21.10.050 Town Center (TWNC) Zone.
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 seeks 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.
B. Maximum Development Yield.
Table 21.10.050A |
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Allowed |
Base |
Maximum with Incentives |
Height |
5 stories |
12 stories |
100 percent |
100 percent Less areas necessary for compliance with stormwater management and landscaping. |
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These are office building examples using incentives 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. |
C. Regulations Common to All Uses.
Table 21.10.050B |
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Regulation |
Standard |
Notes and Exceptions |
Front Setback (distance from back of curb) |
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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. Shall comply with Downtown Design Standards for the Town Center Zone. |
Setback Line (distance from property line) |
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Side Commercial |
0 feet |
Shall comply with Downtown Design Standards for the Town Center Zone. |
Rear Commercial |
0 feet |
Shall comply with Downtown Design Standards for the Town Center Zone. |
Side Residential |
See RZC 21.10.130.D, Residential Setback Requirements |
Shall comply with Downtown Design Standards for the Town Center Zone. |
Rear Residential |
10 feet |
Shall comply with Downtown Design Standards for the Town Center Zone. |
Yard Adjoining Redmond Central Connector or Parks |
14 feet |
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Other Standards |
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Minimum Building Height |
n/a |
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Maximum Building Height Without TDRs, GBP, or EAAH |
Varies |
Mixed-Use area: four stories; hotel and conference center, full service – eight stories; other hotel – six stories. Gateway Office 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, GBP, or EEAH |
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 are allowed through bonus provisions. An increase of height to a maximum of 12 stories may be sought through use of the Exceptional Amenities for Additional Height (EAAH) for projects within the Mixed-Use area, Table 21.10.050C. EAAH may not be used in combination with any other programs to increase height. |
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 |
Less areas necessary for compliance with stormwater management and landscaping. |
Base FAR Without TDRs |
Varies |
New development must retain or replace existing pedestrian generating and retail sales uses. Development may modify areas allocated to pedestrian generating and retail sales uses, subject to a minimum floor area to be negotiated as a condition to any Development Agreement. |
Allowed Residential Density |
Depends on Lot Size |
See RZC 21.10.130.B, Downtown Residential Densities Chart. Floor area for residential uses is exempt from TDR requirements. The ground floor level shall include a mix of pedestrian-oriented uses. |
Drive-Through |
n/a |
Drive-through facilities are prohibited except where expressly permitted in the Allowed Uses and Basic Development Standards table below. |
D. Exceptional Amenities for Additional Height.
1.
a. Development within a project limit may exceed the base height requirements contained in Table 21.10.050A by providing Exceptional Amenities for Additional Height (EAAH) as described in Table 21.10.050C.
b. Requirements for Participation.
i. The project limit eligible for EAAH incentives must be entirely located within the Town Center Mixed-Use subarea as shown in Figure 21.62.020S.
ii. A development agreement is required to identify the proposed project limit and ensure that the amenity proposed to earn additional height provides a proportionate public benefit.
iii. A master plan is required for all development seeking additional height through the EAAH.
iv. Technical Review. The City may require the applicant to pay for an independent technical review, by a consultant retained by the City, to verify the limitations, requirements, and techniques contained within this section have been satisfied.
c. Limitations.
i. Incentives earned through the provisions of amenities from Table 21.10.050C may not be used in conjunction with Transfer of Development Rights or Green Building Program to increase height.
ii. No structure with any combination of uses and parking may exceed 12 total stories in height.
iii. No more than nine stories of usable floor area may be achieved by providing EAAH pursuant to Table 21.10.050C.
iv. Up to three additional stories dedicated to above-grade structured parking may be approved; provided, that no more than one story of subterranean parking is proposed, and the following additional requirements are met:
A. Proposed parking is the minimum necessary to serve associated uses and shall not exceed the following maximum fully dedicated parking ratios for all existing and proposed uses within the project limit:
1. Three-quarters of one space/unit for residential uses; two spaces/1,000 s.f. office/business services uses; and three and one-half spaces/1,000 s.f. for food and beverage uses and retail services;
2. The above ratios shall be based on fully dedicated parking stalls for each use, and shall not include those parking stalls owned by applicant that are leased, controlled, or dedicated to neighboring property owners or uses, via lease, easement, or other long-term agreement executed prior to the effective date of the ordinance codified in this section; and
3. If any existing parking dedicated to existing retail or food and beverage uses is displaced within the project limit, the displaced parking may be replaced within the project limit so long as the total parking ratio for retail and food and beverage uses does not exceed three and one-half spaces/1,000 s.f. within the project limit.
B. Subterranean parking is only proposed if necessary to replace existing surface parking dedicated to existing retail or food and beverage uses within the project limit and is limited to a maximum of one story below grade. Any associated construction dewatering shall not create adverse impacts to the drinking water system or the stormwater system. A conceptual model including dewatering radius of influence will be submitted during site plan entitlement to demonstrate dewatering feasibility and no adverse impacts to City supply wells.
v. Exceptional Amenities for Additional Height Requirements.
A. All techniques and incentives in Table 21.10.050C shall be applied across the project limit identified in the development agreement.
B. Applicants are required to provide the priority technique in Table 21.10.050C before they are eligible to receive incentives for additional techniques.
C. If construction of a multi-building development is to be phased, each phase shall provide for a proportionate installation of amenities. No phase may depend upon the future construction of amenities unless the development agreement includes a phasing plan that will ensure the public benefit of the amenity is received through on-site development or in-lieu fee payment within a prescribed time horizon.
D. Where equivalency to a sustainable development technique is allowed pursuant to Table 21.10.050C, the requirements for the equivalent technique shall be negotiated as a condition of the development agreement.
E. The development agreement granting incentives for additional height and adjusting the phasing of incentives shall be recorded with the King County Recorder’s Office or its successor agency. A copy of the recorded document shall be provided to the Director.
Table 21.10.050C |
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Priority Technique |
Incentive |
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1 |
Affordable housing and larger units: • Minimum 20% of all new units designated affordable at 60% Area Median Income (AMI). There is no requirement to also provide 10% designated for 80% AMI that would ordinarily be required under RZC Chapter 21.20. And • One of the following thresholds is met: A. Minimum 10% of all new units (market rate and affordable) have two bedrooms or more and minimum 5% of all new units have three bedrooms or more. B. The greater of 35% or 15 of the new affordable housing units have two bedrooms or more and the greater of 15% or 10 units have three bedrooms or more. And • All new affordable housing units shall be electric-ready, meaning the units have the necessary wiring and electrical capacity to support converting to all electric equipment in the future. |
4 stories |
2 |
Small and Local Businesses: 10% of new ground level commercial space or a total of 7,000 square feet of total commercial space dedicated to local commercial. Local commercial is defined as a retail sales or food and beverage service use (as defined by RZC Chapter 21.78, Definitions) founded or based in King, Snohomish, or Pierce County that has less than three locations. National franchises (e.g., 7-Eleven, Subway, GNC, etc.) shall not be considered a local commercial use. |
1 story |
3 |
Small and Local Businesses: The lesser of 25% or 4,000 square feet of new commercial space no larger than 1,000 square feet to encourage and support startup and new businesses. |
1 story |
4 |
Sustainable Development |
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A. Achieve International Living Future Institute (ILFI) Zero Energy certification or register and achieve verification through the New Buildings Institute (NBI) Zero Energy, or equivalent, for all new buildings. |
3 stories (not combinable with options B, C, or D) |
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B. 100% of the new buildings are ILFI Living Building Challenge (LBC) 4.0 certified, or equivalent. |
2 stories (combinable with option C) |
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C. 5-year contract (or 5 successive 1-year contracts if a 5-year contract is not available) to purchase green power for 100% of the new buildings. |
1 story (must be combined with either option B or option D) |
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D. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum, or equivalent, for all new buildings. |
1 story (combinable with option C) |
E. 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.
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 |
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Attached dwelling unit, 2 – 4 units |
Attached dwelling unit, 2 – 4 units |
L |
R |
200 – 299 |
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L |
R |
200 – 299 |
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L |
R |
200 – 299 |
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Multifamily structures, mixed-use residential |
Multifamily structures, mixed-use residential |
L |
R |
200 – 299 |
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P |
R |
200 – 299 |
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P |
R |
200 – 299 |
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P |
I |
600 – 699 |
Nonresidential Use Class |
Former Use Classification (Prior to Dec. 31, 2021) |
Use Permissions |
Building Code Occupancy Class |
ITE Trip Generation Manual Land Use Code |
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L |
M |
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1. Gas station. 2. Automobile sales with outdoor display and storage. 3. Rental storage and mini-warehouses. |
N |
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L |
M |
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L |
M |
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Pet and animal sales and service |
L |
M |
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P |
R |
300 – 399 |
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P |
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Artisanal manufacturing, retail sales, and service |
L |
M, F, H |
100 – 199, 800 – 899, 900 – 999 |
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L |
S |
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1. Surface parking lots. |
N |
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L |
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L |
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L |
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P |
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P |
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Wireless communication facilities |
Wireless communication facilities |
P |
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Arts, entertainment, and recreation |
P |
A |
400 – 499, 500 – 599 |
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P |
400 – 499 |
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P |
E |
500 – 599 |
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Education, public administration, health care, and other institutions, except those listed below |
P |
E |
500 – 599 |
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Education, public administration, health care, and other institutions, except those listed below |
P |
I |
600 – 699, 700 – 799 |
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Education, public administration, health care, and other institutions, except those listed below |
P |
B |
700 – 799 |
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Faith-based and funerary |
L |
A, B, H, I, R, S |
500 – 599 |
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1. Crematorium. |
N |
F. 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 21.10.050D |
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Section |
Use |
Parking Ratio: |
Special Regulations |
Residential1 |
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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 |
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3 |
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4 |
Multifamily structure, mixed-use residential |
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5 |
Bed (0.5, 1.0) |
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6 |
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7 |
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. |
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8 |
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. |
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Pet and animal sales and service |
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9 |
Rental room (1.0, 1.0) Conference center space: adequate to accommodate peak use |
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10 |
1,000 sq. ft. gfa (2.0, 5.0) |
See RZC Chapter 21.41, Marijuana-Related Uses, for additional requirements. |
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11 |
Artisanal manufacturing, retail sales, and service |
1,000 sq. ft. gfa (3.5, 5.0) |
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Transportation, Communication, Information, and Utilities |
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12 |
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13 |
1,000 sq. ft. gfa (3.5, 5.0) |
Regional light rail transit system and office uses only. No vehicle storage. |
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14 |
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. |
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15 |
Shall not be located on a parcel that abuts a residential zone. |
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16 |
1,000 sq. ft. gfa (3.5, 5.0) |
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17 |
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18 |
Wireless communication facilities |
N/A |
See RZC Chapter 21.56, Wireless Communication Facilities, for specific development requirements. |
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation |
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19 |
Adequate to accommodate peak use |
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20 |
1,000 sq. ft. gfa (0, adequate to accommodate peak use) |
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Education, Public Administration, Health Care, and Other Institutions |
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21 |
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. |
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22 |
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. |
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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 |
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24 |
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. |
Notes:
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.