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Page last updated: 8/6/2009 The Development Review Division (DRD) is responsible for reviewing building and land use permit applications for consistency with the Jefferson County Comprehensive Plan and Unified Development Code (UDC). Among the types of projects that DRD reviews are building permits, land divisions, zoning issues, current use tax, shoreline permits, stormwater management (clearing & grading), and forest practice conversions (Class IV-General FPA). DRD planners are assigned to cases involving Master Permit Applications. Project planners are available to answer questions related to your application and will be able to accommodate your request within the time limits presented by their caseloads. Each day of the week a DRD planner is assigned to be the "Planner of the Day" or "POD." The POD planner is available to answer general questions about permit procedures and pending applications. "POD" Schedule: POD
services are available from
Pre-Application Conference: For a greater level of detail, a customer may want to or be required to request a Pre-Application Conference (see description and Pre-App. Request Form on the Permit Information & Application Forms page). For matters related to the Port Ludlow Master Planned Resort, visit the Port Ludlow MPR page.
Development Review Division Staff
Unified Development Code (UDC) Link to the UDC text, including the 1989 Shoreline Master Program (SMP) currently in effect. Effective January 16, 2002, the UDC is the set of development regulations that implement the 1998 Comprehensive Plan, as amended. The UDC provides the performance, use, and development standards by which DRD planners review land use applications. The UDC also contains Jefferson County's regulatory protections for "critical areas," such as critical aquifer recharge areas, geologically hazardous areas, wetlands and fish and wildlife habitat conservation areas. The SMP implements the Shoreline Management Act in conjunction with the State Department of Ecology. For more information on shoreline management, visit the Shoreline Management & Planning page. For more information about how the County development regulations work, read about permit types and review process below, consult the Land Use Permit Information Sheets, and visit the websites linked from the Web Links page. UDC Amendments - A link to information on the process for amending the UDC, as coordinated by Long-Range Planning.
Categories of UDC Permit Types The UDC groups land use permits required by the County into several different permit types for processing, almost all of which utilize the Master Permit Application. The purpose for requiring a permit to conduct a certain land use is to ensure that the proposed use is compatible with the policies of the Jefferson County Comprehensive Plan and the regulations of the UDC. The Comprehensive Plan and the UDC are accessible from the website and available for review or purchase at the DCD Permit Center in Port Townsend. A list of the individual permits issued under the UDC is found below. The Master Permit Application is required for all permits issued under the UDC, except for Evaluations of Existing Onsite Sewage Systems (EES) that are only for the sale or transfer of property. Types of PermitsType I Permit — This is an administrative permit (i.e., approved or denied by the UDC Administrator within DCD). If the proposal is categorically exempt under the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA), there is no public notice of the permit application. However, if a Type I permit is not categorically exempt under SEPA, then notice of the application is required and written comments regarding the proposed project from agencies and the public are accepted and considered. In all cases, there is no public hearing required on the application. Proposals that include elements within the jurisdiction of other agencies, such as the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, are forwarded to those agencies for a minimum 14-day comment period. Type II Permit — This is an administrative permit (i.e., approved or denied by the UDC Administrator within DCD). Public notice of the application is required and written comments regarding the proposed project are accepted and considered. There is no public hearing required on these types of applications, except for “C(d)” uses, which may require a public hearing and final decision by the Hearing Examiner, if deemed necessary by the Administrator, or if the Administrator’s final decision on a project application is appealed, in which case a public hearing is held and the final decision is made by the Hearing Examiner. Type III Permit — This type of permit application is discretionary in nature and requires public notice and a public hearing before the Jefferson County Hearing Examiner. The Hearing Examiner makes the final permit decision (except for certain types of shoreline permits), unless appealed. If the project decision is appealed, then a closed-record hearing is held and final decision is made by the Appellate Hearing Examiner. Type IV Permit — This type of permit application is ministerial in nature and does not require public notice or a public hearing (i.e., final plats). The final decision is made by the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners at a regularly scheduled meeting. Type V Permit — This type of permit application is legislative in nature. It involves review by the Jefferson County Planning Commission, which makes a recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners. Public notice and a public hearing are required before the Planning Commission. The final decision is made by the Board of County Commissioners. For more information on Type V Permits or legislative actions, visit the Long-Range Planning page. list of county land use permits by permit type with code reference Note: The UDC is codified as Title 18 of the Jefferson County Code (JCC). All previous UDC references (e.g., Section 2 Definitions) are no longer in use.
For information on the fees associated with the permits listed above, visit the Permit Information & Application Forms page.
Permit Review and Approval Process All permits, including applications for allowed “Yes” uses such as residential building permits, are subject to a planner-conducted land use analysis that includes review for consistency with UDC development standards, environmentally sensitive areas, and stormwater provisions. Process by Permit TypePre-application conferences with DCD staff are required for all Type II and III permit applications and for certain Type I permits (see the Pre-Application Conference request form) to orient applicants with the provisions, procedures and criteria for permit approval required by the UDC. After a pre-application conference (if required), and an application and the applicable fees are submitted, DCD has 28 days to determine if the application is substantially complete. If it is not complete, the applicant has 90 days to provide all the missing information. Once the application is complete, DCD issues a notice of application (if required) and, following a minimum 14-day public comment period, issues a determination pursuant to the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA). If a determination of non-significance is issued (DNS), in most cases, public notice of the determination and of the application will be posted on the property, mailed to the adjacent property owners, and published in the newspaper. If a determination of significance (DS) is issued, the applicant would begin preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Appeals of SEPA threshold determinations (except for a DS) on most project permits may be made to the Jefferson County Hearing Examiner. An optional DNS process will be utilized in most cases which allows for early notification of the “likely” SEPA threshold determination to be included with the notice of application. Generally, DCD has 120 days or less to issue a permit decision once the application has been determined to be complete. However, this does not include time required for preparation of an EIS, if required, or any period during which the applicant has been requested to provide additional information or if substantial project revisions have been made to the application. Type I Permit — After the public comment period for applications that involve SEPA review or the agency comment period for proposals that are within the jurisdiction of other agencies, the Administrator determines whether the project is consistent with the criteria for approval and may approve, approve with conditions, or deny the application. The Administrator’s action on the permit (except for administrative code interpretations) may only be appealed to Superior Court. Type II Permit — After the public comment period, the Administrator reviews the proposal and determines whether the project is consistent with the criteria for approval in the UDC and may approve, approve with conditions, or deny the application. For “C(d)” uses, the Administrator will review the potential impacts of the proposal and, upon determining the application to be complete, make a determination as to whether a public hearing should be required on the application. The Administrator’s final decision on the permit may be appealed to the Jefferson County Hearing Examiner by filing a written appeal and appropriate fee within 14 days of the decision.
Type III Permit — After the public comment period, DCD staff will schedule a public hearing before the Jefferson County Hearing Examiner and prepare a staff report prior to the hearing. The staff report will analyze whether the proposed project is consistent with the Jefferson County Comprehensive Plan and the provisions of the UDC. At the public hearing, the Hearing Examiner will review the staff report, the applicant’s presentation, and all public comment and testimony. Within 10 days after the close of the hearing, the Hearing Examiner will determine whether the proposal is consistent with the applicable criteria for approval in the UDC and may approve, approve with conditions, or deny the application. The Hearing Examiner’s final decision on the permit may be appealed by a party of record within 14 days to a Jefferson County Appellate Hearing Examiner by filing a written appeal and appropriate fee. Type IV Permit — The Board of County Commissioners will determine whether the requirements granted under preliminary plat approval have been satisfied in granting final plat approval. The Board’s action on the permit may only be appealed to Superior Court. Type V Permit — With certain limitations, Comprehensive Plan amendments may only be made once a calendar year and must conform to the “docketing” schedule established in Section 9 of the UDC. Amendments to the UDC itself (if consistent with the Comprehensive Plan) may occur more frequently. In all cases, a staff report from DCD will be prepared to analyze the proposed amendments for consistency with the Comprehensive Plan and the Washington state Growth Management Act. Staff will schedule a public hearing before the Jefferson County Planning Commission. Upon the close of the hearing, the Planning Commission will make a recommendation on the proposed amendments to the Board of County Commissioners. The Board will make the final decision on the proposed amendments. Appeals of the Board’s decision on Comprehensive Plan or UDC amendments may be made to the Western Washington Growth Management Hearings Board (WWGMHB). For more information on Type V Permits or legislative actions, visit the Long-Range Planning page.
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