Compliance with all of the applicable following standards is required for approval of a preliminary plat. The Board may impose conditions of approval to ensure compliance with these standards which would allow for a finding of conditional compliance.
A. Utilities:
1. Applicants shall identify, all utilities to be provided in the subdivision, which may include but are not limited to electric power, communications, and natural gas where available. If power or communications utilities are not installed, a plat note shall advise future property owners.
2. All new utility service lines shall be installed underground in all zoning districts. Service connections to the street property line of each platted lot shall be installed at the applicant's expense, except where distribution lines exist on the same side of the street as proposed lots.
3. Where practicable, relocate underground any existing aboveground utilities, excluding power transmission lines.
4. The applicant shall grant public and private utility easements as needed to serve the subdivision. Easements shall be at least ten feet (10') in width along lot lines adjacent to the access street right-of- way and, where topographic or other conditions permit, five feet (5') in width adjacent to all other lot lines.
5. Plats shall include a note stating that new dwellings shall be required to install conduit for future solar power connections and conduit for electrical outlets capable of connecting to an electric vehicle charging station. (Exceptions to the solar requirement may be granted on properties that have reduced solar access due to existing tree canopy or hillside shading).
B. Water:
1. Domestic water:
a. Domestic water shall be available in sufficient quantity to meet foreseeable and existing demands for domestic and fire suppression uses. Where insufficient data is available to verify water quantity, an onsite test well and a pump test in the area of the proposed use shall be required.
b. All new domestic wells shall be metered as required by Idaho Department of Water Resources.
c. The requirements of Idaho Code section 42-111 for domestic water limits shall be met. In order to ensure compliance with domestic water limits, summer month homeowner domestic water meter reporting to the homeowners association, including availability of records for the County to inspect, or directly to the County Land Use department or other department identified by the Board, shall be required.
d. All domestic water sources shall meet State and Federal standards for drinking water, wells, separation from sewage disposal systems and any other related requirements.
e. Existing on site surface and ground water rights shall be used for existing on site agricultural uses and domestic and landscape needs before additional domestic rights are sought.
f. Plats shall include notes stating "Landscape irrigated by a domestic well is limited to the maximum allowed per State regulations" and "All new domestic wells shall be metered"
2. Public Water Systems:
a. A public water system acceptable to and approved by the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality ("DEQ") shall be required for subdivisions where any buildable lot is less than one acre in size or where necessary to provide for the public health, safety or general welfare.
b. All public water systems must meet Idaho Administrative Procedure Act (IDAPA) 58.01.08, "Idaho Rules for Public Drinking water systems."
c. Water supply for any public water system shall be approved as required by Idaho Department of Water Resources.
3. Irrigation:
a. All applicants proposing to subdivide shall be required to use surface water, where reasonably available, as defined by Idaho Code § 67-6537, as the primary water source for irrigation.
b. Agricultural and domestic water delivery systems shall not be intermingled.
c. All new wells shall be metered as required by Idaho Department of Water Resources.
d. All subdivisions are subject to the requirements of Idaho Code section 31-3805 for irrigation water delivery.
4. Water conservation measures: In order to further the goals of Blaine County's Local Public Interest Water Policy, title 8, chapter 3 of the Blaine County Code, the subdivider should implement water conservation measures by one or more of the following methods:
a. Limiting irrigation by domestic water to one-quarter (1/4) acre per lot.
b. Limiting turfgrass/lawn irrigation by domestic water to one-eighth (1/8) acre.
c. Requiring drought-tolerant landscaping within individual lots and in common area parcels.
d. Limiting common area irrigation by area or by use of xeriscaping.
e. Reducing the density within subdivisions relying solely on domestic water for irrigation.
5. Water Quality:
a. Compliance with the standards of the South Central Public Health District (SCPHD) and Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (IDEQ) pertaining to water quality is required.
b. A nutrient-pathogen (N-P) study, as described by IDEQ shall be conducted for subdivisions when environmental conditions warrant, including, but not limited to, areas of high groundwater, soils with low permeability, proximity to surface waters, or groundwater testing indicating nutrient or pathogen contamination.
c. All abandoned wells shall be sealed to prevent contamination of ground water. Abandonment must be performed by a well driller licensed in the State of Idaho per Idaho Code 42-238 unless a waiver has been granted. The well must be abandoned in a manner compliant with IDAPA 37.03.09 Well Construction Standards Rules
C. Sewage Disposal:
1. All individual or community septic systems shall meet DEQ standards as administered by the South Central Public Health District (SCPHD) and as set forth in Idaho Code. The applicant shall provide an approved environmental health specialist evaluation for land division, or other documentation by SCPHD.
2. Septic systems shall be built to facilitate periodic inspections and maintenance, including the installation of an access riser with lid at grade over the septic tank manhole, effluent filters with access riser and lid at grade, and drain field inspection ports. A requirement for periodic inspections of the septic, as recommended by the system manufacturer, shall be noted on the plat as the responsibility of the homeowner.
3. All public or private wastewater systems must meet IDAPA 58.01.16, "Wastewater Rules."
4. Sanitary sewer systems and facilities shall not discharge effluent into stormwater drainage systems.
D. Streets and Intersections:
1. Street Construction/Right-of-Way Improvements: Street construction and right-of-way improvements shall be completed in accordance with the Blaine County Right-of-Way Management Manual and the Blaine County Street Construction Standards. Requested modifications to these requirements and standards, which are approved by the applicable Fire District and the County Engineer, may be granted through a CH-PUD application.
2. Street designations: Roadway functional classifications shall be determined by the Blaine County Board of Commissioners after receiving recommendations from the Administrator, the Blaine County Road and Bridge Manager and the Blaine County Engineer. The arrangement, type, extent, width, grade and location of all streets shall be in accordance with their functional classification.
3. Street Design: All streets shall be designed by a licensed professional engineer. The plans and specifications for such streets shall be approved by the County Engineer.
4. Location: Streets shall be located by the following guidelines:
a. Streets shall be arranged in proper relation to topography to result in usable lots, safe streets and acceptable gradients.
b. When an official street plan has been adopted, subdivision streets shall conform to that plan. Streets shall be complementary to existing street patterns and tie into existing streets where stubbed streets indicate that intent. Streets which are a continuation of established streets shall be aligned in accordance with American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) alignment guidelines.
c. Streets shall interconnect with other streets where possible, including streets within adjacent subdivisions,
d. Where adjoining areas are not subdivided, the arrangement of streets in new subdivisions may allow streets to extend to the tract boundary to make provisions for the future extension of streets into adjacent areas. A temporary fire district-approved emergency apparatus turnaround shall be required to serve present traffic.
e. Cul-de-sacs and dead end streets are discouraged. They may be allowed when topography, adjoining land uses, adjoining platted lot configuration, or similar circumstances dictate their use. Such streets shall:
(1) Include a fire district-approved turnaround at the terminus.
(2) Include an additional snow storage easement of ten feet (10') around the periphery.
f. Minor streets shall be arranged to discourage through traffic.
g. Streets for industrial and commercial subdivisions shall be planned to connect with arterial or collector streets so as not to generate traffic on local or minor streets, and shall be constructed to adopted County standards to ensure the ability to handle heavier industrial and commercial traffic.
5. Reserve strips: Reserve strips, when desired to control access to certain streets, shall be permitted with approval of the Board.
6. Drainage:
a. Culverts and/or bridges shall be provided and installed by the subdivider where natural drainageways intersect streets. Culverts shall be designed to provide the typical street section identified for the established functional classification.
b. Bridges shall be designed in accordance with State of Idaho and local Fire District requirements.
c. The subdivider shall provide suitable drainage facilities to keep any surface runoff from streets within the subdivision retained in the subdivision.
7. Dedication: Collector and arterial streets within a proposed subdivision shall be offered for dedication to the public. Minor streets may be offered for dedication or proposed to be maintained privately. Streets must provide public access where access to adjacent public lands is desired, and such public access shall be clearly designated on the plat. Dedication or other provision for future access to surrounding areas may be required. Subdivisions adjacent to existing streets shall dedicate, at a minimum, one-half of the width of right-of-way specified by the County. The Board shall have the explicit option of accepting or rejecting any street for dedication to the County.
8. Street Names: Street names on new streets aligned with existing streets shall have the same name as the existing streets. Proposed street names shall not duplicate or be sufficiently similar in sound or spelling to cause confusion with existing street names, as determined by the Assessor's Office. Side-streets, with no other intersections than the intersection with their primary street, or with no proposed future connections to adjacent subdivisions or public lands, shall be named "Court" or "Place" or "Circle."
9. Signs: Street name signs and all other traffic control signs or devices as required by the Board shall be installed by the subdivider. Such signage shall meet Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) standards and be approved by Blaine County Road and Bridge Department.
10. Intersection Location and Specifications: Street intersections locations shall conform to Blaine County Roadway Functional Classification requirements within the Right of Way Management Plan. (Ord. 2023-10, - -2023)
A. Land Use Classification: The proposed subdivision of land is in accordance with the applicable subarea land use classification map of chapter 8 Land Use.
B. The proposed plat is in accordance with the Desired Outcomes of chapters 1 through 9 of the comprehensive plan. (Ord. 2023-10, - -2023)
A. Impact On Public Facilities and Services: The proposed subdivision shall not adversely affect the quality of essential public services and facilities to current residents, nor require substantial additional public funding in order to meet the needs created by the proposed subdivision. Public facilities and services include but are not limited to:
Public potable water sources, for proposed subdivisions in a wellhead protection area.
School facilities or school bus transportation.
Emergency services: Sheriff, fire protection, and emergency communications.
Public recreation facilities.
Public transportation.
Streets, bridges and standard road maintenance costs.
Comments and recommendations by the relevant service providers shall be considered by the Board.
B. Distance from services, the availability and capacity of paved public streets, the potential for public transportation services, ability to comply with fire protection systems, the availability of twenty-four (24) hour emergency service personnel and estimated emergency response time to the development, along with the location of other public services, shall be considered in evaluating the potential impact on public facilities and services.
C. The applicant may propose to mitigate the adverse impacts of the proposed subdivision on services, which may include, without limitation, contributions for additional capital improvements, dedication of land or provision of essential facilities. Such mitigation may allow the Board to make positive findings on applicable standards of evaluation that it may otherwise make negative findings on. When such mitigation is proposed, the plan for, timing of, and proposed phasing of the mitigation shall be in a form acceptable to the Board. (Ord. 2023-10, - -2023)