(a) Purpose. The Urban Form Overlay (UF) District is established to foster a high level of walkability and design quality for Cleveland's urban streets. The UF will do this by requiring pedestrian-oriented building features, preserving and enhancing the architectural character of new and existing buildings and protecting public safety by minimizing conflicts between vehicles and pedestrians.
(b) Mapping. Areas designated as UF Districts are planned to be densely developed areas characterized by a preponderance of buildings set relatively close to the street with parking located behind the main building. In every UF District, any street frontage to be considered an "Urban Frontage Line", as defined in this section, shall be marked on the Zoning Map, with either one or both sides of a street designated as such.
(c) Use Regulations. All uses permitted in the underlying zoning district shall be permitted in the UF District, except that the following uses shall be regulated as follows:
(1) Open sales lots are prohibited;
(2) Gas station pump islands are prohibited within the urban street space;
(3) Any business served by a drive-thru shall have all points of customer interaction located outside of the urban street space; and
(4) A parking lot as a main use is prohibited.
(d) New Construction and Additions.
(1) Setbacks. | ||||
A. Front yard depth; principal street frontage | Single-family, two-family, townhouse: 0 ft. min., 10 ft. max. | All other building types: 0 ft. min., 8 ft. max. | ||
B. Front yard depth; secondary street frontage | Single-family, two-family, townhouse: 0 ft. min., 6 ft. max. | All other building types: 0 ft. min., 6 ft. max. | ||
C. Interior side yard depth | 0 ft. min. | |||
D. Rear yard depth | 3 ft. min. | |||
(2) Building Configuration. | ||||
A. Frontage build-out; principal street frontage | 80% min. of principal street frontage; 20% of this requirement may be met with a streetscreen Streetscreens shall be masonry and min. 3.5' in height | |||
B. Frontage build-out, secondary street frontage | 100% min. of the urban street space | |||
C. Active use; first story principal and secondary street frontage | Required on 60% of frontage buildout | |||
D. Floor area ratio | No max | |||
E. Entrances | Single-family, two-family, townhouse: Each first-story unit fronting a principal or secondary street shall provide a main pedestrian entrance to that principal or secondary street frontage. | Multi-family residential: Required: At least one main pedestrian entrance from a principal or secondary street frontage. | All other building types: Required: Each use fronting a principal or secondary street frontage shall provide a main pedestrian entrance to that frontage. Such entrance shall be recessed to prevent doors swinging over the ROW, including patio space in the ROW, under Section 3109.03. | |
F. Height of finished first floor above grade | First-story residential: 18 in. min., 5.5 ft. max, building lobby may be at 0 ft. | First-story non-residential: 0 ft. min. | ||
(3) Building Design Features. | ||||
A. First-story glazing, non-residential; principal and secondary street | 75% min. of the frontage buildout between 3' and 8' above grade (excluding streetscreens) shall be transparent windows and doors | |||
B. First-story glazing, residential: principal and secondary street | 45% min. of the frontage buildout between 3' and 8' above grade shall be transparent windows and doors | |||
C. Architectural articulation required: Balconies, bays, awnings, sunshades, planter boxes, or similar | Single-family, two-family, townhouse: Required on 50% min. of all units facing both the principal and secondary street frontage; balconies, if used, shall be 1 ft. min. depth; balcony railing transparency: 30% min. | All other building types: Not required. | ||
D. Materials; principal and secondary street frontage | First-story: Glass in any dimension is permitted. All other materials shall be human-scaled, except materials used on building bases (up to 3 ft. above grade) may be larger in size. Above first-story: Materials in any dimension are permitted. Prohibited: plain and split-face concrete masonry units, synthetic stucco, vinyl siding | |||
(4) Parking, Garages and Valet. | ||||
A. Required parking | ||||
B. Parking access, drives and garage access Where a secondary street frontage or alley abuts the property, no access is permitted on a principal street frontage | Single-family, Two-family: 10 ft. max. width/lot | Townhouse: Two-way traffic: 18 ft. width max. One-way traffic: 10 ft. width max.; 20 ft. max. aggregate width per frontage | All other building types: 20 ft. max. aggregate width per frontage; 10 ft. max. opening height for parking entrances; 14 ft. max. opening height for service access | |
Prohibited: Garage doors facing a principal or secondary street frontage unless located behind the rear wall of the main building Garage doors perpendicular to secondary street frontage: Permitted; 3.5 ft. tall masonry streetscreen required | ||||
Alley: Unlimited | ||||
C. Surface parking; location | Primary street frontage: Behind the rear wall of the main building 1 | |||
D. Parking lot aisle width | 22 ft. max. | |||
E. Parking and drive aisles between a front building wall and the public ROW | Prohibited | |||
F. Valet zones | Shall not reduce existing sidewalk width, or shall maintain 8' min. through pedestrian sidewalk zone | |||
1 Where no alley or side street abuts the property, off-street parking between the main building actual front setback and the rear wall of the main building shall be permitted, however limited to one, single loaded row of parking spaces adjacent to the main building. A masonry streetscreen min 3.5 ft. min. in height shall be required between the permitted parking and the public ROW. | ||||
(5) Transition Strips and Screening. | ||||
A. Secondary street frontage | 3 ft. min. deep landscape strip and streetscreen required Streetscreens shall be masonry and a min. 3.5' in height | |||
B. Interior Side | Not required | |||
C. Rear abutting a less intensive use | 6 ft. high screen element, 100% opacity | |||
D. Screening of structured parking and enclosed parking | Liner building along principal and secondary street frontages required. Height of Liner Building shall be equal to or greater than the height of the parking structure. Frontage build-out of liner building shall be equal to or greater than the width of the structured or enclosed parking it screens, less permitted access openings. Liner building shall meet all the requirements of any Overlay District in which it is located. | |||
(e) For purposes of this section, "principal street frontage" means the side or sides of a public street frontage that is specifically designated on the Zoning Map or where there is only one street frontage, it is the street line.
(f) Variances.
(1) An applicant seeking a variance shall submit a site plan, color elevations, and other drawings as requested or necessary to compare and contrast a code compliant building with the proposed non-compliant building. Such exhibits shall demonstrate, based upon a preponderance of competent, probative evidence as evaluated under the guidelines set forth in division (f)(2) below, that the standard for granting a variance has been met.
(2) To ensure the development of a safe and cohesive district, the Board of Zoning Appeals shall have limited authority to grant variances from the following specific provisions of the UF District requirements.
A. The Board of Zoning Appeals shall have no authority to grant a variance to eliminate the requirement for the first story of a liner building. Where the Board of Zoning Appeals grants a variance to eliminate the requirement for a liner building above the first story, all building facades above the first story shall have architectural treatments that screen the view of parking from the ROW by the use of walls, glazing, decorative screens, durable plantings, or similar materials. Exposed structural spandrels are prohibited.
B. Parking Requirements. The Board may grant a variance above the maximum amount of parking spaces permitted by this section, where the applicant has either shown a good faith effort to first utilize district parking, on-street parking and /or secure shared-use agreements with adjacent property owners or has agreed to make its parking lot available for shared parking with neighboring businesses.
(Ord. No. 364-16. Passed 5-2-16, eff. 5-4-16)