A. Intent:
1. To provide a housing type that responds to changing household sizes, ages and interests.
2. To create an efficient layout of dwelling units that reduces the development footprint and infrastructure costs.
3. To ensure that the overall size, including bulk and mass of cottage structures and cottage housing developments, remains smaller and incurs less visual impact than standard sized single-family dwellings.
4. To provide centrally located and functional common open space that fosters a sense of community and a sense of openness in cottage housing developments.
5. To provide private area around the individual dwellings to enable diversity in landscape design and foster a sense of ownership.
6. To ensure minimal visual impact from vehicular use and storage areas for residents of the cottage housing development as well as adjacent properties.
7. To maintain a single-family character along public streets.
B. Cottage Development Procedural Options: Cottage development applicants have four (4) procedural options for obtaining approval:
1. Applicants intending to retain ownership of all of the units may use the planned unit development process per subchapter 2.5 of this title to allow the development of four (4) or more cottages on a single (or multiple) property.
2. Applicants intending to record a condominium plat can use the planned unit development process per subchapter 2.5 of this title and the requirements for condominium projects in subchapter 6.7 of this title.
3. Applicants intending to subdivide the individual lots must use the conservation subdivision process and standards set forth in this title.
4. The owner or owners of multiple lot or parcels may reconfigure their properties through one of the processes above to create a cottage development.
C. Cottage Development Approval: The applicants must demonstrate compliance with all standards in this section. For example, an applicant seeking to create a speculative cottage housing subdivision must demonstrate how the site is designed to accommodate cottage units and open spaces consistent with the standards prescribed herein. The final plats, condominium plans or development plans, thus, shall include building envelopes, building design and other standards pursuant to approval of the particular application.
D. Permit Applicants To Comply: Building location permit or building permit applicants for cottage housing unit as approved per subsections B and C of this section shall comply with the requirements in this section.
E. Density Bonus: Due to the reduced size of individual cottages, two (2) cottages are permitted for every one dwelling unit. For example, for a property large enough to allow three (3) dwelling units, six (6) individual cottages are allowed, subject to the standards set forth in this section.
F. Dimensional Standards: The dimensional standards for cottage housing shall be pursuant to table 4-6 below:
COTTAGE HOUSING DIMENSIONAL STANDARDS
Standard | Requirement |
Standard | Requirement |
Maximum gross floor area | 1,500 square feet per dwelling unit. |
Maximum gross floor area/ground or main floor | 900 square feet per dwelling unit. |
Minimum common open space | 600 square feet per dwelling unit in the rural district and 400 square feet per dwelling unit in all other districts (see subsection G of this section). |
Minimum private open space | 200 square feet per dwelling unit (see subsection H of this section). |
Maximum building height for cottages with minimum roof slope of 6:12 | 25 feet subject to all parts of the roof above 18 feet shall be pitched. |
Minimum front, side and rear yards | Same as other residential development in applicable zoning districts, except for the rural district, where cottage dwelling units must be at least 100 feet from any property adjacent to the parent tract. |
Minimum distance separating structures (including accessory structures) | 10 feet |
Maximum building height for cottages without roof slope of 6:12 and all accessory structures | 18 feet |
Clustering groups | Developments shall contain a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 12 dwellings located in a cluster group to encourage a sense of community among the residents. A development site may contain more than one group of cottage clusters. |
G. Common Open Space Requirements:
1. At least fifty percent (50%) of the cottages in a cottage housing development shall abut the required common open space.
2. At least two (2) sides of the required common open space shall be abutted by cottages.
3. An entrance, preferably the main entrance of cottages, shall face the required common open space.
4. Cottage facades facing the required common open space or common pathway shall feature a roofed porch at least sixty (60) square feet in size with a minimum dimension of six feet (6') on any side.
5. Cottages shall be within sixty feet (60') walking distance of the required common open space, as measured from the closest architectural projection.
6. The common open space shall be sized large enough to include an area with a dimension of no less than thirty feet by thirty feet (30' x 30') completely inside it (see figure 4-9 for example). For example, a twenty foot (20') wide pathway corridor would not be wide enough to meet the size requirements.
7. Required common open space shall be maintained by the homeowners' association or other incorporated or private entity formed to ensure long term maintenance of the open space.
H. Private Open Space Requirements: Private open space shall be adjacent to each dwelling unit and for the exclusive use of the cottage residents. The private open space shall:
1. Be usable (not on a steep slope).
2. Be oriented toward the common open space as much as possible.
3. Have no dimension less than ten feet (10').
I. Garages: Shared garages and parking areas are encouraged. Attached private garages are acceptable if they do not conflict with the development's ability to meet all other standards specified in this section (notably the common open space requirements above).
J. Communal Buildings: Communal buildings intended for social, recreational or other use by the residents of the development are acceptable. (Ord. 501, 11-18-2008)