All residential subdivisions shall comply with the following standards:

A. Constrained Lots. If, due to site or design constraints, more than one homesite with supporting infrastructure cannot be located on or provided for a subject property, no division of land is permitted. Constrained lots may also result in a subdivision with less than the maximum number of lots allowed in accordance with Table 17.12.070-1.

B. Preexisting Lots. Lots that have previously received final approval from the city, or that have previously received final approval from Kitsap County prior to inclusion within the city boundaries, and that do not comply with standards of this chapter shall be considered existing nonconforming lots, but any future resubdivision of any such lots shall comply with the requirements of this title.

C. Platted Lots. The platted lot defines the extent of private ownership of land within the subdivision. The size, shape and potential uses of a lot depend on many factors that will be considered in the subdivision design process. Establishing lot lines is the last step in the design process, but a desired result will affect decisions throughout the process, and the physical characteristics of the entire property will present both constraints and opportunities. Standards applicable to lots are found in this section and Table 17.12.070-1.

D. The short subdivision process shall not be used, either by a person alone or by persons acting together, at one time or over a period of time, to circumvent compliance with the more stringent requirements that control the subdivision of land into five or more lots. When an application for a short subdivision is filed within five years after the approval of a short subdivision on a contiguous land parcel, presumption of an attempt to circumvent short subdivision requirements may be invoked by the director as a basis for further investigation, to assure compliance with the intent of this provision and the requirements of a long subdivision.

E. Remaining Area. Any area not designated as public or private access, buffers, lots, or utility tracts shall be designated as either natural area or community space, in accordance with the objectives in either BIMC 17.12.050.A.1 or 17.12.050.B.1.

F. Site Disturbance. The extent of land disturbing activities, as defined in BIMC 15.20.020.22, shall be limited to the minimum required for site preparation and construction.

G. Compatibility with Adjacent Development.

1. Subdivisions shall be designed and located to ensure compatibility with existing adjacent development.

2. Views of house lots from exterior roads and abutting properties shall be minimized by preserving the natural topography and existing vegetation to the greatest extent possible.

H. Dimensional Standards.

1. Table 17.12.070-1 sets forth minimum and maximum dimensional standards for single-family residential development. Dimensional standards for multifamily and commercial subdivisions shall be in accordance with Tables 18.12.020-2 and 18.12.020-3.

2. Where a property is located in more than one zone district, units permitted by density calculations within each zone district must be constructed on the portion of the property located within that district and required setbacks for each zone district must be met. Permitted densities are not “blended” across the zone district line.

I. Septic Systems. Locations of individual or community drainfields and associated reserve drainfields shall comply with all applicable standards established by the Kitsap Public Health District or Washington Department of Health. Reserve drainfield areas shall remain undisturbed until such time as their use is required. This standard shall be noted on the face of the preliminary and final plat.

J. Streets and Vehicle Access. Subdivisions shall comply with the following standards unless modified by the city engineer:

1. Subdivisions shall comply with all applicable standards of the “City of Bainbridge Island Design and Construction Standards and Specifications,” as amended, and Island-Wide Transportation Plan, as amended. Deviations from the “City of Bainbridge Island Design and Construction Standards and Specifications” may be granted by the city engineer upon evidence that such deviations are in the public interest and that they are based on sound engineering principles and practices. All requirements for safety, function, appearance and maintainability must be fully met. Desired deviations must be requested at the design guidance review meeting during the preapplication phase of the project.

2. Each lot in a residential subdivision shall have direct access to a public or private street, except for those with shared driveways or alternative lot designs that provide shared or clustered parking outside of individual lots.

3. The street system of a proposed subdivision shall be designed to connect with any existing, proposed, or planned streets outside of the subdivision or to create a connection beneficial to the overall circulation of the surrounding area, as determined by the city engineer.

4. Interior street layout shall be oriented on the east/west axis, if feasible, to maximize active and passive solar access.

5. To minimize impervious surfaces, all public rights-of-way, access easements, private streets, and driveways shall not be greater than the minimum dimensions required to meet standards.

6. Street names and traffic regulatory signs shall be provided, and their locations shall be indicated on the plat/plan. The locations of mailboxes and traffic regulatory signs are only required on the plat/plan when other public improvements are required.

7. Transit stops shall be provided as recommended by Kitsap Transit.

K. Parking and Garages.

1. Parking shall be provided consistent with BIMC 18.15.020, except as modified by this subsection.

2. Parking spaces provided on individual lots must be located within the designated homesite.

3. Parking spaces may be located outside of individual lots, consolidated in a remote or satellite parking area, or in individual or shared garages.

4. Consolidated parking areas shall be landscaped in accordance with BIMC 18.15.010.F.

5. Shared garages are limited to five vehicle spaces and shall not exceed 60 feet in length or 1,440 square feet total.

6. Garages, including detached garages, located on individual homesites facing a public street shall be:

a. Limited to two vehicles; and

b. Either accessed from the side or rear or set back from the most front-facing exterior wall of habitable space a minimum of five feet unless the house is not visible from the public street.

L. Circulation and Access.

1. All subdivisions shall include a circulation and access system of walkways, paths, or trails that interconnect lots, commonly owned natural area, community space, and adjacent access facilities. Trails that provide connection to streets, public areas or other trails through the subdivision boundaries shall provide public access.

2. Multimodal facilities shall be consistent with the applicable standards of the “City of Bainbridge Island Design and Construction Standards and Specifications.”

3. Subdivisions may be required to provide dedicated access easements if one or more “trail connection zones” are located on the site as shown on Maps C and D (nonmotorized system plan) of the Island-Wide Transportation Plan, as amended.

4. Pursuant to RCW 58.17.110(1), sidewalks or other planning features shall be provided to assure safe walking conditions for students who walk to and from school.

M. Fencing.

1. Sight-obscuring fencing is prohibited at the exterior boundary of a subdivision.

2. Fencing within perimeter or roadside buffers or at the exterior boundary of a subdivision shall meet the requirements of low-impact fencing in accordance with the definition in BIMC 17.28.020.

3. Fencing around surface stormwater ponds shall not exceed three feet, six inches in height unless required by the city engineer for safety reasons.

4. Fencing is prohibited in those roadside areas maintained by the city (e.g., shoulders, ditches, utilities).

N. Landscaping. Individual homeowners are responsible for the maintenance and modification of landscaping on their lots, subject to any rules and guidelines established by a homeowners’ association or similar body. Native vegetation on the site should be retained and maintained where possible and landscaping should be responsive to the natural contours of the lot.

O. Perimeter Buffers. The intent of perimeter buffers is to visually and physically separate adjacent land uses and, when necessary, to minimize impacts of new development on adjacent properties. Perimeter buffers are not required along public rights-of-way.

1. Perimeter buffers shall be established at the exterior boundary of all subdivisions with a gross area of one acre or greater. Perimeter buffers shall be maintained as a “no cut/no build zone.” Existing native vegetation, including significant trees and tree stands, shall be preserved within perimeter buffers. The tree retention, protection, and replacement requirements of BIMC 18.15.010.C apply to perimeter buffers unless modified by this section.

2. The minimum width of perimeter buffers for single-family subdivisions shall be the width of the minimum homesite boundary to exterior plat boundary required in accordance with Table 17.12.070-1 or as determined by an administrative departure.

3. The minimum width of perimeter buffers for multifamily and commercial subdivisions shall be 25 feet in the R-0.4, R-1, and R-2 zoning districts and 15 feet in all other zoning districts either maintained or planted to achieve the full screen landscape standard provided in BIMC 18.15.010.D.4.a.

4. No additional planting is required in perimeter buffers of single-family subdivisions unless all of the following are met:

a. The width of the homesite boundary to exterior plat boundary is less than the minimum required in accordance with Table 17.12.070-1, as determined by an administrative departure; and

b. Existing vegetation does not provide an effective visual screen; and

c. In the R-0.4, R-1, and R-2 zoning districts, the abutting property is not capable of being subdivided.

5. If additional planting is required, the following standards shall apply:

a. In the R-0.4, R-1, and R-2 zoning districts, additional plant material shall be installed to achieve the full screen landscape standard provided in BIMC 18.15.010.D.4.a along the portion of the exterior plat boundary that has been reduced. Alternatively, the applicant may submit a landscape plan that results in an effective visual screen of the subdivision from off-site properties along the portion of the exterior plat boundary that has been reduced. In either case, any additional plant material shall be native species and no turf or lawn is permitted.

b. In all other zoning districts, additional plant material shall be installed to achieve the full screen landscape standard provided in BIMC 18.15.010.D.4.a along the portion of the exterior plat boundary that has been reduced.

6. No structures, buildings, or parking facilities may be located within perimeter buffers, except that utility lines and trails may be located within perimeter buffers, provided no significant trees are removed.

7. Perimeter buffers may be included as a portion of one or more lots or may be contained in a separate tract.

8. Perimeter buffers may be included as a portion of the natural area required in BIMC 17.12.050.A.

9. The performance and maintenance assurance requirements of BIMC 18.15.010.H apply to perimeter buffers if additional planting is required.

10. The irrigation and maintenance standards of BIMC 18.15.010 apply to perimeter buffers if additional planting is required.

11. Perimeter buffers shall be shown on the face of the preliminary and final plat.

P. Roadside Buffers. The intent of roadside buffers is to enhance or retain Island character through the minimization of disturbance of existing roadside vegetation and to screen new development from more highly traveled roads.

1. Roadside buffers are required for all subdivisions along collector or arterial roads in the R-0.4, R-1, and R-2 zoning designations. The minimum width of roadside buffers is 40 feet.

2. Roadside buffers shall be shown on the face of the preliminary plat. Roadside buffers may be part of individual lots or contained in a separate tract.

3. No structures, buildings, or parking facilities may be located within roadside buffers, except that utility lines and boxes, mailboxes, entry signs, bus shelters, and transit stops may be located within roadside buffers. Local access streets and trails may cross roadside buffers, provided no significant trees are removed.

4. Existing native vegetation, including significant trees and tree stands, shall be retained within roadside buffers. Tree retention, protection, and replacement requirements in BIMC 18.15.010.C apply to roadside buffers.

5. If existing vegetation provides an effective visual screen, or is consistent with existing roadside character, no additional planting is required. If existing vegetation does not provide an effective year-round visual screen, additional plant material shall be installed, consistent with the following:

a. Additional plant material shall be installed to achieve the full screen landscape standard provided in BIMC 18.15.010.D.4.a. Any additional plant material shall be native species and no turf or lawn is permitted;

b. Additional plant material is not required if mature forest or other dense vegetation is not part of the existing roadside character.

6. Roadside buffers may be included as a portion of the natural area or community space required in BIMC 17.12.050.

7. The performance and maintenance assurance requirements of BIMC 18.15.010.H apply to perimeter buffers.

8. The irrigation and maintenance standards of BIMC 18.15.010 apply to perimeter buffers.

9. For subdivisions designating community space that is intended for agricultural use and would be adversely impacted by the addition of screening landscaping, a roadside buffer shall be required to use screening landscaping that does not adversely impact the proposed agricultural use.

10. To accommodate an existing house that is located within 25 feet of the subdivision boundary adjacent to a collector or arterial road, the roadside buffer width shall be reduced to the width adjoining the existing home between the existing house and the subdivision boundary adjacent to the collector or arterial road.

Q. Design Diversity. All single-family residential subdivisions outside the Neighborhood Center, Mixed Use Town Center, High School Road, R-8, and R-14 zoning districts shall avoid a uniform appearance and repetitive building types by incorporating measures that promote design diversity, including:

1. The same model and elevation shall not be built next to each other. Different models are defined as having variations in floor plans.

2. Home designs shall be varied to achieve a minimum of one floor plan for each three homes. Mirrored floor plans to not count as different floor plans. Methods to provide variation include building modulation and secondary building forms (e.g., covered porches, dormers, window bays). The number of floor plans per home is as follows:

a. 1–3 homes: one plan;

b. 4–8 homes: two plans;

c. 9–11 homes: three plans;

d. 12 or more homes: four plans.

3. In long subdivisions, at least 20 percent of the homes must be at least 25 percent smaller than average home size and 20 percent may be up to 25 percent larger than average home size. If 20 percent of the homes is a fraction, round to the nearest whole number.

R. No City Maintenance of Streets in Short Subdivisions. Streets within a short subdivision shall not be maintained by the city unless such streets have been dedicated as a right-of-way, improved to current city standards, and accepted as part of the approved short subdivision. Therefore, unless accepted, the responsibility for maintenance shall lie with the owners of the lots. (Ord. 2019-03 § 5 (Exh. A), 2019)