Brunswick City Zoning Code
CHAPTER 1286
Multifamily and Mixed Use Development
1286.01 OVERVIEW.
Multifamily dwellings are conditionally permitted uses in the R-M and C-G Districts, subject to the development, open space and locational standards of this Chapter 1286. Multifamily dwellings are subject to the specific sections of this chapter as indicated in the following table:
(Ord. 139-05. Passed 1-9-06.)
1286.02 LOT, HEIGHT AND FLOOR AREA REQUIREMENTS.
The lot, yard and height requirements for multifamily development in the R-M and C-G districts are as follows:
(Ord. 139-05. Passe 1-9-06.)
(a) Minimum lot area: Twenty-acre minimum site area.
(Ord. 110-2020. Passed 2-22-21.)
(b) The minimum floor area per unit in multifamily dwellings shall be:
(1) For each one bedroom dwelling unit, 800 square feet; and
(2) For each additional bedroom, per dwelling unit, 150 square feet.
(Ord. 139-05. Passed 1-9-06.)
1286.03 BASIC DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS.
(a) Unit Types. Notwithstanding the definition in Chapter 1242, multifamily residential dwellings may include a variety of unit types, including but not limited to attached, detached, townhouse, patio and similar unit types. Multifamily dwellings may also include a variety of unit types, including fee simple, footprint and condominium.
(Ord. 110-2020. Passed 2-22-21.)
(b) Landscaping. Required front yards in a multifamily development shall be landscaped and shall not be used for parking or any other purpose, except driveways to reach designated parking areas. Landscaping shall comply with the requirements of Chapter 1282.
(c) Landscaping Adjacent to Commercial Uses. Multifamily developments which are located behind commercial uses shall maintain a landscaped area with a 50-foot minimum width between multifamily buildings and the nearest commercial building or commercial parking or circulation area. This area shall be landscaped with lawns and planting beds as required by Chapter 1282, except for driveways to reach designated parking areas. The landscaped area may be included as part of the open spaces required by Section 1286.03 if it is under the control of and available to the residents of the multifamily development.
(d) Building Spacing. A multifamily development shall be considered as one building for the purpose of determining front, side and rear yard requirements, the entire group as a unit requiring one front yard, one side yard and two side yards as specified for the R-M District. All buildings in a multifamily development shall be a minimum of 20 feet apart. All garage doors shall be a minimum of 20 feet from a sidewalk or a private drive or street.
(e) Design Standards. All multifamily buildings and sites shall be developed to comply with the following design standards: (Ord. 139-05. Passed 1-9-06.)
(1) Attached or townhouse-type dwellings shall have a maximum of 2 units attached in a single building.
(Ord. 110-2020. Passed 2-22-21.)
(2) Garages shall be designed and located so that they are not the dominant visual element of the building or streetscape. All attached garages shall comply with one of the following:
A. The garage door shall be set back a minimum of two feet further from the primary access street, whether public or private, than the front wall of the main living area; or
B. The garage door shall be oriented perpendicular, or mainly perpendicular, to the access street.
All attached garages shall be fully integrated into the building mass.
(3) Multifamily buildings shall use offsets, projections, recess and other comparable design elements to avoid long, uninterrupted wall or roof planes. Blank walls are prohibited, except where necessary to maintain privacy.
(4) Doorways shall be defined and articulated with architectural elements such as intels, pediments, porches or overhangs. Doorways shall be compatible with the building as a whole and with the doors themselves.
(5) There shall be a maximum of 16 inches between exterior wall finishes and the final grade. Exposed foundation walls shall be covered with brick, stone or masonry with a surface design.
(6) Sidewalks shall form a network of pedestrian paths with a logical continuity. Walks shall be designed around large trees and outcroppings without being overly rigid in their placement.
(7) Open space areas shall be planted with trees, shrubs, hedges, ground covers and grasses, unless existing vegetation is to be retained. Landscaping shall be integrated with other functional and ornamental site characteristics to reinforce the character of the area.
(Ord. 139-05. Passed 1-9-06.)
1286.04 OPEN SPACE STANDARDS.
(a) Intent. The multifamily design standards in this section and Section 1286.02 are intended to insure adequate open spaces, recreation areas and related design standards for the benefits of the residents of a multifamily complex, comparable to a single family neighborhood. (Ord. 139-05. Passed 1-9-06.)
(b) Common Open Space. Each multifamily development shall provide common open space equal to a minimum of 35 percent of the development area, excluding right-of- way. As used in this chapter, common open space includes outdoor areas or enclosed recreational areas designed for use by all of the residents, and their guests, of a multifamily complex. Common open space includes lawns and other landscaped areas, natural areas, paved terraces and sitting areas and indoor or outdoor recreation areas. Common open space excludes all areas within 20 feet of a building wall, vehicle parking or circulation areas, and individually controlled land. Common open space in excess of the above minimum may be considered for park and recreation credits as provided in Chapter 1232.
(Ord. 110-2020. Passed 2-22-21.)
(c) Recreation Space. Each multifamily development shall provide recreation space equal to a minimum of 5.8 percent of the development area, excluding right-of-way. Recreation space is a component part of the open space area required by (b) above. Recreation space shall be appropriately improved for use by residents and their guests, and shall include a mix of activities such as play apparatus; active use areas for tennis, basketball or comparable activities; areas for sitting or gathering; open play fields; and walkways or other recreation improvements (excepting walks adjacent to a private street or drive). All recreation space shall have a least dimension of 50 feet. In multifamily developments of 4 acres or less, the recreation area shall be located in a single block of land. In developments of more than 4 acres, at least one recreation area shall be a block with minimum dimensions of 100 feet by 100 feet and the balance shall be in large blocks to support its intended recreation use. Improvements to recreation space may be considered for park and recreation credits as provided by Chapter 1232.
(d) Private Open Space. Each multifamily dwelling unit shall be provided private open space at the ratio of 100 square feet per unit. Private open space shall not occupy any portion of the common open space or recreation space required in subsections (b) and (c) above. Private open space shall be specifically designed and constructed to be used and enjoyed by the residents of an individual dwelling unit, and shall be located adjacent to and reasonably accessible from the dwelling unit. Such space shall be screened or otherwise designed to provide privacy for the intended users.
(e) Exclusions. Stormwater detention areas may receive full credit towards the common open space requirement in (b) above if they are designed and improved for an appropriate open space use (such as a lake or playfield) in addition to stormwater detention. Single purpose detention basins shall not receive credit toward the open space requirement. Water areas shall not exceed 50 percent of the minimum recreation area in (c) above.
(Ord. 139-05. Passed 1-9-06.)
1286.05 C-G MULTIFAMILY LOCATIONAL STANDARDS.
(a) Overview. Multifamily dwellings in the C-G District are conditionally permitted uses as provided in Section 1260.04(o), subject to the general development standards in Section 1286.02 through 1286.04. Within the C-G zone, multifamily dwellings are further subject to the locational standards in this section and to the mixed use development standards in Section 1286.06.
(Ord. 139-05. Passed 1-9-06.)
(b) Excluded Areas. In order to reserve the street frontage around key intersections for retail, office or other commercial uses, multifamily dwellings are prohibited within the C-G district within 500 feet of the following intersections:
Pearl Road and Boston Road
Pearl Road and Grafton Road
Pearl Road and Center Road
Pearl Road and Laurel Road
Pearl Road and Sleepy Hollow Road
Center Road and Hadcock Road/Maxwell Boulevard
Center Road and N. Carpenter Road
Center Road and S. Carpenter Road
Center Road and W. 130th Street
W. 130th Street and Laurel Road
(Ord. 110-2020. Passed 2-22-21.)
(c) Measurement Standards. Measurement of the 500-foot boundary shall begin at the point where the two centerlines intersect and shall be measured in a straight line without regard for intervening structures. Where the 500-foot boundary crosses through a parcel, the following rules of interpretation shall apply:
(1) Where more than half of the street frontage of the parcel, measured along the right of way line, is within the 500-foot boundary, the entire parcel shall be considered within the 500-foot boundary.
(2) Where less than half of the street frontage of the parcel, measured along the right of way line, is beyond the 500-foot boundary, the entire parcel shall be considered outside the 500-foot boundary.
(d) Mixed Use Areas. Subject to the exclusions in subsection (b), multifamily dwellings in the C-G District located 350 feet or less from the centerlines of Pearl Road (US 42) and Center Road (SR 303) shall comply with the development and open space standards in Sections 1286.01 through 1286.03 and shall also comply with the mixed use development standards in Section 1286.06.
(e) Other Areas. Subject to the exclusions in subsections (b) and (d), multifamily dwellings in the C-G District located more than 350 feet from the centerlines of Pearl Road (US 42) and Center Road (SR 303) are conditionally permitted, subject to Sections 1268.01 through 1268.04. At the option of the applicant and with approval of the Planning Commission, the mixed use development standards in Section 1286.06 may be used.
(Ord. 139-05. Passed 1-9-06.)
1286.06 MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT.
(a) Intended for Mixed Use Development Areas. In creating opportunities for mixed use development within the C-G district, the City of Brunswick intends to encourage a mix of retail, service, office, housing, live-work units, and public activities to coexist in a manner that reflects human scale and emphasizes pedestrian orientation, taking advantage of the vitality and synergy that mixed uses can bring to the community. Further, the community will benefit from mixed use developments that are walkable, less reliant on the automobile and encourage social interaction.
(1) Multifamily dwellings shall be combined with one or more other uses which are permitted or conditionally permitted in the C-G district.
(2) Uses may be mixed vertically (in a single building), horizontally in separate buildings, or both. (Ord. 139-05. Passed 1-9-06.)
(3) Non-multifamily uses shall occupy a minimum of 30 percent of total floor area of the mixed use development.
(Ord. 110-2020. Passed 2-22-21.)
(4) The ratio of total floor area to land area within the mixed use development shall be 0.5:1, which is typically expressed as FAR 0.5. The FAR shall be the basic limit of development intensity, and the density provisions in Section 1286.02(a) shall not apply.
(5) Commercial and multifamily uses shall be fully integrated in terms of architecture and circulation, including pedestrian circulation. Opportunities for shared parking as provided in Section 1276.07 shall be fully utilized. Sidewalks shall connect buildings and activity areas with each other and with the street sidewalks.
(6) Buildings facing Pearl or Center Road with ground floor commercial space shall comply with the front yard zone provisions in Section 1286.02 and shall provide the 10-foot landscaped strip along the street right of way required by Section 1284.06(g). Buildings facing Pearl or Center Road with ground floor multifamily spaces shall comply with the front yard zone provisions in Section 1286.02 and the front yard landscaping provision in Section 1276.09(a).
(7) To insure that space approved for commercial use within a mixed use development is in fact used for that purpose, space intended for commercial use shall incorporate a minimum of 50 percent glass (clear or translucent) between the height of 3 feet and 8 feet above grade in ground floor front elevations.
(8) Site plans presented for PC review shall clearly demonstrate that the buildings and site are designed and intended for mixed use development. Space approved for commercial use shall not be converted to any other use.
(Ord. 139-05. Passed 1-9-06.)
(Ord. 139-05. Passed 1-9-06.)
1286.07 SUPPLEMENTAL REQUIREMENTS.
(a) Planning Commission Modification. The Planning Commission may modify the strict requirements of this chapter if it finds that privacy, light and openness are improved because of skillful design in the arrangement of buildings, open spaces, landscaping or other site features. The Commission may also require wider yards, where an adjoining building is near a lot line, and such features as fences and planting to protect adjoining residences. The Commission shall not decrease the yard width, common open space, recreation space or private open space requirements in order to allow the maximum number of units permitted in the R-M or C-G District, nor shall the Commission increase the maximum allowable density or floor area ratio permitted in this District.
(b) Site Plan Review. All multifamily developments shall require review and approval of site plans as provided in Chapter 1278, including approval by City Council. Multifamily site plans shall clearly depict the required common open space, recreation space and private open space areas, including proposed improvements thereto, required by this chapter. Site plans required by the chapter shall also comply with the provisions of Chapter 1276 Parking and Site Design and Chapter 1282 Landscaping and Screening.
(Ord. 139-05. Passed 1-9-06.)