Sunnyside planning commission recommends City Council approve Fairview Heights 17-lot preliminary plat

The Sunnyside City Planning Commission voted 7-0 to recommend City Council approve the Fairview Heights preliminary long plat (city file PLP‑25‑1; SEPA‑25‑2), a proposal to subdivide about 3.51 acres into 17 lots along Fairview Avenue.

The recommendation follows staff reports, consultant reviews and applicant testimony. Joseph Calhoun, the planning consultant, told commissioners the application was submitted Jan. 26, 2025, the SEPA checklist was filed April 10, 2025, the application was deemed complete May 8, 2025, and a mitigated determination of non‑significance was issued June 25, 2025. Calhoun said the proposed lots range from about 4,302 square feet to 1.17 acres, with an average lot size near 7,186 square feet and a project density of about 6.25 dwelling units per acre. He said sanitary sewer and water would be extended by the City of Sunnyside to serve the new lots and that a wetland and stream critical areas report by GG Environmental LLC identified wetland‑associated plants in two low areas but concluded the County critical areas definition meant there was no wetland jurisdiction; still, Calhoun said, pass‑through irrigation drainage will require on‑site treatment and is included in recommended conditions.

Stephanie Ray, the city engineering consultant with HLA Engineering, outlined technical conditions staff expects on civil plans and the final plat. Ray emphasized life‑safety requirements for emergency vehicles, noting Sunnyside’s need to accommodate an aerial platform fire truck and that the International Fire Code and Sunnyside design standards generally require a full cul‑de‑sac rather than a hammerhead or “eyebrow” turnaround. She said the single‑entry layout could be acceptable only if Lot 13 is not developed in a way that would push the project above the 30‑unit threshold that triggers a second access requirement. Ray flagged stormwater design as a major issue: Sunnyside’s high groundwater suggests surface infiltration wells or underground injection systems will likely be required, and the city has no regional stormwater facility. Ray said the applicant must show stormwater sizing and locations consistent with the Department of Ecology manual and must provide a path for pass‑through water so adjacent properties are not flooded.

Applicant Emmanuel Ramos described the project as a small, family‑led development and said he and his team have worked with city staff on plans and are open to changes needed to meet the conditions. Ramos said some homes might be built in‑house and some lots sold, and he emphasized local labor and materials. Applicant representative Victor Ramos and civil engineer Jason Froelich answered technical questions about past site maintenance, groundwater testing and existing drainage. Froelich said groundwater testing completed in October showed sufficient separation for planned stormwater facilities at the tested locations and that detailed stormwater design will be reviewed during civil plan review.

Commission discussion focused on the same technical issues raised by staff and the applicants: how to accommodate the pass‑through irrigation drainage channel, whether stormwater swales or underground infiltration will fit in the available right‑of‑way, the configuration and naming of proposed internal streets, the Pacific Power aerial easement crossing the site, required frontage improvements (curb, gutter and sidewalk on Fairview Avenue), and utility easement widths (city minimum 16 feet and required horizontal separation between sewer and water mains). Joseph Calhoun noted the staff recommendation includes findings that the preliminary plat, as conditioned, meets the applicable municipal code requirements (including long‑subdivision design and improvement chapters) and lists conditions related to civil plans, fire‑code access, easements, stormwater, utility extensions, an inadvertent discovery plan for archaeology, and required final plat information and timelines.

Votes at a glance: The commission approved a motion to forward a recommendation of approval to City Council and adopt the staff recommendation as the Planning Commission’s findings. Motion: “Send the preliminary plat of Fairview Heights (PLP‑25‑1) to City Council for approval, adopting the staff recommendation as the findings of the planning commission.” Mover: Commissioner Geary. Second: Commissioner Esteban Ruiz. Vote: Ayes — Commissioner Geary (yes), Commissioner Esteban Ruiz (yes), Chair Jackie Moore (yes), Vice Chair Tom Dolan (yes), Commissioner Aguirre (yes), Commissioner Shannon (yes), Commissioner Bloomer (yes). Tally: yes 7, no 0, abstain 0. Legal threshold: met.

Next steps: The commission’s recommendation will be transmitted to City Council, which holds final approval authority. If council approves, the applicant must submit full civil engineering plans and final plat documents showing the required frontage improvements, stormwater design consistent with Department of Ecology requirements, utility looping and easements, fire access revisions if required, and any revisions to lot layout to accommodate mitigation measures. Several conditions and technical items identified by staff will be resolved during civil plan review and final plat submittal rather than at the recommendation hearing.

The meeting record shows no written or oral opposition; no adjacent property owner comments were received during the noticed comment period. The file numbers cited by staff are PLP‑25‑1 and SEPA‑25‑2; the SEPA MDNS was issued June 25, 2025.