Yakima, WA Zoning Overlays & Bonuses: Downtown Design Guide (2026)
Key Facts
- Blank wall trigger
- 800 sq ft of unbroken vertical wall surface
- Treatment required
- 50% of wall between 3-12 ft above grade
- Applies to
- new mixed-use, multifamily, commercial downtown buildings
- District defined at
- YMC § 15.06.040, Figure 6-1 exempt area map
- Excluded uses
- light industrial zone, § 15.13.025 exempt uses
- Civil penalty
- $50 per day until corrected
Summary
New buildings and redevelopment in Yakima's downtown business district must break up any blank wall of eight hundred square feet or more facing a street, treating at least half the wall between three and twelve feet high with architecture, art, or landscaping, under Yakima Municipal Code § 15.09.026.
A. Purpose and Intent. 1. To establish standards for new development or redevelopment projects within the downtown business district in order to promote efficient land use and a pedestrian-friendly environment. ... C. Design Standards. 1. Entrances. Primary pedestrian entrances to the building shall face the street frontage or face common open space which is oriented toward the street. ... 3. Blank Walls. a. Defined. "Blank wall" means a wall or portion of a wall that has eight hundred square feet of vertical surface area without any building modulation, transparency, or other architectural feature. b. Along streets and pedestrian ways, a minimum of fifty percent of the wall between three feet and twelve feet above grade shall be treated with one or more of the following elements: i. Architectural variation including but not limited to color, material, and/or modulation. ii. Artwork, including murals and signs. iii. Shrubs, trees, trellises, or other landscaping that may be actively maintained.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4980636; v1 updated 2026-08-03; through 08-03-2026).
Full Breakdown
040, Figure 6-1. 025 and uses in the light industrial zoning district are excluded. Subsection (C)(1) requires primary pedestrian entrances to face the street frontage or a common open space oriented toward the street. The centerpiece rule sits at subsection (C)(3): the code defines a 'blank wall' as any wall or portion of a wall carrying eight hundred square feet of vertical surface area without building modulation, transparency, or another architectural feature, and then requires that, along streets and pedestrian ways, at least fifty percent of the wall between three and twelve feet above grade be treated with architectural variation (color, material, or modulation), artwork such as murals or signs, or actively maintained landscaping such as shrubs, trees, or trellises.
The rule targets the ground-level pedestrian experience specifically, since the treated band sits at eye level rather than covering the whole facade. These downtown design standards were most recently amended by Ordinance 2025-017, adopted in 2025.
Violations & Fines
Violations of Title 15's development standards, including this design standard, are enforced under YMC Chapter 15.25. A first offense is a misdemeanor carrying up to a $500 fine and up to ninety days in jail, or both, though a first-time single violation draws a fine only, capped at $500. A civil penalty of $50 per day also accrues from the correction deadline set by the administrative official until the wall is brought into compliance, backed by a lien on the property.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as a 'blank wall' in downtown Yakima?
How much of the wall has to be treated?
Which downtown buildings does this design standard apply to?
What happens if a downtown building doesn't meet the standard?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Yakima
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