(a) Intent. It is the purpose of these districts to provide for a mix of uses appropriate to a high-density residential environment. It is intended that these districts provide an arrangement of land uses which incorporates office and commercial activities which are interrelated to the principal residential use. These districts are to be applied only to areas with direct access to arterial or collector streets in proximity to high-intensity employment areas and adjacent to public open space.
While special attention to design is needed to blend multiple uses on an individual site, the unique character of sites suitable for these districts will provide convenience and amenities not immediately available in most neighborhoods.
(b) Permitted principal uses.
(1) Multi-family dwellings;
(2) Public uses;
(3) Transit stations;
(4) Accessory uses customarily incidental and clearly subordinate to permitted principal uses;
(5) Entertainment and recreation special events;
(6) Farmers market subject to standards set forth in Chapter 14, Article IX;
(7) Arts and crafts festival subject to standards set forth in Chapter 14, Article X; and
(8) Mobile food units pursuant to standards set forth in Chapter 14, Article V and § 21.302.18.
(c) Provisional uses. If the following uses are within a building devoted to a permitted principal or conditional use and if the total area of all provisional uses does not exceed 10% of the building area of the principal or conditional use, they are permitted in the RO Districts:
(1) Retail stores for the sale of arts and crafts, gifts, flowers, plants, groceries, bakery goods, produce, dairy products, drugs, sundry items, books, newspapers, magazines and apparel;
(2) Personal-service establishments including barber and beauty shops, exercise and health activities, dry-cleaning drop-off and pick-up stations, laundering, repair services incidental to retail stores and similar personal services;
(3) Athletic and recreation facilities, separate from those provided for residents;
(4) Nurseries, kindergartens and day care centers;
(5) Restaurants without drive-up facilities, provided their access for customers and service is separate from access for residential uses;
(6) Offices within a multi-family residential building; and
(7) Type I home businesses pursuant to standards as set forth in § 21.302.13.
(d) Conditional uses.
(1) Offices within a multi-family residential building, not to exceed 30% of the building area of the multi-family residential use;
(2) Freestanding offices in lieu of a permitted principal use;
(3) Product design, development, and testing;
(4) Utility uses;
(7) Type II home businesses pursuant to standards as set forth in § 21.302.13; and
(8) Manufactured home parks pursuant to standards as set forth in § 21.302.10.
(e) Interim uses.
(1) Temporary Pandemic, Epidemic, or Emergency Service Facility.
(f) Minimum and maximum gross density. The maximum density shall be 24 dwelling units per acre.
(g) Dimensional requirements.
Minimum lot area | 80,000 square feet |
Minimum lot width | 200 feet |
Minimum setback, front | 60 feet from arterial or collector streets, 40 feet from local streets |
Minimum setback, side | 10 feet plus 0.25 foot for each one foot of structure height in excess of 20 feet |
Minimum setback, rear: | Same as side setback, but in no instance less than 30 feet |
Maximum structure height: | As regulated by § 21.301.10 of this code |
Maximum structure lot coverage: | 30% |
Maximum structure floor area ratio | 0.30 for nonresidential uses in the RO-24 District, except as these standards may be modified by the provisions of subsection (h) below |
Minimum usable open space for dwelling unit | 400 square feet |
(h) Special provisions.
(1) Reserved.
(2) The provision of private balconies and porches directly accessible by individual dwelling units creates usable open space more beneficial to the residents of multi-family dwelling units than open space situated away from their units. Such balconies and porches shall be counted as contributing to the usable open space requirement according to the following bonuses. The minimum area and width for a balcony or porch to qualify for a bonus shall be 80 square feet of area and eight feet of width.
Balcony or Porch Area | Counts as Usable Open Space of |
First 80 square feet | 200 square feet |
Each additional one square foot to 180 square feet | 2.0 square feet |
(3) Reserved.
(4) Reserved.
(5) Reserved.
(6) Exterior materials: the exterior materials and finish of all buildings erected on lands within Residential Office RO-24 Zoning District shall be in conformance with the applicable requirements of § 19.63.08 of this code.
(7) In the RO-24 District, the maximum structure floor area ratio for nonresidential uses may be increased to 0.50 FAR when the majority of the parking is located in the building or within a multi-level structure.
(i) Sign regulations. Refer to Chapter 21, Article III, Division D, the sign code.
(Ord. 81-16, passed 5-4-1981; Ord. 88-53, passed 9-19-1988; Ord. 90-42, passed 9-10-1990; Ord. 91-36, passed 6-3-1991; Ord. 96-25, passed 7-1-1996; Ord. 97-36, passed 8-18-1997; Ord. 2004-27, passed 5-3-2004; Ord. 2004-35, passed 8-16-2004; Ord. 2005-11, passed 4-25-2005; Ord. 2006-54, passed 12-18-2006; Ord. 2008-1, passed 1-14-2008; Ord. 2009-34, passed 11-2-2009; Ord. 2010-29, passed 11-1-2010; Ord. 2015-33, passed 11-16-2015; Ord. 2016-3, passed 2-22-2016; Ord. 2017-17, passed 6-5-2017; Ord. 2019-3, passed 1-7-2019; Ord. 2019-4, passed 1-7-2019; Ord. 2022-1, passed 1-10-2022; Ord. 2022-12, passed 4-25-2022; Ord. 2024-4, passed 2-26-2024)