18.35.050 Development Standards | Moses Lake Municipal Code

18.35.050 Development Standards:

Nothing contained herein shall require any change or alteration of a lawfully constructed or established structure or use in existence at the time of adoption or amendment of these regulations. These regulations are intended to regulate the erection or establishment of any new structure or use; the moving or relocation of any structure or use to a new location; the operation or continuance, at any time following the effective date of these regulations, or any structure or use which has been lawfully established, erected, remodeled, or rehabilitated; and the change from one use to another of any structure, or land, or the re-establishment of a use after its discontinuance for a period of one hundred and eight (180) consecutive days or more.

1. All uses shall be compatible with the continued operation of the airport. No uses shall be allowed which:

a. Release into the air any substances which would impair visibility or otherwise interfere with the operation of aircraft.

b. Produce light emissions, either direct or indirect (reflective), which would interfere with pilot vision including the reduction of night vision capability of pilots while on the ground.

c. Produce emissions which would interfere with aircraft communications systems or navigational equipment.

2. No temporary or permanent development intended for human occupancy may be erected, moved to or occupied within the Moses Lake Municipal Airport Zone except those facilities necessary to temporarily shelter individuals responding to an emergency as identified by the City of Moses Lake or other governmental entity and those necessary to house workers on a temporary basis.

3. No uses shall cause or produce objectionable effects which would impose a hazard or nuisance to adjacent properties by reason of smoke, soot, dust, radiation, odor, noise, vibration, heat, glare, toxic fumes or other conditions that would adversely affect the public health, safety, and general welfare.

4. No uses which are labor intensive or which promote the concentration of people for extended periods of time shall be permitted, except as expressly authorized in this section.

5. No uses which require the manufacturing or warehousing of materials which are explosive, flammable, toxic, corrosive, or otherwise exhibit hazardous characteristics shall be permitted except for the storage of aircraft fuel, oil, hydraulic fluid, paint, and materials intended for aerial application for agricultural purposes provided those materials are warehoused, and loaded and unloaded according to this chapter.

6. The delivery, storage, loading, unloading, dispensing and clean-up of pesticides and fertilizers intended for aerial application for agricultural purposes shall be accomplished according to the timetable and applicable portions of Washington State Department of Agriculture regulations Chapter 16-229 and 16-201 dated March 1994 of the Washington Administrative Code.

7. No structure or any portion thereof on the premises of a permitted use shall be used for a residential dwelling by the owner, operator, caretaker, their family members or others except those facilities necessary to temporarily shelter of individuals responding to an emergency as identified by the City of Moses Lake or other governmental entity.

1. Noise originating from aircraft in flight and that is directly related to flight operations shall be expected to impact people in surrounding zones and is generally exempt from noise standards. Noise from aviation testing and maintenance, that is not related to imminent flight, shall be restricted to certain hours, locations, or other effective conditions by the City Council upon finding that the noise causes unreasonable impacts.

2. Reserved for noise levels from other than flight operations.

1. Structural lighting with the exception of airport navigational lighting shall not project directly into any residential zone.

2. Sign and building exterior lighting shall not project directly into the runway, taxiway, or airport approach surfaces to the extent that it is a hazard or a distraction to aircraft.

3. Lighting of vehicle and aircraft parking areas shall not create a nuisance to adjacent zones nor shall it pose a hazard to other vehicular traffic.

4. Airport lighting used to illuminate runways, taxiways, airplane parking areas and to provide visual guidance for landing aircraft shall comply with this chapter.

D. Parking. A parking site plan must be submitted with an application for a land use permit. It must include a parking plan which shows the location and number of parking spaces, circulation patterns, and ingress and egress provisions.

1. All industrial uses within the Municipal Airport Zone shall provide at least two (2) parking spaces for every three (3) employees on the major shift during the normal season.

2. All commercial uses shall comply with Chapter 18.54, Off-Street Parking and Loading.

3. All off-street parking spaces shall have a minimum dimension of nine feet (9') by twenty feet (20') for each space and shall be subject to the following conditions:

a. Each shall have an all weather surface.

b. Each shall be exclusive of driveways and/or alleys.

c. The design and location of entrances and exits to commercial parking lots shall be consistent with commercial standards.

4. All off-street parking facilities for commercial, public institutional, and industrial uses shall be located not more than three hundred feet (300') from the building housing the use.

5. Uses which are expanded or enlarged shall provide the additional off-street parking spaces in accordance with this chapter and Chapter 18.54, Off-Street Parking and Loading.

6. Each parking area which is four thousand five hundred (4,500) square feet or more in size will be required to provide a plan of facilities to handle surface runoff. Such a plan of facilities shall be consistent with commercial standards.

7. All off-street parking areas which are lighted shall be illuminated in such a way as not to create a nuisance or hazard to passing traffic or cast light on any residential property.

8. All off-street parking shall be hard surfaced and maintained if it has an area in excess of 1,200 square feet. Such surfacing shall be of such a nature that it eliminates dust and mud.

E. Loading Area Requirements. Those uses which have a need for or intend to make use of loading and unloading berths shall comply with the following conditions:

1. Each berth shall be at least ten feet (10') wide by twenty-five feet (25') long by fourteen feet (14') high.

2. Each berth or berths shall be surfaced and maintained so as to eliminate dust and mud.

3. No part of a loading or unloading berth may extend into a public right-of-way.

F. Landscaping. A landscaping site plan must be submitted with an application for a land use permit. It must include the location and type of plant materials.

1. All landscaping shall occur at the time the subject property is developed.

2. Boulevard landscaping shall be used along main access roadways. Landscaping shall be uniform along the length of the perimeter roads and shall consist of ground cover, shrubs, small trees, native grasses, and/or gravel.

3. Buffer landscaping may be required on perimeter property lines of individual developments to minimize noise and visual impacts and to discourage trespass. Buffer landscaping shall consist of ground cover, shrubs, and small trees.

G. Height Restrictions. The height restrictions contained in this section are in accordance with Federal Air Regulations Part 77 “Objects Affecting Navigable Airspace” and Federal Aviation Administration Advisory Circular 150/5300-13 “Airport Design”.

1. No structure or object except those whose placement is required for airport operations may be located within the Moses Lake Municipal Airport Object Free Area defined as a rectangle whose boundaries are three hundred feet (300') from the ends of the prepared runway surface and one hundred twenty-five feet (125') on both sides of the centerline of the runway.

2. No structure or object may be located so as to break the plane of a seven (7) to one (1) slope that begins at and extends outward at right angles from the edge of the Object Free Area.

3. No structure or object may be located closer than forty-five feet (45') from the center of any future taxiway as defined in the Airport Development Plan.

4. No structure or object may be located so as to penetrate the twenty (20) to one (1) approach departure surface extending from the edges of the Object Free Area at both ends of the runway.

H. Setbacks. Setbacks shall be a minimum of:

1. Front setback - fifteen feet (15').

2. Side setback - fifteen feet (15').

3. Rear setback - none.

1. A business license must be secured from the City of Moses Lake for all business activities conducted on airport property.

2. Any individual, builder, or developer must submit and have approved by the Hearing Examiner a building site plan prior to commencing construction.

3. Any individual, builder, or developer must submit and have a recommendation from the Airport Commission to the Hearing Examiner prior to site plan review. (Ord. 2949, 4/14/20; Ord. 2144, 12/9/03; Ord. 1851, 4/13/99; Ord. 1723, 1996)