Skykomish City Zoning Code

means a driveway that may provide access to more than one parking lot area, may provide access to more than one property or lot, and/or may provide internal access from one street to another.

means a use or structure on the same lot which is customarily subordinate to the principal use of a building on the lot.

means a comprehensive document and scale drawing which:

means a regular family abode in which a person or persons provides personal care, special care, room, and board to more than one but not more than six adults who are not related by blood or marriage to the person or persons providing the services.

means a party who suffers a direct and adverse affect upon his personal, pecuniary or property rights by a decision of the town council or planning commission.

means a public way either unimproved or improved which affords only a secondary means of access to abutting properties. Alley width shall be considered the distance between its right-of-way lines.

means a change or rearrangement of the structural parts or exit facilities, or an enlargement by extending the sides or increasing the height or depth, or the moving from one location to another.

means, unless otherwise specified, a change to this zoning title. There are two types of zoning amendments: textual amendments alter the text of this title, and map changes (also known as rezones) alter the boundaries of the various zoning districts on the official zoning map. Textual amendments may be requested by any citizen or property owner, the planning commission, or the town council. Map changes which alter the zone district classification may be requested by a person with a pecuniary interest in the property, the planning commission, or the town council.

means those commercial establishments, such as theaters, dance halls, bowling alleys, skating rinks, miniature golf courses, arcades, waterslides or other similar uses, which provide recreation either indoors or in a confined, intensively utilized outdoor area.

means any article, other than an automobile, that because of its age, rarity or historical significance has a monetary value greater than the original value.

means a place that sells predominantly those articles which are antiques and antique-related objects.

means a room, or suite of two or more rooms in a multifamily dwelling occupied or suitable for occupancy as a dwelling unit for one family.

means any building, or portion thereof, which is designed, built, rented, leased, let or hired out to be occupied or which is occupied as the home or residence of two or more families living independently of each other and each having separate cooking facilities.

means the portion of the driveway approach that extends from the gutter flow line to the sidewalk area and underlying between the end slopes of the driveway approach.

means the total horizontal dimensional area within the property lines, excluding external right-of-way lines.

means an open area where inoperable autos, scrap, or waste are stored. Any area with two or more inoperable autos shall be considered an auto wrecking yard. Also see "Junk yard."

means the average of the natural or existing topography of the portion of the lot, parcel or tract of real property which will be directly under the proposed building or structure. Calculation of the average grade level shall be made by averaging the elevations at the center of all exterior walls of the proposed building or structure.

means an owner-occupied home with one to five rooms to let for transient lodging of guests, using a common entrance, one central kitchen, and a dining facility.

means a strip of land established to separate one type of land use from another. Normally the buffer zone is landscaped and kept in open space uses.

means any structure used or intended for supporting or sheltering any use or occupancy.

means a subordinate building on a lot, incidental to the use of the main building on the same lot.

means the total ground coverage of a building or structure which provides shelter, measured from the outside of its external walls or supporting members or from a point four feet in from the outside edge of a cantilevered roof or whichever is greatest.

means a building surrounded on all sides by open space.

means the wall, corner or part of a building nearest the property line.

means a building or structure which does not conform in its construction, area, yard requirements or height to the regulations of the district in which it is located.

means a permit for construction issued by the town of Skykomish to an applicant in accordance with the specific plans approved by the town building department or its representative.

means a line, usually parallel to the front lot line, in front of which (between the building setback line and the front lot line) the roof line of a building cannot extend.

means official certification by the town that a premises conforms to provisions of the zoning code and building code and that it may be used or occupied. Such certificate is granted for new construction or for the change of use of an existing structure for alterations or additions to existing structures. A building cannot be occupied until a certificate is issued.

means an incorporated or unincorporated association of persons organized for a social, education, literary or charitable purpose.

is a design technique or zoning strategy that involves grouping houses on smaller lots in one area of a development while preserving the remaining land on the site for recreation, common open space, or protection of environmentally sensitive areas.

means a residential development to encourage social interaction.

is housing consisting of a complex of dwelling units in which each of the units are individually owned. The purchaser only owns the interior, while the building itself is owned by the condominium association.

means a lot that contains the required width, depth, and square footage as specified in the zoning district in which it is situated.

means a use that is listed as a permitted use or has a conditional use permit in the zoning district in which the use is situated.

means an off-street parking facility shared by two or more buildings or uses.

means homes smaller than average and clustered around a common area.

means the town council of the town of Skykomish.

means a space, open and unobstructed to the sky, located at or about grade level on a lot and bounded on three or more sides by walls of a building.

means the percentage of the area of a lot with structures and parking areas built upon it and/or used for residential, commercial or industrial purposes.

include, but are not limited to, libraries, museums, art galleries, and dancing, music and art centers.

means a depression in the roadside curb for driveway purposes which provides access to park from a public street.

means an agency licensed by the state of Washington in which parental care and/or education is provided for children during the day.

means an area accurately defined as to the boundaries and location on the official zoning map and within which certain land use regulations as prescribed by the text of this title apply.

means a business establishment where customers are permitted or encouraged, either by the design of the structure or by service and/or parking area accessory to the building, to remain seated in their motor vehicle while conducting business.

means a private roadway giving access from a public way to building or abutting grounds.

means a residential building containing two single-family dwelling units within the exterior walls of a single building.

means a building designed to house two or more families living independently of each other.

means a building containing only one dwelling unit.

means a dwelling unit which has not been permanently attached to the ground by placement on a permanent foundation and has no permanent utility connections.

means a single unit providing complete, independent living facilities for one or more persons, including permanent provisions for living, sleeping, eating, cooking and sanitation.

means a school giving general academic instruction in the several branches of learning and study required by the Educational Code of the State of Washington.

means the mining or carrying or other mechanical removal of natural deposits including underground shaft operations, but excluding:

means an individual or two or more persons related by blood or marriage or a group of not more than five persons who need not be related by blood or marriage living together in a dwelling unit.

means living or manufactured material that is built, constructed, or planted in such a manner so that the primary purpose is to separate and divide, partition, enclose or screen a portion or all of a lot or parcel.

means an aisle, lane, or roadway on an improved site which is designated, constructed, and required for emergent access of fire and aid unit vehicles.

means the sum of the gross horizontal areas of the floors of a building or buildings, measured from the exterior walls and from the centerline of divisions, shafts and stairwells at each floor, mechanical equipment rooms or attic spaces with headroom of seven feet, six inches or more, penthouse floors, interior balconies and mezzanines, enclosed porches, and malls. "Floor area" shall not include accessory water tanks and cooling, mechanical equipment or attic spaces with headroom of less than seven feet, six inches, exterior steps or stairs, terraces, breezeways and open spaces.

means an apartment over a garage usually with a separate external entrance.

means an accessory building or structure other than a portion of the main building, enclosed on not less than three sides and designed or used only for the shelter or storage of vehicles, primarily those vehicles belonging to occupants of the main building.

means a building or structure, other than a private garage, used for the care, repair or storage of automobiles, or where motor vehicles are kept for remuneration, hire or sale.

means the vertical distance from the average grade level to the highest point of the structure, excluding television antennas and chimneys.

means a place or district which has considerable and significant importance because of past events, experience or phenomena of the town of Skykomish as designated by the Washington State Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation.

A structure is considered historic if it is:

means an occupation or profession which is customarily incidental to and carried on in a dwelling unit or accessory structure by a member of the family and no more than one employee outside the family unit; provided, that:

means an incorporated nonprofit corporation whose members are owners of record of lots in a defined area, and who share in the maintenance and other expenses of the corporation.

means a building in which lodging is provided and offered to the public for compensation and which is open to transient guests.

means a vehicle that meets at least three of the four following criteria:

means an open area where waste or scrap materials are bought, sold, exchanged, stored, baled, packed, disassembled, or handled, including but not limited to scrap iron and other metals, paper, rags, rubber tires, and bottles. A junk yard includes auto wrecking yards but does not include uses established within enclosed buildings nor pawn shops and establishments for the sale, purchase or storage of used furniture and household equipment, used cars in operable condition or the processing of used, discarded or salvaged materials as part of a manufacturing operation.

means a place where three or more dogs or cats, four months old or older, or any combination of dogs and cats are kept. Reference Chapter 6.05 SMC, Article III.

means natural vegetation such as trees, shrubs, groundcover, or other landscape materials arranged in a manner to produce an aesthetic effect appropriate for the use to which the land is put.

means a space on the same site or adjacent to the site which provides for the temporary parking of a vehicle while loading or unloading merchandise, materials or passengers.

means a measured parcel of land having fixed boundaries and designated on a plat or survey. A lot is not a building site unless it is a lot of record.

means the land space contained within the various lines forming the perimeter boundary of any described lot, tract or parcel of land.

means a lot situated at the intersection of two streets or roads, by which the interior angle does not exceed 135 degrees.

means the horizontal distance between the front lot line and rear lot line of a lot measured within the lot boundaries.

means a lot other than a corner lot.

means that boundary of a lot which is along an existing or dedicated public street or, where no public street exists, along a private road, each segment or accessway. On a corner lot, the narrowest portion of the lot is the "front lot line."

means a line which is most nearly opposite and most distant from the front lot line.

means any boundary of a lot which is not a front lot line, side street lot line, or rear lot line.

means a lot line abutting upon a street other than a front lot line.

means a lot as shown on an officially recorded plat or short plat or a parcel of land officially recorded or registered as a unit of property and is described by metes and bounds, and lawfully established on the date of recording of the instrument first referencing the lot.

means an interior lot in which the buildable area is not bounded laterally by a public or private road, and which gains road access by means of a lot extension, a driveway easement, or the terminus of a private or public road.

means a lot having a pair of opposite lot lines along two more or less parallel streets and which is not a corner lot. On a through lot, both street lines shall be deemed front lot lines.

means a parcel of property or tract of land which has not been created through subdivision procedures. It is a lot of record, but is not described by a lot and block legal description within a named and recorded subdivision.

means the horizontal distance between the lot side lines measured at right angles to the line comprising the depth of the lot as a point midway between the lot front lines and the lot rear line, or midpoints of frontage lines on through lots.

means a formal subdivision or long plat. It does not include a short plat.

means a single-family structure built off site and transported to the site, and placed on a site-built foundation.

is a development that combines two or more different types of land uses, such as residential, commercial, employment, and entertainment uses, within the same physical structure. An example would be a building that included retail or commercial uses on the ground floor and residential or office uses on the upper floors.

means a manufactured single-family structure which is built on a chassis in accordance with the requirements prescribed under Chapter 43.22 RCW, and/or U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Standards promulgated under the National Mobile Home Construction and Safety Standards Act of 1974, as amended. Mobile home shall be construed to remain a mobile home and subject to all regulations applying thereto, whether or not wheels, axles, hitch or other appurtenances of mobility are removed and regardless of the nature of foundation provided and permanent connection to required utilities. Reference Chapter 15.10 SMC.

means a tract of land under single ownership or control, including ownership by a condominium or homeowners' association, upon which three or more mobile homes occupied as dwellings may be located.

means a building or portion thereof designated or used for the transient rental of five or more units, which provides lodging services and accommodations to the traveling public.

means a small apartment either attached, part of or separate from the main residence house. They have their own bathroom and kitchen facility.

means a residential building designated for or occupied by two or more families.

means the topography of the lot, parcel or tract of real property immediately prior to any site preparation or grading, including excavation or filling.

means a building or structure which was lawfully erected or altered and maintained, but which does not now conform to the regulations of the zone in which the building or structure exists.

means any use of land, building or structure legally established prior to the effective date of the ordinance codified in this title and which does not comply with all of the use regulations of the zoning district in which it is situated.

means material capable of causing injury to living organisms by chemical reactions, or is capable of causing detrimental effects upon the physical or economic well-being of individuals.

means the map depicting the various zoning districts in the town of Skykomish that is a part of this title, annually updated and signed by the mayor and town clerk.

means land used for recreation, resource protection, project utilities, safety or buffers, as is protected by the provisions of this title. "Open space" shall be left in a substantially natural state except in the case of recreation or other approved uses that may contain limited impervious surfaces.

means the owner of record.

means a tract or plat of land of any size which may or which may not be subdivided or improved.

means an area accessible to vehicles, which area is provided, improved, maintained and used for the sole purpose of accommodating a motor vehicle.

means a location where parking is provided as a primary use.

means a minimum requirement or maximum allowable limit on the effects or characteristics of a use. "Performance standards" describe allowable uses with respect to smoke, odor, noise, heat, vibration, glare, etc.

means a structure affixed to the land in such a manner that it may not be readily removed and including adequate provisions for support of a building or manufactured home and constructed in accordance with regulations promulgated by the town of Skykomish.

means the Skykomish comprehensive plan.

means a zoning classification that allows flexibility in the design of a subdivision. Planned unit development zones generally set up an overall density limit for the entire subdivision, allowing the dwelling units to be clustered to provide for common open space.

means a map of a subdivision drawn pursuant to state law.

means a use, lot or building that existed at the time of the passage of the ordinance codified in this title.

means buildings in which a use or activity is conducted and/or the grounds over which the operator of the use has direct control.

means the main use of the land and/or buildings as distinguished from a subordinate or accessory use.

means a completed application that has been received and acknowledged by the town of Skykomish and that has not yet been approved or denied.

Federal public housing provides decent, safe rental housing. Comes in all sizes and types, single-family, high rise, etc.

means a structure or use intended or used for a public purpose by a municipal corporation (city, town, school district, fire district, county government), the state or other public agency or public utility regulated by the WCTU.

means a change in the zoning boundaries on the official zoning map pursuant to an approved amendment.

means a vehicle, with or without motorized power, other than a mobile home, which is permanently designed and intended for use for temporary housing purposes. Recreational vehicles shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, campers, motor homes and travel trailers. Permanent occupancy is prohibited in recreational vehicles in all zoning districts. "Permanent" for purposes of this definition shall mean occupancy by one or more persons for 14 or more days in any 30-day period. Reference SMC § 15.10.170.

is a fee paid location where people with recreational vehicles can stay overnight, or longer in allotted spaces. Some RV parks also offer tent camping or cabins with limited facilities. They may or may not have bathroom facilities, electrical, water and sewer or septic systems available.

means a type of single room occupancy building where most washing, kitchen and laundry facilities are shared. It may also include dining and living room.

See "Educational institution."

means a watertight receptacle which receives the discharge of sewage from a building sewer, and is designed and constructed so as to permit separation of settleable and floating solids from the liquid, as well as detention and digestion of the organic matter prior to discharge of the liquid portion to a filter field or to other suitable facility.

means any building, and the lot on which it is located, that is used for the sale of gasoline or other motor fuels, oils, lubricants, and for minor servicing of motor vehicles.

means the distance between buildings or uses and their lot lines.

means a division of property into four or fewer lots.

means renting a single-family residence for occupancy for dwelling, lodging or sleeping purposes of 30 consecutive days or less. This does not include using a home for commercial purposes such as weddings, corporate retreats, or other special events. A short-term rental must be maintained and used at all times for residential occupancy. "Occupants" of a short-term rental are defined as residents of the subject property as well as temporary guests.

means any communication device, structure or fixture, illuminated or nonilluminated, which is visible from any public place, and containing advertising, or where the intent or effect is to direct attention to and to promote the sale of products, goods, services, events, or to identify a building. Murals, or painted wall designs or patterns which do not identify the user or a commercial product or service shall not be considered signs. (See Chapter 18.50 SMC for specific sign definitions.)

means the amount of lot area required for each dwelling unit to be constructed on any lot.

means an accessory building for the keeping of three or more horses. An accessory building for keeping less than three horses is called an accessory building.

means that portion of a building included between the surface of any floor and the surface of the floor next above, or, if there is no floor above, the space between the floor and ceiling next above. A basement shall be counted as a story for the purposes of this title when more than one-half of such basement is above the average finished grade.

means improvements located within the street, public right-of-way, parking areas or other open areas, including but not limited to light standards, utility poles, newspaper stands, bus shelters, planters, benches, retaining walls, trash receptacles and telephone booths.

means an activity or purpose for which land or premises or a building thereon is designed, arranged, or intended, or for which it is occupied or maintained, let or leased.

See "Accessory use or structure."

means an unusual and/or unique type of land use which, due to its nature, requires special consideration of its impacts on the neighborhood and land uses in the vicinity.

See "Nonconforming use."

means any use authorized or permitted alone or in conjunction with any other use in a specified district and subject to the limitation of the regulations of such district.

means the use for which a lot, structure or building, or the major portion thereof, is designed or actually employed.

means a public service or quasi-public service operated to provide the necessary functions for the community.

means an adjustment in the application of the specific provisions of this title to a particular piece of property, which property, because of special circumstances applicable to it, is deprived of privileges commonly enjoyed by other properties in the same vicinity and zone and which the adjustment remedies the disparity in privileges.

means an unoccupied open space, which may contain driveways, sidewalks, lamp posts, open patios, retaining walls, entrance steps, fences and landscaping unless specifically otherwise provided, and lies between the property and the building setback line, the inside boundary of which shall be considered parallel to the nearest property line.

means a yard extending between side lot lines across the front of a lot adjacent to a street; provided, in the case of through lots, a front yard shall be provided on both frontages; in case of corner lots, a full depth front yard shall be provided in accordance with the prevailing lot pattern.

means a yard extending across the rear of the lot between inner side yard lines and opposite the required front yard; provided, that corner lots with normal frontage shall have a rear yard extending from the inner side line of the side yard adjacent to the interior lot to the inner line of the second front yard; and provided further, that no rear yard is required for the through lots.

means a yard extending from the rear line of the required front yard to the rear lot line of the required rear yard.

also commonly referred to as a "zone," means an area defined as to boundaries and location, and classified by the zoning regulations as available for certain types of uses, and within which other similar types of uses may be permitted.