For the purpose of the chapter, the definition of words and terms used in this title shall be as provided in this chapter and as defined in the International Building Code, current edition, as adopted by the state of Washington. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025; Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Accessory use” or “accessory building” means a use, structure, building or portion of a building located on the same lot as the main use or building to which it is accessory. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025; Ord. 1235 § 1, 2022; Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Attached accessory dwelling unit” means a dwelling unit located on the same parent lot as a primary dwelling unit either within or attached to a single-family dwelling unit. An accessory dwelling unit that exceeds the size limitations set forth in LFPMC 18.50.050 is defined as a duplex unit if attached to another dwelling unit. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025; Ord. 1235 § 1, 2022; Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Detached accessory dwelling unit” means a dwelling unit located on the same parent lot as a primary dwelling unit and constructed as part of an accessory building, detached from the primary dwelling unit. A detached accessory dwelling unit that exceeds the size limitations set forth in LFPMC 18.50.050 is defined as a cottage. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025; Ord. 1235 § 1, 2022)
“Active ground floor uses” means a use that promotes an active pedestrian environment on the ground floor of a mixed use, commercial, office, residential building or freestanding parking structure, and includes retail establishments, restaurants, catering, arts and craft studios, pubs, salons, day spas, health clubs and exercise studios, professional services offices, medical and dental offices, day cares, artisanal/craft production and retail, and other uses determined to be substantially similar by the director or through development agreement proposals. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025; Ord. 1217 § 4, 2021)
“Administrative design review” means a development permit process whereby an application is reviewed, approved, or denied by the community development director or their designee based solely on documented design and development standards without a public predecision hearing, unless such review is otherwise required by state or federal law, or the structure is a designated landmark or historic district established by the city. The city may utilize public meetings, hearings, or voluntary review boards to consider, recommend, or approve requests for variances from locally established design review standards. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025)
“Adult family home” means the regular family abode of a person or persons who are providing personal care, room and board to more than one but not more than four adults who are not related by blood or marriage to the person or persons providing the services; except that a maximum of six adults may be permitted if the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services determines that the home and provider are capable of meeting the standards provided for by law. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025; Ord. 773 § 3, 1999. Formerly 18.08.040)
“Adult use establishment” means an enterprise predominantly involved in the selling, renting or presenting for commercial purposes books, magazines, motion pictures, films, video cassettes, cable television, adult entertainment as defined by LFPMC 5.30.010(B), performance or activity distinguished or characterized by a predominant emphasis on the depiction, simulation or relation to “specified sexual activities.” Examples of such establishments include, but are not limited to, adult book or video stores and establishments offering panorams, peep shows, or topless or nude dancing.
“Specified sexual activities” means:
A. Human genitalia in a state of sexual arousal;
B. Acts of human masturbation, sexual intercourse or sodomy;
C. Erotic fondling, touching or display of human genitalia or pubic region. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Affordable housing” means residential housing that is rented or owned by a person or household whose monthly housing costs, including utilities other than telephone, do not exceed 30 percent of the household’s monthly income. (Ord. 1217 § 4, 2021)
“Affordable unit” means a dwelling unit that is reserved for occupancy by eligible households and sold or rented at an affordable price or affordable rent. (Ord. 1217 § 4, 2021)
“Alley” means a public thoroughfare or way which affords only a secondary means of access to abutting property. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Alteration” means any human-induced action which impacts the existing condition of a site. Alterations include but are not limited to grading; filling; dredging; draining; channelizing; cutting, limbing or topping, clearing, relocating or removing vegetation; applying herbicides or pesticides or any hazardous or toxic substance; discharging pollutants excepting stormwater; grazing domestic animals; paving, construction, application of gravel; modifying for surface water management purposes; or any other human activity that impacts the existing vegetation, hydrology, wildlife or wildlife habitat. Alteration does not include walking, passive recreation, fishing or other similar activities. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Amendment” means a city council approved change in the wording, context or substance of this title, change in the zone boundaries or change upon zoning maps adopted hereunder, or change in an approved site plan. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Small animal” means any animal other than livestock or animals considered to be predatory or wild. Small animal includes, but is not limited to, fowl of all kinds, furbearing animals, bees, pets, or any other similar animal which is kept outside the owner’s residence all or part of the time. Animals normally considered to be livestock, predatory or wild, shall be considered small animals when they are taken into captivity for the purpose of breeding, domestication, training, hunting, or exhibition and which weigh less than 100 pounds. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Apartment” means a room, or a suite of two or more rooms in a multiple dwelling or in any other building not a single-family residence or two-unit middle housing residence. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025; Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Artisanal/craft production and/or retail” means small-scale on-site production and/or assembly of arts, crafts, foods, beverages, or other type of product involving the use of small-scale equipment and/or hand tools and involving limited outdoor storage of materials, equipment, or products when such storage is decoratively treated or otherwise integrated into the building or site design. This definition includes retail spaces such as tasting rooms for products produced or assembled off site when the activities otherwise meet this definition. This definition excludes marijuana processing, marijuana production, or marijuana retail sales as defined in this chapter. (Ord. 1217 § 4, 2021)
“Assisted housing” means long-term residential housing in a building consisting of two or more dwelling units or sleeping units, which shall include support services to promote independent living such as food preparation and dining areas, group activity areas, medical supervision, and similar services. (Ord. 1217 § 4, 2021)
“Automobile, boat and trailer sales area” means an open area, other than a street, used for the display and sale of new or used automobiles or the sale of boats or trailers, and where no repair work is done except minor incidental repair of automobiles, boats or trailers to be displayed, sold or rented on the premises. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Automobile rental” means an open area, or building, used for the parking and rental of automobiles, and where no repair work is done except minor incidental repair of automobiles to be rented on the premises. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Automobile service station” means an occupancy which provides for:
A. The servicing of motor vehicles, including watercraft, and operations incidental thereto limited to the retail sale of petroleum products and automotive accessories; automobile washing by hand (except as otherwise provided herein); waxing and polishing of automobiles; tire changing and repairing (excluding recapping); battery service, changing and replacement, excluding repair and rebuilding; radiator cleaning and flushing, excluding steam cleaning and repair; and installation of accessories;
B. The following operations if conducted within a building: lubrication of motor vehicles; brake servicing limited to servicing and replacement of brake cylinders, lines and brake shoes; wheel balancing; the testing, adjustment, and replacement or servicing of carburetors, coils, condensers, distributor caps, fan belts, filters, generators, points, rotors, spark plugs, voltage regulators, water and fuel pumps, water hoses and wiring. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Automobile-oriented uses” means businesses that have permanent facilities that allow employees to serve customers in automobiles without the employee leaving the building in which the business is housed. Automobile-oriented uses also means businesses that are primarily for the purpose of sales, service, or repair of automobiles such as parts shops, auto body shops, oil change shops, garages, gasoline/fuel stations, and similar uses. “Automobile-oriented uses” does not mean businesses that, as an auxiliary use, offer pick-up, take-out, carry-out, or to-go services. (Ord. 1217 § 4, 2021)
“Building” means any covered structure used or intended for supporting or sheltering any use or occupancy. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Building envelope” means the area of a lot that delineates the limits of where a building may be placed on the lot. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Building height” means the vertical distance, from the average level of the undisturbed soil of the site covered by a structure, measured to the highest point of the structure, except as provided for in LFPMC 18.50.085.
“Average level” shall be determined by averaging elevations of the downward projections of the four corners of the smallest rectangle which will enclose all of the building, excluding a maximum of 30 inches of eaves. If a corner falls off the site, its elevation shall be the average elevation of the two points projected downward where the two sides of the rectangle cross the property line. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Main building” means the principal building or other structure on a lot or building site designed or used to accommodate the primary use to which the premises are devoted. Where a permissible use involves more than one building or structure designed or used for the primary purpose, as in the case of group homes, each such permissible building or other structure on a lot or building site as defined by this title shall be construed as comprising a main building or structure. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Building setback line” means a line which establishes a definite point beyond which the foundation and adjoining wall of a building shall not extend. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Building site” means a parcel of land assigned to a use, to a main building, or to a main building and its accessory buildings, together with all yards and open spaces required by this title, whether the area so devoted is comprised of one lot, a fraction of a lot, a combination of lots, or combination of lots and fractions of lots. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Cemetery” means land used or intended to be used for the burial of the human dead and dedicated for cemetery purposes, including columbariums, crematories, mausoleums, and mortuaries when operated in conjunction with and within the boundary of such cemetery. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Charging levels” means the SAE International standard indicators of electrical force, or voltage, at which an electric vehicle’s battery is recharged. The terms 1, 2, and 3 are the most common EV charging levels, and include the following specifications:
A. Level 1 is considered slow charging.
B. Level 2 is considered medium charging.
C. Level 3 is considered fast or rapid charging. (Ord. 1217 § 4, 2021)
“Church” means a building, together with its accessory buildings, wherein persons regularly assemble for religious worship and which building, together with its accessory buildings, is maintained and controlled by a religious body, organized to sustain public worship. A church may include day care nurseries, but excludes rest homes, convalescent homes, homes for the aged, guest homes and religious nursing homes. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Commission” means the planning commission of the city. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Communication facility” means a site developed primarily for the transfer of voice or data through radio transmissions. Such sites typically require the construction of transmission structures to which transmission equipment is attached or in which such equipment is housed. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Conditional use” means a use similar to the allowed uses in a given zone but permitted only after review by the hearing examiner, and the granting of a conditional use permit imposing such performance standards as are necessary to make the use compatible with other allowed uses in the same vicinity and zone. (Ord. 924 § 5, 2005; Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Conditional use permit” means the documented evidence of authority granted by the city to locate a conditional use at a particular location. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Cottage housing” means residential units on a lot with a common open space that either: (A) is owned in common; or (B) has units owned as condominium units with property owned in common and a minimum of 20 percent of the lot size as open space. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025)
“Council” means the city council of the city. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025; Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Courtyard apartments” means attached dwelling units arranged on two or three sides of a yard or court. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025)
“Cultural, entertainment, and/or recreational facility” means a facility providing cultural, entertainment, and/or recreational services, including but not limited to: theaters, performing arts centers, museums, play facilities, dance studios, health clubs and physical fitness facilities; however, it shall not be interpreted to include adult use establishments as defined in LFPMC 18.08.050. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025; Ord. 1217 § 4, 2021)
“Day care,” “family day care,” and “adult day care” mean a facility used for providing the regularly scheduled on-premises care of children or adults for less than a 24-hour period. A Type I day care facility is a facility providing care for 12 or fewer children or adults. A Type II day care is a facility providing care for more than 12 children or adults. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025; Ord. 1217 § 4, 2021; Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Development regulations” or “regulation” means the controls placed on development or land use activities by the city, including, but not limited to, zoning ordinances, critical areas ordinances, shoreline master programs, official controls, planned unit development ordinances, subdivision ordinances, and binding site plan ordinances together with any amendments thereto. A development regulation does not include a decision to approve a project permit application, as defined in RCW 36.70B.020, even though the decision may be expressed in a resolution or ordinance of the city council. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025)
“Duplex” means a residential building with two attached dwelling units. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025)
“Multifamily dwelling” means a residential building designed for or occupied by two or more families, with the number of families in residence not exceeding the number of dwelling units provided. Middle housing is a type of multifamily dwelling. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025; Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Single-family dwelling” means a single detached primary residential dwelling unit. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025; Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Dwelling unit” means a single unit providing complete, independent living facilities for one or more persons and which includes permanent provisions for living, sleeping, eating, cooking and sanitation. (Ord. 1285 § 3, 2023; Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Electric vehicle infrastructure” means providing conduit for wiring and data, and associated ventilation to support the addition of future electric vehicle charging stations pursuant to the most current edition of the National Electrical Code. (Ord. 1217 § 4, 2021)
“Electric vehicle charging stations” means a public or private parking space that is served by battery charging station equipment that has as its primary purpose the transfer of electric energy (by conductive or inductive means) to a battery or other energy storage device in an electric vehicle. An electric vehicle charging station equipped with Level 1 or Level 2 charging equipment is permitted outright as an accessory use to any principal use authorized by the LFPMC. (Ord. 1217 § 4, 2021)
“Eligible household” means one or more adults and their dependents who certify that their household annual income does not exceed the applicable percentage of the King County median income, adjusted for household size, and who certify that they meet all qualifications for eligibility, including, if applicable, any requirements for recertification on income eligibility. (Ord. 1217 § 4 2021)
“Family” means one or more persons jointly occupying a single-family dwelling or dwelling unit, including the joint use of and responsibility for common areas, sharing household activities and responsibilities such as meals, chores, household maintenance, and expenses. Such persons need not be related by blood or marriage. A family does not include large institutional or congregant group living situations such as dormitories, sororities, and monasteries. (Ord. 1235 § 1, 2022; Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Floor area” means a total floor area within the walls of all buildings on a lot or building site, except for the spaces therein devoted to vents, shafts and light courts and except for the area devoted exclusively to loading and unloading facilities and to parking of motor vehicles. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Framework,” including “town center framework design guidelines,” means the set of recommendations and requirements entitled “Town Center Design Guidelines Framework” adopted by the Lake Forest Park city council pursuant to Ordinance 1217, including amendments and addenda thereto. (Ord. 1217 § 4, 2021)
“Freestanding parking structure” means a standalone building or structure of multiple levels used primarily for parking vehicles and associated with no other primary use. A freestanding parking structure may include parking on the upper (rooftop) level. A freestanding parking structure may include an accessory use as defined in this chapter. (Ord. 1217 § 4, 2021)
“Grade” means the average of the ground level at the centers of all walls of a building. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Health club” means an enterprise providing recreation, including but not limited to physical fitness centers, spas, and sports and recreation clubs. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Home occupation” means any occupation or activity undertaken for gain or profit and carried on in a dwelling or building which is clearly secondary to the main use of the premises as a dwelling place, does not represent any exterior evidence of such secondary use, does not change the residential character of the dwelling or neighborhood, and in no way infringes upon the rights of the neighboring residences to enjoy a peaceful occupancy of their homes. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Hotel, boutique hotels and temporary lodging” means a facility providing lodging of 50 or fewer rooms and related services for a charge, typically for a period of one month or less, and includes inns, residence or extended-stay hotels, and bed and breakfasts. (Ord. 1217 § 4, 2021)
“Impervious surface” means a hard or compacted surface area which either prevents or retards the entry of water into the soil mantle as it entered under natural conditions preexistent to development, or a hard or compacted surface area which causes water to run off the surface in greater quantities or at an increased rate of flow from that present under natural conditions preexistent to development. Common impervious surfaces include but are not limited to rooftops, concrete or asphalt paving, paved walkways, patios, compacted gravel, driveways, parking lots and storage areas, and oiled, macadam, or other surfaces which similarly impeded the natural infiltration of surface water. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Instructional institution” means elementary, junior high, high schools, junior colleges, colleges or universities or other schools, public or private, giving academic or technical education, training or instruction. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Kennel” means a place where four or more adult dogs or cats or any combination thereof are kept by persons providing facilities and care for compensation, but not including a small animal hospital or clinic. An adult dog or cat is one of either sex, altered or unaltered, that has reached the age of four months. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Loading zone” means an on-site space or berth on the same lot or site with the buildings or use served, such space to serve for the temporary parking of a vehicle while loading or unloading merchandise, materials or passengers. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Lot” means a recorded plot, parcel or tract of land. If one or more lots are built upon as a unit of property, they shall be considered as a single lot. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Lot area” means the horizontal surface area within the recorded boundary lines of a platted lot, excluding those areas wholly or in part covered by water. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Lot width” means the average of the distance between the side lot lines measured at and along the front and rear setback lines. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
A. Lot Front Line. “Lot front line” means that lot line at which vehicular access is off of a public right-of-way, private street, access easement or tract;
B. Lot Rear Line. “Lot rear line” means a lot line which is opposite and most distant from the lot front line. For the purpose of establishing the lot rear line of a triangular or trapezoidal lot, or of a lot the rear line of which is formed by two or more lines, the following shall apply:
1. For a triangular- or gore-shaped lot, a line 10 feet in length within the lot and farthest removed from the lot front line and at right angles to the line comprising the depth of such lot shall be used as the lot rear line;
2. In the case of a trapezoidal lot, the rear line of which is not parallel to the front line, the lot rear line shall be deemed to be a line at right angles to the line comprising the depth of such lot and drawn through a point bisecting the recorded lot rear line;
C. Lot Side Line. “Lot side line” means any lot boundary line not a lot front line or a lot rear line. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Panhandle lot” or “flag lot” means a lot that is to the rear of another lot or lots and that has access via a narrow portion of the lot that extends to a public right-of-way or access tract. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Major transit stop” means:
A. A stop on a high capacity transportation system funded or expanded under the provisions of Chapter 81.104 RCW;
B. Commuter rail stops;
C. Stops on rail or fixed guideway systems;
D. Stops on bus rapid transit routes, including those stops that are under construction. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025)
“Manufactured housing” means a single-family dwelling constructed after June 15, 1976, in accordance with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requirements for manufactured housing and bearing the appropriate insignia indicating such compliance. Manufactured housing is prefabricated or assembled at a place other than a building site and is located and installed in the same manner as conventional housing, except to the extent that construction standards are regulated by the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (Chapter 43.22 RCW). (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025)
“Marijuana” or “cannabis” means all or part of the plant cannabis, whether growing or not, with a THC concentration greater than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis; the seeds thereof; the resin extracted from any part of the plant; and every compound, manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture, or preparation of the plant, its seeds or resin. The term does not include mature stalks of the plant, fiber produced from the stalks, oil or cake made from the seeds of the plant, any other compound, manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture or preparation of the mature stalks (except the resin extracted therefrom), fiber, oil, or cake, or the sterilized seed of the plant which is incapable of germination. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025; Ord. 1095 § 3, 2015. Formerly 18.08.441)
“Marijuana processor” means a person licensed by the state Liquor and Cannabis Board to process marijuana into usable marijuana and marijuana-infused products, package and label usable marijuana and marijuana-infused products for sale in retail outlets, and sell usable marijuana and marijuana-infused products at wholesale to marijuana retailers. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025; Ord. 1095 § 4, 2015. Formerly 18.08.442)
“Marijuana producer” means a person licensed by the state Liquor and Cannabis Board to produce and sell at wholesale to marijuana processors and other marijuana producers. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025; Ord. 1095 § 5, 2015. Formerly 18.08.443)
“Marijuana retailer” means a person licensed by the state Liquor and Cannabis Board to sell usable marijuana and marijuana-infused products in a retail outlet. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025; Ord. 1095 § 6, 2015. Formerly 18.08.444)
“Marijuana-infused products” means products that contain marijuana or marijuana extracts and are intended for human use. The term “marijuana-infused products” does not include usable marijuana. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025; Ord. 1095 § 7, 2015. Formerly 18.08.445)
“Marijuana retail outlet” means a location licensed by the state Liquor and Cannabis Board for the retail sale of usable marijuana and marijuana-infused products. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025; Ord. 1095 § 8, 2015. Formerly 18.08.446)
“Usable marijuana” means dried marijuana flowers. The term “usable marijuana” does not include marijuana-infused products. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025; Ord. 1095 § 9, 2015. Formerly 18.08.447)
“Medical-dental clinic” means a building or group of buildings designed for the use of, and occupied and used by, physicians and dentists and others engaged professionally in such healing arts for humans as are recognized by the laws of the state of Washington, including medical clinics; and including the installation and use of therapeutic equipment, X-ray equipment or laboratories, chemical, biochemical, and biological laboratories used as direct accessories to the medical-dental profession; dental laboratories including facilities for the making of dentures on prescription; pharmacies limited to the retail dispensing of pharmaceuticals and sick room supplies (but not room or orthopedic equipment or furniture); provided, there shall be no exterior display windows or signs pertaining to such accessory uses other than a directory sign. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025; Ord. 773 § 3, 1999. Formerly 18.08.450)
“Middle housing” means buildings that are compatible in scale, form, and character with single-family houses and contain two or more attached, stacked, or clustered homes including duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, fiveplexes, sixplexes, townhouses, stacked flats, courtyard apartments, and cottage housing. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025)
“Mitigation” means the use of any or all of the following actions that are listed in descending order of preference:
A. Avoiding the impact altogether by not taking a certain action or parts of an action;
B. Minimizing impacts by limiting the degree or magnitude of the action and its implementation, by using appropriate technology, or by taking affirmative steps to avoid or reduce impacts;
C. Rectifying the impact by repairing, rehabilitating or restoring the affected sensitive area;
D. Reducing or eliminating the impact over time by preservation or maintenance operations during the life of the development proposal;
E. Compensating for the impact by replacing, enhancing or providing substitute sensitive areas and environments;
F. Monitoring the impact and taking appropriate corrective measures. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025; Ord. 773 § 3, 1999. Formerly 18.08.460)
“Motel” means one or more buildings containing individual sleeping units where a majority of such units open individually and directly to the outside, and where a garage is attached to or a parking space is conveniently located next to each unit, all for the temporary use by automobile tourists or transients, and the word includes tourist courts, motor courts, automobile courts, automobile camps and motor lodges. A unit in a motel having kitchen facilities constitutes a dwelling unit and shall be subject to all of the provisions and requirements of this title governing dwelling units for the zone in which the establishment is located, but never less than the requirements of the heaviest multiple-dwelling zone. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Nonconforming building” means a legally established building or structure which does not conform in its construction, area, yard requirements or height to the restrictions of the land use zone in which it is classified in this title. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Nonconforming lot” means a legally established lot or parcel of land which does not conform to the regulations of the land use zone in which it is classified by this title. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Nonconforming use” means a legally established use which does not conform to the regulations of the land use zone in which it is classified by this title. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Required open space” means a portion of the area of a lot or building site, other than required yards, which area is required by this title, as set forth in the different classifications contained herein, to be maintained between buildings, between wings of a building as common area to be available for use by the persons specified in a multiple-lot subdivision, and between buildings and any portion of a property boundary line not contiguous to a required front or side yard. Open spaces are required to be free and clear of buildings and structures and to remain open and unobstructed from the ground to the sky, except for specific permitted uses and structures. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Person” means and includes an individual, firm, partnership, association or corporation, governmental agency or political subdivision. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Principal use” means the primary or predominant use to which the property is or may be devoted, and to which all other uses on the premises are accessory. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Professional offices” means an office maintained and used as a place of business by individuals in licensed professions and other generally recognized professions which utilize training or knowledge in the mental disciplines as distinguished from occupations primarily oriented to manual skills or the handling of commodities. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Public agency” means any agency, political subdivision, or unit of local government of this state including but not limited to municipal corporations, special purpose districts, and local service districts; any agency of the state of Washington, the United States or any state thereof; or any Indian tribe recognized as such by the federal government. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Public art” means all forms of original creation of audio or visual art, placed outside or inside a structure, and readily accessible for public viewing. Public art must be made of durable materials that are vandal-resistant and designed to age well. Examples of public art include paintings, sculpture, murals, inlays, mosaics, friezes or bas-reliefs. (Ord. 1217 § 4, 2021)
“Public market” means a temporary or occasional market, primarily outdoors, consisting of two or more independent vendors, with each vendor operating independently from other vendors, for the purpose of selling farm-grown or home-grown produce, food prepared off site or on site, artisanal or craft products including alcoholic beverages, flowers, plants, or other similar perishable goods and/or new wares, used goods, or merchandise. (Ord. 1217 § 4, 2021)
“Public utility” means a private business organization such as a public service corporation performing some public service and subject to special governmental regulations, or a governmental agency performing similar public services, the services by either of which are paid for directly by the recipients thereof. Such services shall include, but are not limited to, water supply, electric power, gas and transportation for persons and freight. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Recreational area or community club house, noncommercial” means an area devoted to facilities and equipment for recreational purposes, swimming pools, tennis courts, playgrounds, community club houses and other similar uses maintained and operated by a nonprofit club or organization whose membership is limited to the residents within the area. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Commercial recreational area” means an area operated for profit and devoted to facilities and equipment for recreational purposes, including swimming pools, tennis courts, playgrounds and other similar uses whether the use of such area is limited to private membership or whether open to the public upon the payment of a fee. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Retail sales and services” means a commercial use or enterprise providing goods, food, commodities, and/or services directly to the consumer, whose goods are available for immediate purchase and removal from the premises by the purchaser and/or whose services do not meet the definition of “professional offices.” (Ord. 1217 § 4, 2021)
Repealed by Ord. 1217. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
The term “signs” shall be defined as it is in Chapter 18.52 LFPMC. (Ord. 905 § 2, 2004; Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Single-family zones” means those zones where single-family detached residences are the predominant land use. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025)
“Stacked flat” means dwelling units in a residential building of no more than three stories on a residential zoned lot in which each floor may be separately rented or owned. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025)
“Street” means a public or recorded private thoroughfare which affords primary means of access to abutting property. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025; Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Structural alterations” means any change in the supporting members of a building or structure, such as foundations, bearing walls, columns, beams, floor or roof joists, girders or rafters, or changes in the interior dimensions of the building or structure, or increase in floor space. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025; Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Solar energy system” means solar energy devices or design features of a building used for the collection, storage, and distribution of solar energy for space heating, space cooling, lighting, electric generation, or water heating. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025; Ord. 1217 § 4, 2021)
“Substandard lot” means a lot or parcel of land which has less than the required minimum area or width as established by the zone in which it is located and provided that such lot or parcel was of record as a legally created lot on the effective date of the ordinance codified in this title. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025; Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Tier 3 city” means a city with a population of less than 25,000 that is within a contiguous urban growth area with the largest city in a county with a population of more than 275,000, based on 2020 Office of Financial Management population estimates. The city of Lake Forest Park is classified as a Tier 3 city. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025)
“Townhouses” means buildings that contain three or more attached single-family dwelling units that extend from foundation to roof and that have a yard or public way on not less than two sides. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025)
“Transit park and ride lot” means a parking lot, whether publicly or privately owned, providing vehicle parking and passenger and vehicular circulation specifically for the purpose of access to a metropolitan public transportation system as defined in RCW 35.58.020(14). (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025; Ord. 773 § 3, 1999. Formerly 18.08.650)
“Unit density” means the number of dwelling units allowed on a lot, regardless of lot size. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025)
“Use” means the nature of the occupancy, the type of activity, or the character and form of improvements to which land is devoted or may be devoted. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025; Ord. 773 § 3, 1999. Formerly 18.08.660)
“Variance” means a modification or exception to specific regulations but in accordance with the intent and purpose of such regulations, including the comprehensive plan, zoning code, or other applicable land use requirement. Variances shall be allowed upon meeting the variance criteria contained in Chapter 18.70 LFPMC. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Veterinary clinic or small animal hospital” means an establishment in which veterinary medical services, clipping, bathing and similar services are rendered to dogs, cats and other small animals and domestic pets, not including kennels. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Yard” means those open areas on a lot other than a court, that are unoccupied and unobstructed by buildings, except as otherwise provided in this title. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025; Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Front yard” means that yard adjacent to the front lot line and which is measured across the full width of the lot. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Side yard” means those yards extending along both side lot lines from the front yard to the rear yard. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Rear yard” means that yard adjacent to the rear lot line and which is measured across the full width of the lot. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Zone” means an area accurately defined as to boundaries and location on an official map and within which area only certain types of land uses are permitted, and within which other types of land uses are excluded, as set forth in this title. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
For the purpose of the chapter, the definition of words and terms used in this title shall be as provided in this chapter and as defined in the International Building Code, current edition, as adopted by the state of Washington. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025; Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Accessory use” or “accessory building” means a use, structure, building or portion of a building located on the same lot as the main use or building to which it is accessory. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025; Ord. 1235 § 1, 2022; Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Attached accessory dwelling unit” means a dwelling unit located on the same parent lot as a primary dwelling unit either within or attached to a single-family dwelling unit. An accessory dwelling unit that exceeds the size limitations set forth in LFPMC 18.50.050 is defined as a duplex unit if attached to another dwelling unit. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025; Ord. 1235 § 1, 2022; Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Detached accessory dwelling unit” means a dwelling unit located on the same parent lot as a primary dwelling unit and constructed as part of an accessory building, detached from the primary dwelling unit. A detached accessory dwelling unit that exceeds the size limitations set forth in LFPMC 18.50.050 is defined as a cottage. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025; Ord. 1235 § 1, 2022)
“Active ground floor uses” means a use that promotes an active pedestrian environment on the ground floor of a mixed use, commercial, office, residential building or freestanding parking structure, and includes retail establishments, restaurants, catering, arts and craft studios, pubs, salons, day spas, health clubs and exercise studios, professional services offices, medical and dental offices, day cares, artisanal/craft production and retail, and other uses determined to be substantially similar by the director or through development agreement proposals. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025; Ord. 1217 § 4, 2021)
“Administrative design review” means a development permit process whereby an application is reviewed, approved, or denied by the community development director or their designee based solely on documented design and development standards without a public predecision hearing, unless such review is otherwise required by state or federal law, or the structure is a designated landmark or historic district established by the city. The city may utilize public meetings, hearings, or voluntary review boards to consider, recommend, or approve requests for variances from locally established design review standards. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025)
“Adult family home” means the regular family abode of a person or persons who are providing personal care, room and board to more than one but not more than four adults who are not related by blood or marriage to the person or persons providing the services; except that a maximum of six adults may be permitted if the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services determines that the home and provider are capable of meeting the standards provided for by law. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025; Ord. 773 § 3, 1999. Formerly 18.08.040)
“Adult use establishment” means an enterprise predominantly involved in the selling, renting or presenting for commercial purposes books, magazines, motion pictures, films, video cassettes, cable television, adult entertainment as defined by LFPMC 5.30.010(B), performance or activity distinguished or characterized by a predominant emphasis on the depiction, simulation or relation to “specified sexual activities.” Examples of such establishments include, but are not limited to, adult book or video stores and establishments offering panorams, peep shows, or topless or nude dancing.
“Specified sexual activities” means:
A. Human genitalia in a state of sexual arousal;
B. Acts of human masturbation, sexual intercourse or sodomy;
C. Erotic fondling, touching or display of human genitalia or pubic region. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Affordable housing” means residential housing that is rented or owned by a person or household whose monthly housing costs, including utilities other than telephone, do not exceed 30 percent of the household’s monthly income. (Ord. 1217 § 4, 2021)
“Affordable unit” means a dwelling unit that is reserved for occupancy by eligible households and sold or rented at an affordable price or affordable rent. (Ord. 1217 § 4, 2021)
“Alley” means a public thoroughfare or way which affords only a secondary means of access to abutting property. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Alteration” means any human-induced action which impacts the existing condition of a site. Alterations include but are not limited to grading; filling; dredging; draining; channelizing; cutting, limbing or topping, clearing, relocating or removing vegetation; applying herbicides or pesticides or any hazardous or toxic substance; discharging pollutants excepting stormwater; grazing domestic animals; paving, construction, application of gravel; modifying for surface water management purposes; or any other human activity that impacts the existing vegetation, hydrology, wildlife or wildlife habitat. Alteration does not include walking, passive recreation, fishing or other similar activities. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Amendment” means a city council approved change in the wording, context or substance of this title, change in the zone boundaries or change upon zoning maps adopted hereunder, or change in an approved site plan. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Small animal” means any animal other than livestock or animals considered to be predatory or wild. Small animal includes, but is not limited to, fowl of all kinds, furbearing animals, bees, pets, or any other similar animal which is kept outside the owner’s residence all or part of the time. Animals normally considered to be livestock, predatory or wild, shall be considered small animals when they are taken into captivity for the purpose of breeding, domestication, training, hunting, or exhibition and which weigh less than 100 pounds. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Apartment” means a room, or a suite of two or more rooms in a multiple dwelling or in any other building not a single-family residence or two-unit middle housing residence. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025; Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Artisanal/craft production and/or retail” means small-scale on-site production and/or assembly of arts, crafts, foods, beverages, or other type of product involving the use of small-scale equipment and/or hand tools and involving limited outdoor storage of materials, equipment, or products when such storage is decoratively treated or otherwise integrated into the building or site design. This definition includes retail spaces such as tasting rooms for products produced or assembled off site when the activities otherwise meet this definition. This definition excludes marijuana processing, marijuana production, or marijuana retail sales as defined in this chapter. (Ord. 1217 § 4, 2021)
“Assisted housing” means long-term residential housing in a building consisting of two or more dwelling units or sleeping units, which shall include support services to promote independent living such as food preparation and dining areas, group activity areas, medical supervision, and similar services. (Ord. 1217 § 4, 2021)
“Automobile, boat and trailer sales area” means an open area, other than a street, used for the display and sale of new or used automobiles or the sale of boats or trailers, and where no repair work is done except minor incidental repair of automobiles, boats or trailers to be displayed, sold or rented on the premises. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Automobile rental” means an open area, or building, used for the parking and rental of automobiles, and where no repair work is done except minor incidental repair of automobiles to be rented on the premises. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Automobile service station” means an occupancy which provides for:
A. The servicing of motor vehicles, including watercraft, and operations incidental thereto limited to the retail sale of petroleum products and automotive accessories; automobile washing by hand (except as otherwise provided herein); waxing and polishing of automobiles; tire changing and repairing (excluding recapping); battery service, changing and replacement, excluding repair and rebuilding; radiator cleaning and flushing, excluding steam cleaning and repair; and installation of accessories;
B. The following operations if conducted within a building: lubrication of motor vehicles; brake servicing limited to servicing and replacement of brake cylinders, lines and brake shoes; wheel balancing; the testing, adjustment, and replacement or servicing of carburetors, coils, condensers, distributor caps, fan belts, filters, generators, points, rotors, spark plugs, voltage regulators, water and fuel pumps, water hoses and wiring. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Automobile-oriented uses” means businesses that have permanent facilities that allow employees to serve customers in automobiles without the employee leaving the building in which the business is housed. Automobile-oriented uses also means businesses that are primarily for the purpose of sales, service, or repair of automobiles such as parts shops, auto body shops, oil change shops, garages, gasoline/fuel stations, and similar uses. “Automobile-oriented uses” does not mean businesses that, as an auxiliary use, offer pick-up, take-out, carry-out, or to-go services. (Ord. 1217 § 4, 2021)
“Building” means any covered structure used or intended for supporting or sheltering any use or occupancy. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Building envelope” means the area of a lot that delineates the limits of where a building may be placed on the lot. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Building height” means the vertical distance, from the average level of the undisturbed soil of the site covered by a structure, measured to the highest point of the structure, except as provided for in LFPMC 18.50.085.
“Average level” shall be determined by averaging elevations of the downward projections of the four corners of the smallest rectangle which will enclose all of the building, excluding a maximum of 30 inches of eaves. If a corner falls off the site, its elevation shall be the average elevation of the two points projected downward where the two sides of the rectangle cross the property line. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Main building” means the principal building or other structure on a lot or building site designed or used to accommodate the primary use to which the premises are devoted. Where a permissible use involves more than one building or structure designed or used for the primary purpose, as in the case of group homes, each such permissible building or other structure on a lot or building site as defined by this title shall be construed as comprising a main building or structure. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Building setback line” means a line which establishes a definite point beyond which the foundation and adjoining wall of a building shall not extend. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Building site” means a parcel of land assigned to a use, to a main building, or to a main building and its accessory buildings, together with all yards and open spaces required by this title, whether the area so devoted is comprised of one lot, a fraction of a lot, a combination of lots, or combination of lots and fractions of lots. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Cemetery” means land used or intended to be used for the burial of the human dead and dedicated for cemetery purposes, including columbariums, crematories, mausoleums, and mortuaries when operated in conjunction with and within the boundary of such cemetery. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Charging levels” means the SAE International standard indicators of electrical force, or voltage, at which an electric vehicle’s battery is recharged. The terms 1, 2, and 3 are the most common EV charging levels, and include the following specifications:
A. Level 1 is considered slow charging.
B. Level 2 is considered medium charging.
C. Level 3 is considered fast or rapid charging. (Ord. 1217 § 4, 2021)
“Church” means a building, together with its accessory buildings, wherein persons regularly assemble for religious worship and which building, together with its accessory buildings, is maintained and controlled by a religious body, organized to sustain public worship. A church may include day care nurseries, but excludes rest homes, convalescent homes, homes for the aged, guest homes and religious nursing homes. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Commission” means the planning commission of the city. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Communication facility” means a site developed primarily for the transfer of voice or data through radio transmissions. Such sites typically require the construction of transmission structures to which transmission equipment is attached or in which such equipment is housed. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Conditional use” means a use similar to the allowed uses in a given zone but permitted only after review by the hearing examiner, and the granting of a conditional use permit imposing such performance standards as are necessary to make the use compatible with other allowed uses in the same vicinity and zone. (Ord. 924 § 5, 2005; Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Conditional use permit” means the documented evidence of authority granted by the city to locate a conditional use at a particular location. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Cottage housing” means residential units on a lot with a common open space that either: (A) is owned in common; or (B) has units owned as condominium units with property owned in common and a minimum of 20 percent of the lot size as open space. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025)
“Council” means the city council of the city. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025; Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Courtyard apartments” means attached dwelling units arranged on two or three sides of a yard or court. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025)
“Cultural, entertainment, and/or recreational facility” means a facility providing cultural, entertainment, and/or recreational services, including but not limited to: theaters, performing arts centers, museums, play facilities, dance studios, health clubs and physical fitness facilities; however, it shall not be interpreted to include adult use establishments as defined in LFPMC 18.08.050. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025; Ord. 1217 § 4, 2021)
“Day care,” “family day care,” and “adult day care” mean a facility used for providing the regularly scheduled on-premises care of children or adults for less than a 24-hour period. A Type I day care facility is a facility providing care for 12 or fewer children or adults. A Type II day care is a facility providing care for more than 12 children or adults. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025; Ord. 1217 § 4, 2021; Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Development regulations” or “regulation” means the controls placed on development or land use activities by the city, including, but not limited to, zoning ordinances, critical areas ordinances, shoreline master programs, official controls, planned unit development ordinances, subdivision ordinances, and binding site plan ordinances together with any amendments thereto. A development regulation does not include a decision to approve a project permit application, as defined in RCW 36.70B.020, even though the decision may be expressed in a resolution or ordinance of the city council. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025)
“Duplex” means a residential building with two attached dwelling units. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025)
“Multifamily dwelling” means a residential building designed for or occupied by two or more families, with the number of families in residence not exceeding the number of dwelling units provided. Middle housing is a type of multifamily dwelling. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025; Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Single-family dwelling” means a single detached primary residential dwelling unit. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025; Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Dwelling unit” means a single unit providing complete, independent living facilities for one or more persons and which includes permanent provisions for living, sleeping, eating, cooking and sanitation. (Ord. 1285 § 3, 2023; Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Electric vehicle infrastructure” means providing conduit for wiring and data, and associated ventilation to support the addition of future electric vehicle charging stations pursuant to the most current edition of the National Electrical Code. (Ord. 1217 § 4, 2021)
“Electric vehicle charging stations” means a public or private parking space that is served by battery charging station equipment that has as its primary purpose the transfer of electric energy (by conductive or inductive means) to a battery or other energy storage device in an electric vehicle. An electric vehicle charging station equipped with Level 1 or Level 2 charging equipment is permitted outright as an accessory use to any principal use authorized by the LFPMC. (Ord. 1217 § 4, 2021)
“Eligible household” means one or more adults and their dependents who certify that their household annual income does not exceed the applicable percentage of the King County median income, adjusted for household size, and who certify that they meet all qualifications for eligibility, including, if applicable, any requirements for recertification on income eligibility. (Ord. 1217 § 4 2021)
“Family” means one or more persons jointly occupying a single-family dwelling or dwelling unit, including the joint use of and responsibility for common areas, sharing household activities and responsibilities such as meals, chores, household maintenance, and expenses. Such persons need not be related by blood or marriage. A family does not include large institutional or congregant group living situations such as dormitories, sororities, and monasteries. (Ord. 1235 § 1, 2022; Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Floor area” means a total floor area within the walls of all buildings on a lot or building site, except for the spaces therein devoted to vents, shafts and light courts and except for the area devoted exclusively to loading and unloading facilities and to parking of motor vehicles. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Framework,” including “town center framework design guidelines,” means the set of recommendations and requirements entitled “Town Center Design Guidelines Framework” adopted by the Lake Forest Park city council pursuant to Ordinance 1217, including amendments and addenda thereto. (Ord. 1217 § 4, 2021)
“Freestanding parking structure” means a standalone building or structure of multiple levels used primarily for parking vehicles and associated with no other primary use. A freestanding parking structure may include parking on the upper (rooftop) level. A freestanding parking structure may include an accessory use as defined in this chapter. (Ord. 1217 § 4, 2021)
“Grade” means the average of the ground level at the centers of all walls of a building. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Health club” means an enterprise providing recreation, including but not limited to physical fitness centers, spas, and sports and recreation clubs. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Home occupation” means any occupation or activity undertaken for gain or profit and carried on in a dwelling or building which is clearly secondary to the main use of the premises as a dwelling place, does not represent any exterior evidence of such secondary use, does not change the residential character of the dwelling or neighborhood, and in no way infringes upon the rights of the neighboring residences to enjoy a peaceful occupancy of their homes. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Hotel, boutique hotels and temporary lodging” means a facility providing lodging of 50 or fewer rooms and related services for a charge, typically for a period of one month or less, and includes inns, residence or extended-stay hotels, and bed and breakfasts. (Ord. 1217 § 4, 2021)
“Impervious surface” means a hard or compacted surface area which either prevents or retards the entry of water into the soil mantle as it entered under natural conditions preexistent to development, or a hard or compacted surface area which causes water to run off the surface in greater quantities or at an increased rate of flow from that present under natural conditions preexistent to development. Common impervious surfaces include but are not limited to rooftops, concrete or asphalt paving, paved walkways, patios, compacted gravel, driveways, parking lots and storage areas, and oiled, macadam, or other surfaces which similarly impeded the natural infiltration of surface water. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Instructional institution” means elementary, junior high, high schools, junior colleges, colleges or universities or other schools, public or private, giving academic or technical education, training or instruction. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Kennel” means a place where four or more adult dogs or cats or any combination thereof are kept by persons providing facilities and care for compensation, but not including a small animal hospital or clinic. An adult dog or cat is one of either sex, altered or unaltered, that has reached the age of four months. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Loading zone” means an on-site space or berth on the same lot or site with the buildings or use served, such space to serve for the temporary parking of a vehicle while loading or unloading merchandise, materials or passengers. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Lot” means a recorded plot, parcel or tract of land. If one or more lots are built upon as a unit of property, they shall be considered as a single lot. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Lot area” means the horizontal surface area within the recorded boundary lines of a platted lot, excluding those areas wholly or in part covered by water. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Lot width” means the average of the distance between the side lot lines measured at and along the front and rear setback lines. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
A. Lot Front Line. “Lot front line” means that lot line at which vehicular access is off of a public right-of-way, private street, access easement or tract;
B. Lot Rear Line. “Lot rear line” means a lot line which is opposite and most distant from the lot front line. For the purpose of establishing the lot rear line of a triangular or trapezoidal lot, or of a lot the rear line of which is formed by two or more lines, the following shall apply:
1. For a triangular- or gore-shaped lot, a line 10 feet in length within the lot and farthest removed from the lot front line and at right angles to the line comprising the depth of such lot shall be used as the lot rear line;
2. In the case of a trapezoidal lot, the rear line of which is not parallel to the front line, the lot rear line shall be deemed to be a line at right angles to the line comprising the depth of such lot and drawn through a point bisecting the recorded lot rear line;
C. Lot Side Line. “Lot side line” means any lot boundary line not a lot front line or a lot rear line. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Panhandle lot” or “flag lot” means a lot that is to the rear of another lot or lots and that has access via a narrow portion of the lot that extends to a public right-of-way or access tract. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Major transit stop” means:
A. A stop on a high capacity transportation system funded or expanded under the provisions of Chapter 81.104 RCW;
B. Commuter rail stops;
C. Stops on rail or fixed guideway systems;
D. Stops on bus rapid transit routes, including those stops that are under construction. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025)
“Manufactured housing” means a single-family dwelling constructed after June 15, 1976, in accordance with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requirements for manufactured housing and bearing the appropriate insignia indicating such compliance. Manufactured housing is prefabricated or assembled at a place other than a building site and is located and installed in the same manner as conventional housing, except to the extent that construction standards are regulated by the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (Chapter 43.22 RCW). (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025)
“Marijuana” or “cannabis” means all or part of the plant cannabis, whether growing or not, with a THC concentration greater than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis; the seeds thereof; the resin extracted from any part of the plant; and every compound, manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture, or preparation of the plant, its seeds or resin. The term does not include mature stalks of the plant, fiber produced from the stalks, oil or cake made from the seeds of the plant, any other compound, manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture or preparation of the mature stalks (except the resin extracted therefrom), fiber, oil, or cake, or the sterilized seed of the plant which is incapable of germination. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025; Ord. 1095 § 3, 2015. Formerly 18.08.441)
“Marijuana processor” means a person licensed by the state Liquor and Cannabis Board to process marijuana into usable marijuana and marijuana-infused products, package and label usable marijuana and marijuana-infused products for sale in retail outlets, and sell usable marijuana and marijuana-infused products at wholesale to marijuana retailers. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025; Ord. 1095 § 4, 2015. Formerly 18.08.442)
“Marijuana producer” means a person licensed by the state Liquor and Cannabis Board to produce and sell at wholesale to marijuana processors and other marijuana producers. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025; Ord. 1095 § 5, 2015. Formerly 18.08.443)
“Marijuana retailer” means a person licensed by the state Liquor and Cannabis Board to sell usable marijuana and marijuana-infused products in a retail outlet. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025; Ord. 1095 § 6, 2015. Formerly 18.08.444)
“Marijuana-infused products” means products that contain marijuana or marijuana extracts and are intended for human use. The term “marijuana-infused products” does not include usable marijuana. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025; Ord. 1095 § 7, 2015. Formerly 18.08.445)
“Marijuana retail outlet” means a location licensed by the state Liquor and Cannabis Board for the retail sale of usable marijuana and marijuana-infused products. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025; Ord. 1095 § 8, 2015. Formerly 18.08.446)
“Usable marijuana” means dried marijuana flowers. The term “usable marijuana” does not include marijuana-infused products. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025; Ord. 1095 § 9, 2015. Formerly 18.08.447)
“Medical-dental clinic” means a building or group of buildings designed for the use of, and occupied and used by, physicians and dentists and others engaged professionally in such healing arts for humans as are recognized by the laws of the state of Washington, including medical clinics; and including the installation and use of therapeutic equipment, X-ray equipment or laboratories, chemical, biochemical, and biological laboratories used as direct accessories to the medical-dental profession; dental laboratories including facilities for the making of dentures on prescription; pharmacies limited to the retail dispensing of pharmaceuticals and sick room supplies (but not room or orthopedic equipment or furniture); provided, there shall be no exterior display windows or signs pertaining to such accessory uses other than a directory sign. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025; Ord. 773 § 3, 1999. Formerly 18.08.450)
“Middle housing” means buildings that are compatible in scale, form, and character with single-family houses and contain two or more attached, stacked, or clustered homes including duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, fiveplexes, sixplexes, townhouses, stacked flats, courtyard apartments, and cottage housing. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025)
“Mitigation” means the use of any or all of the following actions that are listed in descending order of preference:
A. Avoiding the impact altogether by not taking a certain action or parts of an action;
B. Minimizing impacts by limiting the degree or magnitude of the action and its implementation, by using appropriate technology, or by taking affirmative steps to avoid or reduce impacts;
C. Rectifying the impact by repairing, rehabilitating or restoring the affected sensitive area;
D. Reducing or eliminating the impact over time by preservation or maintenance operations during the life of the development proposal;
E. Compensating for the impact by replacing, enhancing or providing substitute sensitive areas and environments;
F. Monitoring the impact and taking appropriate corrective measures. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025; Ord. 773 § 3, 1999. Formerly 18.08.460)
“Motel” means one or more buildings containing individual sleeping units where a majority of such units open individually and directly to the outside, and where a garage is attached to or a parking space is conveniently located next to each unit, all for the temporary use by automobile tourists or transients, and the word includes tourist courts, motor courts, automobile courts, automobile camps and motor lodges. A unit in a motel having kitchen facilities constitutes a dwelling unit and shall be subject to all of the provisions and requirements of this title governing dwelling units for the zone in which the establishment is located, but never less than the requirements of the heaviest multiple-dwelling zone. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Nonconforming building” means a legally established building or structure which does not conform in its construction, area, yard requirements or height to the restrictions of the land use zone in which it is classified in this title. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Nonconforming lot” means a legally established lot or parcel of land which does not conform to the regulations of the land use zone in which it is classified by this title. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Nonconforming use” means a legally established use which does not conform to the regulations of the land use zone in which it is classified by this title. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Required open space” means a portion of the area of a lot or building site, other than required yards, which area is required by this title, as set forth in the different classifications contained herein, to be maintained between buildings, between wings of a building as common area to be available for use by the persons specified in a multiple-lot subdivision, and between buildings and any portion of a property boundary line not contiguous to a required front or side yard. Open spaces are required to be free and clear of buildings and structures and to remain open and unobstructed from the ground to the sky, except for specific permitted uses and structures. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Person” means and includes an individual, firm, partnership, association or corporation, governmental agency or political subdivision. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Principal use” means the primary or predominant use to which the property is or may be devoted, and to which all other uses on the premises are accessory. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Professional offices” means an office maintained and used as a place of business by individuals in licensed professions and other generally recognized professions which utilize training or knowledge in the mental disciplines as distinguished from occupations primarily oriented to manual skills or the handling of commodities. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Public agency” means any agency, political subdivision, or unit of local government of this state including but not limited to municipal corporations, special purpose districts, and local service districts; any agency of the state of Washington, the United States or any state thereof; or any Indian tribe recognized as such by the federal government. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Public art” means all forms of original creation of audio or visual art, placed outside or inside a structure, and readily accessible for public viewing. Public art must be made of durable materials that are vandal-resistant and designed to age well. Examples of public art include paintings, sculpture, murals, inlays, mosaics, friezes or bas-reliefs. (Ord. 1217 § 4, 2021)
“Public market” means a temporary or occasional market, primarily outdoors, consisting of two or more independent vendors, with each vendor operating independently from other vendors, for the purpose of selling farm-grown or home-grown produce, food prepared off site or on site, artisanal or craft products including alcoholic beverages, flowers, plants, or other similar perishable goods and/or new wares, used goods, or merchandise. (Ord. 1217 § 4, 2021)
“Public utility” means a private business organization such as a public service corporation performing some public service and subject to special governmental regulations, or a governmental agency performing similar public services, the services by either of which are paid for directly by the recipients thereof. Such services shall include, but are not limited to, water supply, electric power, gas and transportation for persons and freight. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Recreational area or community club house, noncommercial” means an area devoted to facilities and equipment for recreational purposes, swimming pools, tennis courts, playgrounds, community club houses and other similar uses maintained and operated by a nonprofit club or organization whose membership is limited to the residents within the area. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Commercial recreational area” means an area operated for profit and devoted to facilities and equipment for recreational purposes, including swimming pools, tennis courts, playgrounds and other similar uses whether the use of such area is limited to private membership or whether open to the public upon the payment of a fee. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Retail sales and services” means a commercial use or enterprise providing goods, food, commodities, and/or services directly to the consumer, whose goods are available for immediate purchase and removal from the premises by the purchaser and/or whose services do not meet the definition of “professional offices.” (Ord. 1217 § 4, 2021)
Repealed by Ord. 1217. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
The term “signs” shall be defined as it is in Chapter 18.52 LFPMC. (Ord. 905 § 2, 2004; Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Single-family zones” means those zones where single-family detached residences are the predominant land use. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025)
“Stacked flat” means dwelling units in a residential building of no more than three stories on a residential zoned lot in which each floor may be separately rented or owned. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025)
“Street” means a public or recorded private thoroughfare which affords primary means of access to abutting property. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025; Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Structural alterations” means any change in the supporting members of a building or structure, such as foundations, bearing walls, columns, beams, floor or roof joists, girders or rafters, or changes in the interior dimensions of the building or structure, or increase in floor space. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025; Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Solar energy system” means solar energy devices or design features of a building used for the collection, storage, and distribution of solar energy for space heating, space cooling, lighting, electric generation, or water heating. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025; Ord. 1217 § 4, 2021)
“Substandard lot” means a lot or parcel of land which has less than the required minimum area or width as established by the zone in which it is located and provided that such lot or parcel was of record as a legally created lot on the effective date of the ordinance codified in this title. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025; Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Tier 3 city” means a city with a population of less than 25,000 that is within a contiguous urban growth area with the largest city in a county with a population of more than 275,000, based on 2020 Office of Financial Management population estimates. The city of Lake Forest Park is classified as a Tier 3 city. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025)
“Townhouses” means buildings that contain three or more attached single-family dwelling units that extend from foundation to roof and that have a yard or public way on not less than two sides. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025)
“Transit park and ride lot” means a parking lot, whether publicly or privately owned, providing vehicle parking and passenger and vehicular circulation specifically for the purpose of access to a metropolitan public transportation system as defined in RCW 35.58.020(14). (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025; Ord. 773 § 3, 1999. Formerly 18.08.650)
“Unit density” means the number of dwelling units allowed on a lot, regardless of lot size. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025)
“Use” means the nature of the occupancy, the type of activity, or the character and form of improvements to which land is devoted or may be devoted. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025; Ord. 773 § 3, 1999. Formerly 18.08.660)
“Variance” means a modification or exception to specific regulations but in accordance with the intent and purpose of such regulations, including the comprehensive plan, zoning code, or other applicable land use requirement. Variances shall be allowed upon meeting the variance criteria contained in Chapter 18.70 LFPMC. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Veterinary clinic or small animal hospital” means an establishment in which veterinary medical services, clipping, bathing and similar services are rendered to dogs, cats and other small animals and domestic pets, not including kennels. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Yard” means those open areas on a lot other than a court, that are unoccupied and unobstructed by buildings, except as otherwise provided in this title. (Ord. 1310 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025; Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Front yard” means that yard adjacent to the front lot line and which is measured across the full width of the lot. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Side yard” means those yards extending along both side lot lines from the front yard to the rear yard. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Rear yard” means that yard adjacent to the rear lot line and which is measured across the full width of the lot. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)
“Zone” means an area accurately defined as to boundaries and location on an official map and within which area only certain types of land uses are permitted, and within which other types of land uses are excluded, as set forth in this title. (Ord. 773 § 3, 1999)