17.02.020 Repealer

17.02.030 Purpose

17.02.040 Authority

17.02.050 Relationship to Subdivision and Platting

17.02.060 Other Permits Issued by the County

17.02.070 State Environmental Policy Act Coordination

17.02.080 Interpretations

17.02.090 Scope

17.02.100 Notice and Appeal Period

17.02.110 Severability

This code hereto shall be known as the "Okanogan County Zoning Code."

Okanogan County Zoning Ordinance 79-8 as amended and Interim Amendments to Okanogan County Zoning Ordinance 79-8 codified as Okanogan County Code, Title 17, Ordinance 90-5 and Ordinance 92-2, are hereby repealed.

The purpose of this title is to implement the Okanogan County Comprehensive Plan (as amended) and promote the general public health, safety and welfare of present and future inhabitants of Okanogan County. Any provision of this code may be amended to improve, update, or clarify its purpose by following amendment procedures contained in Chapter 17.37. The following policies are intended to guide development and implementation of this title. These policies include, but are not limited to:

1. Recognizing that the land and its associated environmental quality is the County's most valuable natural resource;
1. Promoting public and private land use decisions and actions that are consistent with the goals and policies of Okanogan County Comprehensive Plan;
2. Establishing a land use pattern that reflects the needs of Okanogan County residents and that considers existing land uses, structures, and their associated intensities in both urban and rural areas;
3. Encouraging the location and use of structures and land for commerce, industry, residences and recreational opportunities where they are most compatible with existing land uses and identified environmental constraints;
4. Encouraging development in areas where adequate public services are available including domestic water and sanitary sewer systems (or where private or public on-site systems can be effectively provided), sheriff and fire protection, roads and utilities, and schools, and limiting development in areas where these facilities or services cannot be adequately provided;
5. Encouraging innovative site design that is responsive to both the human and natural environment;
6. Providing cost efficient governmental services;
7. Providing for adequate privacy, space, light, air, view, open space and fire separation;
8. Protecting existing land uses and property values from adverse impacts of adjacent developments;
9. Promoting development and public improvements that are cost-effective to build and maintain (evaluation of benefit/cost analysis specifically excludes land prices that are unusually high or speculative);
10. Reducing traffic danger and congestion on roads and highways;
11. Minimizing public and private losses due to wildfire, flood or geological hazards;
12. Reducing the time required for public review of proposed projects;
13. Encouraging the development of recreational opportunities, such as, trail systems, access corridors, trail heads, parks, and other support facilities;
14. Promote the goals of the Memorandum of Understanding for Protection and Enhancement of Mule Deer and other Wildlife Populations in the Methow Valley;
15. Providing protection for Natural Resource Lands including agricultural, forest, and mineral lands of long term commercial significance; and provide protection for Critical Areas including wetlands, aquifer recharge areas, fish and wildlife habitat conservation areas, frequently flooded areas and geologically hazardous areas.

This code is adopted pursuant to RCW 36.70. The Okanogan County Planning Director, hereafter referred to as the Administrator, is vested with the duty of administering the provisions of this code and may prepare, and require the use of, such forms as are essential to its administration. In addition to that authority set forth in Chapter 17.21, the Administrator may issue such orders, requirements, decisions, or determinations concerning the application of this code. Appeals of the Administrator's actions shall be under Chapter 17.35.

Any proposed subdivision or platting action under Okanogan County Code, Title 16 must be in accordance with the zoning on the subject property. Any proposed subdivision which is not in compliance with the zoning will not be processed, except that a rezone application may be processed simultaneously with a proposed subdivision.

The issuance of any permit or license by any department or agency of the County of Okanogan shall not in any way make lawful a use of land or structure otherwise in violation of this code. Any permit or license issued for a use of land or structure thereon which violates this code shall be and is null and void.

All development projects and land uses proposed within Okanogan County shall be reviewed for their consistency with SEPA, RCW 43.21C, SEPA Guidelines, WAC 197-11, and the Okanogan County SEPA Code. Mitigation of significant adverse impacts may be required, as a condition of project and/or land use approvals.

In interpreting and applying this code, the provisions shall be held to be minimum requirements adopted for the protection of the public health, safety, morals and general welfare. Except as specifically provided herein, it is not intended by this code to repeal, abrogate, annul, or in any way impair or interfere with any existing provisions of law, ordinance, resolution, regulation, rule or permit previously adopted or issued, or which shall be adopted or issued pursuant to law, relating to the use of buildings or land or relating to the erection, construction, establishment, moving, alteration, or enlargement of any building or improvements; nor is it intended to interfere with or abrogate or annul any easement, covenant, or other agreement between parties; provided that whenever this code imposes greater restrictions upon the erection, construction, establishment, moving, alteration or enlargement of buildings, or the use of any building, or of any of the districts established by this code, than are imposed or required by such existing provisions of law or regulation, rule or permit, or easement, covenant, or agreement, then the provisions of this code shall control.

1. The provisions of this code shall be liberally construed to further its purposes.
1. Whenever a provision of this code or of any other law, rule, contract, resolution, or regulation of the state or federal government or of Okanogan County, of any kind, contains restrictions covering the same subject matter, the more restrictive requirement or higher standard shall govern.
2. Reference to any existing provisions of law includes reference to any amendments to such provision that may occur subsequent to adoption of this code.

This code shall apply to all public and private lands situated within the unincorporated portions of Okanogan County over which Okanogan County has jurisdiction under the constitutions and laws of the State of Washington and of the United States and shall set forth minimum standards in addition to such other standards that may be applicable including, but not limited to Health District regulations, Shorelines Management Act, Okanogan County Subdivision Regulations, State Environmental Policy Act, Comprehensive Plan, Okanogan County SEPA Ordinance or Critical Areas regulations.

Any notice or appeal period established under the authority of this title, which expires on a holiday or weekend shall be extended to the close of business of the next County business day.

If any provision of this title is for any reason held to be invalid, the remainder of this title shall not be affected. If any provision of this title is adjudged invalid as applied to a particular person or circumstance, that provision of this title shall not be affected as to other persons or circumstances.