The employment districts are designed to foster economic development and redevelopment and to enhance opportunities for business expansion and growth. They are also intended to:

(1)

Encourage reinvestment, revitalization, and redevelopment of retail, office, and industrial properties to maintain a stable tax base, provide new living-wage job opportunities, and increase the aesthetic appeal of the city;

(2)

Encourage appropriate transitions between higher-intensity uses within employment centers and adjacent lower-density residential districts; and

(3)

Encourage sustainable design practices that apply to buildings, private development sites, and the public realm.

(Ord. No. 1606, § 1006.01, 11-8-2021)

The following standards apply to all development within the employment districts:

(1)

Landscaping. All yard space between the building setback line and the street right-of-way line not utilized for driveways, parking of vehicles, or pedestrian elements shall be landscaped with grass, trees, and other landscape features as may be appropriate.

(2)

Entrance orientation. At least one building entrance shall be oriented to the primary abutting public street. The entrance must have a functional door. Entrances shall be clearly visible and identifiable from the street.

(3)

Materials. All exterior wall finishes on any building must be a combination of the following materials: No less than 60 percent face brick; natural or cultured stone; textured pre-cast concrete panels, pre-colored or factory stained or stained on site textured concrete block; stucco; glass; fiberglass; or similar materials and no more than 40 percent pre-finished metal, weathering steel, copper, premium grade wood with mitered outside corners (e.g., cedar, redwood, and fir), or fiber cement board. Under no circumstances shall sheet metal aluminum, corrugated aluminum, asbestos, iron plain or painted, or plain concrete block be acceptable as an exterior wall material on buildings within the city. Other new materials of equal quality to those listed may be approved by the community development department.

(4)

Overhead doors. Overhead doors shall be located on rear or side façades

(5)

Rooftop equipment. Rooftop equipment, including rooftop structures related to elevators, shall be completely screened from eye level view from contiguous properties and adjacent streets. Such equipment shall be screened with parapets or other materials similar to and compatible with exterior materials and architectural treatment on the structure being served. Horizontal or vertical slats of wood material shall not be utilized for this purpose. Solar and wind energy equipment is exempt from this provision if screening would interfere with system operations.

(6)

Service areas and mechanical equipment. Service areas, utility meters, and building mechanical equipment shall not be located on the street side of a building or on a side wall closer than ten feet to the street side of a building.

(Ord. No. 1606, § 1006.02, 11-8-2021)

Table 1006.03 lists all permitted and conditional uses in the employment districts.

(1)

Uses marked as "P" are permitted in the districts where designated.

(2)

Uses marked with a "C" are allowed as conditional uses in the districts where designated, in compliance with all applicable standards.

(3)

Uses marked as "NP" are not permitted in the districts where designated.

(4)

"Y" in the "standards" column indicates that specific standards must be complied with, whether the use is permitted or conditional. Standards for permitted uses are included in chapter 1011; standards for conditional uses are included in chapter 1009.

Table 1006.03

^a  See section 1011.12(f)(11) for standards pertaining to retail in employment districts.

^b  See section 1011.12(f)(12) for standards pertaining to limited warehousing and distribution.

^c  See section 1009.02(d)(41) for specific criteria pertaining to conditional uses.

^d  See section 1011.12(f)(13) for standards pertaining to limited production and processing.

^e  See section 1011.12(f)(14) for standards pertaining to limited production and processing and retail in employment districts.

^f  The retail component of a cannabis combination business is not permitted in the I zoning district.

^g  See section 1009.02(d)(40) for specific criteria pertaining to conditional uses.

(Ord. No. 1606, § 1006.03, 11-8-2021; Ord. No. 1682, § 3, 11-25-2024)

(a)

Statement of purpose. The Employment (E-1) and Employment Center (E-2) Districts are designed to foster the development of business parks that integrate complementary employment and related uses in an attractive, efficient and functional environment.

(1)

The districts are also intended to:

a.

Provide readily accessible services for employees;

b.

Provide pedestrian, bicycle, and transit connections to and through the business park;

c.

Maintain and improve the quality of the natural landscape within the business park; and

d.

Provide appropriate transitions to surrounding neighborhoods and districts.

(2)

The E-1 district is the more restrictive district, limiting uses to smaller scale offices and excluding the most intensive employment land uses, and is intended for application to smaller employment sites.

(3)

The E-2 district is less restrictive, being open to a wider mix of employment land uses, and is intended for larger employment areas located in close proximity to highways and major transportation corridors.

(b)

Design standards. The standards in section 1006.02 shall apply, with the following additions:

(1)

Integrated design. In the design of any business park, buildings and complementary uses shall be connected in a logical and cohesive manner by streets, sidewalks, trails, open space, and natural areas that combine to create a pedestrian-friendly environment. A pattern of blocks and interconnected streets is preferred.

(2)

Four-sided design. Building design shall provide consistent architectural treatment on all building walls. All sides of a building must display compatible materials, although decorative elements and materials may be concentrated on street-facing façades. All façades shall contain window openings. This standard may be waived by the community development department for uses that include elements such as service bays on one or more façades.

(3)

Maximum building length. Building length parallel to the primary abutting street shall not exceed 200 feet without a visual break such as a courtyard or recessed entry.

(c)

Dimensional standards.

Table 1006.04

^a  Increased building height allowed as a conditional use.

^b  The community development department may waive the minimum side and/or rear yard parking setbacks when parking facilities are to be shared with adjoining employment districts properties.

(d)

Improvement area. The improved areas, including paved surfaces and footprints of principal and accessory buildings and structures, shall not exceed 75 percent in the E-1 District and 85 percent in the E-2 District of the total development parcel area.

(e)

Frontage requirement. A development must utilize one or more of the three options below for placement of buildings and parking relative to the primary street:

(1)

At least 50 percent of the street frontage shall be occupied by building façades placed within 20 feet of the front lot line. No off-street parking shall be located between the façades meeting this requirement and the street.

(2)

At least 60 percent of the street frontage shall be occupied by building façades placed within 65 feet of the front lot line. Only one row of parking and a drive aisle may be placed within this setback area.

(3)

At least 70 percent of the street frontage shall be occupied by building façades placed within 85 feet of the front lot line. Only two rows of parking and a drive aisle may be placed within this setback area.

(Ord. No. 1606, § 1006.04, 11-8-2021)

(a)

Statement of purpose. The industrial district is designed to provide suitable sites for manufacturing, assembly, processing, warehousing, laboratory, distribution, related office uses, and truck/transportation terminals. The district is also designed to:

(1)

Minimize any external physical effects of such operations on surrounding less intensive uses;

(2)

Encourage and facilitate pedestrian, bicycle, and transit access throughout the industrial areas of the city; and

(3)

Encourage development of an attractive and well-landscaped physical environment within the industrial areas of the city.

(b)

Design standards. In addition to the standards in section 1006.02, storage of inoperative vehicles and/or inoperative equipment shall be conducted entirely within an enclosed structure.

(c)

Dimensional standards.

Table 1006.05

^a  The community development department may waive the minimum side and/or rear yard parking setbacks when parking facilities are to be shared with adjoining employment districts properties.

(d)

Improvement area. The improved areas, including paved surfaces and footprints of principal and accessory buildings and structures, shall not exceed 85 percent of the total development parcel area.

(e)

Parking placement. When parking is placed between a building and the abutting street, the building shall not exceed a maximum setback of 85 feet, sufficient to provide a single drive aisle and two rows of perpendicular parking along with building entrance access and required landscaping. This setback may be extended to a maximum of 100 feet if traffic circulation, drainage and/or other site design issues are shown to require additional space.

(f)

Surface parking. Surface parking on large development sites shall be divided into smaller parking areas with a maximum of 100 spaces in each area, separated by landscaped areas at least ten feet in width. Landscaped areas shall include pedestrian walkways leading to building entrances.

(Ord. No. 1606, § 1006.05, 11-8-2021)