City of Spokane

Spokane Municipal Code

***Note: Many local criminal codes can now be located under Chapter 10.60 SMC while others are now cited under the Revised Code of Washington (RCW), which was incorporated into the municipal code in 2022. (See SMC 10.58.010). Code Enforcement, including Noise Control and Animal Regulations are located in Chapters 10.62 through 10.74.

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Title 17H
Chapter 17H.010
Sections 17H.010.020...
 

Title 17H Engineering Standards

Chapter 17H.010 Street Development Standards

Section 17H.010.020 Design Variance Requests
  1. Deviations from the standards in this section must be submitted in writing to the city engineer and approved prior to the submittal of engineering plans for review.
  1. The decision criteria for a design variance request are provided below:
    1. Is the proposed variance part of an overall, thoughtful and comprehensive approach to the design of the project as a whole?
    1. Is the variance necessary to better address aspects of the site or its surroundings?
    1. Is the specific change superior in design quality and function to that potentially achieved by the development standard as written?
    1. Does the proposal meet the intent and the general direction set forth by the development standard as written?
    1. Will the proposal require additional maintenance or repair by the City or a property owners’ association compared to a standard street section?
    1. Does the proposal provide acceptable levels of accessibility, safety and convenience for all street users, including pedestrians, bicycles, vehicles and emergency service providers?
    1. Does the site design provide for adequate on-street and off-street parking to serve the area?
    1. Does the proposal provide a benefit to the community including improved safety, improved site design, the creation of street canopies through landscaping or secondary lot access through the use of alleys?
    1. Does the proposal use low impact development (LID) techniques and manage stormwater as outlined in the Eastern Washington LID Guidance Manual and the Spokane Regional Stormwater Manual?
  1. Situations where the street design is constrained by topography, the size and shape of the property, the presence of critical areas or environmental resources, existing development, or existing narrow rights-of-way will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
  1. Potential additional cost to meet these development standards is not in itself justification for a design variance.

Date Passed: Monday, August 26, 2013

Effective Date: Tuesday, October 1, 2013

ORD C35021 Section 9

Section 17H.010.020 Design Variance Requests
  1. Deviations from the standards in this section must be submitted in writing to the city engineer and approved prior to the submittal of engineering plans for review.
  1. The decision criteria for a design variance request are provided below:
    1. Is the proposed variance part of an overall, thoughtful and comprehensive approach to the design of the project as a whole?
    1. Is the variance necessary to better address aspects of the site or its surroundings?
    1. Is the specific change superior in design quality and function to that potentially achieved by the development standard as written?
    1. Does the proposal meet the intent and the general direction set forth by the development standard as written?
    1. Will the proposal require additional maintenance or repair by the City or a property owners’ association compared to a standard street section?
    1. Does the proposal provide acceptable levels of accessibility, safety and convenience for all street users, including pedestrians, bicycles, vehicles and emergency service providers?
    1. Does the site design provide for adequate on-street and off-street parking to serve the area?
    1. Does the proposal provide a benefit to the community including improved safety, improved site design, the creation of street canopies through landscaping or secondary lot access through the use of alleys?
    1. Does the proposal use low impact development (LID) techniques and manage stormwater as outlined in the Eastern Washington LID Guidance Manual and the Spokane Regional Stormwater Manual?
  1. Situations where the street design is constrained by topography, the size and shape of the property, the presence of critical areas or environmental resources, existing development, or existing narrow rights-of-way will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
  1. Potential additional cost to meet these development standards is not in itself justification for a design variance.

Date Passed: Monday, August 26, 2013

Effective Date: Tuesday, October 1, 2013

ORD C35021 Section 9