(A) The Planning Commission shall use the following criteria to review applications.
(B) These criteria must be complied with unless an exception is granted by the Planning Commission.
(1) Native planting shall be retained to provide screening and avoid abrupt changes in the natural, vegetative cover. Tree pruning and tree removal around structures may be allowed if needed to reduce fire hazards, accommodate low impact clustered residential development consistent with the standards of § 17.072.090 (H), and ensure emergency ingress and egress. A tree plan, including revegetation requirements and proposed locations of trees of approved suitable species, may be required pursuant to § 16.24.070.
(2) Additional screening and cover shall be provided, with new planting utilizing native species compatible with existing vegetation and designed to break up silhouettes, reflections and large, unnatural surfaces. If required as a condition of design review approval, a maintenance bond shall be posted for one year to ensure the vitality of essential landscaping.
(3) Buildings, fences and structures shall be of materials and colors compatible consistent with materials and colors in the surrounding area within 300 feet of the project site. Exterior paint colors shall be muted earth tones, consistent with a color palette of paint colors based on Pantone color standards, which have been approved by the Planning Commission. Other colors may be approved through discretionary design review by the Planning Commission.
(4) Cuts, fills and retaining structures will be minimized except as reguired exclusively for foundations. Major topographic features shall maintain their natural landforms.
(5) Roadways shall follow contours to also minimize cuts, fills and retaining structures. Disturbed areas shall be revegetated to harmonize with the surrounding environment, and retaining structures shall include planting or similar means, as necessary, to harmonize as well.
(6) No roads or streets shall be permitted to traverse a ridge.
(7) If exterior lighting is to be installed, it shall conform to the following:
(a) Light intensity. Lighting shall have a low-level of intensity, meaning having a total light output on the site of 3,000 lumens or less and a low profile;
(b) Shielding. All fixtures shall be fully-shielded to minimize glare and protect the night sky.
(c) Color temperature. The color temperature of all outdoor lighting shall be 3,000 Kelvin or less.
(d) Lighting curfew. A “dark sky” curfew shall be respected, and unless outdoor lighting is for building entries or exits, pathways and adjacent landscape areas, parking areas, or driveways, or is on a motion sensor that shuts off five minutes after activation, all exterior lighting shall be extinguished as soon as there are no longer people present in exterior areas.
(e) Light trespass. The maximum allowable “light trespass,” meaning light falling beyond the property line, shall be 0.1 foot candles.
(8) Utilities and alternative energy systems.
(a) All utilities and cables shall be placed underground.
(b) Alternative energy sources, not including small residential rooftop solar energy systems, may be approved where their impacts are minimized. Small residential rooftop solar energy systems shall be subject to the review and approval procedures set forth in §§ 17.138.200 through 17.138.270. This provision supersedes § 17.044.020 of this title relating to public utilities.
(9) Ridgeline view protections.
(a) All structures shall be located so that the roof does not extend into a ridgeline scenic corridor when viewed from a public gathering place, including town parks, public schools, sidewalks in the Central Commercial area identified in the General Plan, or a major roadway.
(b) No part of a building's height shall exceed 28.5 feet on an upslope lot and 35 feet on a downslope lot, 24 feet within 20 feet of a front property line on an upslope lot, and 24 feet at a rear setback line, measured to the adjacent natural or finished grade, whichever is lower. One foot of additional building height in the front and the rear is allowed if the portion of the building above the 24-foot height limit is setback one foot, up to the maximum height limits established for upslope lots (28.5 feet) and downslope lots (35 feet).
(c) Where the Planning Commission approves the placement of a structure so that its roofline extends into a ridgeline scenic corridor because of a particular topographical feature or the location of the site and because there is no other suitable building location on the site, no part of the roof of the structure shall extend more than 15 feet above the lowest elevation of the adjacent ridgeline and the maximum horizontal dimension above this elevation shall not exceed 20 feet.
(10) In order to minimize bulk and mass, long, unbroken rooflines and large, uninterrupted wall surfaces greater than 40 feet in length shall be allowed only if there is a horizontal or vertical offset of at least five feet or dormers break up the visual mass.
(11) A landscape documentation package shall be provided with the development application that complies with the standards of the Model Water Efficient Landscape which applies to all new residential development with 500 square feet or more of landscape area. If the total landscaped area is 2,500 square feet or less, an applicant may use the prescriptive compliance option provided in Appendix D of the Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance to streamline the review process.
(Prior Code, § 17.32.050) (Ord. 352, passed - -1973; Am. Ord. 476, passed - -1980; Am. Ord. 764, passed 2-1-2012; Am. Ord. 794, passed 10-7-2015; Am. Ord. 886, passed 1-24-2024)