Alamo Heights City Zoning Code
ARTICLE V
TWO-FAMILY DWELLING DISTRICT 2F-C
§ 3-32 Lot area.
The minimum lot area in the 2F-C District shall be in accordance with the following, and no lot existing at the time of passage of this ordinance shall be reduced in area below the minimum requirements set forth herein:
(1)
Single-family dwelling detached: Seven thousand five hundred (7,500) square feet.
(2)
Single-family dwelling attached and two-family dwelling: Nine thousand (9,000) square feet.
(3)
Two-family dwelling district (2F-C) - approval with proposed change to lot size and density.
(Ordinance 1750-C, sec. 2, adopted 1/28/2008; Ordinance 2075, exh. A, adopted 4/24/2017)
§ 3-33 Lot width.
The minimum lot width in the 2F-C District shall be in accordance with the following, and no lot existing at the time of passage of this ordinance shall be reduced in width below the minimum requirements set forth herein:
(1)
Single-family dwelling detached: Fifty (50) feet.
(2)
Single-family dwelling attached and two-family dwelling: Sixty (60) feet.
(3)
Two-family dwelling district (2F-C) - approval with proposed changes, refer to single-family.
(4)
Minimum side yard for single-family and two-family structures shall be six (6) feet (non-driveway side) and ten (10) feet for the driveway side.
(5)
Corner side yards shall have a minimum setback of fifteen (15) feet.
(6)
Minimum side yard for single-family attached and two-family residences adjacent to SF-A or SF-B zoning districts shall be based on the following:
a.
A minimum setback of fifteen (15) feet shall be required adjacent to the SF-A or SF-B zoning diştricts.
i.
A minimum setback of six (6) feet (non-driveway side) and ten (10) feet for the driveway side shall be permitted for the remaining side yard setback, which is not adjacent to an SF-A or SF-B zoning district.
b.
A looming ratio of two to one (2:1) height looming applies to the side yard setback adjacent to SF-A or SF-B zoning districts.
i.
The height looming ratio shall not apply when adjacent to public rights-of-way.
c.
Corner side yards shall have a minimum setback of fifteen (15) feet.
(7)
Where multiple structures are arranged on a singular lot and have a height less than thirty (30) feet, a minimum building separation between structures shall be twelve (12) feet, provided that all building and fire codes have been met pertaining to construction types/standards.
(8)
Detached garages or other detached accessory buildings shall be located as follows:
(9)
Every part of a required side yard for main structures shall be open and unobstructed except for the ordinary projections of window sills, roof eaves or overhangs, belt courses, cornices, roofs and other architectural features projecting not to exceed two (2) feet into the required side yard but not less than four (4) feet from the property line.
a.
Accessory structure roof eaves or overhangs are required to have a minimum two-foot side setback from the property line.
(10)
No fence, wall or other man-made, non-living barrier, other than the wall of a permitted structure, shall be erected or altered in any side yard in excess of eight (8) feet in height measured from the lower side of such fence, wall or other barrier. When the grade of the land adjacent to the location of a fence, wall or other barrier has been altered from its natural condition, the city building official shall determine the permissible height of a fence, wall or other barrier from the city building official's projection of the natural grade of the land.
(11)
Air conditioning units and pool units may encroach into the required side yard setback and maintain a minimum of three (3) feet from the property line.
(12)
Main structure articulation: The maximum exterior side wall plane width without a minimum of a two (2) foot deep by ten (10) foot wide for the full height of the structure, above the first floor, offset is every thirty (30) feet.
a.
Articulation standards may be modified by recommendations from the architectural review board and council approval.
(Ordinance 1750-C, sec. 2, adopted 1/28/2008; Ordinance 2075, exh. A, adopted 4/24/2017)
§ 3-34 Front yard setbacks.
No building, structure or use shall hereafter be located, erected or altered in the 2F-C District so as to have a smaller front yard than twenty-five (25) feet, except as specifically provided in section 3-81, Special front yard regulations.
The required front yard of twenty-five (25) feet is for a one-family dwelling attached unit facing the street from which the address is derived. Units to the rear of the initial unit do not add to the required front yard depth. This does not avoid the necessity to meet other requirements of the zoning code and other codes and ordinances.
(Ordinance 1750-C, sec. 2, adopted 1/28/2008)
§ 3-35 Side yard setbacks.
No building, structure or use shall hereafter be located, erected or altered in the 2F-C District so as to have a smaller side yard than hereinafter specified, except as specifically provided in section 3-82, Special side yard regulations.
(1)
Minimum side yard for one-family and two-family residences shall be five (5) feet.
(2)
Minimum total side yards for one-family and two-family residences shall be fifteen (15) feet.
(3)
Maximum total required side yards for one-family and two-family residences shall be thirty (30) feet.
(Ordinance 1750-C, sec. 2, adopted 1/28/2008)
§ 3-36 Rear yard setbacks.
No building, structure or use shall hereafter be located, erected or altered in 2F-C District so as to have a smaller rear yard than twenty-five (25) feet as follows:
(1)
Every part of a required rear yard for main structures shall be open and unobstructed except for permitted accessory buildings and ordinary projections of window sills, roof eaves or overhangs, belt courses, cornices and other architectural features projecting not to exceed four (4) feet into the required rear yard.
(2)
Accessory structure roof eaves or overhangs are required to have a minimum two (2) foot rear setback from the property line.
(3)
(4)
No fence or wall, other than the walls of a permitted structure, shall be erected or altered in any rear yard to exceed a height of eight (8) feet measured from the lower side of such fence, wall or other structure. When the grade of the land adjacent to the location of a fence, wall or other barrier has been altered from its natural condition, the city building official shall determine the permissible height of a fence, wall or other barrier from the city building official's projection of the natural grade of the land.
(5)
Air conditioning units and pool units may encroach into any required rear yard setback, but in no case closer than six (6) feet from the property line.
(Ordinance 1750-C, sec. 2, adopted 1/28/2008; Ordinance 2075, exh. A, adopted 4/24/2017)
§ 3-37 Lot coverage.
The maximum percentage of any lot area in the 2F-C District which may hereafter be covered by impervious cover shall not exceed sixty-five (65) percent. This section does not waive any other landscaping or stormwater requirements found within the Code of Ordinances.
(Ordinance 1750-C, sec. 2, adopted 1/28/2008; Ordinance 2075, exh. A, adopted 4/24/2017)
§ 3-38 Height.
No main building or main structure shall be erected, altered, or converted for any use permitted in the 2F-C District to exceed the maximum height of thirty-five (35) feet, but not to exceed two and one-half (2.5) stories (see "Height" definition). Exceptions are as follows:
(1)
Exception: Chimneys can exceed the maximum height by up to four (4) feet.
(2)
No accessory structures shall be erected, altered, or converted for any use permitted in 2F-C Districts to exceed the maximum height of twenty-five (25) feet.
(3)
Except for the first ten (10) feet of wall plate, the maximum side and rear wall plates of an accessory structure shall not exceed twice the width of the side setback in height (height looming standard).
Editor's note—Ordinance 1776, adopted July 21, 2008, repealed sec. 3-38, which pertained to height limitations and derived from Ord. 1750-C, sec. 2, adopted January 28, 2008. Subsequently, Ord. 2075, exh. A, adopted April 24, 2017, enacted new provisions to read as herein set out.
(Ordinance 2075, exh. A, adopted 4/24/2017)
§ 3-39 Required off-street parking.
In the 2F-C District, off-street parking shall hereafter be provided on each lot or tract upon which a building is erected or upon a contiguous lot or tract, and no building or structure, or part thereof, shall be hereafter erected, altered, converted or enlarged for any permitted use in the district in which it is located unless off-street parking facilities are provided in accordance with the following:
(1)
Two (2) spaces for each dwelling unit, one (1) of which may be uncovered.
(2)
Parking must be located in the rear or side of the property, behind the front face of the building.
(3)
Parking spaces located adjacent to public rights-of-way shall be screened via a minimum three-foot fence or screening wall.
(4)
Garages may be attached to the main structure, provided that they are set back behind the front wall plane and accessed from the side to prevent garage doors from facing the street.
(5)
Porte-cocheres are governed as accessory structures and can meet the two (2) covered parking spaces requirement if all of the following requirements are met:
a.
Must meet parking dimension requirements between structural supports;
b.
Must be permanently attached to the main structure;
c.
Must be open on three (3) sides;
d.
Three-foot side setback (two-foot eave/overhang setback);
e.
Maximum twenty-foot ridge height;
f.
2:1 height looming applies (maximum ten-foot exempt from height looming);
g.
Must be set back eighteen (18) feet from the front facade;
h.
Roof materials shall match the existing materials on the main structure;
i.
Structural supports must be clad to match the existing exterior wall/column finish materials of the main structure.
(Ordinance 1750-C, sec. 2, adopted 1/28/2008; Ordinance 2075, exh. A, adopted 4/24/2017; Ordinance 2146, sec. 2, adopted 10/14/2019)
§ 3-39.1 Landscaping, sidewalks, screening and lighting.
(1)
Any property within the 2F-C District is required to conform with section 3-88, Landscaping regulations, in addition to the following.
(2)
An eight (8) foot wide landscape area must be provided along the rear property line when adjacent to SF-A or SF-B zoning districts. The landscaping must be contiguous with the entire length of the property line, except where interrupted by a drive to an alley.
(3)
Double frontage lots.
The front yards of a double frontage lot shall be landscaped. For these lots both street frontages shall be considered front yards.
(4)
Canopy street trees shall be planted at regular intervals, within the public street rights-of-way. There shall be at least one tree planted for each twenty-five (25) feet of lot frontage, or portion thereof.
a.
Minor variations from the twenty-five (25) feet spacing requirement are permitted to avoid conflicts with driveway locations and accommodate other design considerations.
i.
Should insufficient right-of-way be available for the planting of trees, between the property line and the paved street, the ARB may recommend the required trees to be located on the applicant's property adjacent to public rights-of-way.
b.
Allowable street trees shall be of the species identified in section 5-152 and must be a minimum size of four (4) inch caliper at planting. For trees located under overhead utilities, property owners may install tree species identified as allowable trees according to CPS Energy. The spacing requirements between trees shall be in accordance with the recommended spacing based on the type of tree planted.
c.
Street trees shall be maintained to provide a clear canopy zone free of limbs, from ground level to eight (8) feet above ground level, for visibility and to avoid potential hazards to pedestrians and vehicles. Additional ground clearance may be required to accommodate emergency response vehicles.
(5)
Planting strips shall be provided for within the public street right-of-way adjacent to curbs and be a minimum of five (5) feet in width. The minimum width may be adjusted based on existing conditions and available rights-of-way widths.
(6)
Sidewalks of no less than five (5) feet in width shall be installed according to ADA standards, located within the public street right-of-way, along all street frontages, and adjacent to property lines.
(7)
Planting standards.
All required landscape areas shall comply with the standards of this subsection:
a.
Native and adaptive species are preferred in order to promote reduced water use and increased drought resistance.
i.
The architectural review board may approve other species of plants as part of their review process.
b.
Undesirable species. No proposed landscape material shall appear on the invasive and noxious weeds list for the State of Texas promulgated by the United States Department of Agriculture, nor on the Texas Noxious Weed List promulgated by the Texas Department of Agriculture.
c.
Shrubs used for screening shall be three (3) feet or taller in height, as measured from the surrounding soil line, immediately upon planting. Such shrubs shall be maintained at this minimum height, and shall at no time exceed forty-two (42) inches in height.
d.
Planting within city rights-of-way shall meet any applicable standards, to protect underground and overhead utilities, streets and sidewalks, drainage improvements, street lighting, sight distances, and the visibility of traffic control devices.
e.
Replacement of required landscaping that is dead or otherwise no longer meets the standards of this section shall occur within sixty (60) days of notification by the city. Replacement material shall be of similar character and quality as the dead or removed landscaping. Failure to replace in a timely manner in accordance with this subsection shall constitute a violation of these regulations.
f.
All required landscape areas shall be watered with irrigation systems in order to ensure continuous healthy plant growth and development while conserving water.
(8)
Property screening requirements.
Where the property line of a 2F-C District is adjacent to a single-family zoned district, an opaque wall or fence of six (6) to eight (8) feet in height shall be erected separating the rear and/or side.
a.
When a screening fence is required by this subsection, but where the property line abuts a single-family residential district and street rights-of-way, excluding alleys, a screening fence shall not be required, unless the required screening is for parking areas.
(9)
Trash receptacles screening.
All trash receptacles shall be stored and visually screened from an abutting public street right-of-way and from adjacent property by means of a fence or wall.
a.
All trash receptacles shall be located at least ten (10) feet from an adjacent lot.
b.
Enclosure shall extend at least one (1) foot above the container top.
c.
Dumpsters and garbage bins shall be located behind principal buildings relative to public street frontage whenever practical, and such trash receptacles shall also be accessible from alleys or vehicular access points where available and practical.
d.
Where site constraints and access make rear yard locations infeasible, containers may be placed in unobtrusive locations in side yards with appropriate screening.
e.
Openings into enclosures shall be positioned so that view of the containers from the street right-of-way is eliminated.
f.
Containers shall be located in such a manner that they can be serviced by a refuse hauling vehicle without such vehicle encroaching on or interfering with the public use of streets or sidewalks, and without such vehicle backing out of the property onto public right-of-way.
g.
Containers shall be placed on a paved surface of either concrete or asphalt.
(Ordinance 2075, exh. A, adopted 4/24/2017)