§ 22.42.060. Guest houses.

This section establishes standard for the development and operation of guest houses in zoning districts where guest houses are allowed in compliance with article II (Zoning Districts and Allowable Land Uses), and subject to the approval of the director provided all of the following standards are met:

(1)

Intended use. A guest house, which may include only a sleeping area, living area, and bathroom, is intended to provide temporary living quarters within a detached or attached residential accessory structure, located on the same premises with the primary residence, for use by guests of the occupants of the premises.

(2)

Development standards. The location and construction of guest houses shall comply with the following standards and as such may be approved by the director:

a.

Number. A guest house shall not be permitted on any parcel for which an accessory dwelling unit has been permitted.

b.

Location. A guest house may be within, attached to, or detached from the existing primary residence. If detached, the guest house shall be located within the rear portion of the subject parcel.

c.

Access. The location of a detached guest house shall provide minimum of five-foot wide pedestrian access to the main development;

d.

Site requirements. The parcel proposed for a guest house shall have a minimum area of 10,000 gross square feet and a minimum buildable pad area of 8,000 square feet, a minimum width of 50 feet, and a minimum depth of 100 feet;

e.

Floor area. The guest house floor area shall not exceed 600 square feet if the parcel is between 10,000 and 20,000 gross square feet. For parcels greater than 20,000 square feet, the guest house floor area may exceed 600 square feet but shall not be greater than 900 square feet or 30 percent of the existing living area of the primary residence, whichever is smaller;

f.

Architectural compatibility. The architectural style of the guest house in design features, such as but not limited to, materials, colors, roofing, scale, surface treatments and details shall match the primary residence.

g.

Setbacks. The guest house shall: utilize the same setback requirements as the primary residence; not exceed one story or 15 feet in height as measured from the natural or finished grade to the highest area of the roofline; not exceed the maximum lot coverage permitted in the zone where the subject lot is located; and the design of the guest house shall not change the character of the surrounding residential neighborhood;

h.

Utilities. Utilities serving the guest house (e.g., electricity, gas, sewer, and water) shall be common to and dependent on the main dwelling. The guest house shall not be provided with separate metered utilities;

i.

Plumbing and electrical installations. Plumbing shall be limited to that required for a single bathroom, water closet, lavatory, and a shower or tub. Electrical installation shall be limited to the minimum required for heating, light, and ventilation. Line drawings shall be submitted for approval, and shall delineate all plumbing and electrical installations proposed in compliance with this standard;

j.

Kitchens prohibited. The guest house shall not contain a kitchen. A kitchen is defined to include, but not necessarily be limited to, the following:

1.

Cooking stove with or without an oven;

2.

Kitchen sink, cabinets and appurtenant plumbing;

3.

Convection ovens; and

4.

All appurtenances, related to the above.

k.

Rental is prohibited. The guest house shall not be separately rented or leased from the main dwelling, whether compensation is direct or indirect; or otherwise used as a separate dwelling;

m.

Sale or subdivision of a guest house. The sale or subdivision of a guest house separate from the primary residence shall be prohibited;

n.

Covenant and agreement. Prior to the issuance of any city permits, the owner of record shall sign and record a covenant and agreement, in a form provided by the city, which shall place future buyers on notice of the maximum size of the guest house, that the guest house may not be sold, transferred or assigned separately from the primary residence, that the owner of record shall reside on the property and that such restrictions shall run with the land and shall be binding upon all future owners.

(Ord. No. 02(1998), § 2, 11-3-98; Ord. No. 02(2000), 4-4-00; Ord. No. 04(2001), § 4, 11-20-01; Ord. No. 02(2003), 9-16-03; Ord. No. 04(2005), § B, 3-15-05; Ord. No. 04(2012), § 12, 4-17-12; Ord. No. 03(2017) , § 4, 5-2-17)