New single-family structures, and alterations to existing single-family structures, shall comply with the supplemental standards in this Section.

(Ord. No. 1204, § 3(Exh. A.1), 7-26-23)

A.

Purpose. The following detached single-family residential design standards are intended to ensure that single-family detached homes are well-designed while allowing for flexibility and creativity. A broad range of configurations are allowed including cluster homes, cottages, auto courts, and other configurations that meet the allowed density requirements and development standards of the applicable zone.

B.

Applicability. This section shall apply to allowed construction or installation of all detached single-family residential structures, additions thereto, and all accessory structures including, but not limited to garages, guest houses, and second dwelling units, except as otherwise authorized by State law or per Section 17.60.010.H. (Accessory Dwelling Units).

C.

Site Planning Standards.

1.

Access and Connectivity.

a.

External Connectivity. Streets within any proposed subdivision or building site shall be aligned with existing and planned streets in the surrounding area to create a continuous street pattern. All streets in any subdivision or development site shall connect to other streets and to existing and planned streets outside the proposed subdivision or development to the extent feasible. Any cul-de-sac or other dead-end street longer than three hundred (300) feet shall be connected to other streets by a pedestrian path. If a development is gated, it shall provide frequent pedestrian and bicycle connections between the gated community and surrounding areas at distances no more than six hundred (600) feet apart.

b.

Pedestrian Pathways/Sidewalks. New development shall be required to provide pedestrian pathways/sidewalks connecting to the public sidewalk and other planned or existing pedestrian routes or trails. A pedestrian pathway/sidewalk shall connect the primary common building entry or entries to the public sidewalk on each street frontage. Pedestrian pathways/sidewalks, a minimum of five feet wide, shall be provided from the public right-of-way to all primary common entryways and common areas, guest parking, and centralized trash enclosures (if provided). This is not applicable to a typical single-family detached residential subdivision.

2.

Street and Pathway Landscaping. All publicly accessible private streets and pathways shall provide a combination of trees, shrubs, and ground cover in a minimum five-foot-wide planting strip. Trees shall be planted at a minimum of one tree for every forty (40) feet of linear street/path. Shrubs and groundcover shall cover at least thirty (30) percent of the planting strip.

3.

Parking.

a.

Parking Location. Curb cuts and driveways providing access to parking shall be provided from an alley or secondary/private street, rather than from the public right-of-way, whenever such alley or secondary/private access is feasible. Parking is not allowed in the front setback area for individual lots and building sites, except within approved driveways.

b.

Garage Design.

i.

A fully enclosed two-car garage with a clear and free minimum interior dimension of twenty (20) feet in width and twenty-two (22) feet in length shall be provided, except on lots having a width of fifty (50) feet or less, a fully enclosed tandem garage with a clear and free minimum interior dimension of twelve (12) feet in width by forty-four (44) feet in depth may be provided. All garages shall be constructed in compliance with the City Building & Safety Division requirements.

ii.

Detached garage structures shall be designed using at least two of the same exterior finish materials and/or colors used on the principal structure and shall be provided with decorative sectional roll-up doors constructed of durable material, such as wood or metal. Doors constructed of plywood sheeting shall not be allowed.

iii.

When the width of the driveway exceeds twenty (20) feet in width (as measured five feet in front of the garage), a decorative driveway, which may consist of paver treatments, colored concrete, decorative concrete finishes, or other treatments as approved by the Director, shall be required. Stamped concrete shall not be allowed.

4.

Services and Utilities.

a.

Utilities. All new utility boxes and equipment and utility connections shall be undergrounded unless otherwise prohibited by the utility provider (e.g., water backflow prevention device that must be placed above ground) or the City Engineer grants an exemption following his/her determination that such undergrounding is not practicable.

b.

Utility Hookups. Utility hookups and an area to accommodate installation of a clothes washer and dryer shall be provided within the primary structure or within an enclosed accessory structure.

c.

Location of Above-ground Utilities and Service Areas. All above-ground utilities and equipment (e.g., electric and gas meters, fire sprinkler valves, irrigation backflow prevention devices, etc.), shall be integrated into building and landscape design and located to minimize impact on the pedestrian experience and neighboring properties by adhering to the below standards:

d.

Utilities and equipment shall be located on non-primary street frontages, alleys, parking areas, and/or at the rear or side of buildings.

e.

Utilities and equipment shall be fully screened from view and not be located within the front or street side setback area of the lot or development site.

f.

Air-Conditioning Equipment. No new roof-mounted air conditioning equipment or evaporative coolers visible from the public right-of-way shall be allowed. Push through air conditioning units or evaporative coolers may be allowed on any side or rear elevation, as long as they are not visible from any public right-of-way. Air conditioning equipment shall be ground-mounted, set back a minimum of five feet from any side or rear property line and shall not be located within the required front yard setback.

5.

Refuse and Recycling.

a.

Single-family residential development projects do not require communal or shared trash and recycling areas/containers. In such cases, no enclosure structure shall be required, however individual trash and recycling containers shall be stored in such a manner that containers are not visible from public view from the front of the property. Containers may be placed in public view for purposes of collection only on the scheduled collection day and shall be removed from public view following said collection.

b.

For cluster homes, cottages, and auto courts, common refuse and recycling containers and collection areas shall be adequate in capacity, number, and distribution to accommodate all waste generation of the site. The number of containers and collection areas shall be reviewed by the local disposal service and approved by the Director. Common refuse and recycling collection areas shall be located inside of enclosures located along alleys, in parking areas, or at the rear or side of buildings and shall be fully screened from view per the screening standard in CMC Section 17.19.020.B.5.c (Service, Utility, and Equipment Screening) below. Communal refuse collection areas shall be prohibited on primary frontages.

c.

Service, Utility, and Equipment Screening. Screening of common refuse collection areas, utilities, and equipment shall be equal to or higher than the height of the equipment to be screened. Screening materials shall consist of a primary exterior finish material used on other portions of the residential units.

D.

Building and Façade Design Standards.

1.

Architectural Variability. For all developments involving five or more contiguous lots, there shall be multiple "distinctly different" front façade designs. No more than two houses shall be of the same front façade design as any other house directly adjacent along the same block face and side of the street. Mirror images of the same configuration do not meet the intent of "distinctly different." "Distinctly different" shall mean that a single-family dwelling's elevation must differ from other house elevations in the following criteria. The number of required different front façade designs shall be in accordance with Table 17.19-1. Architectural Variability.

a.

Number of stories (optional);

b.

Modulation strategies—at least one (see CMC Section 17.19.020.C.2 (Façade Modulation and Articulation));

c.

Articulation strategies—at least one (see CMC Section 17.19.020.C.2 (Façade Modulation and Articulation)); and,

d.

Variation in materials—different material palette, with a different primary material.

Table 17.19-1. Architectural Variability

2.

Façade Modulation and Articulation

a.

Modulation. Residential units shall employ at least two of the following building modulation strategies:

i.

Varied roof forms, including, but not limited to changes in roof height, offsets, change in direction of roof slope, dormers, parapets, etc.;

ii.

Use of balconies, front porches, overhangs, or covered patios; and/or,

iii.

Projections, offsets, and/or recesses of the building wall at least one foot in depth, including, but not limited to bay windows, chimneys, brackets, and cornices.

b.

Articulation. All building elevations that face a street or a cluster driveway shall employ varied façade articulation of wall surfaces. Facades shall incorporate at least three of the following features, consistent in design style, which provide articulation and design interest:

i.

Variation in texture or material, provided all exterior wall textures and materials are consistent with the overall architectural style of the dwelling;

ii.

Decorative trim elements that add detail and articulation, such as door surrounds with at least a two-inch depth, decorative eave detailing, belt courses, etc.;

iii.

Railings with a design pattern and materials such as wood, metal, or stone which reinforces the architectural style of the building;

iv.

Decorative window elements such as, lintels, shutters, window boxes, etc.; and/or,

v.

Increased roof overhangs at least eighteen (18) inches deep.

c.

Side and Rear Elevations. In no case shall any side or rear elevation be a solid blank wall with no articulation. Side facades facing a private street or common driveway shall include details which are compatible with those on the façade, with similar types and treatments of roofs, windows, shutters, planter boxes, and other architectural elements.

3.

Window Trim or Recess. Trim at least two inches in depth shall be provided around all windows, or windows shall be recessed at least two inches from the plane of the surrounding exterior wall. Foam trim material is prohibited.

4.

Building Entries.

a.

Orientation.

i.

Dwelling units that abut a public right-of-way shall orient the primary entryway toward the public street. Exceptions to this requirement may be approved by the Director or his/her designee for projects where the project site is located on a Major or Primary Arterial (with and without Bicycle facilities), provided the façade facing the public street is designed with similar details and treatments to those of the front façade.

ii.

Dwelling units located in the interior of a development shall orient the primary entryway toward and be visible from a private street, pedestrian pathway, or open space that is connected to a public right-of-way or private street.

b.

Projection or Recess. Building entrances shall have a roofed projection (such as a porch) or recess with a minimum depth of at least six feet and a minimum area of thirty-six (36) square feet. Exceptions to this requirement may be approved by the Director or his/her designee for alternative designs that create a welcoming entry feature facing the street, such as a trellis or landscaped courtyard entry.

c.

Grade. Ground floor/entry height shall be a maximum of three feet above grade.

5.

Building Roofs.

a.

Roof Form. Primary roof forms shall be gable, hipped, flat, or shed.

b.

Roof Pitch. Steep roofs with a rise to run ratio over 6:12 (26.6 degrees) are prohibited.

c.

Gable Overhangs. All residential structures shall have eave and gable overhangs of not less than twenty (12) inches measured from the vertical side of the residential structure, unless overhangs are architecturally incompatible with the design of the structure as approved by the Director or his/her designee.

d.

Roof Materials. Roof materials shall be non-combustible; shake and composite shingles shall be prohibited on any new single-family residential structure.

e.

Roof Vents. All roof vents shall be flat or similar style.

6.

Colors and Materials.

a.

Variation in Materials. Each home shall incorporate at least three materials for facades.

b.

Siding Materials. Siding material shall consist of stucco, wood, brick, stone, or decorative concrete block. Synthetic products of a similar appearance, equivalent durability, and providing equivalent fire resistance may be allowed. Metal siding, if utilized, shall be non-reflective and horizontally overlapping. The exterior covering material shall extend to a point at or near grade except that if an approved solid wood, metal, concrete, or masonry perimeter foundation is used, the exterior covering material need not extend below the top of the foundation.

c.

Building Component Colors. All vents, gutters, downspouts, flashing, electrical conduits, etc., shall be painted to match the color of the adjacent surface.

7.

Transitions and Privacy.

a.

Window Placement. Windows on adjacent units shall be offset by at least three feet to avoid direct sightlines into and from neighboring properties.

b.

Upper-Story Decks and Balconies. Upper-story decks and/or balconies over twenty (20) square feet in area shall be setback a minimum of fifteen (15) feet from the property line when adjacent to a single-family zoned property.

c.

Landscape Buffer. For development projects of six units or more, a landscaped planter strip of at least three feet in width shall be provided along the abutting property line between a small lot subdivision/development and any adjoining low-density residential zoning district boundaries. Trees shall be planted within this area every twenty (20) to forty (40) feet on center (depending on the tree species and canopy at maturity) to provide screening between the small lot subdivision/development and the adjacent low-density residential uses.

8.

Accessory Structures. Accessory structures over one hundred twenty (120) square feet such as detached garages, porches, pergolas, and other similar structures shall be architecturally compatible with the primary residential structure by incorporating at least two of the same colors, materials, design elements, or roof materials. Attached solid patio covers with a 3:12 pitch or greater shall substantially match the existing roof material and color. If a pitch less than 3:12 is proposed, the roof shall only be required to match the color of the primary structure roof. If open lattice is proposed, it shall match the existing trim color of the primary structure.

(Ord. No. 1204, § 3(Exh. A.1), 7-26-23)