20.440.040 Development Standards | Vancouver Municipal Code

20.440.040 Development Standards.

This section was recently amended by Ordinance M-4425, codified in January 2024.

Click here to view prior versions of this section.

A. Compliance Required. All developments must comply with:

1. All of the applicable development standards contained in the underlying zoning district.

2. All other applicable standards and requirements contained in this title.

3. Stormwater control (Chapter 14.25 VMC ) and water resource protection (Chapter 14.26 VMC).

B. Development standards. Development standards in industrial zoning districts are contained in Table 20.440.040-1.

Table 20.440.040-1. Industrial Zoning Districts Development Standards
STANDARD	OCI⁵	IL	IH
Minimum Lot Size	None	None	None
Maximum Lot Coverage	100%	75%	100%/75%¹
Minimum Lot Width	None	None	None
Minimum Lot Depth	None	None	None
Minimum Setbacks
Minimum Setbacks Adjacent to Residential District	Pursuant to the screening and buffering standards contained in Tables 20.925.030-1 and 20.925.030-2, plus an additional 1/2 foot for each foot the building exceeds 20 feet in height to a maximum setback requirement of 40 feet. Buildings in excess of 20 feet may be stepped.
Minimum Setbacks Adjacent to Nonresidential Districts	Pursuant to buffering and screening standards contained in Tables 20.925.030-1 and 20.925.030-2.
Maximum Height	35’ – 75’³	45’ ²	None
Minimum Landscaping Requirement (percentage of total net area)	15%⁴	10%	0%

1Warehouse/freight movement uses in buildings over 250,000 square feet of gross floor area on the ground floor shall have a maximum lot coverage of 75 percent.

2Or greater, if set back one foot from property line for every additional two feet of height.

3See subsection (C)(1) of this section for a complete explanation of maximum height requirements.

4See subsection (C)(3) of this section for additional landscaping requirements.

5Development agreements in existence on the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter shall control the uses and development standards of the affected properties. In order to protect the investments made in reliance upon such agreements, improvements made or site plans approved consistent with these agreements shall not be deemed nonconforming.

6The planning official may reduce or waive the setback requirements when setbacks are imposed on industrially designated land as a result of the redesignation of adjacent land to residential on or after January 1, 1995.

a. Maximum building height shall be the same as that of the abutting zone within a distance of the same number of feet from the property line. Farther from the property line, height may increase by two feet for every additional one foot that a structure is set back from the property line to a maximum height of 75 feet. (For example, where the OCI zone abuts a residential zone with a maximum height of 35 feet, the maximum height in the OCI zone would be 35 feet for the first 35 feet from the property line. The maximum height would increase by two feet for every additional one foot the structure or portion of the structure is removed from the property line to a maximum of 75 feet.)

b. Where the OCI zone abuts more than one zoning district, the maximum height shall be the lowest of those of the abutting zoning districts. (For example, where the OCI zone abuts both a residential zone with a maximum height of 40 feet and an industrial zone with no maximum height, the maximum height of the OCI zone would be 40 feet for the first 40 feet from both property and zoning boundaries. The maximum height would increase by two feet for every additional one foot the structure or portion of the structure is removed from the property line to a maximum of 75 feet.)

2. On-Site Pedestrian Circulation. All developments within the OCI zone shall comply with the requirements of VMC 20.945.040(H).

3. Landscaping. In addition to the provisions of Chapter 20.925 VMC, the following requirements apply to developments in the OCI zone:

a. All setback areas shall be landscaped and maintained with live vegetation.

b. Development in the OCI zone abutting a residential zone shall be screened. Screening may be accomplished using sight-obscuring vegetation, a sight-obscuring fence or wall, a berm, or a combination of approaches. (A chain link fence containing slats does not qualify as a sight-obscuring fence for the purposes of this section.) If a sight-obscuring fence or wall alone is erected as screening within the setback area, features providing visual interest (such as varied building materials, textures, reliefs, architectural details, etc.) shall be incorporated at least on the side facing the residential zone. The property owner shall be responsible for maintaining the vegetation in a healthy state.

c. Parking areas shall be landscaped in accordance with the provisions of Chapters 20.925 and 20.945 VMC.

4. Security Fencing. When security fencing is required, it shall be a combination of solid wall, wrought iron, dense hedges or other similar treatment. Long expanses of fences or walls shall be interspersed with trees or hedges to break up the appearance of the wall at least every 50 feet for a distance of at least five feet.

a. Primary building entrances shall be physically oriented to the street or to a pedestrian walkway.

b. If a development is located further than 250 feet of an existing or proposed transit stop the applicant shall work with the transit agency in locating a transit stop and shelter directly adjacent or as close as possible to the main building entrance.

c. Blank walls facing public streets are discouraged. Features providing visual interest such as windows (genuine, false, or display), artwork, varied building materials or other techniques shall be employed to enhance building facades facing public streets. (Ord. M-4425 § 3, 2023; Ord. M-4179 § 75, 2016; Ord. M-4105 § 3, 2014; Ord. M-3931 § 19, 2009; Ord. M-3847 § 8, 2007; Ord. M-3840 § 26, 2007; Ord. M-3730 § 26, 2005; Ord. M-3663 § 19, 2004; Ord. M-3643, 2004)