23.50A.040

A. All uses are permitted outright, prohibited, or permitted as a conditional use, according to Table A for 23.50A.040 and this Section 23.50A.040 . B. All permitted uses are allowed as either a principal use or an accessory use, unless otherwise indicated in Table A for 23.50A.040. C. Uses that qualify as an Industrial Use for purposes of achieving extra floor area in II zones pursuant to Section 23.50A.120 through 23.50A.128 are indicated in Table A for 23.50A.040. D. Public facilities 1. Similar uses permitted. Except as provided in subsections 23.50A.040.D.2 and 23.50A.040.D.3 and in Section 23.50A.100 , uses in public facilities that are most similar to uses permitted outright or permitted by conditional use in this Chapter 23.50A are also permitted outright or by conditional use, subject to the same use regulations, development standards, and administrative conditional use criteria that govern the similar uses. 2. Waivers or modification by the Council for similar uses. The Council may waive or modify applicable development standards or conditional use criteria for those uses in public facilities that are similar to uses permitted outright or permitted by conditional use according to Chapter 23.76 , Subchapter III, with public projects considered as Type IV quasi-judicial decisions and City facilities considered as Type V legislative decisions. 3. Other uses permitted in public facilities. Unless specifically prohibited, uses in public facilities that are not similar to uses permitted outright or permitted by a conditional use or special exception under this Chapter 23.50A may be permitted by the Council. The Council may waive or modify development standards or conditional use criteria according to Chapter 23.76 , Subchapter III, with public projects considered as Type IV quasi-judicial decisions and City facilities considered as Type V legislative decisions. 4. Uses in public facilities not meeting development standards. In all industrial zones, uses in public facilities not meeting development standards may be permitted by the Council if the following criteria are satisfied: a. The project provides unique services that are not provided to the community by the private sector, such as police and fire stations; and b. The proposed location is required to meet specific public service delivery needs; and c. The waiver or modification to the development standards is necessary to meet specific public service delivery needs; and d. The relationship of the project to the surrounding area has been considered in the design, siting, landscaping, and screening of the facility. 5. Expansion of uses in public facilities a. Major expansion. Major expansions may be permitted to uses in public facilities allowed pursuant to subsections 23.50A.040.D.1, 23.50A.040.D.2, and 23.50A.040.D.3 according to the same provisions and procedural requirements as described in these subsections. A major expansion of a public facility use is one that would not meet development standards, or one that would exceed the greater of 750 square feet or ten percent of its existing area, including gross floor area and areas devoted to active outdoor uses other than parking. b. Minor expansion. An expansion that is not a major expansion is a minor expansion. Minor expansions may be permitted to uses in public facilities allowed pursuant to subsections 23.50A.040.D.1, 23.50A.040.D.2, and 23.50A.040.D.3 according to Chapter 23.76 for a Type I Master Use Permit if the development standards of the zone in which the public facility is located are met. 6. Essential public facilities. Permitted essential public facilities, except for light rail transit facilities, shall also be reviewed according to Chapter 23.80 . Light rail transit facilities are exempt from the development standards in this Chapter 23.50A and shall be reviewed according to the provisions of Chapter 23.80 . E. Rooftop recreational space in the MML zone. Recreational space may be located on the rooftop of a building (including the rooftop of an attached parking structure) constructed as of June 1, 2023. Rooftop recreational space shall be used only for the purposes of active recreational uses and/or passive open spaces accessory to office uses of at least 100,000 square feet that are located in the same building or within an attached structure(s) and that are constructed on or before June 1, 2023. If any portion of the rooftop recreational space is covered by a structure, the following standards apply: 1. The height of the structure shall not exceed 30 feet as measured from the existing rooftop elevation and be limited to only one story; 2. The height shall not exceed the height of the highest portion or feature of the building or attached structure(s); 3. The footprint of the structure shall not exceed 30 percent of the total roof area on which the structure is located; and 4. The structure shall be designed to include a minimum of 30 percent transparent and/or translucent exterior building materials. 5. The rooftop recreational space permitted under this subsection 23.50A.040.E shall be used only for active recreational uses and/or passive open spaces accessory to office uses and cannot be used for or converted to other uses. This subsection 23.50A.040.E does not preclude the use of rooftop decks for passive open space use if the deck is on a structure otherwise permitted, including a structure constructed after December 31, 1998, or if the deck is associated with an otherwise permitted use. F. Adult cabarets 1. Any lot line of property containing any proposed new or expanding adult cabaret must be 800 feet or more from any lot line of property on which any of the following uses has been established by permit or otherwise recognized as legally established: community center; child care center; school, elementary or secondary; or public parks and open space use. 2. Any lot line of property containing any proposed new or expanding adult cabaret must be 600 feet or more from any lot line of property for which a permit has been issued for any other adult cabaret. 3. The analysis required by subsections 23.50A.040.F.1 and 23.50A.040.F.2 shall be based on the facts that exist on the earlier of: a. The date a complete application is made for a building permit for an adult cabaret for the property proposed to contain the new or expanding adult cabaret; or b. The date of publication of notice of the Director's decision on the Master Use Permit application to establish or expand an adult cabaret use, if the decision can be appealed to the Hearing Examiner, or the date of the Director's decision if no Hearing Examiner appeal is available. G. Ancillary uses in the Urban Industrial zone. A principal industrial use listed in Table A for 23.50A.040 may have an ancillary use within it. In the Urban Industrial zone, the ancillary use may occupy up to 80 percent of the floor area of the use while maintaining the classification as the principal industrial use. An ancillary use within a principal industrial use is exempt from the maximum size of use limits in Section 23.58A.008 . Table A for 23.50A.040 Uses in Industrial zones Uses Qualifies as Industrial? Permitted and prohibited uses by zone MML II UI IC A. AGRICULTURAL USES A.1. Animal husbandry N/A X X X X A.2. Aquaculture Yes P P P P A.3. Community garden Yes P P P P A.4. Horticulture N/A P P P P A.5. Urban farm (1) Yes P P P P B. CEMETERIES N/A X X X X C. COMMERCIAL USES C.1. Animal shelters and kennels Yes P P X (2) P C.2. Eating and drinking establishments No P P P P C.3. Entertainment uses C.3.a. Cabarets, adult No X P P (3) P (3) C.3.b. Motion picture theaters, adult N/A X X X X C.3.c. Panorams, adult N/A X X X X C.3.d. Sports and recreation, indoor No P P X P C.3.e. Sports and recreation, outdoor No P P X P C.3.f. Theaters and spectator sports facilities No X (4) P P P C.4. Food processing and craft work (1) Yes P P P P C.5. Information computer technology Only in II zones P P P P C.5. Laboratories, research and development Yes P P P P C.6. Lodging uses No X P P CU C.7. Medical services No P P P P C.8. Offices No P P P P C.9. Sales and services, automotive Yes P P P P C.10. Sales and services, general No P P P P C.11. Sales and services, heavy Yes P P P P C.12. Sales and services, marine Yes P P P P D. HIGH-IMPACT USES Yes CU (5) CU (6) X CU (6) E. INSTITUTIONS E.1. Adult care centers N/A X X X X E.2. Child care centers No X P P P E.3. Colleges No (7) X (7) P P P E.4. Community centers and Family support centers No P P P EB E.5. Community clubs No P P P EB E.6. Hospitals No X P P P E.7. Institutes for advanced study No P P P P E.8. Libraries N/A X X X X E.9. Major institutions subject to the provisions of Chapter 23.69 (8) No EB EB EB EB E.10. Museums No X (9) P P P E.11. Private clubs No EB P P P E.12. Religious facilities No P (10) P (10) P (10) P (10) E.13. Schools, elementary or secondary No X P P EB E.14. Vocational or fine arts schools No P P P P F. LIVE-WORK UNITS No X X CU X G. MANUFACTURING USES G.1. Manufacturing, light Yes P P P P G.2. Manufacturing, general Yes P P P P G.3. Manufacturing, heavy Yes P/CU (11) CU (11) CU (11) CU (11) H. PARKS AND OPEN SPACE No P P P P I. PUBLIC FACILITIES I.1. Jails N/A X X X X I.2. Work-release centers N/A X X X X I.3. Other public facilities No CCU CCU CCU CCU J. RESIDENTIAL USES J.1. Residential uses not listed below No X X CU X J.2. Artist's studio/dwellings No EB/CU X CU EB/CU J.3. Caretaker's quarters No P P CU P K. STORAGE USES K.1. Mini-warehouses N/A X X X X K.2. Storage, outdoor Yes P P P P K.3. Warehouses Yes P P P P L. TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES L.1. Cargo terminals Yes P P P P L.2. Parking and moorage L.2.a. Boat moorage Yes P P P P L.2.b. Dry boat storage Yes P P P P L.2.c. Parking, flexible-use No X (4) X P (4) P L.2.d. Park and ride facilities No X X P (12) P (12) L.2.e. Towing services Yes P P P P L.3. Passenger terminals Yes P (13) P (13) P (13) P L.4. Rail transit facilities Yes P P P P L.5. Transportation facilities, air L.5.a. Airports (land-based) Yes CCU CCU X CCU L.5.b. Airports (water-based) Yes CCU CCU X CCU L.5.c. Heliports Yes CCU CCU X CCU L.5.d. Helistops Yes CCU CCU CCU CCU L.6. Vehicle storage and maintenance L.6.a. Bus bases Yes CU CU CU CU L.6.b. Railroad switchyards Yes P CU CU P L.6.c. Railroad switchyards with a mechanized hump Yes P CU CU CU L.6.d. Transportation services, personal Yes P P P P M. UTILITY USES M.1. Communication utilities, major Yes CU CU CU CU M.2. Communication utilities, minor Yes P P P P M.3. Power plants Yes P P X CCU M.4. Recycling Yes P P P P M.5. Sewage treatment plants Yes CCU CCU X CCU M.6. Solid waste management M.6.a. Salvage yards Yes P X X X M.6.b. Solid waste transfer stations Yes CU (14) X CU (14) CU (14) M.6.c. Solid waste incineration facilities Yes CCU CCU CCU CCU M.6.d. Solid waste landfills N/A X X X X M.7. Utility services uses Yes P P P P Key for Table A for 23.50A.040 CU = Administrative conditional use CCU = Council conditional use EB = Permitted only in a building existing on June 1, 2023 EB/CU = Administrative conditional use permitted only in a building existing on June 1, 2023 P = Permitted X = Prohibited Footnotes to Table A for 23.50A.040 (1) In addition to the provisions in this Chapter 23.50A , urban farms that entail major cannabis activity are regulated by Section 23.42.058 . (2) Animal shelters and kennels maintained and operated for the impounding, holding and/or disposal of lost, stray, unwanted, dead, or injured animals are permitted. (3) Subject to subsection 23.50A.040.F. (4) Parking required for a spectator sports facility or exhibition hall is allowed and shall be permitted to be used as flexible-use parking or shared with another such facility to meet its required parking. A spectator sports facility or exhibition hall within the Stadium Transition Area Overlay District may reserve parking. Such reserved non-required parking shall be permitted to be used as flexible-use parking and is exempt from the one-space-per-650-square-feet ratio under the following circumstances: (a) The parking is owned and operated by the owner of the spectator sports facility or exhibition hall, and (b) The parking is reserved for events in the spectator sports facility or exhibition hall, and (c) The reserved parking is outside of the Stadium Transition Area Overlay District, and south of South Royal Brougham Way, west of 6th Avenue South and north of South Atlantic Street. Parking that is covenanted to meet required parking will not be considered reserved parking. (5) The high-impact uses listed in subsection 23.50A.062.D may be permitted as conditional uses. (6) The high-impact uses listed in subsection 23.50A.062.H may be permitted as conditional uses. (7) Research and education facilities that are a part of a college or university, and that are water-dependent or water-related as defined by Section 23.60A.944 or offer a primarily vocational curriculum are permitted, and shall be classified as an industrial use. (8) Major institution uses are permitted only in a building existing on June 1, 2023, except that such uses are permitted on properties located outside of the Ballard/Interbay/Northend Manufacturing and Industrial Center that are located in an area south of the Lake Washington Ship Canal, east of 8th Avenue West, north of West Nickerson Street, and west of 3rd Avenue West regardless of whether the use is located in a building existing on June 1, 2023. (9) Museums are prohibited except in buildings or structures that are designated City of Seattle Landmarks. (10) Transitional encampments accessory to religious facilities or to principal uses located on property owned or controlled by a religious organization are regulated by Section 23.42.054 . (11) Heavy manufacturing uses meeting the criteria in subsection 23.50A.062.G may be permitted as a conditional use. All other heavy manufacturing uses are prohibited in the UI, II and IC zones and in the MML zone within 1,500 linear feet of residentially zoned or neighborhood commercial zoned properties. Heavy Manufacturing uses not within 1,500 linear feet of residentially zoned or neighborhood commercial zoned properties are permitted. (12) Park and ride facilities are not permitted within 3,000 feet of the Downtown Regional Center. (13) Parking lots intended and designed for, and solely used for, pick-up and drop-off of passengers using ride-share services or transportation network companies is included as a part of the passenger terminal use category for industrial zones. (14) Subject to subsection 23.50A.062.F. ([Renumbered from 23.50A.004]; Ord. 127375 , § 80, 2025; Ord. 127228 , § 15, 2025; Ord. 126862 , § 8, 2023.)