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Public utilities, facilities and services include streets, roads, highways, sidewalks, street and road lighting systems, traffic signals, domestic water systems, storm and sanitary sewer systems, parks and recreational facilities, schools, electrical lines, telecommunication lines, fire protection, law enforcement, public health, environmental protection and other governmental services. This section will briefly describe the proposed general distribution, location and extent of public utilities, facilities and services to be available throughout Clallam County which encourages urban growth and discourages sprawl. For more specific policies, please refer to the utilities or transportation section.

(1) Transportation Systems. [Policy No. 1] The transportation network shall be established to encourage development within urban growth areas and discourage growth in rural areas. To achieve this goal, the County should:

(a) Place a high priority on investment and expenditure of limited public funds in the transportation system in urban growth areas and limit investment and expenditure in rural areas to arterial development connecting communities and neighborhoods, and maintenance of the existing transportation system.

(b) Discourage proliferation of stoplights on Highway 101 in rural or resource land areas.

(c) Limit publicly funded new road construction in rural and resource areas except where needed to address emergency service response or respond to natural disasters.

(d) Focus development of pedestrian systems in urban growth areas, except where part of a regional plan or to serve existing areas.

(e) Encourage transit to serve urban growth areas and routes along the regional transportation system. Limit regular transit service in rural areas except where such service is provided to regional attractions, such as Dungeness Spit, Hurricane Ridge, etc., or where such service serves as an interconnection between urban areas.

(2) Domestic Water Systems.

(a) [Policy No. 2] Municipal water systems should be provided within urban growth areas. The County, Public Utility District and cities should work cooperatively to encourage expansion of water systems within the urban growth areas and identification of the appropriate service provider and service standards.

(b) [Policy No. 3] Municipal (city-owned) water systems in rural areas should be limited to those areas that can demonstrate water quantity limitations, water quality problems or demonstrate hydraulic continuity to rivers or streams. Expansion of water systems within existing service boundaries should be permitted, as well as the interconnection of existing rural systems.

(c) [Policy No. 4] Extension or the existence of public water service in designated rural areas or resource lands shall not result in or be justification for higher density than that anticipated by a regional or subarea land use plan.

(3) Fire Protection. [Policy No. 5] Fire protection and suppression facilities in urban areas should receive first priority. Fire hydrants and suppression facilities in rural areas should not be required except for commercial/industrial uses.

(4) Sanitary Waste Disposal.

(a) [Policy No. 6] Public sanitary sewer systems should be provided within urban growth areas. The County, Public Utility District and cities should work cooperatively to encourage expansion of sanitary sewer systems within the urban growth areas and identification of the appropriate service provider and service standards.

(b) [Policy No. 7] Public sanitary sewer systems shall be prohibited in rural areas except when on-site sewage disposal systems pose a threat or risk to public health, as determined by the Clallam County Board of Health.

(c) [Policy No. 8] On-site sewage disposal systems will be considered an appropriate waste disposal method in rural and resource areas.

(d) [Policy No. 9] In those circumstances where extension of public sanitary sewer systems into rural or resource lands is declared necessary, such as an essential public facility (school or State correction center) or an area with failing systems, the sewage lines from the urban area should be for transmission only (tightlines) and sized only to serve the area declared necessary.

(5) Schools and Cultural Facilities.

(a) [Policy No. 10] Public school facilities should be located in urban growth areas where adequate transportation systems, public services and residents are available. Public school facilities should be discouraged from locating in rural areas except where necessary to serve existing school populations.

(b) [Policy No. 11] Cultural facilities including museums, libraries, and theaters should be located in urban growth areas where adequate public facilities and services exist.

(6) Parks and Recreation.

(a) [Policy No. 12] Clallam County should acquire, develop and maintain park facilities and programs that will serve the needs of communities larger than the local neighborhood or urban area but less than multicounty, State-wide, or national in scope.

(b) [Policy No. 13] Active recreation facilities, such as ballfields, tennis courts and swimming pools, should generally be located within urban growth areas and provided by a city, nonprofit or special recreation district.

(c) [Policy No. 14] Neighborhood parks are encouraged within urban growth areas as set forth in adopted regional, subarea or park and recreation plans.

(d) [Policy No. 15] Recognize and support the maintenance and expansion of marine facilities, including boat launches, docks, and marinas as a significant recreational and economic asset to the County.

(7) Electrical/Telecommunication Lines. [Policy No. 16] Electric and telecommunication services are needed throughout Clallam County.

(8) Essential Public Facilities. [Policy No. 17] Essential public facilities are public capital facilities of a County-wide or State-wide nature which are typically difficult to site. Essential public facilities may be located in designated commercial forest or rural lands provided the County finds that such facilities cannot otherwise be located in urban areas, are largely self-contained or served by urban governmental services in a manner that adjacent rural or urban development is not promoted, and the facility does not cause nuisances (noise, dust, light, etc.) on adjacent properties that cannot be adequately mitigated. The siting of essential public facilities in resource lands should not interfere with resource management on adjacent resource lands.