The C commercial district is intended for those uses which serve a larger public than the immediate neighborhood, including manufacturing, light industrial, retail and office uses. These uses are intended to have access to major arterials and SR-167, and can generate traffic on adjacent streets. Parking requirements are generally greater than for neighborhood uses. Uses found in this district include a wide range of retail sales, service and light industrial establishments serving both long-term and short-term needs in locations typically appropriate to commercial clusters near intersections or along major thoroughfares.
(Ord. 485 § 8.01, 1971; Ord. 1361 § 5, 1998)
In the C district, the following buildings and uses are permitted by this chapter and Chapter 20.06 PMC, subject to the general provisions and exceptions set forth in this chapter and regulations set forth in Chapters 20.01, 20.08 through 20.24, 20.68 and 20.72 PMC:
A. 
The following accessory uses:
1. 
Maintenance of the equipment, vehicles and machinery used to support a principal use;
2. 
Antennas and satellite dishes for private telecommunication services;
3. 
Food service facilities for use primarily by employees with no exterior advertisement of the facility;
4. 
Noncommercial recreational facilities and areas (indoor or outdoor), including swimming pools, for exclusive use by employees, patrons, or residents, depending upon the principal land use;
5. 
One dwelling unit used exclusively by the property owner or by caretakers or superintendents and their families;
6. 
Mobile food vendor (see Chapter 5.36 PMC and PMC § 20.68.695);
B. 
Administrative and professional offices;
C. 
Administrative government facilities and services;
D. 
Adult family homes;
E. 
Agricultural sales;
F. 
Agricultural services;
G. 
Amusement and recreation (levels 1, 2);
H. 
Battery exchange station, subject to the provisions of Chapter 20.76 PMC;
I. 
Building materials and garden supplies;
J. 
Business services;
K. 
Buy-back recycling centers;
L. 
Commercial centers;
M. 
Communication or cellular facilities (levels 1, 2);
N. 
Community and cultural services;
O. 
Contractor yards;
P. 
Crop production;
Q. 
Eating and drinking establishments;
R. 
Educational facilities;
S. 
Electric vehicle infrastructure, level 1, level 2 and level 3 rapid charging stations, subject to the provisions of Chapter 20.76 PMC. Charging stations are permitted as a primary use; rapid charging stations are permitted only as an accessory use to a permitted use and shall meet the definition of "electric vehicle charging station – restricted";
T. 
Family day care;
U. 
Food and related products;
V. 
Food stores;
W. 
Forestry (level 1);
X. 
Health services;
Y. 
Industrial services and repair (level 1);
Z. 
Intermediate manufacturing and intermediate/final assembly in accordance with PMC § 20.06.110;
AA. 
Lodging (levels 1, 2);
BB. 
Mobile, manufactured, and modular home and office sales;
CC. 
Motion picture/television and radio production studios;
DD. 
Motor vehicles and related equipment sales/rental/repair and services (levels 1, 2, 3, 4);
EE. 
Natural gas facilities (levels 1, 3);
FF. 
Personal services;
GG. 
Pet sales and services;
HH. 
Pipelines;
II. 
Postal services;
JJ. 
Printing, publishing and related industries (level 1);
KK. 
Public safety services (levels 1, 2);
LL. 
Rental and repair services;
MM. 
Sales of general merchandise;
NN. 
Swap meet (level 1);
OO. 
Sewage collection facilities;
PP. 
Storage;
QQ. 
Stormwater facilities;
RR. 
Transportation (level 1);
SS. 
Utility or public maintenance facilities (level 1);
TT. 
Warehousing, distribution and freight movement;
UU. 
Waste transfer facilities (level 1);
VV. 
Water supply facilities (level 1); and
WW. 
Wholesale trade.
(Ord. 485 § 8.02, 1971; Ord. 1361 § 5, 1998; Ord. 1780 § 5, 2010; Ord. 1782 § 3, 2010; Ord. 1805 § 10, 2011; Ord. 1952 § 24, 2017; Ord. 1992 § 3, 2018; Ord. 2119 § 1 (Exh. A), 2025)
In addition to the buildings and uses permitted conditionally in PMC § 20.68.170, the city may grant a conditional use permit (CUP) for any of the following buildings and uses in accordance with the procedures set forth in Chapter 20.20 PMC:
A. 
Adult entertainment businesses in the area west of State Route 167, south of the King/Pierce County line, east of West Valley Highway and north of 8th Street East;
B. 
Animal production, boarding, slaughtering (level 1);
C. 
Basic manufacturing (categories 3, 5);
D. 
Bulk fuel dealers;
E. 
Electrical facilities;
F. 
Educational facilities;
G. 
Fish hatcheries and aquaculture;
H. 
Forestry (level 2);
I. 
Indoor emergency housing (see PMC § 20.68.200 for applicable regulations);
J. 
Indoor emergency shelter (see PMC § 20.68.200 for applicable regulations);
K. 
Intermediate manufacturing and intermediate/final assembly in accordance with PMC § 20.06.110;
L. 
Permanent supportive housing (shall conform to Chapter 20.96 PMC – Multifamily Housing Design Standards) (see PMC § 20.68.200 for applicable regulations);
M. 
Public safety services (level 3);
N. 
Recreation, nonprofit (level 4);
O. 
Religious assembly;
P. 
Swap meet (levels 2 and 3);
Q. 
Transitional housing (shall conform to Chapter 20.96 PMC – Multifamily Housing Design Standards) (see PMC § 20.68.200 for applicable regulations);
R. 
Transportation (levels 2 and 3);
S. 
Utility or public maintenance facilities (level 2); and
T. 
Waste transfer facilities (level 2).
(Ord. 485 § 8.03, 1971; Ord. 1170 § 6, 1992; Ord. 1361 § 5, 1998; Ord. 1379 § 2, 1998; Ord. 1505 § 11, 2001; Ord. 1780 § 5, 2010; Ord. 2029 § 4, 2020; Ord. 2053 § 9, 2022)
The following minimum requirements shall be observed:
A. 
Lot area: none;
B. 
Lot width: none;
C. 
Setback, state highways: 10 feet (or per state requirement);
D. 
Setback, major arterials: 30 feet;
E. 
Setback, other roads: 25 feet;
F. 
Setback, rear: none (or per Uniform Building Code);
G. 
Setback, side: none (or per Uniform Building Code).
(Ord. 485 § 8.05, 1971; Ord. 1361 § 5, 1998)
No maximum lot coverage is specified, except subject to Chapter 20.72 PMC, Parking and Loading, as to the amount of off-street parking required per use.
(Ord. 485 § 8.06, 1971; Ord. 1361 § 5, 1998)
All uses shall conform to the general provisions and loading standards of number, area, surface, screening and maintenance as required by Chapter 20.72 PMC, Parking and Loading.
(Ord. 485 § 8.07, 1971; Ord. 1361 § 5, 1998)
Signs, advertising structures, and area illumination are permitted, subject to Chapter 20.84 PMC, Sign Code.
(Ord. 485 § 8.08, 1971; Ord. 1361 § 5, 1998; Ord. 1394 § 2, 1998)
The following additional conditions shall apply in a C district:
A. 
In any C district directly across the street from any residential district designated in this title, the parking and loading facilities shall be distant at least 20 feet from the street; provided, that the foregoing requirement of this section shall not apply where such residential district is separated from the C district by a street planned to have a right-of-way of 80 feet or more; provided further, that a screen wall and/or landscaping is established and maintained on the C property.
B. 
All operations conducted on the premises shall not constitute a nuisance by reason of smoke, fumes, odor, steam, gases, vibrations, noise, hazards or other causes, beyond the property lines, and shall comply with the provisions of PMC § 20.68.160.
C. 
All sites and activities in the C district shall comply with Chapter 20.70 PMC, Landscaping.
(Ord. 485 § 8.09, 1971; Ord. 1361 § 5, 1998)