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Kittitas (pronounced 'KITT-i-tass') County is located in central Washington State. It spans from the lush forested Cascade Mountains to the upper Yakima River Valley plains and the Columbia River.
Ellensburg - 03/23/2015 - Kittitas County reminds landowners and contractors that a grading permit is required prior to beginning grading activities that involve more than 100 cubic yards of material. The grading ordinance for unincorporated Kittitas County went into effect on December 2, 2014 after approval by the Board of County Commissioners. The complete ordinance can be found in Kittitas County Code (KCC) 14.05.
Grading is defined as any combination of filling or excavating. The purpose of the grading ordinance is to control erosion that occurs as a result of land development. The provisions of the ordinance are designed to minimize adverse impacts, protect water quality, and ensure prompt and effective development, restoration and erosion control activities during and after grading activities. The grading ordinance is administered by the Public Works Department and the County Engineer. The grading ordinance exempts activities involving less than 100 cubic yards of material, unless the activity is within a critical area, is related to infrastructure development of a preliminary subdivision, or related to construction of a new private road. The grading ordinance also exempts many activities that involve more than 100 cubic yards. These are activities that will have little impact or are controlled under other regulations. Some of the most commonly used exemptions are agricultural activities (including those agricultural activities within critical areas), road maintenance within an established road footprint, soil test holes and on-site sewage installation, excavation related to a structure authorized by a building permit, wells and utility trenches, and mining activities controlled by state regulators. In addition, fill of less than one-foot and excavation of less than two-feet are exempt under certain situations. For more information on these and other exemptions, refer to KCC 14.05.060. Non-exempt activities that involve up to 500 cubic yards of material must submit a “regular” grading plan along with the grading permit application. A regular grading plan can be prepared by a landowner or contractor. Non-exempt activities that involve more than 500 cubic yards of material or are located within a critical area must submit an “engineered” grading plan that has been prepared by an engineering geologist, geotechnical engineer or civil engineer licensed to practice in the State of Washington. More information related to the grading permit, including an application form and a flow chart to help determine if a grading permit is necessary, can be found the on the Public Works website at http://www.co.kittitas.wa.us/public-works/development/grading-permit.aspx. You can also call Public Works at 509-962-7523.
Kittitas County, from the Cascades to the Columbia, and online at http://www.co.kittitas.wa.us
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Contact: Christina Wollman509-962-7523christina.wollman@co.kittitas.wa.us