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Home My WebLink About4848 Ordinance - Riverview Frontage Improvements AmendmentsORDINANCE NO. 4848 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF PASCO, WASHINGTON, AMENDING PASCO MUNICIPAL CODE (PMC) TITLE 12.04 REQUIRED SIDEWALK AND DRIVEWAY IMPROVEMENTS; TITLE 12.36 CONCURRENCY; AND TITLE 21.15 COMPLETE STREETS POLICY; AND PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY AND ESTABLISHING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. WHEREAS, on September 3, 2019, the Pasco City Council adopted Ordinance 4484, removing previous exemptions from curb, gutter, sidewalk and streetlight requirements; and WHEREAS, certain development improvements including curb, gutter, sidewalk and streetlights increase up-front per-lot costs to new construction; and WHEREAS, in areas with very low traffic volume, these costs may not be proportionate with immediate need; and WHEREAS, the City of Pasco Planning Staff conducted a City Council workshop to discuss options for preserving semi-rural neighborhood character and incentivizing housing affordability in certain low-density Zoning Districts within the City; and WHEREAS, the City Council provided direction to City Staff to draft code amendments to be considered at a future public hearing; and WHEREAS, the City Council conducted an additional workshop meeting on July 13, 2026 to review proposed code amendments; and WHEREAS, the City Council held a public hearing on July 20, 2026 to discuss Ordinance XX; and NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PASCO, WASHINGTON DO ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. Amending the Pasco Municipal Code Chapter 12.04, Required Sidewalk and Driveway Improvements Chapter 12.04 REQUIRED SIDEWALK AND DRIVEWAY IMPROVEMENTS Sections: 12.04.010 Purpose 12.04.020 Definitions 12.04.030 Responsibility of abutting property 12.04.040 Permit Required 12.04.050 Permit Fee 12.04.060 Sidewalks 12.04.070 New Construction-Sidewalks and curbs required 12.04.080 Optional standards for the R-15 and R-S-12 districts 12.04.090 Security in lieu of completion of sidewalk and curb 12.04.100 Driveway standards 12.04.110 Abandoned driveway 12.04.120 Existing Driveways 12.04.130 Inspection-Conformance to plan 12.04.140 Maintenance of sidewalks 12.04.080 Optional standards for the R-15 and R-S-12 districts. (1) Within the zones identified in this section, the installation of sidewalks, curbs, gutters, and streetlights shall not be required as a condition of permit approval for new construction, provided that all of the following criteria are met: (a) The applicant shall dedicate any required right-of-way as a non-waivable condition of development approval to preserve future capacity for roadway, bicycle, pedestrian, utility, and other public infrastructure improvements identified in the City's adopted transportation plans. (b) A Traffic Impact Analysis, when required, does not identify frontage, pedestrian, bicycle or roadway improvements as necessary to satisfy concurrency, traffic safety, or life-safety requirements; and (c) The property owner executes and records an agreement, in a form approved by the City, acknowledging that they will not contest the formation of a future Local Improvement District (LID) or similar funding mechanism established for the construction of roadway or frontage improvements serving the area. Such agreement shall remain in effect for a period of five (5) years following final occupancy or project completion, whichever occurs later, and shall be recorded against the property prior to issuance of any building permit. Section 2. Pasco Municipal Code Chapter 12.36.050 Concurrency Development Standards is amended as follows: 12.36.050 Concurrency development standards. All development activities, exempt or nonexempt, are subject to the following development standards: (1) Street Improvements (a) Except as provided in PMC 12.04.080, Right-of-way improvements shall be required at the time adjoining property is developed and shall be required on all property. As a minimum, a three-quarter street standard will be required if the property being developed only fronts on one side of the street. (b) Adequate and proper right-of-way improvements shall include curb, gutter, sidewalk, illumination, traffic control devices, drainage control, engineered road bases, asphalt driving and parking lanes, and monumentation. All such improvements shall be approved by the City prior to construction and acceptance. The three-quarter street standard shall include curb, gutter, and sidewalk on the developed side and a minimum of two complete traffic lanes. (c) The developer of real property shall be responsible for installing the required improvements within the respective half of right-of-way width abutting the real property being developed; provided, that such improvements consist of at least two traffic lanes. (d) Minimum sidewalk widths, not including the six-inch curb, shall not be less than the following: (i) Residential zones: four and one-half feet; (ii) Commercial zones: six and one-half feet. (2) Utility Improvements. Water and sewer improvements shall be required at the time adjoining property is developed and shall be required on all property. Water and sewer utilities shall be extended through the length of the property being developed. The design and construction of water and sewer utilities shall conform to the construction standards as prepared by the City Engineer. Section 3. Pasco Municipal Code 21.15.030 Street improvements, is amended as follows: 21.15.030 Street improvements. (1) Except as provided in PMC 12.04.080, Adequate and proper right-of-way improvements shall be required at the time adjoining property is developed and shall be required on all property. As a minimum a three-quarter street standard will be required if the property being developed only fronts on one side of the street. (2) Adequate and proper right-of-way improvements shall include curb, gutter, sidewalk, illumination, traffic control devices, drainage control, engineered road bases, asphalt driving and parking lanes, nonmotorized facilities for bicyclists and pedestrians, and monumentation. All such improvements shall be approved by the City prior to construction and acceptance. The three-quarter street standard shall include curb, gutter and sidewalk on the developed side and a minimum of two complete traffic lanes. (3) The developer of real property shall be responsible for installing the required improvements within the respective half of right-of-way width abutting the real property being developed, provided such improvements consist of at least two traffic lanes. (4) Right-of-way widths shall be adequate for current, near-term, and long-term growth, and shall be adequate to accommodate bike/ped facilities suitable for all ages and capabilities in accordance with the Complete Streets Ordinance (Chapter 12.15 PMC), and per the standard specifications as prepared by the City Engineer. (5) Functional classification designation and spacing is to be determined by the City Engineer based on application of road spacing recommendations provided in the Pasco Municipal Code, with consideration for existing nearby road classifications, existing ROW width, and accommodating areas of inadequate road infrastructure. (6) Except as provided in PMC 12.04.080, All improvements within the City of Pasco public right-of-way shall be in conformance with the Pasco Complete Policy, Chapter 12.15 PMC Section 4. Severability. If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase or word of this ordinance should be held to the invalid or unconstitutional by a court of competent jurisdiction, such invalidity or unconstitutionality thereof shall not affect the validity or constitutionality of any other section, subsection, sentence, clause phrase or word of this ordinance. Section 5. Corrections. Upon approval by the city attorney, the city clerk or the code reviser are authorized to make necessary corrections to this ordinance, including scrivener’ s errors or clerical mistakes; reference to other local, state, or federal laws, rules, or regulations; or numbering or referencing of ordinances or their sections and subsections. Section 6. Effective Date. This ordinance shall take full force and effect five (5) days after approval, passage and publication as required by law. PASSED by the City Council of the City of Pasco, Washington this 20th day of July 2026. Charles Grimm Mayor ATTEST: APPROVED AS TO FORM: _____________________________ ___________________________ Gabriela Sanchez Ogden Murphy Wallace, PLLC City Clerk City Attorney Published: Sunday, July 26, 2026