Montesano City Zoning Code

There will be no serious interference with the activities of nearby residents, if any;

Traffic circulation will not be unnecessarily impeded and that there will be provisions for adequate on-site parking and a reasonable means of ingress and egress;

Sound or lighting will not be a nuisance to neighborhood residents; and

There will be adequate provisions for water supply and sanitary facilities. Outdoor public assemblies, music festivals, and similar uses which involve occupancy of a privately owned outdoor area for more than sixteen hours in any twenty-four-hour period shall not be permitted.

The operation shall be within the confines of the dwelling occupied by the operator or in the accessory building on the same premises; and provided, that there shall be no more than one hundred cubic feet of storage within the residence not visible from the street and not more than five hundred cubic feet of storage shall be permitted within an accessory building or an attached garage;

Not more than one unlighted sign, not exceeding eight square feet in area and attached to the main building shall be permitted;

Display of products or sales shall be permitted; provided they are in the residence and do not detract from the character of the neighborhood;

No one other than members of the resident family shall be employed in the home occupation;

Rooming and boarding of no more than two persons, exclusive of the resident family, may be allowed in compliance with this section; provided, that all applicable ordinances pertaining to boarding are observed; and

All parking regulations pertaining to the zone in which the home occupation is located are met.

Architectural Features.

Fences, Walls and Hedges.

Fences, walls and hedges constructed in accordance with the provisions above may be installed within the public right-of-way at a location as allowed in writing by the director. Fences, walls and hedges installed in the right-of-way are subject to removal or modification at any time upon notice to the property owner by the director. Fences, walls and hedges within the right-of-way that are required to be modified or removed by the director must be modified or removed at the property owners' expense.

Variances. Variances for height and location of fences, walls and hedges shall be processed in accordance with Chapter 17.46. Height variances for front yard setbacks will only be considered for proposals that do not obscure the view of the residence from the street.

Where a side lot line is also a street right-of-way line the side yard setback in any residential district shall be fifteen feet. Subject to the approval of the building official, on corner lots in any residential district, the side lot line adjacent to the street may be considered the front lot line and the front, side and rear yards adjusted accordingly. Approval shall be granted when the shifting of yards will result in better siting of the dwelling without adversely affecting adjacent properties.

Within the area lying between the front line and side lines (for purposes of this title the "front line" and "side lines" are defined as meaning the face of the curb, or edge of pavement, or in the absence of curb and pavement, the edge of the traffic surface) adjacent to a street and a line connecting points of these lines thirty feet from their intersection, site-obscuring fences, walls and vegetation shall not exceed three feet in height above the established grade of either street. Tree trunks, posts or columns not exceeding eighteen inches in cross-sectional width, measured at three feet above the established grade of either street, shall be permitted provided tree branches are removed up to eight feet above the established grade of either street.

In commercial or industrial districts, off-street parking shall be located on the same lot with the use or within five hundred feet thereof.

Parking for any nonresidential use shall not be located closer than five feet from any front or side property line, and that five-foot setback area shall be landscaped; provided, that plants shall not exceed three feet in height within twenty feet of any access drive. Trees, posts or columns not exceeding eighteen inches in cross-sectional width, measured at three feet above the established grade of either street, shall be permitted; provided, that tree branches are removed up to fourteen feet above the established grade of either street. This subsection shall not apply to any property or use which lawfully existed on the effective date of the ordinance codified in this title and which does not conform to the requirements with this chapter until such times as such use is discontinued or abandoned.

Outdoor parking spaces or driveways serving an outdoor parking facility which are adjacent to residential property shall have a sight-obscuring fence at least four feet in height on the property line abutting the residential zone. This subsection shall not apply to any outdoor parking facility which, on the effective date of the ordinance codified in this title, existed in conformance with prior city ordinances, until such time as such use is discontinued or abandoned.

Parking for residential uses shall not be located in a required front yard nor within fifteen feet of the street side property line on a corner lot. Where four or more residential units are located on the same lot, outdoor parking shall not be closer than five feet to any on-site building and not closer than three feet to any side or rear lot line.

Any parking facility for four or more vehicles, including access driveways and aisles, shall be graded and drained so as to dispose adequately of surface water, to the satisfaction of the city engineer, and shall be surfaced with concrete, asphaltic concrete, bituminous surface treatment or an equivalent satisfactory to the city engineer, and shall be maintained in good condition free of weeds, dust, trash, and debris.

Required individual parking spaces shall be designated by contrasting paint or markers and shall be a minimum of nine feet wide and twenty feet long. Driveways providing access to a parking facility shall be at least twelve feet wide for each lane of travel and aisles providing access to parking spaces shall be as follows:

Parking facilities for nonresidential uses which will be used after dark shall be lighted; provided, that the light source shall be directed away from nearby residential premises.

The bed and breakfast inn shall have no more than five bedrooms offered for rent and shall be occupied by no more than ten guests.

The proprietor or owner must reside on the property.

Off-street parking: two parking spaces and an additional parking space for each guest room. Tandem parking may be used. The hearing examiner may reduce the required parking spaces if the provision of the spaces would result in the destruction of yards or significant landscaping.

A "continental style breakfast" and limited food service for overnight guests is allowed as described in the guidelines for bed and breakfast for Washington State as published by Washington State Environmental Health Directors dated June 12, 1985 or its successor. Limited food service may be allowed by the examiner provided all necessary permits are obtained from the Grays Harbor County department of health.

The structure shall have the exterior appearance of a residence.

In all zones, an unlighted or indirectly lighted sign no larger than eight square feet is allowed. Where the zone in which the property is located allows a larger sign, the sign regulations allowing the largest sign shall apply.

The examiner may attach such conditions as the examiner finds necessary to protect surrounding residential properties. Failure to adhere to any of the requirements of this section or any other condition is ground for revocation of the conditional land use permit.