(1) Application submittal. The application shall be submitted to the designated local department office serving the area. The application shall be properly prepared, clearly completed, and signed. Information on the specific number of copies to be provided and other submittal information is available from the designated local department office.

(2) Application review, processing, and approval. Upon receipt of the application, the application shall be reviewed consistent with the provisions of this chapter. If the department identifies errors in the application or if additional information is required, the department will notify the applicant. Applicants must provide such information or correct errors within thirty days of the notification. If the applicant determines that the time to provide additional or corrected information is insufficient, the applicant shall contact the department in writing to request additional time be approved. If the additional or corrected information has not been received by the department within thirty days or the approved time period agreed to, the application will be withdrawn.

(a) Review. Upon timely receipt of all required information, or upon expiration of the time period for receipt of additional or corrected information, the location and design of the connection shall be examined for consistency with current department location, quantity, spacing, classifications, and department design standards. The review shall also include an analysis of the impact of the site's existing and projected traffic on the operation and safety of the state highway.

(b) Concurrence or denial, notice. If the department concurs in the location and design of the proposed connection, written notification of that concurrence will be sent to the applicant and to the local governmental land use planning authority having jurisdiction over the development. If the applicant has gone through the voluntary conceptual review process, the written notice of concurrence will indicate whether or not there have been any changes in the number, location, or design of the connection required by the department. No construction may commence on the department's right of way until all necessary department and local governmental permits are issued in accordance with (c) of this subsection. If the department does not concur in the connection location, quantity, or design, both the applicant and the local governmental land use planning authority having jurisdiction over the development approval shall be notified, in writing, indicating the department's intent to deny the connection as proposed in the application. The written notification shall state the specific reasons for the intent to deny the connection, the process for submitting an amended application, and the appeal rights of the applicant. The applicant may submit a revised application within thirty days based on department comments and concerns as stated in the notification. The submittal of a revised application within thirty days shall not require the payment of any additional application fees. Submittal of a revised permit is not a prerequisite for a request for an adjudicative proceeding in compliance with WAC 468-51-150.

(c) Permit issuance. The department shall issue the connection permit after review and concurrence that the application and the location and design of the connection comply with the requirements of this chapter, and after either:

(i) The applicant has received development approval from the appropriate local governmental land use planning authority; or

(ii) Other interagency coordination procedures in effect are satisfied for development approval by the local governmental land use planning authority.

The department shall provide the applicant with the connection permit for signature, and the applicant shall sign and return the permit to the department within thirty days after the mailing date. If the department does not receive the signed permit back from the applicant within thirty days after the mailing date or within an agreed upon time, the permit will be void and the application fee will be forfeited. The permit is not valid and construction on the access cannot begin without a completed permit that is signed by both the department and the applicant.

Additionally, the applicant must be in compliance with the surety bond requirements specified in the permit prior to construction, in compliance with WAC 468-51-070.

(d) Request for adjudicative proceedings. In the event of a denial of a connection permit as proposed in the application, the applicant may apply for an adjudicative proceeding in compliance with WAC 468-51-150.

(3) Permit conditions. Any special requirements or provisions for the connection including offsite mitigation shall be clearly and specifically identified as part of the permit. Failure by the applicant or permit holder to abide by the permit provisions shall be sufficient cause for the department to initiate action to alter the connection or to revoke the permit and close the connection at the expense of the permit holder. The permit requirements shall be binding on the permit holder, the permit holder's successors, heirs and assigns, the permit application signatories, and all future owners and occupants of the property. The applicant may challenge the permit conditions by applying for an adjudicative proceeding in compliance with WAC 468-51-150.