In a Class B-5 Senior Citizen District, land and structures shall be developed and maintained in accordance with the following design regulations and standards.
(A) Building Design.
(1) Senior Citizen District Buildings. The maximum length of a building wall shall be 100 feet. However, building length may extend to a maximum of 300 feet, provided that walls are offset or aligned at angles as approved by the Planning Commission.
(2) Other Attached or Detached Dwellings. In order to enhance privacy and encourage attractive building arrangements, the alignment of other attached or detached dwelling buildings should be varied and the facades of not more than every two dwelling units shall be offset at least 16 inches. Not more than eight units shall be located in one building.
(3) Generally. Attractive variations in such building elements as facade, width, color, exterior materials and rooflines shall be desirable. Parallel arrangements of buildings should be avoided. However, uniformity in design is not expressly prohibited.
(B) Site Design. Senior Citizen District residential developments shall be designed to complement the topography of the land in order to utilize natural contours, economize in the construction of utilities, reduce required grading and maximize the conservation of trees, watercourses and other distinctive characteristics of the site. Such distinctive characteristics shall be integrated into the plan to create functional variations in the arrangement of residences, open spaces and accessory uses.
(C) Modifications to Area, Yard and Buffer Requirements. With respect particularly to properties of irregular shape, unusual topography or limited size, the Planning Commission, with the approval of Council, may modify requirements regarding areas, yards, buffers and distances between uses if compliance with such requirements is either clearly infeasible or contrary to compliance with the design regulations set forth in this section.
(D) Common Open Space. As required in § 1275.06
(F), at least 500 square feet of land per dwelling unit shall be reserved as common open space in Senior Citizen Districts.
(1) Required Characteristics. Land designated as common open space under this section shall conform with the following characteristics:
(a) Common open space shall consist of land or a combination of land and water of such condition, size and shape as to be usable for active recreation and/or scenic enjoyment as appropriate to the site, the surrounding area and the expected resident population. Such area shall contain no structures, other than those related to recreational uses, and shall not include roads or parking areas;
(b) Required yard and buffer areas shall be excluded in the computation of common open space; and
(c) Consideration shall be given to the arrangement and location of common open space to take advantage of physical characteristics of the site and to place common open space with easy access and view of dwelling units. Common open space shall not be separated from the development by existing roads.
(2) Ownership and Maintenance. Such common open space, including any recreational facilities proposed to be constructed in such space, shall be clearly delineated on the site plan, together with descriptive data as to the methods to be employed to preserve and maintain such open space. All common open space shown on the site plan must be subject to legally enforceable reservations and restrictions, acceptable to the city government, which reservations and restrictions will ensure the preservation of such land for recreation and open space use in perpetuity and will absolutely prohibit development of such land except for permitted recreational uses.
(E) Pedestrian Circulation. Each Senior Citizen District residential development should be served by a comprehensive walkway system adequately separated from recreation areas and health center buildings.
(F) Utility Equipment. All utility lines serving Senior Citizen District residential developments shall be located underground. Rooftop mechanical equipment shall be enclosed in a manner which complements the architectural style of the building on which it is located.
(G) Swimming Pools. Any swimming pool in which water may collect to a depth in excess of one and one-half feet shall be enclosed by a wall or fence not less than five feet in height, with access provided from a controlled point.
(Ord. 165-87, passed 2-16-1988; Ord. 137-12, passed 9-17-2012)