Lacey City Zoning Code
16.34 Community
Commercial District
16.34.010 Intent.
It is the intent of this chapter to:
A. Provide the opportunity for the development of commercial facilities in outlying areas of the urban growth area catering to the day to day needs of consumers of surrounding neighborhoods for a wide range of convenience goods and services;
B. Site such commercial facilities in such locations as to serve the surrounding community; a minimum of several planning areas. By nature the community commercial district will have a heavy reliance on automobiles and transit use, and the design and layout of the zone will need to reflect this fact. However, pedestrian accessibility shall also be a major criterion in the design of commercial facilities;
C. Limit such development to areas where economic demand and appropriate design solutions assure compatibility with adjacent neighborhoods and strategically service several planning areas. (Ord. 1024 §39, 1995; Ord. 583 §2.22(A)m, 1980).
16.34.020 Permitted uses.
A. The following uses are permitted provided they meet all design review criteria for commercial and mixed use zones of Chapter 14.23 LMC:
Answering service
Antique store
Bakery
Banks and other financial services
Bar and cocktail lounge (c)
Barber shop
Beauty salon
Book store
Business and professional offices
Business support services
Cafes
Cafeterias
Camera store
Clothing store
Coffee shop
Colleges and trade schools
Confection stores
Cultural facilities
Day care
Deli
Drugstore
Dry cleaner
Fabric and dry goods store
Florist
Food and liquor store
Gallery
Gas station
Gift store
Graphics arts and printing services
Grocery and produce
Hardware store and garden supply
Health club, gym
Home furnishings
Instruction studio
Jewelry
Laundromat
Meat and fish shops
Music and dance studios
Novelty
Nursery and garden supply
Office supplies
Personal services
Pet store
Photo shop
Post office
Pre-existing residences
Professional offices
Radio, TV, music store
Residential; mixed use concepts compatible with commercial goals of the zone as determined by the site plan review committee
Restaurant including drive-through lanes
Schools--commercial
Self storage mini-warehouse storage facilities, provided the performance standards identified in subsection D of this section are satisfied
Shoe and shoe repair stores
Small appliance and electronic equipment repair
Soda fountain
Specialty food
Sporting goods
Supermarket
Stationery store
Tailor
Telecommuting services
Testing laboratories and facilities (c)
Theater, over 50 seats (c)
Toy store
Travel and other agencies
Urban agricultural uses as provided for and limited under Chapter 16.21 LMC
Variety store
Veterinarian
Video rental
(c)= Conditional uses, subject to conditional use review and approval.
B. Similar or related uses permitted and criteria for determination of similarity or relatedness are as follows:
1. Uses similar to, or related to, those listed in LMC 16.34.020(A) are permitted upon a finding of the site plan review committee that a particular unlisted use does not conflict with the intent of this chapter or the policies of the land development plan;
2. The criteria for such finding of similarity shall include but not be limited to the following:
a. The proposed use is appropriate in this area;
b. The development standards for permitted uses can be met by the proposed use;
c. The public need is served by the proposed use.
C. Conditional uses may be permitted as provided for in Chapter 16.66 LMC.
D. Mini warehouse storage facilities are permitted subject to meeting the following performance standards:
1. No more than five percent of the total land within one CCD zoned area may be used for mini warehouse storage use.
2. A mini warehouse use shall not be located in any one CCD zoned area until a minimum of eighty percent of such area has been built out with other primary retail and service uses.
3. The mini warehouse activity shall enhance and not compromise pedestrian movement, convenience or functional pedestrian components within such CCD zoned area.
4. Any use within or connected to any individual mini warehouse unit other than the storage of personal or business items shall be prohibited. Such prohibited activity shall include but not be limited to operating an office or business, holding a garage sale or sales, selling items, manufacturing, equipment and vehicle repair and use as a staging area for business or development activity. Such restrictions shall also be set forth in protective covenants for the development and within the lease agreement with customers.
5. In addition to meeting the applicable design review requirements set forth in Chapter 14.23 LMC, the following additional design requirements shall be satisfied:
a. All portions of the buildings visible from a public right-of-way or private street shall be designed to appear as a retail or office building. In addition, a portion of the front facade of the mini warehouse structure shall be designed to incorporate a retail or office component. This should be able to be used as retail or office should the market be able to support a second use within the structure but may be used as the office to the complex. In any case, doors to mini warehouse units shall not be visible from the exterior of the complex or structure;
b. The mini warehouse complex/structure shall appear as a continuation of the retail uses within the zone. The design will follow established look and feel and any predominant theme established for the particular CCD zone designation provided existing development within the zone meets current Lacey design requirements of Chapter 14.23 LMC;
c. Outside storage of any kind including rental cars and trailers shall be prohibited;
d. Proposed design for a mini warehouse development which is superior to the design of existing uses established within the zoned area may be considered if it is complementary to existing uses and established themes and it improves the overall look, feel, or functionality of the zone as a whole. Such determination shall be made by the director of community and economic development;
e. Any mini warehouse use shall be considered a “secondary” or “accessory” use for the zone and shall not locate in a prominent location or otherwise dominate the public’s view or attention at the site;
f. In no case shall the mini warehouse be located on the fronting arterial providing access to the zone. Further, unless site parameters of the CCD designation make it impractical, the mini warehouse shall not be visible from the fronting arterial;
g. To provide enhanced aesthetic treatment and screening/buffering from other uses and adjacent zones, the mini warehouse activity will be heavily landscaped beyond normal requirements, particularly in regard to rear and side yard treatment which may be adjacent to residential zones. Landscaping shall demonstrate consideration of sensitivity to adjacent uses and mitigation of impacts from this use.
h. Particular design focus shall consider location of adjacent residential zones and full mitigation of typical impacts expected from mini warehouse use, including but not limited to the following:
(1) Lighting shall be shielded from adjacent residential zones and traffic circulation shall be designed to shield headlights, or mitigation techniques shall be utilized to shield light such as a wall, landscaped berm or dense landscaping;
(2) Hours of operation shall be limited to protect adjacent existing or planned residential zones from disturbance during nighttime hours, or other mitigation such as a wall or landscaped berm shall demonstrate effective mitigation of noise impacts;
(3) The scale and bulk shall be sensitive to adjacent residential use. If two story development is planned, heights shall be transitioned from single story on the outside edge of the project area with transition to two story on the interior. The distance required for transition and techniques for softening bulk/size shall be appropriate to the site and the design shall provide a scaled appearance compatible with adjacent development. (Ord. 1539 §83, 2019; Ord. 1340 §1, 2009; Ord. 1192 §143, 2002; Ord. 1080 §11, 1998; Ord. 1024 §39, 1995; Ord. 962 §2, 1993; Ord. 927 §14, 1992; Ord. 758 §1 (part), 1985).
16.34.040 Prohibited uses.
Uses other than those identified or described in LMC 16.34.020 are prohibited. (Ord. 758 §1 (part), 1985).
16.34.050 Environmental performance standards.
A. It shall be the responsibility of the operator and/or the proprietor of any permitted use to provide such reasonable evidence and technical data as the enforcing officer may require to demonstrate that the use or activity is or will be in compliance with the environmental performance standards of Chapter 16.57 LMC.
Failure of the enforcing officer to require such information shall not be construed as relieving the operator and/or the proprietor from compliance with the environmental performance standards of this title.
B. Storage. Outside storage of any kind is prohibited with the exception of nurseries.
C. Refuse.
1. Refuse container screening shall be required and be native and drought tolerant landscaping or material and design compatible with the overall architectural theme of the associated structure. Screening shall be at least as high as the refuse container, and shall in no case be less than six feet high.
2. No refuse container shall be permitted between a street and the front of a building.
3. Refuse collection areas shall be designed to contain all refuse generated on site and deposited between collections. Deposited refuse shall not be visible from outside the refuse enclosure. (Ord. 1496 §73, 2016; Ord. 1368 §31, 2011; Ord. 1024 §39, 1995; Ord. 962 §3, 1993; Ord. 758 §1 (part), 1985).
16.34.060 Site area.
The site shall contain more than one use and have a design and shape as follows:
A. Minimum zone size, ten acres;
B. Minimum lot width, two hundred feet;
C. Minimum setback from property line for side yard, fifteen feet;
D. Minimum setback from property line rear yard, fifteen feet;
E. Minimum setback from property line front yard, fifteen feet provided the front yard setback may be reduced to zero feet to accommodate pedestrian-friendly design;
F. Maximum building coverage, fifty percent;
G. Maximum development coverage, seventy percent;
H. Maximum building height, forty feet. (Ord. 1080 §12, 1998; Ord. 1024 §39, 1995; Ord. 758 §1 (part), 1985).
16.34.070 Off-street parking.
Off-street parking shall be provided in accordance with Chapter 16.72 LMC and all design review requirements of Chapter 14.23 LMC. (Ord. 1024 §39, 1995; Ord. 758 §1 (part), 1985).
16.34.080 Landscaping.
A. All landscaping requirements of Chapter 16.80 LMC shall be satisfied.
B. Adjacent Areas. Parcels or lots which share a common boundary with properties in a residential or open space/institutional district shall provide a fifteen-foot strip for landscaping along said common boundary in accordance with LMC 16.80.030.
C. Landscaping Plan. A plan of all proposed landscaping shall be submitted along with the site plan for review by the site plan review committee. (Ord. 1220 §34, 2004; Ord. 1131 §6, 2000; Ord. 1024 §39, 1995; Ord. 758 §1 (part), 1985).
16.34.085 Architectural compatibility and site design.
All requirements of design review Chapter 14.23 LMC for commercial and mixed use zones shall be satisfied. (Ord. 1024 §40, 1995).
16.34.090 Stormwater runoff.
Stormwater management is required and shall comply with the current City of Lacey Stormwater Design Manual and shall be subject to the city’s review and approval, and shall, moreover, comply with Chapter 15.22 LMC pertaining to community facilities. (Ord. 1496 §74, 2016; Ord. 1380 §1, 2012; Ord. 758 §1 (part), 1985).