(1) 
The Jefferson County Comprehensive Plan establishes five principal land use classes for the county. Each class permits a different level of activity. The general classes are urban growth areas, rural lands, resource lands, master planned resorts and public lands.
(2) 
The individual land use categories within the classes are referred to as "districts." This section of the Unified Development Code provides development regulations by identifying uses and activities which may or may not be established in these classes. These classes have been developed based on:
(a) 
Requirements of the Washington State Growth Management Act (Chapter 36.70A RCW);
(b) 
Natural systems and land capability;
(c) 
Existing land use patterns.
(Ord. 8-06 § 1)
There is currently one unincorporated UGA in Jefferson County: the Irondale and Port Hadlock urban growth area. The Irondale and Port Hadlock UGA comprises three broad categories of urban land uses: urban residential; urban commercial; and urban industrial. These Comprehensive Plan land use categories are further defined into "zoning districts" that identify specific land use activities, densities and intensities of use allowed in the Irondale and Port Hadlock UGA. The specific land use and zoning provisions of the Irondale and Port Hadlock UGA are contained in Chapter 18.18 JCC. The urban provisions of Chapter 18.18 JCC shall be applied when urban services are available, namely sewer facilities.
(Ord. 8-06 § 1; Ord. 9-09 § 2 (Exh. B))
This land use class includes three categories: rural residential; rural commercial; and rural industrial. These categories are further defined into specific "districts":
(1) 
Rural Residential.
(a) 
Rural Residential 1 Unit/5 Acres (RR 1:5). The purpose of this district is to allow for continued residential development in areas of Jefferson County consisting of relatively high density pre-existing patterns of development, along the county's coastal areas, and within areas within or adjacent to rural centers and rural crossroads. In addition, this district seeks to support and foster Jefferson County's existing rural residential landscape and character by restricting new land divisions to a base density of one unit per five acres.
(b) 
Rural Residential 1 Unit/10 Acres (RR 1:10). This district provides a transitional area between the rural residential one per five-acre district and the rural residential one unit per 20-acre district. Its intent is to preserve open space, protect critical areas, provide for the continuation of small-scale agricultural and forestry, and preserve and retain the rural landscape and character indigenous to Jefferson County.
(c) 
Rural Residential 1 Unit/20 Acres (RR 1:20). The purpose of this district is to provide a buffer in areas adjacent to UGAs and designated forest and agricultural lands of long-term commercial significance, as well as protecting areas identified as possessing area-wide environmental features which constrain development such as shoreline areas or areas of steep and unstable slopes. The district also protects land from premature conversion to higher residential densities prior to an established need.
(2) 
Rural Commercial.
(a) 
Rural Centers (Rural Village Center) (RVC). Rural village centers provide for most of the essential needs of the surrounding rural population and the traveling public. These areas supply a variety of basic goods and day-to-day services, while also providing a limited range of professional, public and social services. They are typically small, unincorporated commercial and residential community centers that provide rural levels of service and serve as a focal point for the local population. The boundaries of the rural village centers are predominantly defined by the contained, built environment as it existed in 1990 or before, as required by RCW 36.70A.070(5)(d). Designated rural village centers include: Quilcene and Brinnon.
(b) 
General Crossroads (GC). General crossroads are existing historic commercial areas that provide a broad range of commercial goods and services for a larger population base in the northeastern part of Jefferson County. There is one general crossroads designation identified in Jefferson County: SR 19/20 Intersection.
(c) 
Neighborhood/Visitor Crossroads (NC). Neighborhood/visitor crossroad districts serve the nearby rural neighborhood and the commuting or traveling public. These historic areas typically provide an extended range of goods and services by establishment of restaurants, taverns/bars, auto part stores, hotel/motels and a limited range of specialty and professional services. There are five neighborhood crossroads identified in Jefferson County: Mats Mats, Discovery Bay, Four Corners, Chimacum and Gardiner.
(d) 
Convenience Crossroads (CC). Convenience crossroads consist of a single commercial property at a historical crossroads. Typically, the existing commercial use is a convenience or general store with associated uses that provide a limited selection of basic retail goods and services for the local population and the commuting or traveling public. Land uses are not oriented to markets beyond the local rural population. There are three convenience crossroad designations in Jefferson County: Nordland, Beaver Valley and Wawa Point.
(3) 
Rural Industrial.
(a) 
Light Industrial/Manufacturing (LI/M). The purpose of this district is to provide for rural economic development by regulating light industrial and manufacturing uses in the Quilcene area. The light industrial uses and activities associated with this district are intended to be compatible with the rural character. There are two light industrial/manufacturing districts in Jefferson County: Quilcene and Eastview.
(b) 
Glen Cove Light Industrial/Commercial (LI/C). The intent of this district is to facilitate economic development and provide for a broader range of light industrial and associated commercial activities in the Glen Cove area. Associated commercial activities are intended to directly serve the needs of the land use activities existing within this district.
(c) 
Glen Cove Light Industrial (LI). The purpose of this district is to facilitate economic development and provide for a broad range of light industrial uses. The light industrial uses and activities associated with this district are intended to be compatible with the Glen Cove area.
(d) 
Heavy Industrial (HI). The intent of this district is to facilitate economic development and regulate development of more intensive heavy industrial and manufacturing activities, including and associated with the Port Townsend Paper Mill.
(e) 
Resource-Based Industrial (RBI). This district recognizes existing forest resource-based industries in Jefferson County, in particular active sawmills and related activities. The district is intended to facilitate the continued operation of existing functional sawmills and related resource-based industrial activities in the county. There are three resource-based industrial site designations in Jefferson County: Gardiner, Center Valley, and the West End.
(4) 
Forest Transition Overlay 1 Unit/5 Acres (FTO 1:5). This category provides a transitional area between forest resource lands and abutting rural residential lands characterized by pre-platted lots of density greater or equal to one acre in size. The FTO category does not automatically attach to any lands, but parcel(s) may be approved for such designation in accordance with the provisions of JCC § 18.15.571. Its intent is to promote the continued viability of resource-based activities in rural areas by minimizing the potential for conflict and incompatibility between these uses and surrounding residential uses.
(Ord. 8-06 § 1)
This land use class includes three main categories and several distinct "districts."
(1) 
Agricultural Resource Lands (AG).[1]
(a) 
Prime Agricultural Lands (AP-20). The purpose of the prime agricultural lands district is to protect and preserve areas of prime agricultural soils for the continued production of commercial crops, livestock, or other agricultural products requiring relatively large tracts of agricultural land. It is intended to preserve and protect the land environment, economy and lifestyle of agriculture in Jefferson County. These lands must be protected as "agricultural lands of long-term commercial significance."
(b) 
Agricultural Lands of Local Importance (AL-20). The purpose of the agricultural lands of local importance district is to protect and preserve parcels of land which, while not necessarily consisting of prime agriculture soil or relatively large acreage, are still considered important to the local agricultural economy, lifestyle and environment. As such they deserve protection as "agricultural lands of long-term commercial significance."
[1]
Section 4 of Ord. 3-08 provides:
"Section 4: Agricultural Uses. Any existing agricultural uses occurring on lands designated as "AG" in JCC §18.15.020(1), to the extent such a use is regulated or governed by any provision of the existing CAO found at JCC Chapter 18.15, shall continue to be regulated and/or governed by the existing JCC Chapter 18.15 in order to comply with SSB 5248 enacted by the State Legislature, signed by the Governor and now found at Section 2 of Chapter 353 of the 2007 Session Laws. To comply with SSB 5248 between May 1, 2007 and July 1, 2010 local governments planning under GMA "may not amend or adopt CA Ordinances under RCW 36.70A.060(2) as they apply to agricultural activities." Since this new Critical Areas Ordinance is being enacted during the time frame covered by SSB 5248, that law applies in the manner described above."
(2) 
Forest Resource Lands (FOR).
(a) 
Commercial Forest (CF-80). The purpose of the commercial forest district is to ensure large tracts of forest lands of long-term significance are protected from incompatible uses thereby sustaining the ability of forest resource extraction activities to be maintained as a viable commercial activity.
(b) 
Rural Forest (RF-40). The purpose of the rural forest district is to ensure forest lands of long-term significance are protected from incompatible uses thereby sustaining the ability of forest resource extraction activities to be maintained as a viable commercial activity, while allowing for diversity in the size of forest tracts.
(c) 
Inholding Forest (IF). This district encompasses parcels at least 20 acres in size that are entirely surrounded by designated forest resource lands and that are not vested for development under Washington State law.
(3) 
Mineral Resource Lands (MRL).
(a) 
Mineral Resource Lands Overlay District (MRL). The mineral resource land district is to provide for the conservation of mineral lands of long-term commercial significance (Article VI-C of this chapter). The intent of this district is to aid in sustaining and enhancing mineral extraction and processing activities of long-term commercial significance by protecting designated lands from incompatible development and to allow for the continued contribution of mineral lands to the Jefferson County economy.
(Ord. 8-06 § 1)
Per RCW 36.70A.360, a new master planned resort means a self-contained and fully integrated development with primary focus on resort destination facilities that includes short-term visitor accommodations associated with a range of indoor and outdoor recreational facilities within the property boundaries in a setting of significant natural amenities. A resort may include other residential uses, but only if the residential uses are integrated into and support the on-site recreational nature of the resort.
(1) 
Port Ludlow Master Planned Resort (MPR). The first existing officially designated master planned resort in Jefferson County is the Port Ludlow MPR, which is designated in accordance with RCW 36.70A.362 as an existing master planned resort and is subject to the provisions of JCC Title 17. The master planned resort of Port Ludlow is characterized by both single-family and multifamily residential units with attendant recreational facilities including a marina, resort and convention center. The master planned resort of Port Ludlow also includes a large residential community. The entire resort is served by a village commercial center, which accommodates uses limited to serving the resort and local population. The master planned resort's internal regulations and planning restrictions such as codes, covenants and restrictions may be more restrictive than the requirements in JCC Title 17. However, Jefferson County does not enforce private codes, covenants and restrictions.
(2) 
Pleasant Harbor MPR. Pleasant Harbor MPR is the second officially designated master planned resort in Jefferson County. The Pleasant Harbor MPR is designated in accordance with RCW 36.70A.360 as a new master planned resort and is subject to the provisions of JCC Title 17. The Pleasant Harbor MPR is characterized by resort and recreation facilities and amenities south of Black Point Road and a marina/maritime village and associated housing north of Black Point Road. The resort is predominately designed to serve resort and recreation uses and has only limited full-time occupancy. The resort is served by the Brinnon Rural Center, which accommodates LAMIRD-scale commercial uses serving the resort and local population. The master planned resort's internal regulations and planning restrictions such as codes, covenants and restrictions may be more restrictive than the requirements in JCC Title 17. However, Jefferson County does not enforce private codes, covenants and restrictions.
(Ord. 8-06 § 1; Ord. 3-18 § 3 (Att. 2))
This land use class consists of nonfederal public lands used for special purposes. It includes three districts:
(1) 
Parks, Preserves and Recreation (PPR). This land use district consists of state and county parks, preserves and recreational sites. It is intended to provide for public recreational opportunities consistent with the rural character of the county and preserve significant natural amenities of special or unique character.
(2) 
County Waste Management Essential Public Facility (CWMEPF).
(3) 
Airport Essential Public Facility (AEPF). This land use district consists of land owned by the Port of Port Townsend that directly and indirectly supports operations of the Jefferson County International Airport as an essential public facility. It is intended to promote compatible land uses and the long-term economic viability of the JCIA consistent with county goals regarding essential public facilities, the preservation of rural character, and economic development.
(4) 
Public. Lands designated public that serve general public needs other than parks, preserves and recreation. This designation may be provided for certain public facilities or other lands for other public use.
(Ord. 8-06 § 1; Ord. 14-18 § 4 (Exh. B))