprehensive Plan, please contact the Development Services Department 360-379-5095.

Urban Growth Areas (UGAs)

The GMA also requires that the County and City work together to accommodate a share of the State’s population growth. In practical terms, this means that the County and City must decide how and where they will accommodate the population growth forecast to occur over the next 20 years. Population forecasts will be revised in 2013 to reflect current population trends in the county.

The GMA requires that the County designate UGAs of sufficient size to accommodate the urban growth likely to occur over the next 20 years. The Act also defines existing cities, including Port Townsend, as UGAs. Within UGAs, the full range of urban public facilities and services are to be provided (like sanitary sewers, piped and treated water, garbage disposal, public transit, etc.) to encourage people to live there. Outside UGAs, urban services are not to be provided and population densities will be lower, which should help to protect the rural character of the County and preserve important forest and agricultural lands from incompatible development. The challenge is to designate UGAs of sufficient size to accommodate the projected urban population growth, and provide these UGAs with the facilities, services and amenities to serve new residents.

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Port Townsend Single Family Residential Building Permits 1999 52

Jefferson County Single Family Residential Building Permits

84

2000 54

91

2001 61

77

2002 63

84

2004 93

76

2005 65

70

2006 62

97

2007 46

46

2008 35

2000 196

61

'00 2000

$61.18 M

'01 2001

$59.70 M

'02 2002

$59.38 M

'03 2003

$73.33 M

'04 2004

47 49

2003 191

57

123 125 19

'99 1999

$169.75 M

'00 2000

$171.59 M

'01 2001

$186.84 M

'02 2002

$200.68 M

$97.45 M

'03 2003

$243.08 M

2004 256

50

'05 2005

$118.73 M

'04 2004

$339.73 M

2005 256

50 '06 2006

$109.86 M

'05 2005

$412.51 M

'07 2007

$88.71 M

'06 2006

$392.97 M

'08 2008

$73.36 M $56.23 M

'07 2007

$281.00 M

'09 2009 '10 2010

$35.21 M

'08 2008

$199.74 M

'11 2011

$31.69 M

'09 2009

$140.98 M

'12 2012

$26.87 M

'10 2010

$130.99 M

'11 2011

$134.28 M

'12 2012

$169.43 M

2006 220

48 39 45

2009 73

2010 28

2012 24

$60.56 M

2008 111

72

2011 20

'99 1999

2007 208 67

2009 39

74

2002 182

2003 78

Value of Real Estate Transactions

1999 185

2001 186

81

Value of New Construction

36

2010 88 2011 60 2012 54

28 31 29

■ New ■ Additions/Alterations

■ New ■ Additions/Alterations

Source: City of Port Townsend

Source: Jefferson County Department of Community Development. Does not include modular homes or manufactured/mobile homes.

Source: Jefferson County Assessor’s Office

Source: Jefferson County Treasurer’s Office

Property in Port Townsend

Property within Jefferson County has been revalued on a four-year rotating cycle. The county assessor’s office switches to an annual revalue for the entire county (including the City of Port Townsend) in 2014. Instead of one fourth of the county’s property being assessed at a high or low point of the market, all property is subject to annual change. 2012 photo by Patrick J. Sullivan, flight by Port Townsend Aircraft Services

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The Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader

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