A. Purpose: The purpose of this section is to establish dimensional standards for development. These standards are established to provide flexibility in project design and promote high quality development within the City.
B. Density Standards: All residential density provisions are herein expressed in terms of minimum lot size based on the density standards adopted in the comprehensive plan.
1. Density bonuses and shifting in accordance with planned unit developments and clustering shall be authorized in approvals as described in section 13-6-4 of this title.
C. Setback Height, And Coverage Standards: Table 1 of this section sets forth the required development standards for the zones.
TABLE 1
DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS
DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS
Zones | Minimum Lot Requirements | Setbacks | Maximum Heights1 | Maximum Building Coverage | Maximum Hard Surface Coverage | Maximum Density2 | ||||
Width | Depth | Area3 | Front | Rear | Side | |||||
Zones | Minimum Lot Requirements | Setbacks | Maximum Heights1 | Maximum Building Coverage | Maximum Hard Surface Coverage | Maximum Density2 | ||||
Width | Depth | Area3 | Front | Rear | Side | |||||
RC | 2 acres | 25' | 25' | 8' | 35' | 20% | 50% | 1 DU/2A | ||
RU | 7,260 sq. ft. | 25' | 25' | 8' | 35' | 40% | 65% | 6 DU/A | ||
RMF | 40' | 100' | 5,450 sq. ft.5 7,000 sq. ft.6 4,000 plus 2,000 sq. ft.7 None (nonresidential)8 | 25' | 25' | 8' | 35' | 50% | 75% | 8 DU/A |
MUTC | None | None | None | None | None | None | 45'15 | 100% | 100% | None |
MUTCN | None | None | None10 | None11 | None11 | None11 | 35'12 50'13 | 100%14 | 100% | n/a |
LM | None | None | None | None | None | None | 35' | 100% | 100% | n/a |
OS | None | None | None | None | None | None | 25' | None | None | n/a |
PF | None | None | None | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | None | None | n/a |
Notes:
1. Heights specified are for principal structures; maximum height for accessory structures in all zones is 20 feet. Maximum height for accessory dwelling units is specified in section 13-5-6.
2. Duplex density may be increased in accordance with the minimum lot area found in subsection 13-5-1H of this title.
3. Lot size averaging is permitted pursuant to subsection 13-5-1I of this title.
4. Except as modified in this chapter.
5. Minimum lot area for single-family detached dwellings.
6. Minimum lot area for townhouses.
7. Minimum lot area for multi-family dwellings: 4,000 square feet for the first unit and 2,000 for each additional unit.
8. No minimum lot area for nonresidential uses.
9. Minimum setbacks and building heights consistent with the most intensive adjacent zone.
10. Minimum area for master plans is 5 acres.
11. Setbacks to be determined during site plan review.
12. In sectors 1 and 3.
13. In sector 2.
14. Minimum open space requirement is 1,000 square feet for every 10,000 square feet of building area.
15. Or 3 stories subject to architectural design review. Height limit applies to those portions of the MUTC Zone shown in figure A of this section.
FIGURE A
1. Setback Measurement: A setback is measured from the edge of a street right of way, access easement or private road. Where there is no street right of way, access easement or private road, a setback is measured from the property line.
2. Designation Of Required Setbacks: All lots except pipestem lots must contain at least one front yard setback. A front yard setback shall be required abutting each right of way on corner lots and through lots. All lots must contain one rear yard setback except for corner, through, and pipestem lots. All other setbacks will be considered side yard setbacks.
3. Through Lots: In the case of a through lot, a front yard setback is required abutting each street right of way.
4. Front Yard Setback Averaging: Averaging may be used to reduce a front yard setback requirement when a principal building has been established on an adjacent lot within the required yard. This provision shall not apply if the adjacent lot has received a reduced setback based upon a discretionary land use approval. This exception shall be calculated as follows:
a. Averaging shall be calculated by adding the existing front yard setbacks of the adjacent lots together and dividing that figure by two (2).
b. When an adjacent lot is vacant, averaging shall be calculated by adding the front yard setback of the adjacent developed lot with the minimum front yard setback of the zone in which the construction is proposed and dividing that figure by two (2).
5. Slopes: If the topography of a lot is such that the minimum front yard setback line is eight feet (8') or more above the street grade, and there is no reasonable way to construct a driveway up to the dwelling unit level, a garage/carport may be built into the bank and set at least five feet (5') back from the right of way.
6. Accessory Structures, Interior Yard Exception: Detached one-story accessory structures may occupy twenty five percent (25%) of the total area of a side yard and shall maintain a minimum five foot (5') setback, except in the MUTC zone. This does not apply to accessory dwelling units.
7. Accessory Structures, Rear Yard Exception: Detached one-story accessory structures may occupy fifty percent (50%) of the total area of a rear yard and shall maintain a minimum five foot (5') setback, except in the MUTC zone. This does not apply to accessory dwelling units.
8. Bus Shelters: Bus shelters for school district or transit authority purposes may be located within a front yard setback when located on private property if they do not exceed fifty (50) square feet of floor area and one story in height, provided all applicable site distance requirements are met.
9. Projection Exception:
a. Fireplace structures, bay or garden windows, enclosed stair landings, ornamental features, or similar structures may project into any setback, provided such projections are:
(1) Limited to two (2) per required yard.
(2) Not wider than ten feet (10').
(3) Not more than eighteen inches (18") into a side yard setback or two feet (2') into a rear yard setback.
(4) Not more than three feet (3') into a front yard setback.
b. Uncovered porches and decks which do not exceed thirty inches (30") from finished lot grade may project into any setback, provided such projections do not extend more than six feet (6') into a front yard setback or no closer than five feet (5') to the side lot line.
c. Wheelchair ramps may project into any required setback.
10. Rear Yards, Exception: In the case of triangular or otherwise irregularly shaped lots, a line ten feet (10') in length entirely within the lot, parallel to and at a maximum distance from the front lot line may be considered the "rear lot line" at the owner's discretion. If the owner does not select such a line, the city may do so.
D. Height Standards: (See figure 13.35-1 set forth in subsection D3 of this section for measuring building heights.)
1. Measurement: The height of a fence located on a rockery, retaining wall, or berm shall be measured from the top of the fence to the ground on the high side of the rockery, retaining wall, or berm.
a. Walls, fences, and berms up to three feet (3') in height may be located on any part of a lot. Open fences may be up to four feet (4') in height.
b. Walls, fences and berms up to six feet (6') in height may be located to the rear of the front wall line of the principal residence unless otherwise determined to provide a site distance hazard by the building inspector.
c. The provisions of this section shall not apply to fences required by state law to surround public utility installations, or to fences enclosing school grounds and public playgrounds. A building permit shall be required for construction of any wall or fence located within the city.
2. Exceptions: Height standards shall not apply to the following:
a. Church spires, belfries, domes, chimneys, antennas, satellite dishes, ventilation stacks, or similar structures, provided the structure is set back from all property lines a distance equal to the height of the structure.
b. Rooftop mechanical equipment. All rooftop mechanical equipment may extend ten feet (10') above the height limit of the zone, provided all equipment is set back ten feet (10') from the edge of the roof.
c. Utility towers and poles subject to review of site location.
3. Figure:
E. General Development Standards:
1. Existing Lot; Single-Family Dwelling Permitted: In any zone that permits a single-family dwelling unit, a single-family dwelling unit and permitted accessory structures may be constructed or enlarged on one lot which cannot satisfy the density requirements of the zone where the lot was legally created prior to the effective date of this regulation. This section shall not waive the requirements for setbacks and height of the zone in which the lot is located.
2. Combining Lots; Interior Yard Setback Exception: Where two (2) or more lots are used as a building site and where principal buildings cross lot lines, interior yard setbacks shall not be required from those lot lines crossed by the principal building.
3. Legally Created Lots; Development Permitted Proof:
a. Development shall be permitted only on legally created lots.
b. To establish that a lot has been legally created, the applicant must provide one of the following:
(1) A copy of formal plat, short plat, or large lot subdivision approved by Pierce County separately describing the lot.
(2) A copy of the boundary line adjustment or lot combination separately describing the lot.
(3) Documentation that the creation of the lot was exempt from the provisions of the subdivision title.
(4) A deed, contract of sale, mortgage, recorded survey, or tax segregation that separately describes the lot.
4. Pipestem (Flag) Lots: Pipestem (flag) lots in all residential zones are discouraged. In the RC and RMF Zones, pipestem (flag) lots may be approved subject to the criteria provided in subsection 12-8-1A of this Code, general approval requirements. Development on pipestem (flag) lots in the RU Zone shall be subject to the design standards provided in subsection F of this section. The Planning Commission shall conduct a site plan review of the proposal as a type 3a permitting action to determine if the proposal complies with the standards in subsection F of this section.
5. Bulkheads And Retaining Walls: Any structure constructed and erected between lands of different elevations used to resist the lateral displacement of any material, control erosion, or protect structures may be placed within required setbacks to a maximum height of six feet (6'), provided all applicable site distance requirements are met.
F. RU Zone Pipestem (Flag) Lot Development Standards: (See figures 13-5-1A and 13-5-1B of this section.)
1. Configuration Of New Pipestem (Flag) Lots: The area of new pipestem (flag) lots in the RU Zone, exclusive of the area of the driveway portion, shall be ten thousand (10,000) square feet minimum. The shape of any new pipestem (flag) lot in the RU Zone shall be such that a minimum forty foot (40') diameter building circle can be sited within the required setbacks of the zone. The driveway portion of any new pipestem (flag) lot in the RU Zone shall be no longer than one hundred feet (100') and at least twenty feet (20') wide.
FIGURE 13-5-1A
BASIC PIPESTEM (FLAG) LOT CHARACTERISTICS
BASIC PIPESTEM (FLAG) LOT CHARACTERISTICS
FIGURE 13-5-1B
RU ZONE FLAG LOT CONFIGURATION
RU ZONE FLAG LOT CONFIGURATION
2. Development Standards For All Pipestem (Flag) Lots In The RU Zone: All pipestem (flag) lots in the RU Zone, irrespective of when platted, shall meet the following standards, subject to site plan review:
a. All development of principal residences, accessory dwellings, garages, sheds, and other structures shall be built within the required setbacks.
b. The "building area" within the setbacks shall be large enough to accommodate a forty foot (40') diameter building circle to ensure that the shape of the lot is adequate to support development that results in attractive, usable open spaces.
c. Hard surface coverage of the lot shall not be greater than forty-five percent (45%), not including the driveway portion in the stem section of the lot.
d. The maximum height of any structure shall not be greater than twenty feet (20').
e. The perimeter treatment of the lot including the driveway portion may include fencing or landscaping to screen the development from adjacent properties.
G. Cottage Housing Development Standards, Except As Modified During Binding Site Plan Review:
1. Minimum site area: Two thousand two hundred fifty (2,250) square feet of gross site area per dwelling unit.
2. Project size: Four (4) units minimum and twelve (12) units maximum.
3. Minimum common open space: Four hundred (400) square feet per unit.
4. Perimeter setbacks per underlying zoning.
5. Minimum building separation: Ten feet (10').
6. Maximum building height: Eighteen feet (18'), twenty five feet (25') to roof peak.
7. Maximum building coverage: Forty percent (40%).
8. Maximum total site impervious coverage: Sixty percent (60%).
9. Maximum floor area: One thousand (1,000) square feet total, six hundred fifty (650) square feet ground floor.
10. Accessory dwellings: Four hundred (400) square feet maximum, attached or detached.
11. Minimum street frontage: Twenty feet (20').
H. Duplex Development Standards:
1. Duplexes shall be designed to blend in with the single-family character of the neighborhood.
2. If located on a corner lot, each unit of the duplex shall face onto an adjacent street, and no two (2) units' front doors and garages are permitted to face the same street frontage.
3. Lot size requirements for duplexes in residential zones are as follows:
a. Residential Conservation (RC):
(1) Duplex minimum lot size: Two (2) acres.
b. Residential Urban (RU):
(1) Duplex minimum lot size: 9,075 square feet.
c. Residential Multi- Family (RMF):
(1) Duplex minimum lot size: 7,000 square feet.
I. Lot Size Averaging:
1. Purpose: To allow flexibility in the creation of new subdivisions to accommodate development barriers including, but not limited to, shorelines, wetlands, and critical areas, provided that the average lot size in the development as a whole meets the district's minimum lot size and the density as a whole does not exceed the districts maximum density standards.
2. Applicability: Lot size averaging provisions of this chapter apply to and may be used by developers of land who are dividing land in conformance with the provisions of this title, and in which the land is located in the following zones:
a. RC Residential-Conservation Zone (subsection 13-3-2A).
b. RU Residential-Urban Zone (subsection 13-3-2B).
c. RMF Residential-Multi-Family Zone (subsection 13-3-2C).
3. Standards:
a. Lot size averaging cannot result in a parcel being divided into a greater number of lots than would result from development at the normal minimum lot size required in the applicable zone.
b. In approved short plats and subdivisions, the individual lots shall be considered in compliance with minimum area requirements if the average of the areas of all the lots in the short plat or subdivision meets the minimum requirement for the zone in which the short plat or subdivision is located.
c. Lot size averaging only applies to creation of lots for detached single-family residences.
d. Lot size averaging shall not be used to create lots for duplexes or multi-family dwellings as defined by section 13-2-14.
e. No individual single-family lot shall be reduced more than twenty five percent (25%) from the district minimum required area.
f. No single-family lot shall be reduced in width to less than forty feet (40') (regardless of lot depth).
g. No single-family lot shall be reduced in depth to less than seventy feet (70') (regardless of lot width).
h. All of the following are to be subtracted from the net square footage of a lot for the purpose of determining the area of a lot proposed for lot averaging:
(1) Public right-of-way;
(2) Private roads, private primary access easement; and
(3) Minor portion (pipestem) of pipestem lots.
i. The area of easements other than that of the primary access (public right-of-way or private easement) shall not be subtracted from the net square footage of a lot.
j. Surface detention/retention facilities may count toward calculations for lot size averaging only if the detention/retention facility:
(1) Is designed so as to appear as a natural wetland system; or
(2) Provides active or passive recreational benefits in a natural landscaped setting.
k. Developments utilizing lot size averaging shall not receive preliminary or final approval as phased developments unless each phase meets the lot size averaging standards for the total land area included in that phase. (Ord. 792, 7-29-2004; amd. Ord. 812, 10-26-2005; Ord. 830, 6-28-2006; Ord. 886, 9-8-2010; Ord. 2018-1027, 4-25-2018; Ord. 2020-1063, 8-12- 2020; Ord. 2021-1073, 3-10-2021; Ord. 2021-1082, 9-29-2021)