Cluster housing may be constructed in all residential and apartment districts, subject to the following standards:
(a) Within residential and apartment districts, the minimum land area and maximum number of dwelling units for a cluster housing project shall be as follows:
District | Minimum Land Area | Maximum No. of Units |
R-20 | 60,000 square feet | Total project area/20,000 |
R-10 | 30,000 square feet | Total project area/10,000 |
R-7.5 | 22,500 square feet | Total project area/7,000 |
R-5 | 15,000 square feet | Total project area/3,750 |
R-3.5 | 10,500 square feet | Total project area/3,500 |
A-1 - A-3 | 10,500 square feet | Total project area/3,500 |
(b) Within cluster housing projects, detached, duplex, and multi-family dwellings shall be permitted. Multi-family dwellings shall not exceed eight dwelling units in one structure;
(c) The director may waive the following requirements if suitable landscaping or fence/wall buffering, or both, is provided:
(1) All structures containing more than two dwelling units shall be set back a minimum of twice the required side and rear yards from adjoining properties not otherwise separated by a permanent open space in excess of 15 feet in width; and
(2) All common activity areas, such as tot lots, play courts, swimming pools, and barbecue facilities, shall be set back a minimum of 25 feet from all adjoining property lines and walls of the units in the project;
(d) To minimize the visual dominance of parking areas, while encouraging pitched roofs, the director may allow buildings to exceed the underlying district height limit; provided that the following conditions are met:
(1) The exemption will allow the required parking to be provided underneath the units, and therefore create more opportunities for open space;
(2) The building contains multi-family dwellings with gabled or hipped roof forms;
(3) The highest exterior wall line, equivalent to the structural top plate, shall not exceed a height limit of 30 feet. This excludes gable ends above the structural plate line;
(4) The building must be sited a minimum of 20 feet from any property line in common with a zoning lot in a residential district. The distance between any three-story buildings shall be at least 30 feet;
(5) The building shall not exceed a height limit of 34 feet; and
(6) The exemption will not adversely detract from the surrounding neighborhood character;
(e) If a private roadway abuts a neighboring property, with a setback less than the front yard required in the underlying zoning district of the abutting property, then either a wall shall be constructed or landscaped buffering shall be installed along the roadway or a combination of a wall and landscaping, subject to the approval of the director;
(f) Maximum building area shall be 50 percent of the total land area for the project. Maximum building area for any lot of record may be more than 50 percent in response to design considerations, but in no event shall exceed 80 percent;
(g) Yards and height setbacks abutting the boundaries of the entire cluster development site shall not be less than minimum requirements for the underlying zoning district. Additionally, the front yard for all lots fronting public streets shall not be less than the front yard requirement of the underlying zoning district; and
(h) The director may establish supplemental design guidelines further illustrating the above site design standards.
(1990 Code, Ch. 21, Art. 8, § 21-8.50-2) (Added by Ord. 99-12)