Chapter 19.09
DEFINITIONS

Sections:

19.09.010 Tense – Number.

19.09.020 Definitions generally.

19.09.030 Abutting.

19.09.040 Accessory use – Accessory building.

19.09.045 Accessory dwelling unit (ADU).

19.09.050 Alteration.

19.09.060 Apartment house.

19.09.070 Auto court.

19.09.080 Board of adjustment.

19.09.090 Building.

19.09.100 Building inspector.

19.09.110 Building, quasi-public.

19.09.120 Bungalow court.

19.09.130 Caretaker.

19.09.130.5 Columbariums.

19.09.131 Developmental disability.

19.09.140 Dwelling, multifamily.

19.09.150 Dwelling, single-family.

19.09.160 Family.

19.09.170 Flat.

19.09.180 Garage, public.

19.09.181 Group home.

19.09.190 Hard surface.

19.09.191 Hazardous waste management definitions.

19.09.200 Hospital.

19.09.210 Hotel.

19.09.220 Lot.

19.09.230 Medical clinic.

19.09.231 Mental retardation.

19.09.240 Motel.

19.09.250 Planning commission.

19.09.260 Property line, front.

19.09.270 Property line, rear.

19.09.280 Repair.

19.09.281 Small animal clinic or veterinary hospital.

19.09.285 Street.

19.09.290 Structural parts of a building.

19.09.295 Tent.

19.09.300 Trailer camp – Trailer park.

19.09.310 Vacant land.

19.09.320 Yard, front.

19.09.330 Yard, rear.

19.09.340 Yard, side.

19.09.010 Tense – Number.

Words used in the present tense include the future; words in the singular number include the

plural and words in the plural number include the singular. (Ord. 1334, 1967).

19.09.020 Definitions generally.

For the purpose of this title, certain words and terms are defined as follows in LMC 19.09.030 through 19.09.340. (Ord. 1334, 1967).

19.09.030 Abutting.

“Abutting” includes property separated only by a single street or alley from the principal property served. (Ord. 1334, 1967).

19.09.040 Accessory use – Accessory building.

“Accessory use” or “accessory building” means a subordinate use or subordinate building customarily incident to and located upon the same lot occupied by the main use or building. (Ord. 1334, 1967).

19.09.045 Accessory dwelling unit (ADU).

“Accessory dwelling unit (ADU)” means a second dwelling unit added to or created within, or constructed on the same lot as, an existing single-family dwelling, for use as a complete independent or semi-independent unit with provisions for cooking, eating, sanitation and sleeping. (Ord. 2591 § 1, 1995).

19.09.050 Alteration.

“Alteration,” as applied to a building or structure, means a change or rearrangement in the structural parts or in the exit facilities or an enlargement, whether by extending on a side or increasing in height or the moving from one location or position to another. The term “alter” in its various moods and tenses and its participial forms refers to the making of any alteration or change. (Ord. 1334, 1967).

19.09.060 Apartment house.

“Apartment house” means a building containing three or more family-dwelling units each of which, though independent of each other, is provided with joint services such as central heat, common hallways, common entrance or entrances to the building, janitor services, refuse disposal and similar services. (Ord. 1334, 1967).

19.09.070 Auto court.

“Auto court” means any multifamily dwelling or group of dwellings which are designed or intended for the temporary or semipermanent residence of motorists or travelers. (Ord. 1334, 1967).

19.09.080 Board of adjustment.

Whenever the term “board of adjustment” occurs in this title, it refers to the board of adjustment of the city. (Ord. 1334, 1967).

19.09.090 Building.

“Building” means a combination of materials to form a construction that is safe and stable and adapted to permanent or continuous occupancy for public, institutional, residential, business or storage purposes. (Ord. 1334, 1967).

19.09.100 Building inspector.

Whenever the term “building inspector” occurs in this title it means the building inspector of the city. (Ord. 1334, 1967).

19.09.110 Building, quasi-public.

“Quasi-public building” means a building, although privately owned, where people congregate in considerable numbers for purposes fairly deemed to promote a public purpose or to serve a public use, such as auditoriums, lodge halls and chambers of commerce quarters. (Ord. 1334, 1967).

19.09.120 Bungalow court.

“Bungalow court” means a group of permanent one or two family dwellings arranged upon a lot or plot in such a manner that all such dwellings face or front upon a common court, which court has direct access to a public street. (Ord. 1334, 1967).

19.09.130 Caretaker.

“Caretaker” means a person whose principal occupation shall be the care and maintenance of one or more buildings. (Ord. 1334, 1967).

19.09.130.5 Columbariums.

“Columbarium” means a structure, room or other space within a principal church building containing niches for permanent inurement of cremated remains in a place used, or intended to be used, and dedicated for cemetery purposes. (Ord. 2213 § 1, 1985).

19.09.131 Developmental disability.

“Developmental disability” means a disability which is attributable to mental retardation (as defined in LMC 19.09.231), cerebral palsy, epilepsy, dyslexia, autism, auditory impairment, visual impairment, or any combination of these conditions, and which has the following characteristics:

(1) Attributable to any other condition which results in similar impairment of general intellectual functioning or adaptive behavior to that of mentally retarded persons or requires treatment and services similar to those required for such persons; or

(2) Originates before such person attains 18 years of age;

(3) Has continued or can be expected to continue indefinitely; and

(4) Constitutes a substantial handicap to such person’s ability to function normally in society. (Ord. 1904 § 1, 1978).

19.09.140 Dwelling, multifamily.

“Multifamily dwelling” means a building arranged or designed to be occupied by more than two families, such as an apartment house or flat, but not including a trailer park. (Ord. 1334, 1967).

19.09.150 Dwelling, single-family.

“Single-family dwelling” means a building arranged or designed to be occupied by not more than one family. (Ord. 1334, I 967).

19.09.160 Family.

“Family” means any number of individuals living together as a single housekeeping unit, and doing their cooking on the premises exclusively as one household. (Ord. 1334, 1967).

19.09.170 Flat.

“Flat” means a group of three or more dwelling units contained in one building usually with separate entrance for each unit and not having joint services as for apartment houses as defined in this title. (Ord. 1334, 1961).

19.09.180 Garage, public.

“Public garage” means any building or premises used for the storage or housing of more than three self-propelled vehicles and where such vehicles are repaired or kept for hire or for sale. (Ord. 1334, 1967).

19.09.181 Group home.

“Group home” means a residential building capable of serving a small number of developmentally disabled individuals (maximum of 20) who are able to participate in a variety of jobs, sheltered workshops, day care centers, activity centers, educational facilities and/or other community based programs that are meaningful for their training, rehabilitation and/or general well-being; provided, however, such “group home” must be certified by the Washington State Bureau of Developmental Disabilities. (Ord. 1904 § 1, 1978).

19.09.190 Hard surface.

“Hard surface” means cement concrete paving or asphaltic concrete paving. (Ord. 1334, 1967).

19.09.191 Hazardous waste management definitions.

(1) “Hazardous waste treatment and storage facility” means a location at which hazardous waste is treated and/or stored.

(2) Hazardous waste treatment and storage facilities are categorized as “on-site,” “off-site” or both:

(a) An “on-site” facility is one that treats and stores hazardous waste generated on the same, geographically contiguous or bordering property;

(b) An “off-site” facility is one that treats and stores hazardous waste generated on any property other than that on which the facility is located.

(3) “Hazardous waste” has the same meaning as defined in Chapter 70.105 RCW, and the regulations thereunder, as now or hereafter amended.

(4) “State siting criteria” means the criteria currently or hereafter developed by the Washington State Department of Ecology under the authority of RCW 70.105.210 for the siting of hazardous waste management facilities.

(5) “Storage” means the holding of hazardous waste for a temporary period. Accumulation of hazardous waste, by the generator on the site of generation, is not storage as long as the generator complies with the applicable requirements of WAC 173-303-200 and 173-303-201, as now or hereafter amended.

(6) “Treatment” means the physical, chemical or biological processing of hazardous waste to make such waste nondangerous or less dangerous, safer for transport, amenable for storage or reduced in volume. (Ord. 2322 § 1, 1988).

19.09.200 Hospital.

“Hospital” means an institution in which patients or injured persons are given medical or surgical care. “Hospital” is further defined as an institution where patients are provided with room and board, sometimes for extended periods of time, and where doctors usually call upon the patients in the institution only for scheduled examinations or upon call for emergency service. (Ord. 1334, 1967).

19.09.210 Hotel.

“Hotel” means a building providing lodging and usually meals for the public, especially transients or travelers, which is provided with joint services such as central heat, common hallways and entrances to the building, janitor service, refuse disposal, and which usually provides personal services upon request. (Ord. 1334, 1967).

19.09.220 Lot.

“Lot” means the parcel of land on which a principal building and its accessory buildings are placed or are to be placed, together with the required open spaces; or a lot designated as such on an officially recorded plat. (Ord. 1334, 1967).

19.09.230 Medical clinic.

“Medical clinic” means a building devoted exclusively to doctors who practice the profession of rending medical treatment or advice, first aid or minor surgical care to patients or injured persons and in which the doctors have permanent offices and prescribed office hours when the patients may call on the doctors, and where no facilities are provided for board and room for patients. (Ord. 1334, 1967).

19.09.231 Mental retardation.

“Mental retardation” means a significantly subaverage general intellectual functioning existing concurrently with deficits in adaptive behavior manifested before age 18 and exhibiting an intelligence quotient at or below 69 (Stanford-Binet) or 67 (Wechsler). (Ord. 1904 § 1, 1978).

19.09.240 Motel.

“Motel” means a multifamily dwelling where accommodations are provided for the temporary or semipermanent occupancy by three or more families of motorists or travelers, and where each unit is provided with individual entrances to the building, with individual services within the building, and with an individual parking space or garage for a motor vehicle for each dwelling unit. (Ord. 1334, 1967).

19.09.250 Planning commission.

Whenever the term “planning commission” occurs in this title, it refers to the planning commission of the city. (Ord. 1334, 1967).

19.09.260 Property line, front.

(1) “Front property line” means the front lot line as shown on the official recorded plat of the property, and as modified by any subsequent vacation, condemnation or conveyance for public purposes. In the cases of unplatted property or in case the front property line of platted property cannot be determined from the recorded plat, the building inspector shall determine the front property line for the purposes of this title. In making such determination, the building inspector shall take into consideration the character of the buildings proposed to be built on the lot and shall designate the front property line which most nearly conforms to the existing conditions of platting and/or improvements and the spirit and purpose of this title as applied in the surrounding district.

(2) In general, the front property line shall be the property line between a building and the public street upon which the building faces. Any property owner who is dissatisfied with the determination of the building inspector may appeal to the board of adjustment as elsewhere provided in this title. (Ord. 1334, 1967).

19.09.270 Property line, rear.

“Rear property line” means the property line of a lot most nearly parallel to the front property line of the same lot as defined in LMC 19.09.260, except that for triangular-shaped lots the rear property line shall be represented by the point of intersection of the two property lines which are not the front property line as defined in LMC 19.09.260. (Ord. 1334, 1967).

19.09.280 Repair.

“Repair” means the replacement of a small portion of existing work which has been damaged or deteriorated with the same kind of material used in the existing work, but not including additional work or work that would be in violation of any provision of city ordinances or regulations. (Ord. 1334, 1967).

19.09.281 Small animal clinic or veterinary hospital.

“Small animal clinic” or “veterinary hospital” means an establishment in which veterinary services are rendered to dogs, cats and other small animals and domestic pets. This use shall be restricted to domesticated animals other than livestock, where veterinary services and temporary boarding incidental thereto are rendered, but shall not include kennels or open runs provided solely or primarily for the boarding, breeding, training or other services than veterinary to domesticated animals. (Ord. 1690 § 1, 1974).

19.09.285 Street.

“Street” means a publicly owned improved thoroughfare or right-of-way, other than an alley, dedicated, condemned or otherwise acquired by the public for use as such, which affords the primary means of access to abutting properties. (Ord. 2779 § 1, 2000).

19.09.290 Structural parts of a building.

“Structural parts of a building” means the foundation, walls, partitions extending to the ceiling, and particularly the framing members which support the finish and various load-bearing members. (Ord. 1334, 1967).

19.09.295 Tent.

“Tent” means any structure, enclosure or shelter constructed of canvas, plastic or other pliable material supported in any manner except by air or the contents it protects. (Ord. 1780 § 1, 1976; Ord. 1523 § 5, 1971; Ord. 1334, 1967).

19.09.300 Trailer camp – Trailer park.

“Trailer camp” or “trailer park” means any plot, tract, site or premises of ground where accommodation is provided for two or more families to establish temporary or semipermanent residences in trailer houses or other portable habitations, whether or not the wheels have been removed from such portable habitation. (Ord. 1334, 1967).

19.09.310 Vacant land.

“Vacant land” means any parcel of land not occupied by one or more buildings. (Ord. 1334, 1967).

19.09.320 Yard, front.

“Front yard” means the required open space between the front property line and the nearest part of any building on the lot. (Ord. 1334, 1967).

19.09.330 Yard, rear.

“Rear yard” means the required open space on a lot extending along the rear property line throughout the whole width of the lot. (Ord. 1334, 1967).

19.09.340 Yard, side.

“Side yard” means the required open space on a lot between the side wall line of a building and the side line of the lot, and extending from the front property line to the rear property line. (Ord. 2619 § 1, 1996; Ord. 1334, 1967).