A. Purpose And Intent: The general purpose of the multi-family development standards are as follows:
1. To describe how new multi-family buildings will be compatible with their surroundings;
2. To ensure new multi-family development is compatible with and enhances the character of Whitefish's residential neighborhoods;
3. To enhance the built environment for pedestrians in higher density areas;
4. To provide for development of neighborhoods with attractive, well-connected streets, sidewalks, and trails that enable convenient, direct access to neighborhood centers, parks, schools, and transit stops;
5. To ensure adequate light, air, and readily accessible open space for multi-family developments in order to maintain public health, safety, and welfare;
6. To ensure the compatibility of dissimilar adjoining land uses;
7. To maintain or improve the character, appearance, and livability of established neighborhoods by protecting them from incompatible uses, excessive noise, illumination, loss of privacy, and similar significant nuisances; and
8. To encourage creativity and flexibility in the design of multi-family developments in a manner that maximizes unique site attributes and is compatible with the character and intensity of adjoining land use.
B. Orientation And Multiple Buildings Standards:
1. Requirement: Multi-family projects must be designed to orient to public streets and to provide distinct bicycle, pedestrian, and vehicular connections to existing neighborhoods.
2. Techniques: Techniques for complying with the requirement in subsection B2 of this section include, but are not limited to:
a. Using a modified street grid system where most buildings in a project front on a street. Where no public streets exist, creating a grid street system within the project.
b. Locating parking areas behind or under buildings and accessing such parking from alley-type driveways. If driveway access from streets is necessary, minimum width driveways meeting the Fire Code standards should be used. Shared driveways between adjacent uses are preferred.
c. Providing each building with direct and distinct pedestrian access from the main street fronting the building and from the back where the parking is located.
d. Design alternate and/or separate routes into the development that clearly define the bicycle and pedestrian areas versus areas for vehicles.
3. Site Planning Techniques: The following illustrations depict site planning techniques that orient multi-family projects to streets, adding value and identity to the complex by adding interior or corner courtyards and siting parking behind buildings:
4. Multi-Building Design: For multi-family development sites with multiple buildings on one lot or multiple buildings on adjacent lots owned and developed contiguously as one apartment complex, the following additional standards apply:
a. Buildings must exhibit a general similarity of scale, orientation, and proportion with unified natural and built features. As a general rule, taller buildings must be placed toward the interior of the site and stepped back from the street.
b. Buildings must be grouped or sited with other buildings to create distinct outdoor spaces by being organized around a common open space, courtyards, public open space, natural site features (such as a stream corridor), or amenities such as recreational facilities.
c. Buildings must not present blank walls lacking articulation, modulation, or window and door openings to streets, access drives, or parking areas.
d. Sites must connect to natural corridors and trail systems and must facilitate pedestrian and bicycle traffic.
C. Parking Location And Design:
1. Requirement: The impact of driveways and parking lots on the public and neighboring properties must be minimized by designing, locating, and screening parking lots, carports, and garages in a way that creates few interruptions on the street, sidewalk, or building facade. Bicycle parking and storage must be provided.
2. Techniques: Techniques for complying with the requirement in subsection C1 of this section include, but are not limited to:
a. Locating surface parking at the rear or side of lot;
b. Breaking large parking lots into small ones in a way that provides easy access for pedestrians;
c. Minimizing the number and width of driveways and curb cuts;
d. Sharing driveways with adjacent property owners;
e. Locating parking in areas that are less visible from the street but preferably with southern exposure for snow melt;
f. Locating driveways so they are visually less dominant;
g. Limiting parking lots on street frontages to thirty percent (30%) of the street frontage;
h. Parking lot lighting must be the minimum needed to create adequate visibility at night, must be energy efficient and dark sky compliant meeting outdoor lighting standards found in section 11-3-25 of this chapter, and must utilize energy efficient “warm-white” or filtered (CCT <3,000 K; S/P ratio <1.2) fully shielded LED lights as much as possible. Sufficient ground-level lighting must be provided where stairs, curbs, ramps, abrupt changes in walk direction, and crossing vehicle lanes occur; and
i. Secure short-term bicycle parking must be provided in a convenient location at one space for every four (4) dwelling units, with a minimum of two (2) spaces provided.
D. Fences And Walls:
1. Requirement: The site must be designed to minimize the need for fences and walls which inhibit or discourage pedestrian use of sidewalks or paths, isolate neighborhoods, or separate neighborhoods from main roads.
2. Techniques: Techniques for complying with the requirement in subsection D1 of this section include, but are not limited to, placing pedestrian breaks and/or crossings at frequent intervals where a fence, wall or landscaped area separates a sidewalk from a building or one development from another, or when fencing is necessary, using fencing that is easy to see through such as natural wood split rail or picket fencing.
E. Site Lighting And Support Facilities:
1. Requirement: Provide adequate lighting, screening, and pedestrian access to supporting facilities such as tot lots, mailboxes, bus stops, recycling areas and dumpsters. If otherwise required as a condition of project approval, locate passenger shelters in well-lit areas with access to the multi-family walkway network. Provide for shielding and directing of lighting to minimize impacts upon residents and abutting property owners. Lighting must meet the requirements of section 11-3-25, "Outdoor Lighting Standards", of this chapter, and energy efficient "warm- white" or filtered (CCT <3,000 K; S/P ratio <1.2) fully shielded LED lights must be utilized as much as possible. Light fixtures not necessary for security purposes must be activated by motion sensor devices where practicable.
2. Techniques: Techniques for complying with the requirement in subsection E1 of this section include, but are not limited to:
a. Site Lighting:
(1) Providing site lighting along walkways throughout the project that is pedestrian scale, and low in height and intensity;
(2) Providing security lighting in parking areas and play areas;
(3) Preventing site lighting from shining into the dwelling units in the development; and
(4) Directing lighting away from neighboring development.
3. Bus Stops: Ensuring that the multi-family walkway network provides convenient pedestrian access to the nearest transit stop.
4. Support Facilities:
a. Locating support facilities such as trash receptacles, dumpsters, and mechanical equipment in areas adjacent to interior walkways; and
b. Fully screening and landscaping support facilities.
F. Open Space And Outdoor Common And Private Spaces:
1. Requirement: Usable common area open space of at least ten percent (10%) of the site must be provided in a multi-family development for all the residents of the development in a central location accessible to all units. Given the environmental and recreational benefit of open space, it should be integrated into the overall design of the development rather than consisting of residual areas left over after buildings and parking lots are sited.
2. Techniques: Techniques for complying with the requirement in subsection F1 of this section include, but are not limited to:
a. Combining the open space of contiguous properties to provide for larger viable open space areas;
b. Siting permanent outdoor recreation equipment away from storm drainage facilities;
c. Using walkways to connect the open space to the multi- family buildings, parking areas, and adjacent neighborhoods;
d. Incorporating a variety of amenities and activities for all age groups in the open space, including, but not limited to site furnishings such as benches and tables, picnic and barbeque areas, patios and courtyards, gardens, water features, tot lots, play fields, sport courts (such as tennis, volleyball, or bocce ball), and open lawns; and
e. Required setbacks and landscaping buffers, parking areas, and emergency access and/or turnarounds cannot be counted as common area open space.
3. Private Outdoor Spaces: Visually shielded private outdoor spaces such as yards, decks, or patios should be provided to encourage a sense of ownership by residents. Shielding may consist of berms, hedges, landscaping, fencing, or walls.
G. Neighborhood Scale:
1. Requirement: To the extent reasonable and practicable, the architectural scale of new buildings proposed for existing neighborhoods must be compatible with and complement the architectural character of neighboring buildings.
2. Techniques: Techniques for complying with the requirement in subsection G1 of this section include, but are not limited to:
a. Breaking a multi-family building into house size building elements, especially where there is a building height transition from adjoining development; and
b. Using the existing separation pattern and orientation of buildings in the adjacent neighborhood to establish the pattern of the new developments.
3. Design: The following illustrations depict how multi-family buildings can be better integrated into existing neighborhoods through architectural design:
a. Articulation and modulation of buildings and roof lines reduces perceived building bulk and scale.
b. Designing multi-family buildings to "step back" from abutting lower density properties helps the building to better fit into the existing neighborhood.
c. The multi-family buildings depicted as "A" and "B" above have been built on an identical site. However, building example "A" incorporates design clues from the surrounding neighborhood and is the preferred design. Building example "A" covers roughly the same lot area as building example "B" and provides for the same number of units, while fitting in with its surroundings. Multi- family building example "B" has been built on a site surrounded by single-family development. The building design is undesirable as it bears no resemblance to the existing neighborhood and looks out of place. (Ord. 19-13, 6-17-2019; amd. Ord. 20-13, 10-19-2020; Ord. 23-08, 6-5-2023)