* Prior ordinance history: Ords. 944, 1004, 1067, 1119 and 1166.

The purpose of the small lot single-family floating zone designation is to allow for the building of houses (in-fill) on existing undersized platted lots that were created prior to 1950 in the R-1, R-2 and R-3 zones. A secondary purpose is to allow for an increased number of single-family residential units to be developed that are more affordable to a larger number of people and to encourage the more efficient use of city services that are already in place (streets, sewer and water lines). (Ord. 1190 § 1 (part), 2006).

The following uses are permitted in the small lot single-family option zone: all uses permitted to the underlying zone. The minimum lot size permitted to exercise the small lot development option is five thousand square feet. Owners of isolated lots with an area of less than five thousand square feet may apply for a variance under the procedure specified in Kalama Municipal Code Chapter 17.52. (Ord. 1190 § 1 (part), 2006).

All secondary uses allowed in the underlying zone shall be allowed, unless otherwise restricted by this chapter. (Ord. 1190 § 1 (part), 2006).

Any use prohibited in the underlying zone to which this floating zone attaches, shall likewise be prohibited in the area of the floating zone. The parking of recreational vehicles shall not be allowed on an undersized lot (small lot) within the small lot single-family floating zone unless parked inside an enclosed structure. (Ord. 1190 § 1 (part), 2006).

All development on small lots (a lot having dimensions less than the required standard for the residential zone of location) must meet with the following requirements:
A. All residences constructed on small lots within the small lot single-family floating zone must be single-family; each house may have an attached or a detached garage; provided, however, for an owner who proposes three or more contiguous small lots, a minimum of fifty percent of the residences constructed on these small lots within the area of a single-family floating zone, are required to have no garage door facing the frontage street within the front one-half area of the lot. Lots that receive primary access from an alley and do not otherwise have frontage upon a dedicated public street beyond that necessary for a flag lot, may be exempt from this requirement, subject to city review and approval.
B. A preliminary site development plan must be presented for approval by the city planner after an application conference as per subsection D of this section. The site development plan must show the following information:
1. The overall lot dimension clearly and accurately shown. The illustration shall show the lot width at front-lot line; the width at the center-of-lot and the width at the rear-lot line plus overall length of the lot;
2. All adjacent streets and sidewalks shown with street names on streets;
3. Outline of building location on the lot;
4. Identification of garage and driveway or garage access route;
5. Dimensions of all front, side and rear yard areas.
C. Minimum Development Standards.
1. To encourage the introduction of human scale (rather than automobile scale) features on the fronts of houses, the following elements will be allowed to project into the front yard setback a maximum of six feet:
a. Unenclosed porches,
b. Stairs not over six feet above finished grade,
c. Single story sunrooms,
d. Bay windows,
e. Other one story architectural projections;
2. Front yard setback with garage facing street equals twenty feet;
3. Front yard setback: without garage facing street equals ten feet;
4. Side yard setback: five feet;
5. Rear yard setback: five feet;
6. Minimum Lot Street Frontage. All lots shall have a minimum of twelve and one-half feet fronting onto an improved public street. Flag lots are permitted, subject to city review and approval;
7. Driveways must be separated from existing driveways by at least twenty feet of yard space measured at street frontage. Driveways may be constructed without the twenty-foot separation requirement if the proposed driveway is constructed of a product which is composed of approximately sixty percent solid material and forty percent vegetative material at grade level or a ribbon driveway, each composed of two solid strips, with vegetation between;
8. If houses have garage access per an alley, the alley must be paved. Alleys shall be a minimum of twenty feet in width;
9. Minimum Lot Area. The minimum lot area is five thousand square feet;
10. Minimum Lot Width and Depth. A standard small lot is characterized by a lot width of fifty feet and a lot depth of one hundred feet. The flag stem on a flag lot is not included in the minimum lot width and length measurement. Variations to the standard lot width and depth are permissible where terrain or lot orientation make strict adherence impractical, provided that each lot area is a minimum of five thousand square feet;
11. The city shall retain the authority to attach conditions to any site plan approval necessary to further this chapter and protect the public health, safety and welfare. Particular emphasis shall be placed on acceptable means of ingress and egress to a dedicated public street to the satisfaction of the public works director. The public works director may require street improvements in accordance with the public works standards or subdivision standards when deemed necessary to serve the public interest;
12. Unless otherwise approved by the city, a stormwater drainage plan and report shall be reviewed and approved by the city, prior to site plan approval. Required improvements shall be constructed prior to building permit issuance;
13. The city may require recording of a deed restriction, covenant or other acceptable legal document to ensure compliance with the above standards.
D. Application Conference.
1. Purpose and Nature. The application conference is an informal forum at which the tentative concept and design of a prospective site development plan are discussed. The conference is intended to be a means of screening site development plan proposals in their earliest stages of design, taking place before proponents are committed to a particular design and before they have drawn a site development plan. It is also a means for staff and other public officials to convey information needed by the prospective site development plan, to make suggestions, to identify problems and information needs, to determine a proposal’s feasibility, to acquaint the prospective applicant with the procedural steps for site development plan reviews.
2. Participants and Their Responsibilities. The application conference is intended to be an informal meeting between the prospective applicant or their agents; city staff; planning staff; fire marshal; and representatives of other public agencies and utilities, at their option. The service need not include field inspections or extensive correspondence, and the conference may be repeated as necessary. The applicant will be charged a fee as established by resolution of the city council. Responsibilities of participants shall be as follows:
a. City Clerk-Treasurer. The clerk-treasurer shall refer prospective site development plan applicants to the city planner.
b. Prospective Applicants for Site Development Plan Approval. In the early concept stage of site development plan design a prospective applicant should meet with the city planner to arrange for a preapplication conference. Prospective applicants participating in a conference shall provide the following at the conference:
i. At least six copies of a sketch of the site development plan;
ii. A tentative schedule of construction;
iii. An indication of contemplated drainage facilities;
iv. A preliminary soil erosion and stormwater control plan;
v. A description of existing uses of the subject property and of uses of adjacent properties.
c. The city planner shall perform the following duties in connection with the application conference:
i. Inform prospective applicants of the purpose and desirability of an application conference;
ii. Arrange, coordinate and notify participants of application conferences. In establishing a date and location for application conferences, he shall strive to determine the date of earliest convenience for the participants. The dates ordinarily shall be within one week of a prospective applicant’s request for an application conference;
iii. At the city planner’s option or at the applicant’s request, the application may be referred for review per the variance procedure in Kalama Municipal Code Chapter 17.52.
E. The applicant shall submit the application for site development approval to the city planner who shall grant preliminary approval based on compliance with the standards set forth herein. Final site plan approval shall be given after the applicant records a lot restriction reading substantially as follows:

No recreational vehicle shall be allowed to park on the herein described real estate for so long as the same is classified as a small-lot single-family residential use under the Kalama Zoning Code unless parked inside an enclosed structure.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to provide the city planner with a copy of the recorded restriction. Construction may not begin until final site plan approval has been granted and any necessary boundary line adjustments or lot combinations recorded with Cowlitz County. (Ord. 1190 § 1 (part), 2006).

A. A small lot development concept shall be approved administratively by the city planner or their designee. Approval of a small lot concept shall authorize submittal of a boundary line adjustment as set forth in Title 16 KMC, if necessary. Public notice and review time periods shall follow the standards set forth for short subdivisions and shall be applicable when two or more small lots are proposed. Application for the placement of a single residence on a single undersized lot, where contiguous ownership of adjacent lots is not held, shall be exempt from the notice requirements. (Ord. 1190 § 1 (part), 2006).

A. Appeals of administrative decisions follow the process outlined in Chapter 17.12 KMC. (Ord. 1190 § 1 (part), 2006).