For the purpose of regulating development activity within Mason County, the county is divided into three general types of development areas. These areas contain characteristics which have been identified in the Mason County comprehensive plan as worthy of preservation and/or enhancement, and their designation in this chapter is intended to promote orderly development in a manner which is consistent with that plan. The three area types, and their subtypes, are as follows: urban growth areas, resource lands and rural lands.

(Ord. 108-05 Attach. B (part), 2005).

Urban growth areas (UGA) are land areas identified as such in the comprehensive plan. These areas have urban characteristics, but they currently lie outside of incorporated cities. In recognition of the availability of urban services and the proximity to urban areas, these areas are designated to accommodate the majority of the growth which is expected to occur within the county in the foreseeable future. The widest variety of uses and the highest densities will be allowed in urban growth areas. Three UGA's exist within the county: Shelton UGA, Belfair UGA and Allyn UGA.

(Ord. 108-05 Attach. B (part), 2005).

The Shelton UGA has separate development regulations under Chapter 17.07 to assure compatibility with the City of Shelton as these properties are annexed into the city. In areas of the UGA where city sewer and water services are available, residential densities may be increased through use of a Planned Unit Development (PUD).

(Ord. 108-05 Attach. B (part), 2005).

(Ord. No. 47-09, Attach. B, 6-2-2009; Ord. No. 2023-018, Att. A, 3-14-2023)

The Belfair UGA is a "stand-alone" area not affiliated with any incorporated city. Development regulations for this area are intended to accommodate existing land use patterns and densities, while planning for future growth. Belfair UGA has separate zoning and development regulations in sections MCC 17.20 through MCC 17.35.

(Ord. 108-05 Attach. B (part), 2005).

(Ord. No. 23-19, Att. A, 3-19-2019)

The Allyn UGA is a "stand-alone" area not affiliated with any incorporated city. Development regulations for this area are intended to accommodate existing land use patterns and densities, while planning for future growth. Allyn UGA has separate zoning and development regulations in sections MCC 17.10 through MCC 17.15.

(Ord. 108-05 Attach. B (part), 2005).

(Ord. No. 2022-093, Att. A, 12-20-2022)

The term "resource land" is used to cover a variety of land use types in areas which have value due to their soil types, ground cover, or capacity for mineral extraction. Lands with intrinsic value due to aesthetic considerations are also included in this category. Examples of resource areas are as follows: National parks, National forests, long-term commercial forests; mineral resource lands and agricultural resource lands.

(Ord. 108-05 Attach. B (part), 2005).

Lands set aside as National Parks are identified due to their natural or cultural value.

(Ord. 108-05 Attach. B (part), 2005).

National forests are lands owned and managed by the federal government. These lands serve important functions as a resource for the supply of forestry products. In addition, these lands are recognized for their ecological value as wildlife habitat and other uses. As with National Parks, these lands are unavailable for development.

(Ord. 108-05 Attach. B (part), 2005).

These land designations are intended to recognize and protect unique resources that, due to the nature of their operations, are sensitive to abutting land uses. This chapter sets forth regulations intended to minimize the impact of intrusion of less compatible land uses upon these land use types. Development regulations for long-term commercial forest lands and mineral resource lands are located in MCC 8.52.060 and MCC 8.52.090 of the Mason County Resource Ordinance.

(Ord. 108-05 Attach. B (part), 2005).

(Ord. No. 2022-093, Att. A, 12-20-2022)

This designation is intended to recognize and protect unique resources that, due to the nature of their operations, are sensitive to abutting land uses. This chapter sets forth regulations intended to minimize the impact of intrusion of less compatible land uses upon the resource use of the land. Development regulations for agricultural resource lands are located in MCC 8.52.061 of the Mason County Resource Ordinance.

(Ord. 108-05 Attach. B (part), 2005).

(Ord. No. 2022-093, Att. A, 12-20-2022)

Rural land uses are divided into thirteen districts to reflect the diversity of existing development patterns in the rural areas. There are five types of residential districts and four types of commercial districts. The business districts are primarily intended to provide for the economic sustainability of existing commerce which provide needed jobs, goods and services to the surrounding rural populations. The business districts, however, are limited to small areas largely consisting of existing development. All development in the rural lands must be sustainable without urban style public services.

(Ord. 108-05 Attach. B (part), 2005).

There are five types of rural residential districts. These districts primarily provide for low density residential use, but also provide for some rural uses such as hobby farms.

(1)

Rural Residential 2.5 (RR 2.5). This district provides for new residential subdivision, which exceeds a density of two and one-half acres per residential lot, and where areas of small lot residential development and subdivisions patterns were established before December 5, 1996.

(2)

Rural Residential 5 (RR 5). This district provides for new residential subdivision on parcels of five acres or more.

(3)

Rural Residential 10 (RR 10). This district provides for new residential subdivision on parcels of ten acres or more.

(4)

Rural Residential 20 (RR 20). This district provides for new residential subdivision on parcels of twenty acres or more.

(5)

Rural Multi-Family (RMF). This district designates existing multi-family residential development including mobile home parks. New RMF zoning designations are prohibited.

(Ord. 108-05 Attach. B (part), 2005).

(Ord. No. 2022-093, Att. A, 12-20-2022)

There are four types of rural commercial districts. These districts provide for a variety of commercial areas reflecting the diversity of existing business areas. Parcels with this designation that are located within RACs, hamlets, ICIAs, and other areas designated under RCW 36.70A.070(5)(d)(i) ("D1 LAMIRDs") shall be principally designed to serve the existing and projected rural population. The county's primary method of such design is to limit building size, and height so that businesses of such size and intensity will ordinarily be oriented towards primarily serving the existing and projected rural population. Isolated LAMIRDs ("D2 and D3 LAMIRDs") of a commercial nature are not required to be principally designed to serve the rural population. These isolated commercial LAMIRDs, however, shall protect rural character, which is defined at RCW 36.70A.030(23), by containing and limiting rural development, by not being in conflict with surrounding uses and by assuring that such development is visually compatible with the surrounding area. The county's primary method of achieving such purpose is by providing for buffer yards, limiting the character of rezones, by limiting building size, and height in such a way as to be appropriate for the rural areas. Public services and facilities shall not be provided so as to permit low intensity sprawl.

(1)

Rural Commercial 1 (RC 1) (See Section 17.04.320)

(2)

Rural Commercial 2 (RC 2) (See Section 17.04.330)

(3)

Rural Commercial 3 (RC 3) (See Section 17.04.340)

(4)

Rural Commercial 4 (RC 4) (See Section 17.04.350)

(5)

Rural Commercial 5 (RC 5) (See Section 17.04.360)

(Ord. 126-06 Attach. B (part), 2006: Ord. 108-05 Attach. B (part), 2005).

(Ord. No. 2022-093, Att. A, 12-20-2022)

The rural industrial district provides for isolated areas of primarily existing industrial type uses. Rural industrial is not required to be principally designed to serve the existing and projected rural population. However, isolated LAMIRDs ("D2 and D3 LAMIRDs") of an industrial nature shall protect rural character, which is defined at RCW 36.70A.030(23), by containing and limiting rural development, by not being in conflict with surrounding uses, and by assuring that such development is visually compatible with the surrounding area. The county's primary method of achieving such purpose is by providing for buffer yards, limiting the character of rezones, by limiting building size, and height in such a way as to be appropriate for the rural areas. Public services and facilities shall not be provided so as to permit low intensity sprawl.

(Ord. 108-05 Attach. B (part), 2005).

(Ord. No. 2022-093, Att. A, 12-20-2022)

The rural natural resource (RNR) district provides for isolated areas of resource based industry outside of the designated resource lands.

(Ord. 108-05 Attach. B (part), 2005).

The rural tourism (RT) and rural tourist - campground (RTC) districts provide small scale recreational and tourist-related activities in addition to tangential commercial services to tourists and adjacent rural populations. Parcels with this designation that are located within RACs, hamlets, ICIAs, and other areas designated under RCW 36.70A.070(5)(d)(i) ("D1 LAMIRDs") shall be principally designed to serve the existing and projected rural population. The county's primary method of such design is to limit building size, and height so that businesses of such size and intensity will ordinarily be oriented towards primarily serving the existing and projected rural population. Isolated LAMIRDs ("D2 and D3 LAMIRDs") of a tourist nature are not required to be principally designed to serve the rural population. These isolated commercial LAMIRDs, however, shall protect rural character, which is defined at RCW 36.70A.030(23), by containing and limiting rural development, by not being in conflict with surrounding uses and by assuring that such development is visually compatible with the surrounding area. The county's primary method of achieving such purpose is by providing for buffer yards, limiting the character of rezones, by limiting building size, and height in such a way as to be appropriate for the rural areas. Public services and facilities shall not be provided so as to permit low intensity sprawl.

(Ord. 108-05 Attach. B (part), 2005).

(Ord. No. 2022-093, Att. A, 12-20-2022)

The master planned resort district provides for self-contained and fully integrated planned unit development in a setting of significant natural amenity, with the primary focus on destination resort facilities consisting of short-term visitor accommodations associated with a range of developed on-site indoor or outdoor recreational facilities.

(Ord. 108-05 Attach. B (part), 2005).

Inholding lands are lands surrounded by long-term commercial forests, but which are not suitable due to parcel size or other constraint for that purpose. Inholding lands may be developed, but only in a manner which assures the viability of the abutting forest land. Development regulations are located in MCC 8.52.070 of the Mason County Resource Ordinance.

(Ord. 108-05 Attach. B (part), 2005).

(Ord. No. 2022-093, Att. A, 12-20-2022)

The location and boundaries of the development area districts (zoning) established by this title are established as a series of GIS layers ("layers") on the Mason County GIS (gis.masoncountywa.gov/mason). The public web-based GIS is adopted as a part of this title insofar as it indicates such designations, locations and boundaries of zoning districts, and shall be deemed to be part of this title.

The zoning designation on the development areas layers are deemed to be the original zoning designation of those parcels based on their use as of July 1, 1990, and all subsequently approved rezones through to the present. The boundaries and locations of all development areas within the county shall be as shown on these layers; however, where land use designations shown do not reflect the latest use designations, then the latest use designations shall guide pending revision of the development areas layers. All future rezones must meet the rezone criteria. Except to correct scrivener's errors, expansions of a zoned area may only occur by rezone, where allowed by this chapter, and may not be allowed by boundary line adjustment or other mechanism.

Wherever possible, boundaries shown on the layers are drawn along property lines, or along generally recognized physical features. The administrator shall have sole authority to settle any dispute as to the actual location of a development area boundary shown on the layer, using the best information available.

(Ord. 108-05 Attach. B (part), 2005).

(Ord. No. 17-09, 3-3-2009; Ord. No. 2022-093, Att. A, 12-20-2022)

When uncertainty exists as to the boundaries of areas as indicated on the development areas map, the following rules shall apply:

(1)

All water areas, waterways, alleys, roads, streets, highways, railroads, and other rights-of-way, if not otherwise specifically designated, shall be deemed to be in the same development area district as the property immediately abutting upon same;

(2)

Where district boundaries are indicated as approximately following the centerlines of streets, alleys, railroads or waterways, such lines shall be construed to be such boundaries;

(3)

Where district boundaries are indicated as approximately following the lines of lots or other parcels of record the lot line shall be deemed to be the district boundary;

(4)

Any development area district boundary shown extended to or into any body of water bounding the county shall be deemed to extend straight to the county boundary;

(5)

Distances not specifically indicated on the map shall be determined by applying the scale of the map, and scaled to the nearest foot;

(6)

When two or more development areas divide a single parcel, development regulations including density shall apply to the portions of the parcel as they are zoned.

(Ord. 35-08 Attach. A, 2008; Ord. 108-05 Attach. B (part), 2005).

(a)

Any change in any boundary shown on the development areas map shall be made by adopting an amended development areas map. The procedure for such an amendment is found in Section 17.05.079.

(b)

No change in the boundary of any development area shall be approved unless such change is found to be in compliance with the comprehensive plan.

(Ord. 108-05 Attach. B (part), 2005).