31.04.420 Monroe Road/Foothills neighborhood

31.04.420 Monroe Road/Foothills neighborhood.

(1) Neighborhood Concerns Identified in the Planning Process. The Monroe Road/Foothills neighborhood is located south of Highway 101 and the City of Port Angeles. It is bounded by Valley Creek to the west and Morse Creek to the east. Only the northernmost portion of this neighborhood is inside the urban growth area. Urban portions of the Monroe Road neighborhood contain the south half of the urban commercial center located in the area north of View Vista Mobile Park. Urban neighborhood commercial land uses are located between Highway 101 and the topographic rise located approximately one-third mile south of Highway 101. On the bench above Highway 101 urban residential density areas are found in the area east of Lee’s Creek and extend south down Mt. Pleasant Road for approximately one-half mile. Average density of the rural areas south of the urban growth area is slightly greater than one home per five acres. There are large areas of undeveloped land west of Mt. Pleasant Road and between Mt. Pleasant Road and Valley Creek 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 Morse Creek, Upper Lee’s Creek, Ennis Creek, White Creek, Peabody Creek and Valley Creek. Forest resource lands in the southern half of this neighborhood serve to protect erosion hazard areas while providing for productive use of the land.

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 upgrading the appearance of Highway 101 with street trees, landscaping and landscaped medians.

North-south roads provide excellent access to this neighborhood. Egress from these roads is usually signalized.

(2) Boundary. [Policy No. 1] The Monroe Road/Foothills neighborhood is bounded by Highway 101 and the City of Port Angeles to the north, Valley Creek to the west, Morse Creek to the east, and Olympic National Park to the south.

(a) Policy 2. An urban commercial center land use designation shall be established in the area north of View Vista Mobile Park extending west to the border of the Traylor’s property.

(b) Policy 3. Urban neighborhood commercial will extend along US 101 from Traylor’s to the City limits with the exception of the Lee’s Creek ravine. The urban neighborhood commercial will terminate southward at the base of the topographic rise approximately one-third mile south of US 101 and at its boundary with school property.

(c) Policy 4. A band of urban moderate density designation will be established on the bench above US 101 in the area east of Lee’s Creek and extend south down Mt. Pleasant Road for approximately one-half mile.

(d) Policy 5. The areas bordering the edge of Morse Creek and the urban growth area boundary will be designated with the dual density category of urban very low density/urban low density. This designation allows development of up to two units per acre by right with additional density up to nine units per acre available with purchase of development rights.

(e) Policy 6. Public land use designations will be established on the Monroe/Franklin school site south of US 101.

(f) Policy 7. Rural neighborhood conservation designations will be established along the southern boundary of the urban growth area.

(g) Policy 8. A rural low density designation is mapped along Mt. Pleasant Road in the area between Draper Road and Dietz Road and extends eastward to Monroe Road.

(h) Policy 9. Rural character conservation designations are applied to the areas south of the City limits in the Old Mill Road area, south of Key Road on upper Mt. Angeles Road, in the area between Mt. Angeles Road and Monroe Road and on the western edge of the Morse Creek ravine. 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.

(a) [Policy No. 10] Forest lands of long-term commercial significance have been designated in the foothills on the southern boundary of this neighborhood. Ownership of forest lands is diverse: from the State of Washington to major private timber companies to individuals. Some of the State forest land is interspersed throughout the rural lands, and offers opportunities to demonstrate innovative forest management techniques. Land uses adjoining that land shall ensure continued viability of long-term forest production, with increased setbacks from the forest line and notification of potential incompatible uses required during new development. Further encroachment of residential uses into commercial forest areas shall be prohibited as they would severely impact the commercial viability of the area for commercial forestry.

(b) [Policy No. 11] Development adjacent to designated forest lands of long-term commercial significance should be at a very low density (one home per 20 acres). Those areas where rural low is mapped due to the existing pattern of five-acre development or where rural character conservation is mapped adjacent to commercial forestry may be designated for low densities (one home per five acres). The large parcels or open space required along with rural character conservation development shall be utilized to buffer the commercial forestlands wherever possible.

(a) [Policy No. 12] The steep-sided creek ravines and creek bottom lands of Valley, Peabody, Lee’s, Ennis, and Morse 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 No. 13] Stormwater runoff is causing considerable bluff-front gully erosion and deposition. 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 urban development.

(c) [Policy No. 14] Several large wetland complexes are located in the Monroe Road/Foothills neighborhood. Neighborhood residents controlling wetland areas should be encouraged to examine the feasibility of conservation easements on these lands to retain wetlands and to provide tax advantages to the owners. When these critical areas are within a rural character conservation designation, they should be included in the large lot or open space area of the development.

(6) Valley Creek. [Policy No. 15] Conduct general habitat improvements, such as revegetation, restoration of channel configuration, and placement of instream structures. Continue rehabilitation of estuarine habitat. Replace or improve culverts to correct fish passage problems.

WA Department of Fish and Wildlife, Port of Port Angeles, City of Port Angeles, Clallam County, Elwha S’Klallam Tribe

(7) Peabody Creek. [Policy No. 16] Undertake projects and conduct activities to improve the salmon productivity of this stream.

WA Department of Fish and Wildlife, Elwha S’Klallam Tribe, City of Port Angeles

(a) [Policy No. 17] Stabilize slope failures in forest lands on Ennis Creek through bioengineering and other techniques.

Clallam County, Clallam Conservation District, WA Department of Natural Resources

(b) [Policy No. 18] Revegetate riparian corridors and buffers in residential areas.

City of Port Angeles, Clallam Conservation District

(a) Install instream structures such as boulders and logs to improve fish habitat. Revegetate streambanks to prevent further erosion.

WA Department of Fish and Wildlife, Elwha S’Klallam Tribe, Clallam Conservation District

(b) Peninsula College should take an active role in monitoring, evaluating, and managing White’s Creek adjacent to the school. Develop programs which encourage students to adopt the creek, and which enable students to receive educational credit for projects on the creek.

Peninsula College

(10) Lee’s Creek. [Policy No. 19] Provide information, technical assistance, and funding to restrict livestock access.

Clallam Conservation District

(a) [Policy No. 20] 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 No. 21] 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 insure 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 No. 22] 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

(a) [Policy No. 23] Water service is provided to this neighborhood by the PUD. For those areas inside the UGA, further land divisions should be permitted only when PUD or City water is extended pursuant to a UGA Urban Services and Development Agreement or upon annexation.

(b) [Policy No. 24] Sewer service is not available in this portion of the urban growth area. The City of Port Angeles should plan to extend sewer service to serve commercial and high density residential areas within the urban growth area.

(a) [Policy No. 25] The steep-sided creek ravines form natural greenbelts 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 No. 26] Owners of wetlands 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.

(a) [Policy No. 27] Monroe, Mt. Pleasant, Draper, Dietz and Henry Boyd Road are scheduled for widening, realignment and intersection improvements in the six-year plan.

(b) [Policy No. 28] County gravel roads serving low density development or accessing commercial forest designation should remain a gravel standard to minimize conversion pressures.

(c) [Policy No. 29] Road widening projects on Mt. Pleasant, Monroe, Mt. Angeles and Old Mill Roads should provide for safe bicycle lanes to allow neighborhood residents to utilize the road system for commuting into Port Angeles.