Ordinance 1504ORDINANCE NO. /5
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF EDMONDS, WASHINGTON
AMENDING THE OFFICIAL ZONING ORDINANCE BY THE
ADDITION THERETO OF NEW SECTIONS 12.13.400
THROUGH 12.13.420 ESTABLISHING A NEW ZONING
DISTRICT CLASSIFICATION, BEING THE MARINE RESOURCE
DISTRICT (MR), SETTING FORTH THE INTENT OF SAID
CLASSIFICATION, THE PERMITTED USES THEREIN,
PROVIDING FOR A MANDATORY CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT
FOR CERTAIN USES AND THE CRITERIA THEREFORE, AND
PROVIDING PENALTIES.
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Edmonds,
Washington, pursuant to Planning Commission Resolution
No. 340, called a public hearing and thereat found it to
be in the best interest and the public health, safety and
welfare to amend the Edmonds Zoning Code as set forth
below, now, therefore,
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF EDMONDS, WASHINGTON
DO ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The Edmonds City Code, and specifically
the Zoning Code, is hereby amended by the addition of
three new sections:
Section 12.13.400 Intent, Marine Resource District (MR).
A. General. The principal long-range objective and
intent of this MR classification is to provide for the
location and grouping of uses compatible with marine -
oriented activities while at the same time preserving the
utility of the salt water, tidelands, and deep water lands.
Because of the susceptibility to injury of marine organisms,
including marine life, and the chemical balance of the water,
and because of the carrying capacity through the fluidity of
water, tide action and current, permitted uses must be con-
siderably narrowed from those that are permitted in upland
areas.
Adequate uses are elsewhere permitted in the Edmonds Zoning
Code through provision for business and industry in other
districts, specifically including, but not limited to, the
Waterfront Commercial District (CW) and the Industrial Park
District (IP). The latter two specifically named districts
are located close to transportation facilities including
railroad siding, limited access highway and moorage facilities.
The MR classification is intended to blend compatible recrea-
tional and commercial activities to best utilize, for public
and private interests, the substantial attributes of marine -
oriented activities while at the same time preserving such
utilization for future generations.
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Limited experience in providing zoning controls within such
a district as herein provided dictates a cautious approach
toward permitted utilization until such time as greater
experience is gathered. As technological advances demonstrate
a greater guarantee against disruptive influence and injury
to the marine ecology than have been witnessed to date, the
MR permitted uses may be expanded to maintain the viability
and flexibility of the MR classification for optimum benefits
and for the health, safety, morals and general welfare of
the public. These regulations are intended to apply to
surface and below surface waters and to all submerged lands
and tidelands.
B. Other governmental regulations. This classification
is intended to provide local control to the extent that
federal, state and other governmental regulations have not
preempted the field of regulation. whereas other governmental
agencies are primarily concerned with technological standards,
the primary concern of the City of Edmonds is with the
locational aspects of a particular land or water use with
reference to the overall development of the Edmonds planning
area. Although a given use may be technically feasible, it
may nevertheless be incompatible with existing or planned
uses for the MR classification and therefore prohibited from
locating within the MR classification notwithstanding com-
pliance with the regulations of another governmental agency.
The provisions herein are intended to enhance rather than to
in any way impede the free flow of commerce and navigation.
The permitted uses hereinafter set forth in the MR classifi-
cation are subject to applicable federal, state and other
governmental permits, fees, licenses and regulations and
nothing herein contained shall in any way be construed to
lessen or derogate from those standards, permits, fees,
licenses and regulations. Such agencies include, but are not
limited to, the Corps of Army Engineers, the State Depart-
ment of Natural Resources, the State Department of Fisheries,
the State Toll Bridge Authority, the State Department of
Highways, the Port of Edmonds, the State Polution Control
Commission, and similar federal, state or governmental
agencies. In the event of conflict between the regulations
herein set forth and those of any federal, state or other
governmental agency, the regulations set forth herein shall
be construed to the greatest extent possible to give full
force and effect to all such regulations rather than to
invalidate one or the other. Further, in the event of
unconstitutionality or invalidity of any provisions of the
MR classification, the provisions set forth in Section
12.16.190 (severability) of the Edmonds Zoning Code shall
govern, it being hereby expressly declared that each section,
subsection, sentence, clause, phrase, and word herein would
have been proposed, adopted, and approved irrespective of
the fact that any portion thereof be declared invalid or
unconstitutional if such be the case.
Section 12.13.410. Permitted uses (MR). In the MR zone the
following types of uses are permitted as hereinafter provided
and allowed by this section, subject to the limitations set
forth above regarding, federal, state and other governmental
agency regulation, and subject to the general provisions
and exceptions set forth in this title.
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A. Commercial fishing, sports fishing and shell
fishing, including deep -water mollusks, crusta-
ceans, and bivalves, as regulated and permitted
by the Washington State Department of Fisheries and
other applicable governmental agencies.
B. The movement of ships, boats, rafts, barges and
submarines, and the establishment of government -
authorized navigational devices and aids as
regulated by the U.S. Coast Guard, the Corps of
Army Engineers and other applicable governmental
agencies, provided, however, there shall be no
discharge of ballast, sanitary facilities or afflu-
ent, chemicals, petroleum products, garbage,
cargo (except to save life or property), or any
other thing, fluid or solid of any kind or des-
cription whether by design or accident regardless
of precautions exercised.
C. Swimming, scuba diving and related recreation
activities including the establishment of publi-
cally owned or maintained recreation areas.
D. The installation of submerged power and communi-
cation cables, fuel lines and any other related
installations, subject to approval by the City
Council, the State Pollution Control Commission,
and any other applicable governmental agencies.
E_ The filling or dredging of submerged land and
the construction of breakwaters, bulkheads, groins,
piers and related structures for harbors, marinas,
buildings and/or railroad trackage, subject to
approval by the City Council, the Corps of Army
Engineers and other applicable governmental
agencies.
F_ Scientific installations, including submerged
manned or unmanned research shelters, subject to
approval by the City Council and other applicable
agencies.
G. Mineral extraction from water, 'subject to approval
by the City Council and applicable agencies, but
excluding submerged land mining, drilling for
petroleum or gas, or excavation in connection
therewith.
H. Marine agriculture in the propogation and harvest
of marine vegetation such as edible or medicinal
seaweed provided that the basic chemical balance
of the water is not disturbed or polluted, subject
to approval by the City Council and applicable
regulations or other governmental agencies.
I. Educational facilities, commercial, private or
public, subject to approval by the City Council.
J. As set forth in the Intent Section of the MR
District proposals for other uses not hereinabove
provided will be entertained by application
being submitted to the Planning Commission
requesting amendment to this Section to provide
a newly established permitted use within the
MR District.
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Section 12.13.420 Mandatory conditional use permit.
Each permitted use set forth in subparagraphs D through
I of Section 12.13.410 herein of the MR District shall
be subject to the grant of a conditional use permit
by the City Council which may deny the permit in its entir-
ety or grant its subject to particularized provisions.
Application for said conditional use permit shall be in
the same form and required notice as provided in Section
12.16.070 and Section 12.16.130 except that said applica-
tion shall be directed to the City Council rather than
to the Board of Adjustment. The standards and criteria
governing the issuance of such conditional use permits by
the City Council are as follows:
A. That the use will not endanger the public health,
morals, general welfare or marien ecology and
recognize and compensate for variations and
degree of technological processes and equipment
as related to the factors of noise, pollutants,
fumes, vibration, odors and hazard to life and
property; and
B. That the use will not be injurious or detrimental
to adjoining or abutting owners or uses; and
C., That the location and character of the use, if
developed according to the plan as submitted
and approved, will be in harmony and compatible
with the area in which it is to be located as set
forth in the MR Intent Section and the Compre-
hensive Plan for the development of Edmonds and
its environs.
D. In addition, the City Council may impose specific
conditions precedent to establishing the use
and said conditions may include:
(1) Increasing requirements in the standards,
criteria or policies established by the
Edmonds Zoning Code;
(2) Stipulate the exact location as a means of
minimizing hazards to life, limb, property
damage, erosion or pollution;
(3) Require structural features or equipment
essential to serve the same purposes set
forth in item (2) above;
(4) Impose conditions similar to those set forth
in items (2) and (3) above, as deemed neces-
sary to establish parity with uses permitted
in the MR District their freedom from nui-
sance generating features in matters of
noise, odors, pollution, wastes, vibration,
and physical hazards.
E. All conditions required by the City Council shall
be entered in the minutes of the meeting at which
the permit is granted and also on the certificate
of the conditional use permit;
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F. To ensure the establishment of the above conditions,
the City Council shall have the authority to
require and approve a specific plan and to
increase the requirements as set forth above, but
in no case shall the council have the authority
to decrease the requirements of this Ordinance
for any use.
G_ In the event of failure to comply with the plans
approved by the City Council, or with any con-
ditions imposed upon the conditional use permit,
the permit shall thereupon immediately become void
and of no effect;
H. Where plans are required to be submitted and approved
as part of the application for a conditional use
permit, modifications of the original plans may
be made by the City Council after review.
Section 2. Penalties. Any person, corporation, or
other organization of every kind and description, whether
ownee, lessee, principal, agent, employee or otherwise, who
violates any of the provisions of this ordinance or knowingly
permits any such violation or fails to comply with any of
the requirements thereof, or who erects, constructs, recon-
structs, alters, enlarges, converts, moves, or uses any
building or structure or uses any land or water in viola-
tion of any statement or plan submitted by him, her or it
and approved under the provisions of this ordinance, shall
be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall
be punished as provided by Section 5.12.170 of the
Edmonds City Code and shall be subject to injunctive relief
as provided by Section 12.16.160 (B) of said Edmonds
City Code.
APPROVED:
v ,
MAYOR
ATTEST:
CITY CLERK
PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL: October 20, 1970
FILED WITH THE CITY CLERK: October 20, 1970
PUBLISHED: October 28, 1970
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