Washougal City Zoning Code

Support the city council's sustainability goals: economic, environmental, and social sustainability; affordable community housing;

Support the growth management goal of more efficient use of urban residential land;

Support development of diverse housing in accordance with the comprehensive plan;

Provide an alternative type of detached housing providing small residences for households of typically one to two individuals as part of the city's overall housing strategy, which intends to encourage affordability, innovation, and variety in housing design and site development and to promote a variety of housing choices to meet the needs of a population diverse in age, income, household composition and individual needs;

Provide opportunities for creative, diverse, and high quality infill development within existing neighborhoods;

The cottage housing development design standards contained in this chapter are intended to create a small community of cottages oriented around open space that is pedestrian-oriented and minimizes the visibility of off-street parking. These design standards are intended to ensure that cottage housing developments include pedestrian amenities and take advantage of existing trail features on the site including topography and vegetation. The cottage housing development design standards are intended to maintain traditional cottage amenities and proportions and ensure that cottage housing developments contribute to the overall community character;

Cottage housing may allow higher residential density than is normally allowed in the underlying zone district. This increased density is possible with smaller than average home sizes, clustered parking, and site design standards;

Cottage housing developments are subject to special density standards.

On a lot to be used for a cottage housing development, an existing detached single-family residential structure, which may be nonconforming with respect to the standards of this chapter, shall be permitted to remain, but the extent of the nonconformity may not be increased. Such nonconforming dwelling units shall be included in the maximum permitted cottage density.

New accessory dwelling units (ADU) are not permitted in cottage housing developments.

All residential units in a cottage housing development count towards the maximum permitted density.

An existing attached or detached ADU that is accessory to an existing nonconforming single-family structure may be counted as a cottage unit if the property is developed subject to the provisions of this chapter.

Building Height. Structures in cottage housing developments shall be designed to be single-story or single-story plus a loft.

Covered Usable Main Entry Porches. All residences in cottage housing developments shall be provided with a covered main entry porch to create a private outdoor space protected from the weather and provide a transition from the interior private residential space to the semi-private outdoor space. Covered porches shall be usable in both design and dimension.

Exterior Trims and Roof Eaves. Cottage housing development structures shall be provided with substantial exterior trim elements consistent with traditional northwest cottage design and small home craftsmanship. Roofs in cottage housing developments shall have eaves to recognize traditional northwest cottage design traits to efficiently shed rain and provide rain protection for exterior walls.

Street-Facing Facades. The street-facing facades of cottages in a cottage housing development will contribute to the neighborhood by including attractive design details such as windows, changes in materials, and views of front doors or porches. The main entries of some cottages will be visible from the adjacent streets to provide a visual pedestrian connection with the surrounding neighborhood.

Setbacks for all structures from property lines shall be not less than five feet.

Separation of Structures. Structures within cottage housing developments shall observe minimum setbacks from other cottage housing development structures to avoid overcrowding the site and to maintain a sense of privacy within the cottages themselves.

Off-Street Parking Requirements. Off-street parking space requirements for cottage housing developments shall be less than normally required for detached single-family residences. These reduced standards are based upon the cottages being smaller than average detached single-family homes on average and containing fewer occupants. Off-street parking shall be located and designed to be less visible from frontage streets than the cottages themselves. Off-street parking shall be designed to maintain a pedestrian character for the overall cottage housing development. Clustering parking to the side or rear of a cottage project will most often best accomplish these goals. Parking areas shall be attractively landscaped to screen parking from adjacent properties and street rights-of-way and shall meet applicable parking lot landscape standards.

Exterior Lighting and Heating/Cooling Equipment Noise. Cottage housing developments to be designed to minimize light impacts both within the development and to adjacent properties. Where provided, exterior lighting shall be mounted as low as possible, pointed downward, and the light source shall be shielded from direct observation from above, adjacent properties, and public rights-of-way.

Fences.

Alternative Design. The director shall have the authority to review and approve a proposed alternative design that meets the intent and purpose of this chapter.

For the purpose of cottage housing, "common open space" shall be the central space that may be used by all occupants of the cottage complex, surrounded by grouped cottages.

A minimum of 20 percent of common open space is required.

Common open space shall be a contiguous area located in front or behind the cottages.

Common open space areas shall not be located between buildings or in the side yard area.

Parking areas, yard setbacks, spaces between buildings, areas under power lines, and private open space and driveways do not qualify as common open space.

The common open space shall have cottages abutting at least two sides grouped around the common open space.

At least 50 percent of the cottage units shall abut a common open space.

All of the cottage units shall be within 60 feet walking distance measured from the nearest entrance of the cottage along the shortest safe walking route to the nearest point of the common open space. The common open space shall not be across a street or parking area.

The common open space shall be distinguished from the private open space with fencing, landscaping, or berm to provide a visual boundary or a walkway around the perimeter of the common area.

No dimension of the common open space shall be less than 10 feet.

Each cottage unit shall be provided with a minimum of 300 square feet of usable private open space separated from the common open space by a hedge or fence not to exceed 36 inches in height.

No dimension of the private open space shall be less than 10 feet.

Low impact development techniques for stormwater management shall be used wherever possible. Such techniques may include the use of pervious pavers in parking areas and for walkways, directing roof drains and parking lot runoff to landscape beds, green or living roofs, and the use of rain barrels.

Cottages shall be located to maximize natural stormwater functions. Cottages shall be grouped and parking areas shall be located to preserve as much contiguous, permanently undeveloped open space and native vegetation as possible.

Impervious surfaces shall not exceed 60 percent of the site area.

All cottage housing developments shall be developed utilizing the procedures of Chapter 17.48 WMC, Binding Site Plans, in the case of condominiumized cottage home developments or Chapter 17.44 WMC, Short Plats and Subdivisions, in the case of individual lot ownership.

Appropriate documentation of condominiums shall be provided and recorded with the Clark County auditor's office and a copy provided to the city of Washougal community development department.

Cottages are for residential use only and may not be operated as transient accommodations (e.g., hotel, motel, homeless shelter).