23.71.008

A. Northeast Northgate Way (from Third Avenue Northeast to 11th Avenue Northeast) and Fifth Avenue Northeast (from Northeast 113th Street to Northeast 105th Street) are designated as Major Pedestrian Streets as shown on Map A for 23.71.004. Proposed use and development of property zoned commercial and abutting these streets shall meet the standards of this Section 23.71.008 . B. Standards for required street-level uses 1. A minimum of 60 percent of a commercially zoned lot's frontage on a major pedestrian street shall be occupied by one or more of the following uses, referred to in this Section 23.71.008 as "required street-level uses," provided that drive-in businesses and outdoor storage are prohibited: a. General sales and services; b. Major durables retail sales; c. Eating and drinking establishments; d. Entertainment uses; e. Lodging uses; f. Public libraries; g. Parks and open spaces. If a portion of the major pedestrian street frontage is required for access to on-site parking due to limited lot dimension, the Director may permit less than 60 percent of the frontage to be occupied by such uses. 2. A minimum of 80 percent of each structure fronting on a major pedestrian street must be occupied at street level by required street-level uses or a building lobby permitting access to uses above or behind street-front uses. In no case may pedestrian access to uses above or behind required street-front uses exceed 20 percent of the structure's major pedestrian street front. The remaining 20 percent of the structure's street frontage may contain other permitted uses or pedestrian entrances (Exhibit 23.71.008 A). 3. Street-level uses must occupy a minimum of the first 10 feet above sidewalk grade. 4. All required street-level uses along major pedestrian streets may be set back no more than 10 feet from the street lot line, except as necessary to provide open space as defined in subsection 23.71.014.C or for bedrooms in a lodging structure, which may be set back a maximum of 15 feet. The owner shall design the area subject to this setback to include special pavers, as an extension of the sidewalk or with landscaping. 5. The principal entrances to required street-level uses on major pedestrian streets shall have direct access to the sidewalk and be within 3 feet of the sidewalk grade elevation. 6. General sales and service uses or major durables retail sales uses, in each case greater than thirty thousand (30,000) square feet, may locate a principal pedestrian entrance on a facade oriented to a parking area or the major pedestrian street. Where a principal pedestrian entrance is oriented to a parking area, an additional pedestrian entrance shall be located along the major pedestrian street. In lieu of the additional entrance, the owner may provide a 10 foot wide, landscaped pedestrian walkway from the major pedestrian street to the principal pedestrian entrance, provided that the walkway does not go through other businesses or parking areas. C. Parking location and screening. The following standards apply along major pedestrian streets: 1. Parking, or access to parking, shall not exceed 40 percent of a lot's frontage on a major pedestrian street. 2. Parking shall be located to the rear or side of a structure, within or under the structure, or within 800 feet of the lot to which it is accessory. 3. Where parking within a structure occupies any portion of the major pedestrian street level of the structure, the parking shall be screened from public view from the major pedestrian street(s) by a street-level facade. The street-level facade shall be enhanced by architectural detailing, artwork, landscaping, or similar treatment that will add visual interest to the facade. 4. The perimeter of each floor of parking that is 8 feet or more above sidewalk grade shall have an opaque screen at least 3½ feet high at its perimeter. 5. Surface parking areas shall be set back a minimum of 15 feet from the major pedestrian street lot line. The setback area, excluding driveways, shall be provided as landscaped or usable open space, as defined in Section 23.71.014 . 6. Any nonconformity with respect to location, screening and landscaping of an existing parking area shall be eliminated at the time of a substantial development, if the area of the nonconformity is between the substantial development and the major pedestrian street. This requirement shall apply regardless of whether the substantial development increases lot coverage. D. Parking access and curb cuts 1. When a lot abuts an alley which meets the standards of subsection 23.53.030.C, access to parking shall be from the alley. 2. When a lot does not abut an improved alley, and the lot fronts on more than one street, at least one of which is not a major pedestrian street, access to parking shall be from a street which is not a major pedestrian street. 3. If the lot does not abut an improved alley, and only abuts a major pedestrian street(s), access from the major pedestrian streets shall be limited to one two-way curb cut within any 300 foot segment of that lot. For purposes of this subsection 23.71.008.D.3, a segment of a lot shall be measured as a lot's continuous streetside lot line unbroken by streets, alleys, or property owned by another. A segment may front on two or more streets around corners. E. Sidewalks. 1. The owner shall construct a sidewalk no less than 12 feet in width. 2. The owner shall plant street trees adjacent to the major pedestrian street. The trees shall meet criteria prescribed by the Director of Transportation. 3. Planting strips are prohibited along major pedestrian streets. 4. The owner shall install street furniture and planting boxes adjacent to the major pedestrian street. The installation shall conform to the Right-of-Way Improvements Manual. F. Street facade standards 1. Transparency requirements. Sixty percent of the width of the facade of a structure along the major pedestrian street shall be transparent. Clear or lightly tinted glass, with comparable visibility into the structure as clear glass, in windows, doors, and display windows, which must be a minimum of 4 feet deep, shall be considered transparent. Transparent areas shall allow unobstructed views into the structure or into display windows, which must be a minimum of 4 feet deep, from the outside. 2. Blank facades a. Any portion of a facade that is not transparent shall be considered to be a blank facade. b. Blank facade segments shall not exceed 30 feet along the major pedestrian street front. c. Blank facade segments which are separated by transparent areas of at least 2 feet in width shall be considered separate facade segments for the purposes of this Section 23.71.008 . 3. Transparent and blank facade standards apply to the area of a facade between 2 feet and 8 feet above the sidewalk. G. Overhead weather protection 1. Continuous overhead weather protection (i.e., canopies, awnings, marquees, and arcades) is required along at least 60 percent of the street frontage of a commercial structure on a major pedestrian street. 2. 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. 3. The covered area shall have a minimum width of 6 feet, unless there is a conflict with street trees or utility poles, in which case the width may be adjusted to accommodate such features. 4. 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. (Ord. 122311 , § 87, 2006 [cross-reference update]; Ord. 122205, § 12, 2006; Ord. 121362, § 2, 2003; Ord. 121244, § 1, 2003; Ord. 118414, § 53, 1996; Ord. 118409, § 210, 1996 [department name change]; Ord. 116795 , § 2, 1993.)