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 17A
Chapter 17A.020
Section 17A.020.040
 

Title 17A Administration

Chapter 17A.020 Definitions

Section 17A.020.040 “D” Definitions
  1. Day.

A calendar day. A time period expressed in a number of days is computed by excluding the first day and including the last day. When an act to be done requires a City business day, and the last day by which the act may be done is not a City business day, then the last day to act is the following business day.

  1. Debris Flow.

Slow moving, sediment gravity flow composed of large rock fragments and soil supported and carried by a mud-water mixture.

  1. Debris Slide.

A shallow landslide within rock debris with the slide usually occurring within a relatively narrow zone.

  1. “Decibel (dB)” means the measure of sound pressure or intensity.
  1. Dedication.

The deliberate appropriation of land, or an easement therein, by its owner for any general and public uses, reserving to the owner no rights other than those that are compatible with the full exercise and enjoyment of the public uses for which the property has been devoted, and accepted for such use by or on behalf of the public. The intention to dedicate shall be evidenced by the owner by the presentment for filing of a final plat, short plat, or binding site plan showing the dedication thereon or by dedication deed to the City. The acceptance by the public shall be evidenced by the approval of such plat, short plat, binding site plan, or at the City’s option, by the City recording such dedication deed with the Spokane County auditor.

  1. Degraded Wetland.

A wetland altered through impairment of some physical or chemical property which results in reduction of one or more wetland functions and values.

  1. Demolition or Partial Demolition.

The destruction, removal, or relocation, in whole or in part, of a building or structure or a significant feature of a building or structure that is of important historical character. Demolition (or partial demolition) does not include the removal of past additions for the express purpose of restoration of a structure to its historic appearance, form, or function. Demolition (or partial demolition) does not include the destruction or removal of portions of a building or structure that are not significant to defining its historic character. This exclusion is valid so long as the demolition is done as part of a design review application approved pursuant to chapter 17C.040 SMC.

  1. Density.

The number of housing units per acre as permitted by the zoning code.

  1. Denuded.

Land that has had the natural vegetative cover or other cover removed leaving the soil exposed to mechanical and chemical weathering.

  1. Department.

Any of the departments of engineering services, planning services, fire department, or parks and recreation for which responsibility has been assigned by charter or code for administration.

  1. Design Departure.

Any change that is sought to modify or waive a design requirement (R) or waive a design presumption (P) contained within the design standards. The design departure process is found in chapter 17G.030 SMC, Design Departures.

  1. Design Criteria.

A set of design parameters for development which apply within a design district, sub-district, or overlay zone. The provisions are adopted public statements of intent and are used to evaluate the acceptability of a project's design.

  1. Design Review Board.

The design review board is defined in chapter 4.13 SMC. The design review board was previously named design review committee. Any reference to design review committee is the same as a reference to the design review board.

  1. Designation.

The declaration of a building, district, object, site, or structure as a landmark or historic district.

  1. Desired Character.

The preferred and envisioned character (usually of an area) based on the purpose statement or character statement of the base zone, overlay zone, or plan district. It also includes the preferred and envisioned character based on any adopted subarea plans or design criteria for an area.

  1. Detailed Site Plan.

A general site plan to which the following detailed information has been added:

  1. Natural vegetation, landscaping, and open spaces.
  1. Ingress, egress, circulation, parking areas, and walkways.
  1. Utility services.
  1. Lighting.
  1. Signs.
  1. Flood plains, waterways, wetlands, and drainage.
  1. Berms, buffers, and screening devices; and
  1. Such other elements as required in this chapter.
  1. Developable Area.

Land outside of a critical area and associated buffer including wetlands, fish and wildlife habitat conservation areas, riparian habitat area, landslide areas, steep slope areas, floodplain, floodway, shallow flooding, channel migration zone, and associated buffers, or any other restricted area on a particular piece of property.

  1. Development.

Any proposed land use, zoning, or rezoning, comprehensive plan amendment, annexation, subdivision, short subdivision, planned unit development, planned area development, binding site plan, conditional use permit, special use permit, shoreline development permit, or any other property development action permitted or regulated by the Spokane Municipal Code.

  1. Development – Shoreline.

“Development” for shoreline regulations shall be defined by WAC 173-27-030(6) as amended to read “Development” means a use consisting of the construction or exterior alteration of structures; dredging; drilling; dumping; filling; removal of any sand, gravel, or minerals; bulkheading; driving of piling; placing of obstructions; or any project of a permanent or temporary nature which interferes with the normal public use of the surface of the waters overlying lands subject to the act at any stage of water level. "Development" does not include dismantling or removing structures if there is no other associated development or redevelopment.

  1. Development – Floodplain.

Any manmade change to improved or unimproved real estate, including but not limited to buildings or other structures, mining, dredging, filling, grading, paving, excavation or drilling operations or storage of equipment or materials located within the area of special flood hazard.

  1. Development Approval.

Any recommendation or approval for development required or permitted by this code.

  1. Development Codes.

The state-adopted codes, boiler and pressure vessel, building, electrical, elevator, fire, mechanical, plumbing, and related publications adopted by the City, along with other provisions of this code that relate to private access to, use and obstruction of public right-of-way, and engineering standards that relate to private construction of public utilities and facilities.

  1. Development Permit.

Any permit issued by the City authorizing construction, including a building permit, conditional use permit, substantial development permit, or other permit required by the City.

  1. Development Plan, Site.

The final site plan that accompanied a recommendation or approval for development permitted by this code and that may identify standards for bulk and location of activities, infrastructure and utilities specific to the development.

  1. Dike.

An artificial embankment placed at a stream mouth or delta area to hold back sea water for purposes of creating and/or protecting arable land from flooding.

  1. Direct Impact.

An impact upon public facilities that has been identified as a direct consequence or result of a proposed development.

  1. Directional.

Any of the four basic compass directions, abbreviated as follows: N, S, E, W, SE, NE, SW, NW shall also be considered as a directional. A directional is placed in front of the root roadway name.

  1. Directional Sign.

See SMC 17C.240.015.

  1. Director.

The administrative official of the department responsible for compliance with this code, the development codes, and the land use codes. These include the Building Official, the City Engineer, and the Planning Director.

  1. Director, Planning.

The Director of the Planning and Economic Development department.

  1. Discharge (n).

In the context of chapter 17D.090 SMC or chapter 17D.060 SMC, this term means runoff, excluding offsite flows, leaving a proposed development through overland flow, built conveyance systems, or infiltration facilities.

  1. Discharge (v).

In the context of chapter 17D.090 SMC or chapter 17D.060 SMC, this term means any disposal, injection, dumping, spilling, pumping, emitting, emptying, leaching, or placing of any material so that such material enters and exits from the MS4 or from any other publicly owned or operated drainage system that conveys storm water. The term includes other verb forms, where applicable.

  1. Discharger.

In the context of chapter 17D.090 SMC or chapter 17D.060 SMC, this term means any person that discharges to the City’s MS4 or any other publicly owned or operated drainage system that conveys, manages, or disposes of stormwater flows.

  1. District.

A geographically definable area, urban or rural, small or large, possessing a significant concentration, linkage, or continuity of buildings, objects, sites, and/or structures united by past events or aesthetically by plan or physical development.

  1. Disturbance Area.

In the context of chapter 17D.090 SMC or chapter 17D.060 SMC, this term means an area where soils are exposed or disturbed by development, both existing and proposed. The disturbance area includes staging and storage areas, structures, and areas needed for vehicle access and maneuvering.

  1. Dock.

All platform structures or anchored devices in or floating upon water bodies to provide moorage for pleasure craft or landing for water-dependent recreation.

  1. Documented Habitat.

Habitat classified by state or federal agencies as critical to the survival of endangered or threatened or sensitive animal, fish, or plant species.

  1. Domestic Animal.
    1. Large Domestic Animals.
  1. Animals including, but not limited to, horses, donkeys, burros, llamas, alpacas, bovines, goats, sheep, swine, and other animals or livestock of similar size and type.
  1. Young of horses, mules, donkeys, burros, and llamas under one year in age.
  1. Bovines under ten months in age.
  1. Sheep, goats, and swine under three months in age are not included when counting large animals.
    1. Small Domestic Animals.
  1. Fowl including, but not limited to, chickens, guinea hens, geese, ducks, turkeys, pigeons, and other fowl not listed or otherwise defined.
  1. Mink, chinchilla, nutria, gnawing animals in general, and other animals of similar size and type.
  1. Small livestock are defined as:
  1. swine- breeds include miniature Vietnamese, Chinese or oriental pot-bellied pigs (sus scrofa vittatus),
  1. other small pig breeds such as Kunekune, Choctaw, and Guinea hogs,
  1. all breeds of goats excluding mature large meat breeds such as Boers, and
  1. all breeds of sheep excluding mature large meat breeds such as Suffolk or Hampshire sheep.
  1. No horned rams shall be permitted as a small livestock.
  1. Under no circumstance shall a small livestock exceed thirty-six inches shoulder height or one hundred and fifty pounds in weight.
  1. Young small animals, livestock or fowl under three months in age are not included when counting small animal, livestock or fowl.
  1. Drainage Ditch.

An artificially created watercourse constructed to drain surface or ground water. Ditches are graded (man-made), channels installed to collect and convey runoff from fields and roadways. Ditches may include irrigation ditches, waste ways, drains, outfalls, operational spillways, channels, stormwater runoff facilities, or other wholly artificial watercourses, except those that directly result from the modification to a natural watercourse. Ditches channels that support fish are considered to be streams.

  1. Dredge Spoil.

The material removed by dredging.

  1. Dredging.

The removal, displacement, and disposal of unconsolidated earth material such as silt, sand, gravel, or other submerged material from the bottom of water bodies; maintenance dredging and other support activities are included in this definition.

  1. Drift Cell.

Or “drift sector” or “littoral cell” means a particular reach of marine shore in which littoral drift may occur without significant interruption and which contains any natural sources of such drift and also accretion shore forms created by such drift.

  1. Driveway.

An all-weather surface driveway structure as shown in the standard plans.

  1. Driveway Approach.

The edge of a driveway where it abuts a public right-of-way.

  1. Duplex.

A building that contains two primary dwelling units on the same lot that share a common wall or common floor/ceiling.

  1. Dwelling Unit.

A building, or a portion of a building, that has independent living facilities including provisions for sleeping, cooking, and sanitation, and that is designed for residential occupancy by a group of people. A dwelling unit shall not contain more than one kitchen. Buildings with more than one set of cooking facilities are considered to contain multiple dwelling units unless the additional cooking facilities are clearly accessory, such as an outdoor grill.

Date Passed: Monday, November 20, 2023

Effective Date: Monday, January 1, 2024

ORD C36459 Section 4