“Background water quality” means the concentrations of chemical, physical, biological, or radiological constituents, or other characteristics in or of groundwater at a particular point in time and upgradient of an activity that have not been affected by that activity.

“Bakery” means an establishment where the majority of retail sale is of products such as breads, cakes, pies, pastries, etc., that are baked or produced and sold on the premises.

“Ball park” means an athletic field or stadium in which games such as baseball or soccer are played. See also “athletic field.”

“Bank, ATM, financial services” means an establishment that provides financial transactions, deposits, check cashing, loans and similar services.

“Bar and/or cocktail lounge” means a business conducted entirely within a building wherein primarily alcoholic beverages are sold at retail for consumption on the premises. Limited food service and live entertainment may be provided as an accessory use. “Bar/cocktail lounge” excludes night clubs, restaurants, and taverns.

“Barber shop” or “beauty shop” means an establishment or department where hair cutting, coloring and styling, facials, manicures, spa services and tanning are done.

“Base flood” means the flood having a one-percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year.

“Base flood elevation (BFE)” means the elevation to which flood water is anticipated to rise during the base flood.

Basement.

“Basin plan” means a plan and all implementing regulations and procedures, including but not limited to land use management adopted by ordinance for managing surface and stormwater management facilities and features within individual sub-basins.

“Batting cages” means an area where pitching machines enable batting practice in a controlled environment for recreational purposes.

“Bed and breakfast house or inn” means a building other than a hotel or nursing home where meals and short-term lodging of more than four rooms are provided for compensation to guests and other transient persons.

“Bed and breakfast residence” means a building other than a hotel or nursing home where meals and short-term lodging of four rooms or less are provided for compensation to guests and other transient persons.

“Bedrock” means the more or less solid rock in place either on or beneath the surface of the earth. It may be soft, medium, or hard and have a smooth or irregular surface.

“Bedroom” means a room other than a kitchen, dining room, living room, bathroom, or closet, that is marketed, designed, or otherwise likely to function primarily for sleeping.

“Bench” means, for the purposes of construction, a relatively level step excavated into earth material on which fill may or may not be placed.

“Best available science” means current scientific information used in the process to designate, protect, or restore critical areas, that is derived from a valid scientific process as defined by WAC 365-195-900 through 365-195-925. Sources of best available science are included in “Citations of Recommended Sources of Best Available Science for Designating and Protecting Critical Areas,” published by the State Office of Community, Trade and Economic Development.

“Best management practice (BMP)” means conservation practices or systems of practices and management measures that:

“Bicycle repair” means an establishment that provides maintenance, parts, and accessories for bicycles, tricycles, scooters and similar pedal vehicles.

“Billboard” means an off-premises sign owned by a person, corporation, or other entity that engages in the business of selling the advertising space on that sign.

“Binding site plan” means a drawing to scale which:

“Bioengineering” (SMP) means the use of biological elements, such as the planting of vegetation, often in conjunction with engineered systems, to provide a structural shoreline stabilization measure with minimal negative impact to the shoreline ecology.

“Blight” means that concentration of forces which puts a building or neighborhood on its way to becoming a slum. A “blighted” area is one that has deteriorated or has been arrested in its development by physical, economic, or social forces.

“Block” means the property abutting one side of a street and lying between the two nearest intersecting streets, or between the nearest such street and nonsubdivided acreage, watercourse, or body of water; or between any of the foregoing and any other barrier to the continuity of development.

“Boarding house” means a building other than a motel, where lodging and meals are provided for more than five persons for compensation on a long-term basis.

“Boating facility” (SMP) for the purposes of the Shoreline Master Program means any public or private facility for mooring, storing, or transfer of materials from vessels on the water, such as docks and piers, including on-land related facilities such as approaches and ramps and includes any private and publicly accessible launch sites or facilities. A boating facility does not include on-land accessory facilities such as parking or storage.

“Bog/fen” means a wetland which accumulates organic soils, has little or no inflow and is characterized by acidophilic (acid loving/producing) vegetation such as sphagnum moss, Labrador tea and bog laurel.

“Bollard” means a post permanently affixed into the ground or pavement, at least two feet and no more than four feet in height after installation, whose purpose is to segregate automotive traffic from certain areas.

“Bond or performance security” means a surety bond, assignment of funds, escrow agreement, irrevocable letter of credit, or other financial security device acceptable to the director, which is required to assure that work is completed in accordance with all applicable requirements of this chapter.

“Book store” means a retail establishment handling printed material such as books and magazines, electronic books and accessory gifts.

“Boundary line adjustment” means the adjustment of boundary lines that does not create any additional lot, tract, parcel, site or division, nor creates any lot, tract, parcel, site or division which contains insufficient area and dimension to meet minimum requirements for width and area for a building site.

“Bowling alley” means recreational facilities which include bowling lanes, and may include a small lounge, restaurant and/or snack bar, video games and pool tables.

“Breakaway wall” means a wall that is not part of the structural support of the building and is intended through its design and construction to collapse under specific lateral loading forces, without causing damage to the elevated portion of the building or supporting foundation system.

“Buffer” means an area adjacent to a critical area consisting of naturally occurring or re-established vegetation and having a width adequate to protect the critical area.

“Buffer” (SMP) means an area adjacent to a critical area that functions to avoid loss or diminution of the ecologic functions and values of the critical area. Specifically, a buffer may:

“Buffer area” means a landscaped area intended to separate and partially obstruct the view of two adjacent land uses or properties from one another, or intended to reduce the impact of noise levels generated on one property from the surrounding properties and intended to enhance the level of safety and promote the aesthetic qualities of the area. This term should not be confused with “buffer” as it is used in application to critical areas.

“Buildable area” means the space remaining after the minimum open space and yard setback requirements of this chapter have been complied with.

“Buildable lot” means a lot that meets all of the requirements of area, width, depth, etc., contained in this code and any other ordinances of the city for any specific type of development.

“Building” means any structure having a roof supported by columns or walls for housing or shelter of persons or animals, or property of any kind. When separated by dividing walls without openings each portion of such building separated shall be deemed a separate building.

“Building code” means the currently effective versions of the International Building Code and the International Residential Code adopted by the State of Washington Building Code Council.

Building, Completely Enclosed. See “Completely enclosed building.”

“Building construction yard” means an outdoor area consisting of short-term parking and storage of equipment and supplies used in the construction industry. Construction yards may include related offices.

“Building coverage” means the part or percent of the lot occupied by buildings or structures, including accessory buildings or structures, but not to include at-grade off-street parking lots, terraces, swimming pools, pool deck areas, or walkways, roadways, or driveways.

“Building footprint” means the external perimeter of a building, including its foundation and all stories that cantilever over the first floor, decks and balconies, but excluding eaves and fireplaces.

“Building front” means that exterior wall of a building which faces a front lot line of the lot.

“Building height” means the vertical distance from the average curb elevation to the highest point of the roof surface of a flat roof, to the deck line of a mansard roof and to the mean height level between the eaves and ridge for a gable, hip or gambrel roof; provided, however, that where buildings are set back from the street line, the height of the building shall be measured from the average elevation of the finished grade at the front of the building.

“Building line” means a line specifying a minimum horizontal distance from the property line and parallel thereto, beyond which no part of the structure may extend.

“Building lot” means land occupied or to be occupied by a building and its accessory buildings, or by a dwelling unit grouping and its accessory buildings, together with such open spaces as are required under the provisions of this code, having not less than the minimum area and width required by this code for a lot in the district in which such land is situated, and having its principal frontage on a street or on such other means of access as may be determined in accordance with the provisions of this code to be adequate as a condition of the issuance of a development permit for a building on such land.

Building, Nonconforming. See “Nonconforming building.”

“Building permit” means the document or certificate issued by the city of Stanwood that verifies adherence to all applicable building and development regulations and gives permission to the applicant to proceed with the actions for which the permit was requested.

Building, Principal or Main. See “Principal or main building.”

“Building site or area” means a portion or parcel of land considered as a unit, devoted to a certain use or occupied by a building or group of buildings that are united by a common interest or use, and the customary accessories and open spaces belonging to the same.

“Building support structure” means any structure that supports floor, wall, or column loads and transmits them to the foundation. The term shall include beams, grade beams, or joists and includes the lowest horizontal structural member exclusive of piles, columns, or footings.

“Bulk” means the term used to describe the size of buildings or other structures, and their relationship to each other and to open areas and lot lines.

“Bulk requirements” means those regulations that include maximum height of a building, minimum lot area, minimum front, side and rear yards and maximum lot coverage.

“Bulkhead” means a structure of timber, concrete, steel, rock or similar substance erected for erosion control purposes.

“Bulkhead” (SMP) means a structure of timber, concrete, steel, rock or similar substance located parallel to the shore, which has as its primary purpose to contain and prevent the loss of soil by erosion, wave, or current action.

“Bus and mass transit storage and maintenance facility” means any building and adjacent outdoor space required for the servicing, washing, and the overnight parking of buses or other mass transit vehicles that are used for transporting the general public, tourists, school children, the elderly, and/or handicapped or construction workers.

“Business service” means an establishment primarily engaged in rendering services to other business establishments on a fee or contract basis, not involving the sale of any goods or commodities available on the premises, and not dispensing a personal service. Business service establishments may include, but are not necessarily limited to, activities such as real estate, insurance, accounting or bookkeeping, financial institutions, management or consulting firms, or other similar uses.

“Business zone” means a land use zone which allows commercial or mercantile activity engaged in as a means of livelihood. (Ord. 1499 § 1 (Exh. A), 2021; Ord. 1486 § 1 (Exh. A), 2020; Ord. 1455 § 1, 2018; Ord. 1373 § 4, 2014; Ord. 1294 § 5, 2011; Ord. 1267 § 2, 2010; Ord. 1262 § 2, 2010; Ord. 1250 § 1, 2009; Ord. 1164 § 4, 2004; Ord. 1110 § 3, 2002; Ord. 1084 § 3, 2000; Ord. 929 Ch. 5, 1995).