Opinion ID: 2351097
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Hearing examiner's approval of the preliminary plats

Text: ¶ 4 The hearing examiner granted conditional preliminary plat approval to Tahoma Terra on October 9, 2007. Responding to Knight's claim that Tahoma Terra and the City must present evidence of adequate water supplies at the preliminary plat approval stage, the hearing examiner concluded that concurrence,[ [2] ] to include the provision of potable water and fire flow, must occur at the final binding site plan approval and/or upon submittal of an application for a building permit. At preliminary binding site plan approval, an applicant must show a reasonable expectancy that the water purveyor (in this case the City) will have adequate water to serve the development upon final approval. Clerk's Papers (CP) at 1268. The hearing examiner concluded that the Growth Management Act (chapter 36.70A RCW), the state subdivision act (chapter 58.17 RCW), and the municipal code require an applicant to show adequate provision of water by the time of occupancy, not at the preliminary plat approval stage. The hearing examiner concluded that the City had met its burden to show a reasonable plan to provide water service. [3] ¶ 5 Knight moved for reconsideration. The hearing examiner denied the motion but added new findings, including: While State law and the [YMC] require potable water supplies at final plat approval and building permit approval, the Examiner has added a condition of approval requiring such. However, the balance of the conditions of approval requested by [Knight's attorney] in his response are beyond the Examiner's authority and interfere with the City's ability to manage [its] public water system. Furthermore, the proposed conditions require actions by the City beyond the control of the applicant and are therefore not proper as the applicant cannot require the City to take such actions. These conditions would prohibit the applicant from getting final approval of its project even if it had satisfied all requirements for final plat approval. Id. at 1283 (emphasis added). The hearing examiner also added a condition of approval: The applicant must provide a potable water supply adequate to serve the development at final plat approval and/or prior to the issuance of any building permit except as model homes as set forth in Section 16.04.150 YMC. Id. at 1284 (emphasis added). This condition of approval, specifically the hearing examiner's use of and/or and the indication that Tahoma Terra and the City could delay showing an adequate supply of water until the building permit stage, became the basis of Knight's appeal.