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Title 20 ZONING
Chapter 20.09A RURAL RESIDENTIAL/RESOURCE--ONE DWELLING UNIT PER
FIVE ACRES (RRR 115)
20.09A.010 Purpose.
20.09A.020 Primary uses.
20.09A.025 Special uses.
20.09A.030 Family member unit.
20.09A.040 Density.
20.09A.050 Design standards.
20.09A.060 Additional regulations.
20.09A.010 Purpose
The purpose of this chapter is to encourage residential development that maintains the county's
rural character; provides opportunities for compatible agricultural, forestry and other rural land
uses; is sensitive to the site's physical characteristics; provides greater opportunities for
protecting sensitive environmental areas and creating open space corridors; enables efficient
road and utility systems; and does not create demands for urban level services. (Ord. 11398 § 3
(part), 1997: Ord. 10398 § 7 (part), 1993)
20.09A.020 Primary uses.
Subject to the provisions of this title, the following uses are permitted in this district:
1. Agriculture, including forest practices;
2. Single- family and two- family residences, as defined in Section 20.07.020, (limited to one
residential structure per lot subject to a maximum density of one unit per five acres);
3. Home occupations per standards in Section 20.54.070(16);
4. Farm housing accessory to a farm residence on property meeting the definition of a farm in
RCW 84.34.020 to accommodate agricultural workers and their families employed on the
premises, as provided:
a. For legal lots between five and 19.99 acres in size, one farm housing unit is permitted.
b. For legal lots between twenty and 39.99 acres in size, two farm housing units are permitted.
c. For legal lots between forty and 59.99 acres in size, three farm housing units are permitted.
d. For legal lots between sixty and 79.99 acres in size, four farm housing units are permitted.
e. For legal lots eighty acres or larger in size, additional farm housing units are permitted based
on the same formula, subject to approval of a special use permit.
f. These housing units may only be leased, sold or subdivided subject to the density provisions of
Section 20.09A.040; otherwise, the maximum density provisions of Section 20.09A.020(4)(a)
through (e) apply to farm housing units.
g. The sewage disposal and water supply shall be approved by the environmental health
department. (Ord. 11804 § 49, 1998: Ord. 11398 § 3 (part), 1997: Ord. 10462 § 1, 1993; Ord.
10398 § 7 (part), 1993)
20.09A.025 Special uses
See Chapter 20.54 for special uses permitted in this district. (Ord. 11398 § 3 (part), 1997: Ord.
10398 § 7 (part), 1993)
20.09A.030 Family member unit.
1. In addition to the maximum number of dwelling units, excluding farm housing units, permitted
on a lot, one temporary mobile /manufactured home or modular home may be located upon a lot
for the purpose of housing a person or persons who are family members to a person residing in
an existing structure on the lot when application for family unit approval is requested. A person is
a family member when related by blood, marriage or adoption.
2. Persons wishing to establish a family member unit shall furnish proof of family member status
and shall receive written approval to establish such unit from the development services
department before locating or constructing the unit.
3. Dwelling units placed on a lot pursuant to this section shall be removed when the family
member no longer occupies the family member unit.
4. Dwelting units which are located pursuant to this section shall be removed prior to sale of the
property, unless the purchaser provides a letter to the county stating the family member unit will
be occupied by a family member.
5. A family member unit must have an approved sewage disposal system, adequate water
source all other applicable permits. (Ord. 11804 § 50, 1998, Ord. 11398 § 3 (part), 1997:
Ord. 10595 § 13, 1994: Ord. 10398 § 7 (part), 1993)
20.09A.040 Density.
The base density for this district is a maximum of one unit per five acres. This base density shall
be modified as follows:
1. Parcels of seven and one -half acres or more which are developed as a planned rural
residential development (Chapter 20.30A) shall receive a density bonus of thirty -five to sixty -five
percent, in accordance with Section 20.30A.060.
2. Academic schools with sewer service, not including on -site disposal systems, that are
permitted within this district are exempted from the density provisions of this chapter, subject to
any conditions required for special use permit approval. (Ord. 11398 § 3 (part), 1997: Ord. 10893
§ 2, 1995: Ord. 10398 § 7 (part), 1993)
20.09A.050 Design standards.
The following standards are established to insure that the purpose of this district is achieved and
maintained as new lots are created and new buildings are constructed:
1. Subdivision Alternatives. Land within this district may only be divided as follows:
a. Large lot subdivisions, or
b. Subdivisions or short subdivisions in conformance with Chapter 20.30A, Planned Rural
Residential Development;
2. Minimum Lot Size.
a. Large lot —five acres or one-one hundred twenty- eighth of a section,
b. Planned rural residential developments - -none, subject to applicable standards for provision of
water and sewage disposal contained in Articles III and IV of the Thurston County Sanitary Code,
c. Nonresidential use —five acres;
3. Maximum building height: thirty-five feet;
4. Minimum yard requirements: see Chapter 20.07;
Note. Residences are encouraged to be located at least one hundred fifty feet from any property
line abutting the long -term forestry district to better ensure land use compatibility between
residential uses and adjacent long -term forestry operations; however, such setback is not
required.
5. Building and Impervious Surface Coverage Limits. Maximum coverage by structures — sixty
percent, except within the Green Cove Creek Drainage Basin, where the maximum impervious
surface coverage, including structures, is as follows.
Lots up to ten thousand square feet — forty five percent.
Lots ten thousand one square feet to one acre -- twenty -five percent.
Lots 1.01 acres or more -- six percent.
Where only a portion of a parcel is located within the basin, the impervious surface limits are
applied to that portion of the parcel only. For example, if two acres of a five -acre parcel lie within
the basin, then up to six percent of the two -acre portion may be covered with impervious
surfaces. The provisions of the Drainage Design and Erosion Control Manual (Chapter 15.05
TCC) may further limit the amount of impervious surfaces.
6. Vegetation Retention Within the Green Cove Creek Drainage Basin.
a. Tree Tracts. Subdivisions, short subdivisions, large lot subdivisions, and other developments
within the basin, except construction of dwellings on individual lots /parcels, shall retain at least
sixty percent of the site within tree tracts held in common ownership by the homeowner's
association or comparable entity. For purposes of this section, a tree tract is a lot or area of land
dedicated to tree retention for purposes of absorbing stormwater runoff. A tree tract may be
included in a resource use parcel created as part of a planned rural residential development.
However, there shall be no harvesting of trees from the tree tract. The tree tract(s) should be
located downslope of the developed portion of the site, unless otherwise determined by the
approval authority. Passive recreational uses, such as picnic areas and trails, which would not
jeopardize the survival of protected trees (e.g. by damaging roots, compacting soil, or altering
drainage), can be located in tree tracts with written approval of the development services
department. The department may also authorize stormwater ponds in tree tracts if trees would
not be removed and tree roots would not be damaged during construction or by saturated soil
conditions such that their survival would be jeopardized. Prior to acting on the request, the
approval authority may require the proponent to supply a written analysis from a qualified
professional forester regarding the proposal's potential impact on the protected trees.
b. New construction of dwellings on lots five or more acres in size, except those served by a tree
tract created under subsection (6)(a) of this section, shall retain existing vegetation on sixty
percent of each lot. Vegetation in these areas shall be preserved, with the exception of
nonnative, invasive plants and hazard trees that pose an imminent risk of damaging a structure,
as determined by the approval authority. Authorized removal of vegetation from the protected
portion of the site shall be accomplished by the least disruptive methods available, as determined
by the approval authority.
c. Existing stands of healthy trees on the site shall be included within the tracts /vegetation
protection areas required by subsections (6)(a) and (b) of this section to the greatest extent
practical, as determined by the approval authority. Where tree tracts are required and where a
site does not contain healthy trees that can be incorporated in the project and remain windfrm
following development, the tree tract shall be planted with trees. Trees to be planted shall be of a
type and spacing that, upon maturity, will provide a canopy spanning at least seventy -five percent
of the tract. At the time of planting, evergreen trees shall be at least four feet tall and deciduous
trees shall be at least one and one - half -inch caliper. New plantings shall consist of tree species
native to the area.
d. A bond or other such method of financial security in an amount equal to one hundred twenty-
five percent of the cost to purchase and install the required trees, based upon a contractor's
estimate accepted by the county, shall be provided to the county to secure the successful
establishment of newly planted trees. The county shall draw upon this surety as needed to
replace any trees that die, upon failure of the developer or other responsible party to do so within
the time period specified by the county . The developer shall not be required to replant trees
which die or suffer severe degradation as a result of a water purveyor's failure to supply
adequate water, acts of vandalism or other actions of unrelated third parties acting beyond the
developer's control. Such financial security shall be effective for a two -year period following
completion of the planting.
e. Critical areas and associated buffers may comprise all or part of the tree tracts /vegetation
protection areas required by subsections (6)(a) and (b) of this section.
f. Where conflicts occur between the provisions of Chapter 17.25 or Chapter 18.47 and this
section, the provisions of this section shall prevail. (Ord. 13235 § 6, 2004, Ord. 11398 § 3 (part),
1997 Ord. 10398 § 7 (part), 1993)
20.09A.060 Additional regulations.
Refer to the following chapters for provisions which may qualify or supplement the regulations
presented above.
1. Chapter 20 .34, Accessory Uses and Structures;
2. Chapter 20 40, Signs and Lighting;
3. Chapter 20 44, Parking and Loading;
4. Chapter 20.45, Landscaping and Screening. (Ord. 11398 § 3 (part), 1997: Ord. 10398 § 7
(part), 1993)
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4. When a site plan meeting the requirements of subsections G1 and G2 of this section has been
approved and the land which is subject to the site plan is thereafter proposed to be divided by
lease, sale and other transfer of ownership, the division shall not be effective until the
requirements of subsection G3 of this section have been met;
H. Boundary Line Adjustments. A division made for the purpose of adjusting boundary lines
which does not create any additional building lot, tract, parcel, building site or division nor create
any building lot, tract, parcel, building site or division which contains insufficient area and
dimension to meet minimum requirements for a building site, except as described in subsection
(H)(3) of this section, provided:
1. The proponent has fled an application which includes:
a. An adjusted legal description of the lots affected by the adjustment prepared and certified by a
registered land surveyor or title company,
b. A scale drawing of the lots affected by the adjustment,
c. Notarized declaration that the transferor consents to the proposed adjustment, and
2. The proposed boundary line adjustment meets the following criteria:
a. No conforming lot shall be made nonconforming, with the following exceptions:
i. One or more adjustments may be made in a conforming lot so long as the cumulative reduction
in lot size is the lesser of ten percent or ten thousand square feet below the minimum lot size
requirement for the applicable zone, with the exception that a lot may be reduced further if each
lot involved in the BLA is averaged to a substantially similar size, provided that reduction of lot
size would not result in the need for a variance from other county ordinance requirements. After
reaching the reduction limit, any subsequent boundary line adjustment (BLA) shall be prohibited
on the subject lot for a period of five years after the subject BLA recording, or
ii. If the land conveyance is made to an adjacent existing nonconforming lot, the conforming lot
may be reduced so long as it is not reduced below eighty percent of the minimum size
requirements for the applicable zone, with the exception that a lot may be reduced further if each
lot involved in the BLA is averaged to a substantially similar size, provided that reduction of lot
size would not result in the need for a variance from other county ordinance requirements. After
reaching the reduction limit, any subsequent boundary line adjustment (BLA) shall be prohibited
on the subject parcels for a period of five years after the subject BLA recording, or
iii. If, prior to the July 31, 1990 county-wide rezone, parcels were zoned at a higher density and
had residential structures onsite, the conforming lot may be reduced to the minimum size allowed
under the zoning in effect on July 30, 1990. After reaching the reduction limit, any subsequent
Boundary Line Adjustment (BLA) shall be prohibited on the subject parcels for a period of five
years after the subject BLA recording,
b. An existing nonconforming lot may be reduced in size through one or more adjustments so
long as the cumulative reduction is limited to the lesser of ten thousand square feet or ten
percent of the existing lot size, with the exception that a lot may be reduced further if each lot
involved in the BLA is averaged to a substantially similar size, provided that reduction of lot size
would not result in the need for a variance from other county ordinance requirements. The
reduced lots must still meet the building site criteria. After reaching the reduction limit any
subsequent boundary line adjustment (BLA) shall be prohibited on the subject lot for a period of
five years after the subject BLA recording,
c. Only parcels that are legal lots and also qualify as building sites shall be allowed to complete
the BLA process,
J. Pursuant to the shoreline master program for the Thurston region, no shoreline lot shall be
made nonconforming or more nonconforming without an approved shoreline variance,
e. All newly configured lots must comply with applicable standards for sewage disposal and
provision of water contained in Articles III and IV of the Thurston County Sanitary Code. Proof of
such compliance may be required in the form of a conditional site approval or other similar
approval,
f. A BLA shall not detrimentally affect access, design, or other public safety and welfare
concerns. The evaluation of detrimental effect may include review by the environmental health
department, roads and transportation services department, or any other applicable agency or
department,
g. If within an approved subdivision, a BLA shall not violate the conditions of approval,
h. Except as provided in this subsection, the proposed BLA shall not make any land use
nonconforming or more nonconforming as set forth in the Thurston County Code,
i. Lots created through the forty -acre exemption provided in subsection I of this section may only
be adjusted once through the BLA process every five years.
3. Unbuildable lots created for purposes of habitat conservation or critical area preservation shall
be allowed to use the BLA process. Such lots may not be created /modified so as to make the
adjacent lot unbuildable or nonconforming.
4. The legal description, scale drawing (map) and notarized declaration shall be recorded with the
county auditor by the development services department. The county auditor shall furnish copies
to other county agencies as required. The fee for these copies shall be in addition to all other
recording fees. All required copies shall bear the auditor's recording data;
I. Defining of Land. Where a subdivider owns not less then one - eighth of a section or, if the land
is not capable of subdivisional description, eighty acres, the subdivision may define the
boundaries of the subdivider's short subdivision to include not less than one - sixteenth of a
section or, if the land is not capable of subdivisional description, forty acres; provided, that no
increment of land containing less than one - sixteenth of a section or, if the land is not capable of
subdivisional description, forty acres, remain, and provided further, that the subdivider's definition
of boundary leaves proper provision for access to the remaining parcel and is approved by the
approving authority. (Ord. 13040 Attach. C § 5 2003; Ord. 12290 § 2, 2000; Ord. 12032 § 94,
1999, Ord. 11804 § 23, 1998; Ord. 11398 § 10 (part), 1997: Ord. 11009 § 1, 1995; Ord. 10999 §
1, 1995; Ord. 10399 § 3, 1993: Ord. 7071 § 3, 1981: Ord. 6873 § 1, 1981: Ord. 6629 §§ 2, 3,
1980: Ord. 4748 § 1 Ch. 1(4), 1974)
18.04.040