§ 68.205. Residential Neighborhood Guidelines.

The following guidelines shall apply to Residential Neighborhoods:

(a)

Residential Neighborhood Structure. All neighborhoods shall be mixed-use, that is, neighborhoods shall contain both residential and non-residential uses. Residential uses shall include both single family and multifamily housing types. The majority of non-residential uses shall be clustered in the Neighborhood and Residential Centers, including: retail and non-retail commercial and business uses as well as public and semi-public uses such as day-care, churches, and civic centers. Middle and High Schools and major parks should be located outside of the Neighborhood and Residential Centers, because of their larger land area requirements. Retail, commercial, and business uses shall not be located outside of the Neighborhood or Residential Centers. Neighborhoods shall be pedestrian and bicycle friendly.

1.

Neighborhoods shall be scaled to the pedestrian, with Neighborhood and Residential Centers within a comfortable ¼ to 1/3 mile walking distance of most homes.

2.

Land use boundaries and density changes in neighborhoods should occur at mid-block locations whenever possible, rather than along streets so that buildings facing each other are compatible and transitions between uses are gradual.

(b)

Location and Density. Residential Neighborhoods shall:

1.

Be located in the areas depicted on the Master Plan Map.

2.

Have a maximum density of 12 dwelling units per gross acre.

3.

Contain the following residential housing types: large-lot, standard lot, small-lot single family homes; townhomes and other types of attached single family houses; duplexes and multifamily units up to four-plexes; and ancillary dwelling units. Owner-occupied housing is specifically encouraged.

4.

Focus on a centrally-located Residential Center, Neighborhood Center or Village Center which will include public, semi-public, and private services and uses.

(c)

Housing Diversity. Each neighborhood shall include a variety of housing types and styles to allow people with a range of different ages and incomes to live in the neighborhood of their choice as an integrated and diverse community. In order to maintain the desired density of residential neighborhoods, a variety of housing types, lot sizes, and patterns shall be required. Each neighborhood, however, while having a mix of housing types, shall not be required to have every type of housing product (see Part 3: Building Guidelines and Standards).

(d)

Housing Design and Orientation. New residential neighborhoods shall be designed to orient buildings to streets and public parks. Houses shall address the local street system and public spaces with entries, balconies, porches, architectural features, and activities to enliven the streets and create safe and pleasant walking environments.

1.

The design of attached and multi-family dwellings shall include features typically associated with detached single family houses, including private outdoor spaces and individual identity. Garages for lower intensity single family housing and parking lots for higher intensity multi-family type housing shall not be allowed to dominate the frontage of local neighborhood streets (see Part 3: Building Guidelines and Standards for additional clarification on this requirement).

2.

New housing shall be "human scale". Massing, setbacks, and character of new residential developments shall encourage structures that do not overly dominate streets, foster diversity in design, and maintain the character of the community. Alternative housing forms, such as small-lot single family, bungalow single family, townhomes, small-scale apartments, and ancillary dwelling units ("granny flats") that increase density and provide diversity of housing opportunities shall be encouraged.

(e)

Parks. Small parks should be located within two to three blocks of every home within a neighborhood. Pedestrian and bicycle connections shall be enhanced to allow surrounding residents to easily and safely access public recreational facilities. Larger neighborhood parks with multiple play fields shall be centrally located and should be connected to citywide parks and open space network whenever possible. All parks should:

1.

encourage easy access via streets and trails;

2.

foster safety by making it easy to view into parks from streets and surrounding homes; and

3.

include program elements that make the construction and on-going maintenance of small parks affordable.

(f)

Schools. An elementary shall be located to serve every two to three neighborhoods and shall be situated so students from each neighborhood can easily walk or bike to school along safe, low traffic streets. Middle schools shall be located to serve four to six neighborhoods. Students of these schools should be able to walk or bike to school along safe streets and/or greenway bike/pedestrian paths.

1.

The City shall encourage the use of neighborhood elementary schools as community gathering places. Infrastructure improvements shall be identified which are needed to make school sites available for evening and weekend use (e.g., better lighting and improved security).

2.

Where appropriate, elementary schools should be located within or adjacent to Neighborhood Centers and Residential Centers and explore opportunities for incorporating civic programs, such as places for cultural events, adult education recreation facilities, branch libraries, and child care.

(g)

Street Configuration. Local streets shall form an interconnected network, including automobile, bicycle, and pedestrian routes that provide direct connections to local destinations. Local streets shall provide for both intra- and inter-neighborhood connections and thus knit neighborhoods together, not form barriers between them. Proposals for gated entryways into new developments or neighborhoods shall be reviewed for conformance with the City's Land Development Code. In general, gated communities shall not be permitted unless the site is either surrounded by wetlands on only three sides or is a pocket of land within a street system that does not connect through some type of mixed use center.

(h)

Street Design. Local streets shall be considered to be both public ways and neighborhood amenities. They shall have continuous detached sidewalks, bikeways, street trees, and other amenities, such as benches, that favor the pedestrian. Individual residential homes should provide entries, gates, porches, and other inviting features that face local streets to create a sense of community and improve safety.

(i)

Edges. Arterial streets, changes in street fabric, greenways, and natural features (such as wetlands, lakes, and major creeks) should define the edge of a neighborhood. Landscaped setbacks and trails should be used to create an attractive environment at a neighborhood's edge.

(j)

Natural Features. Valuable natural features including creeks, significant trees, and wetlands shall be protected and accentuated through sensitive site planning, building placement, and other measures.

(k)

Phasing. Neighborhoods should be livable at all stages of their development. The City shall require the provision of important public facilities concurrently with new development, including streets, utilities, local neighborhood parks, schools, and civic buildings.

(Ord. of 5-10-1999, § 10, Doc. #32070)