Ocean Shores planners ask staff to rewrite ordinance to allow engineered membrane (membrane-covered frame) structures downtown

OCEAN SHORES, Wash. — At its June 9 meeting the Ocean Shores Planning Commission authorized staff to rewrite a proposed amendment to OSMC 17.34.020 that would permit engineered membrane (membrane-covered frame) structures as permanent accessory uses in a limited downtown B1 retail-commercial area and forward the revised draft to city council.

The amendment as read to the commission would allow professionally designed, engineered tension-fabric or membrane-covered frame structures on properties with a permitted commercial use in specified blocks of Point Brown Avenue and portions of the downtown corridor. The draft requires designs to be stamped by a licensed engineer and to comply with the International Building Code (IBC), International Fire Code and all other applicable permits and inspections.

Commissioners and staff discussed how best to place the new allowance in the municipal code so it functions as an accessory use (suggested insertion under D5 in 1734.020) and whether to retain a narrowly drawn geographic scope for the initial allowance. Staff and commissioners agreed the land-use provision should avoid repeating technical building standards and instead reference the IBC definition and Chapter 31 (special construction: membrane structures) so that technical requirements—wind loads, engineering, fire safety—are enforced by the building and fire departments.

Planner Scott (staff) told the commission he would reformat the draft into an accessory-use entry, reference the IBC definition (membrane-covered frame structures) and circulate the rewritten ordinance to commissioners for review before forwarding it to council. "I'm going to do a rewrite of this. I'll send it out to the planning commission, but if I just have your verbal approval to do a rewrite and bring it to council as we've discussed, I'm happy," he said. The commission approved the staff rewrite and referral by voice vote.

Commissioners raised several substantive questions during debate: whether to impose proportional size limits (similar to accessory-dwelling-unit percentage rules), how to define which retail establishments may use membrane structures, and how to avoid unintentionally increasing allowable accessory area for very small primary buildings. Commissioners also expressed concern about grandfathering and legal risk: staff noted one existing membrane structure in Ocean Shores was built and maintained through repeated inspections, and removing it now could invite litigation given the owner's investments.

Public commenters and commissioners emphasized the local economic rationale: membrane-covered structures can expand year-round outdoor dining, seasonal markets and covered retail space in a community with a largely coastal climate. Vida, a public commenter, urged commissioners to consider relevant Washington statutes and building-code limitations when drafting local code changes.

Next steps: staff will rewrite the ordinance language to add a clear accessory-use entry (D5), reference the IBC definition and chapter for technical standards and return a revised draft to the commission and then to city council. The commission voted to forward the rewrite for council consideration.