Chapter 2.6 Light Industrial District (LI)

Chapter 2.6 –
Light Industrial District (LI)

Sections:

2.6.400 Special Standards for Certain Uses

2.6.100 Purpose

The Light Industrial District provides land for light manufacturing, warehousing, processing, and distribution of goods and other low intensity industrial uses. It is intended for industrial uses which involve the low level of noise, vibration, air pollution, radiation, glare, or fire and explosive hazards.

2.6.200 Uses

A. Permitted uses. Uses allowed in the Light Industrial District are listed in Table 2.6.1 with a “P.” These uses are allowed if they comply with the development standards and other regulations of this Code.

B. Special Provisions. Uses that are either permitted or conditionally permitted in the Light Industrial District subject to special provisions for that particular use are listed in Table 2.6.1 with an “SP.” Uses subject to an SP shall comply with the applicable special use standards included in Chapter 2.15.

C. Conditional uses. Uses that are allowed in the LI District with approval of a conditional use permit are listed in Table 2.6.1 with either a Minor Conditional Use “MCU” or a Conditional Use “CU.” These uses must comply with the criteria and procedures for approval of a conditional use set forth in Chapter 4.4 of this Code.

D. Similar uses. Similar use determinations shall be made in conformance with the procedures in Chapter 4.8 – Code Interpretations.

Table 2.6.1 Use Table for the Light Industrial District
Land Use Category	Permitted/Special Provisions/Conditional Uses
Residential
One caretaker dwelling unit not to exceed 800 square feet on one acre minimum lot area. One covered parking stall required.	MCU
Commercial
Auto Parts Sales (indoor only)	P
Vehicle, RV, equipment and boat repair, rental, storage, service and manufacture	MCU
Medical and dental laboratories	P
Animal veterinary clinic, indoor kennels and pet daycares	P
Outdoor Kennels	CU
Outdoor commercial uses (e.g., outdoor storage. Building and garden supply and nurseries)	MCU
Heavy equipment rental and repair services and sales	MCU
Corporate Headquarter/Office when co-located with a permitted or conditionally permitted use	P
Mini-storage facilities	P/See Section 2.6.400
Contractor storage, supplies and sales	MCU
Ambulance Service	CU
Transportation yards	MCU
Retail of sport vehicles, such as recreational vehicles, ATVs, snowmobiles, boats, motorcycles, tractors and other industrial/recreational vehicles and automobiles and agricultural machinery and equipment	P
Call centers, technology support and office uses for lots that abut Larch Street or have access to Larch Street.	P
Distilleries, cideries, wineries and breweries at which the primary use is onsite beverage production and/or related packaging. Tasting rooms and food service is allowed as an accessory use and shall not exceed 25% of the total building floor area.	P
Direct retail sale of products to the public as an accessory use. Up to 25% of the total building floor area, up to a maximum of 1000 square feet, may be used for retail sales. Up to 10% of the total building floor area may contain retail items that are not manufactured on site or related to the primary use on the site. The remainder of the allowable retail area must be used selling items that are either manufactured on site or directly relate to the primary light industrial activity occurring on site.	P
Recreational uses (indoor and outdoor)	P
Shooting Range (indoor)	CU
Industrial
Construction: Contractors and related businesses. This category comprises businesses whose primary activity is performing specific building or other construction related work. Examples of contractors are residential and nonresidential building construction, utility/civil engineering construction, specialty trade contractors, and moving companies. Examples of related businesses are engineering, architectural and surveying services and which often take place in office-type buildings.	P
Light manufacturing, compounding, assembly, packaging, fabrication and repair (e.g., appliances, electronic, equipment, printing, furniture, cosmetics, signs and similar goods) with incidental sales associated with a permitted use.	P
Heavy manufacturing, assembly, and processing of raw materials and recycling	CU
Development of primary and secondary wood products	P
Biotechnology	P
Broadcast and production studios/facilities	P
Wholesale dry cleaning and laundry	MCU
Research and development facilities	P
Wholesale, warehousing, storage and distribution	P
Fuel Distribution and storage, not including Service Stations	CU
Food processing, packaging and storage, including milk products, fruits, nuts, vegetables, blended foods, candies, nonalcoholic beverages, preserves, bakery goods and frozen foods, and further meat processing (not including slaughtering).	P
Public and Institutional
Government facilities where the public is generally not received (e.g., public safety, school district bus facilities, public works yards, transit and transportation facilities, and similar facilities)	P
Colleges/universities for lots that abut Larch Street or have access to Larch Street	CU
Vocational Schools	CU
Utility Facility	P
Special district facilities (e.g., irrigation district, and similar facilities)	P
Miscellaneous
Accessory Uses and Structures	P/SP
Communication Facility	CU/SP
Data Center	P
Events (if more than 3 events per calendar year; must be secondary to a primary established Light Industrial use; may be indoor or outdoor)	MCU

Key: P= Permitted SP= Special Provisions MCU= Minor Conditional Use Permit
CU = Conditional Use Permit

[Ord. 523 § 3 (Exh. C), 2022; Ord. 486 § 2 (Exh. B), 2018].

2.6.300 Development Standards

The following property development standards shall apply to all land, buildings and uses in the Light Industrial District:

A. Lot Area, lot frontage, setbacks, lot coverage and building height. See Table 2.6.2.

Table 2.6.2 Development Standards for the Light Industrial District
Development Standard	Light Industrial District	Comments/Other Requirements
Minimum lot size	No minimum lot size
Front yard setback	15 feet	Additional setback may be required for planned street widening
Interior side yard setback
a. Abutting non-residential district	No minimum
b. Abutting residential districts	Minimum 20 feet	See Buffering
Exterior side yard setback	15 feet
Rear yard setback
c. Abutting non-residential district	No minimum
d. Abutting residential districts	Minimum 20-feet	See Buffering
Lot coverage	No maximum lot coverage	Compliance with other sections of the Code (landscaping, parking, pedestrian circulation, etc.) may preclude 100 percent lot coverage for certain uses
Building height	35 feet

B. All developments shall meet applicable fire and building code standards, which may require greater setbacks than those listed.

C. Buffering. A 20-foot minimum buffer zone shall be required between development in the LI District and any adjacent Residential District. The buffer zone shall provide landscaping to screen parking, services and delivery areas, and walls without windows or entries, as applicable. The buffer may contain pedestrian seating but shall not contain any trash receptacles, loading facilities or storage of equipment, materials, vehicles, etc. The landscaping standards in Chapter 3.2 may require buffering of other activities, as well.

D. Building Orientation and Design Standards. The following standards shall apply to new development within the Light Industrial District in order to reinforce streets as public spaces and encourage alternative modes of transportation such as walking and bicycling.

1. Building entrances. All buildings shall have a primary entrance oriented to (facing) a street or connected to the street by a direct and convenient pathway. Primary entrances may face the front parking or side parking areas. Streets used to comply with this standard may be public streets, private streets, or internal drives that include sidewalks or pathways and street trees, in accordance with the design standards in Chapter 3.

2. Primary building entrances shall be well defined through the use of projections, recesses, columns, roof structures, or other design elements.

3. Buildings should be located near the front portion of a property.

E. Pathway Connections. Pathways may be required through yard setbacks as necessary to provide direct and convenient pedestrian circulation between developments and neighborhoods. If required, pathways shall conform to the standards in Chapter 3.

F. Design Guidelines and Standards

Architectural elements shall be used on the front of the building and shall be incorporated side and rear elevations when visible to the street. Architectural features include windows, projections, building off-sets, detailing, change in materials, or similar.

G. Outside Operations, Display and Storage. Outdoor operations, display and storage are permitted which are related activities to the principal use.

1. Appearance of stored material. All materials stored on site shall be stored in a neat and orderly manner.

2. Material may be stored within a front setback area. Material may not be stored or displayed within clear vision areas, landscaped areas, parking areas or pedestrian or other ingress/egress areas.

H. Paving

1. The following areas shall be paved for properties located within the LI District.

a. Driveway Aprons.

b. Primary public-use driveways leading to primary public-use parking area.

1. 16' wide (minimum) paved width required.

c. Primary public-use parking area.

d. ADA pathways.

2. Except for driveway aprons, which must always be paved, the Hearings Body may allow compacted gravel as an alternative to on-site paving in the Light Industrial District, in part or in full, upon a reasonable finding that pavement may not be suitable for the intended use of the site. Criteria for paving exemption consideration includes the following;

a. Nature of site usage (such as unusual driveway construction or maintenance costs due to heavy equipment usage and/or material handling).

b. Infrequent or no public access onto site.

c. Future site usage (such as future site development or modifications to the site that would conflict with pavement surface; future product inventory needs; other operational and/or development factors).

I. Screening. The screening standards address specific unsightly features which detract from the appearance of industrial areas.

1. Garbage and recycling collection areas. All exterior garbage cans, garbage collection areas, and recycling collection areas must be orientated away from the street and adjacent properties. Trash enclosures shall be constructed of solid, durable and attractive walls/fences, a minimum of six (6) feet in height, with solid doors, and shall be visually consistent with project architecture. As an alternative, trash dumpsters may be located behind structures, or shielded in a manner to conceal them from public roads. Trash receptacles for pedestrian use are exempt. If constructed, trash enclosures shall be compliant with all applicable fire codes.

2. Mechanical equipment.

a. Mechanical equipment located on the ground, must be screened. Landscaping and screening shall be tall enough to screen the equipment.

b. Mechanical equipment placed on roofs must be screened by a parapet around the facade or the equipment that is as tall as the tallest part of the equipment. Screening shall be compliant with all applicable fire codes and height requirements.

c. Mechanical equipment, lights, emissions, shipping/receiving areas, and other components of an industrial use that are outside of an enclosed building, shall be located away from abutting residential zones, schools, parks and other non-industrial zoned properties.

J. Screening from view from any street or neighboring site is required for long-term (one month or more) vehicle repair storage yards and any manufactured non-display, non-uniform assemblies consisting of metal, plastic or glass. Items such as old iron, paper or other waste, and items that are secondhand, worn, or discarded shall be screened.

1. Screening shall be achieved by a minimum 6' tall fence, landscape screen, berm or a combination of these screening methods. The applicant may propose an alternative screening method, which the Community Development Director may accept as an alternative at his/her discretion.

2. In the event that the applicant and city staff disagree on which items qualify for the screening requirement, the applicant may request that a determination be made by the Hearing Body.

3. Natural materials such as logs, timber, firewood, gravel, landscape products and their protective coverings do not require screening, but shall be maintained in an orderly fashion.

4. Properties that are not required to screen shall construct a visual demarcation along their street-facing property lines. Examples of visual demarcation devices include a split-rail fence, log buttress, hedge line or landscape berm.

2.6.400 Special Standards for Certain Uses

A. Mini-Storage Facilities

1. Applicability. Except as otherwise provided herein, all mini-storage facilities in the LI District are subject to the standards in this section.

2. Multi-Story Requirement.

a. All mini-storage facilities must be multi-story.

b. The footprint of the second story must be at least 75% of the footprint of the first story.

c. Rentable storage units must be located on each story.

3. Exceptions.

a. Notwithstanding SDC 5.2.300(A)(1), the requirements for mini-storage facilities in subsection (2) are not applicable to initial construction or expansion of facilities that were approved or lawfully established prior to June 24, 2022; provided, that the lot lines are in the same configuration existing as of June 24, 2022. [Ord. 523 § 3 (Exh. C), 2022].