In the CB-1 and CB-2 zoning districts, mixed use development shall be defined as a building that contains nonresidential uses and residential uses. The ground floor shall be dedicated to nonresidential use.
(Formerly 19.38.060; Ord. 2331 § 1 (Exh. A), 2006; Ord. 2815 § 2 (Exh. B), 2025)
A. 
Objective. Maintain a design that compliments the street and maintains buildings that activate the sidewalks through building design requirements that meet state law.
1. 
Building height shall not exceed 50 feet.
2. 
The building facade facing the primary street shall be stepped back above the second story or treated with the techniques enumerated in EMC § 19.38.070(A)(6).
(Formerly 19.38.070; Ord. 2331 § 1 (Exh. A), 2006; Ord. 2815 § 2 (Exh. B), 2025)
A. 
Objective. New development should preserve and be compatible with the city's historic architectural heritage. Particular emphasis should be placed on achieving an intimate scale and a concern for craftsmanship. New developments, which are near or adjacent to older buildings of substantial historic character, should be respectful of the historic building. While not mimicking the older structure, the development should consider the compatibility of size, shape, scale, materials, details, textures, colors, and landscape features.
1. 
Roof design shall reduce the mass and scale of buildings, add visual interest and prevent reflective glare. Flat roofs shall have parapets to conceal the roof and mechanical equipment from ground level views.
2. 
Sloped roofs shall have overhanging eaves.
3. 
Exterior siding consisting of wood, brick, and/or other materials with natural textures is encouraged.
4. 
Exterior building materials shall be of similar type (e.g., wood or masonry) on all sides of a building, except that embellishments and details proposed for the street side frontage(s) of the building need not be carried through on other sides.
5. 
When buildings include residences on upper floors, rooftop gardens or upper-floor terraces or decks shall be required.
6. 
Walls shall appear to be composed of relatively small increments. Walls shall be articulated in two or more of the following ways:
a. 
Reveals;
b. 
Recesses of at least two feet in depth or five percent of wall length, whichever is larger;
c. 
Offsets;
d. 
Overhangs, porches and covered walkways;
e. 
Providing window and door openings with substantial trim elements;
f. 
Projecting bays;
g. 
Stepped-back upper floors. Buildings over two stories high may step back their upper story street-facing facades to reduce apparent height and bulk. The stepback should normally be at least six feet in depth;
Stepped-Back Upper Floors
h. 
Changes in roof form;
i. 
Changes in materials;
j. 
Permanently installed and maintained trellises or vegetation.
7. 
New development should locate windows, skylights, open spaces, and decks to take advantage of southern exposure. Buildings and canopies should be designed to utilize natural light to reduce energy costs.
8. 
Building placement and design shall consider shadow impacts to adjacent properties and minimize these impacts to the extent reasonable and practicable. For example, where building features are nonfunctional or decorative (parapets, unused attic space) such features should be reduced in scale where shadowing of adjacent properties would occur.
9. 
All signage shall conform to the provisions of Chapter 19.10 EMC, Sign Code.
(Formerly 19.38.080; Ord. 2331 § 1 (Exh. A), 2006; Ord. 2815 § 2 (Exh. B), 2025)
A. 
Objective. The primary entrances of buildings shall be identified and highlighted through architectural details, lighting, and signage. The design of buildings shall enhance the relationship between buildings and streets by creating easily identifiable building entrances.
1. 
Entrances shall be visible from the primary street or frontage street. Sites with two fronts that include two entrances shall comply with this section.
2. 
A minimum of two of the following techniques shall be used for entrance enhancements:
a. 
Recessed entry;
b. 
Glazed door;
c. 
Roofline emphasis;
d. 
Windows above entry;
e. 
Projecting sign above doorway, subject to sign code;
f. 
Canopy, marquee, or awning above entry;
g. 
Head molding or decorative lintel above doorway;
h. 
Contrasting, decorative finish materials.
(Formerly 19.38.090; Ord. 2331 § 1 (Exh. A), 2006; Ord. 2815 § 2 (Exh. B), 2025)
A. 
Objective. Buildings should provide protection for pedestrians from adverse weather conditions.
1. 
Overhangs, marquees, and awnings that provide protection for pedestrians and bicycle racks from adverse weather conditions must be incorporated at entrances, along pedestrian sidewalks, and at transportation waiting areas.
2. 
Enumclaw often experiences strong wind conditions. Doorways should be oriented or sheltered so that doors can be opened easily and safely when strong seasonal winds are present, where feasible.
(Formerly 19.38.100; Ord. 2331 § 1 (Exh. A), 2006; Ord. 2815 § 2 (Exh. B), 2025)
A. 
Objective. Buildings shall provide generous amounts of windows to create views into ground floors in order to provide visual interest to encourage pedestrian activity.
1. 
At sidewalk level, buildings must be primarily transparent. A minimum of 50 percent of all first-floor facades with primary street frontage should consist of pedestrian entrances, display windows or windows affording views into retail, offices, gallery, restaurant, or lobby space. The building wall subject to transparency requirements shall include the portion between two feet and eight feet above the sidewalk. This standard shall also apply to the secondary street facades on corner lots.
2. 
All glass in windows and doorways shall be clear for maximizing visibility into stores. Opaque and reflecting glass shall not be used.
3. 
Buildings and establishments where goods and services are not offered shall contain at least passive elements focused to the pedestrian. These may include architectural detailing, artwork, landscaped areas, or windows for public service use.
(Formerly 19.38.110; Ord. 2331 § 1 (Exh. A), 2006; Ord. 2815 § 2 (Exh. B), 2025)
A. 
Objective. Buildings shall be oriented towards the primary street frontage and/or sidewalks. Buildings on corner lots should be oriented towards the primary intersection.
1. 
Where properties front one or more streets, new buildings shall not be set back from the sidewalk, with the following exceptions:
a. 
Setbacks up to four feet may be used to highlight entrances and provide wider sidewalks.
b. 
A setback of up to 10 feet may be allowed for the purpose of providing landscaped public space that includes seating and/or other pedestrian amenities.
2. 
Buildings on corner lots should be oriented toward the primary intersection and the primary and secondary street frontages, while parking and auto access shall be located away from the primary intersection corners.
a. 
The use of lot corner entrances, plazas, signage, and/or landscaping is encouraged to accentuate corner sites.
b. 
Buildings may be separated from the sidewalk by plazas, landscaping, benches, bicycle racks, trash receptacles, and other pedestrian amenities.
(Formerly 19.38.120; Ord. 2331 § 1 (Exh. A), 2006; Ord. 2815 § 2 (Exh. B), 2025)
A. 
Objective. Landscaping shall be incorporated into new development designed to soften the manmade environment, provide vegetative buffers and open space. The preferred method of landscaping is to first incorporate and preserve existing trees and shrubs and other existing natural features into the project design.
1. 
All proposals must comply with the street tree standards of Chapter 12.21 EMC, Street Trees.
2. 
Landscaping in parking lots shall conform to requirements of Chapter 19.08 EMC, Landscape Regulations, and Chapter 19.14 EMC, Off-Street Parking, unless otherwise noted.
3. 
Landscaping techniques including living plant material and supporting elements shall include, but are not limited to, the following:
a. 
Landscape open areas created by building modulation.
b. 
Use plants that require low amounts of water, including native drought-resistant species.
c. 
Locate trees on storefront street frontages at appropriate spacing so that at maturity building signage and entrance are clearly visible from the street and sidewalk.
d. 
Plant a mix of evergreen and deciduous plants to maintain year-round color and interest.
e. 
Shrubs, grasses and other nontree vegetation shall be included in the plan as appropriate.
4. 
An irrigation method shall be included in the landscaping plan. Irrigation shall be required immediately after planting and May through October thereafter or as recommended by a landscape professional. Developers shall install underground irrigation systems whenever possible to avoid drought loss.
B. 
Optional landscaping techniques may also include where appropriate:
1. 
Providing frameworks such as trellises or arbors for plants;
2. 
Incorporating planter guards, retaining walls, or low planter walls as part of the architecture;
3. 
Incorporating upper-story planter boxes, roof gardens, or plants;
4. 
Incorporating outdoor furniture into the landscaping plan.
(Formerly 19.38.130; Ord. 2331 § 1 (Exh. A), 2006; Ord. 2815 § 2 (Exh. B), 2025)
A. 
Objective. Development shall minimize the impact of parking on the building's relationship to the street, pedestrian-oriented character, and character of the neighborhood.
1. 
Off-street parking shall be provided for all residential units. Parking shall be provided at a rate of one space per dwelling unit.
2. 
New Development. Off-street parking shall be located to the rear of the building. Partial or full underground parking may be used.
3. 
Redevelopment. Parking lots shall be relocated behind buildings where feasible. Where parking lots are allowed to remain in front of or beside buildings, parking lots shall provide a five-foot-wide planting area between the parking lot and the street right-of-way.
4. 
Adjacent developments are encouraged to link parking areas and accessways in order to encourage combining of shopping trips and pedestrian activity and to reduce redundant driveways.
Intersection Corners of Primary Street Corners Are Not Appropriate Locations for Parking Lots
(Formerly 19.38.140; Ord. 2331 § 1 (Exh. A), 2006; Ord. 2815 § 2 (Exh. B), 2025)
A. 
Objective. Provide safe, bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly development.
1. 
Walkways shall be provided between the primary abutting street and the main pedestrian entrances to buildings.
2. 
Pedestrian access shall be provided between commercial sites and adjacent areas.
3. 
Bicycle locking racks shall be provided on development sites with 100 lineal feet of street frontage. Bicycle racks shall be located as closely as possible to primary building entrances and shall be set back.
a. 
Bicycle racks are required if the buildings does provide parking stalls.
B. 
Objective. Provide safe walkways for pedestrians through off-street parking lots and from adjacent streets and properties.
1. 
Pedestrian walkways in off-street parking lots shall be physically separated from vehicle travel lanes.
2. 
Pedestrian crossings must be short and well marked.
(Formerly 19.38.150; Ord. 2331 § 1 (Exh. A), 2006; Ord. 2815 § 2 (Exh. B), 2025)
A. 
Objective. Limit the amount and intensity of lighting to that necessary for safety, security and to complement architectural character. All exterior lighting, including that used to illuminate signs, shall be designed to reduce glare impacts to adjacent properties and public rights-of-way, to use energy efficiently, and to reduce nighttime "light pollution." Such lighting shall not blink, flash, or oscillate.
1. 
All exterior lighting, including that to illuminate signs, shall be pointed downward and shielded from direct observation from the air, adjacent properties, and public rights-of-way. Lighting "spillover" to adjacent properties shall be minimized. Lamps shall use recessed or flat lenses.
2. 
Decorative exterior light poles shall not exceed a height of 14 feet above grade, including the base.
3. 
Lighting shall be located near the activity needing illumination. Walkways, entrances, and parking areas may be lit during nighttime business hours, but such lighting shall be the minimum necessary for safety. Lighting in parking lots should be of uniform intensity, since the eye cannot easily adapt to areas of darkness and brightness in proximity to one another. The placement of lighting in residential parking areas should avoid interference with bedroom windows.
4. 
Buildings shall not be outlined with neon or other lighting, except seasonal lighting.
5. 
Nighttime lighting of the American flag is exempt from the provisions of this chapter, except that such lighting shall not provide direct glare to neighboring properties or vehicular traffic.
6. 
Lighting shall be maintained to meet these standards at all times.
7. 
If, once installed, lighting is found to be performing in violation of these standards, the city may require the business owner to take corrective action to bring the lighting into compliance.
(Formerly 19.38.160; Ord. 2331 § 1 (Exh. A), 2006; Ord. 2815 § 2 (Exh. B), 2025)
A. 
Objective. Mechanical elements, loading areas, and trash and recycling containers shall be located and/or screened to minimize their visibility from public view.
1. 
Refuse and storage containers shall be screened with built or landscaped confinements. Refuse and storage areas shall be located to the rear or side of the property and away from adjacent streets and residential property.
2. 
New construction shall be consistent with Chapter 19.06 EMC, Recycling Collection Point.
3. 
Service and loading areas should be located to the rear or sides of buildings away from adjacent streets, but shall be designed for convenient use.
4. 
Rooftop mechanical equipment shall be concealed from view by a roof form integrated with the overall architecture of the building, either by locating the equipment within the structure or concealing it from ground-level view behind a parapet.
(Formerly 19.38.170; Ord. 2331 § 1 (Exh. A), 2006; Ord. 2815 § 2 (Exh. B), 2025)
A. 
Objective. Buildings shall be designed to ensure that building massing, height, and scale provide sensitive transition to adjoining residential neighborhoods. New developments whose bulk and scale may negatively impact adjacent residential areas shall mitigate the effect through careful site planning and architectural design. Possible mitigation techniques include, but are not limited to, the following:
1. 
Locating open space and preserving existing vegetation on the site's edge to further separate the building from less intensive uses;
2. 
Stepping down the massing of the building along the site's edge;
3. 
Limiting the length of or articulating building facades to reflect adjacent residential patterns; and
4. 
Creative use and ongoing maintenance of landscaping, such as berms, mounds, rockeries, living fences, and swales.
(Formerly 19.38.180; Ord. 2331 § 1 (Exh. A), 2006; Ord. 2815 § 2 (Exh. B), 2025)
Improvements within the public rights-of-way must be compatible with existing and planned city right-of-way improvements and city standards.
(Formerly 19.38.190; Ord. 2331 § 1 (Exh. A), 2006; Ord. 2815 § 2 (Exh. B), 2025)
A. 
Objective. Provide an opportunity for mixed use development within an overlay district in the HCB zone where it can be demonstrated that such development is compatible and congruent with adjacent uses and zones.
1. 
Mixed use development proposals shall be subject to and processed in accordance with the regulations, standards and guidelines applicable to such developments in the CB-1 and CB-2 zones.
2. 
Mixed use developments in the HCB mixed use overlay shall be considered a permitted use.
(Formerly 19.38.200; Ord. 2331 § 1 (Exh. A), 2006; Ord. 2815 § 2 (Exh. B), 2025)