23.53.030

A. General requirements 1. The regulations in this Section 23.53.030 are not intended to preclude the use of Chapter 25.05 to mitigate adverse environmental impacts. 2. Detailed requirements for alley improvements are located in the Right-of-Way Improvements Manual, which is adopted by joint rule of the Director and the Director of Transportation. B. New alleys 1. New alleys created through the platting process shall meet the requirements of Subtitle II of this Title 23 . 2. The required right-of-way widths for new alleys shall be as shown on Table A for Section 23.53.030 . Table A for Section 23.53.030 : Width of New Alley Rights-of-Way Zone Category Right-of-Way Width 1. NR, LR1, NC1 12 feet 2. LR2, LR3, NC2 16 feet 3. MR, HR, NC3, C1, C2, SM and all Industrial and Downtown zones 20 feet 3. If an alley abuts lots in more than one zone category, the minimum alley width shall be determined based on the requirements in Table A for Section 23.53.030 for the zone category with the most frontage excluding Zone Category 1. If the zone categories have equal frontage, the one with the wider requirement shall be used to determine the minimum alley width. C. Definition of improved alley. In certain zones, alley access is required if the alley is improved. For the purpose of determining if access is required, the alley will be considered improved if it meets the standards of this subsection 23.53.030.C. 1. Right-of-way width a. The minimum width for an alley to be considered to be improved shall be as shown on Table B for Section 23.53.030 . Table B for Section 23.53.030 : Right-of-Way Width for Alleys Considered to be Improved Zone Category Right-of-Way Width 1. NR, LR1, LR2, LR3, NC1 10 feet 2. MR, HR, NC2 12 feet 3. NC3, C1, C2 and SM 16 feet b. If an alley abuts lots in more than one zone category, the minimum alley width shall be determined based on the requirements in Table B for the zone category with the most frontage excluding Zone Category 1. If Zone Categories 2 and 3 have equal frontage, the minimum alley width shall be 16 feet. 2. Paving. To be considered improved, the alley shall be paved. D. Minimum widths established. 1. The minimum required width for an existing alley right-of-way shall be as shown on Table C for Section 23.53.030 . Table C for Section 23.53.030 : Required Minimum Right-of-Way Widths for Existing Alleys Zone Category Right-of-Way Width 1. NR and LR1 No minimum width 2. LR2, NC1 12 feet 3. LR3, MR, HR, NC2 16 feet 4. NC3, C1, C2, SM, all downtown zones 20 feet 5. All industrial zones 20 feet 2. If an alley abuts lots in more than one zone category, the minimum alley width shall be determined based on the requirements in Table C for Section 23.53.030 for the zone category with the most frontage excluding Zone Category 1. If the zone categories have equal frontage, the one with the wider requirement shall be used to determine the minimum alley width. E. Existing alleys that meet minimum width. Except as provided in subsection 23.53.030.G and except for one and two dwelling unit developments that abut an alley that is not improved but is in common usage, if an existing alley meets the minimum right-of-way width established in subsection 23.53.030.D, the following requirements shall be met: 1. If the alley is used for access to parking spaces, open storage, or loading berths on a lot, the following improvements shall be provided: a. For the following types of projects, the entire width of the portion of the alley abutting the lot, and the portion of the alley between the lot and a connecting street, shall be improved to at least the equivalent of a crushed rock surface, according to the Right-of-Way Improvements Manual or successor. The applicant may choose the street to which the improvements will be installed. If the alley does not extend from street to street, and the connecting street is an arterial designated on the Arterial street map, Section 11.18.010 , either the remainder of the alley shall be improved so that it is passable to a passenger vehicle, or a turnaround shall be provided. The turnaround may be provided by easement. 1) Residential structures with fewer than ten units; 2) The following uses if they are smaller than 750 square feet of gross floor area: major and minor vehicle repair uses, and multipurpose retail sales; 3) Nonresidential structures or structures with one or more live-work units that: (a) have less than 4,000 square feet of gross floor area; and (b) do not contain uses listed in subsection 23.53.030.E.1.a.2 that are larger than 750 square feet; 4) Structures containing a mix of residential and either nonresidential uses or live-work units, if the residential use is less than ten units, and the total square footage of nonresidential uses and live-work units is less than specified in subsections 23.53.030.E.1.a.2 and E.1.a.3; 5) Remodeling and use changes within existing structures, if remodeling and use changes require increases to parking spaces, open storage, or loading berths on a lot; 6) Additions to existing structures that are exempt from environmental review; and 7) Expansions of a surface parking area or open storage area of less than 20 percent of the parking area, storage area or number of parking spaces. b. For projects not listed in subsection 23.53.030.E.1.a, the entire width of the portion of the alley abutting the lot, and the portion of the alley between the lot and a connecting street, shall be paved. The applicant may choose the street to which the pavement will be installed. If the alley does not extend from street to street, and the connecting street is an arterial designated on the Arterial street map, Section 11.18.010 , either the remainder of the alley shall be improved so that it is passable to a passenger vehicle, or a turnaround shall be provided. The turnaround may be provided by easement. 2. If the alley is not used for access, or if the alley is not fully improved, all structures shall be designed to accommodate the grade of the future alley improvements, and a no-protest agreement to future alley improvements is required, as authorized by chapter 35.43 RCW. The agreement shall be recorded with the King County Recorder. F. Existing alleys that do not meet minimum width 1. When an existing alley is used for access to parking spaces, open storage, or loading berths on a lot, and the alley does not meet the minimum width established in subsection 23.53.030.D, except as provided in subsection 23.53.030.G, a dedication equal to half the difference between the current alley right-of-way width and minimum right-of-way width established in subsection 23.53.030.D shall be required; provided, however, that if right-of-way has been dedicated since 1982, other lots on the block shall not be required to dedicate more than that amount of right-of-way. Underground and overhead portions of structures that would not interfere with the functioning of the alley may be allowed by the Director of the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections after consulting with the Director of Transportation. When existing structures are located in the portion of the lot to be dedicated, that portion of the lot shall be exempt from dedication requirements. The improvements required under subsection 23.53.030.E.1 shall then be installed, depending on the type of project. 2. When an existing alley is not used for access to parking spaces or loading berths on an abutting lot, but the alley does not meet the minimum width established in subsection 23.53.030.D, except as provided in subsection 23.53.030.G, the following requirements shall be met: a. A setback equal to half the distance between the current alley right-of-way width and the minimum right-of-way width established in subsection 23.53.030.D shall be required; provided, however, that if a setback has been provided under this provision, other lots on the block shall provide the same setback. The area of the setback may be used to meet any development standards, except that required parking and loading berths may not be located in the setback. Underground and overhead structures which would not prevent the future widening and improvement of the right-of-way may be permitted in the required setback by the Director of the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections after consulting with the Director of Transportation. b. All structures shall be designed to accommodate the grade of the future alley right-of-way. c. A no-protest agreement to future street improvements shall be required, as authorized by chapter 35.43 RCW. The agreement shall be recorded with the title to the property with the King County Recorder's Office. G. Exceptions. The Director, after consulting with the Director of the Department of Transportation, may modify or waive the requirements for dedication, paving and drainage, setbacks, grading and no-protest agreements, if it is determined that one (1) or more of the following conditions are met. The Director may require access to be from a street if alley improvements are also waived. 1. Location in an environmentally critical area or buffer, disruption of existing drainage patterns, or removal of natural features such as significant trees makes widening and/or improving the right-of-way impractical or undesirable; 2. Widening and/or improving the right-of-way would make a building on a lot infeasible by reducing it to dimensions where development standards cannot reasonably be met; 3. Widening and/or improving the right-of-way would eliminate alley access to an existing lot; 4. Widening and/or improving the right-of-way is impractical because topography precludes the use of the alley for vehicular access to the lot; 5. The alley is in a historic district or special review district, and the Department of Neighborhoods Director finds, after review and recommendation by the appropriate review board, that the widening and/or improvement would be detrimental to the character and goals of the district; 6. The existence of a bridge, viaduct or structure such as a substantial retaining wall makes widening the right-of-way impractical or undesirable; 7. Widening the right-of-way would adversely affect the character of the street, as it is defined in an adopted neighborhood plan or adopted City plan for green streets, boulevard, or other special right-of-way, or would otherwise conflict with the stated goals of such a plan; 8. One (1) or more substantial principal structures on the same side of the block as the proposed project are located in the area needed for future expansion of the right-of-way and the structure(s)' condition and size make future widening of the remainder of the right-of-way unlikely; 9. Widening and/or improving the right-of-way is not necessary because it is adequate for current and potential pedestrian and vehicular traffic, for example, due to the limited number of lots served by the development or because the development on the right-of-way is at zoned capacity. (Ord. 127099 , § 45, 2024; Ord. 126509 , § 75, 2022 [zone name change]; Ord. 125603 , § 59, 2018; Ord. 125272 , § 47, 2017; Ord. 124919 , § 142, 2015; Ord. 123649, § 37, 2011; Ord. 123495, § 63, 2011; Ord. 123046, §§ 46, 65, 2009; Ord. 122311 , § 67, 2006; Ord. 122205, § 11, 2006; Ord. 122050, § 15, 2006; Ord. 121828, § 9, 2005; Ord. 121782, § 28, 2005; Ord. 121276, § 37, 2003; Ord. 121196, § 22, 2003; Ord. 121145, § 13, 2003; Ord. 118414, § 39, 1996; Ord. 118409, § 198, 1996; Ord. 118302, § 12, 1996; Ord. 117570, § 18, 1995; Ord. 117432 , § 38, 1994; Ord. 117263 50, 1994; Ord. 116262 , § 17, 1992; Ord. 115568 , § 8, 1991; Ord. 115326, § 26, 1990.)