(1) Generally speaking, the municipality will provide an opportunity for public hearings before locating, designing, and building a system that has substantial impacts (see subsection (2) of this section for a technical explanation). If the municipality already has a system operating on a separate right of way, metro will provide an opportunity for public hearings before substantially changing that system.

(2) When this rules applies (WAC 330-01-040), the municipality shall afford opportunity for corridor and design public hearings:

(a) Before the municipality adopts location and design plans having a substantial social, economic, or environmental effect upon the locality where the plans are to be constructed; or

(b) Whenever a substantial change, having a substantial social, economic, or environmental effect, is proposed relating to the location or design in the adopted plan (if any) for a mass rapid transit system operating on a separate right of way.

(3) Corridor public hearings shall be held before the municipality is committed to a specific mass transit route proposal and before a route location is established. If an EIS analyzes alternative corridors, corridor public hearings are encouraged to be held no earlier than the scoping process nor later than the public hearing on the draft EIS.

(4) Design public hearings shall be held after the municipality establishes the corridor location, but before it adopts the design. If there is a formal preliminary design document, such as an environmental, engineering, or predesign document, design public hearings are encouraged to be held after such a document has been prepared for consideration by the municipality.

(5) Recognizing that the planning and design of mass rapid transit systems is a long and complex process, the executive director shall have discretion to determine the most appropriate time in the planning and decision-making process to hold any corridor and design public hearings.

(6) Nothing in this chapter shall restrict the council of the municipality or any of its committees or members from considering the location or design of a system, or documents related thereto, prior to any corridor or design public hearings.

(7) Nothing in this chapter shall restrict the municipality from preparing or considering a single document that covers both system location and design. Design public hearings, however, cannot be held until after the municipality holds corridor public hearings and establishes a corridor location.