The City of Sequim hosts two hearings on Thursday, Feb. 27 for two proposed developments — Bell Creek Major Subdivision with 104 lots, and Bella Vista Estates, a 24-lot subdivision.

The hybrid hearings, inside the Sequim Civic Center, 152 W. Cedar St., begin at 10 a.m. for Bella Vista and at 11 a.m. for Bell Creek.

Find web links and documents for the proposed projects at sequimwa.gov/1048/Hearing-Examiner.

To participate via Microsoft Teams, use meeting ID: 215 662 440 841, or phone: 1-253-363-9585 with ID: 741 892 173.

Sequim city councilors voted in February 2022 to amend the Sequim Municipal Code to use a hearing examiner for all quasi-judicial land use permits and appeals after expressing concerns of being fair to applicants and constituents.

A hearing examiner can make final decisions on closed record appeals, subdivisions, binding site plans, special/conditional use, and planned residential developments and major amendments under the revision. The hearing examiner will submit a written decision within 10 days of the hearings closing. Appeals can be made within 21 days of the written decision’s published date.

Bell Creek

This development by owner Sequim Avenue LLC. and representatives Bell Creek Investments LLC. proposes a 104-lot subdivision on about 28.4 acres with detached single-family homes on both sides of Bell Creek. The property is bordered by South Third Avenue to the west, West Brownfield Road to the north, and South Sequim Avenue to the east.

According to a Traffic Impact Analysis from Heath & Associates of Puyallup, the project would generate an estimated 1,102 total average weekday daily trips. In the project’s State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) checklist, it states stormwater would be collected in two ponds before being released into the creek.

Of the public comments received so far, residents shared concerns about development in general, traffic flow, speed enforcement, and needed improvements to nearby roads, including Brownfield Road.

Various agencies commented on the plan to the city, including the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe’s environmental planner Alex Scagliotti who recommended the city enforce a larger buffer between homes and the creek due to the area serving as “critical habitat” for Puget Sound Steelhead, a federally threatened species. Scagliotti suggested the city follow at minimum Clallam County’s buffer for type-2 streams at 150 feet, instead of the city’s current buffer of 100 feet.

Jon Pascal, managing principal for Transpo Group, a consulting firm for the city, recommended that to support connectivity under the city’s Comprehensive Plan update, another east-west connection between Third Avenue and Sequim Avenue is needed for south Sequim. He asked that the developer be required to dedicate right-of-way and provide the half-street roadway improvements along the south side of the project site along Provence View Lane to support the future construction of the Miller Road extension.

The project will use city water and sewer services.

Bella Vista Estates

Owner Chris Weymouth with Bella Vista Estates of Medina, represented by Goldsmith Land Development Services of Bellevue, proposes 24 lots for single-family homes east of South Sequim Avenue and south of Miller Road.

According to a traffic analysis by Transportation Engineering NorthWest (TENW) of Bellevue, the developer will make frontage improvements to Miller Road and the site will use city sewer services and water from Clallam County PUD’s Evergreen district with a water main extension from Fox Hollow Road.

A new neighborhood street, Bella Vista Drive, will be developed from Miller Road to access the development that’s anticipated to generate 282 new weekday daily trips.

Developers anticipate about 80% of the site will be cleared of vegetation for construction.

One public comment was made about the project from a neighbor about mitigating the impact of a proposed street light shining into their house, and a culvert by the road that is frequently plugged.

In agency comments, Allie Rae Taylor, tribal historic preservation officer for the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, said the proposal is “within a very high potential location for encountering cultural resources as the parcel is near the Sequim Bypass Site” that’s shown evidence “of toolmaking technologies dating back as far as 4,000-8,000 years.” Taylor recommended a cultural resource survey prior to any ground disturbing activities.

In the SEPA mitigation, it states that “in the event archaeological artifacts are uncovered during construction, activity shall be halted immediately, and the State Historic Preservation Office and local Tribes shall be contacted.”

For more information on these and other city projects, visit sequimwa.gov/471/Current-Projects.

Image courtesy City of Sequim/ Bella Vista Estates proposes a 24-lot subdivision off Miller Road.