Newcastle City Zoning Code

Residential; and

Commercial/industrial and mixed use.

The maximum density may be achieved only through the application of residential density incentives. Maximum density may only be increased pursuant to NMC § 18.34.040(F). Transfer of residential density shall be allowed only from one portion of a proposed residential development site to another contiguous portion of the same site.

Also see NMC § 18.12.060.

Outside of the CBC overlay zone as defined on the city's adopted zoning map, the maximum height is 50 feet. Height limits may be increased when portions of the structure which exceed the base height limit provide one additional foot of street and interior setback beyond the required setback for each foot above the base height limit; provided, that the maximum height may not exceed 60 feet.

Applies to each individual lot. Building coverage and hard surface area standards for:

Mobile home parks shall be allowed a base density of six dwelling units per acre.

The standards of the R-4 zone shall apply if a lot is less than 15,000 square feet in area.

At least 20 linear feet of driveway shall be provided between any garage, carport, or other fenced parking area and the street property line. The linear distance shall be measured along the centerline of the driveway from the access point to such garage, carport or fenced area to the street property line.

For multifamily development, the setback shall be the greater of:

Setbacks shall not be less than the required landscape width per Chapter 18.16 NMC.

Side Yard Requirements. The sum of the side yards shall be at least 15 feet; provided, no side yard abutting an interior lot line shall be less than five feet, and no side yard abutting a street shall be less than 10 feet, unless middle housing or one or more accessory dwelling units is on the lot. When middle housing or one or more accessory dwelling units are present, side setbacks shall add to 10 feet for the accessory dwelling unit or middle housing unit only. Side setbacks are five feet on legally nonconforming lots platted prior to 2006.

Subject to NMC § 18.24.300 if critical areas are identified on subject property.

Within the community business center (CBC) overlay zone, minimum and maximum floor area ratio (FAR) requirements shall apply for all uses except cultural uses; base, minimum, and maximum residential density requirements apply only to areas outside of the CBC overlay zone. Within the CBC overlay zone, maximum floor area ratio shall be 2.5:1.

Within the CBC overlay zone, a floor area ratio above 1:1 may only be achieved through the application of FAR incentives; see Chapter 18.36 NMC.

Permitted Locations of FAR Incentives.

Front yard setbacks do not apply to the R-24 zone within the CBC overlay zone. Design requirements regarding the use of the front yard setback, found within the CBC design guidelines (Chapter 18.22 NMC), apply.

Developments within the LOS zone which are a part of a city-approved parks plan are not subject to building or hard surface coverage maximums.

Hard surface coverage and calculations are defined in NMC § 18.06.080.

Refer to NMC § 18.16.200 for the characteristics (e.g., trees, shrubs, groundcover, etc.) for existing or newly planted native vegetation areas.

The vertical distance measured from the average finished grade to the highest point of a flat roof, or to mean height between the eaves and ridge of a pitched roof. Specifically excluded from this definition and from the regulation of maximum building height are structural elements not intended for habitation and not exceeding 10 feet above the maximum building height, including structures housing or screening mechanical and elevator equipment, stairways, tanks, skylights, chimneys, smoke and ventilation stacks, mechanical and elevator equipment, and parapet walls designed solely to screen mechanical and elevator equipment. Also excluded from this definition and from the regulation of maximum building height are flag poles, church steeples, utility line towers and poles, and similar structures.

Minimum rear setback is reduced to five feet for accessory dwelling units when one or more accessory dwelling units will be on a lot. Rear facing windows on the second floor are required to be semi translucent if the structure is closer than 15 feet of the rear lot line. Setback projections in NMC § 18.12.160(A), (B) and (C) are taken from the 20 feet rear setback.

Detached accessory dwelling units may be sited at a lot line if said lot line abuts a public alley.

The height limit for detached accessory dwelling units is 24 feet.

Front yard setbacks are not required within the downtown transition (DT) and downtown core (DC) zones. Design requirements regarding the use of the front yard setback, found within the CBC design guidelines (Chapter 18.22 NMC), apply.

These densities are allowed only through the application of mixed use development standards.

These densities may only be achieved through the application of residential density incentives; see Chapter 18.34 NMC.

Developments within the mixed use commercial (MU-C) and mixed use residential (MU-R) zones of the CBC overlay zone may exceed the height limit to a maximum of 75 feet.

Gas station pump islands shall be placed no closer than 25 feet to street front lines.

Buildings shall be placed no further from the front property line than is needed for required street frontage improvements such as sidewalks, plazas and required landscaping. These shall be considered streetfront buildings on the lot. Exceptions to streetfront building requirements are as follows:

Twenty-foot setback only required on property lines adjoining single-family residential zones; otherwise no specific interior setback requirement. The 20-foot setback must be Type II landscape buffer as defined in NMC § 18.16.040(B).

The minimum side setback in the MU-R zone is 10 feet.

Where the existing right-of-way is inadequate to allow for the required sidewalk widths, buildings must be set back the minimal distance in order to meet the required sidewalk width.

Within the CBC overlay zone, a FAR above 1:1 may only be achieved through the application of FAR incentives; see Chapter 18.36 NMC. Developments occurring within the MU-C and MU-R zones of the CBC overlay zone have a maximum FAR of 4:1 with the use of FAR incentives above a 1:1 FAR.

Applies only to shopping center subdistrict (SCS) as defined on official zoning map and as described in NMC § 18.15.070(B).

Densities in the downtown core (DC) zone may be increased 10% for every 10% increase in commercial floor area ratio above 0.23, not to exceed 64 dwelling units per acre.

An upper story setback of 10 feet from the beginning of the building facade is required for any part of a building above the third story which abuts a public or private street.

Within the mixed use (MU), mixed use commercial (MU-C) and mixed use residential (MU-R) zones of the CBC overlay zone, there is an additional upper story setback for all new or expanded development above 35 feet and within 60 feet of single-family residential properties or Lake Boren. Starting at the required setback of 20 feet from the property line, building height may be increased 3.75 feet in height for every five feet of additional setback provided until the maximum height of 65 feet is not exceeded at the 60-foot setback.

The application of landscaping requirements contained in Chapter 18.16 NMC may restrict maximum hard surface coverage on some sites beyond the standards contained in this section. Hard surface coverage shall include the ground area of the entire development site covered by any impervious surface, permeable pavement, or vegetated roof, determined by extending a vertical projection to the ground from the widest points of any hard surface, and expressed as a percentage of total lot area.

Permitted Locations of FAR Incentives.

The maximum impervious surface coverage may be exceeded up to the maximum hard surface coverage standard on sites where permeable surfaces are determined to be infeasible under the criteria identified in the city's adopted surface water design manual.

Hard surface coverage and calculations are defined in NMC § 18.06.080.

The vertical distance measured from the average finished grade to the highest point of a flat roof, or to mean height between the eaves and ridge of a pitched roof. Specifically excluded from this definition and from the regulation of maximum building height are structural elements not intended for habitation and not exceeding 10 feet above the maximum building height, including structures housing or screening mechanical and elevator equipment, stairways, tanks, skylights, chimneys, smoke and ventilation stacks, mechanical and elevator equipment, and parapet walls designed solely to screen mechanical and elevator equipment. Also excluded from this definition and from the regulation of maximum building height are flag poles, church steeples, utility line towers and poles, and similar structures.

Each unit of co-living housing shall be counted as 0.25 units of housing for density calculation purposes.

The proposed layout of the lots in a subdivision or the buildings in a multiple dwelling development will not preclude future residential development consistent with the minimum density of the zone.

The noncritical area of the parcel is of a size or configuration that results in lots which cannot meet the minimum dimensional requirements of the zone or in lots that result in an incompatible neighborhood design.

In the R-12 through R-24 zones, the area of the parcel required to accommodate stormwater facilities exceeds 10 percent of the area of the site.

The site contains a national, state or county historic landmark.

Fractions of 0.50 or above shall be rounded up; and

Fractions below 0.50 shall be rounded down.

Full density credit shall be allowed for coal mine, erosion and seismic hazard areas and for flood hazard areas outside of streams, wetlands or buffers associated with streams or wetlands.

Partial to full density credit shall be allowed for steep slopes, landslide hazard areas, and any required critical area buffers according to the following table:

No density credit shall be allowed for streams or wetlands.

Determine the percentage of site area in critical areas and buffers by dividing the total area in required critical areas and buffers by the total site area;

Multiply the density credit percentage set forth in subsection (B) of this section by the site area in critical areas and buffers to determine the effective critical area; and

Add the effective critical area to the site area not in critical areas or buffers. The resulting acres shall be considered the effective site area for purposes of density calculation and shall be treated the same as the site area for purposes of determining the allowable dwelling units pursuant to NMC § 18.12.070.

Limited to two per facade;

Not wider than 10 feet; and

Not more than 24 inches into a side or rear setback or 36 inches into a front setback.

Eighteen inches into side and rear setbacks; and

Five feet into the front setback.

Eighteen inches into side setback; and

Fifteen feet into the rear setback; and

Five feet into the front setback.

Eighteen inches into a side or rear setback; or

Twenty-four inches into a front setback.

The square footage of the accessory structure is less than the square footage threshold which would require a building permit for an accessory structure under the International Residential Code.

The accessory structure is no greater than 10 feet in height measured to the peak of the roof.

The placement of the accessory structure in the setback would not violate any standard or requirement of the city's codes, including but not limited to impervious surface, building coverage, or critical areas.

The accessory structure has a minimum of five feet separation from any adjacent property line. Accessory structures may be placed less than five feet from an adjacent rear property line if the applicant has secured a written mutual agreement, in a format approved by the city, with the abutting property owners of the property lines affected. The agreement shall be recorded with the King County Division of Records and Elections and the applicant shall provide a copy of the recorded agreement to the city.

A street intersection shall be determined by measuring 15 feet along both street property lines beginning at their point of intersection. The third side of the triangle shall be a line connecting the endpoints of the first two sides of the triangle; or

A site access point shall be determined by measuring 15 feet along the street lines and 15 feet along the edges of the driveway beginning at the respective points of intersection. The third side of each triangle shall be a line connecting the endpoints of the first two sides of each triangle.

Such improvements prevent adequate sight distance to drivers entering or leaving a driveway; and

No reasonable driveway relocation alternative for an adjoining lot is feasible.