The following standards and design features and the City's Multi-Family Residential and Mixed-Use Objective Design Standards, as adopted by ordinance or resolution of the City Council and incorporated as part of this section by reference, are provided to ensure a level of quality that must be compiled with or satisfied in all multi-family residential developments. Standards are mandatory requirements for all multi-family residential developments. Design features are provided to allow flexibility by providing options for implementing specific standards. In order to meet a certain standard, one or a combination of design features shall be incorporated into the project's design. In some instances, there will be no design feature(s) identified for a particular standard and this will be noted. In the event of a conflict between a standard or feature set forth below and a standard or feature set forth in the City's adopted Multi-Family Residential and Mixed-Use Objective Design Standards, the most recently adopted revision shall control.
A. Site Planning.
1. Site Character.
a. Standard:
Existing natural amenities (e.g., views, mature trees, and topographic features) and other amenities (e.g., structures of architectural significance and cultural resources) unique to the site shall be preserved and incorporated into the project's design whenever possible.
b. Standard:
Development on sloped properties shall generally follow the natural contours of the land by use of at least one of the following design features:
1) Terrace parking lots to conform with the terrain.
2) Step building foundations and retaining walls to follow natural terrain.
3) Avoid grading large flat pads in hilly terrain.
4) Provide larger setbacks to preserve natural landforms.
Preserve natural contour of the land
2. Building Placement.
a. Standard: Buildings shall be placed with varying setbacks and/or orientation to the street to pro-vide visual interest.
b. Standard: Clustering of multi-family units shall be a consistent site planning element. Buildings composed of a series of simple yet varied planes, assure compatibility and variety in overall building form.
c. Standard: Minimum distances between buildings shall be in compliance with Section 16.18.130 (Separation and Privacy standards for Residential Structures). Whenever possible, buildings shall be oriented to avoid instances where living spaces of one structure face the living spaces of another.
d. Standard: Buildings shall be oriented to create common open space areas.
1) Courtyards
2) Open space nodes
3) Recreation areas
e. Separation Between Structures. See Section 16.18.130 for requirements.
B. Parking and Circulation.
1. Parking Areas.
a. Standard:
Parking areas shall not be a dominant site feature and shall be divided into a series of connected smaller lots that are laid out in an efficient and aesthetic manner. This can be accomplished by incorporating at least one of the following design features:
1) There should be no more than an average often spaces of uninterrupted parking, whether in garages, carports, or open parking areas. Each ten spaces should be separated from additional spaces by a landscaped bulb equal to the width of one parking stall.
2) Parking areas should not consist of more than two double-loaded parking aisles adjacent to each other.
3) Parking areas should be separated from each other by buildings or by landscaped buffer not less than thirty (30) feet wide.
b. Standard:
Parking areas shall be treated as "landscape plazas," with attention to landscape surfaces, softened edges, shade, and pedestrian circulation. This can be accomplished by incorporating at least one of the following design features:
1) Provide pedestrian connections to adjoining public rights-of-way and commercial land uses when appropriate.
2) Enhanced paving materials, trellises, and landscaping to accentuate the pedestrian circulation system.
3) Landscaped bulbs in parking areas to align with pedestrian access to buildings from a parking area. Bulbs should be at least two car spaces wide and include a 'walkway' as well as a vertical landscape or architectural element (e.g., a trellis or a tree).
2. Access Drives.
a. Standard: Access drives shall be located at least two hundred (200) feet apart and at least one hundred (100) feet from property lines and street intersections unless an approved shared drive is provided, or the driveway location does not create a traffic hazard to adjacent property.
b. Standard: Access drives shall be located off of side streets and alleys whenever possible.
c. Standard: Access drives on larger residential projects (more than fifty (50) units) shall include a minimum five-foot-wide landscaped median including curbs, color/textured paving, and other “gateway” elements (e.g., lights, bollards, entry walls, etc.).
d. Standard: Housing developments with more than two hundred (200) parking stalls (inclusive of the spaces located within carports and enclosed garages), that are located on an arterial or a larger street shall provide deceleration lanes adjacent to each major entry per city standards.
3. Carports and Garages.
a. Standard: Where carports or garages are utilized, they shall follow the same criteria for spatial arrangement as parking areas above.
C. Miscellaneous Subjects.
1. Solid Waste and Recyclable Materials Storage Areas.
a. Standard: Solid waste and recyclable materials storage areas shall be enclosed and screened in compliance with 16.18.150 (Solid Waste and Recyclable Materials).
b. Standard: Enclosures shall be finished using materials compatible with the surrounding architecture. Gates shall be solid metal painted to match adjacent buildings.
c. Standard: The location of storage areas shall be conveniently accessible for trash removal by standard refuse disposal vehicles.
d. Standard: Storage areas that can be overlooked from above shall incorporate roof structures to screen the contents of the enclosure from view.
2. Open Space.
a. Standard: The amount of private and common open space for multi-family residential developments shall be in compliance with 16.08.020 (Residential District Development standards).
b. Standard: The design and orientation of open space shall be oriented to take advantage of avail-able sunlight and should be sheltered from the noise and traffic of adjacent streets.
c. Standard: Common open spaces and recreation areas shall be located in areas accessible to and visible by as many units as possible.
d. Standard:
Private open spaces shall be contiguous to the units they serve and screened to a minimum height of four feet by use of at least one of the following design features:
1) Plant materials and low walls.
2) When possible, use the adjacent structure to enclose private open space.
3) Screening should not be completely comprised of solid materials. Screening above four feet should provide a maximum of sixty (60) percent opaqueness.
3. Screening of Equipment.
a. Standard: All mechanical equipment, whether mounted on the roof or ground, shall be screened from view in compliance with 16.18.120 (Screening and Buffering). All screening devices shall be compatible with the architecture and color of the adjacent buildings.
b. Standard: Gutters and downspouts shall be concealed unless designed as a particular architectural feature.
c. Standard: Television antennas shall be placed in attics or building interiors. It is required that all units be prewired to accommodate cable reception.
d. Standard: Solar panels shall be integrated into the roof design, flush with the roof slope. Frames shall be colored to match roof colors. Any support equipment shall be enclosed and screened from view.
D. Building Architecture.
1. General.
a. Standard:
Exterior elevations shall be appropriately articulated and detailed to avoid flat, monotonous wall planes and uninteresting barracks-like structures. This can be accomplished by incorporating a variety of the following design features:
1) Provide at least one architectural projection not less than two feet from the wall plane and not less than eight feet wide. Projections should extend the full height of single-story buildings, at least one-half the height of a two-story building, and two-thirds the height of a three-story building.
2) Use a change in wall plane of at least three feet for at least twelve (12) feet between adjacent units.
3) Provide balconies, porches, arcades, dormers, and cross gables.
4) Recess entries and windows to reveal the thickness of walls.
5) Step back second and third stories.
6) Use different building materials with varying textures and colors.
7) Recess garages under units or provide open balconies above.
8) Use combinations of one-, one-and-a-half-, and two-story units to create variation and visual interest.
9) Use vertical elements (e.g., towers) to accent horizontal massing and provide visual interest.
b. Standard: The maximum number of attached units in a particular structure shall be eight within a single elevation unless variations in the elevations are provided.
c. Standard: All accessory structures (e.g., laundry facilities, recreation buildings and sales/lease offices) shall be consistent in architectural design with the rest of the complex.
2. Building Materials.
a. Standard: The building and its elements shall be unified in textures, colors, and materials to pro-vide an order and coherence within the project.
b. Standard: The composition of materials shall avoid giving the impression of thinness. Veneers should turn corners, avoiding exposed edges.
c. Standard: The use of artificial materials (e.g., imitation brick, stone, and other simulated materials) is not allowed.
d. Standard: Materials shall be very durable, require low maintenance, and relate a sense of permanence.
e. Standard: Frequent changes in materials shall be avoided.
f. Standard: Columns, trellises, porches, colonnades, and similar elements shall use materials and colors that are compatible with the adjacent building.
g. Standard: The use of wood fencing along a project boundary or adjacent to streets shall not be allowed.
3. Roofs.
a. Standard:
Roofs shall reflect a residential appearance through pitch and use of materials, by use of at least one of the following design features:
1) Hipped or gabled roofs covering the entire building are preferable to mansard roofs and segments of pitched roofs applied at the building's edge.
2) Roof lines (i.e., ridges and plate heights) shall be broken and varied within an overall horizontal context. The minimum vertical offset should be two feet.
3) Use dormers and cross gables to break up large unarticulated roof planes.
b. Standard: Carport roofs visible from public streets shall incorporate roof slope and materials to match adjacent buildings.
c. Standard: Tile rooting materials shall reflect the color of native earthen clay which were used in their manufacture. Blue, green, and other artificially colored tiles are not allowed.
4. Stairs.
a. Standard: Stairwells shall be designed to minimize visual impact to the greatest extent feasible.
b. Standard: For public safety purposes, opportunities for natural surveillance shall be provided into and out of stairwells.
c. Standard: Stairwells shall be illuminated to minimize shadows and facilitate overall vision, but should not be overly bright.
d. Standard: Prefabricated metal stairs shall not be allowed.
e. Standard: Stair railings shall be either solid or open balusters made of concrete, wood or ornamental ironwork.
5. Color.
a. Standard:
The predominant color of structures shall be muted tones that are found in the natural environment by use of at least one of the following design features:
1) Neutral or light-colored walls should be contrasted with a darker, more intense trim color, while dark-colored walls should be contrasted with light-colored accents and details.
2) Materials such as brick, stone, copper, etc., should be left in their natural colors.
6. Security.
a. Standard: Both public and private spaces shall be limited and shall be appropriately delineated with paving, building materials, grade separations, or with physical barriers such as landscaping, fences, walls, screens, or building enclosures.
b. Standard: Entrances for automobiles and pedestrians shall be limited to the minimum required for adequate circulation and shall be marked with gates, lights, and a directory.
c. Standard: All site entrances shall be designed to be highly visible from a public street or alleyway. All access points shall be well lighted.
7. Walls.
a. Standard. Walls shall be designed using masonry materials such as split face and slump stone, with colors that complement the architectural design of adjacent buildings.
b. Standard:
Walls adjacent to streets shall not run in a continuous plane for more than forty-eight (48) feet without incorporating at least two of the following design features:
1) A minimum two-foot change in plane for at least ten feet;
2) A minimum eighteen (18) inch raised planter for at least ten feet;
3) Use of pilasters at forty-eight (48) foot intervals and at changes in wall planes and height; or
4) A section of open grillwork a minimum four feet in height for at least ten feet.
(Ord. U-596-23 § 4, 2023; Ord. 595-23, § 3, 2023; Ord. 590-23, § 4, 2023; Ord. 574-22, Exhibit B-3 (part), 2022; Ord. 556 § 4, 2020; Ord. 538, Exhibit A (part), 2018; Ord. 492 Exhibit 4, 2014; Ord. 293 § 1 (part), 2004)