§ 21.24.060. Dimensional requirements.

Area and dimensional requirements, by land use district, are identified in Table 21T-07. Any specific exemptions or variations to the requirements in the chart are given in the sections immediately following. All parcels and structures shall conform to these requirements. In addition to the requirements of Table 21T-07, the following additional standards shall also apply:

A.

Upper-Level Setbacks. An upper-level setback of ten to twenty feet from all street property lines for all buildings between forty and sixty feet in height and again in forty-foot to sixty-foot intervals shall be required; provided, that buildings fronting on the major pedestrian corridor must be set back at forty feet. Additional upper-level setbacks may be imposed at the discretion of the department to preserve significant views and vistas. An owner/developer may appeal such a decision to the hearing examiner;

B.

Basic Floor Area Ratio Requirements.

1.

Each development in the central business district shall at a minimum provide FAR amenities. One or more of the amenities identified on Table 21T-09 shall be provided consistent with the requirements of Section 21.24.080C.

2.

The amount of FAR amenities to be provided, as specified in Section 21.24.060B1, shall be phased in over time as provided for in the following schedule:

Year	Percent of Projects Approved Floor Area
1996	5
1997—2001	10
2002—	20

 

3.

Prior to the scheduled FAR amenity increases described in Section 21.24.060B2 taking effect, the department shall conduct a review and assessment of the desirability of the amenities listed in Table 21T-09; the appropriateness of each amenity to the CBD land use district; the relative importance, need and value of amenities, and the design and development criteria for each amenity. The department shall determine the appropriate amenity and scheduled FAR amenity increases shall become effective automatically unless acted upon by ordinance of the board of county commissioners.

4.

The department shall approve the amenity proposed by the applicant through the site plan review process (Chapter 21.84) only if the design criteria established in Section 21.24.080B for the amenity have been met and the department finds that a public benefit will be derived from the development of the proposed amenity in the proposed location.

5.

An owner/developer may request that any amount of the FAR amenities specified in Section 21.24.060B1 and 2 be guaranteed or bonded for through procedures approved by the department and the prosecuting attorney. The execution and satisfactory construction and/or provision of such amenities shall not exceed three years from the date of project approval; provided, that the county may consider additional time extensions for projects of adjoining property owners for a shared amenity and for phased projects.

6.

Amenities provided as required by Section 21.24.060B1 shall also be credited toward the provision of floor area ratio above the basic floor area ratio through the amenity incentive system (Section 21.24.080).

7.

Bonus floor area earned through the amenity incentive system for a specific parcel of land may be transferred to an abutting parcel of land in the same ownership within the same CBD land use district. Each transfer must be recorded with the Thurston County assessor and auditor, and with the county clerk;

C.

Character and Architectural Design. The dimensional requirements of Section 21.24.060 are intended to encourage that major portions of principal buildings, in general, be in the form of slender towers, having ample open spaces at or near the ground, minimizing impediments to important views, and projecting a pedestrian scale. Principal buildings should not take the form of low, massive slabs with high ground level lot occupancy that constitute major impediments to desirable views and to light and flow of air at ground level;

D.

Special Conditions and Exemptions.

1.

Where approved in connection with original development, roofed shelters open at the side; exhibit and display standards and cases; community and neighborhood bulletin boards or kiosks; and facilities for outdoor service of food or drinks may be exempt from limitations generally applying to occupancy of yards or pedestrian open space, and shall not be included in floor area limited by floor area ratios on the property or counted in computing off-street parking requirements as specified in Section 21.24.110. Occupancy of such shelters, structures or facilities shall not exceed twenty-five percent of the total pedestrian open space or linkage system required in relation to the property.

2.

Marquees or awnings that comply with the requirements of Section 21.24.080C may extend over the public right-of-way upon approval of the department; notwithstanding the provisions of Chapter 21.75, or any other county code;

E.

Dimensional requirements in CBD Districts (see Table 21T-07);

F.

Maximum building heights (see Table 21T-08).

(Ord. 11274 § 1 (part), 1996)