Any stall, booth, stand, space, section, unit or specified floor area within a licensed community-oriented open-air market location where goods or services are offered or displayed by a vendor for the purpose of sale, trade, barter, exchange or advertisement.

An institution of learning, whether public or private, which offers instruction in those courses of study required by the Washington Education Code or which is maintained pursuant to standards set by the State Board of Education. This definition includes a kindergarten, elementary school, junior high school, senior high school or any special institution of education. This definition also includes vocational or professional institutions of higher education, community or junior colleges, or universities under ten acres in size.

An establishment for the storage, dispatch, repairs and maintenance of coaches and other vehicles of a school transit system.

School facilities identified in the district’s capital facilities plan and are system improvements as defined by the GMA as opposed to localized project improvements.

A post-secondary institution for higher learning that grants associate or bachelor’s degrees and may also have research facilities and/or professional schools that grant master and doctoral degrees. This may also include community colleges that grant associate or bachelor’s degrees or certificates of completion in business or technical fields.

An educational facility that serves students between the kindergarten and high school levels.

An establishment conducted as a commercial enterprise for teaching trade, business or secretarial courses, instrumental or vocal music, art, dancing, barbering or hairdressing, or for teaching similar skills.

A continuous fence and/or evergreen landscaped planting that effectively obscures the property it encloses.

Any device emitting a strong beam of light not normally associated with the daily operation or outdoor lighting of the business or location, used to attract attention to the site.

Those portions of a facade that are adjacent to or front on alleys, private roads, trails or sidewalks.

A use subordinate to the principal use of the property, such as commercial, residential, utilities, etc.

A geographic area defined by the city or, in the case of facilities providing service to areas outside the city, by interlocal agreement, as being that area in which a defined set of park, open space and recreation facilities provide service to development within the area.

A customer service space, ancillary use to a large scale light industrial/manufacturing business. The customer service space may include a showroom, tasting room, restaurant, or retail space; this may also include an opportunity for customers or the general public to observe the product fabrication or manufacturing process. A maximum of twenty-five percent of the gross floor area may contain the customer service space.

A land use classification whose primary activity is the provision of assistance, as opposed to products, to individuals, business, industry, government, and other enterprises.

The minimum required distance between a structure and a lot line, access easement boundary, critical areas buffer, or other boundary line that is required to remain free of structures. A setback is measured perpendicularly from the property line, access easement, or other boundary to the outer wall of the structure. In the case where a structure does not have an outer wall, such as a carport, the measurement shall be to the posts of such structure.

An adult arcade, adult bookstore, adult novelty store, adult video store, adult cabaret, adult motel, adult motion picture theater, adult theater, escort agency, nude model studio, or sexual encounter center. Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, “adult arcade,” “adult cabaret” and “adult theater” do not include:

A. A public library;

B. A theater or performing arts institute that presents a play, opera, musical, dance or other dramatic works that are not distinguished or characterized by prominent emphasis on nudity or sexual conduct; or

C. An educational institution administered, licensed or recognized as a public or private educational institution by the state of Washington that provides a modeling session or other class or seminar depicting nudity or sexual conduct.

An establishment which manufactures shakes, shingles, and/or ridge caps using automated processes.

A facility designed to provide a confined space for safe target practice with firearms, archery equipment, or other weapons.

A lodging use that is not a hotel or motel or bed and breakfast, in which a dwelling unit, or portion thereof, is offered or provided to a guest by a short-term rental operator for a fee for fewer than thirty consecutive nights.

Any boundary of a lot which is not a front nor a rear lot line.

The space on the right-of-way set aside as the walking area for pedestrian traffic as shown and established on the records of the city as a sidewalk and where the city records do not specify such walking area, the sidewalk area shall be that space within the public right-of-way which is actually used as the walking area for pedestrian as distinguished from vehicular traffic.

A method of providing adequate visual clearance for vehicular and pedestrian traffic approaching a street intersection which is established by measuring a certain distance back from the point where street corner lines meet and connecting the two points established by such measurement.

A name, identification, description, display or illustration that is affixed to or represented directly or indirectly upon a building, structure, or piece of land and that directs attention to an object, product, place, activity, person, institution, organization or business. However, a sign shall not include any display of official court or public office notice, nor shall it include the flag, emblem or insignia of a nation, political unit, school, or religious group. A sign shall not include a sign located completely within an enclosed building unless the public is intended to view the sign, or the context of this chapter shall so indicate. Painted wall designs or patterns which do not represent a product, service or registered trademark, and which do not identify the tenant user, are not considered signs. If a design or pattern is combined with a sign, only that part of the design or pattern which cannot be distinguished from the sign will be considered as part of the sign.

A sign that no longer correctly directs or exhorts any person nor advertises a bona fide business, lessor, owner, product or activity conducted or available on the premises whereon such sign is located.

Any sign of a noncommercial nature stating the address of the structure upon which said sign is located.

A sign that directs attention to a business, profession, commodity, service, or entertainment conducted, sold, or offered upon the premises where such sign is located, or to which it is affixed.

A temporary portable two-faced board style sign that is readily movable and has no permanent attachment to a building, structure, or the ground.

A sign depicting action, motion, light, or color changes through electrical or mechanical means. Although technologically similar to flashing signs, the animated sign emphasizes graphics and artistic display.

The exposed face area, including any background or backing constructed, painted or installed as an integral part of such sign. Where separate or cut-out figures or letters are used without backing which is an integral part of such sign, the area shall be measured as the area of the smallest polygon, and not to exceed six straight sides, which will completely enclose all figures, letters, designs, and tubing which are a part of the sign. The area of double-faced signs shall be the area of the larger single face.

A sign that provides information such as direction, time and temperature displays, hours of operation, or warning; auxiliary signs are intended for the convenience of the public. An auxiliary sign may include the business name and/or logo, but may not include its product or services.

A sign of nonpermanent nature constructed of nonrigid materials.

A sign that directs attention to a business, commodity, service or entertainment conducted, sold or offered at a location other than the premises on which the sign is located.

A rigid projecting or suspended sign that is perpendicular to the building facade, that is mounted below the awning, canopy, or other first floor overhangs and/or over the building or store entryway and for which the primary audience is pedestrians.

A single- or multiple-faced sign of a permanent nature, made of rigid material, attached to or painted upon the wall/facade of a building or the face of a marquee in such a manner that the wall/facade becomes the supporting structure or forms the background surface of the sign and does not project more than eighteen inches from such wall/facade.

An internally illuminated sign in which a removable sign face (typically with translucent graphics) is enclosed on all edges by a metal cabinet. A cabinet sign may be multi-sided.

A sign that is painted onto the horizontal face or fascia edge of a canopy that is mounted to the building facade.

Any sign capable of changing the message by means of manual methods.

An informational sign, which identifies the architects, engineers, contractors and other individuals or firms involved with the construction of a building, which is erected during the construction period.

The medium by which the message or idea of a sign is communicated.

A form of electronic display that shows television programming, menus, information, advertising and other messages. Digital content (frequently utilizing technologies such as LCD, LED, plasma displays, or projected images to display content) can be found in both public and private environments, including retail stores, hotels, restaurants, and corporate buildings, amongst other locations. Digital content displays are most commonly controlled by personal computers or servers, through the use of either proprietary or public-domain software programs allowing the operator to avoid large capital outlays for the controller equipment.

An off-premises sign that directs attention by name and/or logo to a business, group of businesses, or a business area; and is designated and used solely for the purpose of indicating the location or direction of a place or business and which is located on private property or the public right-of-way separate from the place or business.

A sign that is located to guide or direct pedestrian or vehicular traffic to parking entrances, exits and service areas.

A sign listing the tenants or occupants of a building or group of buildings and that may indicate their respective professions or business activities.

A sign that identifies the building or project name and the tenants which share a single structure or development.

The visual information shown on a sign, including the text, graphics, logo, pictures, lights and background.

The greatest area of display meant to contain the text, graphics, pictures, lights and other background details to be viewed as signage. Display area shall be measured as the smallest rectangle placed around all that composes the display area. On no sign shall the display area be less than fifty percent of the surface area of the sign.

A. Display area includes only one face of a double-faced sign where the faces of the sign are parallel. If any face is offset from parallel or separated by more than two feet, such face shall be counted as a separate surface area.

B. Display area of a spherical, cubical or polyhedral sign equals the sum of the surface area of all faces, divided by two.

The area made available by the sign structure for the purpose of displaying the advertising message.

A mode of message transition on an electronic message center accomplished by varying the light intensity or pattern, where the first message gradually appears to dissipate and lose legibility simultaneously with the gradual appearance and legibility of the second message.

A sign with two faces.

A sign or sign structure in which electrical wiring, connections, and/or fixtures are used as part of the sign proper.

A sign containing a display that can be changed by electrical, electronic or computerized process, not including video signs.

A sign that includes messages that are static, appear or disappear from the display through dissolve/appear, fade/appear, travel or scrolling modes, or similar transitions and frame effects that have text, animated graphics or images that appear to move or change in size, or be revealed sequentially rather than all at once.

A sign capable of displaying words, symbols, figures or images that can be electronically or mechanically changed by remote or automatic means.

Illuminant advertising media in the signage industry. Major electronic signage includes fluorescent signs, HID (high intensity displays), incandescent signs, LED signs, and neon signs. LED signs and HID are so-called digital content.

A sign used to identify the primary entrance or entrances to a complex of business and/or buildings located within a coordinated business, office, or industrial park setting. The entry monument consists of the sign face and supporting structure.

A mode of message transition on an electronic message center accomplished by varying the light intensity, where the first message gradually reduces intensity to the point of not being legible and the subsequent message gradually increases intensity to the point of legibility.

A nonilluminated or illuminated sign which is usually painted or screen printed onto the surface of an awning and which does not extend vertically or horizontally beyond the limits of the awning edge or fascia.

A vertical portable sign that contains a harpoon-style pole or staff driven into the ground for support or supported by means of an individual stand.

A strip or string of balloons, flags or lights, which includes clusters of balloons, flags or lights, connected on at least one end to a fixed or movable object such as a vehicle.

A sign or a portion thereof which changes light intensity or switches on and off in a constant, random or irregular pattern or contains motion or the optical illusion of motion by use of electrical energy.

A sign permanently mounted into the ground, supported by poles, pylons, braces or a solid base and not attached to any building. “Freestanding signs” include those signs otherwise known as pedestal signs, pole signs, pylon signs, and monument signs.

A public or private sign or structure with sign elements identifying entry into and/or the boundaries of a development, neighborhood, or district.

A window sign or a sign which is an integral part of a building’s facade. The sign may be painted, carved, or permanently imbedded.

The vertical distance from the grade to the highest point of a sign or any vertical projection thereof, including its supporting columns, or the vertical distance from the relative grade in the immediate vicinity.

A wall or projecting sign where the sign is proposed to be restored or authentically recreated as evidenced by historic photographs even though nonconforming.

A sign of an informational nature that directs attention to certain uses other than businesses, such as individual private residences or the name of a residential structure or project.

Any sign which does not comply with the requirements of this code within the city limits, as they now or hereafter exist.

Any sign for which an artificial source of light is used in order to make readable the sign’s message, including internally and externally lighted signs and reflectorized, glowing or radiating signs.

Any sign with an artificial light source incorporated internally or externally for the purpose of illuminating the sign.

Any inflatable object larger than three feet in diameter, such as a blimp, large balloon, or inflatable sport equipment, that uses blown air or gas to remain inflated to attract attention to a business, special event or activity.

Small signs, not exceeding six square feet in surface area, of a noncommercial nature, and not announcing the name of the business or use, intended primarily for the convenience of the public. Included are signs designating restrooms, address numbers, hours of operation, entrances to buildings, directions, help wanted, public telephone, parking directions and the like.

A sign placed for the convenience of the property owner used for the sole purpose of designating property control and warning signs such as no trespassing, no dumping, patrolled by dogs, etc.

A sign placed for the convenience of the public used for the sole purpose of designating restrooms, hours of operations, entrances and exits to buildings and parking lots, help wanted, public telephones, public notary, etc. Also included are plaques, tablets or inscriptions that are an integral part of a building.

Any sign attached to the interior surface of any building or structure, or maintained within the building or structure that are not visible from the ROW.

A sign or plaque that is attached to the surface of the building or on a site that identifies or describes the historical, cultural, social, or other significance of a building or site.

Any sign erected prior to the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter, pursuant to a city sign permit, not meeting the parameters of this chapter.

A nonpermanent sign intended for use for a limited period of time. Examples include signs that provide information concerning the development and sale of residential and commercial properties.

The work of keeping something in a suitable condition such as repair would accomplish.

A sign that forms part of or is integrated into a marquee and which does not extend vertically or horizontally beyond the limits of such marquee.

Any sign mounted on a vehicle, trailer, or boat; or fixed or attached to a device for the purpose of transporting from site to site. This definition includes all vehicles placed or parked for the purpose of drawing attention to a service, product, object, person, organization, institution, business, event, location or message, but not signs or lettering installed on vehicles, trailers or boats operating during the normal course of business.

A ground-mounted, freestanding sign where the base is attached to the ground as a wide base of solid construction and no part of the sign is wider than the base.

Noncommercial signs devoted to religious, charitable, cultural, governmental or educational messages.

A sign which displays a message relating to a use of property or sale of goods or services at a location other than that on which the sign is located.

A sign designated and used solely for the purpose of indicating the location or direction of a place or business and which is located on private property or the public right-of-way separate from the place or business.

A sign providing information about events conducted at a public or other community facility in a location different than the property on which the sign is posted.

A sign which displays a message that is directly related to the use of the property on which it is located. Including those freestanding signs approved under a master sign site plan per Chapter 22.50 MMC.

A sign welcoming viewers to a piece of residential real estate that is being offered for sale.

A sign the primary purpose of which is to provide information for pedestrians and bicyclists.

A sign advertising a candidate or candidates for public elective office, or a political party, or signs urging a particular vote on a public issue decided by ballot.

A sign which has no permanent attachment to a building or the ground, including A frame signs, sandwich board signs, pole attachments, and signs mounted on a mobile base, but not including real estate open house and political signs or portable reader board signs as prohibited under Chapter 22.50 MMC.

A decorative placard or advertisement intended to advertise a movie, theater production, video or DVD, or other product or special event that is being conducted or offered for sale.

All permitted monument/freestanding and building-mounted signs.

A sign which identifies, displays or attracts attention to a product sold or available, but may or may not identify the on-site organization, institution, person, object, business service or event.

A sign other than a wall sign, which projects from and is supported by a wall of a building or structure.

The distance by which a sign extends over public property or beyond the property line.

An electrical enclosure which may also serve as a mounting structure for the sign.

A sign or part of a sign specifically designed to allow for the display of temporary messages without alteration of the sign field, and on or within which the letters are readily replaceable such that copy can be changed from time to time at will, either by hand or through electronic programming.

A sign that pertains to the sale or lease of the premises, or a portion of the premises on which the sign is located.

A temporary and/or portable sign that is intended to assist people finding the location of difficult to locate property that is for sale, rent, or lease.

To paint, clean or replace damaged parts of a sign, or to improve its structural strength, but not in a manner that would change the size, shape or location.

Any sign that rotates or turns in a circular motion by electrical or mechanical means.

Any sign erected above a roof, parapet, canopy, or porte cochere of a building or structure, including a sign affixed to any structure erected upon a roof, including a structure housing building equipment.

The vertical movement of a static message or display on an electronic sign.

The distance measured on a horizontal plane between a public right-of-way line or a property line and the closest portion of a sign thereto or from tenant demising walls.

An off-premises sign which is tacked, nailed, posted, pasted, glued or otherwise attached to trees, poles, stakes, fences, utility poles or to other objects, not applicable to the present use of the premises or structure upon which the sign is located.

A temporary sign advertising activities concerning an event of a political, civic, seasonal, cultural, philanthropic, educational or religious nature or organization that will occur intermittently.

Any structure supporting or that is capable of supporting any sign defined in this chapter. A sign structure may be a single pole or may or may not be an integral part of the building or structure.

A sign used to identify a land development of a residential nature.

A sign advertising the direction to a subdivision by naming the subdivision and furnishing a directional arrow.

A sign advertising the sale or lease of lots or buildings within new or platted subdivisions or land tracts.

The greatest area of a sign, visible from any one viewpoint, excluding the sign support structures, which do not form part of the sign proper or of the display. Surface area of the sign is determined by the height times the width of a typical rectangular sign, or other appropriate mathematical computation of surface area, for nonrectangular signs.

A sign hanging down from a marquee, awning, canopy or porte cochere that would exist without the sign.

A nonpermanent sign intended for use for a limited period of time. Types of temporary signs are: A-frame, banners, inflatable, stake, freestanding, window/poster and freestanding directional signs.

A sign which is attached to a trailer or has been constructed as a trailer for the purpose of being towed by a motor vehicle, whether operable or not.

A sign that is hung from and below a building awning that may extend outwards under the awning and over the walkway or parking area.

Video devices such as televisions, computer monitors, flat panel displays, plasma screens, and similar video electronics used as signage.

A flat panel display, which uses light-emitting diodes as a video display. An LED panel is a small display, or a component of a larger display. They are typically used outdoors in store signs and billboards, and in recent years have also become commonly used in destination signs on public transport vehicles or even as part of transparent glass area. There are two types of LED panels: conventional (using discrete LEDs) and surface-mounted device (SMD) panels. Most outdoor screens and some indoor screens are built around discrete LEDs, also known as individually mounted LEDs. A cluster of red, green, and blue diodes is driven together to form a full-color pixel, usually square in shape. These pixels are spaced evenly apart and are measured from center to center for absolute pixel resolution.

Any sign, mural or graphic design which is attached parallel to and flat against, or is painted on, the wall or exterior of a building or structure having a commercial message or identification.

A sign attached or erected to and extending from the facade or wall of any building to which it is attached. A wall sign is supported through its entire length with the exposed face of the sign parallel to the plane of said wall or facade. A sign painted on the wall of a building or a sign painted or attached to a marquee or parapet shall be considered a wall-mounted sign.

A system of public signs identifying directions to major public and private facilities or destinations of interest to the general public and typically including graphic elements mounted on separate freestanding poles or incorporated with other sign, light, or traffic standards.

A commercial or industrial building or structure with one major enterprise. A building is classified as “single occupancy” only if:

A. It has only one occupant;

B. It has no wall in common with another building; and

C. It has no part of its roof in common with another building.

The total horizontal dimensional area within the property lines excluding external rights-of-way.

A plan, to scale, showing uses and structures proposed for a parcel of land as required by the regulations involved. It includes lot lines, streets, building sites, reserved open space, buildings, major landscape features, both natural and manmade and, depending on requirements, the locations of proposed utility lines.

Any business entity (including a sole proprietorship, corporation, partnership or other legal entity) which is owned and operated independently from all other businesses, which has the purpose of making a profit, and which has fifty or fewer employees.

Establishments providing social assistance for individuals by trained professionals. All industries in the sector share this commonality of process, namely, labor inputs of health practitioners or social workers with the requisite expertise. Includes land uses specified in NAICS Industry Sector No. 62.

A disposal facility or part of a facility at which solid waste is permanently placed in or on land including facilities that use solid waste as a component of fill.

A facility that receives solid waste (e.g., municipal solid waste, contaminated soil, or other solid wastes) from off site from persons or route collection vehicles for consolidation into transfer vehicles, vessels, or containers for transport to a solid waste handling facility.

Any event for which a special event permit has been issued pursuant to Chapter 5.28 MMC.

A fish or wildlife species that is threatened with extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range and is listed by the state or federal government as an endangered species.

Any fish or wildlife species that is likely to become an endangered species within the foreseeable future throughout a significant portion of its range without cooperative management or removal of threats, and is listed by the state or federal government as a threatened species.

A structure or facility in which horses or other livestock are kept for boarding, training, riding lessons, breeding, rental, and/or personal use.

The state of Washington.

A state adult correctional institution established pursuant to law under the jurisdiction of the Department for the treatment of convicted felons sentenced to a term of confinement; state and federal prisons.

A unit originally or specifically used or designed to store goods or merchandise during shipping or hauling by a vehicle, including but not limited to rail cars of any kind, truck trailers or multi-modal shipping containers; does not include apple bins, wooden or cardboard shipping crates or similar items.

A building or structure used for storing raw materials and other materials, equipment, manufactured products, and the like.

The space in a building from top to top of the successive finished floor surfaces or between a finished floor and the roof.

A right-of-way which affords a primary means of public access to abutting property.

Any change, other than incidental repairs, which would prolong the life of the supporting members of a building, such as bearing walls, columns, beams or girders.

Any permanent or temporary edifice or building, or any piece or work artificially built or composed of parts joined together in some definite manner.

One who undertakes the subdivision or short subdivision of land. The term includes agents of the subdivider, such as engineers, surveyors, etc.

The division or redivision of land into ten or more lots, tracts, parcels, sites or divisions for the purpose of sale, lease, or transfer of ownership.

The division or redivision of land into nine or fewer lots, tracts, parcels, sites, or divisions for the purpose of sale, lease, or transfer of ownership.

Chapter 22.68 MMC.

That portion of the usable space on a utility pole which has the necessary clearance from other pole users, as required by the orders and regulations of the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission, to allow its use by a telecommunications carrier for a pole attachment.

A person who, by reason of his or her special knowledge of the mathematical and physical sciences and principles and practices of land surveying, which is acquired by professional education and practical experience, is qualified to practice land surveying and as attested to by his or her legal registration in the state of Washington as a professional land surveyor.