26. Residential Zoning Uses

H01-30
Written By Sini

What can we do on our rural lot?

Building and Energy code describe the minimum requirements for a safe and energy efficient structure. Zoning code describes what types of uses and how densely you can build on a particular lot.

This is the zoning map for where we live in Kitsap County.

This color coded map labels each parcel in the county with one of these colors:

My parcel is in the Rural Residential (1DU /5 Acre). This means 1 Dwelling Unit (house) per 5 Acres.

Municipal Code

To find more detail about a specific code, you look up the municipal code. The Kitsap County code is here, and you can dig into Chapter 17 to learn more about zoning.

To get even more specific, got to the section on my parcel zone: 17.130 Rural Residential.

Here we learn about the purpose:

17.130.010 Purpose.

This zone promotes low-density residential development and agricultural activities that are consistent with rural character. It is applied to areas that are relatively unconstrained by environmentally sensitive areas or other significant landscape features. These areas are provided with limited public services.

The next section is where the meat is for this section.

17.130.020 Uses permitted and design standards.

Let’s break it down.

A.    Uses Permitted. Section 17.410.042, Rural, resource, and urban residential zones use table, shall determine the allowed uses and permits required for parcels in the rural residential zone except for parcels located within the boundary of the Port Gamble redevelopment plan approved pursuant to Section 17.360C.030. These parcels shall refer to Appendix F to determine allowed uses, permits required, and definitions; all other chapters of Kitsap County Code or an approved development agreement not included in Appendix F shall still apply.

OK, so this directs us on a side quest to 17.410.042 which is a Use Table that looks like this:

The P's, C’s and ACUP’s are explained in the legend:

Permitted Use

So let’s focus on the Rural Residential, and let’s review the P (permitted use) types per category:

Residential

  • 100 Accessory Dwelling Unit Attached

  • 106 Guest House

Dwelling, Family Living

  • 110 Duplex

  • 114 Mobile Home

  • 118 Single-family detached

Dwelling, Group Living

  • 122 Adult Family Home

Other Residential Uses

  • 134 Home business, incidental

  • 136 Home business, minor

Commercial Uses - Retail

  • 250 Nursery, wholesale

Commercial Uses - Offices and Services

  • 262 Day-care center, home based

  • 274 Kennels, hobby

Recreational/Cultural Uses

  • 316 Parks and open space

Institutional Uses

  • 409 Public facilities 300 SF or less

  • 424 Wireless communications facilities

Resource

  • 602 Agricultural use, primary

  • 606 Forestry

Accessory Uses

  • 700 Accessory use or structure

Temporary Uses

  • 800 Special care units, residence

  • 804 Transitory accommodations, single-family residence

  • 806 Transitory accommodations, small, large, safe parks, and indoor

Conditional Use

Next let’s focus on the Rural Residential C (Hearing Examiner Conditional Use Permit) types or ACUP (Administrative Conditional Use Permit) per category:

Residential

  • 102 Accessory Dwelling Unit Detached

Dwelling, Family Living

  • 112 Manufactured/mobile/RV/park model/tiny home park

  • 118 Single-family attached

Dwelling, Group Living

  • 128 Permanent transitory accommodations, small, large, safe parks, and indoor (ACUP)

Other Residential Uses

  • 130 Bed and breakfast house, 1 to 4 rooms (ACUP)

  • 132 Bed and breakfast house, 5 or more rooms or serves meals to non-overnight guests

  • 138 Home business, moderate (ACUP)

  • Vacation rentals, 1 to 4 rooms (ACUP)

  • Vacation rentals, 5 or more rooms

Commercial Uses - Hotels or Hospitality

  • 208 Event facility

Commercial Uses - Retail

  • 248 Nursery, retail

Commercial Uses - Offices and Services

  • 260 Day-care center

  • 274 Kennels or pet day-cares

  • 294 Veterinary clinics/animal hospitals/wildlife shelters

Recreational/Cultural Uses

  • 302 Campground

  • 304 Club (ACUP)

  • 310 Golf Course

  • 320 Recreation facilities, indoor

  • 322 Recreational facilities, outdoor (ACUP)

  • 324 Shooting/gun facility, indoor

  • 326 Shooting/gun facility, outdoor

Institutional Uses

  • 400 Government/public structures (ACUP)

  • 406 Places of worship

  • 408 Public facilities greater than 300 SF (ACUP)

  • 410 School, elementary and middle school/junior high

  • 412 School, high school

  • 414 School, college/vocational, less than 8000 SF

  • 416 School, college/vocational, greater than 800 SF

Industrial Uses

  • 504 Cemeteries

  • 506 Contractor’s storage yard

  • 516 Funeral homes

  • 550 Topsoil production, stump grinding, firewood cutting, and composting

Resource

  • 600 Aggregate extraction sites

  • 604 Aquaculture practices

Temporary Uses

  • 802 Temporary offices and model homes (ACUP)

Notably Prohibited

Next let’s focus on the Rural Residential prohibited uses, there are a lot so this is just a highlight.

Commercial Uses - Hotels or Hospitality

  • 204 Drinking establishments

  • 206 Espresso stands

  • 212 Resort

  • 214 Restaurants, with drive-through service

  • 216 Restaurants, without drive-through service

Commercial Uses - Retail

  • 230 Fuel or charging station, with convenience store

  • 232 Fuel or charging station, without convenience store

Commercial Uses - Offices and Services

  • 266 Fitness center

  • 268 General office and management services, less than 4,000 SF

Other Commercial Uses

  • 296 Shared work/maker space

Recreational/Cultural Uses

  • 300 Arboreta, botanical garden

This was an interesting exercise for me, but I acknowledge, a dry read for you. This does give me some solid ideas for how to possibly turn empty lots into something… useful. My next step is to look up the difference between conditional use types.

Sini
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