A traditional neighborhood development (TND) is a type of planned unit development (PUD); provided however, if it contains only residential land uses (and other nonresidential uses typically allowed by right in the applicable residential district) it may be deemed a type of planned residential development (PRD). Most TND's will require a rezoning to the PUD-CZ district. A TND that can meet the requirements for PRD within the applicable zoning district may be approved as a PRD by the special use permit process (no rezoning required). All other TND's will require rezoning to the PUD-CZ district.
A traditional neighborhood development is a development that substantially meets the guiding principles of traditional neighborhood development design as set forth in this section.
(A) Purpose and intent. The purpose and intent of this section is to set forth guiding principles for traditional neighborhood development design and to allow relief to some of the PRD/PUD standards in §§ 153.047 and 153.048 for TND's when such developments are found to substantially meet the guiding principles of this section.
(B) Guiding principles. For organizational purposes, the guiding principles have been divided into six categories; however, most principles relate to multiple categories. A TND must substantially meet these principles. Where the development application does not meet a principle, the applicant shall submit justification therefor, unless the principle is described as optional. The guiding principles are as follows:
(1) The principles of the public realm.
(a) The central element of traditional neighborhood design is the emphasis and weight given to the public realm (the streets and plazas, and the public open spaces such as parks, playgrounds, greens, and natural areas, together with semi-public spaces which frame the public realm and provide transition between public and entirely private spaces).
(b) TND's feature well-designed public spaces, special emphasis on public and cultural buildings, and special design treatment for vista terminations.
(c) A sense of enclosure is maintained along the public street through an appropriate ratio between the height of building fronts and the distance between buildings on opposite sides of the street. Where street frontage consists of single story buildings or open space, street trees can be a substitute for front building walls to maintain this sense of enclosure.
(d) Non-residential buildings are set at or very near the sidewalk. In most situations, the same is true for attached housing. Single homes have relatively shallow setbacks, typically one-fourth to one-third the lot width. Encroachments are allowed for porches, steps, bay windows, and balconies.
(e) The public realm is appropriately landscaped. Unless good landscape design would otherwise dictate, each street is provided with an orderly regimen of street trees of substantial nursery stock, which will grow quickly to provide a street canopy. Planting strips wide enough to accommodate street trees typically separate sidewalks from street roadways, see division (B)(2)(f).
(f) Single-family home lots in TND's are typically smaller and narrower than in conventional subdivisions. A substantial amount of land area savings from reduced lot sizes is dedicated toward common areas.
(g) Narrower lots necessitate alternative treatment of certain fixtures that can diminish the aesthetic quality of the public realm. A system of rear access lanes (alleys) can provide garage access at the rear of the lot. This is especially preferred for lots less than 50 feet in width. When built to a 16-foot standard with a 24-foot right-of-way, the alley can also serve as an appropriate location for electric, gas, cable tv, and telephone equipment as well as access for garbage pickup and mail delivery. On lots at least 50 feet wide, alternate, less preferred methods of garage access include (in descending order of preference):
1. Front driveway accessing a garage behind the house or near the back of the lot;
2. Turning the garage so that it does not face the front (provided the garage is set behind the front building line);
3. Setting the garage at least 20 feet behind the front of the house; or
4. Providing special architectural treatment to the house to visually de-emphasize a garage at the front.
Where alleys are not available, other measures are taken to hide unsightly utility equipment; however, fire hydrants are always located on the fronting street, ideally situated on planting strip bulb-outs at intersections.
(h) TND's are designed so that there are linkages between the private realm and the public realm while protecting private spaces. Single homes have front porches large enough for sitting (six to eight feet minimum depth), and attached dwellings typically have sitting porches or front stoops. Guidelines to allow for low front picket fences are often provided. Always for single homes served by alleys, and where feasible and designed appropriately for town homes, private spaces are protected at the rear using privacy devices according to the development guidelines. The bottom floor of any dwelling whose sidewalk facing wall is within five feet of such sidewalk should be elevated sufficiently above the sidewalk to provide additional privacy inside the dwelling.
(i) TND's are designed to feature vista terminations at multiple locations. Vistas can terminate to important buildings, parks and greens, civic features in the town center, a carefully sited dwelling, a curve in the road, natural green edge, distant objects and scenery, and other features as appropriate. Entry into the community usually uses an important vista termination to provide a sense of place arrival.
(j) Utility wiring is underground and decorative street lighting fixtures are typically provided. Exceptions are provided for industrial areas.
(2) The principles of the transportation system.
(a) TND's always have a connecting web of streets, typically provided by a grid or modified grid street pattern. The street system is organized in a comprehensible network hierarchy that forms an orderly discernable neighborhood or town structure.
(b) Cul-de-sacs are avoided unless natural site or site boundary conditions require them. In such situations, special street design features such as eyebrows and cul-de-sac loops are encouraged instead of standard ball-end cul-de-sacs.
(c) Curved as well as straight streets are allowed; however, each must contribute to the connecting web. Where possible, curved streets maintain the same cardinal orientation. Long blocks are to be avoided with an average block being no more than 600 feet in length or 1,800 feet in perimeter.
(d) While the "sense of enclosure" described in division (B)(1)(c) above will help to reduce traffic speeds, additional design measures will be needed to slow traffic. Examples of such measures include such features as "bulbing out" the curb line at intersections, traffic circles, streets no wider than necessary to provide adequate access, design for and encouragement of on-street parking, and safe but unconventional street geometrics. The internal streets should be designed to feel safe driving at a speed no more than 25 miles per hour.
(e) Typical street widths include: 34 - 38 feet for a main street with marked parking on both sides; 32 - 34 feet for lesser streets with marked parking on both sides); 27 - 29 feet for through streets with marked parking on one side; 24 - 26 feet for standard streets with unmarked parking allowed to stagger from side to side; 20--24 feet for low density local streets with unmarked parking on one side; 20 feet for one-way streets with parking on one side; and 16 feet for public residential alleys (private alleys may be allowed as narrow as 12 feet) with commercial alleys typically being 24 feet. Where possible, streets are encouraged to narrow to 22 - 24 feet at intersections and at mid-block cross walks. Curve radii at intersections are ten feet to 20 feet, depending on street function. Standard vertical curb is preferred, and it is required on all residential streets without driveways (auto access is provided via a rear alley) and all commercial streets.
(f) TND's are always walkable communities in the fullest sense. They typically contain sidewalks on both sides of the street and, in addition, may contain a network of off-road walking and bike trails. Pedestrian facilities always meet the three standards of safety, comfort and interest. Sidewalks are well separated from the roadway with planting strips that are planted with indigenous, mostly deciduous shade trees (on commercial streets sidewalks may extend to the curb with street trees planted in grates or other sufficiently sized planting space). Planting strips should be six feet to ten feet wide (eight feet is recommended), but may be reduced to four feet in situations that are both unusual and difficult. Sidewalks are recommended five feet in width on residential streets, wider on commercial streets.
(g) TND's always have multiple points of ingress and egress from collector and major roads. The street system should also flow seamlessly to adjoining neighborhoods either existing or future.
(h) TND's are never gated.
(i) Parking lots should not front along a street. On-street parking is provided throughout the development, and particularly so on streets with commercial buildings and attached housing. Where additional parking is needed, it is provided behind buildings in the interior of the block. The calculation of parking needs for nonresidential uses should always take into consideration available on-street parking and the expected walkable patronage. Parking lots shall include shade trees and no space in a parking lot shall be further than 60 feet from the trunk of a shade tree. Each shade tree shall be planted in a planting area sized and shaped to enable healthy growth, a minimum of 200 square feet. Pedestrian access from interior block parking area is best provided via a mid-block passageway to the street front. This passageway can also be used for other activities such as front entrances for small shops, access to second floor apartments, outdoor dining, outdoor vendors and outdoor display of plants, flowers and other appropriate items for sale.
(j) When located on a public transit route a dry, inviting waiting place is provided at the neighborhood center. Where not located on a transit route, the TND should be given consideration for future route expansions when ridership can be expected.
(3) The principles of mixed use.
(a) TND's almost always contain a mixture of uses and dwelling types. Exceptions may be made for TND's of less than 25 acres and/or one that is within safe, easy walking distance to retail and other neighborhood services.
(b) TND's always feature a mixture of residential types. While a mix of single homes and at least one type of attached housing is required in the development, an appropriate and carefully designed blending of single and attached housing within the development is encouraged.
(c) TND's offer housing at a variety of affordability levels. Allowing garage apartments and "granny flats" at the rear of single home lots, in accordance with the development's private guidelines (whether rented or not) is encouraged. These innovative (but historically traditional) housing forms help to accommodate family situations and promote income diversity within the TND.
(d) Live-work units (shop or office at the street level and residence at the second level), apartments over businesses, and covenant provisions for zero-impact customary home occupations are encouraged.
(e) In traditional communities the denser housing and live-work units are typically located closer to the town center with a transition outward to less dense housing such as single homes. This principle should not be construed to discourage the careful blending of housing types as this transition occurs.
(f) Schools and churches are encouraged within the TND as is the provision of pedestrian and bicycle routes to connect to such facilities inside or outside the TND. It is, however, recognized that school location will, in most cases, not be possible unless the public school system considers smaller site standards.
(g) Where buildings are on both sides of the street, similar building types should face each other when possible. Single house, townhouse, live-work unit, apartment building and store building are examples of building types.
(h) TND's are expected to provide some on-site and/or adjacent to site employment opportunities. This can include employment in the services and stores within the TND, live-work units (the owners dwelling over his/her shop or office), or larger employment centers such as office buildings and light industry. Industry should be located along a major road at the outer edge of the TND, where direct major road access is provided for trucks and workers who live elsewhere. Also, appropriate transition (and pedestrian access) must be designed between the industry and the neighborhood. Industrial buildings and their sites should include features sympathetic to traditional design principles, along with landscaped and natural areas used to create transition to the rest of the TND.
(4) The architectural principles.
(a) The architecture should respond to the surrounding fabric of buildings and spaces and to local traditions. The principle that structures should be seamlessly linked to their surroundings (within the TND) transcends the issue of style.
(b) Each building always exhibits principles of human and pedestrian scale and contributes appropriately to the pedestrian life of the street.
(c) Architecture within the development should reflect styles that are complimentary of each other. Private development controls assure a variety styles or sub-styles which serve to compliment each other while providing for overall consistency and reflection of the principles of traditional neighborhood design.
(d) Affordability variations between housing types and choices do not translate into meaningful inferior architectural treatment of lower cost housing choices, as such housing relates to the public realm.
(e) Commercial buildings typically take on a "shop front" type appearance, joined by common walls, set with the front and entrance at the sidewalk along the street, and are typically two or more stories high (other uses such as residential and offices may occupy upper floors). Commercial buildings should not face intersecting streets with blank walls.
(f) Residential buildings, other than bungalows and patio homes, should be at least two stories tall.
(g) Except to more accurately portray pre-1940 architectural styles, buildings should employ relatively flat fronts and simple roofs. (Note: This principle shall not be construed to require Pre-1940 architectural styles). Building articulations and setback encroachments for porches, stoops, steps, bay windows, balconies and other such features that form the transition between the public and private realms are encouraged.
(h) Corner-lot homes should face their front door to the larger street (unless said street is a thoroughfare), except for an end-unit townhouse or row house, which may turn the corner with its front (unless the side street is an alley). Fronting a townhouse on both the primary street and the intersecting street with two doors and/or wrap-around porch is encouraged.
(5) The principles of the neighborhood center.
(a) TND's have at least one defined center. Neighborhood centers typically feature uses such as shops and services, live-work units, attached dwellings, apartments over businesses, a formal open space such as a village square or green, and public/civic buildings (church, community building/center, and post office are examples).
(b) Automobile oriented uses are typically not found in a neighborhood center and drive-thru facilities are strongly discouraged; an exception may be made for a bank abutting a thoroughfare.
(c) A public gathering space such as a plaza, green or square is almost always present along with one or more focal features in or near this public space such as a clock tower, fountain, monument, bandstand and/or public art which serve to terminate vistas and define the community.
(d) The TND center is ideally located near the geographic center of the development; however, it may also identify itself jointly with a thoroughfare bordering the TND (and therefore, be located near this major road or be linked to this road with an entrance street) in order that businesses within the center may more easily attract patrons from outside the development. This can serve to improve chances for economic success of the TND center. Ideally, the neighborhood center is no farther than one- quarter mile radius of most dwellings; however, a neighborhood center that is within 2,400 feet of 80% of the dwellings in the TND is acceptable in order to allow the center to identify itself jointly with an adjoining thoroughfare.
(e) Development form in the center typically reflects the traditional "main street" or "town square" vernacular of the region as described in division (B)(4)(e) above and parking is provided in accordance with division (B)(2)(c) above.
(f) Other civic uses are encouraged, including schools and day care centers; however, such uses should take on design features and lot sizes sympathetic to traditional principles and a walkable community. Office employment may occur at the TND center or along major roads adjoining the TND. Light industrial employment, if present, is more appropriately located along a major road boundary in accordance with division (B)(3)(c) above.
(g) At least one site should be reserved at or near the neighborhood center, for an important community or civic building such as a community center, church, school, amenity center (club house and recreation facility) or community hall. The site should be prominent and special.
(6) The principles of open space and natural site characteristics.
(a) A substantial amount of land savings generated by a more compact development form is converted to common open spaces.
(b) TND's always have formal public open spaces such as greens, village squares, parks and playgrounds. They may also have substantial amounts of natural or semi-natural open spaces that typically feature more informal amenities such as walking/bicycling trails and picnic areas.
(c) There is always a significant civic space such as a town square, green, commons, or plaza at the neighborhood center.
(d) Small parks are distributed throughout the development, usually within 1,000 feet of any dwelling.
(e) Pre-existing or natural water features should be retained and made a community asset.
(f) The site should be designed in a manner that preserves specimen trees and significant groups of mature deciduous trees. Major tree stands should be incorporated into public open spaces, where possible.
(g) The neighborhood design should adapt itself, as much as possible, to the existing topography to minimize the amount of grading necessary to achieve a viable street network.
(h) Parks, plazas, and commons should be equipped with proper furnishings and shade trees to encourage outdoor sitting, human interaction and people watching; while some common areas should be grassed and left open (except for street trees) to encourage the types of leisure/recreational activities that require open areas.
(C) Relief (or establishment of greater standards) to certain PRD/PUD requirements. In order that TND's may meet the principles set forth in this section the following provisions of §§ 153.047 and 153.048 are hereby modified for developments which are found to substantially meet the guiding principles of TND.
(1) § 153.047(B)(4), (5) and (6), for TND's minimum setbacks, shall be the same as for transitional infill developments (TIDs). Allowed encroachments into rear setbacks along the project boundary include accessory buildings (including accessory dwellings) up to ten feet (20 feet for two stories) from project boundary; utility equipment; alleys up to eight feet provided an evergreen tree planting strip is provided if the alley is not used by development outside the project boundary; fences and walls; and uses allowed to encroach according to section 17-132. Where commercial uses within the TND adjoin single family areas outside the TND, the planning commission may require additional setbacks, not to exceeding a cumulative total of 50 feet.
(2) § 153.047(B)(11), TND's shall meet the same requirement as a TID. Parking spaces inside garages are counted.
(3) § 153.047(B)(13), except for rear access alleys, driveways and parking drives/aisles, private streets are not allowed in TND's.
(4) § 153.047(B)(15), minimum screening requirements, do not apply to TND's; provided, however, the planning commission may require screening in any situation along the boundary of a TND or inside a TND as a condition for approval wherever it deems appropriate for the protection of adjoining properties or to establish necessary transition. As a general rule, following of the best TND design principles should negate the need for screening, and screening should not be allowed to substitute for poor design or the lack of adequate design transition between less compatible buildings or uses.
(5) § 153.047(B(18), sidewalk requirement, is replaced for TND's with the applicable provisions of division (B) above.
(6) § 153.047(B)(19), other requirements, is replaced for TNDs with the applicable provisions of division (B) above.
(7) § 153.047(B)(20), multi-phased projects, is replaced for TND's with a general requirement that TND's be built in approximate proportions to the overall percentages of dwelling types shown on the overall site plan; provided however, lower density housing may be built at any faster rate than higher density housing. The initiation of commercial phases shall follow at any time after the initiation of construction of at least 10% of single homes.
(8) § 153.048(A) is modified for TND's to be the purpose and intent of this section.
(9) Reserved.
(10) § 153.048(B)(1)(a) does not apply to TND's because a TND always contains dwellings.
(11) § 153.048(B)(2)(b) does not apply to TND's.
(12) § 153.048(B)(5), requirements are replaced for TND's by divisions (C)(1) through (8) above.
(13) § 153.048(B)(6)(b), shall be modified for TND's as set forth in division (C)(1) above for residential buildings. Nonresidential buildings shall observe setbacks of 30 feet minimum along any external project boundary that is not a street and ten feet where a street right-of-way is the external boundary. Where commercial uses within the TND adjoin single-family areas outside the TND, the planning commission may require additional setbacks, not to exceed a cumulative total of 50 feet.
(14) § 153.048(B)(6)(c), (d), see division (C)(13) above.
(15) § 153.048(B)(6)(e) does not apply to TND's.
(16) § 153.048(B)(6)(h) through (l) are replaced for TND's with the applicable provisions of division (B) above.
(17) § 153.048(B)(7) is replaced for TND's with the applicable provisions of division (B) above and the principles set forth in division (C)(4) above.
(D) Traditional neighborhood developments shall follow the same procedures for approval through the special use permit process or through rezoning to the PUD-CZ District
as set forth in § 153.050 with the following exceptions.
(1) The following additional requirements will be required in the site plan submission:
(a) Typical building front elevations representing the various building types proposed within the development shall be submitted for approval.
(b) Cross-section drawings of typical street areas from building profile to opposing building profile. A typical profile for each building type is needed; for example: town center, single-family street, town home or row house street, and apartment street.
(c) A copy of draft or model private building and lot design controls proposed for the TND shall be submitted for approval. This document will be referenced in the approval action. Actual final design controls to be used can be approved in the formal plan submission.
(2) In approving a CUP or PUD-CUD for a traditional neighborhood development, the Planning Commission or City Council shall find, in addition to findings set forth in section 17-266 or 17-297, that the proposed TND substantially meets the guiding principles for TND's as set forth in this section.
(Ord. passed 7-11-2005; Am. Ord. passed - - )