21.46.050 Purpose.
A. General. The purpose of the regulations set forth in this chapter are:
1. To regulate the location, height, bulk, and size of buildings constructed for business and commercial uses, thereby assuring adequate light and air in commercial zones;
2. To provide a range of use zones of varying degrees of restrictiveness in the types of businesses permitted; thereby providing for the development of shopping centers and the various other types of businesses and/or commercial areas;
3. To facilitate the economical provision of utilities; to provide for convenient, efficient, and safe access to commercial zones by vehicles, and by pedestrians; and
4. To encourage general improvement of the appearance of commercial areas.
It is further intended that the establishment of several zones for business and commercial uses, differentiated by the types of business uses permitted and by the height and character of structures allowed, will provide additional protection for residential areas wherever they exist in close proximity to business zones, excluding in such transitional areas those uses which would be detrimental to nearby residences by reason of traffic generation or other characteristics of the business.
B. Individual Zones. The purposes of the individual zones are as follows:
1. Neighborhood Commercial (NC). The Neighborhood Commercial zone is intended to provide for compatible retail, professional, and personal service uses, and offices and services including municipal services of not more than two stories which generally serve the everyday needs of the residents of the surrounding neighborhood. Multifamily residential units may be permitted on select NC parcels subject to location (Figure 21.46.1). Neighborhood Commercial zones should be located:
a. To provide for neighborhood commercial centers at appropriate locations along arterial streets within residential areas;
b. To preserve existing neighborhood commercial centers which are at appropriate locations within residential areas, but which may not be located along an arterial street; or
c. As a transition zone between residential zones and more intensive commercial zones.
The boundaries between Neighborhood Commercial zones and adjacent residential zones should be well defined and have significant buffering standards to discourage encroachment into and/or degradation of those residential zones. The size of individual zones should be scaled to the intensity of residential development in the area.
2. General Commercial (CG). The purpose of the General Commercial zone is to provide for a variety of commercial, retail, and other uses, including municipal services. These uses are primarily related to auto borne clientele, rather than pedestrian clientele. It is further intended that certain uses which have been heretofore been permitted but which are more of an industrial nature shall be allowed only by a conditional use permit thereby providing that the existing establishments shall not be nonconforming but any new establishments may be confined to appropriate locations. With the expansion of the bus system serving Highway 99, the location of multiple-family residential housing in the vicinity of the highway allows the opportunity to create a more sustainable environment. Multiple-family housing on sites on specified parcels within the Highway 99 corridor as designated on the city of Lynnwood future land use map allows compact multiple-family residential development a walkable distance from convenience retail with goods and services and reduces single-vehicle trips due to the availability of transit.
3. Planned Commercial Development (PCD). The Planned Commercial Development zone is intended to allow and encourage the controlled development of commercial uses and services, including municipal services in areas where, because of traffic flows, adjacent uses or other land use factors, conventional commercial development and other alternative land uses are not desirable. It is intended that the PCD zones may be located adjacent to existing planned regional shopping centers, major highways or industrial and business park developments where appropriate, but not adjacent to single-family residential neighborhoods as designated by the comprehensive plan. The purpose of the zone is to allow the planned commercial development of contiguous parcels under multiple ownerships with a degree of coordination and control not possible under other zoning classifications.
Property may only be reclassified to PCD after the comprehensive plan has been amended to designate the area as appropriate for the PCD zone. A design concept for the area included in each PCD zone shall be developed simultaneously with a proposal for amending the comprehensive plan to allow PCD in that zone. The design concept shall indicate major circulation and utility proposals for the zone. Consideration shall be given to internal and external vehicular and pedestrian circulation. The primary purpose of the design concept is to allow advance consideration of coordinated development of parcels in the zone. The design concept shall consist of a site plan and textual guidelines for development of the specific zone. The textual guidelines shall be developed to address specific concerns or attributes of the individual zone which may not be adequately dealt with in the zoning code. (Ord. 3258 § 6, 2017; Ord. 3233 § 3, 2016; Ord. 3023 § 1, 2013; Ord. 3010 § 5 (Exh. A), 2013; Ord. 2441 § 14, 2003; Ord. 2020 § 19, 1994; Ord. 1963 § 3, 1993; Ord. 1880 §§ 1 – 7, 1992; Ord. 1686 § 1, 1989; Ord. 1448 § 1, 1985; Ord. 1447 § 4, 1985; Ord. 1140 § 1, 1980; Ord. 522 § 3, 1969)