18A.10.080 Urban Zone Classifications

18A.10.080 Urban Zone Classifications.

1. Purpose. To designate adequate industrial areas to meet the needs of a growing jobs-based economy.

2. Description. There are four Employment Center zone classifications: Employment Center, Employment Corridor, Community Employment, and Public Institution.

a. Employment Center. An Employment Center (EC) is a concentration of low- to high-intensity office parks, manufacturing, other industrial development, or a combination of activities. It may also include commercial development as a part of the center if the commercial development is incidental to the employment activities of the center and supports and serves the needs of the workforce.

b. Community Employment. The role of the Community Employment (CE) classification is to provide for areas in the communities where low- to moderate-intensity industrial activities (manufacturing, assembly, warehousing, and industrial services), research activities, and/or office park development may locate.

c. Public Institution. The Public Institution (PI) zone is one of the implementing zones for the Employment Center land use designation. It is intended to provide for the siting of public-owned facilities and institutions.

d. Employment Corridor. The Employment Corridor (ECOR) zone classification allows for jobs-based industrial, office, and business services. These areas are intended to develop with uses that create jobs and uses that supplement the functions of employers.

1. Purpose. To provide for major concentrations of employment, shopping, services, and multi-family housing in unincorporated areas.

2. Description. There are five Urban Center zone classifications: Major Urban Centers, Activity Centers, Community Centers, Towne Centers, and Neighborhood Centers.

a. Major Urban Centers. The Major Urban Center (MUC) zone classification is a highly dense concentration of urban development with a commercial focus. A significant multi-family residential presence in the area is encouraged.

b. Community Centers. The Community Center (CC) zone classification has, as its focus, a significant commercial traffic generator, around which develops a concentration of other commercial office, services, and some moderate- to high-density residential developments. The commercial activity within the center is directed to a customer base drawn from more than one neighborhood but should be at a scale that is compatible with surrounding residential areas.

c. Activity Centers. The Activity Center (AC) zone classification has, as its focus, a recreational, cultural, or educational activity around which develops a concentration of commercial, office, or moderate- to high-density residential development. The attraction draws people from throughout the area, not just surrounding neighborhoods or the community in which the activity is located.

d. Neighborhood Centers. The Neighborhood Center (NC) zone classification is a concentrated mix of small-scale retail and service commercial and office development that serves the daily needs of residents within the immediate neighborhood. Residential development at various densities may occur within the Center if appropriate to the individual neighborhood.

e. Towne Center. The Towne Center (TCTR) zone classification allows for a mix of high-density, multi-family residential, local retail, grocery, restaurants, office, civic uses, and other amenities and services in order to create a compact community with high-density housing within walking distance of goods, services, and amenities. The Towne Center should provide a sense of place within the community, conveniently accessible by multiple modes of transportation.

1. Purpose. To allow multi-family, office, and other commercial uses that provide economic diversity and housing opportunities near transit routes and business activity.

2. Description. There are four Urban Districts zone classifications: Mixed Use Districts, Residential/Office-Civic, Neighborhood Corridor, and Urban Corridor.

a. Mixed Use Districts. The Mixed Use District (MUD) zone classification includes areas that are concentrations of commercial, office, and multi-family developments located along major arterials, state highways, and major transit routes and between Major Urban, Activity, or Community Centers. Commercial activity in Mixed Use Districts caters to a customer base beyond the surrounding neighborhoods or community due to its placement on a roadway used by residents of more than one community. Auto-oriented commercial and land-intensive commercial with a low number of employees per acre is the primary use within Mixed Use Districts.

b. Residential/Office-Civic. The primary role of the Residential/Office-Civic (ROC) classification is to provide a transition between the center and district classifications and the surrounding moderate- and low-density residential neighborhoods. This classification is to provide for low- to moderate-intensity.

c. Neighborhood Corridor. The Neighborhood Corridor (NCOR) zone classification allows for residential, neighborhood/small scale commercial and services, civic, amusement and recreation. The classification is intended to lessen the impacts to established single-family residential areas along the major transportation corridors while allowing for walkable services and a range of housing choices.

d. Urban Corridor. The Urban Corridor (UCOR) zone classification allows for high-density, multifamily residential, retail/shopping, grocery, restaurants, office, civic uses, and other amenities and services. The classification allows for auto-oriented uses and larger square footage retailers in order to capture spillover growth from the Centers and establish transit-supportive densities.

1. Purpose. To provide for single-family and two-family dwelling units in a residential environment.

2. Description. There are five Urban Residential zone classifications: Moderate-High Density Residential, High Density Single-Family, Moderate Density Single-Family, Single-Family, and Residential Resource.

a. Moderate-High Density Residential. The Moderate-High Density Residential (MHR) zone classification includes areas that are composed of moderate- and high-density, single-, two-, and multi-family housing and compatible civic uses.

b. High Density Single-Family. The High Density Single-Family (HSF) zone classification includes areas where sewers are available and there are minimal environmental constraints. This classification is strictly comprised of moderate- to high-density, attached and detached single-family development and civic uses.

c. Moderate Density Single-Family. The Moderate Density Single-Family (MSF) zone classification covers geographic areas located within urban growth areas but that fall outside of an Employment Center, Urban Center, or Urban District. The primary use of the classification is low- and moderate-density, single- and two-family residential activities and compatible civic uses in areas with a mixed residential pattern.

d. Single-Family. The Single-Family (SF) classification covers geographic areas located within urban growth areas but that fall outside of an Employment Center, Urban Center, or Urban District. The primary use of the classification is low- and moderate-density, single-family residential activities and compatible civic uses in areas with a predominantly detached single-family development pattern.

e. Residential Resource. The Residential Resource (RR) zone classification is intended to accommodate and allow for low-density, single-family residential uses in a manner that is compatible with areas of unique open space character and/or environmental sensitivity.

1. Purpose. To achieve well-designed, compact, urban development with a balance of uses, such as jobs, services, recreation, and housing, to provide more efficient use of public facilities, and to preserve greater open space.

2. Description. There are two Urban Planned Communities zone classifications:

a. Master Planned Communities. The Master Planned Communities (MPC) zone classification provides for planned unit developments that integrate a mix of housing, services, and recreation and are approved through the planned unit development (PUD) permit process.

b. Employment Based Planned Communities. The Employment Based Planned Communities (EBPC) zone classification includes areas designated for development of a mixture of jobs, housing, services, and recreation, proposed as a planned community under a planned unit development (PUD) permit process.

3. Permit Required. Allowed uses in Master Planned Community and Employment Based Planned Community classifications are authorized through an approved planned unit development (PUD) permit (PCC 18A.75.050).

1. Public Institution. The Public Institution zone classification is the implementing zone for the Public Institution land use designation. It is intended to provide for the siting of public-owned facilities and institutions.

2. Park and Recreation. The Park and Recreation zone classification is the implementing zone for the Park and Recreation land use designation. It is intended to provide for the siting of public and private-owned facilities and institutions providing park, recreation, open space, and other activities open to the public on an equal basis.

G. Specific Zone Classifications. The land use designations identified through the Comprehensive Plan or Community(ies) Plan as identified below are implemented through specific zones.

1. Pierce County Comprehensive Plan (those urban areas for which a community plan has not been developed or updated since January 1, 1995). See the Use Tables in PCC 18A.17.010.

a. Employment Center: EC and CE

b. Major Urban Center: MUC

c. Community Center: CC

d. Activity Center: AC

e. Neighborhood Center: NC

f. Mixed Use District: MUD

g. High Density Residential District: HRD

h. High Density Single-Family: HSF

i. Moderate Density Single-Family: MSF

j. Public Institution: PI

k. Employment Based Planned Community: EBPC

l. Master Planned Community: MPC

m. Park and Recreation: PR

2. Parkland-Spanaway-Midland Communities Plan. See the Use Tables in PCC 18A.28.010.

a. Employment Center: ECOR and CE

b. Towne Center: TCTR

c. Neighborhood Center: NC

d. Mixed Use District: MUD

e. Corridor: NCOR, UCOR

f. High Density Residential District: MHR

g. High Density Single-Family: HSF

h. Moderate Density Single-Family: MSF, SF, and RR

i. Park and Recreation: PR

3. Gig Harbor Peninsula Community Plan. See the Use Tables in PCC 18A.23.010.

a. Employment Center: CE and PI

b. Community Center: CC

c. Activity Center: AC

d. Neighborhood Center: NC

e. High Density Single-Family: HSF

f. Moderate Density Single-Family: MSF and SF

g. Park and Recreation: PR

h. Mixed Use District: MUD

4. Frederickson Community Plan. See the Use Tables in PCC 18A.22.010.

a. Employment Center: EC and ECOR

b. Corridor: NCOR

c. Moderate Density Single-Family: MSF, SF, and RR

d. Park and Recreation: PR

5. South Hill Community Plan. See the Use Tables in PCC 18A.29.010.

a. Employment Center: EC

b. Community Center: CC

c. Towne Center: TCTR

d. Corridor: UCOR, NCOR

e. Neighborhood Center: NC and ROC

f. High Density Residential District: HRD and MHR

g. High Density Single-Family: HSF

h. Moderate Density Single-Family: MSF and RR

i. Park and Recreation: PR

6. Mid-County Community Plan. See the Use Tables in PCC 18A.27.010.

a. Employment Center: ECOR

b. Neighborhood Center: NC

c. Moderate Density Single-Family: SF and RR

d. Park and Recreation: PR

e. Mixed Use District: MUD

f. High Density Residential: MHR

g. Corridor: UCOR, NCOR

7. Graham Community Plan. See the Use Tables in PCC 18A.24.010.

a. Employment Center: CE

b. Mixed Use District: MUD, MHR

c. Moderate Density Single-Family: SF

d. Park and Recreation: PR

8. Alderton-McMillin Community Plan. See the Use Tables in PCC 18A.18.010.

a. Employment Center: EC

b. Moderate Density Single-Family: SF

c. Park and Recreation: PR

9. Browns Point/Dash Point Community Plan. See the Use Tables in PCC 18A.20.010.

a. Neighborhood Center: NC

b. Moderate Density Single-Family: SF