21.10.050 Town Center (TWNC) Zone

21.10.050 Town Center (TWNC) Zone.

This section has been amended by Ordinance 3114, which is pending codification.

This section was recently amended by Ordinance 3083, codified in October 2022.

A. Purpose. Town Center is one of the City’s primary gathering places. Its mix of shops and restaurants, offices, hotel rooms and conference facilities, and eventually residences in the heart of the City is intended to bring people together during the day and evening for planned or casual meetings. The design of the buildings, street patterns, and public plazas are modern yet reflect the historic district in adjacent Old Town. Improvements in walking connections between the two districts will help both areas thrive. The long-term vision for Town Center is that it will continue to develop as a major gathering and entertainment place within the community, that its trails will be connected to Marymoor Park by a grade-separated connection across SR 520, and that transit service to and from the center will provide a choice equal in attractiveness to automobiles, walking, and biking. The design and development of this zone is controlled by a Master Plan established to ensure that development here integrates with and positively influences future redevelopment of the greater Downtown area, and retains traditional building styles, street patterns, variety of uses, and public amenities.

The following table is specific to this zone and provides references for each of the major topics that are regulated throughout the code. The individual topics provide function as connection or linkage to the chapters and sections of the Redmond Zoning Code that apply to development within this zone.

Town Center Zone – Regulations Table
Land and Structure	Transportation	Environment	Community	Process	Money	Incentives	Other
Floor Area Ratio (FAR)	Fences	Parking Standards	Landscaping	Historical and Archeological Resources	Review Procedures	Development Fees	Transfer Development Rights Program (TDR)	Special Regulations
Building Height	Signs	Transportation Standards	Trees	Design Standards	Permits	Doing Business	Green Building Incentive Program (GBP)	Public View Corridors and Gateways
Density	Outdoor Storage, Display and Garbage and Recycling Enclosures		Environmental Regulations	Affordable Housing	Development Services		General Incentive Information	Transition Overlay Areas
Impervious Surface	Lighting		Open Space	Neighborhood				Wireless Communication Facilities
Setbacks	Hazardous Liquid Pipelines

Table 21.10.050A Maximum Development Yield
Allowed	Base	Maximum	Illustrations
Height	5 stories	6 stories	Example of a 5-story building	Example of 6-story building
Lot Coverage	100 percent	100 percent	Example of a 5-story building	Example of 6-story building
These are office building examples using Transfer Development Rights or Green Building Program to achieve the maximum achievable floor area within the maximum allowed building height. Residential and mixed-use residential developments may achieve similar results. Residential and mixed-use residential developments may have similar height, but volume will differ due to setback and open space requirements.

Table 21.10.050B Regulations Common to All Uses
Regulation	Standard	Notes and Exceptions
Front Setback (distance from back of curb)
Front and Side Street (Commercial Use)	See RZC 21.10.150. Map 10.4, Town Center Pedestrian System	A. Setbacks along Downtown streets are regulated by the Downtown Pedestrian System which specifies street frontage standards between the street curb and the face of buildings, depending on site location. B. All new development shall comply with the adopted Town Center Master Plan and Design Guidelines.
Setback Line (distance from property line)
Side Commercial	0 feet	All new development shall comply with the adopted Town Center Master Plan and Design Guidelines.
Rear Commercial	0 feet	All new development shall comply with the adopted Town Center Master Plan and Design Guidelines.
Side Residential	See RZC 21.10.130.D, Residential Setback Requirements	All new development shall comply with the adopted Town Center Master Plan and Design Guidelines.
Rear Residential	10 feet	All new development shall comply with the adopted Town Center Master Plan and Design Guidelines.
Yard Adjoining BNSF ROW or Parks	14 feet
Other Standards
Minimum Building Height	n/a
Maximum Building Height Without TDRs or GBP	Varies	Mixed-Use area: four stories; hotel and conference center, full service – eight stories; other hotel – six stories. Office Park area: five stories. Bear Creek Retail Area: three stories. Mixed-use residential or residential use in Town Center: five stories outright. The Technical Committee shall administratively allow the height in the Mixed-Use overlay area to be increased to six stories if the building facade is recessed above the second floor and building modulation is provided to mitigate the bulk and mass from the additional height allowance.
Maximum Building Height With TDRs or GBP	Varies	One floor of additional height may be achieved with the use of Transfer Development Rights. See RZC 21.10.160, Using Transfer Development Rights (TDRs), or through compliance with RZC Chapter 21.67, Green Building and Green Infrastructure Incentive Program (GBP), except they may not be used to exceed eight stories where eight stories is allowed through bonus provisions.
Maximum Height Within Shorelines (SMP)	35 feet	A. This height limit is restricted to that portion of the building physically located within the Shoreline Jurisdiction. (SMP) B. The maximum height of structures, including bridges, that support a regional light rail transit system may be higher than 35 feet, but shall be no higher than is reasonably necessary to address the engineering, operational, environmental, and regulatory issues at the location of the structure. (SMP)
Maximum Lot Coverage	100 percent	Governed by the Downtown Element of the Comprehensive Plan and the Town Center Master Plan and Design Guidelines.
Base FAR Without TDRs	Varies	A minimum of 600,000 square feet of gross leasable area shall be maintained as retail use. The maximum gross leasable area of allowed commercial space without TDRs is 1.49 million square feet. The 1.49 million square feet limit may be increased to a maximum of 1.80 million square feet through the acquisition and use of TDRs or the GBP; provided, that TDRs or the GBP may not be used to increase the height of the hotel and conference center, full service, above eight stories/100 feet, and that a minimum of 140,000 square feet be reserved for a hotel and conference center, full service. The additional square footage allowed may be used for infill retail and general service uses that are part of mixed-use residential developments or infill developments. Floor area for residential uses is exempt from TDR requirements and maximum commercial floor area limitations.
Allowed Residential Density	Depends on Lot Size	See RZC 21.10.130.B, Downtown Residential Densities Chart.
Drive-Through	n/a	Drive-through facilities are prohibited except where expressly permitted in the Allowed Uses and Basic Development Standards table below.

D. General Allowed Uses and Cross-References. The following tables provide references for each of the allowed use classes for the zone. References are provided for assistance in associating current use classes with the use classes and associated definitions in effect prior to December 31, 2021. Additional references assist in aligning use classes with the Redmond Building Code, Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Trip Generation Manual, and the City’s business licensing system.

Uses that are not listed below nor within the associated definition of the individual use category or class shall be classified by the Code Administrator for applicability based on the purpose and intent of the zone within which the use is proposed.

Table 21.10.050.1. General Allowed Uses and Cross-References in TWNC Zone (Residential)
Use Permissions: P – Permitted; L – Limited; C – Conditional; N – Not Permitted
Residential Use Category	Residential Use Class	Former Use Classification (Prior to Dec. 31, 2021)	Use Permissions	Building Code Occupancy Class	ITE Trip Generation Manual Land Use Code
High density residential	Attached dwelling unit, 2 – 4 units	Attached dwelling unit, 2 – 4 units	L	R	200 – 299
	Stacked flat		L	R	200 – 299
	Courtyard apartments		L	R	200 – 299
	Multifamily structures, mixed-use residential	Multifamily structures, mixed-use residential	L	R	200 – 299
	Dormitory	Dormitory	P	R	200 – 299
	Residential suite	Residential suite	P	R	200 – 299
	Housing services for the elderly	Housing services for the elderly	P	I	600 – 699

Table 21.10.050.2. General Allowed Uses and Cross-References in TWNC Zone (Nonresidential)
Use Permissions: P – Permitted; L – Limited; C – Conditional; N – Not Permitted
Nonresidential Use Class	Former Use Classification (Prior to Dec. 31, 2021)	Use Permissions	Building Code Occupancy Class	ITE Trip Generation Manual Land Use Code
Retail sales	General sales or services	L	M
1. Gas station. 2. Automobile sales with outdoor display and storage. 3. Rental storage and mini-warehouses.		N
Business and service	General sales or services	L	M
Food and beverage	General sales or services	L	M
Pet and animal sales and service	General sales or services	L	M
Hotels, motels, and other accommodation services	Hotels, motels, and other accommodation services	P	R	300 – 399
Marijuana retail sales	Marijuana retail sales	P
Artisanal manufacturing, retail sales, and service		L	M, F, H	100 – 199, 800 – 899, 900 – 999
Automobile parking facilities	Automobile parking facilities	L	S
1. Surface parking lots.		N
Road, ground passenger, and transit transportation	Road, ground passenger, and transit transportation	L
Rapid charging station	Rapid charging station	L
Battery exchange station	Battery exchange station	L
Communications and information	Communications and information	P
Local utilities	Local utilities	P
Wireless communication facilities	Wireless communication facilities	P
Arts, entertainment, recreation, and assembly	Arts, entertainment, and recreation	P	A	400 – 499, 500 – 599
Natural and other recreational parks	Natural and other recreational parks	P		400 – 499
Day care center	Day care center	P	E	500 – 599
Educational	Education, public administration, health care, and other institutions, except those listed below	P	E	500 – 599
Institutional health and human services	Education, public administration, health care, and other institutions, except those listed below	P	I	600 – 699, 700 – 799
Government and administration	Education, public administration, health care, and other institutions, except those listed below	P	B	700 – 799
Faith-based and funerary	Religious institution	L	A, B, H, I, R, S	500 – 599
1. Crematorium.		N

E. Allowed Uses and Basic Development Standards. The following table contains the basic zoning regulations that apply to uses. To use the chart, read down the left-hand column titled “Use.” When you have located the use that interests you, read across to find regulations that apply to that use. Uses are permitted unless otherwise specified in the Special Regulations column. Permitted uses may require land use permit approval. See RZC 21.76.020, Overview of the Development Process, for more information.

Table 21.10.050C Allowed Uses and Basic Development Standards
Section	Use	Parking Ratio: Unit of Measure (Minimum Required; Maximum Allowed)	Special Regulations
Residential¹
1	Attached dwelling unit, 2 – 4 units	Dwelling unit (1.0, 2.25) plus one guest space per four units for projects with six units or more. Curbside parking along the site may be counted towards up to 25 percent of the required off-street parking.	A. Maximum density per lot dependent upon size and width of lot, per RZC 21.10.130.B, Downtown Residential Densities Chart. B. Affordable Housing requirements apply to developments of ten units or more. See RZC 21.20.020, Applicability.
2	Stacked flat
3	Courtyard apartment
4	Multifamily structure, mixed-use residential
5	Dormitory	Bed (0.5, 1.0)
6	Residential suite	Bed (0.5, 1.0)
7	Housing services for the elderly	See Special Regulations	Parking requirements are as follows: A. Multifamily housing for senior citizens: Unit (0.5, 2.0). B. Nursing home or long-term care facility: Four patient beds (1.0, 1.0). C. Retirement residence with no skilled nursing facility: Unit (1.0, 1.0). D. Retirement residence with skilled nursing facility: Worker on largest shift (1.25, 1.25). E. A traffic mitigation plan is required. The plan shall address traffic control; parking management, including mitigation of overflow parking into adjoining residential areas; and traffic movement to the arterial street system.
General Sales or Service
8	Retail sales	1,000 sq. ft. gfa (3.5, 5.0)	A. Drive-through facilities confined within the garage of a multistory building of at least three stories shall be allowed when the drive-through lanes provide a queuing length adequate to serve peak demand without overflowing onto public sidewalks or streets, as determined by a professional traffic engineer and approved by the City. B. Shall not be materially detrimental in terms of noise, truck traffic, and other potential operational impacts with nearby multistory mixed-use/residential developments. C. Auto repair without outdoor storage and outdoor service is allowed provided: 1. All service/repair work is performed indoors. 2. There is no overnight storage of customer vehicles in outdoor parking areas. D. Parking standards for restaurant uses: 1. Sit-down restaurant: 1,000 sq. ft. gfa (9.0, 9.0). 2. Take-out restaurant: 1,000 sq. ft. gfa (10.0, 10.0). 3. The Technical Committee may waive the parking requirement for restaurant/deli/café uses less than 750 sq. ft. gfa that support/enhance the City’s vision for creating/enhancing Downtown as a pedestrian place provided : a. The use is located in an office building and primarily serves the occupants and guests of the office building; or b. The use is visible from and within 100 feet of a promenade or Downtown park, such as Luke McRedmond Park, Anderson Park, O’Leary Park, The Edge Skate Park, or the 83rd Street Promenade, for example, or within 100 feet of a critical areas buffer of the Sammamish River and access to the River Trail, and the use is designed to enliven the pedestrian environment and primarily cater to pedestrians and outdoor patrons.
	Business and service
	Food and beverage
	Pet and animal sales and service
9	Hotels, motels, and other accommodation services¹^, ²	Rental room (1.0, 1.0) Conference center space: adequate to accommodate peak use
10	Marijuana retail sales	1,000 sq. ft. gfa (2.0, 5.0)	See RZC Chapter 21.41, Marijuana-Related Uses, for additional requirements.
Manufacturing and Wholesale Trade
11	Artisanal manufacturing, retail sales, and service	1,000 sq. ft. gfa (3.5, 5.0)
Transportation, Communication, Information, and Utilities
12	Automobile parking facilities
13	Road, ground passenger, and transit transportation	1,000 sq. ft. gfa (3.5, 5.0)	Regional light rail transit system and office uses only. No vehicle storage.
14	Rapid charging station	Adequate to accommodate peak use	Shall not be located on a parcel that abuts a residential zone, RZC 21.04.030, Comprehensive Allowed Uses Chart.
15	Battery exchange station	Adequate to accommodate peak use	Shall not be located on a parcel that abuts a residential zone.
16	Communications and information	1,000 sq. ft. gfa (3.5, 5.0)
17	Local utilities	1,000 sq. ft. gfa (3.5, 5.0)
18	Wireless communication facilities	N/A	See RZC Chapter 21.56, Wireless Communication Facilities, for specific development requirements.
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation
19	Arts, entertainment, recreation, and assembly	Adequate to accommodate peak use
20	Natural and other recreational parks	1,000 sq. ft. gfa (0, adequate to accommodate peak use)
Education, Public Administration, Health Care, and Other Institutions
21	Educational	See Special Regulations	Parking: The number of spaces must be adequate to accommodate the peak customer and employee shift, demonstrated by a parking study or other study submitted by the applicant and approved by the Code Administrator.
	Institutional health and human services
	Government and administration
22	Day care center		Provisions for day care centers include: A. Shall provide parking as follows: Employee on maximum shift (1.0, 1.0). B. Play equipment shall be located no less than ten feet from any property line. C. Parking: The number of spaces must be adequate to accommodate the peak shift as determined by the Code Administrator after considering the probable number of employees, etc.
23	Faith-based and funerary	1,000 sq. ft. gfa (10.0, 10.0) or 1/5 fixed seats	A. Refer to RZC 21.08.280, Faith-Based and Funerary, for requirements concerning faith-based and funerary uses. B. Excludes crematoriums.
Other
24	Vending carts, kiosks		A. Shall not locate in required parking, landscaping, or drive aisle area, or any area that would impede emergency access. B. Shall not reduce or interfere with functional use of walkway or plaza to below standards of Americans with Disabilities Act. C. Structures shall be secured to prevent tipping and endangering public safety. D. Maximum size is six feet wide by ten feet long. E. Administrative design review required for structures.

1Permanent supportive housing, as defined under RCW 36.70A.030, and transitional housing, as defined under RCW Chapter 84.36, are allowed in all land use districts where residential dwellings and/or hotel uses are allowed, subject to RZC 21.57.010,Permanent Supportive Housing, Transitional Housing, and Emergency Housing.

2Emergency housing, as defined under RCW 36.70A.030, and emergency shelter, as defined under RCW 36.70A.030, are allowed in all land use districts where hotel uses are allowed. Emergency housing is subject to RZC 21.57.010, Permanent Supportive Housing, Transitional Housing, and Emergency Housing. Emergency shelter is subject to RZC 21.57.020, Emergency Shelter.