Chapter 17.16
R DISTRICTS
Sections:
17.16.030 Lot, density and yard requirements.
17.16.040 Building and parking requirements.
17.16.050 Mobile/manufactured homes.
17.16.060 Manufactured storage containers.
17.16.010 Purpose.
The single-family residential districts are residential zones requiring a low to medium density of population and providing protection from hazards, objectionable influences, building congestion, and lack of light, air and privacy. Certain essential and compatible public service facilities are permitted in this district. (Ord. 1362 § 2, 2005)
17.16.020 Permitted uses.
The following shall be permitted in the “R” districts subject to the provisions of Chapter 17.36 WMC:
(1) R-1, Low Density Residential. Site-built, new-designated manufactured, or modular single-family detached dwellings; townhouses at not more than four units per building; duplexes; home occupations; fishing equipment storage and repair incidental to an off-premises commercial fishing business, provided such uses are screened or fenced with a six-foot screen or fence; multifamily units less than four units per building; family day care providers; adult family homes; planned developments, subject to the provisions of WMC 17.36.110.
(2) R-2, Medium Density Residential. Site-built, new-designated manufactured, or modular single-family detached dwellings; townhouses; duplexes; home occupations; multifamily units; planned developments subject to the provisions of WMC 17.36.110; public and semi-public uses as provided in WMC 17.36.050; family day care providers; adult family homes; fishing equipment storage and repair incidental to off-premises commercial fishing businesses, provided such uses are screened or fenced with a six-foot screen or fence.
(3) Prohibited Uses. Any use not listed in this section as an allowable use is deemed a prohibited use. (Ord. 1578 § 2, 2015; Ord. 1464 § 1, 2010; Ord. 1362 § 2, 2005)
17.16.030 Lot, density and yard requirements.
(1) Minimum lot size: 5,000 square feet.
(2) Maximum density R-1: Eight units per acre.
(3) Maximum density R-2: 18 units per acre.
(4) Minimum Yards. Generally, the minimum residential building setbacks are 20-foot front and rear yards and five-foot side yards.
(A) Minimum Yard Exceptions.
(i) Front Yard Exceptions. The 20-foot minimum front yard setback may be reduced to 10 feet if your parking area is reached from the rear of your lot or if the garage is recessed back from the house or aligned to provide at least 20 feet between the garage doors and the edge of the property line closest to the house. Keep in mind that the setback requirements for structures are designed to provide room in the driveway for a vehicle.
(ii) If you have a flag lot (connected to a street by a narrow driveway and the rest of the lot is set back off the street), the front yard setback is 10 feet, measured from the nearest parallel lot line adjacent to the front facade of the dwelling.
(iii) Side Yard Exceptions. If one of your side yards is next to a street (called a flanking street), you must set your structures back five feet from the flanking street.
(iv) Rear Yard Exceptions. Up to 50 percent of a rear yard’s width may be occupied by a dwelling as long as the yard maintains a 10-foot setback.
(B) Detached Accessory Structures.
(i) A detached garage with doors that will face an alley requires a minimum setback of 10 feet from the alley.
(ii) A detached garage may be set on the property line if the garage door is at a right angle to the alley entrance. Garage walls on or within three feet of the side of the property line, however, must be fire walls and have no windows or other openings.
(iii) A detached garage may be set on the rear property line, but if the garage door faces a side yard, it must be set back 20 feet from the side boundary line. A detached garage may also have zero setbacks if the garage is accessed from the front yard. Any wall that has a zero setback must be a fire wall with no openings.
(iv) Detached accessory structures may be located anywhere within the rear 40 feet of the lot, except where there is a flanking street. The structure will need to have at least six feet of separation from other structures on the lot.
(v) Accessory dwelling units must be five feet from the side property line, but they may encroach into rear yards; however, if the rear yard does not abut an alley, the ADU must be set back a minimum of five feet from the rear property line. If the rear yard does abut an alley, an ADU may have a zero setback from the alley; provided, that there are no openings on the alley side of the structure. The ADU must still maintain a minimum of five feet side yard. (Ord. 1693 § 1, 2024; Ord. 1393 § 1, 2006; Ord. 1362 § 2, 2005)
17.16.040 Building and parking requirements.
(1) Maximum building height: Shall not exceed 30 feet in height.
(2) Parking requirements: See WMC 17.36.210 through 17.36.250, two spaces/unit for multifamily. (Ord. 1362 § 2, 2005)
17.16.050 Mobile/manufactured homes.
In R-1 and R-2 zones all mobile/manufactured homes in place on the date of the ordinance codified in this chapter shall be considered a nonconforming use within the zone but may continue, or be replaced by a single-wide new-designated manufactured home; provided, in the case of replacement, the old mobile/manufactured home is replaced before July 1, 2007; the single-wide new-designated manufactured home is screened from view by a six-foot-high fence or hedge, and all other terms (other than the requirement for two sections) of Chapter 15.06 WMC and Chapter 17.27 WMC are followed. Replacement of a mobile/manufactured home as described herein may be made by the legal property owner of record as of July 1, 2005, only. (Ord. 1362 § 2, 2005)
17.16.060 Manufactured storage containers.
The use of manufactured storage containers for any use, including accessory uses, is prohibited. (Ord. 1467 § 2, 2010)