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Pasco, WA Zoning Overlays & Bonuses: Downtown Design Guide (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Applicability
Land within/abutting 300 feet of downtown core
Parking rule
Exempt from Chapter 25.185 parking standards
Density rule
Exempt from PMC 25.215.015 density threshold
Signs banned
Billboards and freestanding pole signs
Precedence
Overlay rules override underlying district rules

Summary

Pasco's downtown overlay district (PMC Chapter 25.95) waives off-street parking and density-threshold rules for infill projects within 300 feet of the downtown core, while banning billboards and freestanding pole signs to keep the streetscape pedestrian-scale.

(1) The downtown Pasco overlay district shall be exempt from the following: (a) Off-street parking requirements of Chapter 25.185 PMC. (b) Density threshold requirements of PMC 25.215.015. (2) The following signs shall be prohibited, within the downtown core... of the downtown overlay zone: (a) Billboard signs. (b) Freestanding pole signs.

View official code

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

030). 010, to encourage infill development, redevelopment, and reinvestment in areas with existing infrastructure, and to enhance and reflect Pasco's history, people, and culture. 012 include tailoring development regulations to the Downtown Pasco Master Plan Vision, accommodating growth on vacant and underutilized parcels served by existing utilities, encouraging a mixed-use pattern of shops, workplaces, civic buildings, and residences, and promoting safe pedestrian access with pedestrian-scale amenities. 015, removing two of the biggest cost barriers to downtown infill. In exchange, the district prohibits billboard signs and freestanding pole signs within the downtown core. 020, based on Planning Commission findings that such uses contributed to public disorder, loitering, and nuisance conditions that undermined the area's pedestrian-oriented, mixed-use vision.

Violations & Fines

Development that does not conform to the overlay's sign restrictions, or that is built without applying the parking and density exemptions correctly, is processed through the City's standard zoning enforcement and permit review under the Department of Community and Economic Development. Prohibited billboard or pole signage installed in the downtown core is subject to removal and code enforcement action the same as any other zoning violation under PMC Title 25.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does downtown Pasco have its own design overlay?
Yes. PMC Chapter 25.95 creates the Downtown Pasco Overlay District, applying to land within or abutting properties within 300 feet of the mapped downtown core, with rules that take precedence over the underlying zoning district under PMC 25.95.030.
Do downtown Pasco projects still need to meet parking minimums?
No. PMC 25.95.050(1)(a) exempts development in the downtown overlay from the off-street parking requirements of Chapter 25.185 PMC, a deliberate incentive for infill redevelopment on already-serviced downtown lots.
Are billboards allowed in downtown Pasco?
No. PMC 25.95.050(2) prohibits billboard signs and freestanding pole signs within the downtown core portion of the overlay district, as illustrated on the City's downtown core map referenced in that section.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Pasco

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