All residential and mixed use development in the WHO zones shall comply with the development standards in Table 17.126-A, the table notes, and the supplemental standards following the table.
Feature | Standard | Additional Regulations | |
WHO-A | WHO-B | ||
Feature | Standard | Additional Regulations | |
WHO-A | WHO-B | ||
Site Requirements | |||
Minimum Site Area (sq. ft.) | 6,000 | 5,000 | |
Minimum Lot Width (ft.) | 75 | 60 | |
Maximum Lot Coverage (%) | None | 75 (Note 1) | |
Maximum Floor Area Ratio (nonresidential uses) | 0.80 | 0.40 | See also § 17.126.020(B)(4) |
Minimum Landscape Coverage (%) | 15 | 15 | See § 17.138.470 |
Building Form and Location | |||
Maximum Building Height | 3 stories, up to 35 feet for residential; 4 stories and up to 45 feet for mixed use | 2 stories, up to 28.5 feet for residential; 3 stories and up to 35 feet for mixed use | Note 2 |
Minimum Ground Floor Ceiling Height | 14 feet nonresidential; 9 feet residential | ||
Minimum Setbacks: | |||
Front | None | 10 feet | Notes 3 and 4 |
Rear | None; 15 feet if adjacent to a residential zone | See also § 17.138.420 | |
Interior Side | 5 feet: 12 feet if adjacent to a residential zone | ||
Street Side | None | 10 feet | Notes 3 and 4 |
Minimum Building Separations | 15 feet | 15 feet | |
Other Requirements | |||
Design standards for multi-family housing | See §§ 17.138.430, 17.138.440, 17.138.450, and 17.138.480. A ten-foot upper-story setback shall not be required above the second level if the floor area of the third level or higher does not exceed the floor area of the level below. This exception does not apply to 17.138.420, which requires setbacks for windows in residential units facing an interior side or rear yard for privacy considerations. | ||
Off-street parking and loading | See Chapter 17.052 and § 17.138.460 | ||
Notes: [1] Applies to mixed use projects only; for 100 percent residential projects located outside of the Town Center Area shown on Figure TC-2 Town Center Land Use Map in the General Plan, the maximum lot coverage shall be 60 percent (see Section 17.010.100 (Determining Lot Coverage). | |||
Notes: [2] Additional height and an additional story is allowed up to 45 feet and four stories in the WHO-A zone and 35 feet and three stories in the WHO-B zone for up to one-half of the floorplate of the story below if the project includes at least 50 percent of the ground-floor building area accommodates commercial uses such as retail, restaurants, or personal services with walk-in clientele. The maximum height for the remainder of the building is 35 feet in the WHO-A zone and 28.5 feet in the WHO-B zone. Enclosures for elevators and stair towers, roof-top equipment screens, roof-top open space amenities, and other vertical components that are located on the roof may project up to ten feet above these height limits provided they are stepped back at least ten feet from the edge of the building. Parking levels are not counted in determining the number of stories on a site. At least 75 percent of the street-facing elevation of a story above 35 feet shall be setback back a minimum of ten feet from the front facade of the stories below that height. [3] A minimum 20-foot setback must be provided for garages and carports facing a street. In the WHO-B, allowable projections into required setbacks are those listed in § 17.044.070. In addition, awnings and canopies may project up to six feet into a required setback, and outdoor seating area shall be allowed in a required setback. [4] Where ground-floor residential units are proposed with adjoining ground-floor decks along a street frontage, a two-foot landscaped front or corner side setback shall be provided between the deck and the street property line. |
(A) Required building walls. Along Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, Bolinas Road, and Broadway, building walls shall be constructed along or within ten feet of the front property line for a minimum of 70 percent of the primary street frontage and 40 percent on secondary street frontages. This requirement may be waived by the Planning Director upon finding that:
(1) Ground-floor residential uses are proposed, a minimum 15-foot setback will be provided, and substantial landscaping will be located between the build-to and ground-floor residential units as a buffer:
(2) Entry courtyards, plazas, entries, or outdoor eating areas are located between the build-to line and the building and buildings are constructed at the edge of the courtyard, plaza, or outdoor dining area: or
(3) The building incorporates an alternative entrance design that creates a welcoming entry facing the street.
(B) Building entrances.
(1) Principal building entries shall front upon the primary street.
(2) Building entries shall be accented with features such as moldings, lighting, overhangs, canopies, or awnings.
(3) Where pedestrian paths or walkways cross parking areas or driveways, the paths shall incorporate landscaping and decorative paving to define the pedestrian space.
(C) Required ground floor transparency for non-residential uses. Exterior walls for nonresidential ground-floor uses facing and within 20 feet of a front or street side property line shall include windows, doors, or other openings for at least 60 percent of the building wall area between two feet and eight feet above the sidewalk. No street facing wall shall run in a horizontal plane more than 25 feet without an opening.
(1) Openings fulfilling this requirement shall have transparent glazing and provide views into display areas, sales areas, work area, lobbies or other active spaces, and window displays shall be at least three feet in depth.
(2) Parking garages are not required to meet these transparency requirements.
(3) Alternatives to the building transparency requirement may be approved by the Planning Commission for uses that have unique operational requirements making windows or doors infeasible or for street-facing building walls that exhibit architectural relief and detail with landscaping that creates visual interest at the pedestrian level.
(D) Open spaces standards for residential and mixed use projects. The open space requirements of the RM Multiple-Family Residential Zone in § 17.088.050(B) for private areas and common areas shall apply to all proposed residential development and to residential units in mixed use development with the following modifications.
(1) In the WHO-A Zone, the minimum amount of outdoor living area (private or common open space) is reduced to 150 square feet of open space for each dwelling unit, of which at least 36 square feet (60 square feet for ground-level units) shall be private open space serving at least 50 percent of the individual dwelling units.
(2) In the WHO-B Zone, the minimum amount of outdoor living area (private or common open space) is reduced to 200 square feet of open space for each dwelling unit, of which at least 48 square feet (60 square feet for ground-level units) shall be private open space serving at least 50 percent of the individual dwelling units.
(3) Common open space may be provided on rooftops in areas having minimum horizontal dimensions of ten feet. Roof decks located within 12 feet of a residential zoning district shall be setback a minimum of 30 inches from the building edge.
(4) Landscaped areas that are less than ten feet in width and contiguous with and an integral part of the common open space or are connected to the common open space may be counted in determining compliance with the open space standards of this section provided they are at least five feet in width.
(5) The minimum amount of required common open space may be reduced by 20 percent if a site abuts or is within one-quarter mile walking distance of a public park or playing field open to the public.
(6) At least half of the residential units constructed without private open space (a deck or balcony) shall have a balconet (e.g., a Juliet balcony).
(Ord. 887, passed 2-7-2024)