In addition to the standards for development prescribed above, all Housing Development Projects in the RM districts shall comply with the objective design standards outlined in
Chapter 18.24
, as defined therein. All other developments, and Housing Development Projects that elect to deviate from one or more objective design standards in
Chapter 18.24
, shall meet the Context Based Design Criteria, as determined by the Director pursuant to the Architectural Review process.
(a) Contextual and Compatibility Criteria
Development in a multiple-family residential district shall be responsible to its context and compatible with adjacent development.
(1) Context
(A) Context as used in this section is intended to indicate relationships between the site's development to adjacent street types, surrounding land uses, and on-site or nearby natural features, such as creeks or trees. Effective transitions to these adjacent uses and features are strongly reinforced by Comprehensive Plan policies.
(B) The word "context" should not be construed as a desire to replicate existing surroundings, but rather to provide appropriate transitions to those surroundings. "Context" is also not specific to architectural style or design, though in some instances relationships may be reinforced by an architectural response.
(2) Compatibility
(A) Compatibility is achieved when the apparent scale and mass of new buildings share general characteristics and establishes design linkages with the overall pattern of buildings so that the visual unity of the neighborhood or street is maintained. For active streetscapes, compatibility is achieved when the scale and mass of new buildings are consistent with the pattern of achieving a pedestrian oriented design.
(B) Compatibility goals may be accomplished through various means, including but not limited to:
(i) the siting, scale, massing, and materials;
(ii) the rhythmic pattern of the street established by the general width of the buildings and the spacing between them;
(iii) the pattern of roof lines and projections;
(iv) the sizes, proportions, and orientations of windows, bays and doorways;
(v) the location and treatment of entryways;
(vi) the shadow patterns from massing and decorative features;
(vii) the siting and treatment of parking; and
(viii) the treatment of landscaping.
(b) Context-Based Design Considerations and Findings
In addition to the findings for Architectural Review contained in Section 18.76.020(d) of the Zoning Ordinance, the following additional findings are applicable in the RM-20, RM-30, and RM-40 districts, as further illustrated on the accompanying diagrams:
(1) Massing and Building Facades
Massing and building facades shall be designed to create a residential scale in keeping with Palo Alto neighborhoods, and to provide a relationship with street(s) through elements such as:
A. Articulation, setbacks, and materials that minimize massing, break down the scale of buildings, and provide visual interest (Figure 1-1);
B. Rooflines that emphasize and accentuate significant elements of the building such as entries, bays, and balconies (Figure 1-1);
C. Placement and orientation of doorways, windows, and landscape elements to create a relationship with the street (Figure 1-1);
D. Facades that include projecting eaves and overhangs, porches, and other architectural elements that provide human scale and help break up building mass (Figure 1-1);
E. Entries that are clearly defined features of front facades, and that have a scale that is in proportion to the size and type of the building and number of units being accessed; larger buildings should have a more prominent building entrance, while maintaining a pedestrian scale;
F. Residential units that have a presence on the street and are not walled-off or oriented exclusively inward;
G. Elements that signal habitation such as entrances, stairs, porches, bays and balconies that are visible to people on the street (Figure 1-2);
H. All exposed sides of a building designed with the same level of care and integrity (Figure 1-2).
(2) Low-Density Residential Transitions
Where new projects are built abutting existing lower-scale residential development, care shall be taken to respect the scale and privacy of neighboring properties through:
A. Transitions of development intensity from higher density development building types to building types that are compatible with the lower intensity surrounding uses, such as small-lot units and rowhouses (Figure 2-1);
B. Massing and orientation of buildings that respect and mirror the massing of neighboring structures by stepping back upper stories to transition to smaller scale buildings, including setbacks and daylight planes that match abutting R-1 and R-2 zone requirements (Figure 2-2);
C. Respecting privacy of neighboring structures, with windows and upper floor balconies positioned so they minimize views into neighboring properties (Figure 2-3);
D. Minimizing sight lines into and from neighboring properties (Figure 2-3);
E. Limiting sun and shade impacts on abutting properties; and
F. Providing pedestrian paseos and mews to create separation between uses.
(3) Project Open Space
Private and public open space shall be provided so that it is usable for the residents and visitors of a site.
A. The type and design of the usable private open space shall be appropriate to the character of the building(s), and shall consider dimensions, solar access, wind protection, views, and privacy;
B. Open space should be sited and designed to accommodate different activities, groups, active and passive uses, and should be located convenient to the residents.
C. Common open spaces should connect to the pedestrian pathways and existing natural amenities of the site and its surroundings (Figure 3-1);
D. Usable open space may be any combination of private and common spaces;
E. Open space should be located to activate the street facade and increase "eyes on the street" when possible (Figure 3-2);
F. Usable open space does not need to be located on the ground and may be located in porches, decks, balconies and/or podiums (Figure 3-3);
G. Both private and common open space areas should be buffered from noise where feasible through landscaping and building placement;
H. Open space situated over a structural slab/podium or on a rooftop shall have a combination of landscaping and high quality paving materials, including elements such as planters, mature trees, and use of textured and/or colored paved surfaces (Figure 3-3); and
I. Parking may not be counted as open space.
(4) Parking Design
Parking needs shall be accommodated but shall not be allowed to overwhelm the character of the project or detract from the pedestrian environment, such that:
A. Parking is located behind buildings, below grade or, where those options are not feasible, screened by landscaping, low walls, garages and carports, etc.;
B. Structured parking is fronted or wrapped with habitable uses when possible (Figure 4-1);
C. Parking that is semi-depressed is screened with architectural elements that enhance the streetscape such as stoops, balcony overhangs, and/or art (Figure 4-2);
D. Landscaping such as trees, shrubs, vines, or groundcover is incorporated into surface parking lots (Figure 4-2);
E. For properties with parking access from the rear of the site (such as a rear alley or driveway) landscaping shall provide a visual buffer between vehicle circulation areas and abutting properties (Figure 4-3);
F. Street parking is utilized for visitor or customer parking and is designed in a manner to enhance traffic calming;
G. Parking is accessed from side streets or alleys when possible.
(5) Large (multi-acre) Sites
Large (in excess of one acre) sites shall be designed so that street, block, and building patterns are consistent with those of the surrounding neighborhood, and such that:
A. New development of large sites maintains and enhances connectivity with a hierarchy of public streets, private streets, walks and bike paths (integrated with Palo Alto's Bicycle Master Plan, when applicable);
C. Where a site includes more than one housing type, each building type should respond to its immediate context in terms of scale, massing, and design (e.g., small lot units or rowhouse building types facing or abutting existing single-family residences) (Figures 5-2 and 5-3).
(6) Housing Variety and Units on Individual Lots
Multifamily projects may include a variety of unit types such as small-lot detached units (Figure 6-1), attached rowhouses/townhouses (Figure 6-2), and cottage clusters in order to achieve variety and create transitions to adjacent existing development, provided that:
A. Setbacks and daylight planes along the perimeter of the site shall conform to RM-20 zone standards;
B. Overall development intensity (FAR, landscape coverage, open space) shall be calculated across the entire site to comply with the RM-20 zone standards;
C. Individual detached units shall be spaced a minimum of 3 feet apart;
D. For units on individual "fee simple" lots, units may be situated along the property line of the individual parcel (i.e., zero-lot line) to allow usable open space in the opposite side setback;
E. Each detached unit shall have at least one usable side yard between the house and fence to provide outdoor passage between the front and rear yards;
F. Spaces between buildings shall be landscaped and/or shall provide for usable hardscape (patios, decks, etc.);
G. Sidewall windows should be designed with privacy features such as obscure glass or glass block;
H. Windows on sidewalls opposite each other should be above eye level or should be offset to prevent views into adjacent units; and
I. Architectural treatment shall be carried along the sidewalls of detached units, particularly sidewalls facing streets and pathways.
(7) Sustainability and Green Building Design
Project design and materials to achieve sustainability and green building design shall be incorporated into the project. Green building design considers the environment during design and construction. Green building design aims for compatibility with the local environment: to protect, respect and benefit from it. In general, sustainable buildings are energy efficient, water conserving, durable and nontoxic, with high-quality spaces and high recycled content materials. The following considerations should be included in site and building design:
A. Optimize building orientation for heat gain, shading, daylighting, and natural ventilation (Figure 7-1);
B. Design landscaping to create comfortable micro-climates and reduce heat island effects (Figure 7-2);
C. Design for easy pedestrian, bicycle, and transit access;
D. Maximize onsite stormwater management through landscaping and permeable pavement (Figure 7-3);
E. Use sustainable building materials.
F. Design lighting, plumbing and equipment for efficient energy use;
G. Create healthy indoor environments;
H. Use creativity and innovation to build more sustainable environments. One example is establishing gardens with edible fruits, vegetables or other plants to satisfy a portion of project open space requirements (Figure 7-2); and
I. Provide protection for creeks and riparian vegetation and integrate stormwater management measures and open space to minimize water quality and erosion impacts to the creek environment.
(Ord. 5554 § 6, 2022: Ord. 5460 § 15, 2019: Ord. 4964 § 2 (part), 2007)