Methow Valley Citizens' Council
Projects
MVCC Projects Page17.14.120 – Standards for Development on Ridgelines A. Purpose and Intent -The purpose of this Section is to establish regulations to preserve and maintain the natural scenic resources of the Methow Review District as viewed from specifically identified vantages including municipalities and certain public road corridors that are particularly important to the character and economy of the Methow Review District. This shall be accomplished by the establishment of ridgeline vantages from which the siting and construction of buildings will be reviewed to maintain the natural appearance of the mountain skyline and to avoid penetration or interruption of the natural skyline by buildings. B.Definitions – 1.Skyline. The skyline is the visual line at which the earth or vegetation and
the sky appear to meet. The skyline is typically viewed as the top of a ridge, hillside or butte. 2.Ridgeline. The ridgeline is defined the same as the skyline for the purposes of this section. C.Applicability -This Section is applicable to all buildings that would be visible from any municipality in the Methow Review District or from any of the following state, county or public roads, that are individually and collectively referred to as a “ridgeline vantage”: 1.State Highway 20; 2.State Highway 153; 3.Lost River Road No. 9140; 4.Cub Creek Road No. 1251 5.West Chewuch Road No. 1213; 6.East Chewuch Road No. 9137; 7.Bear Creek Road No. 1631; 8.Twisp-Winthrop Eastside Road No. 9129; 9.Davis Lake Road No. 1605; 10.Wolf Creek Road No. 1131; 11.Twin Lakes Road No. 9120; 12.Patterson Lake Road No. 1117; 13.Elbow Coulee Road No. 1097; 14.Balky Hill Road No. 1600; 15.Upper Beaver Creek Road No. 1637; 16.Lower Beaver Creek Road No. 1585; 17.Finley Canyon Road No. 1590; 18.Twisp River Road No. 9114; 19.Poorman Creek Road No. 1071; 20.Lookout Mountain Road No. 1065 21.Twisp-Carlton Road No. 9105; 22.Benson Creek Road No. 1703; 23.Vintin Road No. 1552 24.Texas Creek-French Creek Road No. 1543; 25.Libby Creek Road No. 1049; 26.Gold Creek Loop Road No. 1029; 27.Gold Creek Road No. 1034; 28.Left Fork Wolf Creek Road No. 1145 D.Skyline Penetration Prohibited - When viewed from any ridgeline vantage, no building shall penetrate a skyline that is more than 150 feet vertically higher from the closest point on a ridgeline vantage from which such building would be visible. E.Initial Review – All applications for building permits in the Methow Review District made after the effective date of this ordinance shall make a written declaration to the administrator as part of the application for the building permit which declares whether the proposed building for which the permit is sought will be in compliance or violation of Paragraph D of this section. F.Initial Analysis – If the administrator determines that the building is proposed to be sited on a ridgeline that potentially penetrates a skyline or ridgeline on a ridge, hillside or butte, the applicant shall submit an initial analysis of potential ridgeline penetration which shall contain: 1.Map. A map of the proposed site that depicts the proposed location of the building footprint including distances and elevations from the two closest ridgeline vantages. 2.Written Statement. A brief written statement describing, in a general manner, the location, size, height and potential skyline penetration of the proposed building as viewed from any ridgeline vantage. G.Detailed Analysis Required if Location is Determined to Penetrate Skyline. If the administrator determines, after a review of the initial submittal pursuant to Paragraph F, Initial Analysis, and any other relevant material, that the building is proposed to be so sited on a ridgeline that it would be penetrate the skyline as viewed from a ridgeline vantage, the applicant shall submit a detailed visual analysis illustrating the existing features of the site, depicting the location, mass and form of any proposed building and illustrating all potential visibility that would be prohibited by this Section. This analysis may be provided as photographs of the property on which the development is proposed to be sited, a computer simulation, an architectural site section or other similar display technique. The applicant will provide such further information as the administrator reasonably requires. If after review of this analysis the administrator determines that the proposed potential building will penetrate the skyline, the applicant will change the siting of the building so that the building will comply with Paragraph D above. H.Mitigation of necessary skyline penetration –In the case of an existing lot where no other building siting alternative is possible which complies with the standards of Paragraph D, the building permit for any building that is proposed to be so sited on a ridgeline that it would penetrate the skyline as viewed from a ridgeline vantage may be approved by the administrator upon a showing by the applicant, by submission of a revised detailed analysis described in Paragraph G, that any building and the site will comply with the following mitigation standards: 1.Minimum Skyline Penetration. To the maximum extent possible, the building shall be sited on the property at the location that minimizes the skyline penetration. 2.Height. The height of any building shall not be more than twenty (20) feet higher than the original, natural grade of the land covered by the footprint of the building. 3.Mass. The mass of any building shall be designed so as to be broken into distinct, smaller forms, which may involve repeating similar forms at a more modest scale, breaking facades and roof lines into smaller segments, or stepping the building mass into the hillside. 4.Form. The form of any building, particularly its roof form, shall re-create the natural form of the landscape. If the natural landscape that is being penetrated is flat, the building shall have a flat roof form. If the natural form of a hillside skyline is rounded or jagged, the building shall use a hipped or similar roof form. 5.Exterior materials. The exterior of any building and roof materials shall be built or painted with earth tone colors that blend as much as possible with the color of surrounding land and vegetation. Reflective roof materials shall not be used unless the materials are treated to eliminate reflection. 6.Earth moving. Development shall minimize the need for earth moving or disturbance to the maximum extent practical. Earth moving shall be prohibited where it disrupts the natural ridgeline contour, such as on slopes requiring modification to create a platform or cut slope for development. 7.Landscape screening. Any building shall be located so as to preserve, to the maximum extent practical, existing vegetation which may help to screen the appearance of a development. Where practical, visual screens shall be augmented with plantings of native species planted so as to screen at least fifty (50) percent of the development at full plant maturity as measured during the summer. 8.Revegetation. Areas disturbed by earth moving shall be revegetated using native species which are already growing on or near the site. Topsoil shall be stock piled during construction and replaced when construction has been completed. 9.Lighting. Outdoor lighting, either attached or detached from any building, shall be limited to lighting using bulbs of 100 watts or less which shall be shaded in such a manner so that no direct ray of light from the bulb shall be directly visible from any ridgeline vantage. I.All such mitigation standards contained in the revised detailed analysis and approved by the administrator shall be made conditions of approval of the building permit by the administrator. J.Any building which is actually constructed after approval by the administrator shall comply with the applicable provisions of this section, shall be subject to all the provisions of Chapter 17.38, Enforcement of this Code.
