23.47A.008

A. Basic street-level requirements 1. The provisions of this subsection 23.47A.008.A apply to: a. Structures in NC zones; b. Structures that contain a residential use in C zones; c. Structures in C zones across the street from residential zones; and d. All structures in pedestrian-designated zones. 2. Blank facades a. For purposes of this Section 23.47A.008 , facade segments are considered blank if they do not include at least one of the following: 1) Windows; 2) Entryways or doorways; 3) Stairs, stoops, or porticos; 4) Decks or balconies; or 5) Screening and landscaping on the facade itself. b. Blank segments of the street-facing facade between 2 feet and 8 feet above the sidewalk may not exceed 20 feet in width. c. The total of all blank facade segments may not exceed 40 percent of the width of the facade of the structure along the street. 3. Street-level, street-facing facades shall be located within 10 feet of the street lot line, unless wider sidewalks, plazas, or other approved landscaped or open spaces are provided. B. Non-residential street-level requirements 1. In addition to the provisions of subsection 23.47A.008.A, the provisions of this subsection 23.47A.008.B apply to: a. Structures with street-level non-residential uses in NC zones; b. Structures with street-level non-residential uses that also contain residential uses in C zones; c. Structures with street-level non-residential uses in C zones across the street from residential zones; and d. All structures in pedestrian designated zones. 2. Transparency a. Sixty percent of the street-facing facade between 2 feet and 8 feet above the sidewalk shall be transparent. For purposes of calculating the 60 percent of a structure's street-facing facade, the width of a driveway at street level, not to exceed 22 feet, may be subtracted from the width of the street-facing facade if the access cannot be provided from an alley or from a street that is not a designated principal pedestrian street. b. Transparent areas of facades shall be designed and maintained to provide views into and out of the structure. Except for institutional uses, no permanent signage, window tinting or treatments, shelving, other furnishings, fixtures, equipment, or stored items shall completely block views into and out of the structure between 4 feet and 7 feet above adjacent grade. The installation of temporary signs or displays that completely block views may be allowed if such temporary sign complies with subsection 23.55.012.B. 3. Depth provisions for new structures or new additions to existing structures a. Non-residential uses greater than 600 square feet shall extend an average depth of at least 30 feet and a minimum depth of 15 feet from the street-level, street-facing facade. b. In pedestrian designated zones, non-residential uses less than 600 square feet in size shall extend an average depth of at least 20 feet and a minimum depth of 10 feet from the street-level, street-facing facade. c. If the combination of the requirements of Sections 23.47A.005 or 23.47A.008 and these depth requirements would result in a requirement that an area greater than 50 percent of the structure's footprint be dedicated to non-residential use, the Director may modify the street-facing facade or depth requirements, or both, so that no more than 50 percent of the structure's footprint is required to be non-residential. 4. Height provisions for new structures or new additions to existing structures. Non-residential uses at street level shall have a floor-to-floor height of at least 13 feet. C. In addition to the provisions of subsections 23.47A.008.A and 23.47A.008.B, the following standards also apply in pedestrian designated zones: 1. A minimum of 80 percent of the width of a structure's street-level street-facing facade that faces a principal pedestrian street shall be occupied by uses listed in subsection 23.47A.005.D.1. The remaining 20 percent of the street frontage may contain other permitted uses and/or pedestrian entrances (see Exhibit A for 23.47A.008 ). Exhibit A for 23.47A.008 Uses and pedestrian access allowed along street-level, street-facing facades 2. For purposes of calculating the 80 percent of a structure's street-level facade, the width of a driveway at street level, not to exceed 22 feet, may be subtracted from the width of the street-facing facade if the access cannot be provided from an alley or from a street that is not a designated principal pedestrian street. 3. If the street-facing facade and depth requirements would result in a requirement that an area greater than 50 percent of the structure's footprint be dedicated to the uses in subsection 23.47A.005.D.1, the Director may modify the street-facing facade or depth requirements, or both, so that no more than 50 percent of the structure's footprint is required to be dedicated to the uses in subsection 23.47A.005.D.1. 4. Overhead weather protection a. Continuous overhead weather protection (i.e., canopies, awnings, marquees, and arcades) is required along at least 60 percent of the street frontage of a structure on a principal pedestrian street, except for structures within the Pike/Pine Conservation Overlay District on lots that contain a character structure as provided in Chapter 23.73 . b. The covered area shall have a minimum width of 6 feet, unless there is a conflict with existing or proposed street trees or utility poles, in which case the width may be adjusted to accommodate such features as provided in subsection 23.47A.008.C.4.f. c. The overhead weather protection must be provided over the sidewalk, or over a walking area within 10 feet immediately adjacent to the sidewalk. When provided adjacent to the sidewalk, the covered walking area must be at the same grade or within 18 inches of sidewalk grade and meet Washington state requirements for barrier-free access. d. The lower edge of the overhead weather protection shall be a minimum of 8 feet and a maximum of 12 feet above the sidewalk for projections extending a maximum of 6 feet. For projections extending more than 6 feet from the structure, the lower edge of the weather protection shall be a minimum of 10 feet and a maximum of 15 feet above the sidewalk. e. Adequate lighting for pedestrians shall be provided. The lighting may be located on the facade of the building or on the overhead weather protection. f. Where the standards listed in this subsection 23.47A.008.C.4 conflict with the vertical and horizontal clearance requirements in the street rights-of-way, the standards may be modified by the Director in consultation with the Director of Transportation. 5. Maximum width and depth limits a. The maximum width and depth of a structure, or of a portion of a structure for which the limit is calculated separately according to subsection 23.47A.008.C.5.b, is 250 feet, except as otherwise provided in subsection 23.47A.008.C.5.c. Structure width may exceed 250 feet if the structure complies with the modulation standards in subsection 23.47A.014.D. b. For purposes of this subsection 23.47A.008.C.5, the width and depth limits shall be calculated separately for a portion of a structure if: 1) There are no connections allowing direct access, such as hallways, bridges, or stairways, between that portion of a structure and other portions of a structure; or 2) The only connections between that portion of a structure and other portions of a structure are in stories, or portions of stories, that are underground or extend no more than 4 feet above the sidewalk, measured at any point above the sidewalk elevation to the floor above the partially below-grade story, excluding access. c. For purposes of this subsection 23.47A.008.C.5, the following portions of a structure shall not be included in measuring width and depth: 1) Designated Landmark structures that are retained on the lot. 2) Stories of a structure on which more than 50 percent of the total gross floor area is occupied by any of the following uses: a) Arts facilities; b) Community clubs or community centers; c) Child care centers; d) Elementary or secondary schools; e) Performing arts theaters; or f) Religious facilities. 6. Space for small commercial uses at street level a. Except as provided in subsection 23.47A.008.C.6.c, all structures abutting a principal pedestrian street that include more than 5,000 square feet of street-level commercial uses shall include small commercial spaces meeting the requirements of subsection 23.47A.008.C.6.b in the quantity required by Table A for 23.47A.008.C. Table A for 23.47A.008.C Number of small commercial spaces required Total amount of square feet (sf) in street-level commercial use Number of small commercial spaces required Up to 5,000 sf 0 More than 5,000 sf up to 8,000 sf 1 More than 8,000 sf up to 12,000 sf 2 More than 12,000 sf up to 16,000 sf 3 More than 16,000 sf 4, plus 1 additional space for each additional 4,000 square feet above 16,000 square feet, up to a maximum of 8 b. Requirements for small commercial spaces. The required small commercial spaces must: 1) Contain only commercial uses; 2) Be a minimum of 300 square feet and a maximum of 1,500 square feet; 3) Have an entrance for pedestrians from the street or from a street-oriented courtyard that is no more than 3 feet above or below the sidewalk grade; and 4) Be separated from other commercial spaces by a physical divider such as a wall or partition. c. Exception. The requirements of this subsection 23.47A.008.C.6 do not apply to structures with more than 50 percent of the total street-level gross floor area occupied by any of the following uses: 1) Arts facilities; 2) Child care centers; 3) Colleges; 4) Community clubs or community centers; 5) Libraries; 6) Institutes for advanced study; 7) Museums; 8) Performing arts theaters; 9) Grocery stores less than 15,000 square feet; 10) Elementary or secondary schools; 11) Religious facilities; 12) Vocational or fine arts schools; or 13) Shopping atriums, where multiple businesses operate within a contiguous space. d. As a Type I decision, the Director may waive the requirements of subsection 23.47A.008.C.6. The Director's decision shall be based on the availability of existing small commercial spaces on a principal pedestrian street: 1) Within the same urban center as the structure; 2) Within 400 lineal feet of the structure, if the structure is located within a regional center; or 3) Within the same pedestrian-designated zone as the structure on the same principal pedestrian street, if the structure is located outside of a regional center or an urban center. D. Where residential uses are located along a street-level, street-facing facade, the following requirements apply unless exempted by subsection 23.47A.008.G: 1. At least one of the street-level, street-facing facades containing a residential use shall have a visually prominent pedestrian entry; and 2. The floor of a dwelling unit located along the street-level, street-facing facade shall be at least 4 feet above or 4 feet below sidewalk grade or be set back at least 10 feet from the sidewalk. An exception to the standards of this subsection 23.47A.008.D.2 may be granted as a Type I decision if the following criteria are met: a. An accessible route to the unit is not achievable if the standard is applied or existing site conditions such as topography make access impractical if the standard is applied; b. The floor is at least 18 inches above average sidewalk grade or 4 feet below sidewalk grade, or is set back at least 10 feet from the sidewalk; and c. The visually prominent pedestrian entry is maintained. E. When a live-work unit is located on a street-level, street-facing facade, the provisions of subsections 23.47A.008.A and 23.47A.008.B, and the following requirements, apply: 1. The portion of each such live-work unit in which business is conducted must be a minimum of 300 square feet and must be located between the street and the residential portion of the live-work unit. The non-residential portions of the unit shall extend the width of the street-level, street-facing facade, shall extend a minimum depth of 15 feet from the street-level, street-facing facade, and shall not contain any of the primary features of the residential (live) portion of the live-work unit, such as kitchen, sleeping, or laundry facilities, or bathrooms containing a shower or bathtub. These basic residential features shall be designed and arranged to be separated from the work portion of the live-work unit by a physical divider such as a wall or partition. 2. Each live-work unit must have a pedestrian entry on the street-facing facade that is designed to be visually prominent and provide direct access to the non-residential portions of the unit. 3. Each live-work unit must include an exterior sign with the name of the business associated with the live-work unit. Such signage shall be clearly associated with the unit and visible to pedestrians outside of the building. 4. The owner of each live-work unit must keep a copy of the current business license associated with the business located in that unit on file. F. The Director may allow exceptions to the street-level requirements of this Section 23.47A.008 , as a Type I decision, for projects that are not subject to the Design Review process, except that in a pedestrian-designated zone exceptions may not be granted for requirements for residential uses at street level, transparency requirements, or floor-to-floor height requirements as described in subsection 23.41.012.B. Exceptions may be granted if the Director determines that the project will maintain the safety and aesthetics of the streetscape for pedestrians and will: 1. Maintain pedestrian access to the structure; 2. Maintain urban form consistent with adjacent structures and previous design review decisions on the site; 3. Maintain the visibility of non-residential uses; 4. Maintain the privacy of residential uses; or 5. Allow the continued use of an existing structure without substantial renovation. G. In a structure existing on January 1, 2012, an accessory dwelling unit may be established if it is accessory to an existing dwelling unit and if it meets minimum housing standards of Chapter 22.206 , even if nonconforming to standards of subsection 23.47A.008.D. (Ord. 127375 , § 44, 2025; Ord. 126157 , § 23, 2020; Ord. 125791 , § 50, 2019; Ord. 125603 , § 26, 2018; Ord. 125272 , § 26, 2017; Ord. 124770 , § 5, 2015; Ord. 124378 , § 40, 2013; Ord. 123939, § 12, 2012; Ord. 122935, § 5, 2009; Ord. 122311 , § 44, 2006.)