Skip to main content
Loading…
This section is included in your selections.

A. Definitions Specific to Downtown.

DT – Active Uses: Those uses listed in LUC 20.25A.050 under “Cultural, Entertainment and Recreation,” “Wholesale and Retail” (with the exception of recycling centers and gas stations), and “Services” (limited to finance, insurance, real estate services; barber and beauty shops; photography studios; shoe repair; and travel agencies). Those uses listed in LUC 20.25A.050 under “Residential” (including entrance lobbies and private indoor amenity space), “Services” (except those uses listed above), “Transportation and Utilities,” and “Resources” are not considered Active Uses, but may be determined to meet the definition for an Active Use through an Administrative Departure pursuant to LUC 20.25A.030.D.1 and 20.25A.070.C.1.c. An Active Use shall meet the design criteria in the FAR Exemption for Ground Level and Upper-Level Active Uses in LUC 20.25A.070.C.1 and the design guidelines for the applicable right-of-way designation in LUC 20.25A.170.B.

DT – Alleys with Addresses: Pedestrian-oriented ways off the main vehicular street grid that provide an intimate pedestrian experience through a combination of residential, small retail, restaurant, and other commercial entries with meaningful transparency along the frontage building walls. This area does not have a “back of house” feel.

DT – Build-To Line: A location along a designated block or right-of-way where a building shall be constructed. The build-to line is the back of the required sidewalk unless, upon the request of the applicant, it is designated otherwise by the Director through an Administrative Departure pursuant to LUC 20.25A.030.D.1 to accommodate plaza space, building modulation or other ground-level open space that retains the intended connection between the publicly accessible pedestrian realm and ground-level internal portions of the building.

DT – Building Height: The vertical distance measured from average of finished ground level adjoining the building at exterior walls to the highest point of a flat roof, or to the mean height between the tallest eave and tallest ridge of a pitched roof. Where finished ground level slopes away from the exterior walls, reference planes shall be established by the lowest points within the area between the building and the lot line, or back of sidewalk where back of sidewalk is the setback line. If the lot line or back of sidewalk is more than six feet from the building, the reference line shall be established by using the lowest points between the building and a point six feet from the building.

DT – Caliper: The diameter measurement of the stem or trunk of nursery stock. Caliper measurement should be taken six inches above the ground level for field grown stock and from the soil line for container grown stock, which should be at or near the top of the root flare, and six inches above the root flare for bare root plants, up to and including the four-inch caliper size interval. If the caliper measured at six inches is four and one-half inches or more, the caliper shall be measured at 12 inches above the ground level, soil line, or root flare, as appropriate.

DT – Diameter at Breast Height (D.B.H.): The diameter of the tree trunk at four and one-half feet (or 54 inches) above natural grade level. The diameter may be calculated by using the following formula: D.B.H. = circumference at four and one-half feet divided by 3.14 (which is the numerical representation of pi). To determine the D.B.H. of multi-trunk trees or measuring trees on slopes, consult the current Guide for Plant Appraisal, published by the Council of Tree and Landscape Appraisers.

DT – Downtown Core: Describes the area bounded by the extension of the centerlines of 102nd Avenue NE on the west, NE 9th Street on the north, 112th Avenue NE on the east and NE 3rd Street on the south plus any area within the DT-O-2 District not described above.

DT – Floor Area Ratio (FAR): A measure of development intensity equal to the gross floor area, excluding parking and mechanical floors or areas, divided by the net on-site land area in square feet. Net on-site area land includes the area of an easement and public right-of-way as provided in LUC 20.25A.070.C.

DT – Floor Plate: Floor area in square feet within the surrounding exterior walls, measured from the interior wall surface and including all openings in the floor plate.

DT – Grand Connection: An alignment which is generally for exclusive pedestrian use providing a reasonably direct but interesting pedestrian route beginning at the intersection of NE 6th Street and 110th Avenue NE, extending to the intersection of NE 6th Street and Bellevue Way NE, and terminating at the intersection of 100th Avenue NE and Main Street, as depicted in Figure 20.25A.175.A.1.

DT – Grand Connection Room , or “Room: A section of the Grand Connection that serves as a character zone to foster a unique and interesting pedestrian experience.

DT – Interior Property Line: A property line other than the build-to line. Where the project limit encompasses more than one lot, interior property line refers to the perimeter boundaries of the project limit other than the build-to line.

DT – Open Space: Landscaped areas, walkways, gardens, courtyards, and lawns; excluding areas devoted to buildings, traffic circulation roads, or parking areas. Outdoor plazas, Major Pedestrian Open Spaces, and Minor Publicly Accessible Spaces are a kind of open space.

DT – Pedestrian Bridge: A pedestrian connection above the public right-of-way within Downtown in conformance with LUC 20.25A.100.

DT – Pedestrian Scale: The quality of the physical environment that reflects a proportional relationship to human dimensions and that contributes to a person’s comprehension of buildings or other features in the built environment.

DT – Points of Interest: Elements of a building’s façade at the street level or in the streetscape that contribute to the active enrichment of the pedestrian realm and design character of a building. Some examples include permanent public artwork, architectural elements, landscape features, special walkway treatments, such as pavement mosaic and inlaid art, and seating areas.

DT – Project Limit: A lot, portion of a lot, combination of lots, or portions of combined lots treated as a single development parcel for purposes of the Land Use Code.

DT – Public Realm: Streets, parks, other open spaces, and the publicly accessible parts of private buildings.

DT – Setback: A space unoccupied by structures except where intrusions are specifically permitted by Part 20.25A LUC. Front setbacks are measured from the back of the required sidewalk to face of the building. All other setbacks are measured from the property line.

DT – Site: Refers to the total land area (measured in square feet or acres), within the project limit.

DT – Small Site: A lot in existence prior to October 24, 2017, that is less than or equal to 40,000 square feet in area and corresponds to the project limit within which the small site is located. This definition does not apply to lots less than 40,000 square feet in area that are aggregated into a project limit that is greater than 40,000 square feet.

DT – Stepback: A building stepback of a specified distance, measured from the façade below that occurs at a defined height above the average finished grade. No portion of the building envelope can intrude into the required stepback above the defined height, except where intrusions are specifically permitted by this Code.

DT – Street Wall: A street wall is a building wall that generally abuts the sidewalk although there may be occasional setbacks and recesses for the purpose of plazas and open space. The street wall helps define and enclose the street corridor, creating a sense of activity, intensity, and spatial containment. Street walls can incorporate arcades at the sidewalk level with habitable space above.

DT – Superblock: In the area bounded by Main Street, 100th Avenue NE, NE 12th Street, and 112th Avenue NE, superblocks are those areas bounded by the intersections of the centerlines of even-numbered avenues, or their extensions, with the centerlines of even-numbered streets, or their extensions.

DT – Tower: Any building with a minimum height of 100 feet or greater.

DT – Tower Separation: The horizontal space between the closest exterior points of two or more towers located within a single project limit.

DT – Tower Setback: A building setback of a specified distance, measured from the interior property line that occurs at a defined height above average finished grade, when the building exceeds a specified height. No portion of the building envelope can intrude into the required setback above the defined height, except where specifically permitted by code or Administrative Departure.

DT – Transparency: Ability to see through a window or door at the pedestrian eye level. The pedestrian eye level is 30 inches to eight feet up from the sidewalk, following the adjacent sidewalk slope.

DT – Trigger for Additional Height: A threshold height above which a proposed building must include reduced floor plates and a percentage of open space at the ground level. See LUC 20.25A.075.

DT – Weather Protection: A continuously covered area projecting from a building that functions as weather protection or a canopy projecting from the elevation of the building that is designed to provide pedestrians protection from the elements. Weather protection includes, but is not limited to, marquees and awnings that are made of durable materials.

B. General Definitions Not Applicable to Downtown. The general definitions contained in Chapter 20.50 LUC apply unless specifically listed below as inapplicable to Downtown.

Active Recreation Area. LUC 20.50.010.

Alley. LUC 20.50.010.

Building Height. LUC 20.50.012.

Building Height – Transition Area Design Districts. LUC 20.50.012.

Caliper. LUC 20.50.014.

Floor Area Ratio (FAR). LUC 20.50.020.

Open Space. LUC 20.50.038.

Project Limit. LUC 20.50.040.

Setback. LUC 20.50.046.

Setback, Front. LUC 20.50.046.

Setback, Rear. LUC 20.50.046.

Setback, Side. LUC 20.50.046.

Sidewalk. LUC 20.50.046.

Site. LUC 20.50.046.

Stepback. LUC 20.50.046.

Tree – Large Diameter. LUC 20.50.048.

Tree – Small Diameter. LUC 20.50.048. (Ord. 6580, 6-21-21, §§ 2, 3; Ord. 6425, 10-1-18, §§ 12, 13, 14; Ord. 6377, 10-16-17, § 2)