31.04.410 Deer Park neighborhood.
(1) Neighborhood Concerns Identified in the Planning Process. The Deer Park Neighborhood is located south of Highway 101 and is bounded to the west and east by Morse Creek and Siebert Creek. Commercial uses near Deer Park include the Deer Park Cinema and approximately 30 acres of additional undeveloped commercial land. View Ridge subdivision and the upper portion of 4 Seasons Park are located on the west side of Deer Park. Average would be less than one home per five acres. There are large areas of undeveloped land between Deer Park and O’Brien Roads which provide a unique opportunity to utilize a type of planned unit development which could conserve rural character to a far greater extent than the conventional zoning currently allowed.
The neighborhood contains several large wetland complexes which must be protected. Other critical areas in the neighborhood include Bagley Creek, Siebert Creek and the erosion hazard areas south of Township Line Road.
The appearance and functionality of the commercial area near Highway 101 concerns neighborhood residents. Survey results from the area-wide questionnaire would indicate that area residents would support the Deer Park Gateway concept to upgrade the appearance of Highway 101 with street trees, landscaping and better intersection traffic control.
Egress from Deer Park Road and O’Brien Road can be hazardous. Improvements to both intersections will be needed to maintain safety.
(2) Boundary (Policy 1). The Deer Park neighborhood is located south of Highway 101 and is bounded to the west and east by Morse Creek and Siebert Creek.
(3) Land Uses.
(a) Policy 2. A rural limited commercial land use designation shall be established at the Deer Park intersection with US 101.
(b) Policy 3. A rural suburban density residential land use will be established southwest of the commercial center west of Deer Park Road. This designation recognizes current densities and encourages infill development.
(c) Policy 4. Public land use designations will be established on State-owned land in the area of the US 101 right-of-way northwest of Deer Park Cinema.
(d) Policy 5. A rural limited commercial designation will be established for the commercial area just east of O’Brien Road. This designation will allow the commercial and industrial uses found in this area to continue but the outer bounds of this designation will not be expanded to control urban type growth in rural areas.
(e) Policy 6. Rural neighborhood conservation designations will be established along US 101 eastward to just beyond Sutter Road and in the area surrounding the rural limited commercial designation east of O’Brien Road. These two rural neighborhood conservation designations will terminate to the south near the 90 degree curve on O’Brien Road. One additional rural neighborhood conservation designation will follow Deer Park Road to the vicinity of the north section line of Section 29.
(f) Policy 7. A rural low density designation is found south of the 90-degree turn following O’Brien Road to the north section line of Section 34. An additional rural low designation covers the area surrounding the last one-half mile of Bagley Creek Road and angles over to connect with a small rural portion of Deer Park Road.
(g) Policy 8. Rural character conservation designations are applied to just over half of the land between Deer Park and O’Brien Roads. Many of these lands have not been able to develop to their maximum density due to the large percentage of land being within critical areas. Streams, ravines, wetland complexes and erosion hazard areas are extensive in this area. Utilizing a rural character conservation approach would allow development to occur at current densities but would allow critical areas to be protected in large lot sizes and by homeowners’ associations. To include these critical areas in small individual lots as is the case under conventional zoning would lead to loss of rural character, diminish water quality and destroy wildlife habitat.
(4) Critical Areas.
(a) Policy 9. The steep-sided creek ravines and creek bottom lands of Morse, Siebert and Bagley Creeks as well as the marine bluffs on the Strait should be protected for public safety, maintenance of water quality and as linear wildlife corridors through the neighborhood. These areas when left in a natural state stabilize the geologically unstable ravine and bluff environments, filter out sediments before they reach streams and shorelines and provide critical habitat for eagles, falcons, and other birds utilizing trees for perch or nesting. Allowing transfer of development rights from these areas and providing open space tax benefits to owners will further the protection of these critical areas.
(b) Policy 10. Controlling the scale of commercial development on Highway 101 should limit the impacts of stormwater on adjacent residential developments to the north. When developments are reviewed, maintenance of natural water control in the form of wetlands should be a prime concern along with ensuring on-site retention and slow release of stormwater from development.
(5) Morse Creek.
(a) Policy 11.
Assign high priority to Morse Creek for restoration efforts due to potential for salmon habitat. Build support for restoration activities among agencies, organizations, and residents.
WA Department of Fish and Wildlife, Elwha S’Klallam Tribe, Clallam County
(b) Policy 12.
Focus education and technical assistance on the lower two miles of this creek. Discourage residents from “cleaning” the riparian corridor. Provide landowners with information about shoreline management, riparian corridors, flood management, and other pertinent issues. Provide technical assistance to ensure that existing habitat is protected. Revegetate with stabilizing plants; establish view corridors. Pursue development of off-channel fish habitat.
Clallam Conservation District, WSU-Cooperative Extension, Elwha S’Klallam Tribe, Clallam County, WA Department of Fish and Wildlife
(c) Policy 13.
Because fish populations in this stream are particularly vulnerable to habitat degradation, establish limitations on surface water withdrawals to maintain optimum instream flow for fish. Encourage water conservation during low-flow months.
WA Department of Ecology, Clallam County, City of Port Angeles, PUD #1 of Clallam County
(6) Bagley Creek (Policy 14).
Monitor the fill crossing of Bagley Creek in R5W T30 S34 for the effectiveness of erosion control measures.
WA Department of Fish and Wildlife, Clallam County
(7) Siebert Creek.
(a) Policy 15.
Persuade a landowner or landowners with greater than 10 percent ownership of the subwatershed to sponsor a watershed analysis of the Siebert Creek subwatershed. The analysis should utilize methodology consistent with the DNR’s watershed analysis for cumulative effects.
Clallam Conservation District, WA Department of Natural Resources
(b) Policy 16.
Remove obstacles to fish passage in Siebert Creek by replacing culverts at Old Olympic Highway when the new bridge crossing is constructed, eliminating the concrete fish ladder at Old Olympic Highway, and correcting similar problems wherever they are identified.
WA Department of Fish and Wildlife, Clallam County
(c) Policy 17.
Continue maintenance and corrective actions at Siebert Creek slides and ensure continued stabilization of sediment soils.
WA Department of Natural Resources
(8) Public Services and Facilities.
(a) Policy 18. Water service is provided to this neighborhood by the PUD.
(b) Repealed by Ord. 584, 1996.
(9) Open Space and Greenbelts.
(a) Policy 20. The steep-sided creek ravines form a natural greenbelt in this neighborhood. Open space will occur as a result of wetland protection, stream buffering and rural character conservation development which requires large, rural sized lots to be retained in rural areas.
(b) Policy 21. Owners of wetlands, marine bluffs and ravines should be encouraged to file conservation easements on these portions of their property to protect them from development, provide open spaces and gain tax advantage. Owners of critical areas identified by an open space overlay should receive the advantage of qualifying for open space taxation regardless of property size.
(10) Transportation.
(a) Policy 22. O’Brien Road is scheduled for widening and realignment in the six-year plan.
(b) Repealed by Ord. 584, 1996.
(c) Policy 24. The WSDOT should retain ownership of parcels bordering Highway 101 as they add to its scenic quality and provide areas for transit pullouts and for rest areas.