Chapter 18.150 COMMERCIAL DISTRICTS (C-1 AND C-3)

Chapter 18.150
COMMERCIAL DISTRICTS (C-1 AND C-3)

Sections:

18.150.010 Purpose.

(1) Downtown Commercial (C-1) District. These less intensive commercial areas are intended to provide for the convenience shopping needs for a limited trade area. Typical allowed uses include convenience food markets, beauty and barber shops, bakeries and limited service industries. They should occur as small centers, ideally at the junction of two public streets (collectors or arterials). These areas are held to a high standard of site plan review due to the close proximity of the residential zones. Development activity shall meet, to the maximum extent feasible and prudent, the design guidelines contained in this chapter.

(2) Cardroom Overlay (C-3) District. This overlay district is intended to provide for the location of cardrooms within other commercial districts. All uses in this district, except parking areas, shall be contained entirely within an enclosed building. [Ord. 2023-05 § 5 (Exh. E), 2023; Ord. 2017-09 § 4 (Exh. B), 2017; Ord. 2006-17 § 1, 2006.]

18.150.020 Uses.

The uses set out in Table 18.150.020 are examples of uses allowable in the various zone districts. The appropriate review authority is mandatory.

“P” – Uses allowed subject to approval of applicable permits.

“C” – Conditional uses which may be permitted subject to the approval of a conditional use permit in Chapter 18.250 LCMC, Conditional Uses.

“X” – Uses specifically prohibited.

Where there are special use standards or restrictions for a listed use, the applicable code section(s) or other applicable chapter is noted in the “Special Standards” column.

Table 18.150.020 – Uses1
Use			C-1	C-3	Special Standards
1.	Residential.
	a.	Medium density (integrated multifamily/commercial or mixed-use structure not to exceed 22 residential units per net acre)	C	X
	b.	Existing residences without any increase in density	P	P
	c.	Home business	P	P	Home Occ. Permit
	d.	Bed and breakfast establishments	P	X
	e.	Temporary dwellings	P	P
	f.	Single-family detached dwellings	X	X
	g.	Manufactured homes	X	X
	h.	Manufactured home subdivisions and communities	X	X
	i.	Mobile homes	X	X
2.	Retail Sales – Food.
	a.	Markets in excess of 15,000 square feet gross floor area	X	X
	b.	Markets – under 15,000 square feet of gross floor area	P	X
	c.	Bakery – primarily retail outlet (> 10,000 square feet of gross floor area)	X	X
	d.	Bakery – primarily retail outlet (< 10,000 square feet of gross floor area)	C	X
3.	Retail Sales – General.
	a.	General retailer (up to 200,000 square feet gross floor area)	X	X
	b.	General retailer (under 25,000 square feet gross floor area)	P	X
	c.	Single purpose/specialty retailers (less than 10,000 square feet gross floor area)	P	X
	d.	Single purpose/specialty retailers (greater than 10,000 square feet gross floor area)	X	X
	e.	Yard and garden supplies, including nurseries	X	X
	f.	Adult entertainment	X	X
4.	Retail Sales – Restaurants, Drinking Places.
	a.	Restaurants	P	P
	b.	Restaurants, with associated drinking places, alcoholic beverages	C	C
	c.	Drive-through, drive-in, or drive-up facilities	X	X
5.	Retail Sales and Services – Automotive and Related.
	a.	Motor vehicle dealers, new and used, including auto, truck trailer, boat, recreational vehicles and equipment	X	X
	b.	Quick vehicle servicing	X	X
	c.	Filling station	C	X
	d.	Manufactured home sales	X	X
	e.	Car washes	C	X
	f.	Vehicle rental or repair including auto, truck trailer, boat, and recreational vehicles	X	X
	g.	Commercial off-street parking facilities	C	C
	h.	Vehicle towing and storage services	X	X
	i.	Transportation terminals
		(1) Freight	X	X
		(2) People	P	P
6.	Retail Sales – Building Material and Farm Equipment.
	a.	Lumber and other building materials stores and yards, with only incidental cutting and planting of products sold	X	X
	b.	Heating and plumbing equipment, including incidental fabrication (operated entirely within an enclosed building)	X	X
	c.	Hardware, home repair and supply stores (over 100,000 square feet gross floor area)	X	X
	d.	Hardware, home repair and supply stores (10,000 to 100,000 square feet gross floor area)	X	X
	e.	Hardware, home repair and supply stores (under 10,000 square feet gross floor area)	P	X
	f.	Farm equipment and implement dealer	X	X
	g.	Hay, grain, and feed stores	X	X
7.	Retail Sales – Products. (Finished product retailers with primary fabrication or assembly on site; within an entirely enclosed building)
	a.	Uses of < 10,000 square feet gross floor area	C	X
	b.	Uses of 10,000 square feet gross floor area or greater	X	X
8.	Services – Personal.
	a.	Self-service laundries, dry cleaning, including pressing, alteration, garment and accessory repair, excluding industrial cleaning services	C	X
	b.	Barber and beauty shops	P	P
	c.	Clothing rental establishments	P	X
	d.	Mortuaries	C	X
9.	Services – General.
	a.	Duplicating, addressing, blueprinting, photocopying, mailing, and stenographic services (< 2,500 square feet)	P	X
	b.	Office equipment and home appliance rental, service and repair agencies	P	X
	c.	Printing, publishing and lithographic shops	P	X
	d.	Services to buildings (including dwellings), cleaning and exterminating	P	X
	e.	Moving and storage	X	X
	f.	Mini-warehouse	X	X
	g.	Branch banks	C	X
	h.	Event facilities (< 10,000 square feet)	C	X
	i.	Event facilities (> 10,000 square feet)	X	X
	j.	RV storage	X	X
10.	Services – Lodging Places.
	a.	Hotels/motels	X	X
	b.	Recreational vehicle parks and campgrounds	X	X
11.	Services – Medical and Health.
	a.	Hospitals	X	X
	b.	Outpatient clinics	C	X
	c.	Medical laboratories	X	X
	d.	Sanitaria, convalescent and rest homes	C	X
	e.	Orthopedic equipment and supplies, rental, sales and services	P	X
	f.	Animal hospitals and veterinary clinics
		(1) Outside animal activities	X	X
		(2) Inside animal activities only	C	X
	g.	Ambulance services	X	X
	h.	Residential care homes	C	X
	i.	Residential and congregate care facilities	C	X
12.	Services – Professional Office.
	a.	Professional offices (< 10,000 square feet gross floor area)	P	P
	b.	Professional offices (> 10,000 square feet gross floor area)	C	X
	c.	Artist/photographic studios	P	X
13.	Services – Amusement.
	a.	Amusement centers	C	X
	b.	Bowling alleys, billiard and pool parlors, and video arcades	C	X
	c.	Skating rinks, ice and/or roller	X	X
	d.	Theaters, indoor	X	X
	e.	Drive-in theaters, stadium and arena facilities	C	X
	f.	Athletic, health and racket clubs (< 10,000 square feet of gross floor area)	P	X
	g.	Athletic, health and racket clubs (> 10,000 square feet of gross floor area)	X	X
	h.	Zoos, circuses, carnivals, or amusement rides, excluding temporary civic events endorsed by the city council	X	X
14.	Services – Educational.
	a.	Family day care providers	P	P	18.270.020
	b.	Day care centers	P	X
	c.	Libraries (< 10,000 square feet gross floor area)	P	X
	d.	Vocational schools	X	X
	e.	Artistic studios and schools including but not limited to dance, music and martial arts (< 10,000 square feet)	P	X
	f.	Artistic studios and schools including but not limited to dance, music and martial arts (> 10,000 square feet)	X	X
	g.	Public parks, parkways, recreation facilities, trails and related facilities	P	P
	h.	Public/private educational institutions	C	X
15.	Services – Membership Organizations.
	a.	Business, professional and religious (not including churches)	C	X
	b.	Civic, social, fraternal, charitable, labor and political (< 5,000 square feet)	P	X
	c.	Civic, social, fraternal, charitable, labor and political (> 5,000 square feet)	C	X
	d.	Churches	C	X
16.	Distribution Facilities. (In conjunction with a permitted use, all activities, except vehicle storage, located entirely within an enclosed building)
	a.	Distribution facilities of less than 25,000 square feet gross floor area	X	X
	b.	Distribution facilities of between 50,000 and 25,000 square feet gross floor area	X	X
17.	Public Services and Facilities.
	a.	Buildings entirely dedicated to public services, such as City Hall, police and fire substations	C	C
	b.	Sewer, water and utility transmission lines	P	P
	c.	Wireless communications facilities	P	P
	d.	Museums, historic and cultural exhibits and the like	P	P
	e.	U.S. Post Offices	C	C
	f.	Public transit facilities including park and ride facilities	P	P
18.	Accessory Uses and Activities.
	a.	On-site hazardous waste treatment and storage facilities, subject to state siting criteria (RCW 70.105.210)	C	C
	b.	Drive-through, drive-in or drive-up facilities	C	C
	c.	Open Air Activities.
		(1) Open air display of plants and produce in conjunction with a permitted use	P	X
		(2) Open air storage of materials	X	X
		(3) Open air work activities such as restaurants, portable walk-up vendors (not including drive-through facilities) such as espresso carts, flower stands and food stands, plant nurseries and other uses generally conducted outside in conjunction with a permitted commercial use, unless otherwise prohibited by this title	C	X
		(4) Open air storage of company vehicles, such as cars and light duty trucks, in conjunction with a permitted use	C	X
19.	Other Uses.
	a.	Temporary uses	P	P
	b.	Solid waste handling and disposal sites	C	C

1The director may allow uses not described herein but similar as permitted or conditional pursuant to a Type I process.

[Ord. 2023-11 § 6 (Exh. D), 2023; Ord. 2023-05 § 6 (Exh. E), 2023; Ord. 2021-04 § 10 (Exh. G), 2021; Ord. 2017-09 § 4 (Exh. B), 2017; Ord. 2006-17 § 1, 2006.]

18.150.030 Development standards.

(1) New lots and structures and additions to structures subject to this section shall comply with the applicable standards for lots and building height, and setbacks in Tables 18.150.030(1) and 18.150.030(2). Site plan review is required for all new development and modifications to existing permitted development unless expressly exempted by this title.

(2) Landscaping.

(a) In the C-3 district, not less than 15 percent of the total lot area shall be landscaped. Pedestrian plazas, sidewalks over the minimum width and other pedestrian amenities may be used to meet the required landscaping at a one-to-one (1:1) ratio.

(b) In the C-1 district, where zero lot line development is proposed, not less than 10 percent of the site shall be landscaped. Hardscape surfaces, such as tables, plazas, and planting boxes, may be used to satisfy the landscaping requirement. Where zero lot line development is not proposed, not less than 15 percent of total lot area shall be landscaped.

(3) Site Plan Review Standards. In addition to the site plan approval criteria contained in Chapter 18.215 LCMC, the following shall apply to all development within the commercial districts unless expressly exempted. The review authority may modify these standards for the expansion of existing uses for site-specific issues:

(a) Primary pedestrian circulation routes connecting the street(s) to the primary building entry or entries shall be a minimum of 11 feet (eight feet of sidewalk/walkway with a minimum of three feet of landscaping on one side of the pedestrian route). The minimum three-foot landscaped area shall contain street trees planted at 30-foot intervals to provide for a continuous tree canopy. The required landscape area should function as a buffer between auto drives and the pedestrian routes. Where the pedestrian circulation route crosses vehicular accessways the landscape area is not required. Pedestrian awnings, with a minimum of eight feet of head clearance, shall be provided along the front building facade when abutting public rights-of-way. Awnings may not project over the parking area or street.

(b) Landscaping.

(i) Landscaping is required along the side of all buildings in the C-3 district where the primary pedestrian access is provided. Minimum requirements shall be trees provided every 30 feet on center planted along the length of the parcel. Street trees may not be planted closer than 25 feet away from street corners to preserve intersection sight distance.

(ii) Landscape buffers required by LCMC 18.245.060 shall not apply between pad development sites and the remainder of the development site.

(iii) Landscaping required between commercial developments may be altered where parking lots are adjoining as follows: a single, shared five-foot buffer instead of five feet for each development; provided, that joint access is provided between parcels for auto and pedestrian access and trees are planted every 20 feet on center along the length of the buffer.

Table 18.150.030(1) – Lot Requirements
Zoning District	Minimum Lot Area (square feet)	Minimum Lot Width (feet)	Minimum Lot Depth (feet)
C-1	2,500	25	100
C-3	10,000	None	None

Table 18.150.030(2) – Setbacks, Lot Coverage and Building Height
Minimum setbacks	Pursuant to buffering and screening standards contained in Chapter 18.245 LCMC.
Minimum setbacks adjacent to residential district	Pursuant to the screening and buffering standards contained in Chapter 18.245 LCMC, plus an additional 1/2 foot for each foot the building exceeds 20 feet in height to a maximum setback requirement of 40 feet.
Maximum lot coverage	Maximum determined by compliance with screening and buffering standards contained in Chapters 18.245 and 18.320 LCMC, and all other applicable standards.
Maximum building height	60 feet.

[Ord. 2017-09 § 4 (Exh. B), 2017; Ord. 2006-17 § 1, 2006.]

18.150.040 Mixed-use (MX) district.

Repealed by Ord. 2018-10. [Ord. 2017-07 § 3, 2017; Ord. 2006-17 § 1, 2006.]