13.3 Site Design Standards

13.3.A Bulk and Yard Regulations   

13.3.A.1 General Regulations   

Table 13-2: Bulk and Yard Regulations establishes bulk and yard regulations for the Suburban Neighborhood Districts. (Highlighted letters in Table 13-2 indicate where those bulk and yard regulations are illustrated on the accompanying site diagram.)

 

Adopted by Ord. No. 26,726, §1, December 7, 2015, Zoning Docket 081/15; Ord. No. 27,722, §6, April 11, 2018, Zoning Docket 113/17; Ord. No. 28,911, §5, January 6, 2022, Zoning Docket 084/21; Ord. 29126, 8-12-22, ZD016/22

13.3.A.2 Lake Vista Yard Definition   

In the Lake Vista area of the S-LRS2 and S-LRD1 Districts, the front and rear yard requirements of through lots are assigned as follows: the front yard requirements apply to that yard which faces lanes and parks, and the rear yard requirements apply to that yard which faces the public street. (See Figure 13-1: Lake Vista Yard Location)

FIGURE 13-1: LAKE VISTA YARD LOCATION

13.3.A.3 Required On-Site Open Space   

All townhouse and multi-family dwellings shall provide at least one-hundred twenty (120) square feet of useable on-site open space per dwelling unit. This open space may be either private open space for the dwelling unit or common open space restricted to the use of residents of the townhouse or multi-family dwelling. Such open space shall meet the following requirements:

a.  Required open space shall have a minimum dimension of at least seven (7) feet on any side.

b.  Required open space shall be located on the same lot as the dwelling unit it serves.

c.  Required open space shall be outdoors and designed for outdoor living, recreation, or landscape, including areas located on the ground and areas on decks, balconies, galleries, porches, or roofs. For multi-family dwellings, when open space is above grade, such as a balcony or gallery, it may not be located over on-site surface parking areas.

d.  The required open space area may not be contiguous, but each open space area, whether common or private, shall comply with minimum dimensional standards of Table 13-2. Common open space areas shall be accessible to all residents of the subject development.

e.  When located at ground level, the required open space area shall be substantially covered with grass, live groundcover, shrubs, plants, trees, or permeable outdoor hardscape features or amenities, such as seating areas, patios, or pools.

f.  Off-street parking and loading areas, driveways or required landscape for parking lots and screening do not satisfy open space requirements. Bollards, curbs, wheel stops, or other similar features shall be provided to ensure that required open space areas are not used for off-street parking or any other vehicular use.

g.  Mechanical equipment, dumpsters, or service areas are prohibited in required open space areas.

h. All required open space areas shall be located and designed to take advantage of sunlight and other climatic advantages of the site.

Adopted by Ord. No. 27,722, §6, April 11, 2018, Zoning Docket 113/17;

13.3.B Building Design Standards   

1.  The following standards shall apply to all single- and two-family dwellings:

a. All buildings shall provide a clearly articulated entry from the public sidewalk at the front elevation.

b. In the S-LRS1 Lakeview Single-Family Residential District, all single- and two-family dwellings having rear alley access shall be prohibited from having front facing garages, carports, and/or parking areas, and curb cuts in or to a front yard. All single- and two-family residences having no rear-alley access shall be permitted to have garages and or parking areas, but such front facing garages or parking areas, whether or not they are connected to the main structure, must be located at least five (5) feet behind the front façade of the principal building.

c. Front-loaded attached garages shall not occupy more than twenty-two (22) feet in garage door width or fifty percent (50%) of the width of the front façade of the house, as measured along the building line that faces the street, whichever is greater.

d. Roll down shutters and hardware shall not be visible from a public right-of-way when not in use.

2.  The following building design standards apply to townhouse and multi-family developments in the residential districts of the Suburban Neighborhoods.

a. All buildings shall be oriented towards the public or private street in terms of architectural interest and materials and building access.

b. All buildings shall provide a clearly articulated entry from the public sidewalk at the front elevation.

c. Driveways should be configured to minimize the reduction of on-street parking spaces.

d. The site shall be designed with safe pedestrian access to the development from the street and from any parking areas, as well as internal to the site.  

e. Safe pedestrian access from adjacent properties is required. Sidewalks shall extend to the lot line and connect to existing sidewalks on abutting property if feasible.

f. Plain mansard roofs are prohibited. Decorative mansard roofs are permitted on buildings with a minimum wall height of two (2) stories. (See Figure 15-2: Examples of Decorative Mansard Roofs.)

g. To avoid the appearance of blank walls facing the street, when the side walls of a dwelling face a street, building facades shall be designed with multiple windows of a size matching those on the front elevation.

h.  Parking Areas and Pedestrian Walkways

i.  Parking is prohibited between the street line and the front building line. The front building line does not include any architectural features of the front façade. On a corner lot, parking is prohibited within the corner side yard within five (5) feet of the front lot line.

ii.  Driveways should be consolidated, where possible, in order to reduce curb cuts. Adjacent residential buildings should, where possible, share driveway access.

iii. The site shall be designed with safe pedestrian access to the development from the street and from any parking areas, as well as internal to the site.

iv. Safe pedestrian access from adjacent properties is required. Sidewalks shall extend to the lot line and connect to existing sidewalks on abutting property if feasible.

v. Mid-building pedestrian passages shall be provided through buildings with a width of greater than two-hundred and fifty (250) feet. Such passageways shall be designed to be safe and well-lit, providing convenient pedestrian access to and from areas such as parking lots and structures, and/or service streets from the opposite sides of a building. The passage shall be a minimum of eight (8) feet in width.

vi. Driveways and curb cuts shall include clearly marked crosswalks where they intersect with the pedestrian circulation system.

vii. Any provided bicycle circulation infrastructure such as dedicated lanes and cycle tracks shall extend to the lot lines.

i.  Building Materials

i.  The following materials are prohibited as the predominant surface finish material in the construction of new multi-family and townhouse developments. However, such materials may be used as part of decorative or detail elements, or as part of the exterior construction, such as a foundation course, that is not used as a predominant surface finish material.

(1)  Exterior insulation finish systems (EIFS) (e.g.“Dryvit”)

(2)  Stuccato board

(3) Vinyl

3.  The following standards shall apply to all sites that meet the applicability thresholds of Section 4.5 Development Plan and Design Review:

a. Large, flat facades facing the street shall be avoided. Form-giving elements such as, but not limited to, galleries, balconies, projected entrances, and overhangs are required on the street-facing façade.

b. To ensure that new developments are compatible with the surrounding neighborhood character, consistency in the roofline shall be achieved by using similar roof types, slope, materials and details.

c. Windows and doors shall have raised elements to create shadow and articulation. In addition, three-dimensional elements, such as balconies and bay windows, shall be incorporated to provide dimensional elements on a façade. Windows shall be set back into or projected out from the façade to provide façade depth and shadow and a consistent style.

d. Facades shall be designed to be viewed from multiple directions and with consistent materials that wraps around all facades. There shall be a unifying architectural theme for an entire multi-family or townhouse development, utilizing a common vocabulary of architectural forms, elements, materials, and colors around the entire structure.

e. Unless typical of existing development within the neighborhood, large, monotonous, simple pitched roofs, without breaks in the expanse of the roof, are prohibited. Properly proportioned dormers and gables shall be used to break up large expanses of roof area.

13.3.B.4 Additional Design Standards for S-RM2 District   

In addition to the design standards of Paragraph 2 above, townhouse and multi-family dwellings in the S-RM2 District shall comply with the following additional design standards.

13.3.B.4.a Ground Floor of Multi-Family Dwellings   

i Portions of the non-habitable ground floor façade not used for building access or fenestration shall be designed according to the following requirements:

(1) For multi-family buildings that use the ground floor for common tenant facilities (such as a fitness room, laundry facility, or meeting space), foundation landscape and/or grading shall be used to screen the portion of the wall between the existing grade and a line three (3) feet above the existing grade.  (See Figure 13-2: Multi-Family Ground Floor) On the portion of the ground floor façade above this line, windows shall be provided that create an appropriate level of transparency and reflect the character of the upper floor façade design. Landscape may be omitted directly in front of windows or doors in order to provide adequate interior light and access.

FIGURE 13-2: MULTI-FAMILY GROUND FLOOR

 

(2) For multi-family buildings that do not use the ground floor for common resident facilities, or if it is used for utility spaces such as vehicular parking, storage, or building infrastructure, foundation grading shall be provided such that the grading meets the building façade at a point four (4) feet above the existing grade. 

13.3.B.4.b Ground Floor of Townhouse Dwellings   

For townhouses, the entire portion of the ground floor façade between the existing grade and a line four (4) feet above the existing grade shall be screened. Screening techniques may include grading and landscape, or stairs and hardscape that provide access to the first habitable floor, or a combination of both. However, no flight of stairs may account for more than four (4) feet in elevation change without providing a landing area. (See Figure 13-3: Townhouse Ground Floor)

FIGURE 13-3: TOWNHOUSE GROUND FLOOR

13.3.B.4.c Townhouse Separation Requirement   

For townhouses, the rear façade shall be located at least sixty (60) feet from the rear façade of another townhouse building. Non-residential ground-floor facades are permitted to encroach into the required yard up to ten (10) feet beyond the edge of the upper story residential façade. (See Figure 13-4: Townhouse Separation Requirement)

FIGURE 13-4: TOWNHOUSE SEPARATION REQUIREMENT

13.3.B.4.d Roof Forms   

Allowable roof types include:

i.  For townhouses: pitched gable roofs

ii.  For multi-family dwellings: pitched gable roofs and flat roofs

13.3.B.4.e Parking Areas and Pedestrian Walkways   

See Figure 13-5: Parking Areas and Pedestrian Walkways for illustrations of these standards. In addition to the standards of Paragraph 2 above, townhouse and multi-family dwellings shall meet the following:

i.  Clearly defined pedestrian access from any parking areas to the building is required. A clearly defined visible and identifiable network of pedestrian connections shall be provided in and between parking lots, street sidewalks, open spaces, and buildings.

ii. Interior lots may provide access from the primary street, although the number of access points should be minimized to the extent possible. Corner lots shall provide access to parking from the less prominent street.

FIGURE 13-5: PARKING AREAS AND PEDESTRIAN WALKWAYS

13.3.B.4.f Representative Building Types   

The images in Figure 13-6: Representative Building Types represent desired building design concepts for future S-RM2 District development. Building design should generally emulate the scale, massing, and design detail as illustrated, and reflect the noted principles.

FIGURE 13-6: REPRESENTATIVE BUILDING TYPES