The purpose of this article shall be to provide specific regulations, providing for the location of certain special and accessory uses in all use districts and providing supplementary controls for the protection of essential uses of said districts.
(Ord. 1367 (Exh. C), 2025)
Development that includes residential uses where 30 percent of the dwelling units are long-term units provided at or below 80 percent area median income for Lewis County shall be eligible for one of either an increased commercial or residential density bonus.
(1) 
A 25 percent increase in the total number of residential dwelling units, rounded down to the nearest whole number. For example, a 24-unit residential building would be granted a bonus of six additional dwellings for a total of 30 dwellings. A 25-unit residential building would be granted a bonus of six and one-quarter additional dwellings; rounded down, the total number of dwellings allowed would be 31 units.
(2) 
A 30 percent increase in total commercial square footage rounded down to the nearest whole number. For example, a mixed-use development with 10,000 square feet of commercial uses would be granted a bonus of 3,000 square feet for a total allotment of 13,000 square feet for the project.
(Ord. 1367 (Exh. C), 2025)
(1) 
Purpose. The purpose of this section is to ensure that new development provides a minimum number of off-street parking spaces to reduce congestion on public rights-of-way.
(2) 
Prohibitions. Vehicle parking is prohibited within front setback from Highway 12 or State Route 508. Parking that existed before January 1, 2026, is vested and may persist and be maintained, but may not be expanded to become more nonconforming.
(3) 
Standards.
(a) 
Any new development which requires parking shall adhere to the standards of Tables 4, 5 and 6 as follows:
Table 4: Development Standards for Off-Street Parking Spaces
Use
Space Required
Commercial spaces less than 10,000 square feet
One per 800 square feet of gross floor area1,2
Commercial spaces greater than 10,000 square feet
One per 500 square feet of gross floor area1,2
Manufacturing, industrial or similar
One per two employees
Restaurant and other food establishments
One per 200 square feet of gross floor area for first 4,000 square feet and one space for each additional 400 square feet2
Offices not providing on-site customer services
One per four employees
Medical, dental, pharmacy and other health uses
One per 200 square feet of gross floor area
Transient accommodations
One per sleeping room
Residential, single-family
Two per dwelling unit
Residential, accessory dwelling unit
One per dwelling unit
Residential, multifamily
One per dwelling unit
1 Mixed use development that includes both commercial and residential uses is only required to provide 50 percent of the minimum parking requirement for commercial uses.
2 Gross floor area calculation only applies to habitable spaces.
Table 5: Parking Space Dimension
Use
Length of Space
Width of Space
Nonresidential uses
18'6"
9'
Residential, single-family
20'
10'
Residential, accessory dwelling unit
20'
10'
Residential, multifamily
18'6"
9'
Compact vehicles
15'
8'
Motorcycle parking
4'
6'
Table 6: Parking Minimum Aisle Widths
Parking Angle
Drive Aisle Width One-Way/Two-Way
30°
13'/21'
45°
13'/21'
60°
16'/21'
75°
16'/21'
90°
24'
(b) 
When measurements of the number of required spaces result in a fractional number, any fraction of 0.5 or greater shall be rounded up to the next higher whole number and any fraction of less than 0.5 shall be rounded down to the lower whole number.
(c) 
Parking lots for all multifamily residential, commercial, industrial and mixed-use development shall be paved.
(d) 
For any parking area of 12 or more spaces, 33 percent of all parking spaces may be set aside for compact vehicle parking; provided, that these spaces are clearly marked. Up to 33 percent of compact spaces may be set aside for motorcycle parking.
(e) 
Access to parking areas for all multifamily residential, commercial, industrial and mixed-use development shall be alleyways or from a shared access easement located within a side or rear setback.
(i) 
Any parking area shall be designed in such a manner that any vehicle leaving or entering the parking area from or into a public or private street shall be traveling in a forward motion. Access of driveways for parking areas shall be located in such a way that any vehicle entering or leaving such lot shall be clearly visible for a reasonable distance to any pedestrian or motorist approaching the access or driveway from a public or private street.
(ii) 
Where a shared access point is used for multiple developments, one lot may be used; provided, that it meets the minimum number of spaces for all uses served by the lot.
(iii) 
Shared parking lots shall be within 100 feet of all uses served. Uses may not be separated by public rights-of-way from the parking lot.
(f) 
Where a parking lot is the primary use of the site, the distance and separation by public rights-of-way restrictions do not apply.
(g) 
Where possible, parking areas should be accessed from side streets rather than from Highway 12 or State Route 508.
(h) 
Whenever any building is enlarged in gross floor area by more than 10 percent, off-street parking shall be provided for the expansion or enlargement portion only in accordance with the requirements of this chapter.
(i) 
Electrical vehicle charging space shall be provided in accordance with WAC 51-50-0429.
(4) 
Additional Standards. The following standards illustrated in Figure 5 shall apply to all parking areas unless otherwise exempted by this code. Letters referenced in Figure 5 correspond to the list-level for the following standards:
(a) 
Aisle widths shall comply with the minimum widths listed in conventional and interlocked parking design standards and general parking standards. When stall sizes utilized are greater than minimum size, the county building official may, at their discretion, increase the required aisle width.
(b) 
Length of aisle or island separating adjacent parking spaces shall have a maximum length of 300 feet.
(c) 
Curbs shall be installed at a minimum of three feet from the face of walls, fences, buildings and other structures adjacent to the exterior boundaries of the property. These areas shall be landscaped except for required pedestrian walkways. Landscaped areas can be used for stormwater management.
(d) 
The curb radius for landscape islands shall be a two-foot minimum.
(e) 
Individual ingress/egress access drives shall be in accordance with the provisions set forth in Chapter 12.60 LCC, Road Development Standards, and constructed to the specifications of the county engineer.
(f) 
Walkway openings four feet in width shall be provided in islands separating adjacent parking spaces at seven-space intervals.
(g) 
A 12-foot deep backup-turnaround shall be required on all dead-end parking lanes.
(h) 
Traffic circulation on one-way angle parking shall be designed for counter-clockwise traffic flow and directional arrows shall be painted on the pavement to help ensure the correct flow.
(i) 
No inside turning radius at the curb shall be less than 15 feet.
(j) 
No outside turning radius at the curb shall be less than 35 feet.
(k) 
Parking stalls shall be striped according to the specifications of the county engineer, with the center of the stripe as the point of measurement.
(l) 
Ends of island parking nodes where angled parking is provided shall be a minimum of 10 feet average width.
(m) 
The inside radius to a parking stall on a curve approach shall not be less than 15 feet.
Figure 5: General Parking Standards
(Ord. 1367 (Exh. C), 2025)
(1) 
Commercial, industrial and mixed-use development that requires 20 or more parking spaces shall provide an off-street loading area for the delivery or loading of goods.
(2) 
A loading space shall have minimum dimensions of not less than 14 feet in width, 60 feet in length, exclusive of driveways, aisles, and other circulation areas, and a height or clearance of not less than 15 feet.
(a) 
Standalone commercial and residential development which does not require delivery of goods utilizing semi-trucks or similar sized vehicles may use parking stalls for the delivery and loading of goods.
(3) 
One off-street loading space shall be provided and maintained on the same lot for every 10,000 square feet of nonresidential uses. One loading space shall be provided for each additional 10,000 square feet for retail and restaurant buildings; and one for each additional 30,000 square feet for manufacturing, warehouse, and service uses.
(4) 
Mixed-use developments that have separate delivery demand times can share loading areas if it can be demonstrated that delivery or loading of goods happens at separate times to the maximum extent possible.
(5) 
Lots less than one-half acre are not required to provide a loading zone if it can be demonstrated that the delivery or loading of goods will not utilize the right-of-way. This exemption does not apply to shared parking lots where the total lot size of all development utilizing the parking lot exceeds one-half acre.
(Ord. 1367 (Exh. C), 2025)
(1) 
Purpose. To support bicycle use as a form of transportation and recreation, including providing safe locations to park and lock bicycles within close proximity to primary entrances of commercial buildings.
(2) 
Standards.
(a) 
Within the Mixed Use (MU) zone, a minimum of one off-street bicycle parking space for every 1,000 square feet of indoor commercial use is required, not to exceed a total of five bicycle parking spaces. When there are multiple commercial uses co-located in a single structure, each commercial use shall meet the standard; shared bicycle parking is allowed.
(b) 
Required off-street bicycle parking spaces shall be provided with bike racks, bike lockers, or similar parking facilities and shall be located in a visible, well-lit ground-level area that is conveniently accessible to the primary entrances of a development principal building(s).
(c) 
The bicycle parking facilities shall not interfere with pedestrian traffic and shall be protected from conflicts with vehicular traffic.
(d) 
If a development has multiple structures, the bicycle parking shall be distributed evenly among the principal structures.
(Ord. 1367 (Exh. C), 2025)
(1) 
Purpose. The purpose of the landscaping standards is to reduce the visual impacts of development, enhance overall appearance of the community and reduce heat island impacts associated with impervious surfaces.
(2) 
Applicability. These standards apply to parking lots that include at least eight vehicle parking spaces and to all industrial development.
(3) 
Irrigation. Irrigation, if used, must be the minimum necessary for the purpose of establishment and maintenance of the vegetation. Any irrigation system shall be on a set watering schedule and shall minimize runoff and overspray to nonirrigated areas.
(4) 
Vegetation Type.
(a) 
Species that are considered nuisance or invasive in the Pacific Northwest are prohibited.
(b) 
Ground cover shall be planted and spaced to result in 80 percent coverage within three years.
(c) 
Trees and shrubs shall be native to the Pacific Northwest, or a nonnative variety is drought tolerant. Trees shall be selected and located to minimize the potential for interfering with or damaging power lines, underground utilities, or impervious surfaces, and to minimize potential damage to structures and injuries to people.
(5) 
Planting Density. Existing vegetation that is retained may be counted towards meeting the density standards.
(a) 
Parking lots shall include at least one tree and three shrubs for every five vehicle parking spaces. See Figure 3 as an example.
(b) 
All external parcel boundaries associated with industrial development that front a road, except within 10 feet of a driveway, or where the adjacent property allows residential uses, shall be landscaped to meet one of the following options. See Figure 6 as an example. Fences, berms and new trees used as landscaping shall meet setback requirements.
(i) 
A berm at least three feet high and no more than four feet high with a maximum slope of three to one, planted with ground cover and at least one tree every 20 feet on center;
(ii) 
A hedge at least three feet high and no more than four feet high, consisting of a double row of shrubs readily capable of growing to form a hedge, planted three feet on center in a triangular pattern, and at least one tree planted every 20 feet on center; or
(iii) 
A decorative fence or wall at least three feet high and no more than four feet high planted on the exterior of the fence or wall including at least one shrub planted every five feet on center and one tree planted every 30 feet on center.
Figure 6: Example Industrial Landscaping
(6) 
Stormwater Management. Landscaping installed for stormwater management may be counted towards meeting the landscaping requirements.
(Ord. 1367 (Exh. C), 2025)
(1) 
Purpose. The purpose is to encourage people to live and work on the same parcel, which supports housing affordability, promotes walking and biking, and creates compact small towns, limiting sprawl and impacts on urban services including water, sewer and transportation.
(2) 
Applicability. The live-work provisions apply within the Mixed Use (MU) and Commercial Business District (CBZ) zones. Home-based businesses are exempt.
(3) 
Allowances. On a single parcel with an existing commercial use and no existing residential uses, a single-family residential use may be added that meets the standards of this section.
(4) 
Standards.
(a) 
A single-family residence may be added to the interior of existing commercial building provided the residential use occupies no more than 25 percent of the total floor area.
(b) 
A detached or attached single-family residence may be added to the parcel; provided, that the total residential space is no larger than one-quarter of the total commercial space, or 1,296 square feet, whichever is smaller, and the residential building is set back at least 10 feet more than the commercial building from the front property line. See Figure 7 as an example.
(c) 
On-site parking must meet the parking standards. One garage or carport allowed, not to exceed 240 square feet and must be flush or set back from the primary wall of the residential structure.
Figure 7: Attached Live-Work Housing Example
(Ord. 1367 (Exh. C), 2025)
(1) 
Continuation. Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, the lawful use of any building or structure (whether or not covered by UBC or L&I), building, land, or premises that exists on the effective date of the adoption or amendment of the ordinance codified in this chapter, may be continued although such use does not conform to the provisions hereof. If such nonconforming use is discontinued for a period of 36 months or more, any future use of said building, land, or premises shall be consistent with the provisions of this title.
(2) 
Additions. Additions to nonconforming single-family residences within zoning districts where single-family residences are not allowed is permitted. If the addition is more than 25 percent of the facade facing a right-of-way on the existing residence, the entire structure shall meet the design standards in the zoning district. For example, a house with a 40-foot-long wall facing the right-of-way, and with a proposed 15-foot addition to that wall, would be required to meet the design standard for the entire residential structure.
(a) 
Where an addition to a single-family residence is behind the primary structure from the public right-of-way, conformance to design standards in the zoning district is not required.
(b) 
The addition must be on the lot of record as it existed at the time the use became nonconforming and the use shall not be expanded onto adjacent lots.
(3) 
Expansions. Expansions of nonconforming nonresidential uses shall be processed as a Type III application per Chapter 17.05 LCC.
(a) 
The expansion must be on the lot of record as it existed at the time the use became nonconforming and the use shall not be expanded onto adjacent lots. The expansion may be approved if it is consistent with the applicable zoning regulations, except the use restrictions, and the activity complies with Chapter 17.158 LCC.
(4) 
Changes. Changes from one nonconforming use to another nonconforming use are not permitted. Changes from a nonconforming use to a conforming use, or a use that was previously established in the zoning district but does not meet the minimum parking standards, is not required to meet the minimum parking and loading zone standards when no expansion to the building square footage is proposed.
(Ord. 1367 (Exh. C), 2025)
(1) 
Purpose. Master planned development standards are intended to enhance and diversify housing and economic development opportunities that complement the small-town character and create well-designed roads, pedestrian facilities, landscaping and public open spaces alongside private development.
(2) 
Applicability. The master planned development standards apply to land divisions of parcels 10 acres in size or larger.
(3) 
Administration. Master planned developments may be approved as a Type III binding site plan.
(4) 
Standards. In addition to all other applicable standards and requirements, master planned developments shall also meet all of the following:
(a) 
All roads shall be public and shall connect to an existing public right-of-way.
(b) 
Centralized bicycle parking facilities shall be provided throughout the development at a ratio of five parking spaces per 20,000 square feet of anticipated commercial development. Bicycle parking facilities may be combined with open space areas. See also LCC § 17.17.230(2)(b) through (2)(d).
(c) 
At least five percent of the total gross area must be publicly accessible open space.
(i) 
Sidewalks, pedestrian or bicycle pathways that are within the public right-of-way may not be counted towards the five percent.
(ii) 
Open spaces shall be included on the plat as a separate parcel, under common ownership by a homeowner or business owner association, with an open space maintenance agreement that includes operation and maintenance of all improvements and solid waste.
(iii) 
All open spaces shall be at least 200 square feet in size.
(iv) 
The open space may have set hours of operation not less than 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and may be locked during nonoperational hours.
(v) 
Open space areas shall incorporate at least three of the following elements:
(A) 
Pedestrian or bicycle pathway at least five feet in width and that is separated from any public right-of-way by a minimum of three feet, except where the pathway provides a point of access to a public right-of-way.
(B) 
Play equipment, such as a swing set, slide, climbing structure, etc.
(C) 
Benches or picnic tables.
(D) 
Sport courts or fields, such as pickleball, tennis, basketball, soccer, baseball, etc.
(E) 
Dog park that is fully fenced, where the fence is at least four feet tall.
(F) 
Community garden.
(vi) 
All areas of the open space that are not covered by an element listed under subsection (4)(c)(v) of this section shall be landscaped with a vegetated ground cover and either five shrubs or one tree per every gross 200 square feet. Existing vegetation may be used to meet this requirement. Trees and shrubs may be clustered.
(Ord. 1367 (Exh. C), 2025)