Pasco, WA Zoning Overlays & Bonuses: Density Bonus Law (2026)
Key Facts
- Maximum bonus
- 20% above base density
- Decision maker
- Hearing Examiner
- Trigger
- Amenities/design features findings
- Base range example
- Low density 5-7 du/acre
- Governing chapter
- PMC 25.140 PUD
Summary
Pasco lets a planned unit development exceed the underlying zone's maximum density by up to 20 percent. The Hearing Examiner grants the bump only after finding the project provides amenities or design features that clearly serve the PUD chapter's purposes.
(5) Density Bonus. The Hearing Examiner may authorize a density not more than 20 percent greater than what is otherwise permitted of the underlying land use, following findings that the amenities or design features which promote the purposes of this chapter are clearly identified and provided;
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 4837, passed May 4, 2026).
Full Breakdown
140 PMC sets base minimum and maximum densities by land use classification inside a PUD: Low Density Residential runs 5 to 7 dwelling units per acre, Mixed Residential 12 to 20, High Density Residential 21 to 35, and Mixed Residential/Commercial 17 to 35. 080(5) then authorizes the Hearing Examiner to approve a density bonus, capped at 20 percent above whatever the underlying land use otherwise permits, but only on findings that the amenities or design features promoting the chapter's purposes are clearly identified and provided.
090, which runs through the City Council on the Examiner's recommendation. 100. 210 PMC. Because the amenity findings are evaluated case by case, an applicant who wants credit toward the 20 percent ceiling should document specific open space, recreation, or design commitments in the preliminary PUD plan rather than assume any generic feature qualifies.
Violations & Fines
There is no separate penalty schedule for the density bonus itself; it is an approval standard, not a prohibition. If a Hearing Examiner denies the requested bonus for insufficient amenities, the applicant may still proceed at the base density approved for the PUD or revise the plan and reapply. Building without an approved PUD density above the base range is treated as an unpermitted use subject to the City's standard zoning enforcement and code compliance process.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much extra density can a Pasco PUD get?
Who decides whether a project gets the density bonus?
Does the density bonus apply outside PUDs?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pasco
Compare Pasco to another location·View the Washington zoning overlays & bonuses overview
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