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 17C
Chapter 17C.111
Section 17C.111.600
 

Title 17C Land Use Standards

Chapter 17C.111 Residential Zones

Section 17C.111.600 Residential Visitability Standards
  1. Purpose.

The purpose of the following section is to encourage the development of housing units for people with disabilities by providing allowances for accessible design and design considerations.

  1. Applicability.

The provisions of this section apply to residential development in all zones where permitted. These guidelines encourage residential developments to incorporate visitable designs into at least a portion of the provided units. Any development seeking a reasonable deviation pursuant to 17C.111.600(C) must comply with all standards of 17C.111.600(D) for the unit(s) intended to benefit from the accessibility features requiring the deviation, and clearly note on submitted plans how the project meets each visitable design element. Director may waive full compliance with 17C.111.600(D) in cases of retrofits, commensurate with the significance of changes being made.

  1. To encourage the development of housing units for people with disabilities, the Planning Director may allow reasonable deviation from height, setback, and footprint coverage standards to install features that facilitate accessibility. Such facilities shall be in conformance with the city adopted Building Code.
  1. Visitable designs are encouraged for residential development, whether or not such accessible design considerations are required by the city adopted Building Code due to unit count. Elements of a visitable dwelling design include:
    1. Visitable entrance. At least one entrance that is accessible via a route that does not have any stairs between it and the street lot line or an on-site parking space. The slope of the route does not exceed 1:8 (one foot in height for every 8 feet in length).
    1. Visitable bathroom. At least one bathroom with a sink and toilet is designed to accommodate an unobstructed circle that is at least 60-inches in diameter. As an alternative, the bathroom may be designed to accommodate an unobstructed area that is comprised of two rectangles that are at least 36 inches by 60 inches, and oriented at right angles to each other. The visitable bathroom is on the same floor as the visitable entrance or is accessible from the visitable entrance via a ramp, elevator, or lift.
    1. Visitable living area. There is at least 200 square feet of living area on the same floor as the visitable entrance or 200 square feet of living area is accessible from the visitable entrance via a ramp, elevator, or lift.
    1. Visitable doors. All door openings between and including the visitable entrance, visitable living area, and the visitable bathroom is at least 34 inches wide.
    1. Visitable light switches and environmental controls. The first floor contains light switches and environmental controls that are no higher than 48 inches above the interior floor level and outlets.

Date Passed: Monday, November 20, 2023

Effective Date: Monday, January 1, 2024

ORD C36459 Section 16