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(1) The purpose of this chapter is to:

(a) Regulate the division or redivision of land into nine or fewer lots, tracts, or parcels in an urban growth area, and four or fewer lots, tracts, or parcels outside an urban growth area, except as set forth in subsections (2) - (4) of this section;

(b) Promote the public health, safety, and general welfare;

(c) Further the goals and objectives of the comprehensive plan;

(d) Prevent the over-crowding of land;

(e) Lessen congestion in the streets and highways;

(f) Promote effective use of land;

(g) Promote safe and convenient travel by the public on streets and highways;

(h) Provide for adequate light and air;

(i) Require that appropriate provisions are made for open space, drainage ways, streets, alleys or roads, other public ways, transit stops, potable water supplies, sanitary wastes, parks and recreation, playgrounds, schools and school grounds, and sidewalks, or other planning features that assure safe walking conditions for students who walk to and from school;

(j) Adequately provide for the housing and commercial needs of citizens;

(k) Provide for proper ingress and egress;

(l) Require uniform monumentation;

(m) Require conveyancing by accurate legal description;

(n) Provide for expeditious review and approval of proposed short subdivisions that conform to the requirements of this title; and

(o) Require and promote the use of low impact development (LID) best management practices (BMPs) as directed by the Drainage Manual.

(2) Land within a short subdivision which has been recorded within the immediately preceding five years may not be further divided in any manner, except that a final subdivision may be approved and filed for record pursuant to chapter 30.41A SCC, or the short subdivision may be altered to contain up to the maximum number of permissible lots, tracts, or parcels, as follows: When a short subdivision contains fewer than the maximum number of permissible lots, tracts, or parcels, based on the short subdivision’s location either outside or inside an urban growth area, the owner who filed the short subdivision may file an alteration within the five year period to create, within the original boundaries of the short subdivision, a greater number of lots, tracts, or parcels than were originally created, up to a total of four lots outside an urban growth area, or a total of nine lots inside an urban growth area.

(3) After five years, further divisions may be permitted through the short subdivision process by a parcel owner when otherwise consistent with the then current regulations. PROVIDED, that when the subdivider owns more than one lot within a short subdivision, he may not divide the aggregate total into more than four lots when located outside an urban growth area or nine lots when located in an urban growth area.

(4) Where there have been no sales of any lots in a short subdivision, nothing contained in this section shall prohibit an applicant from completely withdrawing the entire short subdivision and thereafter presenting a new application.

(5) Land within a subdivision exempted from subdivision or short subdivision requirements by RCW 58.17.040(2) or SCC 30.41A.020(7), may not be further divided in any manner within five years immediately following the date of exempt subdivision so as to create any nonexempt lot, tract or parcel; except that a final subdivision may be approved and filed for record pursuant to chapter 30.41A SCC. This prohibition shall not apply as to lots, tracts, or parcels conveyed to purchasers for value. For the purpose of this subsection, the phrase "date of exempt subdivision" shall mean the date of creation of an exempt subdivision as shown by documents of sale or lease, filing of maps or surveys thereof with the county auditor or the department, or such other similar proof as is considered sufficient by the department. After five years, further divisions may be permitted by a parcel owner when otherwise consistent with the current regulations.

(6) Any nonexempt redivision of land authorized by subsections (2) and (3) of this section shall be subject to all subdivision requirements of chapter 30.41A SCC if approval would result in the subdivider owning more than four contiguous lots when located outside an urban growth area, or more than nine contiguous lots when located in an urban growth area, regardless of whether the lots are subdivided, short subdivided, or are unplatted lots.

(7) A split parcel may be divided into a two-lot short plat if:

(a) the parcel is divided on the UGA boundary line;

(b) both resulting parcels or lots meet all applicable subdivision requirements set forth in subtitle 30.4 SCC; and

(c) both resulting parcels or lots meet all applicable development standards set forth in subtitle 30.2, except:

(i) the urban portion of the parcel is exempt from compliance with minimum net density requirements pursuant to SCC 30.23.020; and

(ii) the rural or resource portion of the parcel is exempt from compliance with minimum lot dimension requirements pursuant to SCC 30.23.010.

(8) A split parcel may be divided into a short plat if the original split parcel is divided along the UGA boundary line creating at least one lot in the rural or resource designated area, even if this one lot does not meet minimum lot dimension requirements. Any additional divisions of the lot, including lots created within the urban portion of the original lot or additional lots created in the rural or resource area of the site must meet all applicable zoning and development standards set forth in subtitle 30.2 SCC and applicable subdivision requirements in subtitle 30.4 SCC. (Added by Amended Ord. 02-064, Dec. 9, 2002, Eff date Feb. 1, 2003; Amended by Ord. 06-062, Oct. 4, 2006, Eff date Oct. 15, 2006; Amended by Amended Ord. 12-018, May 2, 2012, Eff date May 21, 2012; Amended by Amended Ord. 17-070, Nov. 1, 2017, Eff date Dec. 1, 2017).