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.123
Section 17C.123.080
 

Title 17C Land Use Standards

Chapter 17C.123 Form Based Code Zones

Section 17C.123.080 Additional Requirements
  1. Outdoor Activities

The standards of this section are intended to assure that outdoor sales, display, storage, and work activities will not have adverse impacts on adjacent properties or the environment, while providing the envisioned built form within the area.

  1. Outdoor Sales and Display Areas.
    1. Outdoor sales and display areas are limited to forty percent of lot area or one thousand five hundred square feet, whichever is less, in the CA1 zone.
    1. Outdoor sales and display areas for uses in the industrial use categories are not allowed in the CA1 zone.
    1. In the Shopfront designations, accessory outdoor sales are permitted so long as the Clear Pedestrian Zone and Buffer Zone is maintained.
    1. In the Shopfront designations, outdoor display areas are prohibited.
  1. Outdoor Storage Areas.
    1. Outdoor storage areas are not permitted.
  1. Outdoor Activity Area Improvements.
    1. Outdoor activities shall be screened and landscaped according to the provisions of chapter 17C.200 SMC, Landscaping and Screening.
    1. In order to control dust and mud, all vehicle circulation areas must be paved.
  1. Fences.

The fence standards avoid adverse impacts on the area while protecting public or vehicle safety. Fences near streets are kept low in order to allow visibility into and out of the site and to ensure visibility for motorists. Fences in any required side or rear setback are limited in height so as to not conflict with the purpose for the setback.

  1. Type of Fences.

The standards apply to walls, fences, and screens of all types whether open, solid, wood, metal, wire, masonry, or other material.

  1. Location, Height, and Design
    1. Street Setbacks.
  1. No fence or other structure is allowed within twelve feet from the back of the curb, consistent with the required sidewalk width of SMC 17C.123.050.
  2. Fences up to three and one-half feet high are allowed in a required street setback.
  3. Fences up to six feet high are allowed in required side or rear setbacks except when the side or rear setback abuts a pedestrian connection. When the side or rear setback abuts a pedestrian connection, fences are limited to three and one-half feet in height.
  4. Fences shall not reduce the required setback width of SMC 17C.123.030.
    1. Sight-obscuring Fences and Walls.
      1. Any required or non-required sight-obscuring fences, walls, and other structures over three and one-half feet high, and within fifteen feet of a street lot line shall either be placed on the interior side of a L2 see-through buffer landscaping area at least five feet in depth (See chapter 17C.200 SMC, Landscaping and Screening), or meet the treatment of blank walls intent outlined in SMC 17C.122.060 – Initial Design Standards and Guidelines for Center and Corridors.
    1. Fencing Material.
      1. Fence materials within the public right-of-way or within eight feet of a street lot line should be wrought iron or similar in appearance, aluminum, metal, or similar material.
      2. Walls visible from streets shall be masonry, stone, brick, or similar construction.
      3. Chain link fencing is not allowed that is visible from and/or adjacent to a public street.
  1. Prohibited Fences.
    1. No person may erect or maintain a fence or barrier consisting of or containing barbed, razor, concertina, or similar wire.
    1. No person may maintain a fence or barrier charged with electricity.
    1. A fence, wall, or other structure shall not be placed within a public right-of-way without an approved covenant as provided in SMC 17G.010.160 and any such structure is subject to the height requirement for the adjoining setback.
    1. No permanent fence may reduce the required sidewalk width.
  1. Visibility at Intersections.

A fence, wall, hedge, or other improvement may not be erected or maintained at the corner of a lot so as to obstruct the view of travelers upon the streets.

Subject to the authority of the traffic engineer to make adjustments and special requirements in particular cases, no fence exceeding a height of thirty-six inches above the curb may be located within the Clear View Triangle, as defined in Section 17A.020.030 “C” Definitions.

 

Date Passed: Monday, August 12, 2024

Effective Date: Sunday, September 15, 2024

ORD C36553 Section 8