A. Purpose and Intent. These multi-family residential design standards supplement the applicable zoning district and use-specific standards of this Ordinance by providing the minimum requirements for design and configuration of multi-family development within the Town's planning jurisdiction. They are intended to:
1. Ensure multi-family development takes place in a manner consistent with the context, scale, and proportion of its surroundings;
2. Promote greater compatibility between new multi-family development and other allowable use types, particularly adjacent residential single-family detached dwellings;
3. Establish expectations for minimum level of quality for multi-family development;
4. Encourage creativity in design and promote individual project identity;
5. Create neighborhoods with enhanced architectural and visual interest; and
6. Preserve property values and protect public and private investment.
B. Applicability.
1. Generally. Except where expressly exempted in writing in this Ordinance, the standards in this section shall apply to the following forms of development:
a. New multi-family dwellings;
b. New triplex and quadplex dwellings; and
c. New multi-unit residential structures within a continuing care retirement community use type; and
d. New assisted living facilities and nursing homes.
2. Voluntary Compliance for Single-Family Attached Dwellings.
a. Single-family attached development shall be exempted from these standards, though a landowner may voluntarily agree to comply with them, comply with them as part of a conditional rezoning (see Section 2.2.6, Conditional Rezoning), or comply in order to take advantage of a sustainable development incentive (see Section 5.12, Sustainability Incentives).
b. In cases where an applicant agrees to comply with these standards, a signed copy of the following statement shall be included on all approved site plans and subdivision plats.
The single-family attached development depicted on the attached site plan or subdivision plat is subject to the Town of Zebulon's Multi-Family Residential Design Standards in place at the time the application for this development was determined to be complete. I _________________ hereby voluntarily consent to the application of these design standards, the acceptance of which shall run with the land regardless of changes in ownership, and recognize that failure to comply with the applicable requirements following approval is a violation of the Unified Development Ordinance.
Landowner Signature Date
c. The signed statement of consent and an associated site plan depicting the development's compliance with these standards shall be recorded in the office of the Wake County Register of Deeds prior to issuance of a building permit.
C. Exemptions. The following forms of development shall be exempted from these standards:
1. Single-family attached development, unless subject to voluntary consent by the landowner in accordance with subsection (2) above or subject to conditions of approval incorporated in a conditional rezoning approval;
2. Duplex dwellings;
3. Renovation or redevelopment of existing structures; and
4. Routine maintenance and repairs.
D. Timing of Review. Review for compliance with these standards shall take place during review of an associated rezoning, site plan, special use permit, or planned development, as appropriate.
E. Design Requirements. Development subject to these standards shall be designed in accordance with the following:
1. Street Network.
a. On sites including new streets, an interconnected network of streets shall be provided, to the maximum extent practicable, and streets shall connect to adjacent existing streets outside of the development.
b. Vehicular driveways into a development with 10 or more dwelling units shall be at least 100 feet away from any major intersection, to the maximum extent practicable.
c. Driveways shall be consolidated in order to reduce curb cuts, to the maximum extent practicable.
2. Building Orientation.
a. Buildings that abut streets shall be oriented parallel to the street they front rather than being oriented at an angle to the street.
b. On corner lots, the long axis of the building shall be parallel to the longest lot frontage unless such orientation is incompatible with adjacent, existing development along the same street (see Figure 5.3.3.E.2: Multi-Family Building Orientation).
c. Buildings within multiple-building developments shall be clustered in order to define open space recreation areas and development entry points.
3. Building Entrances.
a. The facades of buildings abutting streets shall be configured so that entryways to individual dwelling units or shared entrances face the street.
b. Access to upper-floor dwelling units shall be obtained from shared internal entries. In no instance shall walkways to individual upper-story dwelling units take place on the exterior of the building.
c. Individual ground-floor and shared entryways shall be sheltered from the weather either by:
i. Recessing the entrance at least three feet to the inside of the primary ground floor facade plane; or
ii. Inclusion of an overhead architectural treatment that extends outward at least three feet from the primary facade plane.
4. Building Facades.
a. Buildings subject to these standards shall maintain a consistent level of architectural detailing and composition on each building facade facing a street.
b. Building facades facing streets shall provide a minimum of three of the following architectural elements (see Figure 5.3.3.E.4: Multi-Family Building Facades):
i. A covered porch or terrace;
ii. One or more dormer windows or cupolas;
iii. Eyebrow windows;
iv. Awnings or overhangs;
v. Decorative moldings;
vi. Shutters;
vii. Pillars, posts, or pilasters;
viii. One or more bay windows with a minimum twelve-inch projection from the facade plane;
ix. Multiple windows with a minimum of four-inch-wide trim;
x. Corniced parapets;
xi. Eaves with a minimum of four-inch-wide trim; or
xii. Integral planters that incorporate landscaped areas and/or places for sitting.
c. Garage entries, loading and service entries, utility rooms, stairs, elevators, or similar features shall not occupy more than 20 percent of the width of a building facade facing a street.
d. Attached street-facing garages serving individual dwelling units shall be recessed at least three feet inwards from the primary first floor facade plane or be associated with an upper-story projection that exists above the garage.
e. Developments with three or more principal buildings shall provide variation in building size, shape, height, color, and roofline in a manner that allows different buildings to be distinguished from one another.
5. Building Corners. Building corners that are adjacent to one or more streets shall include at least one of the following features (see Figure 5.3.3.E.5: Multi-Family Building Corners):
a. A plaza or other gathering space;
b. A shared ground-floor pedestrian entryway;
c. A distinctive roof feature such as a tower, turret, spire, pediment, or other architectural feature with a height above the roofline of adjacent dwelling units;
d. Changes in roof type or pitch from the adjacent building sides; or
e. Upper-story balconies or terraces that wrap both sides of the corner.
6. Building Massing.
a. Upper story facade walls shall not project beyond the ground floor footprint except to accommodate bump-outs with windows.
b. In the case of two-story buildings, the exterior facade wells of the second floor shall be in line with or setback from the first floor facade walls.
c. In the case of three- (or more) story buildings, upper story facade walls shall be setback from the second or ground-floor floor facade walls to preserve light and air and avoid casting shadows (see Figure 5.3.3.E.6: Multi-Family Building Massing).
7. Building Articulation.
a. Street-facing building facades shall be articulated with wall offsets, in the form of recesses or projections from the primary facade plane, of at least two feet for every 35 linear feet of facade frontage (see Figure 5.3.3.E.7: Multi-Family Facade Articulation).
b. Where provided, projections or recesses shall extend from the grade to the top of the highest story in line with the ground-floor footprint.
8. Building Height.
a. Buildings subject to the standards of this section shall have a maximum heigh t of two stories or 18 feet within 100 feet of a lot with an existing single-family detached residential dwelling, without an intervening street (see Figure 5.3.3.e.8: Multi-Family Building Height).
b. Building stories that are 75 percent or more below the finished grade at the front of the lot shall not be counted towards the number of allowable stories.
9. Roof Form.
a. Development shall incorporate roof pitches between 3:12 and 12:12, or shall incorporate parapet walls with a dimensional cornice around a flat roof.
b. Alternative roof forms or pitches are encouraged for small roof sections over porches, entryways, or similar features.
c. Buildings with eaves shall be configured such that no single horizontal eave continues for more than 60 linear feet without being broken up by a gable, building projection, and articulation feature.
d. Buildings with overhanging eaves and roof rakes shall extend at least six inches past supporting walls.
10. Building Materials and Colors.
a. Configuration.
i. The predominate exterior material shall be brick, stone, cementitious, or other masonry material.
ii. Buildings subject to these standards shall include at least two primary exterior materials on any single building.
iii. Changes in colors and materials shall take place at internal corners or in logical locations, such as: building wings, bays, bump-outs, or recesses (see Figure 5.3.3.E.10: Multi-Family Building Materials). In no instance shall exterior materials or colors change at outside corners.
iv. Heavier or more bulky exterior materials shall be located beneath or below lighter materials.
b. Prohibited Materials. The following materials shall be prohibited on any facade facing a street, open space, or district intended primarily for single-family detached development:
i. Smooth-faced concrete block;
ii. Corrugated metal siding;
iii. Vinyl siding (excluding windows or soffits); or
iv. Synthetic stucco within two feet of the grade.
11. Accessory Structures. In addition to the standards in Section 4.4, Accessory Uses, accessory uses and structures associated with a development subject to these standards shall comply with the following:
a. Street-facing detached garages on corner lots shall be located to the side or rear of buildings.
b. Access to accessory structures (such as garages, carports, storage areas, etc.) shall be provided from alleys or secondary streets, to the maximum extent practicable.
c. Accessory buildings shall include exterior materials, colors, and roof form designed to be consistent with the principal structure.
d. Accessory structures shall not physically obstruct pedestrian entrances.
e. Centralized refuse collection containers, if provided, shall be located in an enclosed area located to the rear of principal buildings.
12. Site Features.
a. Except for nursing homes, development subject to these standards shall not include a gate or obstruction that blocks access to the site for vehicles, bicycles, or pedestrians.
b. Off-street parking serving guests shall be evenly distributed throughout the development.
c. Shared refuse collection containers shall be evenly distributed throughout the development or be centrally located.
d. Detached garages or carports shall not be located between a principal building and the street it faces.
e. Utilities shall be provided underground, and utility vaults shall be clustered in areas outside of required landscaping.
(Ord. 2020-36, passed 12-2-2019; Ord. 2022-19, passed 10-4-2021; Ord. 2023-11, passed 11-7-2022)