15.10.040 Caretaker residence.
A. Purpose and Intent. The purpose of this section is to provide residential housing for a caretaker within zoning districts of the county that are established for resource based, industrial, or recreational uses.
B. Definition. “Caretaker residence” shall mean an attached or detached single-family dwelling unit of permanent type construction which provides independent living facilities for on-site caretaking of property and improvements.
C. Applicable Zoning Districts. A caretaker residence shall be a permitted use within the agricultural (A1), industrial (IN), general forest (GF), and forest recreation (FR) districts.
D. Development and Standards. The following development standards shall apply to a caretaker residence:
1. All restrictions which are outlined in the underlying zoning district;
2. Number of caretaker residences allowed.
a. One caretaker residence shall be permitted per legal parcel in the industrial (IN), forest recreation (FR) zoning districts.
b. In the agricultural (A1) and general forest (GF) zoning districts multiple caretakers’ residences may be constructed and grouped together, as follows:
i. One caretaker’s residence may be constructed for each contiguous legal parcel that is commonly owned by the same individual or individuals;
ii. At the time of the application to build one or more caretaker’s residence, the property owner shall process an application for the merger of the parcel or parcels upon which the caretaker residence is being constructed and the legal parcel that provides the density or basis for the construction of the caretaker’s residence. The merger application must be approved and finalized as a condition to the approval of the construction of the caretaker’s residence;
iii. In no case shall any legal parcel have more than five total caretaker residences.
3. A minimum of 10 acres shall be required for a caretaker residence to be permitted on any legal parcel in the agricultural (A1), forest recreation (FR), and general forest (GF) zoning districts and a minimum of five acres shall be required for a caretaker residence to be permitted on any legal parcel in the industrial (IN) zoning district.
4. A caretaker residence shall be situated upon a legal parcel in conformance with the following:
a. In such manner so that the caretaker residence is clearly subordinate to the primary residential or main structure located on the legal parcel.
b. So that no new road encroachments are necessary and that new road construction to the caretaker residence is minimized or deemed unnecessary and there is connectivity to any existing access serving the property.
c. Any detached caretaker residence is required to be located within a 500-foot radius of the primary residential or main structure located on the legal parcel.
d. The county in approving a caretaker residence shall find that the caretaker residence is necessary and incidental for the management of the land consistent with the permitted uses of the underlying zone.
5. The size of the caretaker residence shall be clearly subordinate to the primary or main structure located on the legal parcel.
6. A caretaker residence shall not be permitted as a travel trailer, motor home, fifth wheel recreational vehicle, mobile home, camper, tent, yurt or other like facility.
7. Alternative location: A property owner may apply for a special use permit to exceed the siting of caretaker residence within the 500-foot radius of the primary or main structure located on the legal parcel. A special use permit shall only be issued pursuant to Chapter 15.28 SCC and upon proper findings made by the Planning Commission as contained in SCC 15.28.010. (Ord. 997, eff. 6/5/08)