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A. Essential public facilities identified. Essential public facilities, for purposes of this chapter are public or privately owned or operated facilities while, although serving a public purpose, are typically difficult to site. They include but are not limited to, airports, state educational facilities, state or regional transportation facilities, prisons, jails and other correctional facilities, secure community transition facilities, solid waste handling facilities, inpatient facilities such as group homes and mental health facilities, sewage treatment facilities, and communication towers and antennas.

B. Special regional review process and minimum standards for essential public facilities. Essential public facilities shall be processed as a conditional use pursuant to the requirements of this chapter. Essential public facilities shall be subject, at a minimum, to the policies provided in adopted county wide planning policies and the City Comprehensive Land Use Plan, and all applicable standards and requirements of the zoning code and other applicable codes and regulations.

C. Essential public facilities classified. Essential public facilities are classified, for purposes of this section as follows:

1. Type One: Multi-county facilities. Major facilities serving or potentially affecting more than one county. These facilities include, but are not limited to, regional transportation facilities, such as: regional airports, state correction facilities, and state educational facilities.

2. Type Two: Local or Interlocal facilities serving or potentially affecting residents or property in more than one jurisdiction. They could include, but are not limited to, county jails, county landfills, community colleges, sewage treatment facilities, communication towers, and inpatient facilities, such as: substance abuse facilities, mental health facilities, and group homes.

3. Type Three: Facilities serving or potentially affecting only the city of Lacey and its residents.

D. Essential public facilities determination of classification. The city of Lacey shall determine the type of classification of a proposed essential public facility. In order to enable the city to determine the project’s classification, the applicant shall identify the approximate area within which the proposed project could potentially have adverse impacts, such as: increased traffic, public safety risks, noise, glare, emissions, or other environmental impacts.

E. Essential public facilities early notification. Early notification and involvement of affected citizens and jurisdictions for Type One and Type Two facilities is required as follows:

1. At least ninety days before submitting an application for a Type One or Type Two essential public facility, the prospective applicant shall notify the affected public and jurisdictions of the general type and nature of the proposal, identify sites under consideration for accommodating the proposed facility, and identify opportunities to comment on the proposal. Applications for specific projects shall not be considered complete in the absence of proof of a published notice regarding the proposed project in a newspaper of general circulation in the affected area. This notice shall include the information described above and shall be published at least ninety days prior to the submission of the application.

2. Affected citizens, jurisdictions and the Thurston Regional Planning Council may provide this project sponsor and the city of Lacey with their comments or recommendations regarding alternative project locations during this ninety day period. The purpose of this provision is to enable potentially affected jurisdictions and the public to collectively review and comment on alternative sites for major facilities before the project sponsor has made its siting decision.

F. Essential public facilities consideration of impact on sensitive areas. Essential public facilities shall not have any probably significant adverse impact on critical areas or resource lands, except for lineal facilities, such as highways, where no feasible alternative exists.

G. Essential public facilities analysis. Applicants for Type One and Type Two essential public facilities shall provide an analysis of the alternative sites considered for the proposed facility. This analysis shall include the following:

1. An evaluation of the site’s capability to meet basic siting criteria for the proposed facility, such as: size, physical characteristics, access, and availability of necessary utilities and support services;

2. An explanation of the need for the proposed facility in the proposed location;

3. The site’s relationship to the service area and the distribution of other similar public facilities within the service area or jurisdiction, whichever is larger; and

4. A general description of the relative environmental, traffic, and social impacts associated with locating the proposed facility at the alternative sites which meet the applicant’s basic siting criteria. The applicant shall also identify proposed mitigation measurers to alleviate or minimize significant potential impacts.

5. A brief description of the process used to identify and evaluate the alternative sites. (Ord. 1236 §2, 2005).