20.450.040 Development Standards | Vancouver Municipal Code

20.450.040 Development Standards.

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A. Development standards. The development standards for the open space districts are set forth in Table 20.450.040-1. Minimal setbacks apply at the perimeter of district boundaries. No setbacks are required for lot lines internal to that district.

TABLE 20.450.040-1 OPEN SPACE DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS
USE	Natural Area	Greenway			Park¹
		Vancouver Lake	Lettuce Fields	General
Minimum Lot Size	None	20 acres²	None	None	See Note¹
Maximum Lot Size	None	None	None	None	See Note¹
Maximum Lot Coverage	None	5%	5%³	5%	See Note¹
Minimum Lot Width	None	None	None	None	See Note¹
Minimum Lot Depth	None	None	None	None	See Note¹
Minimum Setbacks
Front Yard	20’	20’	20’	20’	See Note¹
Rear and through yards	20’	20’	20’	20’	See Note¹
Side Yard	20’	20’	20’	20’	See Note¹
Street Side Yard	20’	20’	20’	20’	See Note¹
Maximum Height	12’	35’⁴	12’⁵	35’	See Note¹
Minimum Landscaping Requirement (Percentage of total net area)	None	None	None	None	See Note¹

1Development standards for parks shall be in accordance with the standards of the most restrictive zoning district located adjacent to the subject property.

2Single-family homes shall have a maximum lot coverage of 40%.

3Single-family dwellings require a minimum of 160 acres each.

4Barns, silos, and similar features may exceed 35’ subject to 20.910.030 VMC.

5Except existing single family which is 35’.

B. General standards. The following general standards are applicable to open space districts where the identified uses are allowed:

a. Roadside stands shall not exceed 300 (150 in the Lettuce Fields Greenway District) square feet in area or 12 feet in height and shall be exclusively for the sale of agricultural, horticultural, or silvicultural products grown in the district. Stands shall be set back a minimum of 20 feet from the abutting right-of-way and/or any property line. They shall be nonreflective. Best available control technology shall be used in the application of paint and coatings.

b. Only low-profile pole buildings or shelters not exceeding 12 feet in height are permitted for storage of crops and implements. They shall be screened using native vegetation, nonreflective, and blend with the surroundings. Best available control technology shall be used in the application of paint and coatings. Joint use is encouraged.

2. Fill. Fill shall be permitted only to the extent absolutely necessary to support a permitted use. Also see the grading, erosion control, floodplain and wetlands sections of the code for additional requirements.

3. Park and Recreation Uses.

a. New Park Districts. New Park Districts shall be designated during the first Comprehensive Plan Annual Review process following acquisition of land for the purpose of developing a park. Parks shall be developed in accordance with the standards of the most restrictive zoning district located adjacent to the subject property.

b. Amenities. Interpretive stations or panels, fences, gates, railings, and benches shall be designed to be as unobtrusive as possible, blending with the surroundings. They shall be nonreflective. Best available control technology shall be used in the application of paint and coatings.

c. Restrooms. Restrooms shall be located and designed to be as unobtrusive as possible, blending with the surroundings. They shall be nonreflective. Best available control technology shall be used in the application of paint and coatings.

d. Parking areas. On-site stormwater treatment shall be provided in parking areas in accordance with VMC 14.25.

e. Trails. Trails shall be designed and constructed to avoid and minimize impacts to the environment. The minimum width of public access easements shall be 20’ of realistically usable property when the trail is not located within a public right-of-way, unless the Planning Official determines that undue hardship would result or that it is impractical or environmentally unsound. In such cases, easement width may be reduced only by the minimum extent necessary to meet public access, safety and environmental standards. Public access easements and permit conditions shall be recorded on the deed of title and/or on the face of a plat or short plat as a condition running contemporaneous with the authorized land use, as a minimum. Said recording with the County Auditor’s office shall occur at the time of permit approval (RCW 58.17.110).

f. Security Lighting. Security lighting for trailhead parking or restrooms is permitted subject to the provisions of 20.450.040(B)(5).

4. Signs.

a. Freestanding (other than public sector) signs, rotating signs, flashing signs, rooftop signs, internally illuminated, neon and similar signs shall be prohibited. Freestanding public sector signs may be no larger than 64 square feet and no higher than 12 feet. Externally illuminated signs are permitted.

b. Signs shall be located and designed to minimize interferences with vistas, viewpoints, and visual access to the District.

c. Signs shall not be placed on trees, other natural features, or public utility poles.

d. Visible braces and other supporting devices shall be incorporated as design features.

e. Signs shall be as small as possible to serve their intended purposes.

f. Signs relating to an Open Space District and its use shall be consistent in design and color for easy recognition.

g. Signs shall be for public information relating to the particular Open Space District in which they are located or its use. Signs for other purposes are prohibited.

5. Utilities. The adverse environmental impacts of any utility construction shall be mitigated by restoration of the environment to its pre-construction condition. Any unavoidable adverse environmental impacts shall be mitigated by an environmental enhancement project of at least the same scale as the adverse impacts and located within the district.

6. Landscaping. Landscaping is required in the GR and NA zones only where necessary to shield surrounding areas or uses from the impacts of any allowed structure or use.

1. Areas of Interest – Special Requirements. Areas of Interest #3 (northern portion) and #6 as shown on Figure 20.450-1 are designated as Areas of Interest in the Lettuce Fields Subarea Plan and formerly carried the zoning designation Agriculture/Open Space (AO). In accordance with the Lettuce Fields Subarea Plan, they shall be governed by the regulations in 20.450.040 (C)(1)(a)(b)(c) and (d) VMC until such time as the City acquires them. Upon acquisition, they will be governed by the Lettuce Fields Greenway District regulations elsewhere in this chapter and title.

a. Permitted uses:

1. The raising of tree, vine, field, forage, and other plant life crops of all kinds;

2. One family dwelling and accessory buildings and farm buildings of all kinds;

3. The harvesting, curing, processing, packaging, packing, shipping, and selling of agricultural products produced on the premises;

4. Sale of food products produced on the premises;

5. The maintenance, repair, servicing, and storage of agricultural machinery, implements, and equipment of all kinds on the property, and not for commercial usage;

6. The storage of farm supplies of all kinds, including but not limited to fertilizers, agricultural minerals, and insecticides, not for resale or distribution;

7. The use, storage, repair, and maintenance of tractors, scrapers, and land leveling and development equipment devoted primarily to agricultural uses, and not for commercial usage;

8. Above and below ground storage of petroleum products for use by the occupants of the premises, but not for resale or distribution;

9. Truck gardening, ornamental horticulture, and nursery stock without retail commercial sales;

10. Public parks, golf courses, but not including intensive commercial recreation such as golf driving range (unless within a golf course), race track, amusement park, or gun club;

11. Manufactured homes at a density of no more than one manufactured home per 5 acres.

1. Custom meat facilities (without retail sales);

2. Utility facilities, minor.

1. Minimum lot size is five acres;

2. Minimum lot width is 140 feet;

3. Minimum lot depth is 200 feet;

4. Minimum front yard setback is 50 feet;

5. Minimum side yard setback is 20 feet.

6. For accessory buildings, minimum side yard setback is 50 feet;

7. Minimum rear yard setback is 50 feet;

8. Maximum building height is 35 feet. See 20.910.030 VMC for barns silos, etc.

d. Standards for parking and loading, signs, landscaping and open storage, and other pertinent special provisions are contained elsewhere in this chapter and title.

2. Shoreline regulation. The regulations of the Shoreline Management Master Program (SMMP) shall apply within shoreline jurisdiction in the Lettuce Fields Greenway District whether or not a Shoreline Substantial Development Permit is required. Any unavoidable adverse impacts of permitted uses or construction shall be mitigated by an environmental enhancement project of at least the same scale as the adverse impacts and located within the District.

3. Agriculture, horticulture, and silviculture. Agriculture practices existing on or before April 19, 2001, may continue regardless of the related standards set forth in this chapter. New agricultural, horticulture, and silvicultural practices in the Lettuce Fields Greenway District shall be subject to the following standards:

a. Animal husbandry is prohibited in this District.

b. Crop management and stand management must be consistent with wildlife habitat conservation.

c. Organic farming methods and horticultural and silvicultural practices are encouraged. The policies and regulations of the Shoreline Management Master Program relating to pesticides, particularly those in General use Policies and Regulations, Agricultural Section, shall apply to agricultural, horticultural, and silvicultural activities throughout the Lettuce Fields Greenway District.

d. Roadside stands exclusively for the sale of agricultural, horticultural or silvicultural products grown in the Lettuce Fields Greenway District shall be permitted. See VMC 20.450.040(B)(1) for additional standards for roadside stands.

e. See VMC 20.450.040(B)(1)(b) for crop and implement storage building standards.

f. Above and below ground storage of petroleum products is permitted by only the extent necessary to support permitted agricultural, horticultural, and silvicultural uses.

4. Fences. Fences are discouraged. New fences shall meet the following standards:

a. Above and beyond the provisions of VMC 20.912, where necessary, fences shall be open enough to allow wildlife movement throughout the Lettuce Fields Greenway District; as low as possible to serve the intended purpose; and no higher than 6 feet. See VMC 20.450.040(B)(3)(b) for additional standards.

5. Trails. Paving of the main trail through the Lettuce Fields Greenway District is permitted.

6. Parking.

a. The policies and regulations of the Shoreline Management Master Program, General Use Policies and Regulations, Parking Section and Use Development Standards Tables provisions pertaining to parking and any other parking policies and regulations of the SMMP as may be applicable to a particular development project shall apply throughout the Lettuce Fields Greenway District.

b. In the Lettuce Fields Greenway, parking is permitted only in designated areas at trailheads.

c. See VMC 20.450.040(B)(3)(d) for additional regulations.

1. Crop and stand management shall be consistent with wildlife habitat conservation.

2. Public or private outdoor recreational facilities requiring limited physical improvements which are oriented to the appreciation, protection, study, or enjoyment of the fragile resources of this area shall be approved only upon the applicant establishing that (1) there will be no significant adverse environmental impact, especially as it relates to wildlife, resulting from the proposed use; and (2) the subject site cannot be put to any reasonable economic agriculture or horticulture use in addition to the findings that must otherwise be made for issuance of a conditional use permit. (Ord. M-4179 § 76, 10/17/2016; Ord. M-3840 § 27, 08/06/2007; Ord. M-3701 § 19, 05/02/2005; Ord. M-3643, 01/26/2004)