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Monmouth City Zoning Code

Division V

Public Service Zone and Open Space Zones

18.110.010 Purpose.

The purpose of the public services (PS) zone is to define and protect areas suitable for structures and uses owned or operated by governmental agencies or for public uses and facilities serving the general community. (Code 1983 § 94.005.)

18.110.020 Permitted uses.

Within any PS zone, no structure shall be used, constructed, erected, or altered and no lot shall be used or occupied for any purposes except the following:

(1) Auditorium;

(2) College, university or community college;

(3) Dwelling or mobile home for a caretaker or watchman;

(4) Municipal golf course;

(5) Municipal or government service structure or use, including, but not limited to, a reservoir, water tower, pump station, bus terminal or station, fire station, transformer station or substation;

(6) Parkway;

(7) Public park (noncommercial);

(8) School or institution for the handicapped; provided, that it is nonresidential;

(9) School;

(10) Stadium;

(11) Convention center;

(12) Franchised telecommunications, radio towers and structures and similar uses;

(13) Library;

(14) Recreation center. (Code 1983 § 94.010.)

18.110.030 Conditional uses.

If authorized under the procedure provided for conditional uses in this title, the following uses will be permitted in a PS zone:

(1) Cemetery;

(2) Commercial utilities for the purpose of generating power for sale to the public, including, but not limited to, turbine, thermonuclear, geothermal, or hydroelectric installations;

(3) Detention and correctional home, institution, or school;

(4) Hospital;

(5) Hospital and institution for the intellectually disabled;

(6) Penal institution;

(7) Public or private solid waste disposal site, solid waste transfer facility, sanitary land fill;

(8) Reformatory;

(9) Residential school for the handicapped;

(10) Wireless communication facilities, in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 18.35 MCC. (Amended by Ord. 1320, § 1 (Exh. A), June 18, 2013. Code 1983 § 94.015.)

18.110.040 Abandonment of use or transfer of ownership.

Whenever the existing use on any lot zoned PS is abandoned or the property is transferred to private ownership for a different use, the property owner or the Planning Commission shall initiate the zone change process as provided in Chapter 18.15 MCC. (Code 1983 § 94.020.)

18.110.050 Height.

No building or structure in a PS zone shall exceed 65 feet in height. (Code 1983 § 94.025.)

18.110.060 Yards.

(1) Front Yard. There shall be a front yard of at least 20 feet on every lot in a PS zone. No parking or motor vehicles shall be permitted in the required front yard.

(2) Side Yard. There shall be a side yard of at least five feet on each side of any lot in a PS zone. The minimum depth of any side yard adjoining a street shall be 20 feet; no parking of motor vehicles shall be permitted in the first 10 feet of such a required side yard that adjoins the street.

(3) Rear Yard. There shall be a rear yard of at least 20 feet on any lot in a PS zone. (Code 1983 § 94.030.)

18.110.070 Additional yard requirements for tall buildings.

In a PS zone, the minimum front, side and rear yard requirements shall be increased by one foot for each foot of building height above 35 feet. (Code 1983 § 94.035.)

18.110.080 Lot coverage.

No main building shall occupy more than 50 percent of the area of any lot in a PS zone. (Code 1983 § 94.040.)

18.110.090 Minimum lot area.

There shall be no requirement for the minimum area of any lot in a PS zone. (Code 1983 § 94.045.)

18.110.100 Parking.

Parking and loading spaces for uses and activities in the PS zone shall be provided in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 18.130 MCC, Parking. (Amended by Ord. 1305, § 1 (Exh. A), November 6, 2012. Code 1983 § 94.050.)

18.115.010 Purpose.

The purposes of the public service college (PSC) zone are:

(1) To define and protect the Western Oregon University (WOU) campus area, as a special district within the public service zone, for a wide range of structures and uses appropriate to college services.

(2) To simplify land use matters relating to WOU through recognition of a unified campus-wide planning process, consistent with the Monmouth Comprehensive Plan.

(3) To preserve campus open space, historical buildings and facilities serving the general public.

(4) To protect adjacent land uses from any adverse effects of campus development. (Code 1983 § 94.105.)

18.115.020 Definitions.

“Adjacent areas” means all land areas within 250 feet of the campus boundaries.

“Campus Plan” means the development plan and policies adopted by Western Oregon University and the State Board of Higher Education to accommodate anticipated growth of the University.

“Comprehensive Plan” means the Comprehensive Plan of the City of Monmouth as adopted by the City Council and acknowledged by the Oregon State Land Conservation and Development Commission. Unless otherwise noted, the term “Comprehensive Plan” refers to the current adopted and acknowledged plan.

“Western Oregon University campus,” referred to herein as “campus,” means the land area owned and operated by the Oregon State Board of Higher Education as shown on the map at the end of MCC 18.115.090. (Code 1983 § 94.110.)

18.115.030 Campus Plan/Comprehensive Plan relationship.

Both the Monmouth Comprehensive Plan and the Campus Plan shall conform to State land use planning goals set forth in ORS Chapter 197. Planning efforts of both Western Oregon University and the City of Monmouth shall be coordinated as required by ORS 197.175 through 197.186, 195.020 and 195.025. To the greatest extent possible, periodic review processes for either plan shall provide an opportunity for both the University and the City to each comment upon the plan of the other. Both the City and the University shall give notice to each other prior to adoption of their land use plans and at any time such plans are revised, updated or amended. (Code 1983 § 94.115.)

18.115.040 Permitted uses.

Within the PSC zone no structure shall be used, constructed, erected or altered and no land parcel shall be used or occupied for any purposes except the following:

(1) Administrative offices;

(2) Athletic fields, exercise paths, tennis courts and similar outdoor, physical education facilities;

(3) Auditorium;

(4) Book, school supply or art supply store;

(5) College, university or community college;

(6) Convention center;

(7) Dormitory;

(8) Dwelling for faculty, staff or students;

(9) Food service building(s), cafeterias, snack bars, etc.;

(10) Grade school;

(11) Gymnasium;

(12) Health service building;

(13) Instructional buildings which may include any or all of the following: classrooms, laboratories, assembly rooms, offices, dining areas, machine, woodworking, ceramic or similar shops, data processing, studios for music or art;

(14) Library;

(15) Municipal or governmental service structure or use including, but not limited to: water reservoirs, pump stations, fire station, transformer station, electrical substation, bus terminal;

(16) Museum;

(17) Nonresidential school or institution for the handicapped;

(18) Open space, landscaped or undeveloped;

(19) Parking lot, public or private;

(20) Service and maintenance shops and offices;

(21) Stadium. (Code 1983 § 94.120.)

18.115.050 Conditional uses.

If authorized under procedures provided for conditional uses in this title, the following uses will be permitted in the PSC zone:

(1) Commercial uses directly related to the operation of the University provided the proposed use is listed as a permitted or conditional use in the CO or CR zone.

(2) Residential school for the handicapped.

(3) Home occupations, in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 18.30 MCC.

(4) Wireless communication facilities, in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 18.35 MCC. (Code 1983 § 94.125.)

18.115.060 Prohibited uses.

The following uses are expressly prohibited in the PSC zone:

(1) Any use listed in the industrial park (IP) zone.

(2) Adult businesses as defined in the adult business ordinance (Chapter 5.05 MCC).

(3) Alcoholic beverage dispensary. (Code 1983 § 94.130.)

18.115.070 Abandonment of use or transfer of ownership.

Whenever the existing use on any parcel zoned PSC is abandoned or the property is transferred to private ownership for a different use, the property owner or the Planning Commission shall initiate the zone change process as provided in Chapter 18.15 MCC. (Code 1983 § 94.135.)

18.115.080 Campus planning criteria.

Within the boundaries of WOU, the Campus Development Plan shall conform to the following general planning criteria:

(1) Maximum building height: 60 feet.

(2) Maximum building area coverage: 50 percent of the total gross area of the campus.

(3) Maximum building area: no maximum.

(4) Building Setbacks.

(a) From street rights-of-way: 20 feet minimum.

(b) From adjacent private property lines: 10 feet minimum for buildings up to 35 feet high. One additional foot setback for each floor of building height in excess of 35 feet.

(5) Distance between buildings: 10 feet minimum, but in no case less than the distance necessary for emergency vehicle access.

(6) Off-Street Parking.

(a) Provide and maintain a minimum of one off-street parking space for each two and one-half full-time-equivalent students, faculty and staff.

(b) Parking areas shall generally conform to the requirements of MCC 18.130.020, 18.130.030, 18.130.050, 18.130.070 and 18.130.100. Other sections of this chapter do not apply to the PSC zone.

(c) Parking Lot Access. Access to parking lots shall be limited to curb cuts no wider than 25 feet. Curb cuts shall be not closer to street intersections than 50 feet. Parking lots shall have no more than one curb cut per each side of street frontage. Driving aisles within parking lots shall be a minimum of 25 feet wide.

(7) Pedestrian Circulation. All uses shall provide adequate pedestrian walkways in order to afford convenient and safe pedestrian circulation. Sidewalks shall be constructed adjacent to all streets and shall be constructed within properties as deemed necessary by the Planning Commission.

(8) Screening. Any exterior storage or refuse areas, exposed machinery, service areas, truck loading areas, utility buildings and structures, and similar accessory structures shall be screened by appropriate fences or walls, constructed with materials which are complementary to adjacent buildings, to a height of no less than five feet nor more than seven feet, as measured from finished grade to the highest structural component of the fence or wall.

(9) Utilities shall be underground.

(10) Storm drainage shall conform to City of Monmouth Storm Drain Design Standards for a 10-year return period storm. (Amended by Ord. 1305, § 1 (Exh. A), November 6, 2012. Code 1983 § 94.140.)

18.115.090 Development procedure.

Upon completion of the Campus Plan, but prior to adoption of the Plan by the Oregon State Board of Higher Education, the Planning Commission shall review the Plan and hold a public hearing in accordance with Chapter 18.10 MCC. At a minimum, the Campus Plan shall include:

(1) A map showing campus boundaries.

(2) Projections of student, faculty and staff FTE for the selected planning period.

(3) Existing and proposed buildings and future development areas.

(4) Parking and pedestrian circulation routes.

(5) Adjacent land uses.

(6) Such other information as the Planning Commission may require to determine that the Plan meets the planning criteria set forth in MCC 18.115.080.

Once approved by the Planning Commission and adopted by WOU and the Oregon State Board of Higher Education, the Campus Plan shall become the controlling document for development within the WOU boundaries. Thereafter, construction may proceed subject only to site plan review, building permit and sign ordinance, as applicable.

(Amended by Ord. 1420 § 1 (Exh. B), July 15, 2025. Code 1983 § 94.145.)

18.120.010 Purpose.

This zone is intended to implement the open space – agriculture Comprehensive Plan Map designation. The purpose of this zone is to preserve large natural resource areas and to provide areas for the continued practice of agricultural activities while, in some cases, allowing access to these areas for public infrastructure and/or recreation. This zone is intended to protect agricultural uses that do not include raising livestock. (Code 1983 § 94.205.)

18.120.020 Permitted uses.

Within any OS-AG zone, no structure shall be used, constructed, erected, or altered and no lot shall be used or occupied for any purposes except the following:

(1) Agricultural uses, including raising crops, nursery stock, and other horticultural products. Raising livestock is not permitted.

(2) Accessory buildings, not including dwellings or manufactured homes, normally required in conjunction with agricultural uses.

(3) Propagation or harvesting of forest products.

(4) Public parks, including but not limited to picnic areas, playgrounds, and unlit playing fields.

(5) Paved or unpaved trails or pathway systems for use by equestrians, hikers, and bicyclists.

(6) Public and private conservation areas, including but not limited to wilderness areas, watershed areas, wildlife refuges, and wetlands.

(7) Utility services, including wastewater treatment plants, generating stations, substations, switching or splitting stations. Offices for such facilities are not permitted.

(8) Construction of streets, roads, and pedestrian and bicycle facilities that are included in the City of Monmouth Transportation System Plan or in other adopted City plans.

(9) Required off-street parking for uses permitted in this zone in accordance with the standards in Chapter 18.130 MCC.

(10) Uses existing prior to August 3, 2010, in compliance with the Monmouth Zoning Ordinance on that date. (Amended by Ord. 1320, § 1 (Exh. A), June 18, 2013. Code 1983 § 94.210.)

18.120.030 Conditional uses.

If authorized under the procedure for conditional uses in this title, the following uses will be permitted in the OS-AG zone:

(1) Wireless communication facilities, in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 18.35 MCC. (Code 1983 § 94.215.)

18.120.040 Prohibited uses.

(1) Rendering plants or tanneries.

(2) Agricultural processing facilities.

(3) Animal waste processing facilities. (Code 1983 § 94.220.)

18.120.050 Dimensional standards.

The following minimum dimensional standards are required:

(1) Minimum lot size: none.

(2) Setback requirements:

(a) Front yard: 25 feet.

(b) Side yard: 25 feet.

(c) Rear yard: 25 feet.

(3) Maximum building height shall not exceed 45 feet. A greater height may be approved as part of a conditional use permit. (MCC 18.120.010 through 18.120.050 added by Ord. 1281, August 3, 2010. Code 1983 § 94.225.)