This district implements the RL - Low Density Residential Comprehensive Plan designation. The RL district is intended to provide low density family residential areas for present and future needs, together with a full range of urban services.
(Ord. 21-1384; Ord. 23-1395)
A. 
Primary Uses Permitted Outright.
1. 
Residential use types: single-family.
2. 
Residential building types:
a. 
Single-family detached.
b. 
Single-family detached (zero lot line) when used in a cluster of zero lot line lots or when a 10-foot easement is obtained from the owner of the property adjacent to the zero-foot setback. If a zero lot line is used, the opposite side yard setback is a minimum of 8 feet unless the entire yard is used, as in a cluster of townhouses.
c. 
Duplex and two-unit condominiums.
d. 
Affordable housing allowed pursuant to ORS 197A.445, subject to applicable clear-and-objective standards and any required recorded affordability covenants.
3. 
Civic use types: public parks and open space (excluding spectator and participant sports facilities, which shall be processed as community facilities sites per the provisions of Section 10.5.010.030: Conditional Uses of this Article).
4. 
Care facility use types:
a. 
Residential care home, as defined in Chapter 10.2-Definitions, subject to ministerial review.
b. 
Child care center, as defined in Chapter 10.2-Definitions, subject to the provisions of Article 3.030: Site Plan Review.
c. 
Residential care facility (up to 15 residents), as defined in Chapter 10.2-Definitions and ORS 197.660, subject to the provisions of Article 3.030: Site Plan Review.
5. 
Wireless communication facilities, subject to the provisions of Article 6.140: Wireless Communication Equipment.
6. 
Other uses determined by the Director to be similar to the above uses, as indicated by the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code.
B. 
Accessory Uses Permitted Outright.
1. 
Accessory dwelling units, subject to the provisions of Article 6.030: Accessory Development.
2. 
Accessory structures customarily incidental to the primary use, subject to the provisions of Article 6.030: Accessory Development.
3. 
Family day care, as defined in Chapter 10.2 - Definitions.
4. 
Home business, subject to the provisions of Article 6.020: Home Businesses.
(Ord. 19-1373; Ord. 23-1400; Ord. 26-1424, 1/12/2026)
The following conditional uses are allowed subject to review and approval per the provisions of either Article 3.050: Conditional Use Permits or Article 3.060: Administrative Conditional Use Permits.
A. 
Community facilities, subject to the provisions of Article 5.100: Community Facilities Overlay District.
B. 
Funeral and interment services (interring and cemeteries only), subject to the provisions of Article 5.100: Community Facilities Overlay District.
C. 
Planned development, subject to the provisions of Article 9.050: Planned Development.
D. 
Wireless communication facilities, subject to the provisions of Article 6.140: Wireless Communication Equipment.
E. 
Adult Business. An application for an adult business shall also comply with the following criteria:
1. 
The adult business must be located more than 500 feet from any R-L residential zone, measured in a straight line from the closest edge of the property line on which the business is located to the closest edge of the property in the RL Low Density Residential zone.
2. 
The adult business must be located more than 1,000 feet from all of the following facilities, measured in a straight line from the closest edge of the property line on which the business is located to the closest edge of the property on which the facility is located:
a. 
A public school.
b. 
A public library.
c. 
A public park or recreational facility, which has facilities such as a playground, swimming pool, baseball field, football field, soccer field, tennis court, basketball court, or volleyball court.
(Ord. 23-1400)
Except as provided herein, the production, processing, wholesaling, and retailing of recreational and medical marijuana are prohibited uses in all RL - Residential Low Density districts. Marijuana shall not be grown on any residentially zoned property except as follows: a home-grown recreational marijuana grow site or a personal medical marijuana grow site; provided that:
A. 
No owner of real property or person in charge of the property shall allow, permit, or cause the odor of marijuana associated with a home-grown recreational marijuana grow site or a personal medical marijuana grow site to emanate from the property upon which the grow site is located, to any other property.
B. 
No owner of real property or person in charge of the property shall allow, permit, or cause a home-grown recreational marijuana grow site or a personal medical marijuana grow site to be located in a place where the grow site may be seen by normal unaided vision from a public place or neighboring property. The grow site shall be screened using appropriate screening material as defined in Section 10.6.010.050 of this Title.
(Ord. 17-1356)
RL Low Density Residential
Standard
Lot Size
 
Single-Family Detached
5,000 sq. ft. minimum
Duplex
2,500 sq. ft. per dwelling unit
Attached Row House
3,200 sq. ft. minimum with density transfer
Lot Width
50 ft. minimum
Lot Width - Duplex
25 ft. minimum per dwelling for a duplex on a corner lot each unit shall front on a separate street
Lot Depth
65 ft. minimum average
Setback
 
Front Yard
15 ft.
Rear Yard
10 ft.
Side Yard (interior)
5 ft. minimum
Side Yard (exterior)
8 ft., except 20 ft. for garage entrance
Single-Family Detached
8 ft. minimum on one side of a dwelling unit with a zero setback on the opposite side
Corner Duplex
Setback (0 ft.) on the opposite side
Small Lot Single-Family
5 ft. minimum
Attached Row House
8 ft. minimum for end units; zero setback (0 ft.) where common walls exist
Side Yard (corner lot)
10 ft. minimum on street side
Garage/Carport Entrances (facing streets)
20 ft. minimum (corner lots and interior lots)
Building Height
32 ft. maximum
Lot Coverage
60% of lot area maximum
Building Orientation
The building shall be oriented parallel to the street or private accessway. Orientation on private accessway is allowed only if there is no street frontage. Practical adjustments may be made to accommodate street curvature. Primary building entrances are required to have a clear pedestrian connection to the street/sidewalk constructed of concrete, asphalt, pavers, or other hard surface. Primary entrance located on the rear building face is prohibited.
Off-Street Parking
See Chapter 10.7 - Parking Standards
Accessory Uses, Buildings and Structures
See Article 6.030: Accessory Development
Landscaping
See Article 6.010: Landscaping Standards
Driveway Locations
See Article 6.050: Access Management
Minimum Density
3 units per net acre*
Maximum Density
8.712 units per gross acre*
*
See TDMC Section 10.6.170.020 for more information regarding net acreage.
(Ord. 19-1373; Ord. 20-1379; Ord. 21-1384; Ord. 23-1395; Ord. 23-1400)
A. 
All Residential Development. All one- and two-family dwelling units located on a single tax lot shall utilize 6 or more of the following design features to provide visual relief along the front of the residence(s):
1. 
Attached garage or carport (1 per dwelling).
2. 
Roof pitch greater than 3/12 (a nominal slope of 3 feet in height for every 12 feet in width).
3. 
Commercially available siding.
4. 
Covered front porch entries.
5. 
Recessed front entries.
6. 
Eaves, minimum 12-inch projection.
7. 
Bay or bow windows.
8. 
Exterior window sills.
9. 
Gables in addition to the primary roof pitch.
10. 
Other features subject to the approval of the Director.
B. 
Manufactured Dwellings. In addition to the above requirements for all residential development, manufactured dwellings located on individual lots are subject to all of the provisions of Article 6.120: Manufactured Dwellings. Where a design feature from subsection A above is the same as a requirement from Article 6.120: Manufactured Dwellings, the overlapping requirements may count as one, and satisfy the requirements of both Articles.
C. 
Single-family attached and townhomes shall have front porches with a depth of at least 6 feet and a width of at least 12 feet, or the garage shall occupy no more than 50% of the width of the front (streetfacing) dwelling façade.
(Ord. 21-1384)
A. 
Lot Size.
1. 
In planned developments, the lot size, width, and depth may vary from the standards listed in this Article, provided the proposed development conforms with this and other City ordinances.
2. 
Where open space is reserved on a separate tract of land, permitted density from that open space tract may be transferred to buildable portions of the site to allow for town house lots through the subdivision process, provided that the overall project density does not exceed 8.71 dwelling units per gross acre. The proposed development must conform to this and other City ordinances.
B. 
Density Calculations. Permitted accessory dwellings and duplexes shall not be counted in density calculations for proposed development.
C. 
Setbacks.
1. 
Planned Development and Subdivision Development. In planned development and subdivision development where the entire block frontage is developed as a unit, the front yard setbacks may be reduced to 10 feet.
2. 
Setback Averaging. The front yard setback and the garage/carport entrance setback may be reduced to the average of the respective setbacks of the abutting lots.
3. 
Setbacks for Steeply Sloping Lots. The following exceptions apply to lots which slope up or down from the street with an average slope of 20% or greater:
a. 
The front yard setback for the dwelling may be reduced to 10 feet; however, the height limitations of subsection (D)(3) below shall apply.
b. 
The front setback for the garage wall and/or garage/carport entrance may be reduced to 5 feet; however, the height limitations of subsection (D)(3) below shall apply.
4. 
Garage and Carport Setbacks on Alleys. Rear yard setbacks for garage/carports and accessory dwelling units on alleys may be waived per the following:
a. 
Garage/carports opening onto alleys with established 20-foot rights-of-way may be set back zero feet from the right-of-way.
b. 
Garage/carports opening onto alleys with less than a 20-foot right-of-way shall be set back to a minimum building line located 10 feet from the center of the alley right-of-way.
D. 
Height Limits for Steeply Sloping Lots.
1. 
Downhill Slope from Street. On lots that slope downhill from the street with an average slope of 20% or greater, the height limit is the higher of 23 feet above the average grade of the street or the allowed height limit. In addition, the alternative height and setback standards of paragraph 3 below may be applied.
2. 
Uphill Slope from Street. On lots that slope uphill from the street with an average slope of 20% or greater, the alternative height and setback standards of paragraph 3 below may be applied.
3. 
Height Limit in Reduced Setback Area. The height limit in the area of the reduced setback is lowered 1 foot for every foot of reduced setback.
E. 
Building Orientation.
1. 
Planned Development and Subdivisions. Planned development and subdivision development greater than 10 lots, and where the developer builds or sites the dwellings, shall be exempt from the building orientation requirement.
2. 
Steeply Sloping Lots. Buildings built uphill or downhill from garages/carports on lots with a slope of 20% or greater may be exempt from the building orientation requirements; provided that the garage/carport entrance meets the orientation requirement of the development standards.
F. 
Except where buildings abut or share a common wall, when the owner of a lot or parcel proposes to locate a building with an interior yard of less than the required setback from the adjacent property line, the owner must secure and record in the office of Wasco County Clerk, a maintenance access easement from the neighboring property owner adjacent to that side of the building. The easement shall provide access on the entire length of the proposed building and 5 feet beyond both ends. The easement requires a minimum of 10-foot separation between 2 houses on separate lots, a minimum of 8-foot separation between a house and a detached accessory building on separate lots, or a minimum of 6-foot separation between 2 detached accessory buildings on separate lots. The easement shall be on a form approved by the City, and be subject to payment of a fee established by City Council resolution. Applicant is responsible for recording and fees associated with recording. Applicant shall supply the City with a copy of the recorded easement.
(Ord. 21-1384; Ord. 23-1395)
[1]
See Article 6.070: Measurements for information on how to measure average slope, average grade, and calculate height limits.